Head Boom MP 2022 Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 80

Groundstroke performance is a high priority for newly introduced modern racquets. In general, the Head Boom MP 2022 was well regarded by our playtesters for its versatility from the baseline. Brittany typically plays with slightly heavier racquets than this version of the Boom, but she still thought it performed well. She said, "After hitting with the prototype version more than two months ago, I put the Boom MP through the wringer, testing it in singles, doubles and intense drilling. As I mentioned in our First Impressions video, this racquet is extremely user-friendly. It was easy to swing, and I could generate plenty of racquet head speed. This translated to easy power and depth. On top of that, I could simply flick my wrist to create spin and hit a variety of groundstrokes. When it came to point play, I was missing a little bit of the precision I receive from my Yonex EZONE 100 and had to aim for safer, bigger targets."

With a 64 RA, the Boom MP's stiffness rating is middle of the road, but it provided loads of comfort for Tiffani. She explained, "The frame does a good job at absorbing pace and vibrations. Even on mis-hits, this racquet felt very comfortable. It delivered easy pop and a high launch angle, which took some getting used to. I hit a much more direct ball, so I had to adjust to seeing my shots arc through the air. The head is wider at the tip, allowing for easy access to topspin, and I could hit some great cross-court angles with this Boom MP. However, being a mostly flat ball hitter, it was harder for me to be precise with my depth than it is with my typical tighter-patterned racquet."

Our Tennis Warehouse Europe playtesters, Cathrin and Benji, prefer modern spin racquets, and they found this Boom MP easy to use with excellent spin. Cathrin said, "I had a lot of fun testing the new Boom MP, and I felt comfortable with this racquet after just a few shots. It is easy to use, as it has a large sweetspot and is very forgiving. I got a lot of spin and power on my groundstrokes from the large face and open string pattern. I lacked a little stability as soon as the game got very fast, especially on my slices. The Boom MP even felt a little lighter to me than it is." Benji added, "I really liked the Boom MP because it was very maneuverable and easy to use. I didn't need much time to feel comfortable and connected to the ball, and I managed to easily use my wrist to generate high levels of spin. I would have liked a little more stability, but overall it was good to play with this racquet."

Tennis Only playtesters Jaye and James, from Australia, had a great playtest. They felt that the speedy Boom MP complemented their modern swings. Jaye said, "I loved this racquet on groundstrokes. I thought it was super easy to use and had big spin potential. In regards to forehands and backhands, I was able to generate pace and place big dips on the ball." James added, "In stock form, this racquet is quite light and maneuverable. It felt effortless to generate spin and racquet head speed. Players who like to feel the weight of the racquet on their take-back and swing path may want to add some lead or tungsten tape."

Volleys - Score: 78

Our playtesters agreed that the Head Boom MP 2022 excelled at deep volleys and speed. The main downside was the lighter weight, which caused stability issues on quick reactions and off-center shots. Benji took advantage of a variety of drop shots and deep volleys during his playtest. He said, "The Boom MP was stable enough to get some aggressive volleys, but I especially liked the racquet when I had to make drop volleys. I think it could really fit a player who prefers to be at the net pretty often during the game."

A couple of the playtesters noted stability issues at the net. Cathrin said, "I lacked a little stability on my volleys. On the other hand, the racquet was super maneuverable, and I was able to hit the ball deep in the court." James added, "This racquet is very maneuverable at the net, but it lacked some stability and directional control."

Although Jaye prefers baseline play over volleys, he found confidence at the net thanks to the Boom MP's speedy power. He said, "I didn't love it on volleys, but that's more because I'm not a volleyer. It did, however, have a lot of put-away power and easy access to depth, so I was confident the ball wasn't coming back if I connected well with it."

Brittany and Tiffani noted this racquet's comfort and speed as highlights during their playtest, even on off-center shots. Brittany explained, "The maneuverability was a shining factor up at net. I was able to get the racquet into position without issue, even on a reflex volley exchange. However, I mostly punched the ball back deep in the court to end points. I found the racquet to be very comfortable, with a plush feel, and I did not experience any discomfort or vibrations on any off-center shots." Tiffani continued, "Moving to the net, I really appreciated how quickly I could get this racquet into position. I didn't feel stuck or caught late. The power level was also adequate, and I found it best to stick my volleys deep into the court."

Serves - Score: 88

With a lighter weight, widened upper hoop and open string pattern, this Head Boom MP 2022 was primed and ready to start the point with speed, power and spin. Our playtesters were very happy to serve with this racquet. Brittany said, "The Boom MP lived up to its name. I was definitely booming some big first serves! The ease of generating racquet head speed translated to effortless power and depth. I noticed I was winning more free points than normal and receiving weaker returns, allowing me to start the point on the offensive. I had confidence going up and after my second serve as well. There was enough spin potential to bring the serve down, and I was able to serve consistently and limit my double faults."

Both Cathrin and Jaye thought the Boom helped increase their spin and consistency when serving. Cathrin said, "I'm not a very good server, but the Boom helped me get more spin on the ball. It was very easy to generate head speed, which helped me get some free points with my serve." Jaye added, "I played a practice set with this racquet, and I honestly think I missed maybe one or two first serves. It came through contact well and had enough spin to make sure the ball dipped down and kicked off."

Tiffani agreed on the serving magic the Boom MP grants to players, even players who don't favor their serve. She said, "This was my favorite shot with the Boom MP. There's a reason I'm not known as a big server. With this racquet, though, I was getting more spin on my second serve, which is always appreciated. It was also easy to hit my flat serves."

To make it unanimous, James also praised the Boom MP's performance on serves. He said, "I really enjoyed the Boom on serve. It's a shot where speed and spin come in handy, and I had no issues hitting kick serves that were bigger than usual for me. Serves were one of the highlights for me on this playtest."

Returns - Score: 77

There were pluses and minuses with the Boom MP 2022 on returns. The lighter weight allowed for quick maneuverability and whippy spin-oriented returns, but it also lead to some stability issues against bigger servers. While Brittany usually prefers the return of serve, that was not the case with the Boom MP. She described, "Normally, my return is one of my favorite shots to hit. With this racquet — and a couple of other recent open-patterned racquets I have playtested — I really struggled to find this shot. While there were elements of playability, including the excellent maneuverability and spin potential that I look for in a racquet when returning, I ultimately was not able to hit a consistent offensive return. Most of my returns were neutral to defensive due to issues with depth control. I struggled to feel where the ball was landing on the stringbed, and at times I had no idea how it would come off. This resulted in inconsistent returns that were landing all over the court, both short and deep, so I was being really conservative with my targets and aiming mostly down the middle."

Tiffani thought the Boom MP 2022 was great for getting in front of the ball quickly during returns, but like Brittany, she had depth control issues. She said, "This Boom MP moved through the air quickly, so it was easy to get it around my body and hit with good pace. I had some issues with my depth control on my returns, so I found that it was best for me to aim deep into the middle of the court to get the point started."

James enjoyed returning serves when he was able to be aggressive, but he noticed stability issues against powerful serves. He said, "Returns of serve were good when I was able to take a decent swing, but some extra weight would be welcome for blocking back harder serves."

Both Cathrin and Jaye also noted that the Boom MP lacked stability at times, but they were still able to maintain good depth and spin during returns. Cathrin described, "I like to play my return long to the baseline at my opponent's feet, especially to defuse strong serves. The spin potential of this racquet helped me to do that, but the stability wasn't always there." Jaye added, "This racquet's spin potential helped me return a fair few back into play. The stability wasn't always there at the tip of the racquet, so if I caught one rough out wide, there was not any forgiveness. However, clean returns popped through the court swiftly to the baseline."

Overall - Score: 81