Head Extreme MP Racquet 2022 Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 83

The Extreme MP 2022's feel will be familiar to anyone who has experience with the previous models, but this generation puts an emphasis on maneuverability. Jason noticed a change in performance that allowed him to whip through his forehands. He said, "This was an easy racquet to just pick up and use. I felt comfortable with it right away, with no need to acclimate. This updated model feels slightly whippier than the previous generation, which I appreciated, and I was able to hit with tons of topspin on my forehand side. The only small adjustment I'd make would be adding a bit of mass to help me put the ball away more easily."

Chris agreed with Jason when talking about the Extreme MP 2022's head speed. He said, "The Extreme MP was super fast and whippy on groundstrokes. It responded best to a fast swing, which rewarded me with good pace and spin. I had fun working angles with this racquet, and I was able to pull opponents wide to open up the court for my next shot. In defensive situations, I was often able to flick the ball deep and get myself back in the point. I would have liked a more solid response on touch shots. The racquet got pushed around a bit on a compact swing and when I was looking to bleed pace off the ball. When I did get my drop shot right, I loved following it up with a topspin lob, as that was a very easy shot to execute with this racquet. Comfort was impressive, and overall the Extreme MP 2022 had a nice feel to it, even when paired with a firmer co-poly string."

The specs of the Extreme MP 2022 are similar to Brittany's longtime racquet of choice, so she had a natural reference point. She described, "I have playtested several generations of the Extreme MP, so I had a good idea of what to expect from this update. I found plenty of spin potential with the Extreme MP 2022 from the very start, and it was extremely easy to swing, just like the previous iterations. I had a great time getting into a groove with this racquet in practice; I loved rallying cross court and was able to get a good feel for the ball. The spin potential allowed me to tap into a variety of strokes and be creative with my shot selection. I also appreciated the higher launch angle, which provided great depth on my groundstrokes, with the balls dropping a couple of feet in front of the baseline. Because I was able to generate racquet head speed, I could create plenty of power as well. I will note that I felt like my shots weren't as heavy as I expected, and they weren't pushing my opponent back as much as I would have liked. Slices were just OK. I thought they were missing a little mass behind them, and they were just sitting up more than I wanted."

After a few adjustments, Sage grew in confidence from one hit to the next. He explained, "My best results with the Extreme MP came when I made the decision to play to the racquet's strengths. While this departs from my typical play style, I did eventually settle into a nice groove from the baseline. I immediately noticed easy net clearance and a fast swing. The launch angle bordered on being too high, but I was still able to dip the ball into the court. It was the depth and weight of my shots that I felt were lacking. I could change direction pretty well, but my forehand didn't have its usual sting. Control was middle of the road. I don't think this frame was intended to produce pinpoint accuracy, but even with that considered, my targets were larger than normal. I tried to stay well away from the lines with this racquet and use large targets and consistency to win points."

Volleys - Score: 77

While our team agreed the Extreme MP 2022 would benefit from additional stability, the agility of the frame during quick volley exchanges was a major positive. Chris described, "As with groundstrokes, I had my best results when carrying some tip speed with the Extreme MP. Whether it was punching through a volley or hitting a swinging volley, I found good pace, depth and directional control. Touch shots and angles were a little harder for me with this racquet. I like to soften my grip on the racquet for those shots, but when I did the Extreme MP would twist or flutter in my hand. My shots would often drop short into the net when I lost stability. I had better results if I cut the ball aggressively with spin, but that meant modifying my game to find the same angles I can usually find with just placement."

Brittany loved how easy it was to hit aggressive volleys. She said, "I put the Extreme MP through a couple of different scenarios, including doubles point play to really get a feel for the racquet. I liked how quickly I could get the Extreme MP 2022 into position during fast volley exchanges, and I was able to punch the volley away when I was heading into the net off an approach shot. Just like when I was hitting groundstrokes, I would have liked a little more stability at net. At times, the racquet was twisting in my hands on hard-hit passing shots, and I didn't feel like I had enough weight behind my ball to be offensive."

"The ball felt like it was on and off the stringbed quickly, which fits well with my preferences," added Sage. "I like to punch through contact and aim deep in the court, and this racquet gave me those results. That said, there were moments when I wanted more stability and a higher degree of confidence in my placement when I needed to target a smaller area of open court. The Extreme MP 2022 lost the battle when I was up against a big groundstroke in doubles."

Jason echoed the rest of the team, saying, "I liked how whippy the Extreme MP 2022 felt up at net. It was definitely helpful when exchanging reflex volleys, and there was enough pop to put away sitters with ease. Like my groundstrokes, I wanted additional weight when volleying, but more for torsional stability on off-center hits than for power."

Serves - Score: 82

Consistency was the name of the game when our playtesters were serving with the Extreme MP 2022. Brittany used a variety of shots to ensure she started the point on offense. She explained, "The ability to really get the racquet up and over my head with ease allowed me to have a consistent first and second serve motion. I liked accessing the spin potential and carving my deuce side serve out wide to open up the court. I felt I could hit a variety of serves with the Extreme MP 2022, and I would throw in a flat first serve up the T on key points to keep my opponents honest. On second serves, I actually had fun seeing how much kick I could add to the ball. I was able to get some good arc and get the ball to bounce up and out of my opponent's strike zone. However, I had to be careful, as my serve wasn't the heaviest, and if I didn't fully go after the second serve it would sit waist height, and my opponents could step in and attack."

Jason thought the Extreme MP's easy access to spin made up for a lack of raw power on serves. He said, "It was very easy to serve with this racquet. It didn't necessarily produce the most power, but the spin and consistency were what stood out here."

Sage had to get crafty and focus on his choice of serve to be effective. He described, "It was all about spin and slice on serve. I could really get the ball moving through the service box, and I relied on that action to trouble my opponents. Unfortunately, the lack of power was again the biggest downside, forcing me to rely on staying one step ahead of my opponents by mixing things up. I noticed a higher percentage of serves being returned deep onto my side of the court, putting me on my back foot much more than usual. Even though I wasn't thrilled with my serve, it was super consistent, and I did look to hit my second serve nearly as big as my first."

Returns - Score: 83

Returns were "all gas, no brakes" with this new Extreme MP 2022. Jason used the racquet's effortless net clearance and spin to generate penetrating shots. He said, "I liked that I could take bigger cuts at the ball with this racquet, and the great access to spin helped me keep them in play. I was getting some decent depth when chipping returns back, but I could've used just a tad bit more mass."

Brittany also preferred to step into her returns. She explained, "The Head Extreme MP was a fun weapon on returns that helped me start points off aggressively. I could maneuver it around my body quickly and never felt late on any return. My returns were landing deep in the court. I loved being conservative and aiming deep up the middle on first serve returns. On second serves, I could step up and be aggressive and use the spin to hit a variety of returns to keep my opponent guessing. Just like with volleys, there were times when I noticed the racquet fluttering in my hands on first serve returns, and I found myself wishing for a little more weight to return more effectively."

Sage adjusted his positioning to get the most out of this racquet. He said, "Returns had a tendency to land short if I didn't keep my racquet head speed up and get my feet under me. That said, when I was able to get into the right spot, the resulting shot was a rocket. I liked taking a step back to give myself more time, then unloading a rip of a forehand. Against big serves, the Extreme MP struggled with stability and power. Nothing was free, so to speak. My best returns were deep and to the center of the court. My margins weren't quite good enough to narrow my targets in most cases. Attacking second serves demanded a big swing at the ball and yielded mixed results."

"I had fun taking returns early with a good rip at the ball when swinging the Extreme MP 2022," added Chris. "If you like to bang returns with pace and spin, I think you'll find this racquet to be a willing partner. My favorite return was a heavy cross court rip with as much topspin as I could muster. Flicking angles was also easy to do with this racquet, which made it a solid option when up against a serve and volleyer."

Overall - Score: 82