Head Boom MP 2022 Review

New for 2022 is the Head Growth line of rackets that take up an extra spot within the Austrian agency’s ever-growing racket lineup.

The Growth line comes with a brand new head form, which suggests the racket is broader across the contact zone, enhancing spin energy and providing you with extra buy on the ball from off-centre hits.

Like the brand new Prestige rackets, it additionally options Auxetic know-how, which makes the racket flex in several methods if you hit the ball. It does this as a result of yoke piece adapting its inside construction, deforming to offer you optimum impression really feel and extremely correct suggestions.

Lastly, the racket has Morph Beam, which mixes an elongated field beam shaft with a extra sturdy development within the head.

The Growth line has two rackets proper now, the Growth MP, which is the lighter (295g), bigger head measurement (100sq”) mannequin, and the Boom Pro, which is a 98sq”, 310g racket.

The MP is designed explicitly for formidable intermediate and superior gamers and is available in at a weight that works for a variety of taking part in ranges. However how did it carry out for me? Discover out on this full Head Growth MP playtest and overview.

Head Growth MP Cosmetics

The Growth MP has a easy colour-blocked design; half the racket is black, with the opposite half (throat and grip) coming in a coral design.

I have not seen this coral/teal/turquoise used on a racket earlier than, and I feel it seems to be fairly good. It appears just like the Diadem Elevate FS 98 however is a extra matte pastel. The suggestions I acquired in the course of the testing reveals that the colors are particularly in style with feminine gamers.

Alongside the colors, I additionally just like the design of the body by way of its form. It has a teardrop form hoop with a modified field beam throat. The throat is sq. on the outer facet, however the internal portion of the throat has a contoured design (Morph beam) presumably to assist with aerodynamics.

The teardrop design provides it a considerably Yonex isometric sort form, and in the event you pair that with the specs, you get one thing of an EZONE assembly the Wilson Conflict 100.

Specs and Setup

After taking the plastic off the deal with and eradicating the cardboard plaque, I obtained the Head Growth MP straight on the scales.

Having seen another specs and evaluations posted on the boards, a number of of the Growth MP’s and Growth Professional rackets have are available fairly a bit beneath spec, however mine got here in at 298.6g, 3.6g over Head’s supplied 295g spec.

That is inside most producers’ tolerances and is in no way the worst I’ve seen. I feel those that are into tools would at all times desire higher high quality management, however 3g is manageable, and on this case, I like a number of grams of additional weight as this implies extra graphite and extra mass.

You possibly can see the official (+ Tennis Warehouse) Head Growth MP and Growth Professional specs under, together with my self measured Growth MP specs for comparability.

After unpacking the racket, I obtained it onto my portable MiStringer machine a number of hours later and strang it with Head Lynx Tour in 1.25mm at 45lbs. Lynx Tour is a monofilament polyester, not dissimilar to Mayami Tour Hex I reviewed lately, and I figured it could pair effectively with the Growth MP.

The Growth MP is straightforward to string, and for beginner stringers like myself, I like Head rackets as they’re marked which skip and tie holes to make use of, so there may be much less faffing round in search of PDF directions if you’re not sure.

After stringing, the Growth MP had a strung weight of 317.3g and a swing weight of 320 kg*cm^2.

I then added a Head Xtreme Delicate Overgrip as a part of my ongoing overgrip testing; this took the ultimate weight to 322.4g.

As you’ll be able to see within the picture above, the HEAD Xtreme overgrip ruined the cosmetics barely because it has bigger perforations which present the color of the bottom grip beneath. White with coral dots beneath would not look significantly nice.

Head Tennis Racket Management Energy Index Chart

You possibly can see the place Head place the Growth MP of their lineup.

The decrease the Management energy index, the extra management the racket has; the upper the quantity, the extra energy it has.

First Impressions

It has been a number of years since I’ve used a HEAD racket as my go-to body, and during the last 12 months, except for racket evaluations and demoing frames, I’ve performed primarily with a Wilson Pro Staff 97 v13 and a Wilson Blade 98 v8 18 x 20. Each have barely heavier static weights and better swing weights, however they don’t seem to be 1,000,000 miles away from the measured specs of this specific Growth MP.

After a brief courtroom warm-up, my preliminary feeling of the Head Growth MP was it was easy to swing, the response felt good, nevertheless it felt just a little flimsy on sure contact pictures. 

With some frames, you’re feeling like on a half volley within the service field, simply placing the racket behind the ball is sufficient to therapeutic massage it over the online, however the Growth MP felt prefer it wanted extra of a swing than a bunt.

After getting the legs shifting, it was again to the baseline to see the way it carried out.

Full Head Growth MP Evaluation

Groundstrokes

My playtests with the Growth MP had been on a fast indoor courtroom made out of Taraflex, which ITF classifies as a category 5 courtroom (that is the quickest classification, and there are presently zero on this class on the ATP tour). In case you’ve been taking part in on a slower outside courtroom earlier than heading onto this, it’s a actual baptism of fireplace!

Thankfully, I’ve gotten used to it, and it is a enjoyable floor to play on the place factors are over in a single or two pictures, and aggressive play is rewarded.

After a couple of minutes, I realised that the Growth MP shouldn’t be a powerhouse racket that can behave like a rocket launcher. As an alternative, it is a mid-level energy racket that rewards you for what you set into the shot.

Swing quick and committing to the shot? The Growth MP will ship a speedy ball with a superb quantity of spin on it.

The top form appears to assist on this regard, and I used to be in a position to get a wonderful form on the ball with none points with the launch angle.

Swing gradual and trying to place the ball with extra old-fashioned sort strokes? I do not assume the Growth MP will be just right for you because it wants trendy strokes to convey out its finest options.

Exterior the forehand and backhand drives, the slice labored effectively for me, it wasn’t the knife-like slice I can hit with sure rackets, however I obtained loads of management on the shot and a very good form on the ball, which despatched it deep in the direction of the baseline.

The one space I felt much less comfy with was the half volley sort pictures from the baseline. I struggled ever to really feel assured in these sorts of pictures even after 4 hitting periods. We are going to see if that improves as I plan to maintain utilizing the racket for a number of extra hours.

Serving

When my first couple of serves landed in with some first rate drive behind them, I knew the Growth MP could be a superb serving racket for my model.

My service movement is a faster arm movement, fairly than a sledgehammer sort method (Wawrinka, Norrie and so on.), so the Head Growth MP works effectively for this model because it cuts by way of the air rapidly, and I can swing it quick. 

The form of the racket additionally helps create spin on the serve, as you have obtained the broader part of the teardrop in the direction of the tip of the racket, and that is the place you make contact when reaching up, so you’ve got fairly a little bit of stringbed to play with.

Volleys

Together with half volleys, volleys are the one space the place I struggled to gel with the Growth MP.

Up on the web, it felt a bit unstable and did not give me the kind of precision I like.

Once I had time on the ball and will shut the online, it was nice, however it’s not a racket the place in the event you get the strings behind the ball, then the body itself will do the work.

It wants extra of a swing to knock the volleys off, so I do not assume it’s a racket for a serve and volley sort participant as taking low volleys from the service line will probably be tough with this racket in inventory kind.

Nevertheless, the Growth MP is extraordinarily manoeuvrable up on the web, so for a leisure doubles participant hugging the online, the convenience of swing makes it best for fast changes.

Returning

Returning with the Growth MP was a little bit of a combined bag. If you will get into place early and take an aggressive lower on the ball, it is incredible as clear strikes are rewarded with tempo and depth. Even off-centre hits carry out fairly effectively when you’ve got sufficient racket head pace.

Nevertheless, in the event you’re having to dam the ball again or hitting at full stretch with out your toes planted, the Growth MP lacks stability. 

For gamers who stand again on the return, this may not be an excessive amount of of an issue as you will get a while on the ball towards most servers, however towards gamers who can bomb down the serves and you are not taking part in on a courtroom with a Phillip Chatrier sort runoff, a racket with extra mass is required.

Who is that this Racket For?

Whereas some rackets are area of interest in whose sport model they match (assume RF97), the Head Growth MP is the kind of racket that gamers of many ranging ranges can choose up and play first rate tennis with.

Outright freshmen to gamers who’ve been taking to the courts for years will be capable to discover one thing they like within the Growth MP.

For my part, it’s best suited to intermediate to superior gamers who play frequently over the summer time months, then gradual up a bit in the course of the winter.

The rationale I say that’s as a result of as quickly as spring rolls round, you’ll be able to choose this up and hit the bottom operating as it is a racket that makes the sport really feel simpler.

It is the kind of racket the place you’ll be able to take a two-week break from play however get straight again into it with out the sport feeling alien to you. Different rackets haven’t got that type of forgiveness.

It is also the kind of body that can go well with gamers who declare to love heavy rackets however would play higher tennis in the event that they dedicated to a lighter body, as they’d be capable to swing it quicker, for longer, with out tiring or struggling to get the load round. (I ought to know, I am considered one of them 😁)

For guys on the increased stage who’re dealing with 120mph+ serves and booming groundstrokes week in and week out, they’re going to need extra stability, so the Status or Gravity line is extra of their wheelhouse. 

I may additionally see the Growth MP racket being a sensible choice for higher-level juniors progressing to full-size rackets as in inventory kind; it is a manageable weight.

Remaining Ideas

Given the identify Growth, you would be forgiven for considering that this racket is designed for firing missiles that blow your opponent off the courtroom, however the Boom MP shouldn’t be a body that’s going to allow you to intimidate opponents by blazing heavy winners.

As an alternative, it is a extremely playable racket that matches someplace between the ‘tweener’ and ‘gamers’ racket. It would not fairly have the steadiness or management of a participant’s body, whereas on the similar time, it isn’t some powerhouse racket that sends the ball to the fences in the event you take any sort of swing.

Nevertheless, in the event you give it sufficient racket head pace, you will be rewarded with tempo and spin. Whereas it would lack a few of that plough by way of and solidity towards the true large hitters, for many membership gamers, this racket falls into the spec vary that’s going to permit them to play at a constant stage with out arm fatigue or being late on the ball when pushed into the corners.

Lastly, the Growth MP is at a spec stage the place it is open to loads of customisation the place you may make numerous tweaks with a leather-based grip a number of grams of lead for stability to get it the place you need it by way of static weight and swing weight.

Execs

Cons

Have you ever tried the brand new BOOM line from HEAD? Bought any questions on it? Let me know within the feedback.