Selkirk LABS Project Boomstik Elongated

Build & Design

The Boomstik is Selkirk’s LABS division doing what it does best — pushing boundaries and charging you handsomely for the privilege. This elongated paddle ditches the traditional polymer honeycomb core entirely, opting instead for an EPP foam interior surrounded by an EVA foam perimeter ring. The result is a construction that feels distinctly different from anything else in the Selkirk lineup.

Pick it up and you’ll immediately notice the heft. At 8.1 to 8.4 ounces with a swing weight of 118 and a 16.5-inch elongated shape, this paddle has serious plow-through. The handle stretches to 5.8 inches, giving two-handed backhand players plenty of real estate without feeling like you’re gripping a baseball bat.

Selkirk’s MOI Tuning System places weighted clamps along the outer edges of the paddle, shifting mass to the perimeter to enlarge the sweet spot and improve stability on off-center hits. It works — mishits that would normally spray wide on other paddles stay surprisingly on target with the Boomstik. One caveat: those weights are adhesive-secured and essentially permanent. If you want to tinker with your weight distribution, you’ll need to accept the risk of damaging the edge guard during removal.

The InfiniGrit face texture is Selkirk’s answer to the durability problem plaguing Gen 3 paddles. They claim it lasts three times longer than raw carbon fiber, and based on extended play, it holds up. You’re not going to see the dramatic spin drop-off after 20 hours that plagues some competitors.

Performance

Let’s not dance around it: the Boomstik is a power paddle, and it delivers on that promise emphatically. Drives off this thing have genuine penetration — the kind that makes your opponent’s eyes widen as the ball jumps off the face. Serves land heavier. Counters feel effortless. The stiff foam core provides immediate feedback that makes it easy to place aggressive shots with confidence.

The sweet spot is legitimately one of the largest in the power paddle category. That EPP foam core, combined with the MOI weighting system, creates a hitting zone that forgives off-center contact in a way that most power paddles simply don’t. You can reach wide on a speed-up and still get a clean, directed response.

Spin numbers are solid, though not chart-topping. The InfiniGrit surface generates enough bite for heavy topspin drives and kick serves, and crucially, it maintains that spin generation over time rather than degrading after a few weeks of play.

Now, the trade-offs. This is not a paddle that makes the soft game easy. Dinking with the Boomstik requires intentional hands and real touch. The stiff face and foam core combination means balls tend to pop off rather than sit on the paddle, which can make controlled kitchen exchanges feel like you’re trying to whisper while holding a megaphone. At the 4.0 level and below, this is going to produce more unforced errors at the net than you’d like. At 4.5 and above, skilled hands can manage the pop and use it to their advantage — flicking resets and punishing anything that sits up even slightly.

The elongated shape adds reach and leverage on groundstrokes, but you do sacrifice a touch of maneuverability compared to the standard shape. Quick exchanges at the net where you need to redirect fast hands require more precise paddle positioning. It’s a marginal difference, but it’s there.

One genuinely impressive feature: there’s essentially no break-in period. The Boomstik plays the same on day one as it does after 10+ hours. In an era where players agonize over whether their paddle has “peaked” or started degrading, that consistency is a real selling point — and the lifetime warranty means Selkirk is putting their money where their mouth is.

At $333, the Boomstik is asking you to pay a premium for the privilege of hitting harder. Whether that’s worth it depends entirely on your game. If you’re an aggressive player who wants to punish from the baseline and transition zone, the Boomstik makes a compelling case. If you’re a patient dinking specialist, your money is better spent elsewhere.