Head Prestige MP 2021 Racquet Review

Groundstrokes - Score: 84

From the baseline, the Head Prestige MP 2021 was superb once our playtesters got used to the increased swingweight, with the 18x19 string pattern keeping the ball in the court effortlessly. Kristen took note of the Auxetic technology's performance, saying, "The racquet felt firm, but not jarring, and it no longer had the hollow, tinny nature I experienced with the previous model. I definitely needed a hitting session to get dialed into this racquet. Once I got used to the feel, though, it really started to shine. I really enjoyed the controllable power I could tap into, giving me the freedom to swing out and go for my targets. I had good pace on my shots, and it was easy to go back and forth between flatter shots and playing with more topspin. Additionally, as with the last two iterations I tested, slices felt great and stayed low over net."

The Prestige MP 2021 was up there with the best racquets of the year in this category for Andrew, and it helped him rediscover the beauty of an aggressive flat forehand. He said, "The Prestige MP playtest was one of my favorites from the baseline this year. Its 330+ swingweight and 18x19 string pattern offered a beautiful amount of power and control, as cliche as that sounds. I loved being able to take full swings with confidence, and flat aggressive forehands were by far my favorite and most effective shot during the playtest. The Auxetic technology provided a solid response from all areas of the racquet's face, so I knew exactly where I was making contact. I never felt any discomfort, which is usually a result of a racquet that provides this amount of response. Honestly, the Prestige MP 2021 complemented my baseline game so well that I am intrigued enough to continue hitting with it."

Finding the previous version to complement his counter-punching style, Mark noted, "I can happily report that my biggest transition to the 2021 Prestige MP was related to remembering its new name (Prestige MP 2021). Performance-wise, the switch was seamless. The 18x19 pattern does provide a low launch angle, but it was still easy to generate a tight topspin rotation on the ball. Dense patterns have always benefited my backhand slice, and that was definitely the case with Head's latest update to this frame."

Tiffani thought the increase in swingweight offered excellent drive, but she found it taxing over long hitting sessions and match play. She said, "I like the tighter string pattern and mid-60s flex, and the strung weight is doable for me. However, I would have preferred a slightly more head-light balance to get easier topspin. Dipping cross-court shots weren't in my repertoire with this racquet. I also liked to drive through the ball at mid-court because it was more difficult for me to brush up on the ball. It may not always be the highest percentage play, but I actually was hitting some winners off that shot. I thought the Prestige MP 2021 felt comfortable and stable. My only real issue from the baseline was being able to swing it effectively for more than an hour at a time. I just got tired using it."

Volleys - Score: 81

If there was a single word our team would use to describe the Head Prestige MP 2021 at net, it would be "solid." Mark described how this descriptor can be overstated, but he thought it was well deserved for the Prestige MP. He said, "The term 'solid' is one that is sometimes overly used when describing the feel of a tennis racquet, but it can be legitimately aimed at this 11.5-ounce masterpiece of control. Besides a solid feel around the net, the new Prestige MP was very predictable, and that combo rewarded me with a high percentage of quality volleys. The volley was my favorite shot to hit with this racquet."

Kristen agreed with Mark's comments on the racquet's stability on volleys, adding, "I thought the Prestige MP 2021 felt stable and performed in a very point-and-shoot manner, and I had no issues with timing when it came to reaction volleys under pressure."

Andrew and Tiffani enjoyed how well the Prestige MP performed when hitting overheads. Andrew explained, "The balance being less head light than my typical specifications took a little time to adjust to. Once I did, I had no issues generating depth or touch. Overheads were very fun. The extra swingweight provided more put-away power, while the iconic precision of the Prestige line easily kept the ball inside the lines."

"The mobility wasn't a big issue for me at net unless it was a body shot," Tiffani added. "I had trouble moving it quickly and found myself handcuffed in those situations. However, the racquet felt so stable and solid. It had enough mass to send the ball back with power, and I had no control issues. Being a shorter player, I'm more often than not facing a lob if I close the net hard, and I really liked how this Prestige MP 2021 came around for overheads. Once I got it moving, it plowed through the ball and gave that sensation of the ball pancaking on the strings. That was addicting!"

Serves - Score: 79

The Head Prestige MP 2021 serves well for strong hitters, but it does require strength from the user since the 3-points head-light balance and 334 swingweight can feel sluggish at times. Our playtesters had mixed opinions on the racquet's service performance. Surprisingly, Kristen found serves with this racquet to be comfortable and familiar right away. She said, "I was expecting to find this racquet taxing on serves since it felt a bit heavy on groundstrokes initially, but I was happy to discover that it swung comfortably overhead, and transitioning to this racquet for serves came pretty seamlessly. There was a slight crispness on serves that allowed me to feel well connected to the ball, resulting in high serve percentages. I could go for my spots with ease and get some nice pace behind my serves as well."

Tiffani and Andrew both thought the Prestige MP provided great power with the extra momentum from its swingweight and balance. Tiffani described, "I love how it feels to serve with heavier racquets. The trick is doing it repeatedly. I had to make sure to keep my racquet head speed up or else I was not getting them down into the court, or I just didn't have enough oomph to unlock the power. When I had better technique and swung with good speed, this Prestige MP came through with great power. Spin was difficult for me to generate consistently, but when I connected, I was hitting heavier serves than usual. My favorite serve to hit was out wide on the ad side."

Andrew added, "Serves did not feel as whippy as they do with my usual specifications, but I noticed my first serve had a higher amount of pace than normal. With the 18x19 pattern, I feel some spin was lost compared to racquets with a 16x19 string pattern, but the added control and pop made it worth it. Although the ball may not have been kicking as high as with more open patterns, my opponents' returns were coming back slower and more centered in the court due to the extra mass behind my serve. For second serves, I found myself utilizing the dense pattern and mass to hit slices, especially out wide on the deuce side."

When it comes to balance, Mark generally prefers racquets that are at least 4 points head light. He said, "For reasons I cannot really explain, other than that I prefer more of a head-light balance to my racquets, I struggled with my serve more than I would have expected. I do get a similar effect from stock Wilson Blade 98s and the Tecnifibre TFight 305 since they too feature balances that are closer to even. Some additional handle weight typically cures the issue."

Returns - Score: 82

There were some ups and downs on returns as well, but our playtesters all agreed that the Prestige MP could reliably redirect powerful serves. Flat returns, blocks and slices ripped off the frame with ease and screamed back to the opponent's baseline; however, returning high kicking serves or spin returns proved challenging. Andrew had high praise, saying, "As with groundstrokes, the Prestige MP is in my top three favorite racquets of the year for returning serves. I could put a lot of power into the ball and rely on the racquet's 18x19 pattern to provide the control needed to keep the ball inside the lines. This greatly improved my confidence and kept me from tightening up during a match. The ability of this racquet to redirect pace was absolutely insane. Big first serve redirections felt like I just hit an aggressive second serve slam, and stability felt way too good to have no customization added to the racquet head. I guess if I have to throw a complaint out there, and it's super minor, the maneuverability was just a bit slow when I was returning massive serves that required quick reactions."

Kristen also had plenty of positive feedback for the Prestige MP's returns. She said, "I loved returning with this racquet. I like to be able to swing out freely on returns, and the Prestige MP allowed me to do so with top precision. It felt stable and also offered a nice, controlled response when opting to block back (slice) heavier serves."

Like Kristen, Tiffani found pace redirection simple and effective, but she she had a difficult time putting spin on high kicking serves. She explained, "Once again, technique was key for me. I kept my swing short to make sure I got it around in time. I still felt confident enough to step in on second serves and hit attacking flat returns. The directional control was good enough for me to choose my spots as well. The stability was good for me, and I don't recall the racquet twisting in my hands at all. I did struggle going up against heavy spin serves that would get high out of my strike zone. It was difficult for me to flick the return with some spin, so I would often see those returns go long. However, the Prestige MP 2021 stood up to big flat serves just fine. It could absorb the pace and spit it right back."

Mark agreed about the difficulty in generating spin. He said, "This was the other part of the test where I was challenged more than I prefer to admit, and I will assign blame to my lack of adaptability to the 3-points head-light balance of the new Prestige MP. My usual half-volley return was pretty functional, but taking the topspin route was a chore."

Overall - Score: 84