Selkirk LABS Project Boomstik Review: Is the $333 Power Paddle Worth It?

Selkirk LABS Project Boomstik paddle showing octagonal handle

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Last Updated: January 2026

Quick Specs

Spec Widebody Elongated
Price $333 $333
Thickness 16mm 16mm
Core BoomCore (PureFoam + EVA Power Ring)
Face Multistrata T700 Carbon (3-layer), InfiniGrit surface
Dimensions 15.95″ × 8.0″ 16.5″ × 7.45″
MOI Weights Adjustable (15g total, 7.5g each side)
Warranty Limited Lifetime
Where to Buy Selkirk.com — use code ADV-NSMYTH for a discount and a gift card with your order

The Short Version

The Boomstik is a foam-core power paddle built for players who want to dictate the pace of play. It generates more pace than anything else in Selkirk’s lineup, and the InfiniGrit surface keeps your drives and aggressive drops dipping hard. The trade-off is touch — if your game relies on winning long dinking exchanges, this paddle will fight you in the kitchen.

Feel & Control

The BoomCore has a noticeably shorter dwell time than most thermoformed carbon paddles. Balls pop off the face fast, which is what attackers want, but it demands more precision on any shot where you need to take pace off the ball. The feel on contact is connected and lively — you know exactly where you hit it — but that liveliness works against you when you’re trying to float a dink low or absorb a hard reset.

On blocks and resets at the kitchen line, the Boomstik performs better than you’d expect from a paddle this aggressive. It does absorb pace, but with less margin than a muted control paddle. Any hesitation or tentative swing and the ball pops up. Third-shot drops from the baseline require real commitment — the paddle doesn’t want to make a soft shot, it wants to drive. This isn’t a flaw so much as the natural consequence of what the BoomCore is optimized for.

Off-center hits produce some vibration, more than you’d feel from a thermoformed all-court paddle. Not harsh, not arm-unfriendly, but it’s there. The Widebody manages this better than the Elongated — higher twist weight means off-center hits are less punishing, which matters more than the extra 0.5″ of reach for most doubles players.

Power & Pop

The BoomCore delivers the most explosive pop in Selkirk’s current lineup. The dual-density construction — PureFoam surrounded by an EVA Power Ring — creates fast, punchy energy transfer on contact. It’s not a plow-through paddle in the way a high-swing-weight elongated carbon paddle is; the power here comes from the foam’s quick energy release rather than mass driving through the ball. On drives, overheads, and put-aways, the difference from a standard thermoformed paddle is immediate and obvious.

Serves are where this shows up most. Heavy topspin serves kick hard after the bounce and push opponents deeper than they want to be. Counter-punching at the net is strong — the stiff T700 face transfers energy cleanly, and speedups arrive with real authority. The paddle punishes slow reactions.

The MOI tuning system is worth experimenting with. Adding side weights increases twist weight and stabilizes the paddle on contact — I preferred playing with some weight added. It tightens up the feel without noticeably slowing hand speed.

The no-core-crush claim holds up. The pop is identical to day one — no dead spots, no loss of response. This is the core promise of the BoomCore design and it delivers.

Spin

The InfiniGrit surface generates serious spin — as good as any raw carbon surface at this price point. Topspin drives kick up hard off the bounce and slice shots have real bite. The texture is holding up through extended outdoor play with no notable wear in the sweet spot. Raw carbon faces typically degrade faster than thermoformed surfaces, so this is worth watching over time, but it’s not a concern yet.

Who It’s For

This is the right paddle for 4.5+ players who win points by attacking — baseline drives, heavy serves, aggressive shake-and-bakes at the net. If your game plan is creating pace rather than outlasting opponents in long kitchen exchanges, the Boomstik fits your game.

If you’re coming from a thermoformed all-court paddle and want more pop on offense without switching brands, this is the clearest upgrade path in Selkirk’s lineup. If you’ve been burning through foam-core paddles because of core crush and want one that holds its performance, the BoomCore addresses that directly.

Skip it if you’re below 4.0 DUPR. The power isn’t a gift at that level — it’s a liability. Developing players need more margin, not more pop. Skip it if your doubles game is built around patient dink construction and you win from the kitchen out. And skip it if $333 means this needs to be the right paddle — the touch trade-off is significant enough that you need to know your game fits before you commit at this price.

Verdict

The Boomstik does exactly what it’s designed to do: deliver maximum power from a foam core that won’t degrade. For 4.5+ attackers who are chasing pace and tired of watching a fresh paddle slowly go dead, it solves a real problem.

Most players will be better served by the ERA Power at $200. The control trade-off here is real, and $133 is a significant premium for a paddle that’s more specialized and less forgiving. But if you know you’re an attacker, if you play at a level where more pace translates directly to more winners, and if you’ve already maxed out what thermoformed carbon is giving you — the Boomstik is the move.

Buy from Selkirk.com and use code ADV-NSMYTH for a discount and a gift card with your order.

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