Black Max - what a beauty!

[Grafil Injection]

[Although there are various BM threads already, I couldn't find any that the content was still live and the pictures still linked]

I have wanted a Black Max since I first saw the adverts in the early 80s, which made it look like a mean and classy stick. Although it came out in the late 70s, such adverts were produced for the original version ('Graphite/Glass' on hoop) as late as 1986, so it had a good run and it certainly was considered a high level offering, at least until the 200G came along.

{Black Max, MAX 200G Glossy, PS85 SV3, Wilson 80/20)

I believe the one I've finally picked up is a fairly early example because it says Midsize Metal on the cover, whereas, later versions say Graphite on the cover.

There is great similarity in the design with the later Wilson PS85: even though mine is a bit worn, the paintwork is simple and has a classy matt finish; the beam is actually 1mm thinner than the PS85 at 16mm (same as the PK Black Ace), giving an very solid feel in-hand. Even closer similarity is with the Wilson 80/20, but the moulds are definitely slightly different (BM is rounder). Dunlop (via Taiwan) used their 'Premium Calfskin Leather' grip, which is thicker than the leather used on the MAX 200G or MaxPly woods. It's a lovely piece or leather, but would be better as a belt than a grip. It's too thick and becomes shiny. Specs are right where you would imagine: L4 - 360g, 31.75cm (8pt) HL strung. I removed the leather grip as it was fraying, and to get it down to size 3 using a Dan Evans 2 overgrip treament. Hence, mine is now 352g, 32.25cm (6pt) HL, so still fairly manoeuvrable.

Hitting is very close in feel to various Taiwan 85s with 80/20 or 70/30 graphite/glass mix, so the flex should be in the mid to high 50s. Obviously, nowhere near the stiffness of a PS85, but there is also no flutter and the sweetspot still feels large like the Wilson 80/20 also does. Black Max is not a noodle! The 16x19 pattern has a 1.35cm2 average cell size, which is a tad tighter than a PS85 (1.4cm2), but still somewhat open.

The only issue I've found, which a Youtube reviewer also mentioned, is the grip shape is very square. Bevels 0 and 4 being too large, so I am tempted to sand a bit of PU from bevels 1, 3, 5 & 7. So far though, after one brief hit, I can see why this was popular in the early 80s and is still a fine hit today. Note that mine was L4; I don't know whether LM and M versions also existed.

What I was wondering was why it didn't cut through at the Pro level? Was it too 'new-fangled' to replace the woods, and then got overtaken by MAX 200G and PS85 etc? I suppose it also didn't have quite the control/feel of the woods either.

 

[retrowagen]

I would suggest that though a decent racquet, the Black Max was not outstanding in any regard, and was probably a victim of its own timing: when it arrived in the late 1970’s, “serious” players were still using standard-sized woods. Then, around 1983 as those serious players really started migrating to composite frames, the Black Max quietly seemed like an unexciting old product on the pro shop racks, next to newer offerings like the Max 200g.

 

[serveandvolE]

[Although there are various BM threads already, I couldn't find any that the content was still live and the pictures still linked]

I have wanted a Black Max since I first saw the adverts in the early 80s, which made it look like a mean and classy stick. Although it came out in the late 70s, such adverts were produced for the original version ('Graphite/Glass' on hoop) as late as 1986, so it had a good run and it certainly was considered a high level offering, at least until the 200G came along.

{Black Max, MAX 200G Glossy, PS85 SV3, Wilson 80/20)

I believe the one I've finally picked up is a fairly early example because it says Midsize Metal on the cover, whereas, later versions say Graphite on the cover.

There is great similarity in the design with the later Wilson PS85: even though mine is a bit worn, the paintwork is simple and has a classy matt finish; the beam is actually 1mm thinner than the PS85 at 16mm (same as the PK Black Ace), giving an very solid feel in-hand. Even closer similarity is with the Wilson 80/20, but the moulds are definitely slightly different (BM is rounder). Dunlop (via Taiwan) used their 'Premium Calfskin Leather' grip, which is thicker than the leather used on the MAX 200G or MaxPly woods. It's a lovely piece or leather, but would be better as a belt than a grip. It's too thick and becomes shiny. Specs are right where you would imagine: L4 - 360g, 31.75cm (8pt) HL strung. I removed the leather grip as it was fraying, and to get it down to size 3 using a Dan Evans 2 overgrip treament. Hence, mine is now 352g, 32.25cm (6pt) HL, so still fairly manoeuvrable.

Hitting is very close in feel to various Taiwan 85s with 80/20 or 70/30 graphite/glass mix, so the flex should be in the mid to high 50s. Obviously, nowhere near the stiffness of a PS85, but there is also no flutter and the sweetspot still feels large like the Wilson 80/20 also does. Black Max is not a noodle! The 16x19 pattern has a 1.35cm2 average cell size, which is a tad tighter than a PS85 (1.4cm2), but still somewhat open.

The only issue I've found, which a Youtube reviewer also mentioned, is the grip shape is very square. Bevels 12 and 6 being too large, so I am tempted to sand a bit of PU from bevels 11, 1, 5 & 7. So far though, after one brief hit, I can see why this was popular in the early 80s and is still a fine hit today. Note that mine was L4; I don't know whether LM and M versions also existed.

What I was wondering was why it didn't cut through at the Pro level? Was it too 'new-fangled' to replace the woods, and then got overtaken by MAX 200G and PS85 etc? I suppose it also didn't have quite the control/feel of the woods either.

Graphil Injection, I think that YouTube review video was the one I made! I surprisingly really enjoyed hitting with it! I now have 3 of them (I just added 2 more via a trade) and I'm planning to hit with it more often. If you happen to know the exact year when it was introduced let me know and I'll update the video. Thanks for the info of a racket that doesn't get a lot of attention.

 

[BlackAces]

A significant frame came from Kunnan’s factory...

 

[Grafil Injection]

I would suggest that though a decent racquet, the Black Max was not outstanding in any regard, and was probably a victim of its own timing: when it arrived in the late 1970’s, “serious” players were still using standard-sized woods. Then, around 1983 as those serious players really started migrating to composite frames, the Black Max quietly seemed like an unexciting old product on the pro shop racks, next to newer offerings like the Max 200g.

I concur. Hard for Dunlop to market it as a top model when most Pros were still using the MaxPly and the IMF process was being developed, so it was in some ways a bit of a side-hussle.

 

[Grafil Injection]

A significant frame came from Kunnan’s factory...

Yes, probably their top product at the time, along with Black Ace.

 

[Grafil Injection]

Graphil Injection, I think that YouTube review video was the one I made! I surprisingly really enjoyed hitting with it! I now have 3 of them (I just added 2 more via a trade) and I'm planning to hit with it more often. If you happen to know the exact year when it was introduced let me know and I'll update the video. Thanks for the info of a racket that doesn't get a lot of attention.

It's a pleasure, thanks for the great video. I have 1978 or '79 in mind because of a few things: (i) There are US poster adverts dated 1980 and product launches weren't so globalised in those days, so I think the UK would be at least a year before. (ii) Late '70s is mentioned on various other threads. (iii) I recall club players and racket reviewers commenting when the 200G came out (1982) about their existing BMs in comparison. But I don't have concrete evidence, so I'll see if I can track down some tennis magazines from 1979.

Yes, it's a good hit especially for the era. What I notice is that, similar to MAX 200G, it has great stability even though it's not particularly heavier than other rackets at the time. Do your new versions solve the square-grip problem? I am thinking about shaving down bevels 1,3,5 & 7 on mine, since its a size 4, to make it more rectangular.

 

[Grafil Injection]

Having noted the similarity to my Wilson 80/20's shape above, except for the longer neck on the Black Max, I compared to my GTX-2000 - Bingo! There's a BM underneath in the first pic:

Strings are virtually aligned too. Even the handle lengths are exactly the same. The only difference is BM is 16mm beam, whereas GTX-2000 is 17.5mm. This makes BM the same shape (apart from the beam) to the Wilson Matrix, Pro Matrix and a few others as well.

 

[vsbabolat]

Having noted the similarity to my Wilson 80/20's shape above, except for the longer neck on the Black Max, I compared to my GTX-2000 - Bingo! There's a BM underneath in the first pic:

Strings are virtually aligned too. Even the handle lengths are exactly the same. The only difference is BM is 16mm beam, whereas GTX-2000 is 17.5mm. This makes BM the same shape (apart from the beam) to the Wilson Matrix, Pro Matrix and a few others as well.

Kunan Lo Special

 

[BumElbow]

For its time, the Black Max line was one of Dunlop's best ever models. I knew several people who played with it. There was an extended version that was very special because, at the time, few if any other manufacturers sold racquets longer than the standard 27". A friend who had one mistakenly left hers in a taxi and was very upset when she could not obtain another.

 

[vsbabolat]

For its time, the Black Max line was one of Dunlop's best ever models. I knew several people who played with it. There was an extended version that was very special because, at the time, few if any other manufacturers sold racquets longer than the standard 27". A friend who had one mistakenly left hers in a taxi and was very upset when she could not obtain another.

That was the Black Max Plus. It was the same racquet as the MatchMate. Different than Black Max that was 27 inches. @Sanglier can tell you all about the Black Max Plus and the MatchMate racquets and the manufacturer for them.

 

[Grafil Injection]

Graphil Injection, I think that YouTube review video was the one I made! I surprisingly really enjoyed hitting with it! I now have 3 of them (I just added 2 more via a trade) and I'm planning to hit with it more often. If you happen to know the exact year when it was introduced let me know and I'll update the video. Thanks for the info of a racket that doesn't get a lot of attention.

BTW, what were the specs (weight & balance) of your three BMs? I was very impressed using my BM today for two sets of doubles. I would say it's a classic old-school, you get out what you put in. Not much spin, but the ball goes exactly where you aim and it feels very smooth and solid with or without dampener. Mine has ancient black syngut in it, so I am somewhat wondering now what it would be like with fresh strings.

 

[Sanglier]

That was the Black Max Plus. It was the same racquet as the MatchMate. Different than Black Max that was 27 inches. @Sanglier can tell you all about the Black Max Plus and the MatchMate racquets and the manufacturer for them.

VS is right, "Black Max Plus" had nothing to do with the original "Black Max"; it was produced in California by Racquetech, the successor of BBC, and forerunner of Fox. The "Black Max Plus", along with the original Match-Mate "Graphite" and several other OEM frames, were derived from the BBC "Big Ace", and were well ahead of their time in terms of specs (one reason they were made longer than 28" was to get around the Prince/Howard Head patent). However, many of these frames suffered from structural weaknesses due to having very thin walls, and lagged behind other manufacturers's products in terms of their typical fit and finish (something they eventually remedied when they revamped their "Fox" product line). As a result, hairline cracks in the throat area and collapsed string holes at 12 and 6 o'clock are quite common on surviving examples.

Here is a "Black Max Plus" sandwiched between its BBC "Big Ace" father and "Aussie Champion Extra" (an SMU produced for Lombard's) twin brother:

 

[AceyMan]

deleted x
[can't get instagram to work]

 

[serveandvolE]

BTW, what were the specs (weight & balance) of your three BMs? I was very impressed using my BM today for two sets of doubles. I would say it's a classic old-school, you get out what you put in. Not much spin, but the ball goes exactly where you aim and it feels very smooth and solid with or without dampener. Mine has ancient black syngut in it, so I am somewhat wondering now what it would be like with fresh strings.

From left to right: 355g, 354g, 367g (but it has an overgrip)

The one on the left is an earlier version with shared grommets.

 

[Grafil Injection]

From left to right: 355g, 354g, 367g (but it has an overgrip)

The one on the left is an earlier version with shared grommets.

They appear to be great condition. Looks like three different types of strings, so I'd be interested in your thoughts on how they perform / feel.

 

[Kevo]

Those look very similar to my standard size PK Copper Ace. It's a great playing frame and I like it a lot. It's like a batter more precise wood frame in many ways.

 

[kevin qmto]

Those look very similar to my standard size PK Copper Ace. It's a great playing frame and I like it a lot. It's like a batter more precise wood frame in many ways.

I made a same thread with the same observation. I was wondering if it was possible if Pro Kennex (Kunnan Lo) had manufactured the Black Max for Dunlop, and it turned out they had. Before that, I didn’t know so many manufacturers utilized their plants in Taiwan, they really were the largest racket manufacturer in the world, for a time.

 

[Grafil Injection]

I made a same thread with the same observation. I was wondering if it was possible if Pro Kennex (Kunnan Lo) had manufactured the Black Max for Dunlop, and it turned out they had. Before that, I didn’t know so many manufacturers utilized their plants in Taiwan, they really were the largest racket manufacturer in the world, for a time.

Yeah, on another thread I had thought about gathering a list of all the Taiwan 85s, thinking it would be around 20, but it's probably in the 100s!

 

[kevin qmto]

I think Wilson probably had 25 of their midsize molds alone!

 

[Kevo]

Is there a list somewhere? I wouldn't mind picking up another frame or two like my PK Copper Ace if I run across one. I'd seriously consider playing some matches with that frame if it wasn't my only one like it. Right now I just hit with it on occasion for fun during warm up or practice. I wouldn't use it for a match for fear of damaging it going after a ball.

 

[Grafil Injection]

Go for a Black Max. There are loads out there at reasonable prices, and they seem robustly made. Although it is surely stiffer than Copper Ace, which I understand was 60% fibreglass / 40% graphite. This thread has a good list of PK options:

Pro Kennex Ace Series

There is already a great thread on this with some info that I compiled. However, the thread was started in '07 and the classic racquet talk thread was formed in '09. So I'm creating a thread here. I'm gonna need some serious help from everyone! I know there are quite a few classic PK owners out...

tt.tennis-warehouse.com

 

[Kevo]

Go for a Black Max. There are loads out there at reasonable prices, and they seem robustly made. Although it is surely stiffer than Copper Ace, which I understand was 60% fibreglass / 40% graphite.

Any idea what the mix was on the Black Max? I love the feel of the mostly fiberglass frames.

 

[kevin qmto]

Any idea what the mix was on the Black Max? I love the feel of the mostly fiberglass frames.

Had to be up there. I’d be shocked if it was any less than 60/40 graphite to fiberglass. Maybe even 40/60 like the Copper Ace.

 

[Sanglier]

The standard "Black Max" was 80/20 graphite/fiberglass, a surprisingly high graphite content given how inexpensive it was ($90 MSRP at the time of its introduction, exactly the same as Yonex's obsolescent fiberglass over aluminum tubing "Glaflex YY9200"). For comparison, the all-fiberglass Head "XRC" was still retailing for $100, even though it was already 3 years old and about to retire; Fischer's mostly fiberglass "Powerglass Plus" was $132; Donnay's mostly fiberglass 3SET "Carbonglass" was $140; while the all graphite Wilson "Ultra" was $200; and the POG continued to hover above the clouds at $250.

Those who purchased the "Black Max" at the time may not have been fully aware of the true value they were getting, in part due to the unusually aggressive pricing (soon to be replicated exponentially by other Taiwan imports); some of them probably thought it was just another 'piece of junk from Asia' (Japanese products once occupied this derisory space 20-30 years earlier, while mainland Chinese products would assume its lease 10-20 years later). However, the vendors who were making and selling racquets during that period certainly didn't need much convincing to see what was really happening. Given the double-digit inflation taking place at the time, their choice was already made for them as soon as they saw the arrival of these subdued, derivative, yet somehow game-changing frames.

Interestingly, the "Black Max II", produced five years later by Erbacher in Germany, was given a gentler (and possibly cheaper) 60/40 graphite/fiberglass layup, but was priced higher than the (concurrently) Taiwan-made "Black Max". However, I suspect Dunlop still made more profit off of each "Black Max" sold than the "Black Max II".

 

[Kevo]

Thanks for the info. Seems like the Black Max II might be closer to my liking, but looking at pictures online it looks like a thicker less square beam than the original. Probably would pass on it unless I just luck into a good deal.

 

[Bambooman]

I found a Black Max for about 5 bucks at a thrift shop and played with it while it still had the original string on it. Great racquet. A few grommets were crumbling though and after I cut the strings out I never got around to patching it up.

Last year I was helping my neighbor clean out his parents house after they passed away and in the rafters of the garage was a pristine Black Max. Probably had been sitting there through scorching summers and freezing winters for over 30 years. Despite all that the grommets were immaculate.. The magic is in this one as well.

While I am an OS racquet fan the Black Max is my racquet choice for refining my game.

 

[kevin qmto]

The standard "Black Max" was 80/20 graphite/fiberglass, a surprisingly high graphite content given how inexpensive it was ($90 MSRP at the time of its introduction, exactly the same as Yonex's obsolescent fiberglass over aluminum tubing "Glaflex YY9200"). For comparison, the all-fiberglass Head "XRC" was still retailing for $100, even though it was already 3 years old and about to retire; Fischer's mostly fiberglass "Powerglass Plus" was $132; Donnay's mostly fiberglass 3SET "Carbonglass" was $140; while the all graphite Wilson "Ultra" was $200; and the POG continued to hover above the clouds at $250.

Wow I had no idea the POG was that expensive. Considering how common they are I guess lots ponied up for it. Or did the price fall throughout the coming years?

 

[Sanglier]

Wow I had no idea the POG was that expensive. Considering how common they are I guess lots ponied up for it. Or did the price fall throughout the coming years?

The prices I quoted were all MSRP. POG was made in California thru 1983, where the raw cost of making a graphite racquet was between $100 and $150 apiece depending on material and production volume. The retail stayed at $295 for three whole years until then, in part because inflation had dropped off sharply after 1981. Thereafter, Kunnan took over the contract, and the retail price was dialed back to $250, with mail-order "street" prices dipping to around $160 strung ($450 in 2022 dollars, which was nothing to sneeze at). Meanwhile the "Boron", also made by Kunnan for Prince, retailed for $200 more (even though the amount of boron in its actual layup was minimal). The apex of retail pricing was reached in 1986, when the made-to-order Prince "Sovereign", again sourced from Kunnan, fetched a cool grand if you bought only one rather than a matched pair ($2.7k in 2022 dollars). The '74 Nova I was driving that year cost me $500. After I wrecked it delivering a pizza for Domino's in the rain, I bought a '73 Fiat 128 for $380 at a weekend auction. Had I used my transportation money on a "Sovereign" over the course of two cars, I'd still have been $120 short!

 

[kevin qmto]

@Sanglier I was able to find a picture of the crate the Prince Sovereign apparently came in, looking like the crate the ark of the covenant was housed in Raiders of the Losr Ark lol. But I cant seem to find a quality image of the original Sovereign itself. Just a bunch of later models like the TT and O3 speedport Sovereign.

 

[Sanglier]

@Sanglier I was able to find a picture of the crate the Prince Sovereign apparently came in, looking like the crate the ark of the covenant was housed in Raiders of the Losr Ark lol. But I cant seem to find a quality image of the original Sovereign itself. Just a bunch of later models like the TT and O3 speedport Sovereign.

I have strayed pretty far from the original topic at this point, so instead of posting a photo of the "Sovereign", I'll just point to my own post in the "bucket list" thread, where I had already done this earlier in the year. Neither Google nor any of the other search engines has detected this picture yet, likely due to the diminishing traffic this sub-forum now draws, that's why you are only seeing those speedport and squash racquets during your searches.

 

[Grafil Injection]

Thanks for the info. Seems like the Black Max II might be closer to my liking, but looking at pictures online it looks like a thicker less square beam than the original. Probably would pass on it unless I just luck into a good deal.

I'm not sure if BM2 will be flexier, because although it has less graphite, being thicker and ovalised will make it less flexy. Certainly won't be near Copper Ace levels of flex.

If you're looking for a super comfortable Dunlop, you're going to have to wait until 1982!

 

[Grafil Injection]

The standard "Black Max" was 80/20 graphite/fiberglass, a surprisingly high graphite content given how inexpensive it was ($90 MSRP at the time of its introduction, exactly the same as Yonex's obsolescent fiberglass over aluminum tubing "Glaflex YY9200"). For comparison, the all-fiberglass Head "XRC" was still retailing for $100, even though it was already 3 years old and about to retire; Fischer's mostly fiberglass "Powerglass Plus" was $132; Donnay's mostly fiberglass 3SET "Carbonglass" was $140; while the all graphite Wilson "Ultra" was $200; and the POG continued to hover above the clouds at $250.

Those who purchased the "Black Max" at the time may not have been fully aware of the true value they were getting, in part due to the unusually aggressive pricing (soon to be replicated exponentially by other Taiwan imports); some of them probably thought it was just another 'piece of junk from Asia' (Japanese products once occupied this derisory space 20-30 years earlier, while mainland Chinese products would assume its lease 10-20 years later). However, the vendors who were making and selling racquets during that period certainly didn't need much convincing to see what was really happening. Given the double-digit inflation taking place at the time, their choice was already made for them as soon as they saw the arrival of these subdued, derivative, yet somehow game-changing frames.

Interestingly, the "Black Max II", produced five years later by Erbacher in Germany, was given a gentler (and possibly cheaper) 60/40 graphite/fiberglass layup, but was priced higher than the (concurrently) Taiwan-made "Black Max". However, I suspect Dunlop still made more profit off of each "Black Max" sold than the "Black Max II".

Yes, as I mentioned in the OP there is plenty of graphite in the Black Max. It was considered firm in the early 1980s, because wood and fibreglass were the comparisons. But it is obviously more flexible than most current sticks. Even PK Black Ace with 100% graphite, also considered stiff at the time, was only mid 50s flex. Both BM and BA were marketed as powerful frames at the beginning of the 1980s ('Devastating', 'Enormous' etc.), but were relatively low powered by about the mid-80s when 'superior' graphite layups with Kevlar, Ceramic, thicker-beams etc took over.

 

[Grafil Injection]

I found a Black Max for about 5 bucks at a thrift shop and played with it while it still had the original string on it. Great racquet. A few grommets were crumbling though and after I cut the strings out I never got around to patching it up.

Last year I was helping my neighbor clean out his parents house after they passed away and in the rafters of the garage was a pristine Black Max. Probably had been sitting there through scorching summers and freezing winters for over 30 years. Despite all that the grommets were immaculate.. The magic is in this one as well.

While I am an OS racquet fan the Black Max is my racquet choice for refining my game.

Nice find. The grommets are absolutely fine on mine too.

Totally agree about using Black Max for training. The relatively low power and small head encourages you prepare early and swing through for a decent hit. On the other hand, I do find the twistweight to be high, so slightly off-centre hits aren't too bad (not as good as 200G though).

 

[Kevo]

Both BM and BA were marketed as powerful frames at the beginning of the 1980s ('Devastating', 'Enormous' etc.), but were relatively low powered by about the mid-80s when 'superior' graphite layups with Kevlar, Ceramic, thicker-beams etc took over.

My obsession with power when I was learning tennis in middle school and high school is probably why I mostly stunk at tennis for so long. I realize now looking back on how I started I would have been much better off learning the game with a wood frame. Instead I had a Prince 110 oversize through high school when the widebody craze was taking off. As a tiny kid I was able to hit pretty big power, but I never learned to play and the level of control I had was really pretty bad most of the time. All my power frame did for me was help me develop a bunch of bad habits which I will struggle with for the rest of my life. Oh well, at least I will always have things to work on when I hit the court.

 

[Grafil Injection]

My obsession with power when I was learning tennis in middle school and high school is probably why I mostly stunk at tennis for so long. I realize now looking back on how I started I would have been much better off learning the game with a wood frame. Instead I had a Prince 110 oversize through high school when the widebody craze was taking off. As a tiny kid I was able to hit pretty big power, but I never learned to play and the level of control I had was really pretty bad most of the time. All my power frame did for me was help me develop a bunch of bad habits which I will struggle with for the rest of my life. Oh well, at least I will always have things to work on when I hit the court.

Yeah, I spent two years trying to copy Ivanisevic's serve. Probably wasn't the best way to progress!

 

[serveandvolE]

Since we're on the Black Max, I really like the Black Max Pro. Even though it has boron in it, it has a nice flex and a nice feel. I also like the thin beam and having a bumper guard.

 

[vsbabolat]

Since we're on the Black Max, I really like the Black Max Pro. Even though it has boron in it, it has a nice flex and a nice feel. I also like the thin beam and having a bumper guard.

One of the first racquets to have a bumper guard.

 

[BlackAces]

One of the first racquets to have a bumper guard.

The first racquet with bumper guard was AMF Voit Impact One.

 

[Bambooman]

We're talking tennis racquets.

 

[vsbabolat]

The first racquet with bumper guard was AMF Voit Impact One.

Thanks for that but I was referring to tennis racquets since this is a tennis site

 

[serveandvolE]

Interesting because, and I could be wrong here, but was the TXE the first Head racket to have a bumper guard? If so, it took Head about 3ish years to apply the idea to their tennis rackets.

 

[BlackAces]

On the tennis side, bumper guard seemed to come out along with boron at the same time. Such as Prince Boron 110, Prokennex Boron Ace and Dunlop Black Max Pro, nearly 1983 I think.

 

[serveandvolE]

1983 I believe is when the TXE came out so that coincides with it

 

[vsbabolat]

1983 I believe is when the TXE came out so that coincides with it

TXE came out in 1984

 

[serveandvolE]

I stand corrected- so it took 4 years.

 

[coachrick]

The first racquet with bumper guard was AMF Voit Impact One.

Racquetball rackets were SO sad back then!!!

 

[Bambooman]

I have a Head Graphite Edge and while there is no separate bumper guard the outer edge of the hoop appears to be and feels like there is some sort of build up of material that's not part of the graphite matrix.

Maybe there is some sort of integrated guard.

 

[vsbabolat]

On the tennis side, bumper guard seemed to come out along with boron at the same time. Such as Prince Boron 110, Prokennex Boron Ace and Dunlop Black Max Pro, nearly 1983 I think.

1984 with the Turbo Plus, Black Max Pro, Black Max Stretch ( which was a copy of the HEAD Graphite Director not longer length but stretched looking head)

 

[vsbabolat]

I have a Head Graphite Edge and while there is no separate bumper guard the outer edge of the hoop appears to be and feels like there is some sort of build up of material that's not part of the graphite matrix.

Maybe there is some sort of integrated guard.

Yes, there was