John Mcenroe

T

TheSneakerologist

Rookie
Does anybody know what kind of racket John Mcenroe used. Also could you guys post any pics that you have of them. PLEASE I WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER. Thank you all
 
John McEnroe's racquets:

Junior years: Dunlop Maxply Fort
1976-1980: Wilson Jack Kramer Pro Staff
1981-1982: Dunlop Maxply Fort (modified)
1982-1983: Dunlop Maxply McEnroe (wood)
1983-1992: Dunlop Max 200G
Retired from ATP Tour
Senior's Tour:
Mid-to-late '90's-2001: Volkl C10 Pro
2002-2003: Volkl Quantum Tour 10 (or paintjobs)
2003-2004: Dunlop HM 200G
2005-current: Dunlop Maxply McEnroe (graphite)
 
BreakPoint said:
John McEnroe's racquets:

Junior years: Dunlop Maxply Fort
1976-1980: Wilson Jack Kramer Pro Staff
1981-1982: Dunlop Maxply Fort (modified)
1982-1983: Dunlop Maxply McEnroe (wood)
1983-1992: Dunlop Max 200G
Retired from ATP Tour
Senior's Tour:
Mid-to-late '90's-2001: Volkl C10 Pro
2002-2003: Volkl Quantum Tour 10 (or paintjobs)
2003-2004: Dunlop HM 200G
2005-current: Dunlop Maxply McEnroe (graphite)
Click to expand...


Somewhere sandwiched between were a Dunlop Select Pro and a Snauweart.
 
Is the Dunlop Select Pro a frame with little metal ball bearings imbedded at 3 and 9? He used such a frame in the late 80s. Little known fact, he played with a Head Prestige Pro 600 for a very brief period, I believe sometime in 89-91 (not all 3 years or anything close, but at least one Wimbledon). I had a picture of him flipping the PP 600 in the air at Wimbledon during a match, and tried to date it by his Nike clothes.
 
string70 said:
Somewhere sandwiched between were a Dunlop Select Pro and a Snauweart.
Click to expand...

The Snauwert would be 1992-93 just as he retired. There were two versions of the players frame he was supposed to used that were sold in the US. He used a 200 G with a Snauweart stencil.:cool:
 
PBODY99 said:
The Snauwert would be 1992-93 just as he retired. There were two versions of the players frame he was supposed to used that were sold in the US. He used a 200 G with a Snauweart stencil.:cool:
Click to expand...
I remember seeing him with a 200G with a Snauwaert stencil at the 1990 Australian Open when he got defaulted in the 4th round playing against Pernfors. The Australian Open's website has that video for public viewing.
 
Colpo said:
Is the Dunlop Select Pro a frame with little metal ball bearings imbedded at 3 and 9? He used such a frame in the late 80s. Little known fact, he played with a Head Prestige Pro 600 for a very brief period, I believe sometime in 89-91 (not all 3 years or anything close, but at least one Wimbledon). I had a picture of him flipping the PP 600 in the air at Wimbledon during a match, and tried to date it by his Nike clothes.
Click to expand...

Nope, the Select Pro did not have the bearings, but a kid on my brothers tennis team had that stick.
 
Swan Song said:
I remember seeing him with a 200G with a Snauwaert stencil at the 1990 Australian Open when he got defaulted in the 4th round playing against Pernfors. The Australian Open's website has that video for public viewing.
Click to expand...


Where on the site??
 
TheSneakerologist said:
Does anybody know what kind of racket John Mcenroe used. Also could you guys post any pics that you have of them. PLEASE I WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER. Thank you all
Click to expand...

Here's a pic of BOTH John McEnroe AND his racquet. This is when he first switched from a wood racquet (which he had used his whole life) to his very first graphite racquet, the Dunlop Max 200G (which he borrowed from his brother Patrick). This is the Sports Illustrated cover after he won Wimbledon in 1983:

0711_large.jpg


Now, will you "LOVE ME FOREVER"? :mrgreen: LOL. ;)
 
TheSneakerologist said:
does anyone have a video or anything of when Mcenroe played a match and had an outburst. I need one ASAP for my english class. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

I don't know how soon ASAP really has to be, but you can order Wimbledon DVDs on Amazon and get next day delivery. The 1981 final between Mac & Borg doesn't have any Mac moments, but they do show the early round explosions. Including IIR the "Pits of the World" comment.
There are also some people offering DVDs of matches here and there.
 
The Prestige that you thought you saw McEnroe playing with was probably a newer test version of the Dunlop 200G. I am saying that because the later version of the 200G had shape that was close to the Head Prestige one. I personally do not believe that he played with a Prestige because I played with MAX 200G for a long time and it is still my favorite racquet, but I did not like the Prestige at all, after I switched to it after the MAX 200G... They are two completely different racquets.
 
BreakPoint said:
Here's a pic of BOTH John McEnroe AND his racquet. This is when he first switched from a wood racquet (which he had used his whole life) to his very first graphite racquet, the Dunlop Max 200G (which he borrowed from his brother Patrick). This is the Sports Illustrated cover after he won Wimbledon in 1983:

0711_large.jpg


Breakpoint and others,

Anybody remember the model of that Nike shoes he wore in the picture? I like that shoes very much, and also the one in mid 80's with black velcro (forgot the model name).
Click to expand...
 
tandayu said:
BreakPoint said:
Here's a pic of BOTH John McEnroe AND his racquet. This is when he first switched from a wood racquet (which he had used his whole life) to his very first graphite racquet, the Dunlop Max 200G (which he borrowed from his brother Patrick). This is the Sports Illustrated cover after he won Wimbledon in 1983:

0711_large.jpg


Breakpoint and others,

Anybody remember the model of that Nike shoes he wore in the picture? I like that shoes very much, and also the one in mid 80's with black velcro (forgot the model name).
Click to expand...
At the pic these shoes were called "Challenge Court". I had one pair at that time. Great shoe, but the upper mesh material ripped very fast.
The shoe with the black velcro was the first Air Trainer.
Click to expand...
 
Jura is correct. Those are the Nike Challenge Courts. And yes..I went through many pairs. They had the Red and Blue trim version and a all Maroon trim version with white mesh.

I'm fairly sure that the 1st tournament appearance (at least on TV) of McEnroe using the Max 200g was the 1983 WCT Dallas (indoor carpet) tournament played April 26th, 1983. Mac got to the finals defeating Lendl 6-2 4-6 6-3 6-7 7-6 (you guys aren't going to yell at me for spoiling the score...right?) Would love to get a clean & clear copy of this match. This match was where Mac began his domination of the men's game.

Mac's last significant win using his wood racquet would have been the 1983 Philadelphia Indoors played Jan 31st, 1983. Also a significant match, where Mac finally broke Lendl's strangle hold of 7 straight wins. Don Budge told him to keep attacking Lendl no matter how many times the passing shot went by. Keep the pressure on.. was the formula that worked.

Colpo - I don't think you are seeing things. I've seen that image on Getty where Mac is tossing a ruby red racquet in the air at Wimbledon. I think it may have been during his 1st round loss 5-7 4-6 4-6 to Derrick Rostagno in 1990. I thought it was a Head Prestige myself.
 
Correct: Mac vs. Rostagno 1990. The 2 racquets were Prestige 600 borrowed from Ivanisevic, as it was reported in various Tennis magazines at the time. Ivanisevic even joked that Mac returned them with broken strings, and he wasn't happy about that. Mac lost in the first round of the 92 Roland Garros with a Yonex R-22, and was seen using different frames that year, including a Fischer Vacuum pro 90 and a Volkl TR-25.
 
Fabrice Leroy said:
Correct: Mac vs. Rostagno 1990. The 2 racquets were Prestige 600 borrowed from Ivanisevic, as it was reported in various Tennis magazines at the time. Ivanisevic even joked that Mac returned them with broken strings, and he wasn't happy about that. Mac lost in the first round of the 92 Roland Garros with a Yonex R-22, and was seen using different frames that year, including a Fischer Vacuum pro 90 and a Volkl TR-25.
Click to expand...

Very interesting. I don't recall seeing those matches nor any pics so I didn't realize he was trying so many different racquets at that time. It makes sense though, since the '91-'92 time frame was when Dunlop was in the process of discontinuing the Max 200G and closing down the factory in England that made them, so I guess they informed Mac ahead of time that he wouldn't be able to get any more of them in the future so that he better start looking around for another racquet to switch too. Not an easy task as there was nothing that played like a Max 200G, which is probably why Mac was seen with so many different sticks - he was demoing while playing tournaments! I should know as I also tried to switch from the Max 200G for many years which I didn't manage to do so until 2000. I was trying to pay attention to see what Mac would switch to since I figured if he could switch away from the 200G to something similar than that new racquet might work for me as well. Well, I saw him playing with the Volkl C-10 so I tried it but it felt nothing like the Max 200G to me, as the head as too wobbly and whippy. :(
 
Just a little added info - During the early 90s time period where he was using different sticks - he used the soon to be discontinued as well Estusa Power Beam (yep - the Becker) for a while. Saw Mac use them at a match at the Forum in Los Angeles where beat the pants off Agassi in straight sets...
 
Anyone have this issue?

aa7e3uo7.jpg


I'd sure like to read the article:

"McEnroe's New Racquet: The inside story"

Anyone have any luck finding this article on the net?

Thanks
 
BreakPoint said:
Yup, I've owned all three of those racquets (actually still do). Loved them all. :D
Click to expand...

Sweet!

I have the Wilson JK PS woodie, and absolutely love it!

I'm interested in picking up one of the Dunlops.. either the maxply fort or the maxply mcenroe.

If you had to choose one, which would it be?
 
From somewhere on the internet..

John McEnroe`s wood racquet history

In his first year in the pro tennis circuit, the young John McEnroe astounded everybody when reaching the Wimbledon semifinal which he lost to Jimmy Connors in straight sets.

He played a Wilson Jack Kramer back then, and kept using it until the end of 1980 (the legendary 1980 Wimbledon final against Borg saw him still playing the Pro Staff), when his Wilson contract ended.

The news that McEnroe was available for a new racquet contract swept through the tennis industry like a prairie fire. Besides optimum playing properties, McEnroe was out for another thing: He wanted to get a signature-model racquet from his new racquet supplier, something he had never had at Wilson.

In the end, Dunlop won the race, because McEnroe chose the Dunlop Maxply Fort as his favourite and the British sports company offered enough money.

Already as a junior player, McEnroe had played a Maxply Fort, so he actually returned to his roots. In the first contract year 1981, John McEnroe played a Maxply Fort with lead tape on both sides of the hoop, with overwhelming success: He won both the 1981 Wimbledon and US Open final against Bjorn Borg. But the Maxply Fort was only meant as a transition racquet, until a totally new racquet tailored to his needs was ready - a signature-model racquet, indeed.

In close cooperation with McEnroe, Dunlop developed the new Maxply McEnroe that was played by Mac beginning from 1982. It had a stiffer head than the Maxply Fort, because it had glass fibre reinforced shoulders. But McEnroe played the Maxply McEnroe also only for about a year - in 1983, he jumped onto the graphite racquet wagon, switching to the Dunlop Max 200 G.

This time, McEnroe stuck to his new racquet for a very long time, playing it until the end of his ATP career in 1992 - a full decade!

Click to expand...

 
DNShade said:
Just a little added info - During the early 90s time period where he was using different sticks - he used the soon to be discontinued as well Estusa Power Beam (yep - the Becker) for a while. Saw Mac use them at a match at the Forum in Los Angeles where beat the pants off Agassi in straight sets...
Click to expand...
McEnroe also used a Prestige Classic one year at Wimbledon in the early '90's.
 
Jack & Coke said:
I'm interested in picking up one of the Dunlops.. either the maxply fort or the maxply mcenroe.

If you had to choose one, which would it be?
Click to expand...
Well, back in the early 80's, I chose to stay with my Maxply Fort over the Maxply McEnroe because it was more flexible, had more feel, and I was more used to it. However, today I would probably choose the Maxply McEnroe because it's stiffer and has more power.
 
Last edited:
I have the Wilson Pro Staff, Maxply McEnroe, and the 200G.. All sitting proudly on my display wall!:-) I also have the Donnay Borg Pro, Donnay Borg Allwood, and the Bancroft Bjorn Borg Autograph..

My display wall of woodies includes:
Wilson JK Pro Staff
Dunlop Maxply McEnroe
Donnay Borg Pro
Donnay Borg Allwood
Donnay Fiber Pro
Bancroft Bjorn Borg Autograph
Slazenger Challenger No 1
Rossignol Strato
Yonex Couguss

And a whole lit of others that I have in storage..
 
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chris_in_japan said:
I have the Wilson Pro Staff, Maxply McEnroe, and the 200G.. All sitting proudly on my display wall!:-) I also have the Donnay Borg Pro, Donnay Borg Allwood, and the Bancroft Bjorn Borg Autograph..

My display wall of woodies includes:
Wilson JK Pro Staff
Dunlop Maxply McEnroe
Donnay Borg Pro
Donnay Borg Allwood
Donnay Fiber Pro
Bancroft Bjorn Borg Autograph
Slazenger Challenger No 1
Rossignol Strato
Yonex Couguss

And a whole lit of others that I have in storage..
Click to expand...

Nice!!

Have you hit with any of these? ..or are they just for display? If so, which one would you choose for a match if you had to pick one?

thanks :)
 
No.. Definately havnt hit with them.. For display only.. But will say that I do like the feel of the Maxply McEnroe the most in the hand.. Plus its a great looking stick.. So I would have to sau that it is my favourite..

I will take some pics when I get home from work..
 
BreakPoint said:
Well, back in the early 80's, I chose to stay with my Maxply Fort over the Maxply McEnroe because it was more flexible, had more feel, and I was more used to it. However, today I would probably choose the Maxply McEnroe because it's stiffer and has more power.
Click to expand...

What exactly are the differences in playability between the Jack Kramer Pro Staff (which I am very familiar with) and the Maxply Mcenroe (which I've never hit with)? What are the benefits of the Maxply Mcenroe over the Prostaff?
 
Replayer said:
What exactly are the differences in playability between the Jack Kramer Pro Staff (which I am very familiar with) and the Maxply Mcenroe (which I've never hit with)? What are the benefits of the Maxply Mcenroe over the Prostaff?
Click to expand...
I've always preferred the Dunlop wood racquets over the Wilson wood racquets back then. For example, the Jack Kramer Autograph never did a thing for me although so many others played with it. I think the Dunlops just had more feel, were more headlight, and felt more flexy. In essense, to me, they just felt more alive like they were an extension of my arm, whereas, the Wilson's just felt like a hunk of wood. I think the Dunlop's slimmer, more rounded beams and curved edges versus the Wilson's flat, rectangular beams and sharp edges also had something to do with it. The Wilsons just felt like I was holding a 2x4 in my hand.
 
AndrewD said:
McEnroe did also use an unbranded racquet, right at the end of his career. It was the same one his brother used to get to the Aus Open semis in 1991.
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right....I think he may have used this frame when he teamed up w. Michael Stich to win Wimbleon dubs back around 91 or 92. An epic struggle agains Hlasek and Forget..something like 19-17 in the 5th.
this frame was loosely based on the ps85. was a graphite/fiberglass blend. Only 90 of these or so were made. I hit with one of them once..

as a sidenote, they took this frame to Nike, and Nike nearly got into the tennis business back then. I understand that Phil Knight is a tennis fan and wanted to give it a go, but the board voted him down. wise move as the tennis craze was ending about then in the States i believe.
 
..most of the pics I saw, he had the knee sleeve on his left knee.

Then on the last one, he had it on his right. Yes, it's different tournament, but I thought he always had it on his left knee - like maybe it was a chronic problem with his left knee or something.

oh well.. nevermind.
 
It's obvious the pick is flipped.. just look at the letters near the bottom - they're reversed.

What was strange was that all of the pics from that gallery showed the exact same knee sleeve on his left leg, then the last one, it's on his right. Maybe he hurt his right knee too? Oh well, nevermind.
 
Customization of McEnroe and string

What I would like to know is the exact weight customization, string type, and tensions that the real John McEnroe does to make his racquet work. I have tried and tried and tried to use his latest Dunlop Maxply McEnroe with a whole lot of frustration mostly due to sporadic errors that just creep in and I have trouble preventing. I am not saying I have the proper talent, skills, or physical capability but I want to try. If I can customize it the way McEnroe does then perhaps it will help. He does it to help him and he does it for good reasons otherwise he wouldn't do it. So please let me in on the secret so that I finally quench the burning curiosity that is my mind.
 
BallBuster said:
What I would like to know is the exact weight customization, string type, and tensions that the real John McEnroe does to make his racquet work. I have tried and tried and tried to use his latest Dunlop Maxply McEnroe with a whole lot of frustration mostly due to sporadic errors that just creep in and I have trouble preventing. I am not saying I have the proper talent, skills, or physical capability but I want to try. If I can customize it the way McEnroe does then perhaps it will help. He does it to help him and he does it for good reasons otherwise he wouldn't do it. So please let me in on the secret so that I finally quench the burning curiosity that is my mind.
Click to expand...

I don't think he does much to it - pretty much just stock since John was involved in the design etc...I play with it and love it. Best stick I've had in my hand for a long time. But it does require a specific type of game and swing. Just my thoughts as someone who has played for many years with all kinds of sticks and has been around and with many top pros for a long time. This whole obsession with the "real" rackets and setups is a bit silly. It's the guy not the gear. I still love going out there and beating the pants of some kid who has the newest "hot" racket just using an old woodie for the hell of it. No amount of lead or "secret" mold is going to make you a better player. Sorry. That's just the way it is no matter what some people say out here.
 
I have had the chance to play with one of his racquets.
It's a custom racquet.The closest stock racquet would be a c10 pro first generation with a bit of lead + leather grip.
 
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