John McEnroe's rackets and variants (Pics)

[jswinf]

How about the Maxply McEnroe composite colored to give impression of wood. (Sorry I don't do pics well.) I saw some photos of him playing with it around 10 years ago on the senior tour.

 

[BreakPoint]

Most likely it was borrowed from Sampras, as it does have the Tournagrip and the "O" dampener. However, it was the PS85 as there was no "6.0" designation back then, and Sampras never used the "6.0" version.

 

[DNShade]

Now, here's a surprise, I never saw JMac playing with 6.0's - I saw pics of him playing with Prestige 600 mid and Yonex R22, someone said he had elbow issues at some time, on early 90's, and he was fooling around with some sticks during that period

There's two strange things on that 6.0 he's holding: the "O" Tourna dampner, as long as I know, JMac never played with any kind of dampner, and the touna overgrip, even now, JMac almays play with leather only, Edberg like

My opinion? must be some stick he borrowed from Sampras, maybe on an exhibition match, or so

My thoughts exactly. Never seen John with the Pro Staff -- and it totally looks like Pete's stick and setup - right now to the Tourna grip (which Mac never used to my recollection) dampener and even Nate's lead work. My first impression from the pic is that he borrowed Pete's stick at an expo or something else strange.

 

[PMChambers]

WOW, you have enough noodles to make a spicy Pad Thai. No# Ra 36.

 

[paoloraz]

My thoughts exactly. Never seen John with the Pro Staff -- and it totally looks like Pete's stick and setup - right now to the Tourna grip (which Mac never used to my recollection) dampener and even Nate's lead work. My first impression from the pic is that he borrowed Pete's stick at an expo or something else strange.

Yeah, I agree too...I guess he borrowed the PS from Sampras, but I posted the pic since I thought it was nice to see mac swording a pro staff, which was basically at the opposite side of the frame spectrum of that time (200g: thick, soft, forgiving; PS: thin, firm, unforgiving).

 

[niktub]

Wasn't this the Maxply Fort McEnroe actually used? I always recall the Dunlop logo written like this on his racquet rather than than the smaller, horizontal version.

http://www.woodtennis.com/McEnroe/newmaxply.jpg

Also interesting to see that McEnroe's Nike Cross Trainers actually had a herringbone sole on them as opposed to the original sole that shoe had.

Has anyone seen these versions, made into an actual tennis shoe.

These are the Nike Air Gotham... if i remember well.

 

[lgbalfa]

mcenroe currently uses the now discontinued dunlop biomimetic max 200g.

last month though during a powershares event in minneapolis he used his old maxply mcenroe racquet though.

http://i58.tinypic.com/33cvnl5.jpg

 

[niktub]

Mac's personal racquets with the Maxply McEnroe PJ were Hotmelt 300G. Don't know about the new sticks yet.

I just saw a video with the 200G HM paint job, for the records...

 

[NicoMK]

Nice hitting by Johnny Mac.

 

[big ted]

Nice hitting by Johnny Mac.

his strokes are so simple and effective, makes you wonder why more players (at least recreational including me lol) don’t try to swing like that.. i guess he’s just so good he can make anything look easy lol

 

[NicoMK]

his strokes are so simple and effective, makes you wonder why more players (at least recreational including me lol) don’t try to swing like that.. i guess he’s just so good he can make anything look easy lol

Exactly. Hard to copy maybe because he's simply unique

 

[vsbabolat]

I just saw a video with the 200G HM paint job, for the records...

Yeah, that’s still a 300G with a 200G paint

 

[LeoFulgencio]

There was also a French Open where McEnroe used a Yonex frame. He had a bout of tennis elbow and had borrowed some, I think, from Aaron Krickstein.

And I agree with a previous poster, this is an awesome thread.

He lost to Nicklas Kulti in the first round in four sets:

Small pic

Using Völkl TR25 in the doubles in the same tournament: pic1; pic2

 

[Rabbit]

@LeoFulgencio that's the one. Was that an R-23?

 

[vsbabolat]

@LeoFulgencio that's the one. Was that an R-23?

R-22 I think

 

[Rabbit]

@vsbabolat - that's right. Andres Gomez played the R-23 didn't he? Kricker did use the R-22....

 

[vsbabolat]

@vsbabolat - that's right. Andres Gomez played the R-23 didn't he? Kricker did use the R-22....

Gomez was R-22 and Krickstein was R-27

 

[LeoFulgencio]

@LeoFulgencio that's the one. Was that an R-23?

My tip is also R-22.

 

[Rabbit]

@vsbabolat @LeoFulgencio well hell, I'm 0'fer today!

 

[big ted]

he sure did use alot of different frames esp toward the end,
but had his best results with the 200G.. for some reason i believe alot
of these switches were more out of impulse or desperation than anything else...

 

[teachingprotx]

Holy heck Mac and my fave volkl ! Never knew he used a tr 25 wow man

 

[vsbabolat]

he sure did use alot of different frames esp toward the end,
but had his best results with the 200G.. for some reason i believe alot
of these switches were more out of impulse or desperation than anything else...

It was out of desperation I think to try and get back to the top of the game but the game evolved passed John. I remember John complaining about all these powerful racquets his opponents were using.

 

[LeoFulgencio]

I found another pic of him using the Dunlop with removable weights at 3-9.

 

[daddabompa]

I found another pic of him using the Dunlop with removable weights at 3-9.

It should be the Max Competition from ca. 1987.

 

[vsbabolat]

I found another pic of him using the Dunlop with removable weights at 3-9.

Yes, that’s the Max Competition from the 1987 US Open