I switched to Pro Blend back in high school because my dad hated taking me to get my racquet strung so often. After the switch, IIRC, we only had to restring once a season. That was in a Prince OS 110" frame. I got away from it once I started stringing my own racquets because I wanted more feel, but maybe I should try it again now that I have a more flexible frame and could probably go down in tension with the smaller head size as well.
MAX 200G 40th Anniversary?
- Thread starter Grafil Injection
- Start date
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
Update on PTP x NXT hybrid: I strung my 370g model at 52lbs and the power and comfort are both very high. I would recommend 54lbs or perhaps not using NXT as the result is probably too comfortable (!). My various other sticks with gut, syngut and polys are all more direct feeling, which I prefer. It's not bad, but it is probably the comfiest feeling I've ever hit with. I assume its the NXT rather than the poly-tour-pro.
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
Just watching Virginia Wade being tonked by Hana Mandlikova at the French Open 1982, despite Ginny using a MAX 200G against Hana's wooden stick. Makes me wonder when the official launch date of the 200G was? I guess she must have had it from at least April.
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
I know it was launched in 1982. I tend to think it was early in the year first quarter.
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
Ginny seems to have been an early user, as a local Dunlop staffer. I wonder if she was on a testing team.
What were the earlier tournaments before RG in those days? Biscayne?
What were the earlier tournaments before RG in those days? Biscayne?
retrowagen
Hall of Fame
I don’t know when she began using the model, but as a 15-year-old lad during the summer of 1985, I played in Wall’s Junior Tennis Circuit events in England. Dunlop was a co-sponsor. The winner of each event got a new Max 200g and a tennis lesson with Virginia Wade. Seems she was still connected to the brand, and the model, although she was not playing WTA events by then.
To my chagrin, I never made it beyond the semifinals.
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
Yes, seems to have been a Dunlop lifer, using the MaxPly before the 200G. The 1982 French Open racket must have been a tapered beam version, and per ^190, she used a Glossy 200G in 1991 seniors Wimbledon. Now I need to find a picture of her using a Teal.
joe sch
Legend
SF not too shameful
Grass events?I played the 200g's for many years and still have a stockpile of well used sticks and a few gems.
Loved thick gut at low tension as did my sticks which stayed straight.
Perfect for SV AC game and slicing and dicing.
The dynamic stiffness also worked best with lower tensions
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
I hit a few balls with Virginia Wade once. She’s a very nice person.
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
The Biscayne event started in Delray Beach in 1985 at Laver’s then moved in 1986 to Boca West where I was a ball boy. Now the event has moved to the parking lot at Hard Rock Stadium.
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
What was she hitting with?
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
This over 10-13 years ago. She was using a Dunlop 200 series. I remember she had great hands but her movement wasn’t good.
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
She was using a MAX 200G 13 years ago when she was 65? How cool is that! Or did you mean a modern 200? Still pretty impressive.
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
She was using an Aerogel 200 4D 18x20
Last edited:
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
Finally found a Teal in nice specs (372g with OG), although the original syngut is a bit loose. Might try learning the McEnroe FH technique whilst my wrist is in pain. Goes well with the mint coloured Head overgrip.
michael valek
Hall of Fame
Yes just club it like Jonny
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
Update on the my hybrid string test: Now that the Poly Tour Pro is over a month old it has gone dead in the hybrid with NXT crosses, but they both still slide and snap-back easily. I prefer the feel now as it's no longer too comfortable. Still very soft, but has a slightly higher sense of control now. A definite option, that is preferable to full poly IME.
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
Happy to pay £35 for a round-holes Graphite Demonstration as I've always found the demos play well, naturally. This came in at a typical 390g for a first version, but the playability is there thanks to its 31.25cm (11pt) HL balance. The strings are Gosen Hy-Sheep, which I believe is one of the first synthetic guts, and feel very good still.
joe sch
Legend
Hope your wrist pain is better now?Happy to pay £35 for a round-holes Graphite Demonstration as I've always found the demos play well, naturally. This came in at a typical 390g for a first version, but the playability is there thanks to its 31.25cm (11pt) HL balance. The strings are Gosen Hy-Sheep, which I believe is one of the first synthetic guts, and feel very good still.
Did you try hitting flatter and more eastern like Mac?
That will surely help reduce the stress and more pain hitting more western and modern strokes, as will flexible old school rackets with lower tension less stiff strings.
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
Yes thanks. By around two weeks ago, 2 months after the injury, the pain in my wrist had all but disappeared. Now there is just a slight twinge and tightness in the area as if whatever it was, tendon or ligament, has mended with some extra scar tissue. The injury has probably helped me as I prepare the FH extremely early with a full backswing now, which seems to limit the amount of wrist action needed. Most of my sticks are comfortable, even my recent Fin Genius, which must be high 60s RA, feels fine. But starting and finishing a session with a 200G probably helps too.
joe sch
Legend
Regarding the classic old school graphites and many of us that have loved playing these rackets, I know many are like me and love playing the nice classic leather grips. I really like the dunlop leather grips and especially the green version that came on some of the 200g's. I also have a few of the dunlop suede grips that were for the small classic frames like wood or very early graphite. Dunlop called these Aquagrips. Below shows what Im describing.
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
I have to link this 1980s Steffi tribute here, given the use of an oversize 200G at 16 mins by her whole family! Lots of great OHBHs from the start too.
4.7K views 9 months ago
Tennis - Steffi Graf 1980's TV Items (Part 1)
Mark Alan4.7K views 9 months ago
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
Another interesting advert from 1987. The 24% HL saving suggests to me they stopped foam-filling the hoop. Although, I haven't noticed a huge difference in later version's balances, but later models are certainly lighter overall. The marketing men working hard as I suppose as a 24% more HL would probably refer to a negligible shift from something like 5pts HL to 6pts HL.
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
I have a cut up Max200G from 1982 that was a display racquet to show the inside tech with the pillars and there is no foam in the hoop.Another interesting advert from 1987. The 24% HL saving suggests to me they stopped foam-filling the hoop. Although, I haven't noticed a huge difference in later version's balances, but later models are certainly lighter overall. The marketing men working hard as I suppose as a 24% more HL would probably refer to a negligible shift from something like 5pts HL to 6pts HL.
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
Do you mean an actual 1982 tapered-beam <patent applied for> model, or a from 1982 'Graphite' model? I ask because I wonder if only the tapered beams were foam filled, since mine is unusually head-heavy (33.75cm), especially considering there is less graphite near the top than straight-beamed models. Could be they abandoned foam filling for the hoop when moving to the straight-beam moulds.
Plus, I guess if they know they are going to use a stick for an interior analysis, they wouldn't foam it anyway as it'd be a mess cleaning all the foam away to reveal the pillars.
tennistiger
Professional
My 1991 200g Pro (last available edition for sale) also without foam.
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
There’s no foam. Actual 1982 racket and I never heard of foam being in any version of the Max200G. They would have left the foam in there showing the interior of the frame with foam and the pillars.
https://imgur.com/a/uW8rhvE
https://imgur.com/a/WS85UOX
https://imgur.com/a/H2XsZ0G
Last edited:
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
There are various adverts that mention the use of foam throughout the frame for vibration dampening, and the UK patent provides the following information (very nice description and schematic). But I do agree that they probably abandoned the method as the racket was so well dampened when hollow anyway.
In the advert above, they probably just realised people preferred the lighter models, like other sticks from the mid-80s, so they got more precise about dosing out the main ingredients. Or since it wasn't a foam change, I wonder if they just got a batch of Fairways that were 5g heavier than norm. It's clearly a marketing stretch, with the range of weights and balances still being huge after that time IME.
In the advert above, they probably just realised people preferred the lighter models, like other sticks from the mid-80s, so they got more precise about dosing out the main ingredients. Or since it wasn't a foam change, I wonder if they just got a batch of Fairways that were 5g heavier than norm. It's clearly a marketing stretch, with the range of weights and balances still being huge after that time IME.
Last edited:
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
I'm sure you're correct, but it would be great to see pictures of inside the neck and hoop if possible.
kevin qmto
Hall of Fame
If I find a warped one at a thrift store I might cut it open.
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
I’ve broken my fair share of Max200G’s from the tapered ones onward and never came across foam. The point of my demonstration racket was to show the tech. I even have a piece of racket with the alloy in it to show the process. I think my racket is accurate.
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
The problems is, even the warped ones hit great!
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
I've been comparing my recently acquired <Patent Applied For> tapered beam first model (22-18mm taper just like MAX 150G), to various other later models (21.5mm straight beam) in recent weeks, and despite the much thinner top of the hoop, I have not detected any difference in stability or size or location of sweet-spot. I.e. they play essentially the same [astonishingly good].
Having said that, my tapered beam model is 33.75cm balanced, which is unusually head-weighted, especially when you consider there is less graphite there. For its 390g weight, it might be a touch more manoeuvrable because of the thinness than similarly weighted straight-beam models I have around 33cm balance, but my 31.75cm balanced version is much more realistic for a 2hr session. These early models really are the Krug Champagne of rackets, and the tapered-beam model is Clos du Mesnil.
Having said that, my tapered beam model is 33.75cm balanced, which is unusually head-weighted, especially when you consider there is less graphite there. For its 390g weight, it might be a touch more manoeuvrable because of the thinness than similarly weighted straight-beam models I have around 33cm balance, but my 31.75cm balanced version is much more realistic for a 2hr session. These early models really are the Krug Champagne of rackets, and the tapered-beam model is Clos du Mesnil.
Casey 1988
Rookie
What version ?
Frankc
Professional
I have played a few of the versions and no difference for me - only the weight varies here and there. The natural gut is the key - in my view, funny how we have forgotten the many unique advantages of the best natty G out there...
Casey 1988
Rookie
I know what you mean, I have to when I need to replace my strings when they break use Nylon Synthetic Gut in my Tennis racquet becuse being a cheaper Aluminum Early 2000's ProKennex this came in it and Works becuse the model was made for Synthetic Gut but my model came some of the older model made to look like Gut a bit more with the partially clear look and not look like a white Polyester as how modern Nylon Gut looks. So many even older players are afraid of Nylon Gut in Aluminum racquet designs made after fully Graphite models took over the market thinking it will break even in a cheaper Aluminum racquet replacing what came in model immediately with at least a Multifilament Nylon that is not the Kevilar Nylon Filament fearing tennis elbow/tennis shoulder with any model using Kevilar in it. Also, for modern Aluminum Racquets you are not supposed to be using Polyester that tends to be too stiff for most Aluminum models to the speed needed except the few modern Aluminum racquets that are 300 grams on up and made to be stiff like a modern Carbon Fiber model.
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
Anyone also found that the first version with tapered-beam and 'Patent Applied For' label came with a perforated leather grip? All the straight beamed original models I've had, have had the Dunlop gold embossed leather, but I recently got a second tapered-beam model and it also had the perforated version. I actually think I prefer it; has a touch of squodge:
Last edited:
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
The first 1982 Max200G came with black perfe grip. The 1983 Max200G that was tapered with patent applied for came with the black leather grip with gold embossed. My display racket has the black perforated grip.Anyone also found that the first version with tapered-beam and 'Patent Applied For' label came with a perforated leather grip? All the straight beamed original models I've had, have had the Dunlop gold embossed leather, but I recently got a second tapered-beam model and it also had the perforated version. I actually think I prefer it; has a touch of squodge:
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
It's funny isn't it, since the Dunlop gold embossed grips existed for at least 5 years before on Maxplies, but they started with the no-name perforated grip. Perhaps McEnroe instigated the change in 1983, as well as keeping it on his sticks throughout.
vsbabolat
G.O.A.T.
I don’t know. Mcenroe used Maxply Fort grips on his Maxply McEnroe paint job rackets. I’ll take photo of it in little bit.
Grafil Injection
Hall of Fame
Jack Draper is considering an upgrade to his FX-500 (CV3F), probably:
Last edited:
Similar threads
