The various Dunlop McEnroe rackets

[MichaelChang]

To the dunlop experts, I come across a few old Dunlop graphite rackets that carry 'McEnroe' on the frame, such as 'McEnroe Comp II', 'McEnroe Limited', 'McEnroe Personal'. I don't know much about these, only thing I know it they seem to be made in Taiwan, probably in the late 80s? How do they play? Thanks vm.

 

[schu47]

According to my friend Virginia, who has collected all the racquet models McEnroe actually played, Dunlop produced more than 80 models with McEnroe's name on them, most of them recreational frames not really worth much. As far as I know, the racquets he actually did use, at some point in his career, included the Wilson Jack Kramer Pro Staff wood and lots of Dunlops -- the Maxply Fort, Maxply McEnroe wood, Black Max, Max 200G, Hotmelt 200G, and Maxply McEnroe graphite. There may be a few I missed, but those are the ones I recollect seeing on a list at one point. Of course, he most famously used the Max 200G during the height of his career.

Maybe some real Dunlop experts can add to this or correct it.

I know I've had some of the Dunlop McEnroe-endorsed frames over the years that haven't been very good.

 

[retrowagen]

Yes, what Schu' said above is correct. They're not too special at all - mostly prestrung discount/department store stuff from the mid-1980's through early 1990's, or until J.P. McEnroe no longer had a contract with Dunlop.

Basically, Dunlop used the cachet of the McEnroe name to sell mass-market models (of various composition, even including ceramic or boron) made in Asia.

 

[MichaelChang]

Thanks very much my friend! wow 80 different frames with his name on it, !!! what the ... That is the most used name among all I suppose. Had there been more Donnay rackets with 'Borg' on it?

 

[jimbo333]

Thanks very much my friend! wow 80 different frames with his name on it, !!! what the ... That is the most used name among all I suppose. Had there been more Donnay rackets with 'Borg' on it?

There are certainly less with CONNORS name on!!!

But, I'm finding more all the time

 

[Ciaron]

According to my friend Virginia, who has collected all the racquet models McEnroe actually played, Dunlop produced more than 80 models with McEnroe's name on them, most of them recreational frames not really worth much. As far as I know, the racquets he actually did use, at some point in his career, included the Wilson Jack Kramer Pro Staff wood and lots of Dunlops -- the Maxply Fort, Maxply McEnroe wood, Black Max, Max 200G, Hotmelt 200G, and Maxply McEnroe graphite. There may be a few I missed, but those are the ones I recollect seeing on a list at one point. Of course, he most famously used the Max 200G during the height of his career.

Maybe some real Dunlop experts can add to this or correct it.

I know I've had some of the Dunlop McEnroe-endorsed frames over the years that haven't been very good.

As far as I know he never used the Black Max. This is a misconception.

 

[vsbabolat]

As far as I know he never used the Black Max. This is a misconception.

Yeah, and Mac did not really use the HotMelt 200G. It was a Hotmelt 200G paint job with a 300G underneath.

 

[5sets]

Year 2023 here. McEnroe Comp is a dream. It kind of has a Volkl head shape and is real flexy. One handed BH was cutting through the air like butter. Red lines on black and a leather grip.

 

[kevin qmto]

I was tempted to buy one called the McEnroe Graphite Force. Clearly a Kunnan Lo product and looked like about an 82sq in head, but passed for the moment.

 

[Sanglier]

Johnny Mac must have had a licensing agreement with Dunlop where he acquiesced to a blanket endorsement of their entire product line without itemized royalty for the use of his name and likeness. It's almost like co-branding. Can't think of anyone else who has done something like that since.

Year 2023 here. McEnroe Comp is a dream. It kind of has a Volkl head shape and is real flexy. One handed BH was cutting through the air like butter. Red lines on black and a leather grip.

I assume "Volkl head shape" means egg-shaped? If so, your "McEnroe Comp" must look more like the 1983 "XLT" than the example below (an early one with individual grommets), meaning Dunlop recycled the same name for different models:

Of the half a dozen of so GW-sourced Taiwanese "McEnroe" models I tried out over the years, I was most impressed by a beat-up "McEnroe SL", which played like a slightly larger, lighter, stiffer, and more dampened version of the pristine "McEnroe Comp" above, with subtle PWS-like swells on the outside of the frame that helped to put the sweet spot in just the right place (for me). In this specific case, having "McEnroe" in the name might have been detrimental, as potential buyers likely had no idea how different this racquet behaved relative to other department store McEnroes. Perhaps Dunlop itself too, had no idea how different their countless McEnroe models were, and probably didn't care.

 

[kevin qmto]

Johnny Mac must have had a licensing agreement with Dunlop where he acquiesced to a blanket endorsement of their entire product line without itemized royalty for the use of his name and likeness. It's almost like co-branding. Can't think of anyone else who has done something like that since.



I assume "Volkl head shape" means egg-shaped? If so, your "McEnroe Comp" must look more like the 1983 "XLT" than the example below (an early one with individual grommets), meaning Dunlop recycled the same name for different models:

Of the half a dozen of so GW-sourced Taiwanese "McEnroe" models I tried out over the years, I was most impressed by a beat-up "McEnroe SL", which played like a slightly larger, lighter, stiffer, and more dampened version of the pristine "McEnroe Comp" above, with subtle PWS-like swells on the outside of the frame that helped to put the sweet spot in just the right place (for me). In this specific case, having "McEnroe" in the name might have been detrimental, as potential buyers likely had no idea how different this racquet behaved relative to other department store McEnroes. Perhaps Dunlop itself too, had no idea how different their countless McEnroe models were, and probably didn't care.

So that’s your pick for the best McEnroe badged racket that McEnroe never used? Any picks for the worst or most insulting frame that likewise used his name? Just for fun.

 

[Grafil Injection]

So that’s your pick for the best McEnroe badged racket that McEnroe never used? Any picks for the worst or most insulting frame that likewise used his name? Just for fun.

Most of the Dunlop rackets with his name were very similar to existing models, so I don't think there is anything horrific out there, mainly very low range Dunlop woods similar to the MatchPoint. There are also loads of Dunlop xyz sticks that say 'Approved by McEnroe' etc on the side, but you wouldn't notice that on the main label. In particular various aluminium sticks that were very basic. Perhaps the Dunlop McEnroe Mad-Raq was the most insulting, although I think Dunlop were playing off his volatile image with that!

 

[Grafil Injection]

Johnny Mac must have had a licensing agreement with Dunlop where he acquiesced to a blanket endorsement of their entire product line without itemized royalty for the use of his name and likeness. It's almost like co-branding. Can't think of anyone else who has done something like that since.



I assume "Volkl head shape" means egg-shaped? If so, your "McEnroe Comp" must look more like the 1983 "XLT" than the example below (an early one with individual grommets), meaning Dunlop recycled the same name for different models:

Of the half a dozen of so GW-sourced Taiwanese "McEnroe" models I tried out over the years, I was most impressed by a beat-up "McEnroe SL", which played like a slightly larger, lighter, stiffer, and more dampened version of the pristine "McEnroe Comp" above, with subtle PWS-like swells on the outside of the frame that helped to put the sweet spot in just the right place (for me). In this specific case, having "McEnroe" in the name might have been detrimental, as potential buyers likely had no idea how different this racquet behaved relative to other department store McEnroes. Perhaps Dunlop itself too, had no idea how different their countless McEnroe models were, and probably didn't care.

I noted that the McEnroe SLs on the bay are all indeed SL weight. That's quite a revolution for the early 80s. Perhaps it was an Asian market model?

How does the Comp play? It looks like it has a slightly thicker beam than the Black Max, although the oversize collar is similar, which suggests similar factory and early 1980s date?

 

[Sanglier]

So that’s your pick for the best McEnroe badged racket that McEnroe never used? Any picks for the worst or most insulting frame that likewise used his name? Just for fun.

I was somewhat disappointed by how my beautiful "McEnroe Comp" behaved in my hand. It felt surprisingly harsh for its 48 RA reading (compared to 64 RA for the "McEnroe SL", which somehow felt smoother in comparison). As you had noted in a different thread, how a racquet actually feels to you isn't always reflected by its numbers; it is impossible to predict with any kind of certainty what would work for you and what wouldn't using a spreadsheet. At least this is my personal experience, as I had tried to do exactly that with the creation of a"Goldilocks Zone" chart containing more than 300 entries. In the end, I found no statistically significant correlation between how well a racquet felt to me on the court and its size, beam width, weight, balance, swing weight, flex, etc. The ones that felt "great" just happen to have the right combination(s) of all of those variables, and may not have anything in common at all among themselves. I didn't even bother recording the string types and tensions (which are hardly trivial factors), because adding those variables to the analysis would have made things exponentially more complicated.

Just like a race car chassis, a racquet that looks the part and has all the right numbers may still be a lackluster performer if those components aren't perfectly tuned to complement each other. An incorrect spring ratio here and a missed geometry there can mean the difference between floating over a punishing road course and bouncing around like a pogo stick. Add to that the use of incorrect tires (strings) for a given course on a given day, and you may be looking at the difference between finishing the race and crashing out.

Also, not everyone's idea of a perfect racquet is an F1 race car. Some may be happier with a Toyota Camry, because they are mostly cruising around town with Honda Accords and Nissan Altimas, where the F1 would have felt very out of place. I would characterize the other "McEnroe" frames I had tried as generic family sedans, whereas the "SL" turned out to be a surprise Lexus IS300.

How does the Comp play? It looks like it has a slightly thicker beam than the Black Max, although the oversize collar is similar, which suggests similar factory and early 1980s date?

Yes, this version of the "McEnroe Comp" does have a slightly thicker beam profile than the "Black Max", and it does have a very typical Kunnan type grip collar. However, its butt cap is more typical of SanHoSun products than Kunnan's, so it's not obvious to me who the actual maker may have been. As both Kunnan and SanHoSun (among others) produced the "Black Max" for Dunlop during those years, your assumption is almost certainly correct either way.

 

[Grafil Injection]

I was somewhat disappointed by how my beautiful "McEnroe Comp" behaved in my hand. It felt surprisingly harsh for its 48 RA reading (compared to 64 RA for the "McEnroe SL", which somehow felt smoother in comparison). As you had noted in a different thread, how a racquet actually feels to you isn't always reflected by its numbers; it is impossible to predict with any kind of certainty what would work for you and what wouldn't using a spreadsheet. At least this is my personal experience, as I had tried to do exactly that with the creation of a"Goldilocks Zone" chart containing more than 300 entries. In the end, I found no statistically significant correlation between how well a racquet felt to me on the court and its size, beam width, weight, balance, swing weight, flex, etc. The ones that felt "great" just happen to have the right combination(s) of all of those variables, and may not have anything in common at all among themselves. I didn't even bother recording the string types and tensions (which are hardly trivial factors), because adding those variables to the analysis would have made things exponentially more complicated.

Just like a race car chassis, a racquet that looks the part and has all the right numbers may still be a lackluster performer if those components aren't perfectly tuned to complement each other. An incorrect spring ratio here and a missed geometry there can mean the difference between floating over a punishing road course and bouncing around like a pogo stick. Add to that the use of incorrect tires (strings) for a given course on a given day, and you may be looking at the difference between finishing the race and crashing out.

Also, not everyone's idea of a perfect racquet is an F1 race car. Some may be happier with a Toyota Camry, because they are mostly cruising around town with Honda Accords and Nissan Altimas, where the F1 would have felt very out of place. I would characterize the other "McEnroe" frames I had tried as generic family sedans, whereas the "SL" turned out to be a surprise Lexus IS300.



Yes, this version of the "McEnroe Comp" does have a slightly thicker beam profile than the "Black Max", and it does have a very typical Kunnan type grip collar. However, its butt cap is more typical of SanHoSun products than Kunnan's, so it's not obvious to me who the actual maker may have been. As both Kunnan and SanHoSun (among others) produced the "Black Max" for Dunlop during those years, your assumption is almost certainly correct either way.

Yes, beware the 'mint' vintage racket. There's usually a reason why no one has used them. The McEnroe Comp also did not appear in many Dunlop catalogues as far as I've seen, suggesting department store level. On the other hand, the Black Max looks very utilitarian, but plays very nicely suggesting Dunlop optimised it before release.

 

[5sets]

Johnny Mac must have had a licensing agreement with Dunlop where he acquiesced to a blanket endorsement of their entire product line without itemized royalty for the use of his name and likeness. It's almost like co-branding. Can't think of anyone else who has done something like that since.



I assume "Volkl head shape" means egg-shaped? If so, your "McEnroe Comp" must look more like the 1983 "XLT" than the example below (an early one with individual grommets), meaning Dunlop recycled the same name for different models:

Of the half a dozen of so GW-sourced Taiwanese "McEnroe" models I tried out over the years, I was most impressed by a beat-up "McEnroe SL", which played like a slightly larger, lighter, stiffer, and more dampened version of the pristine "McEnroe Comp" above, with subtle PWS-like swells on the outside of the frame that helped to put the sweet spot in just the right place (for me). In this specific case, having "McEnroe" in the name might have been detrimental, as potential buyers likely had no idea how different this racquet behaved relative to other department store McEnroes. Perhaps Dunlop itself too, had no idea how different their countless McEnroe models were, and probably didn't care.

For sure, I must have the Comp XLT. These photos look like a pretty standard head shape . Mine is like a Kneissl, Volkl type deal. Real fun to hit with. I stumble across these a lot on my thrift trips.

 

[wedge]

Adding another vote for the McEnroe SL. I actually had no idea it was 64RA because it certainly doesn't feel it. Mine sadly has several hairline fractures in the throat, otherwise I'd take it out a bunch more.

I was tempted to buy one called the McEnroe Graphite Force. Clearly a Kunnan Lo product and looked like about an 82sq in head, but passed for the moment.

You're not missing much lol ... mine at least has wicked frame vibration and I haven't been arsed to fiddle with lead to get it under control. Swings nicely enough though.

The identically-shaped McEnroe Fireball seems to play better. The paintjob and graphics make it look like a child's toy, and the tiny beam and head make it feel super insubstantial in the hands, but then of course it's this 361g stick! Charming racket and looks very distinctive, hits a decent ball.

 

[Bill Lobsalot]

Anybody know what Mac has been using lately? Appears to be a Dunlop.