I used to own about 4 racquets. My best shots of this racquet are backhand slice and serve. Good racquet for passing shots. Steffi Graf used this racquet in 1988 to win her 4 Grand Slam title and Olympic Gold Medal. (“ Golden Grand Slam”)
there is absolutely nothing in tennis like using a 200G and connecting with the ball. The feel is so singular and so amazing. I just ordered 2 off eBay cause I missed them so much. Can't wait to go back to the 80s and start playing with the finest racket ever made.
@@johnnyguitar6697 there are three things about Mac career: 1) he won with both wood and graphite, very few can say that, 2) he won a ton of Davis Cup matches, 3) he and Borg and Connors and Chris Evert did not play Aus. Open as a major and skipped it (Chris missed several majors because she was on World Team Tennis) so the entire Major Trophy Count is flawed
You realized that Steffi Graf dominated her era with that exact racket, playing from the baseline, n playing some long rallies as well, right? It's not all about serve n volleys. Back in the wood rackets era, there were many baseliners playing with heavier rackets than those two. Bjorn Borg's Donnay was just as heavy n possibly smaller heads than those 2, n yet he played purely from the baseline at the FO, n he had some long rallies then too
Same thing with Vilas. I have one of the Head Vilas vintage racquet in wood, first Head racquet with an open throat, and it is unbelievable that he managed to hit that hard, and put that much spin with that frame. Those guys were beasts physically.
I have started reusing mine full-time as I get back in the the game after a 30 yr hiatus from the game. I have a bunch of 200G's and 300i's and its fun playing with them. Absolutely no issues with any arm pain or anything.
The black one on the video has 86 paint job (Second pj for Dunlop Max 200G). The grey/red one has 88 pj (That year they also issued 3rd pj for the black one) They should not differ in specs (May be handle hidden lead on the black) Currently I am using one as my main (I put aside my Wilson Pro Staff v13 and Yonex Vcore Pro 330) Contrary to the general belief you can hit very well top spin with these (I have semi-western grip) Yes, the amount of topspin will not be the same with your Radical Pro (that I have recently tested), leave alone Pure Aero. On paper the head size (85) and the string pattern would tell you this must be a control racquet but trust me, it provides you great deal of power. I find Max 200G a quite agile racquet, given the specs, and really help you to get out of a defensive position on many occasions. In my game I mostly rely on my backhands (which are bliss btw). However my favorite shot is my forehand topspin. I am 5 ft 8, never went to gym. a baseliner who goes to the net less frequently than Steffi Graf. Currently I own three Max 200Gs, 2 from 86, 1 from 88.
Just dragged my two 200g’s out of the closet last week and hit with a friend. Loved it. I’m 70 yrs old. Came up playing junior high and high school tennis in late 60’s early 70’s with the Wilson Tony Trabert and Jack Kramer wood racquets and these dunlops brought back that very feel. Think I used to string my 200g’s at about 42 back in the day. God knows what the tension on them is now, since they’ve been resting in the closet since ‘89. I would love a recommendation for strings and tension on these two 200g’s. I just love the feel that comes up through my arm when they’re struck well. Love your videos and sage advice. Cheers.
Played with one for about a year to get myself back in shape. Injection molding is a hell of a drug. Nothing feels like it, and nothing ever will. Hit it right and you can drive through the baseline easy and hit butter smooth touch shots. Gotta hit flat, get that footwork right, get you an eastern forehand grip, and step into the baseline. No school like the old school
Wow! Great to see the old racquets come out to play. I have a Rossignol F200 Carbon "Mats Willander" in perfect condition and a Kneissl White Star still in the cupboard. Both need new grips and a restring. I cannot part with them for some reason! Might take them out for a hit after watching this video. Thank you guys!
I have 200G and 300i (used by Peter Fleming - a little stiffer). This week I used a Head Edge (80 square inch head). The Edge is the most underrated racket from the early 80s.
I have one of those Steffi Graf special edition Golden Grand Slam Dunlop MAX 200G racquets and they weigh a ton compared to modern racquets. Really difficult to play with as well, but so much fun to just hit balls with :)
This video tests the credibility of the guys and their advice. It is very interesting 🤔 to see how their current experiences jive with historic equipment only 30-50 years ago.
And, that was a very popular racquet back in those days. Judging by Harry's comments, it appears he did not do his homework on the use of the racquet in it's era and who used the stick.
"She even won a golden grand slam swinging that bad boy" What is generally forgotten is that she barely missed having two grand slams in a row. She won three in 89 and on the fourth one, she was leading 5-3 on the third set and it was her serve. She lost the match from there (By getting only 3 pts in the following four games).
I've been watching your videos for a while now. Thank you! This is the EXACT review that I wanted as well, since I recently purchased a 200G on eBay in order to keep a reminder of the same model racket as I used in competitions in 1988-1990. It was a club/hammer of a racket back then for dynamic serves and vibration-proof volleys: Eastern/Continental grip with short backswings for playing in front of the baseline and attacking with half-volleys and net-hugging volleys asap. Compared to my modern, featherweight Head Instinct S, the 200G begs to play old-school tactics again. And that IS fun! Surprises the heck out of today's juniors and club players raised post-Y2K.
I started using the Dunlop Max 200G at the age of eleven and never had arm problems with it. And yes, I have had a lot of 20 ball rallies with it! My all time favorite racquet! I never used continental on the ground strokes either. By the way, Nadal is not using a stock Babolat racquet. He customizes it by adding additional weight to the top of the head and some to the handle. Cool video!
Like you I started with the Max 200G in my early years (early teens). And I never had any arm issues. In fact I found that because of the flex for the racket you would never get tennis elbow or any pain no matter how much you play. I just started tennis back up after stopping in the mid 20's and guess what, I'm using my 200G's again and no issues in terms of arm issues.
Very enjoyable, much appreciated - enjoyed the balanced look by the young players. Yes, they are right - very precise and powerful and consistent with a neutral grip game. Now, put 17 gauge old school softer gut in there - maybe 50 pounds and the real fun begins. Oh, and make sure you bring some hands to the festival... this frame in a medium will dance like you will not believe. (Only more neutral grips need apply.) And by the way, as a junior with woodies and the 200G, there were very few injuries - I cannot remember one in my crowd. The game was flatter, more timing and weight shifts - enter the beauty of the 200G. Thanks again, for your channel. This was very interesting.
I believe the Max 200G was produced throughout the 1980s, and gently lowered in weight over the years similar to the trend in the market away from heavy wooden frames towards lighter and larger graphite models. The interesting thing about the Max 200G is it was the only injection molded graphite model. Most others up to today are made from woven graphite sheets which are mandrel formed to shape, then baked. The Dunlop used powdered graphite (with also fibreglass and sometimes Twaron) and injected it into a mold at high pressure and temperature, then baked. This process was more temperamental with frames often cracking, but when they held the strength was actually higher than formed rackets because of the resultant graphite matrix' properties. Dunlop of course had 100+ years of tyre manufacturing knowledge to utilise, which had been using various carbon formations in the tyre-walls for many decades before.
The 200G was followed up by the stiffer 300i. Dunlop created a similar injection molded frame for Slazenger. Also, Navratilova used the 200G (instead of her normal Yonex) and used it to beat Graf in the 87 Wimbledon in straight sets. Savage.
I was going to mention this as well. Martina had it painted with the Yonex logo but she was clearly using the Dunlop. I think Agassi did the same briefly at first when he switched from Prince to Donnay. He was still using the Prince but with the Donnay graphics. Again, this is from my memory 30+ years ago so I could be wrong.
I grew up with 200g too. My first non wood racket in 85 or 86. Definitely encouraged flat strokes. With my form wasn't going over the net otherwise. Used recently before I bought Pure Drive and ultimately Clash 100 tour. Ok just have to hit a bit flatter. I think trick is drive the ball more vs spin it. Entirely usable. On the other hand it took 4 months with lessons to learn how to hit modern forehand with spin :)
Thanks for bringing back the Dunlop 200G. In the same vein as this video, how about doing one on Boris Becker's Puma Winner, Puma Super, and the Estusa Power Beam (PB) Series of frames and raquets for us old time Boris Becker fans of yesteryear.
First Dunlop I ever tried was my buddies Muscle Weave 200g. Its a 95in so not nearly as hard to use as those 80s 200g. Still one of my favorite racquets
7.25. “The sweet spot is big”. Seriously dude? I still have mine, was my first ever adult racket I bought when I was about 14 years old, This racket needs a full bed of Natural Gut, plays well with a flat forehand and a 1 handed BH slice, Just check out how Steffi Graf hits with this racket, I enjoy taking this out for a little hit every now and then,
First, it wasn't all "serve and volley" back then. McEnroe was more the exception to the rule. The common way of playing was backcourt, either attacking, like Lendl, or counterpunching, like Wilander. It was frequent to hear commentators complain about how dull the game had become with all the topspin borefest from the baseline. And the reason why the iconic graphites (Wilson ProStaff, Dunlop 200G, Prince Graphite, etc.) were so heavy, was because they were replacing tha classic wood racquets. You can't just switch from a heavy wood to a featherweight graphite, the players wouldn't adapt. So the weight was comparable. The evolution to lighter racquets was more gradual, during the 90s, with lots of weird modifications. Wider, thicker, bigger, too light, head heavy, etc. Tennis elbow went rampant (believe me, I know). McEnroe was transitioning from a Dunlop Maxply to the 200G. Chris Evert from the Wilson "Chris Evert Autograph" to the ProStaff. And the stroke technique was adapted to that greater mass (windshield wiper not recomended).
Very well put. The amount of nonsense coming out of this channel at times is hard to believe. Here, you have a bunch of fully formed adults telling you they couldn't play from the baseline with these racquets. At 15, I was playing an Adidas GTX Pro or Pro T, all 75 sq.in. and 370g of it, and had no problem staying in a rally. I guess it's just a question of getting used to it, and adjust your technique.
@@bowsershark As far I know it was the ProStaff original, that was called 6.0 afterwards with the appearance of the 6.1. Remember, it was 1983 and the ProStaff had just come out. Evert said she had to adjust a bit to the more powerful racquet, but it gave her the advantage to compete with Martina Navratilova.
18:36 ... Steffi Graf played with the Max 200G and hit plenty of long rallies and she hit plenty of top spin. The Max200G was a midsize sized racket as well. It was one of the first graphite rackets on the market. Players were used to playing with wooden rackets so the sweet spot on the Max200G was enormous compared to a wooden racket not to mention the added power. I went from the Dunlop MaxPly Forte to the Max200G in high school and it was so much better than a wooden racket. And then graphite rackets were everywhere. Head, Pro Kennex, Prince, Wilson. Everyone started making graphite rackets and the improvements from year to year was amazing. The Max200G didn't last that long because rackets were getting lighter from one year to the next. The 1980s and 1990s saw a lot of changes in racket design.
Great video ! I enjoy it a lot . I was entertaining to purchase a 200g and get it ready for court action , your video has inspired me even more . I started to play tennis in the era of Boris Becker so , I’m familiar with it . How about the Adidas blue racket used by Ivan Lendl, or the Rossignol by Mats Vilander , or Beckers Puma ? It would be an interesting video to watch and there many other rackets from the 80’s to check out . Awesome video , enjoy watching and learning, keep ‘em coming !!! Thank you.
Back in '83 I demoed the McEnroe and a Prostaff 85. It was no contest. The Dunlop was just pure mush in comparison. My shots with the Prostaff were like bullets. Almost made me want to go back to competitive tennis. A short time later of course, Pete Sampras made it famous.
It is incredible that I payed with that racket (black) in those days and got along with it. I remember that you could create a lot of power and maximum control if, yes if, you hit the sweetspot. Today I am old and prefer a big, lightweight and easy to play racket.
Awesome video. I play with two mid eighties made for Walmart Dunlap McEnroe rackets. The McEnroe personal and the McEnroe Limited. These are actually the same racket with a different paint job. Works for me but i'm pushing 50 and slummin' in the 4.0 usta level.
Thanks really great play test. PLEASE cut out the Babolat pro hurricane strings even at 40lbs give it time your Max 200g will start to warp. Max 200g,s were prone to warping, a poly does not stretch as much as a syn gut or multifilament, so the frame is at present under a great amount of stress and tension. Not sure about the racket quality control, my 200g range from 355 g to 395g! I can’t believe I was still playing with them 5 years ago. Best racket for volleys.
To precise the weight specifications of the MAX 200G (and MAX 300i): They were available in the same categories as most wooden rackets: SL 340-350g, L 350-364g, LM 365-374g, M 375-384g, all unstrung. Do not try playing with an M! The Teal version wasn't really a limited edition, at least not outside the US. It was just a refresh in 1988, when there was also the original black version and a Steffi Graf Golden Grand Slam came shortly after. In total there were at least 12 paintjobs over the production years 1982-1993. All versions had the same essential specs. The MAX 300i used the same mold and 18x20 pattern, but incorporated Noryl GTX into the injection molding mixture, which made it slightly stiffer. About 46 RA compared to the 200G about 42 RA. If you can find an SL or L that is balanced no more than 32cm, then it will play absolutely fine once you get used to the mass. I would say they are easier to play for long periods than the RF97 for example.
Heavenly feel in that graphite injection 200g but that overwhelming weight in the throat of the racquet was very frustrating if you like hitting big spin and big acceleration.
I like seeing the reviews of the older rackets, because some of them were either what I used, or what some of my friends used. Also good to understand how things change. Could we get a review of some others too? Yonex R27? But if you do, please try them with 2 different strings - one with soft strings, one with harder stings? That way you get a better idea of how they could be set up.
With these racquets as with any other flexible racquets, players who hit the ball flatter and off the back foot get rewarded more than those who hit out in front. The flex is there to give you the surprising power when your opponent least expects it from you.
I play with Max 200G Pro on daily basis. I won't switch it with any other (including PS 85). It is the racket that you'd go to war with - stable, bulky and extremely fun. But yes.. you'd have to watch the ball like a hawk - which is a good thing IMO. Thanks for sharing..
I had a max 200g back in maybe 1990 I thought it was great,it was the greenish one and yes the green grip is original.the original cover is green as well.
Wow, you are to young to know that long rallies did occur with these type racquets as well as serve & volley play. Arms did not fall off because they were strung according to player needs. I still use my Head Edge with multifiber string for fun on occasional outings.
Without question one of the top three rackets every made. The others are prince graphite mid. And the first generation Wilson graphite prostaff. Not counting the woods of course
Tennis Spin, can you do a video on whether leaving a racquet strung for a long time (over a year) damages the frame? I heard from some stringers that it does, but then I see many old frames that were strung years ago and they are structurally fine. If it does damage the frame, then how much does it?
I think when you do these Racquet reviews/comparisons, you check the handle/grip set up and for added lead to making sure it's a truly valid comparison.
Hmmmmm what you guys talking about using only continental grip on the Dunlop 200G? Bjorn Borg was playing with a western grip using a wooden racket with heavy top spin... Bjorn Borg is the pioneer and father of the modern tennis. Look it up here on RU-vid
The Dunlop Max 200g is the best racquet I ever played with. It´s a pitty that there are no racquets on the market today that offers the same feel. Silky smooth and great power when U swing it. I loved it, but the headsize became to small for me ( older and lazier footwork :) )
Any recommendations on a modern equivalent? I like the clash 98 v1 or the pro staff 6.1 100 v13. I’m coming back to the game after a 33yr hiatus. Played the max 200g and was always my favorite!
The black one has weight similar to mine. Seems like the grey one is a "light" version? Best thing about it is that it has no grommet. So many old rackets become unusable because of broken grommet. This one hasn't got that problem.
I would love to see today's pros play a whole tournament with these racquets. Would be interesting to see who would come out on top. My guess is Federer since he used to play with the 85 sq.in wilson pro staff.
during high school (late 80's) I played w/2 of these rackets! Loved em' to death! Tried the old Wilson Pro Staff before going w/the 200G and just couldn't!
I used to play with that racket from when I got 13 and played for many years.... :))) Just wanna be John McEnroe at that time. Still have it by the way. More easy tennis now with Wilson Clash 100 :)
My first racquet is Dunlop 95, I like it very much but after a while, I find it so heavy and I changed to Wilson Juice. I still have the Dunlop racquet with me.
The racquet is extremely flexible. I would prefer instead to play with a Donnay Borg Pro or Adidas GTX Pro. And the PS 85 is much better. PS 85 becomes a real weapon with Luxilon Alu Power, if your forearm and wrist can stand it.
These racquets should be used to fine one's technique on serves, volleys, overheads, slice backhands and forehands, and flat strokes. You can also hit good topspin with an eastern fh grip, and flat backhands with a mild eastern backhand grip.
i still prefer serving with a max200 with 18g syngut at 55lbs...its point and shoot accuracy and more power than you may realize. Service returns are a serious challenge sure...but the still feel great and if you connect right shots are as a good as anything else....if you hit right.
Yep, with must of the holes being accurately enough cast in the injection moulding process not to need any extra guide. Except the throat bridge has a 6-grommet piece, and there are 6 individual grommets for 6 shared hole locations.
I've been playing with mine for 9 years (started at age 19, I'll be 29 in October), and I'm not great, but I did hold my own against a college player indoors with my Max 200G, and felt pretty good about it.
You have to make sure you hit the ball early with those rackets. Can’t be late. Once you found the sweet spot the racket rewarded you. Like playing with a wood racket.
Hugo d'Auriol that was my favorite racquet of all time. They don’t make anything with those specs anymore. That thing was such a pleasure to hit with. It had flex so it felt soft, but it was extra stiff at the top of the hoop for strong volleys and serves. Dunlop Srixon needs to make a racquet that weighs over 11.6.
@@arweiss21 Im living in Vietnam and bought one out of interest here. Was 20usd brand new and loved it, thinking of stocking up on the other 4 in the store...
Bonjour, en vous souhaitant tous mes vœux et réussite pour cette nouvelle année. Vos vidéo sont très sympa. Techniques et divertissantes. Avez-vous s'il vous plaît les caractéristiques de poids, équilibre et taille de tamis du modèle Dunlop X20, raquette avec laquelle John Mc Enroe jouait également ? Merci d'avance.
I too had the limited growing up. And guess what, it is racquet 5 in my Babolot stable and it is for the Ace player in the opposition who wants to brag or put money on a game. Win with the 200g and you can take my money.
It was my stick in highschool. I'll go as far to say it broke racquet tech out of wood and aluminum. Dunlop still makes great racquets, just doesn't throw wads of $ into marketing like the others. Gave up on my blade 7.0 and went back to playing my Dunlop 2.0 tour 18x20. It's SWEET. The Biomemetic 200g was also a great newer iteration that ol' grandpa 200g
I don’t think the grip is original on the older black racket. See to remember that grip was black with gold lettering of “Dunlop” on the tape at certain intervals.
This is easy. Man up and get an Adidas GTX Pro / Pro T or a Kneissl White Star Masters Pro, see how it goes. Also, saying that people back in the day couldn't play 20 strokes from the baseline with such a racquet, and impart decent spin, even at club level, is utter bollocks. Clearly, it wouldn't be the extreme spin that modern racquets and string produce with today's whippy strokes, but with a strong eastern grip and the right technique, it's possible to achieve good spin. Not all of the players at club level were playing serve and volley in the 80's, but all would be playing similar size / weight / SW frames because that's all that was available.
For me the 80's was more enjoying to watch with the slower play. To us it was fast and modern in the 80's. Now all sports are all about power, but if you go watch the top players of the mid 70's to the late 80's you are seeing all the same strokes just a little slower which lets you see everything better and it made the players play the whole court, especially when faced up against a serve and volley player.
I've seen it done on utube with a dremal tool and Drexel planeing attachment which was designed to trim tiny amounts off each pallet side. I've seen old craftsman do it by hand. But, this method is less precise. I bought a old 4 5/8 classic racquet. To big for me! So, I stripped(took off over grip&thick originalgrip) it to the pallet handle. Then, I just put on a thin over grip. And, it works for me without handle surgery.
