Sales of Ashaway PowerNick® 18 Squash String Growing Steadily

The popularity of Ashaway Racket String's PowerNick 18 Squash String has been growing steadily, with sales growth in excess of 20% a year since its introduction in 2002, officials at the company report. PowerNick 18, with its vibrant shade of red, is recommended for professional and advanced amateur players, or the player who is working toward a "red-hot" power game, and is the string of choice for two-time World Champion David Palmer.

Popular Zyex-based string favored by World Champion David Palmer

PowerNick 18 is noted for its combination of playability and durability

Ashaway, RI - The popularity of Ashaway Racket String's PowerNick® 18 Squash String has been growing steadily, with sales growth in excess of 20% a year since its introduction in 2002, officials at the company report. The string, which was one of the first on the market to use high tech Zyex® fibers in its core, is noted for its combination of playability and durability, and is the string of choice for two-time World Champion David Palmer.

David, who won his second World Championship in Egypt in September using PowerNick, likes the string because its multifilament Zyex core gives him a good combination of power, ball control, and dynamic response. "It gives me good touch at the front of the court, and still gives me plenty of power when I need it."

PowerNick 18 has a proprietary 3-layer construction resulting in a thinner string with exceptional "bite" that allows good players to make better shots. The string's central core incorporates multi-stranded Zyex filaments for superior playability. The outer spiral braid provides good gripping action - enhancing spins and slices. A proprietary outer coating makes for easier stringing and greater durability.

"String choice is a very important, very individual decision," said David, who won his first World Championship in Belgium in 2002. "Each player should try out a number of different strings and setups to find the best fit. Asked if he had any concerns about choosing a thinner, 18-gauge string like PowerNick 18 at his level of play, he responded, "The thinner strings give me good playability, and PowerNick is a very true, durable string that stands up to my playing style."

To allow for the superior tension holding properties and thin gauge of the Zyex string, Ashaway suggests stringing it at 10-20% lower tension than for nylon strings. Optimum tension is in the 25-27 lb range, depending on the player's choice of racquet and style of play.

"I feel if you have it strung too tight, you have plenty of power but you lose touch," said David. "I've got different styles of games I can play, and sometimes I play powerful and fast, and other times I use my touch to win games. So it's good to have my racquet strung so it's ready for any situation depending on how I'm playing and how I'm feeling on the court."

Easily recognizable with its vibrant red jacket, PowerNick 18 is available in 30 ft. (9 M) sets and 360 ft. (110 M) reels. It is recommended for professional and advanced amateur players, or the player who is working toward a "red-hot" power game.

Ashaway Racket Strings are made by Ashaway Line & Twine Mfg. Co., the only U.S. manufacturer of string for squash, tennis, racquetball, and badminton. Operated by the Crandall family since 1824, Ashaway has been making racket strings since 1949, and is responsible for several important technical innovations. Ashaway is the Official String of USA Racquetball, the International Racquetball Tour, the Professional Squash Association and the Women's International Squash Players Association. Ashaway Line & Twine Mfg. Co. also makes braided products for medical and industrial applications.