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Pop Quiz
Measuring Your String IQ

By Steve Crandall
Vice President, Sales & Marketing
Ashaway Racket Strings

Since it's the beginning of a new racquetball year, I thought it might be interesting to turn this month's column into a "String Quiz." Test your knowledge about racquet stringing by completing the answers to the following twenty questions about different aspects of racquetball string or stringing.

1. The larger the gauge number, the thicker the string.
   True ______ False ______
   
   
2. Which of the following materials is not used in racquetball string?
   Kevlar ______ Zyex ______ Vectran ______ Rayon ______
   
   
3. The standard length for racquetball string sets is . . .
   36 feet ______ 40 feet ______ 45 feet ______
   
   
4. If you want the ball to explode off your racquet with greater power, you should string your racquet at higher tension.
   True______ False______
   
   
5. Which of the following best describes hybrid stringing?
   Stringing with two different types of string. ______
   Stringing with a string made up of two different fibers. ______
   Stringing with two different tensions. ______
   
   
6. Which of the following is the acronym for the only national Racquet Stringing Association?
   USRSA ______ USSRA ______ USRA ______
   
   
7. Multifilament string construction is the most common for racquetball string.
   True ______ False ______
   
   
8. Which of the following is the most commonly accepted range in millimeters for a 17-gauge string?
   1.10 - 1.15 ______ 1.20 - 1.25 ______ 1.30 - 1.35 ______
   
   
9. A device to measure string gauge is called a . . .
   Thermometer ______ Dynometer ______ Micrometer ______
   
   
10. Which of the following countries is not home to a racquet string manufacturer?
    USA ______ Canada ______ Japan ______ France ______
    
    
11. What was the first synthetic material used for manufacturing racquet strings?
    Polyester ______ Nylon ______ Rayon ______
    
    
12. Which of the following raw materials used in racquet string has the least elasticity or stretch?
    Polyester ______ Nylon ______ Kevlar ______
    
    
13. Which of the following is not a type of stringing machine?
    Electronic ______ Drop weight ______ Chemical combustion ______
    
    
14. Which of the following elements is not used in racquet strings?
    Titanium ______ Copper ______ Carbon ______
    
    
15. The normal tension range for stringing racquetball racquets is 55-65 lbs.
    True ______ False ______
    
    
16. What material used in racquetball strings is not used in body armor?
    Vectran ______ Zyex ______ Kevlar ______
    
    
17. Which of the following fiber properties does not affect racquetball string performance?
    Elongation ______ Creep ______ Denier ______ Moisture absorption ______
    
    
18. At a lower tension, a string is more apt to add control to your game.
    True ______ False ______
    
    
19. The first synthetic Ashaway string was produced in . . .
    1945 ______ 1949 ______ 1952 ______
    
    
20. Steve Crandall's first "Mains & Crosses" column first appeared in what year?
    1990 ______ 1993 ______ 1995 ______ 1997 ______

In the next issue we will review the answers to some of the trickiest questions. We will also post the average of all scores, which will be my grade. So please do well!

This article previously appeared in Racquetball Magazine.