Ashaway's Micro Gauge Squash String Scores Big in Blind Playtest

In a recent blind string test conducted by the European Racquet Stringers Association (ERSA) and reported in Pro Stringer magazine, Ashaway's SuperNick ZX Micro scored high marks for playability, power, comfort, feel and control by a group of 19 intermediate to tournament level, ERSA member play testers.

18-Gauge Ashaway SuperNick^® ZX Micro gains high marks for playability, power, comfort, feel and control in recent Pro Stringer String Test

SNZX string uses nylon multifilament core in special wear layer of Zyex^® filaments to enhance touch, maintain tension, and maximize control

In a recent blind string test conducted by the European Racquet Stringers Association (ERSA) and reported in Pro Stringer magazine, (scroll to page 17. You will need the Adobe Flash Player.), Ashaway's SuperNick^® ZX Micro scored high marks for playability, power, comfort, feel and control by a group of 19 intermediate to tournament level ERSA member play testers. At 18-gauge (1.15 mm), SuperNick ZX Micro is among Ashaway's thinnest squash strings and uses a nylon multifilament core wrapped in a special wear layer of Zyex^® filaments to enhance touch, maintain tension and maximize control.

The European Racquet Stringers Association (ERSA) was founded in 2001 as a kindred organization to the United States Racquet Stringers Association (USRSA) and offers certifications in tennis, badminton and squash with levels up to Pro Tour Stringer. ERSA has over 3,000 members in over 30 countries including leaders of the racquet sports industry, racquet specialists, teaching professionals, sporting goods retailers, manufacturers, sales organizations and racquet sports enthusiasts. ERSA's Pro Stringer magazine is published in English, while ERSA's Stringer's Digest, Study Guides and Tests are available in French, Spanish, Italian, Greek, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Dutch, and Czech.

The SuperNick ZX Micro test was conducted over five weeks with each member/player receiving unmarked string in unmarked packages. Players used the string for an average of 7.5 hours. Despite its thin gauge, only one playtester reported breaking his string during the test. Comments included the following:

• One of the best strings I have ever tried.
• A very good string I can recommend to many customers in my shop.
• I could tell it was an Ashaway string taking it out of the package. I knew it would play great with the thin gauge.
• Power and touch were very good. Strings started moving earlier with the thin gauge so maybe not the best durability.
• Feels very similar to my Ashaway UltraNick^® 18, my favorite.
• As a coach I can recommend this to most of my students.

According to Ashaway, the property that makes Zyex so good for racquet strings is its low dynamic stiffness, which allows the strings to stretch and recover more completely than other synthetic materials. This generates power with low impact shock (soft power). Zyex can also be made to have exceptionally low creep under continuous tension, allowing racquet strings to maintain tension and playability longer. When Zyex fibers are woven into jacket constructions, they enhance string playability as well.

In concluding their report, ERSA said, "Ashaway SuperNick ZX Micro meets all of their claims of performance, touch, control, spin and power… Many of the testers commented it was one of the best strings they ever played. This string should be recommended for club players to top tournament players looking for maximum power and playability."

ZYEX^® is a registered trademark of Victrex Ltd.