Ashaway Racket Strings has introduced PowerNick® 19, the thinnest string ever to grace a squash racquet. The new 1.05 mm string utilizes a monofilament core, based on a special formulation developed for Ashaway by Zyex Limited. Designed to provide improved power and performance for both amateur and professional players, PowerNick 19 provides excellent resilience and response, along with a dramatic increase in the ability to grip, cut, slice, and work the ball.
“PowerNick 19 is an evolution of the core construction we developed for its popular stablemate, PowerNick 18,” said Ashaway’s Steve Crandall. “Unlike our UltraNick series, which uses a multifilament Zyex® core to provide softer feel, PowerNick strings use a specially constructed core of multi-stranded Zyex monofilaments. PowerNick strings, and especially this new 19 gauge, are designed to provide superior power and playability.”
PowerNick 19’s Zyex monofilament construction prevents tension loss while the ultra-thin 1.05 mm gauge maximizes ball control. The specially designed outer spiral braid provides good gripping action— enhancing spins and slices—while a proprietary outer coating improves stringing and enhances durability.
“However,” added Crandall, “in order to make a string this thin perform the way we wanted, we had to do some real magic in the lab. And we had the help of Zyex Limited, which developed a special proprietary monofilament material just for PowerNick 19.”
And perform it does, according to new convert David Palmer, a long-time Ashaway string user who play-tested several prototypes of the new PowerNick 19 and immediately switched once the design was finalized. For his game—which is highly strategic and geared to the level and style of the competition—PowerNick 19 may just be the ideal string.
“I’ve got different styles I can play,” he said. “Sometimes I play powerful and fast, and other times I use my touch to win games. So it’s good to have a string that is ready for any situation depending on how I’m playing and how I’m feeling on the court. This new PowerNick 19 string gives me the power to play hard and fast, but also gives me nice touch and control at the front of the court. So depending on my opponent and how I am physically, I can use it to my advantage.”
Palmer used the glossy black PowerNick 19 to good effect in September’s prestigious British Grand Prix and October’s Commonwealth Games in India, as well as in a number of other recent PSA tournaments.
Gloss black in color, Ashaway’s new PowerNick 19 is available in 30 ft sets or 360 ft reels. Ashaway recommends stringing PowerNick 19 up to 30 lbs tension, or about 10–20 percent less than you would string a standard squash string.
