Ashaway crossfire zx first time stringing

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croissant92

New User
I'll be stringing crossfire zx for the first time and am looking to double check my plan with y'all. I've done some reading on the forum about this kevlar+/zyex combo, and so far I plan to string it at 56lbs kev main, 46lbs zyex cross (picked that tension since I usually do copoly at 56lbs). I plan to prestrech manually about 10percent, and take my time letting the string settle on my DW machine. I plan to be careful with tying the knots with the zyex.

Any other precautions or recommendations to this plan? I'm just a bit worried about messing it up as it wasn't cheap paying for international shipping for this string as I can't find any Canadian stores that carry this. I do also have a set of full zyex if I do break the zyex cross during stringing.
 
Wow! 56# for Kevlar. That's pretty much an arm killer. My personal opinion is you might be better off with both of them at 46.
 
croissant92 said:
I'll be stringing crossfire zx for the first time and am looking to double check my plan with y'all. I've done some reading on the forum about this kevlar+/zyex combo, and so far I plan to string it at 56lbs kev main, 46lbs zyex cross (picked that tension since I usually do copoly at 56lbs). I plan to prestrech manually about 10percent, and take my time letting the string settle on my DW machine. I plan to be careful with tying the knots with the zyex.

Any other precautions or recommendations to this plan? I'm just a bit worried about messing it up as it wasn't cheap paying for international shipping for this string as I can't find any Canadian stores that carry this. I do also have a set of full zyex if I do break the zyex cross during stringing.
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my 2 cents is that if you are doing this to get the ESP experience then 66/46lbs would be better.

Its smart to have some back up zx. Also I wouldnt use a starting clamp on it or a starting knot myself.

Bring a lunch because the zx will settle and settle and settle and when you wake up it will still be settling.
 
Steve Huff said:
Wow! 56# for Kevlar. That's pretty much an arm killer. My personal opinion is you might be better off with both of them at 46.
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come on steve. the zx crosses are super soft and with the differential and tension loss it will be softer than it sounds.
 
jangotango said:
Yessir
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Ok then its easy.

Feed the 2 top crosses and double pull so you are pulling both strings at once. Set the fixed clamp on the 2nd from top furthest away from the tension head. Because its under tension you will be able to clamp with no issues. Release the tension head. Now pull the top cross by itself. Tie it off like you would if you were doing 50/50. I use a parnell knot myself.

No need for any clamp that could hurt the zx or knots. FWIW I find starting clamps to always mess strings up a bit.
 
Shroud said:
Ok then its easy.

Feed the 2 top crosses and double pull so you are pulling both strings at once. Set the fixed clamp on the 2nd from top furthest away from the tension head. Because its under tension you will be able to clamp with no issues. Release the tension head. Now pull the top cross by itself. Tie it off like you would if you were doing 50/50. I use a parnell knot myself.

No need for any clamp that could hurt the zx or knots. FWIW I find starting clamps to always mess strings up a bit.
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Roger. Excited to give it a go in a 18x20 six one.
 
Shroud said:
FWIW when I had the six one it was 18x20. I always string my racquets starting the crosses like that. Don't recall any issues at all. It just works.

FWIW I was doing kev/ zx at 75/55lbs in that six one 18x20.
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Eek. I know you're (in)famous for an extreme tension differential, but since I'm on the Six.One Team, I'll try the recommended method first, then maybe 72/52. Do you prestretch? I'm not even sure my machine goes to 72 lol
 
jangotango said:
Eek. I know you're (in)famous for an extreme tension differential, but since I'm on the Six.One Team, I'll try the recommended method first, then maybe 72/52. Do you prestretch? I'm not even sure my machine goes to 72 lol
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I do a solid manual prestretch ( not the around the pole method) because at my tensions the machine prestretch doesn't work...
 
I strung it up last night at 58/45lbs (chickened out on the tension differential). Didn't break the strings but took a very long time as I was trying to be careful. Just got back from playing with it, and it feels great! Very comfortable, fairly low powered. Spin is solid, not quite at the level of the spinniest poly's but certainly in the same league as poly and enough for me. Slices felt great. I'm hoping this will last me a while, and maybe with the next string job I'll up the kevlar tension.
 
croissant92 said:
I strung it up last night at 58/45lbs (chickened out on the tension differential). Didn't break the strings but took a very long time as I was trying to be careful. Just got back from playing with it, and it feels great! Very comfortable, fairly low powered. Spin is solid, not quite at the level of the spinniest poly's but certainly in the same league as poly and enough for me. Slices felt great. I'm hoping this will last me a while, and maybe with the next string job I'll up the kevlar tension.
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What racquet?
 
Steve Huff said:
Wow! 56# for Kevlar. That's pretty much an arm killer. My personal opinion is you might be better off with both of them at 46.
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Not at all -- and I have a sensitive arm. Kevlar full bed at that tension perhaps...but not when crossed with Ashaway Monogut ZX or ZX Pro.

jangotango said:
If I can't use a clamp or starting not, wtf am I supposed to do?...
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Looks like you already strung it up but here is some info.

You can use a traditional starting knot. After stringing maybe 50 times with ZXP, I've only broken one starting knot and that is because I was trying to too rapidly cinch it prior to weaving the subsequent cross or two. Good news is a break up there is really no issue and you don't really lose much if any string so you just re-knot and go.

If you haven't spent much time in the Kev/ZX thread I recently posted *my* recommendations for a new stringer with this string. https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/in-praise-of-kevlar-zx-hybrid.550375/post-14784570

Also, you will hear many recommending a thorough pre-stretch on the ZX/ZXP. Not only does this seem to improve the long-term performance and tension maintenance of the string, but it also reduces stringing time as there is less "stretch and drop" time to deal with. Here is how I personally pre-stretch, but there are certainly different ways to do it. https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/ind...-stretch-ashaway-monogut-zx-or-zx-pro.644346/
 
TypeRx said:
Not at all -- and I have a sensitive arm. Kevlar full bed at that tension perhaps...but not when crossed with Ashaway Monogut ZX or ZX Pro.



Looks like you already strung it up but here is some info.

You can use a traditional starting knot. After stringing maybe 50 times with ZXP, I've only broken one starting knot and that is because I was trying to too rapidly cinch it prior to weaving the subsequent cross or two. Good news is a break up there is really no issue and you don't really lose much if any string so you just re-knot and go.

If you haven't spent much time in the Kev/ZX thread I recently posted *my* recommendations for a new stringer with this string. https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/in-praise-of-kevlar-zx-hybrid.550375/post-14784570

Also, you will hear many recommending a thorough pre-stretch on the ZX/ZXP. Not only does this seem to improve the long-term performance and tension maintenance of the string, but it also reduces stringing time as there is less "stretch and drop" time to deal with. Here is how I personally pre-stretch, but there are certainly different ways to do it. https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/ind...-stretch-ashaway-monogut-zx-or-zx-pro.644346/
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Wow thanks for the hyperlinks! I had only managed to make it to about page 17 in that thread... So many different options on tensions and methods. Sure saves time for next time.
 
a brief update... it's been about 7 weeks and the strings still play quite well! Only been able to play about 3hrs/week due to work and weather considerations during this time though.

One strange thing I've noticed is that the kevlar mains are fraying closer to the throat of the frame compared to where they usually fray for me (the fray is currently somewhere around the 5th cross strings counting from the throat if that makes any sense). The usual sweetspot area in the center only has a little bit of fraying. Is this something that happens with this tension differential setup? Is the sweetspot shifted towards the throat somehow and I'm subconsciously hitting it closer to there? I've played with this same racquet with multiple different string setups and they have always had string fray around the 10-12th cross string counting from the throat, and will eventually snap at those points.
 
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