"In praise of Kevlar/ZX hybrid" spinoff - unofficial review

Slowtwitcher

Slowtwitcher

Legend
After being curious about Kevlar/ZX, @TypeRx was kind enough to send me a set to try it out. Thank you, I owe you one!

As those of you that follow the Kev/ZX thread know, there's lots of tricks associated with stringing. For the set that @TypeRx sent me, he prestretched both the Kevlar and ZX and advised me to string it at 65/45.

Next step was to convince my stringer to string these. He does very good quality work, but he's also definitely old school! Happy to report he did a great job with stringing.

About my racquet: I'm also old school and got a few POGOS. The racquets I'm using more are the latest edition (PCG 107) and have been stringing them with BHB17/PSGD at 60/62. I miss the familiar feeling of SG, but SG only lasts me 6-8h in this racquet.

About me: I'm an old fart that played between 14-22 and then stopped for around 25 years :X3: I'm an aggressive baseliner and in my dreams my strokes look like Agassi's. I'm probably around 4.0 level but you can assume I'm a 2.5 like it's tradition on this site :-D

In the next weeks I'll post about my experiences with the prestretched Kev/ZX. If you got any questions, I'll be happy to answer them. I'll add that I am in no way associated with Ashaway, although @TypeRx might be the CEO for all I know :cool:


Episode 1 - The Kevlar Menace

Got to hit with the setup today for 30-40min. The first impression is that this strings setup is very soft. The detractors of Kevlar like to mention how stiff it is, but the strings hit with a soft and muted feeling. The level of spin was very close to my previous experience with a shaped poly (MSV Hex Focus 17). The string bed got softer as I hit with it, as predicted by the Kev/ZX fan club. I was getting a lot of power from the strings and definitely having to use lots of spin for control. On the rise groundstrokes were a bit harder to control, but probably just because I wasn't used to the strings. When I went back to the racquet with the poly/SG hybrid, I noticed I gained in control but lost some spin/power.

Over the weekend I'm planning to hit with someone who's slightly better than me, so more of a test of the level of control I can have with these strings. I'll report back with my impressions.
 
Slowtwitcher said:
After being curious about Kevlar/ZX, @TypeRx was kind enough to send me a set to try it out. Thank you, I owe you one!

As those of you that follow the Kev/ZX thread know, there's lots of tricks associated with stringing. For the set that @TypeRx sent me, he prestretched both the Kevlar and ZX and advised me to string it at 65/45.

Next step was to convince my stringer to string these. He does very good quality work, but he's also definitely old school! Happy to report he did a great job with stringing.

About my racquet: I'm also old school and got a few POGOS. The racquets I'm using more are the latest edition (PCG 107) and have been stringing them with BHB17/PSGD at 60/62. I miss the familiar feeling of SG, but SG only lasts me 6-8h in this racquet.

About me: I'm an old fart that played between 14-22 and then stopped for around 25 years :X3: I'm an aggressive baseliner and in my dreams my strokes look like Agassi's. I'm probably around 4.0 level but you can assume I'm a 2.5 like it's tradition on this site :-D

In the next weeks I'll post about my experiences with the prestretched Kev/ZX. If you got any questions, I'll be happy to answer them. I'll add that I am in no way associated with Ashaway, although @TypeRx might be the CEO for all I know :cool:


Episode 1 - The Kevlar Menace

Got to hit with the setup today for 30-40min. The first impression is that this strings setup is very soft. The detractors of Kevlar like to mention how stiff it is, but the strings hit with a soft and muted feeling. The level of spin was very close to my previous experience with a shaped poly (MSV Hex Focus 17). The string bed got softer as I hit with it, as predicted by the Kev/ZX fan club. I was getting a lot of power from the strings and definitely having to use lots of spin for control. On the rise groundstrokes were a bit harder to control, but probably just because I wasn't used to the strings. When I went back to the racquet with the poly/SG hybrid, I noticed I gained in control but lost some spin/power.

Over the weekend I'm planning to hit with someone who's slightly better than me, so more of a test of the level of control I can have with these strings. I'll report back with my impressions.
Click to expand...
Sorry bro. I should have mentioned the need to add some lead since kevlar is lighter than pretty much every other string. That might have helped on the on the rise shots.
 
Slowtwitcher said:
After being curious about Kevlar/ZX, @TypeRx was kind enough to send me a set to try it out. Thank you, I owe you one!

As those of you that follow the Kev/ZX thread know, there's lots of tricks associated with stringing. For the set that @TypeRx sent me, he prestretched both the Kevlar and ZX and advised me to string it at 65/45.

Next step was to convince my stringer to string these. He does very good quality work, but he's also definitely old school! Happy to report he did a great job with stringing.

About my racquet: I'm also old school and got a few POGOS. The racquets I'm using more are the latest edition (PCG 107) and have been stringing them with BHB17/PSGD at 60/62. I miss the familiar feeling of SG, but SG only lasts me 6-8h in this racquet.

About me: I'm an old fart that played between 14-22 and then stopped for around 25 years :X3: I'm an aggressive baseliner and in my dreams my strokes look like Agassi's. I'm probably around 4.0 level but you can assume I'm a 2.5 like it's tradition on this site :-D

In the next weeks I'll post about my experiences with the prestretched Kev/ZX. If you got any questions, I'll be happy to answer them. I'll add that I am in no way associated with Ashaway, although @TypeRx might be the CEO for all I know :cool:


Episode 1 - The Kevlar Menace

Got to hit with the setup today for 30-40min. The first impression is that this strings setup is very soft. The detractors of Kevlar like to mention how stiff it is, but the strings hit with a soft and muted feeling. The level of spin was very close to my previous experience with a shaped poly (MSV Hex Focus 17). The string bed got softer as I hit with it, as predicted by the Kev/ZX fan club. I was getting a lot of power from the strings and definitely having to use lots of spin for control. On the rise groundstrokes were a bit harder to control, but probably just because I wasn't used to the strings. When I went back to the racquet with the poly/SG hybrid, I noticed I gained in control but lost some spin/power.

Over the weekend I'm planning to hit with someone who's slightly better than me, so more of a test of the level of control I can have with these strings. I'll report back with my impressions.
Click to expand...

The ZX makes the stringbed too springy and powerful, for me a Kevlar main with a poly cross is much better for control.
 
@tlm , Does the poly saw through the Ash Kev eventually like Zyex does or does it end up thinning out into a ribbon and then breaking or does it notch?
 
graycrait said:
@tlm , Does the poly saw through the Ash Kev eventually like Zyex does or does it end up thinning out into a ribbon and then breaking or does it notch?
Click to expand...

I have not had a problem with the poly cutting through the Kevlar, the poly might dent some after time but I don’t play It until it breaks. I’m a big believer in keeping my string bed fresh, I love new strings and feel that the poly even as a cross dies earlier than the Kevlar does so I don’t use any string until it breaks.
 
Slowtwitcher said:
After being curious about Kevlar/ZX, @TypeRx was kind enough to send me a set to try it out. Thank you, I owe you one!

As those of you that follow the Kev/ZX thread know, there's lots of tricks associated with stringing. For the set that @TypeRx sent me, he prestretched both the Kevlar and ZX and advised me to string it at 65/45.

Next step was to convince my stringer to string these. He does very good quality work, but he's also definitely old school! Happy to report he did a great job with stringing.

About my racquet: I'm also old school and got a few POGOS. The racquets I'm using more are the latest edition (PCG 107) and have been stringing them with BHB17/PSGD at 60/62. I miss the familiar feeling of SG, but SG only lasts me 6-8h in this racquet.

About me: I'm an old fart that played between 14-22 and then stopped for around 25 years :X3: I'm an aggressive baseliner and in my dreams my strokes look like Agassi's. I'm probably around 4.0 level but you can assume I'm a 2.5 like it's tradition on this site :-D

In the next weeks I'll post about my experiences with the prestretched Kev/ZX. If you got any questions, I'll be happy to answer them. I'll add that I am in no way associated with Ashaway, although @TypeRx might be the CEO for all I know :cool:


Episode 1 - The Kevlar Menace

Got to hit with the setup today for 30-40min. The first impression is that this strings setup is very soft. The detractors of Kevlar like to mention how stiff it is, but the strings hit with a soft and muted feeling. The level of spin was very close to my previous experience with a shaped poly (MSV Hex Focus 17). The string bed got softer as I hit with it, as predicted by the Kev/ZX fan club. I was getting a lot of power from the strings and definitely having to use lots of spin for control. On the rise groundstrokes were a bit harder to control, but probably just because I wasn't used to the strings. When I went back to the racquet with the poly/SG hybrid, I noticed I gained in control but lost some spin/power.

Over the weekend I'm planning to hit with someone who's slightly better than me, so more of a test of the level of control I can have with these strings. I'll report back with my impressions.
Click to expand...

Thank you for sharing your feedback -- like I said, positive or negative its always great to hear first hand experience. I, like you, have no affiliation with Ashaway (or anything related to the tennis industry) and actually first tried Kev/ZXP while "auditioning" a whole host of strings as I wanted to try and continue playing with golfer's elbow. After reading about it first from @travlerajm, I decided to try it out. After my elbow healed, I got adventurous and tried going up and up on the Kev tension, getting as high as 75/45. Played great, but not noticeably different than ~60-65/40-42, so I just stick with the "lower" tension now. Its now been 2 years and I am still enjoying Kev/ZXP in a multitude of rackets.

The ZXP is quite powerful, and it is possible 45 is a bit low for you since, IIRC, you are a fan of 60+ lbs with syn gut. Keep playing and brush up on the ball a bit more. If you decide to try this string setup again, go up 5-7 lbs on the ZXP. Regardless, enjoy the free power the ZXP crosses give. Make sure to step in on serve returns and annoy your opponent by hitting powerful deep returns at his feet as he is recovering from the service motion :) Honestly, the string does a lot of the work once you figure out the racket face angle you are comfortable with.

Once the strings are fully settled (1-2 hours of play), it should maintain consistent performance for many more hours than just about any other string setup. And yes, it plays very soft and muted. This may make this string setup more difficult to use for touch players.

Maybe we can get a hit in one day after work if I ever return to my office in SD.
 
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graycrait said:
@tlm , Does the poly saw through the Ash Kev eventually like Zyex does or does it end up thinning out into a ribbon and then breaking or does it notch?
Click to expand...
The poly stays intact. But it’s not quite as hard on the kevlar as zx. On my ultra tour (very dense pattern), I just restrung the poly crosses only after about 60h of hitting, after I noticed the launch angle getting a little springier. The 16g kevlar mains still are in good condition. I wove the fresh crosses so they cross the mains on the opposite side of the string from the existing notch, then pushed the crosses down so that the new notches would form in different spot, starting from scratch, so that I can get another 60+ hours on same mains.
 
I really don't care for Kev/ZX, but that's me. Reminds me too much of poly/gut which is also not my favorite. However I can definitely see what's to like about it and why people who've tried it properly have often given positive responses.

One of my favorite setups on clay is Kev/4G. Really allows you to swing out with spin and power from either a few meters behind the baseline or from a couple meters in front of it, depending which stage of the point it is ;)
Had a few minor issues with the 4G denting slightly at times but nothing major.

It is actually because of the string section on TT that I first got curious about kevlar strings. If you know what to do with them they can be the real deal. I have won college level matches on the red clay with the above setup, which I suppose is the real test.
 
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@El_Yotamo , @travlerajm , @tlm , As often as I have strung Ash Kev mains I have not tried Ash Kev with poly. I have tried Ash Kev with ZX, syn gut and multis. I assumed that dead poly after 10-12 hrs is still dead poly. While I thought coupling dead poly with already "dead" Ash Kev seemed to be a recipe for elbow disaster. Seeing as I have another Rad OS and a Prestige Tour heading my way, I'll order a set or two of 4G and check it out.
 
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El_Yotamo said:
I really don't care for Kev/ZX, but that's me. Reminds me too much of poly/gut which is also not my favorite. However I can definitely see what's to like about it and why people who've tried it properly have often given positive responses.

One of my favorite setups on clay is Kev/4G. Really allows you to swing out with spin and power from either a few meters behind the baseline or from a couple meters in front of it, depending which stage of the point it is ;)
Had a few minor issues with the 4G denting slightly at times but nothing major.

It is actually because of the string section on TT that I first got curious about kevlar strings. If you know what to do with them they can be the real deal. I have won college level matches on the red clay with the above setup, which I suppose is the real test.
Click to expand...


I usually use 17 gauge Kevlar main with ALU power cross but just recently tried 4G As the cross and it plays very nice.
 
I like a board so its 4g crosses here too. That said I might try the zx again just to see. I have some new sticks I havent' added weight to so a softer bed might work.
 
tlm said:
The ZX makes the stringbed too springy and powerful, for me a Kevlar main with a poly cross is much better for control.
Click to expand...

Might have to try this. Maybe a poly with a tension loss around 20% would be better for this? Round???



TypeRx said:
Thank you for sharing your feedback -- like I said, positive or negative its always great to hear first hand experience. I, like you, have no affiliation with Ashaway (or anything related to the tennis industry) and actually first tried Kev/ZXP while "auditioning" a whole host of strings as I wanted to try and continue playing with golfer's elbow. After reading about it first from @travlerajm, I decided to try it out. After my elbow healed, I got adventurous and tried going up and up on the Kev tension, getting as high as 75/45. Played great, but not noticeably different than ~60-65/40-42, so I just stick with the "lower" tension now. Its now been 2 years and I am still enjoying Kev/ZXP in a multitude of rackets.

The ZXP is quite powerful, and it is possible 45 is a bit low for you since, IIRC, you are a fan of 60+ lbs with syn gut. Keep playing and brush up on the ball a bit more. If you decide to try this string setup again, go up 5-7 lbs on the ZXP. Regardless, enjoy the free power the ZXP crosses give. Make sure to step in on serve returns and annoy your opponent by hitting powerful deep returns at his feet as he is recovering from the service motion :) Honestly, the string does a lot of the work once you figure out the racket face angle you are comfortable with.

Once the strings are fully settled (1-2 hours of play), it should maintain consistent performance for many more hours than just about any other string setup. And yes, it plays very soft and muted. This may make this string setup more difficult to use for touch players.

Maybe we can get a hit in one day after work if I ever return to my office in SD.
Click to expand...

Thanks again, man. We definitely should hit if you come down the 5 ever again :)

I like the softness of the ZX, but I might follow your advice and bump up the crosses tension a bit.
 
@Slowtwitcher forgot to mention that his stringer initially refused to string at 65/45 because he was concerned the tension differential would cause warping of the frame.

This is a tournament stringer, BTW, who has strung at IW and other places.
 
Slowtwitcher said:
Might have to try this. Maybe a poly with a tension loss around 20% would be better for this? Round???





Thanks again, man. We definitely should hit if you come down the 5 ever again :)

I like the softness of the ZX, but I might follow your advice and bump up the crosses tension a bit.
Click to expand...

I was using ALU power in 16L as a cross with the 17 gauge Kevlar main. But also used ALU power in 15L as a cross and the thicker string gave even better control and kept its playability longer. I’ve only been using the 4G for a few days now but so far it’s playing very well and might stay with it.
 
sureshs said:
@Slowtwitcher forgot to mention that his stringer initially refused to string at 65/45 because he was concerned the tension differential would cause warping of the frame.

This is a tournament stringer, BTW, who has strung at IW and other places.
Click to expand...

Refused is too strong of a word. He just pointed out it was an unusual tension differential. But he did a great job with the stringing as always.
 
tlm said:
I was using ALU power in 16L as a cross with the 17 gauge Kevlar main. But also used ALU power in 15L as a cross and the thicker string gave even better control and kept its playability longer. I’ve only been using the 4G for a few days now but so far it’s playing very well and might stay with it.
Click to expand...
Kev/ 4g is my end all setup. Its just super solid and lasts a ton. Its dead enough that I can tee off without worry.
 
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Shroud said:
yeah it will be interesting to see. I bet you will be surprised.
Click to expand...

OK here we go. This is what I hit with yesterday.

Control racquet:
Weight: 339.6g
Balance: 33.0cm
SW: 344 kg.cm2

Kev/ZX racquet:
Weight: 338.5g
Balance: 33.0cm
SW: 341 kg.cm2

Not off by a lot, but when matching I did add 1g at 12 o'clock. Looks like adding another 0.5/1.0g at 12 o'clock will get the Kev/ZX racquet pretty close to the control racquet.
 
Slowtwitcher said:
OK here we go. This is what I hit with yesterday.

Control racquet:
Weight: 339.6g
Balance: 33.0cm
SW: 344 kg.cm2

Kev/ZX racquet:
Weight: 338.5g
Balance: 33.0cm
SW: 341 kg.cm2

Not off by a lot, but when matching I did add 1g at 12 o'clock. Looks like adding another 0.5/1.0g at 12 o'clock will get the Kev/ZX racquet pretty close to the control racquet.
Click to expand...
and with your slowtwitch muscles that 3 sw points will make a difference. So yep add that weight man.
 
Episode 2 - Attack of the Kevlar

Got to hit today mainly with the Kev/ZX strings and kept the poly/multi racquet close by just for comparison.

With a little hitting and some 1000 mallet hits, strings definitely felt nicer today. Less ping, less power, more control and spin. The good news is that I'm not getting any of the scary elbow pain I get from hitting with a full bed of poly.

Spin is very nice on these strings, when I really want to brush on the ball I can. Not as much spin as poly FB, but definitely more spin than my poly/multi hybrid. When I went back to it I had less spin less power (more control).

One of the best features of this setup is of course durability. It's nice to look at the strings after a hard hitting session and not see any obvious damage. That translates to stability in playability, which for me is a also a big plus.
 
Slowtwitcher said:
Episode 2 - Attack of the Kevlar

Got to hit today mainly with the Kev/ZX strings and kept the poly/multi racquet close by just for comparison.

With a little hitting and some 1000 mallet hits, strings definitely felt nicer today. Less ping, less power, more control and spin. The good news is that I'm not getting any of the scary elbow pain I get from hitting with a full bed of poly.

Spin is very nice on these strings, when I really want to brush on the ball I can. Not as much spin as poly FB, but definitely more spin than my poly/multi hybrid. When I went back to it I had less spin less power (more control).

One of the best features of this setup is of course durability. It's nice to look at the strings after a hard hitting session and not see any obvious damage. That translates to stability in playability, which for me is a also a big plus.
Click to expand...

OMG you really did the mallet hits?? :-D

Interesting you are seeing a drop off in power. I don't experience that. The big difference for me after a little hitting is the disappearance of a "boardy" and tight feeling, which is all due to the Kevlar.

However, now that you have couple hours under your belt, I am pretty confident that you will experience very consistent playability for quite some time (likely in the 10s of hours..if the ZXP snaps it must have gotten nicked or something during stringing). At some point the Kev may drop in tension more and you will find yourself straightening here and there, but I don't find performance to significantly drop at that point. I am also glad that it feels comfortable relative to full poly to you. That is 100% my experience as well. I play a TON and have never experienced an wrist/elbow/shoulder problem since switching to this hybrid setup whereas I developed mod-severe golfer's elbow using full poly in the past.

Finally, you mentioned ping. Kev doesn't have a weird resonance but the ZXP certainly can. I use a dampener...if I didn't...well, let just say the noise ZXP makes is quite distracting to me. FYI, zyex can be used for musical instrument applications, but I don't find the sound appealing at all!
 
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TypeRx said:
OMG you really did the mallet hits?? :-D
Click to expand...

Yes. Anything for the great Kevlar journey :cool:

Interesting you are seeing a drop off in power. I don't experience that. The big difference for me after a little hitting is the disappearance of a "boardy" and tight feeling, which is all due to the Kevlar.
Click to expand...

Maybe the drop off in power was me... I definitely felt I could hit better with it today and had more control. It was probably the mallet hits!

However, now that you have couple hours under your belt, I am pretty confident that you will experience very consistent playability for quite some time (likely in the 10s of hours..if the ZXP snaps it must have gotten nicked or something during stringing). At some point the Kev may drop in tension more and you will find yourself straightening here and there, but I don't find performance to significantly drop at that point. I am also glad that it feels comfortable relative to full poly to you. That is 100% my experience as well. I play a TON and have never experienced an wrist/elbow/shoulder problem since switching to this hybrid setup whereas I developed mod-severe golfer's elbow using full poly in the past.

Finally, you mentioned ping. Kev doesn't have a weird resonance but the ZXP certainly can. I use a dampener...if I didn't...well, let just say the noise ZXP makes is quite distracting to me. FYI, zyex can be used for musical instrument applications, but I don't find the sound appealing at all!
Click to expand...

I haven't tried to hit without a dampener. Well, I only use a rubber band :X3:
 
Dampeners are an abomination. For instance, "We have to stop playing, my dampener flew out - we must find it." On the other hand that does not happen with a rubber band, so maybe that is acceptable. Joking aside sort of, I am comparing Ash Kev x ZX vs Ash Kevlar x 4G. Just getting started with the AK x 4g in a MG Rad OS vs MG Rad Os with AKxZX. Noticeably less power using 4G (I think). Going to string up some AKx4G in a '08 C10 Pro today. I already have AkxZx in my Candy Cane Rad OS and and another '08 C10 Pro, these are my current go to point rackets. Current racket count with Ash Kev x ZX = 29. Things getting out of hand:)
 
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graycrait said:
Dampeners are an abomination. For instance, "We have to stop playing, my dampener flew out - we must find it." On the other hand that does not happen with a rubber band, so maybe that is acceptable. Joking aside sort of, I am comparing Ash Kev x ZX vs Ash Kevlar x 4G. Just getting started with the AK x 4g in a MG Rad OS vs MG Rad Os with AKxZX. Noticeably less power using 4G (I think). Going to string up some AKx4G in a '08 C10 Pro today. I already have AkxZx in my Candy Cane Rad OS and and another '08 C10 Pro, these are my current go to point rackets. Current racket count with Ash Kev x ZX = 29. Things getting out of hand:)
Click to expand...
kev/4g is about as stiff a stringbed as one can get. So yup less power. I KNEW there was a reason why serving over 100mph was a problem!
 
Episode 3 - Revenge of the ZX

Got 5 more hours of hitting with the Kevlar/ZX. I'd say stringbed is a little softer now and maybe a little less spin, but loss of spin is not significant. I had some arm pain last week from hitting a bit with old poly and that's improving.

I'm about 8h of playing into this stringbed and starting to see some damage to the Kevlar mains. Nothing huge, but a tiny bit of notching. Mains still snapping back into place though, and minimum adjustment to the strings needed.

Perhaps because string playability is stabilized now, I feel I have good control with the setup. I definitely feel that when I miss a shot it was me and not the strings. I know this is a revolutionary concept here, but please bear with me.
 
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Comparing Ash Kev x 4G vs Ash Kev x ZX is interesting. AK/4g is more muted and less "powerful" but still comfortable and controllable. However, AK/ZX gives me more zip on the ball with no less control or comfort. This comparison is between two Rad OS 107"18x19s that weigh 340gish grams. In the Rad OS AK/4G requires more energy for the same shot vice AK/ZX. I am thinking that AK/4G might work well or better for me in a more powerful racket.
 
graycrait said:
Comparing Ash Kev x 4G vs Ash Kev x ZX is interesting. AK/4g is more muted and less "powerful" but still comfortable and controllable. However, AK/ZX gives me more zip on the ball with no less control or comfort. This comparison is between two Rad OS 107"18x19s that weigh 340gish grams. In the Rad OS AK/4G requires more energy for the same shot vice AK/ZX. I am thinking that AK/4G might work well or better for me in a more powerful racket.
Click to expand...
When I originally tested both (about four or five years ago) I had them in a Pure Control 2014 weighted to 360 g, 32.8 cm, 372 SW. Playing on red clay, I got much better spin from the 4G crosses and I preferred the deader feel because that frame gets really lively (and beastly too) at that spec. Slightly more control and longevity too which are important and more distinctive on clay. Ofc at that spec I had no issues whatsoever with power
 
@El_Yotamo , When I was hitting the Rad OS with AK/4G the other night I was thinking to myself, "I bet a younger stronger or simply a better player might really like this for swinging out." It wasn't like I was playing bad or hitting against beginners, my partner had gotten to the Aussie Open junior qtr final in wood racket days, but we don't exactly play like Thiem or Nadal either:)
 
graycrait said:
@El_Yotamo , When I was hitting the Rad OS with AK/4G the other night I was thinking to myself, "I bet a younger stronger or simply a better player might really like this for swinging out." It wasn't like I was playing bad or hitting against beginners, my partner had gotten to the Aussie Open junior qtr final in wood racket days, but we don't exactly play like Thiem or Nadal either:)
Click to expand...
Def never reached such heights in my junior days, and I'm certainly nowhere near a top 100 ATP player (though I have played and won against a guy that had 6 ATP points so that's something). I think I'm more or less at my peak these days, soon enough it'll be time to get out of shape and be a little more humble about my equipment (lighter racquets, more powerful string setups, etc.). In any case what I'm trying to say is I'm flattered by your comment :giggle:
 
graycrait said:
Comparing Ash Kev x 4G vs Ash Kev x ZX is interesting. AK/4g is more muted and less "powerful" but still comfortable and controllable. However, AK/ZX gives me more zip on the ball with no less control or comfort. This comparison is between two Rad OS 107"18x19s that weigh 340gish grams. In the Rad OS AK/4G requires more energy for the same shot vice AK/ZX. I am thinking that AK/4G might work well or better for me in a more powerful racket.
Click to expand...

This may be true for you but there is no way that Kev and ZX gives anywhere near the control that Kev and 4G does for me. Try full job of ZX and then try a full job of 4G and they are complete opposite the 4G is about as much of a control string as there is while ZX is springy and powerful.
 
Slowtwitcher said:
After being curious about Kevlar/ZX, @TypeRx was kind enough to send me a set to try it out. Thank you, I owe you one!

As those of you that follow the Kev/ZX thread know, there's lots of tricks associated with stringing. For the set that @TypeRx sent me, he prestretched both the Kevlar and ZX and advised me to string it at 65/45.

Next step was to convince my stringer to string these. He does very good quality work, but he's also definitely old school! Happy to report he did a great job with stringing.

About my racquet: I'm also old school and got a few POGOS. The racquets I'm using more are the latest edition (PCG 107) and have been stringing them with BHB17/PSGD at 60/62. I miss the familiar feeling of SG, but SG only lasts me 6-8h in this racquet.

About me: I'm an old fart that played between 14-22 and then stopped for around 25 years :X3: I'm an aggressive baseliner and in my dreams my strokes look like Agassi's. I'm probably around 4.0 level but you can assume I'm a 2.5 like it's tradition on this site :-D

In the next weeks I'll post about my experiences with the prestretched Kev/ZX. If you got any questions, I'll be happy to answer them. I'll add that I am in no way associated with Ashaway, although @TypeRx might be the CEO for all I know :cool:


Episode 1 - The Kevlar Menace

Got to hit with the setup today for 30-40min. The first impression is that this strings setup is very soft. The detractors of Kevlar like to mention how stiff it is, but the strings hit with a soft and muted feeling. The level of spin was very close to my previous experience with a shaped poly (MSV Hex Focus 17). The string bed got softer as I hit with it, as predicted by the Kev/ZX fan club. I was getting a lot of power from the strings and definitely having to use lots of spin for control. On the rise groundstrokes were a bit harder to control, but probably just because I wasn't used to the strings. When I went back to the racquet with the poly/SG hybrid, I noticed I gained in control but lost some spin/power.

Over the weekend I'm planning to hit with someone who's slightly better than me, so more of a test of the level of control I can have with these strings. I'll report back with my impressions.
Click to expand...
yo dude what is the verdict?
 
Shroud said:
yo dude what is the verdict?
Click to expand...

The verdict is that I want to try it more. In order to do that, got a couple of Kevlar/ZX sets from my dealer @TypeRx. Thanks!

I like the overall feeling, love the durability and spin but really want to nail the tension on the ZX. The fluctuating temperatures here in SD are not helping, during some cooler days the tension was fine, but on hotter days having issues with control.

And for full disclosure, got distracted with hitting with a Gravity Pro. I'm really intrigued with the classic feel, 100 sq in and 18x20. Might have to switch to this new-old-school stick...
 
Slowtwitcher said:
Hehe...

Maybe it's in my head but I definitely felt the stringbed different between playing in 75F weather and 95F weather. Maybe the balls make a bigger difference?
Click to expand...

Not completely in your head. The racket, balls, strings, and your body all perform different in 95 degree heat vs. 75 degree heat. ZX I find especially lively when it is very hot out, so I just make sure to brush the ball and finish high even more.

But yeah, those of us in SoCal are not allowed to complain about "fluctuating" temperatures. It's not fair to the rest of our countrymates :)
 
TypeRx said:
But yeah, those of us in SoCal are not allowed to complain about "fluctuating" temperatures. It's not fair to the rest of our countrymates :)
Click to expand...

Maybe when the rest of "our countrymates" stop taking every occasion they get to tell us how much they hate California...
 
Episode 4 - A New Tension

As per previous update, I thought I needed a bit more control, which meant upping the Kevlar mains tension a bit (68lbs) and the ZX crosses a lot (55lbs). Previously I had tried 65/45 (that string job still going strong as you'll see).

Got a couple of sets of Kevlar/ZX from @TypeRx again (thank you!), this time he only prestretched the ZX. Gave it to my usual stringer to string and when I got the racquet back, while using my Tourna Stringmeter I noticed that 3 of the central mains were at 68lbs, but other 5 were at a lot higher tension... not too sure what to think of this but conspiracy theories abound!

Anyway, the day to test out the new string job arrived and with it a pretty big drop in temps. Last week we were in the 100s and now I'm playing in the 60s. Even if I took the rubber mallet to the new strings for around 1200 hits, this stringbed was just too tight... good spin but really boardy. I hit with it around 30mins until a light bulb lit up... maybe with the lower temps the other Kevlar/ZX racquet plays ok?

DING-DING-DING!!! It did!!!

Really no issues with control and very good spin coming out of it. This string job by now has more than 10 hours of hitting and it feels really plush. I really like these strings, like I mentioned before, similar spin than fb poly but none of the scary kind of elbow pain I get from poly.

Not sure now what to do with the higher tension stringjob. Get to 10k rubber mallet hits? Give it to @Shroud? Suggestions welcomed.
 
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