Gamma Verve Soft Review

Oak Gast is back with a string review. This has become one of his personal faves. Read why in this Gamma Verve Soft Review.

Gamma Verve Soft Specifications

• Gauge: 17/1.25mm
• Length: 40ft/12.2m
• Composition: Co-polyester monofilament (co-extruded w/stiff and soft polymers) 
• Color: Blue, Yellow

Playability

When I first got Verve Soft out on the court, I thought the string naming was surely a mistake. The string initially felt “pingy” and extremely launch-friendly on light hits. I was sure that this was not the soft poly that was given or prescribed to me. Further, it felt cumbersome, which is always weird to notice from a string right out of the gate before any real hitting.

Never in my life have I experienced a larger and more satisfying disparity between short court and regular depth. I was beyond skeptical of this string and was already thinking about the performance gap personally. Still, the moment faster swings began, Verve Soft became a dream string upon nearly every swipe. Slices, drives, and loopy balls were all successful upon impact. Cushioned, crisp, responsive, and comfortable, it appears to be a truly well-balanced poly in every area.

Stiff, yet plush?

From the core material, this soft co-poly lets you get easy absorption for good access to dwell time. The result is a string that is indeed extremely plush, despite the composition. But the ridged material, a stiffer co-poly, raised in a three-prong design and not twisted upon extrusion, balances the string well.

The string is also fairly consistent in how the design influences the experience itself. Overall groundstroke weight/capability is incredibly satisfying and heavy, but the directional input from the string itself is super reliable in how you can meld these capabilities. It is a string that is encouraging, rewarding and strengthening shots with raised intensity. High backhand uppercuts were particularly achievable with this whirlwind of a string.

The forehand drives were plush upon flat middle balls, allowing for line drive balls upon impact. Topspin was some of the best I’ve ever experienced, but the weight of the shot combined with the spin access is what made it feel heavy the most. The weight then easily converted into usable mass for additional pace. Truly a gem for heavier pace or the implementation thereof.

Stroke by stroke

Verve Soft is one of those polys that tends to work directly for the user instead of asserting its qualities over a natural swing path. Because of this, it is very satisfying to experiment with the launch angle and the spin capabilities the string naturally possesses to change up the kind of shot you are hitting against your opponent.

Volleys performed as advertised with plenty of ample spin to direct the ball if necessary and fantastic dwell time for more touch-oriented volleys. Volleys could also be more forceful if needed, as the three-prong design helps cushion and shape the shot. I particularly enjoyed low volleys with the string, as the additional dwell time was so helpful for reshaping the ball above the net without popping it up for an easy put-away. High volleys were a little trickier, but emphasizing contact in front of my body helped to redirect pace effectively.

Serves felt very lively, had deep depth and ultimately sounded incredibly solid. The spin- factor here once again helps to create a sensation that is enjoyable to hit across a service motion. I particularly enjoyed this string in frames with a more widebody construction (Gravity Pro, Percept 100D, and the Vcore 98+).

Summary

In summation, Verve Soft is one of the strongest polyester offerings for me on the current market (with above average tension maintenance to boot) thanks to its unique co-extrusion combined with heavy weight upon and throughout impact. Advanced players looking for a cushioned but fast ride should give this serious consideration.

If you are intrigued by this Gamma Verve Soft Review, check out the string from our friends at Tennis Warehouse.