Comments: Rough is a pleasant surprise. 80 percent of the spin you would get from the same stroke with a full bed of co-poly without the harsh feel. I can hit the same pace with an easier stroke due to the power. It is an ugly brute to string, though.
From: Dr. P, 2/11/21

Comments: This is one of the best strings I have ever had, the grip on the ball helps me really put topspin and backspin on my backhand.
From: William, 3/14/19

Comments: This string is ok if you want to string twice a week. It was great for about 8 hours. Good spin and control, and decent feel and power. But then it started peeling, and after the 8 hours, it was as good as a cheap synthetic gut, and annoying as a multi. Wouldn't recommend it.
From: Charles, 3/15/18

Comments: First of all, stringing with this is very annoying and quite painful. The play, however, is what matters most. I felt good control and a ton of ball bite, which I expected from a string with this much of a raised/textured wrap. Sometimes a bit more power would be nice to counteract the extreme spin potential. Volleys come off with a solid feel as well as groundstrokes.
From: Mike, 6/15

Comments: I have used the same Prince Graphite OS since my Division 2 college days; I was told to use thin, 17 or 18g string for extra spin; it was fair even with my semi-western grip. Then, since I string myself, I decided to try Gamma Ruff 16g. It is awesome! This stuff really grips the ball; in fact, the new balls became all scuffed up fairly quickly. I highly recommend it and will continue to use this string. Hopefully it never gets discontinued!
From: Scott, 4/15

Comments: I have used this sting for about ten + years. I believe that it is the best spin producing string out there. I play with an old Yonex Rd7 and the combination of that heavy racquet and this string creates a spin machine. It hits the best slice backhands you can imagine and slice serves really bite. It is also very friendly on the arm. I agree that stringers hate this string. If I ask the string at my local tennis shop if has GR in stock, he always says no. I need to ask for it at the counter.
From: Pat, 11/13

Comments: I like this string a lot! The extruded textured wrapping are so noticeably pronounced, they're like sharp fingernails for the string. This allows the string to really dig into the ball, thus providing both EXCELLENT CONTROL + SUPER SPIN. I've used Polys that also have textured edges but this Gamma Ruff synthetic gut still bites the ball better than many Polys. The only downside is that Gamma Ruff only comes in one bland color (natural) and comes in only 16 gauge: So it doesn't look as cool as the Poly strings and lacks the "feel" of a thinner 17 gauge string. Overall, it's a must have for heavy topspin players!
From: Philip, 5/12

Comments: I have used this string since in came out. It does not wear out and the wrap does not come off. If you use a midsize racquet the tension loss is a plus as it give you more power with no loss of control. This string is not for someone that uses a wide body frame with a large head that swings for the fences. You will not be able to control it. If you are an accurate shot maker that plays with more brains than brawn this is your string. You can hit a drop shot that will bounce back on your side of the net.
From: Mitch, 10/11

Comments: This is the best synthetic gut on the market, period. This string hits unreal spin, nearly as much spin as a poly does. It holds tension very very well, and is very durable. This string will start to fray, but it doesn't notch hardly at all. I'm very impressed with how durable it is. I typically break poly every 4-5 days. I'm a 5.0 and I wanted a string with more feel at the net. I had been using Dunlop Black Widow and Volkl Cyclone, but at the net these strings are too stiff. The Gamma Ruff is durable and is soft at the same time. This is the absolute top of the line synthetic. Insane nice, I will use this string for the rest of my life. Great price as well!
From: Jon, TX, USA. 4/11

Comments: This was a very disappointing string for me. It loses a lot of tension within a few hours, the outer spin producing layer wears out at about the same rate as the tension, and it has little to no power. I would not recommend this string to anyone who enjoys powerful strings.
From: Andrew, Raleigh, NC, USA. 11/08

Comments: I'm a 4.0 level player. I've used this string and found that it loses tension easily (after a few hours of play). This string is enjoyable for the first few hours or days. The capability is short-term.
From: El, Greensboro, NC. 7/08

Comments: I found this string to be okay...it had a lot of spin with a little power. I was pretty easy to hit slice shots with a great amount of spin. But I found it rather difficult to hit topspin shots to the corners. I tried to add another string to it and only use half of the string (mains). Still hard to get through the grommets. I dont think I would recommend this string to anyone unless their games consists of mostly slice shots.
From: Bennett, Rome, GA, USA, 04/08

Comments: I'm very impressed with these strings. I am a 4.5 singles player and string 50-60 rackets a year for my students. I strung the mains and crosses at normal weight, but in hindsight I probably should have added 2-3 lbs. Caution: These strings are very difficult to get through tight grommets!! I had to use an emery board to file the barbs off the end of the string so I could do tie-offs and the crosses. I also added string savers to the middle of the string bed. As for playability, I couldn't hit the ball out if I had tried for the first hour I tried these strings. Magnificent spin and pretty good feel. Hour #2 was when the string started fraying a bit but the feel also got a bit better. In hour #3 I was able to hit pretty much any drop shot in the book but some of my deep topspin drives were sailing wide and out. By hour #4 the strings were about the same as any other synthetic gut. I'm eager to try these strings out in a match against someone a bit better than I am. I think they could help me win some extra points.
From: G, Oklahoma, USA. 4/08

Comments: Unbelievable spin potential! I am a 3.5 to 4.0 player, mostly doubles, and have played Gamma Gut 3 for years with a few other tries. I bought a used racquet that had this rough string in it, and it hit wicked spin and slices, even though it was obviously quite worn. I strung up my Prince O3 Hybrid Hornet OS for a test drive. It was feeling really good in a doubles game, and I popped a forehand driving Texas leaguer in the face of the opposing netman ... just out of his reach. I expected it to go long, but it came down very fast for a winner ... four feet inside the baseline! I have never had that shot before! I can now do wicked things with slice serves, topspin serves and my dropshots are now lethal. This is Nastase's old spaghetti stringing, just legal!
From: Paul, Atlanta, GA, USA. 11/07

Comments: I found that this string does exactly what it states and nothing else. Yes it is rough and bites the ball a lot and also for that reason it has very good control as the ball will never slip on the string bed. As for feel it is nothing special, probably just average but as this is not a playability string it is acceptable. I recommend this string for player who's game consists of predominately slice shots and slice serves for which this string is best.
From: Kosta, Auckland, New Zealand. 12/06

Comments: I started using this string about 3 months ago switching from Prince Synthetic Gut and Prince Topspin, both of which I have used for more than 10 years. The Gamma Ruff has 4 great qualities, at least for me. First it is much easier on the arm - a softer feel that the Prince strings. Second it does impart extra spin on the ball. Third I have more control - the ball goes where I aim it. Fourth it lasts much longer than the Topspin. I just broke my first set of Ruff Strings after 3 months of use playing 5 days per week. I was breaking Prince Topspin at least every 2 or 3 weeks. Sometime I broke the Topspin twice in the same week.
From: Bob, Mission Viejo, CA, USA 06/06

Comments: These strings play well after an hour of play, or once they settle in. Spin is made easy, but tension does seem to drop faster than usual because the strings move quite a lot. Feel & control is ok, but not great. Basically, if its textured strings you want, this one does better than the others I've tried out there.
From: Rommel, Manila. 7/05

Comments: Gamma Ruff gives as much topspin as any string that I have tried. Slice serves have to be seen to believe. The tension drops off after about 5 hours of play and by then the wraps are worn off and the extra spin potential is gone. Also, I cut my finger on the sharp wraps, trying to straighten the strings.
From: John, Phoenix, AZ, USA. 2/04

Comments: Gamma Ruff plays too dead at first, but after an hour or so it plays excellent for the next 3 to 5 hours. However, it continues to lose tension, so it has too much power after that. At hour 6 the wrap is worn off and the extra spin potential is gone. This is a waste of money. I should have known better, but some things I just have to learn myself.
From: John, Phoenix, AZ, USA

Comments: Previously I have used Prince Topspin and Gamma Extreme Spin 19. The Gamma Ruff is definitely the best spin string I have used. It is so good that I am glad it is not illegal. I learned about this string recently from a stringer at the Village country club and it was the first time that I had heard of it. I am a 4.0 NTRP level player. I would highly recommend this string over other topspin strings.
From: Andrew, Dallas, TX. USA 5/02

Comments: My racquet, a Triple Threat Rebel, has a dense string pattern of 18x20, but with these strings, I achieve the same spin potential as I did on my former racquet with a more open 16x20 pattern.
From: John, Escondido, CA. USA 7/01