Introduction:
Not too long ago something struck me like a lightening bolt and I suddenly wanted to try some new yoyos along with some new yoyo companies. That was what led me to acquire my first ILYY yoyo, it was a tie between a Liopleurodon and a Torino. One was CandyBlast and the other was Candodized so I had both great ILYY finishes to try simultaneously. There have been a few more ILYY acquisitions since then which brings me to the point of this post…my review of the ILYY Verve. Before we get started, I do want to mention I’m an intermediate yoyoer that does not get a lot of time to practice, does not do enormously intricate tricks, does not handle combos larger than 2-3 simple tricks but loves and enjoys yoyoing for the challenge of it.
Description:
Before I begin I would like to mention one disclaimer that my version of the Verve is a prototype. The specifications may or may not change with subsequent runs for this model. The Verve came in a standard red, velvet ILYY pouch. I think it’s a nice touch to add the bag to protect the yoyo against damage. I pulled out the Verve and my first impression was…Nice. This model has a green candodization like my Torino. I’m a big fan of that shade of green and for those that have not seen an ILYY finish in person it has pop. In the light the candodized yoyos I have outshine all of my other yoyos and the best of those are the green ones. The Verve did not disappoint as it looks as though it’s glowing when the Sun hits it right. The response and bearings are standard Hot Red SILYYcone and the KMK bearing. The wing shape is one I like generally so it’s a plus for me that the Verve fits into that category. This is one of the smaller (if not smallest) yoyos I’ve tried in that category which presents a challenge for me but more on that later. As I held it in my hand for the Here are the specifications pulled from the ILYY website:
Specs:
Diameter: 50.00mm
Width: 35.50mm
Weight: 62.00g
Response: Hot Red SILYYcone
Bearing: ILYY KMK 6×13x5mm
Coating: ILYY Candodize (Green)
Material: 6082 AlMgSi1 Aluminum
Here are some pictures of the Verve along with some comparison shots between an YYF 08 888, OD Project 2, YYF Skyline and ILYY Verve. I will apologize to the nice folks at ILYY for my pics as they don’t do the finish much justice.
Performance
Fundamentals: I know spin time is relative for each individual yoyoer and that everyone’s experience will be different. I will qualify my opinion by saying my throws are not great. I’m lucky to get 90-120 seconds from anything I own. Relatively speaking, this yoyo is as solid with spin times as any other yoyo I’ve thrown. I had no issues finishing tricks or trying things a few times before binding. The binds were nice and tight and there were no snags leading to surprise binds. The stability of the yoyo is really where it stood out to me. I tend to be somewhat sloppy as no trick is very automatic to me. With that type of play you tend to need a forgiving yoyo. The Verve is very
forgiving in situations where I may not be perfoming a trick perfectly. It almost felt like there was some kind of auto-correction option I had turned on. On bad throws it also did well to straighten itself out. I’m not a fan of rating the smoothness of a yoyo because every person has a unique throw and their own tolerance level for vibe/wobble. With that said my humble opinion is that there is some vibe on a bad throw but if I am able to hit a good throw it’s as smooth as any ILYY I own which is pretty darned smooth. Being a smaller yoyo than some others I will say the Verve is a fast player. I am not a fast player so I chose to slow it down most of the time I was using it and saw no issues in doing that. Every once in a while I would try to perform a trick faster than I normally do just to see if I can and this yoyo handled it just fine. The gap/response worked well when I tried various string tricks (some with multiple layers) never causing any unwanted binds or serious spin deceleration due to contact with the inner wall.
Grinding: I don’t grind. I’ve tried a few times but have never really gotten any tricks down. I will say that the surface feels quite slick compared to other yoyos I own. That plus the wing shape cutting down on surface friction should lead to some very positive results for arm and palm grinds. The IRG looks like it would handle a thumb grind just fine although there is no inner hook which I believe makes thumb grinds a bit easier.
Tricks: As I’ve mentioned, I am not a complicated yoyoer. I enjoy things like McBride Roller Coaster, Pop 'N Fresh, Whips, Suicides and I just recetly learned Skin The Gerbil. The one thing I will point out was a bit of a battle for me was the size. This yoyo is on the small side and the 35.50mm width is forcing me to concentrate more on landing on the string properly. It’s not a bad thing, it’s actually a positive for me because I’m focusing even more on doing tricks more accurately. I plan on using this yoyo a lot to help me nail down new tricks and get my performance tighter. With that said, the catch zone of the yoyo is extremely easy to get to once I focused my attention properly. After a few minutes of use I was hitting tricks without any problem and with consistent success.
Conclusion
I’m not a great player and I don’t have enormous experience but I know what I like…the Verve. This yoyo is small so it’s perfect as a carry around yoyo. It’s very stable so it’s not a frustrating yoyo to use when trying different or new tricks. Overall, a great yoyo I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for an undersized yoyo. I believe there is a larger version coming out called the Valve for those looking for something a bit bigger. Germany has long been known for it’s engineering abilities. I don’t have the money to get myself a german luxury car at the moment but I will be able to afford another Verve when they come out (I like to have spare yoyos around if possible). I don’t have the exact information on the pricing of these yoyos except they should be in the same ballpark as the Void.
Thank you all for reading my first review. Please PM me if you have any further questions or comments. I would love to hear from you.
Regards,
Mark