Solinco's original Confidential built a loyal following among advanced players who wanted a control-first polyester with serious spin credentials and excellent tension maintenance. It did everything that crowd asked of it - precisely, predictably, and without fuss. The one knock on it was always the same: it's firm, demanding on the arm, and unforgiving for anyone who doesn't bring their own pace to every shot.
Confidential Soft, launched in February 2026 as the latest release from Solinco's Prizm Project, is the answer to that. Same shaped construction. Same directional precision. Reworked compound, softer feel, more pop - and arrived in a bold electric pink colourway that makes a statement from the moment you take it out of the packet.
The question is whether it keeps everything that made the original so good, or whether the softening process costs the string its identity.
What Is the Solinco Prizm Project?
Before getting into the string itself, it's worth understanding what the Prizm Project actually is. It's Solinco's ongoing initiative where material science and colour chemistry are explored together - the idea being that colour isn't just an aesthetic choice, but an expression of the string's performance character.
Confidential Soft is the latest release under this banner, following in the footsteps of other Prizm Project strings. The electric pink colourway isn't just eye-catching - it signals a specific performance identity: softer, more expressive, more pop-oriented than the understated gunmetal grey of the original Confidential.
What Has Changed From the Original?
The foundation of Confidential Soft remains the same shaped co-polyester construction as the original - four grippy edges designed to generate spin and directional bite, the same philosophy that underpins Tour Bite and Hyper-G. That hasn't changed.
What Solinco reworked is the compound itself. The string is built to absorb more impact energy, which does two things: it reduces the vibration transmitted through the arm on contact, and it increases the energy returned to the ball at the moment of release. The result is a string that feels noticeably more plush at impact and delivers easier depth and pace than the original - without losing the control character and spin access that Confidential players rely on.
The Solinco Australia team describe it as a refined evolution rather than a fundamentally different string - and that framing is accurate. Players who know the original will recognise Confidential Soft immediately, but they'll notice it's warmer, more giving, and significantly easier to sustain over a long session.
How Does It Feel to Play With?
The first thing most players will notice is the pocketing. Confidential Soft holds the ball on the strings longer than the original, producing a deeper, more cushioned feel at contact. It's immediately more inviting - less like hitting through resistance, more like the string is working with you.
Power is meaningfully increased relative to the original Confidential. Where the standard string is deliberately low-powered and demands that players supply their own pace, Confidential Soft adds a noticeable pop off the stringbed - easier depth, more natural energy return, and pace that comes with less effort. Players coming from the original may want to adjust tension upwards by 2-3 lbs initially to dial in their usual level of control.
Spin remains a genuine strength. The four-sided profile grips the ball on contact and the directional bite the original Confidential was built on is fully intact. This isn't a string that trades its spin credentials for comfort - it keeps both.
Control is where the two strings remain most similar. The same confident, connected feel is there, the same ability to hit aggressively at the lines and trust the string to keep the ball in play. Confidential Soft is slightly less muted than the original, which for most players will be a welcome addition rather than a compromise.
Arm comfort is noticeably improved. The reworked compound absorbs shock more effectively, and players who have found the original Confidential too demanding over long sessions or multiple days of play will feel the difference clearly.
How Does Confidential Soft Compare to the Original Confidential?
This is the comparison most players considering this string will want answered.
The original Confidential is a firm, deliberately low-powered control poly - exceptional at what it does, but uncompromising. It rewards players who generate their own pace and punishes those who don't. Its muted, direct response suits advanced players who want maximum feedback and precision above all else.
Confidential Soft softens that proposition considerably. The control and spin DNA are preserved, but the string adds pop, plush feel, and arm comfort that the original never offered. For players who loved the original but found it too demanding physically, or who wanted just a little more free energy in their shots, Confidential Soft is the natural next step.
For players who specifically want the firm, low-powered, maximum-control character of the original, the standard Confidential remains the right choice.
Who Is Confidential Soft Best Suited For?
Confidential Soft covers a broader range of players than the original - which is clearly part of the intention.
It suits intermediate to advanced players who want the control and spin of a co-polyester with a more forgiving, arm-friendly feel. Aggressive baseliners who hit with heavy topspin and want directional precision without the harshness of a firm poly will find it very rewarding. Players who have previously been put off Confidential by its stiffness now have a version that makes the string genuinely accessible.
It also works well for competitive players who play frequently - the improved arm comfort means Confidential Soft is much more sustainable across long sessions, back-to-back days of play, or heavy training periods.
Where it's less suited is for players who specifically want a low-powered, maximum-control string and prefer the firmer, more demanding feel of a traditional control poly. Those players will likely find the original Confidential a better fit.
Gauge and Tension
Confidential Soft is available in four gauges: 1.15mm (18g), 1.20mm (17g), 1.25mm (16L) and 1.30mm (16g). The 1.25mm is the most popular all-round choice, offering the best balance of spin access, feel and durability for most players. Go thinner for more bite and touch, thicker if you break strings regularly or prioritise longevity.
On tension, start at the lower end of your racquet's recommended range and give the string a session or two to settle in. Because Confidential Soft is livelier than the original, players familiar with the standard version will typically want to string it slightly tighter to maintain their usual control.
The Verdict
Solinco Confidential Soft is a genuinely impressive evolution of one of their most trusted strings. It keeps the control, spin and directional precision that Confidential players have always valued, and adds the comfort and pop that made the original inaccessible to a significant portion of players.
The electric pink colourway makes it one of the most visually distinctive strings on the market - and unlike some bold colour choices, the performance entirely backs it up.
If the original Confidential was always interesting to you but never quite worked because of how it felt on your arm, or how low-powered it played, Confidential Soft is worth serious consideration.
