Expert Explainer: The Difference Between Gel Analysis, Court FF & Solution Speed ASICS Tennis Shoes
Tennis shoes come in all shapes and sizes, but only one brand, ASICS, creates tennis shoes that are specifically designed for different styles of players. We spoke to an expert to find out what makes each ASICS tennis shoe model different and why.
Calum works for ASICS and is a font of knowledge for every tennis shoe model in their premium range and understands how each shoe is built to support different styles of tennis players. The current line of ASICS tennis shoes consists of the Gel-Resolution, Solution Speed and the Court FF. ASICS has other tennis shoes, but these three are the top line and are the models specifically designed to suit different styles of players.
The 3 models were not all released at the same time with the Gel-Resolution coming first and now in its 9th iteration. Then the Solution Speed and Court FF were both released around the same time with the Court FF in its 3rd model and the Solution Speed in its 2nd with a 3rd coming very soon.
The general rule of thumb for the three different styles is that the Gel-Resolution is the sturdiest and most durable, making it ideal for a baseline grinder or someone who needs plenty of support when moving around the court. The Solution Speed is the lightest of the three ASICS tennis shoes and is designed to support players who want to move in all areas of the court, especially when attacking the net. The Court FF was actually designed in close collaboration with none other than Novak Djokovic and is therefore designed to suit someone who wants the ‘best of both’ in terms of the support needed to play long rallies from baseline, but then quickly switch to the dynamic movements of an attacking player.
In terms of weight, the Gel Resolution comes in as the heaviest, followed by the Court FF and then the Solution Speed which is around 50g lighter than the other two.
Tennishead has rated each shoe independently using our expert tennis game testers and you can see those reviews here:
Gel-Resolution 9 Review
Solution Speed FF2 Review
Court FF3 review
When we spoke to Calum we wanted to delve into how ASICS created such a popular and unique line of tennis shoes that are favored by many of the top pros on both the ATP and WTA tours.
Tennishead: “How Has Gel Analysis Developed Over the Years?”
Calum from ASICS: “Nine shoes in about nine years, so a lot can change in that time. As a brand we are constantly innovating, pushing the boundaries of technology, so a lot can change in nine years. So for us as such a traditional brand, but also as an innovative brand, it’s very important for us to see what’s new and what’s coming.
“So we can see the midsole material changes to lighter weight foams, we can see the upper change to a more sustainable fabric, but also durable, and then we also see things like additions for support, so we see the imports of DYNAWALL, about a year ago. So we see a lot of changes and a lot of dynamism inside the shoe and finally we get there with the Gel Resolution 9, a very nice supportive shoe designed for this core player.
Tennishead: “What makes Gel Resolution 9 so suitable for a baseline player?”
Calum from ASICS: “It’s all about support and stability, so if we take a look at the outsole of the shoe, we can see that it has full contact with the ground (felt?) so it provides excellent traction underfoot, giving you excellent stability and a nice stable platform. Going up, we have DYNAWALL in the midsole, which is designed to handle that lateral movement and take pressure off the foot, and just keep you nice and secure on that platform.
“This works very well with DYNAWRAP, which is within the lacing system. So as you pull the laces nice and tight, it creates a great wrap around the foot, again giving you that support, giving you the stability you know and want for this baseline player. Then you have the nice Flexion fit upper, which just gives that little bit of flexibility, but still keeps your foot nice and secure overall.”
Tennishead: “How can Solution Speed be light and flexible without compromising stability?”
Calum from ASICS: “Some people have in mind that if you get a lighter weight shoe it’s going to be less stable, but we can put some really innovative technologies in there to help. If we start with the sole out, it has a two-piece that creates a lot of flexibility from the start, but what we also have is our special Twistruss, which gives a lot of torsional stability inside the shoe, but also maximizes the flexibility from way that it is strategically placed inside the shoe and also its ergonomics.
“Going into the midsole, we’ve got a really nice piece of Flytefoam, which gives really nice softness underfoot, but it’s also really nice and light. Thus, it is 50% lighter than the industry standard DVA. What we have is a nice addition to the forefoot as well as the Flytefoam propel, so it just gives a little more power as you want to get to the front of the court for that all-court style of play. And then as we get to the upper, we have Flexion fit, which again is nice and flexible to make sure your foot is well supported, but in those faster movements.”
Tennishead: “Can a tennis player really notice the weight difference between shoes?”
Calum from ASICS: “For us, I think it depends on the style of play, so they’re designed for two different styles of play. One is designed for the baseline, which is Resolution, and then you have Resolution Speed, which is designed for an all-court style of play. So ultimately if you were to wear the Resolution to play all over the courts you would notice it felt a bit bulkier and a bit heavier. We’re talking about 50 grams difference, now if we were talking five, 10 grams, ultimately you probably wouldn’t notice it, but 50 grams is quite significant if you’re trying to sprint from the back of the court to the front of the court, to the net. Underfoot you’ll really notice it for a long time and you’ll start to tire a bit quicker too.
“It’s all about being able to provide that stability even for those faster, sharper movements, but having it in that lighter package, and we’ve really been able to do that with the Solution Speed.”
Tennishead: “How Much Involved Is Novak Djokovic Really In The Design Of The Court FF Shoe?”
Calum from ASICS: “We actually create about eight or nine different rounds of shoes that have subtle changes to them. And he works quite closely with our Key Athletic Directors in our office in Amsterdam. He is heavily involved in the decision-making around athlete testing and helps us shape and mold the product into what it is today, for the betterment of both players.
“The good thing is that it doesn’t actually have a different shoe to what a consumer would wear, so the shoe you buy off the shelf as an end consumer is exactly the same shoe they would wear on the field and it does. do not make any changes to it. So that’s really a testament to the work we’re doing with him.”
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