For 2023, Asics has launched two new tennis footwear, the Courtroom FF 3 and Gel Decision 9.

The Courtroom FF line is Novak Djokovic’s shoe of alternative, and he’s stated to have performed a major collaborative function with Asics when designing this third technology.

For the previous couple of years, Asics have additionally been my tennis shoe of alternative, and I’ve rotated between the Gel Decision 8, the Courtroom FF 2, and the Answer Pace FF 2.

I’m an enormous fan of all three. Whereas I believe the Gel Decision 8 have been probably one of the best purchase for leisure tennis, the Courtroom FF 2 had an excellent comfortable feeling and have been the footwear I preferred taking part in in most frequently, so I used to be to see if the Courtroom FF 3 had improved on what was already a superb tennis shoe.

I ordered a pair of the Courtroom FF 3 and Gel Res 9 as quickly as they have been out there. The Courtroom FF 3 price £152.90, and have been the primary to show up and, consequently, the primary I examined on the courtroom.

How does the Courtroom FF 3 play? Is it higher than the Courtroom FF 2? Must you swap?

Discover out within the full Asics Courtroom FF 3 overview and playtest.

In regards to the Asics Courtroom FF 3 Line

The brand new Asics Courtroom FF 3 has been three years within the making and was developed in shut collaboration with Novak Djokovic, the person who has been sporting the Courtroom FF 2 or Courtroom FF Novak for the final couple of seasons.

Throughout the improvement, Asics introduced at least 9 completely different shoe prototypes, which Djokovic examined at varied factors within the season earlier than the ultimate manufacturing Courtroom FF 3 was finalised.

When the idea of this mannequin was initially introduced, there have been mentions of fatigue taking part in all through the season. To sort out that we checked out completely different parts akin to breathability, assist system, but in addition targeted on how we will have athletes preserve their high efficiency all through the match. By making use of this new outsole construction, we have been capable of decrease the influence on the physique, enabling athletes to remain on high of their recreation. Koji Otobe, Courtroom FF 3 Lead Developer

Asics Courtroom FF 3 Options

GET THE ASICS COURT FF 3

When one of the best participant on the earth has worn a shoe, it’s unimaginable to make wholesale modifications to the design or utterly overhaul the shoe.

The road didn’t want altering both, because the Courtroom FF 2 was a near-perfect tennis shoe.

In consequence, the shoe’s outsole is the one vital change on the brand new Courtroom FF 3.

Asics have launched a three-piece sole which has been launched to offer extra flexibility and luxury than ever earlier than.

Based on Asics lab exams, biomechanical testing on the College of Tsukuba resulted in a 6.8% decrease load on the physique on the level of ground-heel contact than the earlier mannequin, consequently lowering stress on the physique.

Just like the FF 2, the Courtroom FF 3 options the next:

FLYTEFOAM™ know-how

It supplies light-weight cushioning and influence absorption

Forefoot GEL™ know-how

It improves influence absorption and creates a softer feeling at footstrike

TWISTRUSS™ know-how

Improves quickness and slicing motions

PGUARD™ know-how

It helps enhance sturdiness within the outsole’s toe and heel space

MONO-SOCK™ building

Helps enhance stability

AHARPLUS™ rubber outsole

Improves sturdiness

Asics Courtroom FF 3 vs Asics Courtroom FF 2

Happily, I had a pair of Asics Courtroom FF 2’s in good situation to make comparability a lot simpler.

General the design may be very comparable, however there are some minor modifications:

Did I miss any variations? Let me know.

As you may see, the only has modified fairly a bit with a barely new sample, and it’s now break up into three items.

There may be additionally considerably extra cushioning within the heel, and it’s bulkier with extra Flytefoam.

The toe guard on the Courtroom FF 3 has additionally been decreased in each top and thickness. So serial toe draggers will probably want the Courtroom FF 2 for sturdiness as there’s extra mass. I’m not a toe dragger, so I can’t take a look at whether or not that is the case.

Testing Out The Asics Courtroom FF 3 Tennis Footwear

The Gel Decision and Courtroom FF traces have topped my listing of the finest tennis footwear in recent times, so I used to be excited to check them.

My first playtest was indoors in freezing circumstances, and subsequent exams have been accomplished in hotter circumstances on out of doors and indoor laborious courts.

Asics Courtroom FF 3 Evaluate and Playtest

Preliminary Impressions

As quickly as I unboxed the Courtroom FF 3 footwear, I used to be an immediate fan of the design, and this explicit color is metal blue and white with some neon inexperienced element. The internal sock lining additionally appears to be like glorious.

After giving them a fast as soon as over and weighing them, the very first thing I did was put on for them an entire day indoors.

Consolation

The booty sock design means the Courtroom FF 3 are fairly tight when getting your foot in, however when you get your foot into the shoe, you are feeling locked in, and so they’re very snug.

Asics declare that the FF 3 is less complicated to get on in comparison with the FF 2, and I’d agree, the FF 3 do slip on a bit simpler however not by a lot. The opening is not any wider, however they broaden a bit extra.

I wore them indoors for a day earlier than taking part in, and so they have been snug strolling about. It wasn’t a aid to take them off on the finish of the day as it may be with different footwear.

I additionally suppose the fabric on the higher is softer on the FF 3 in comparison with the FF 2 and is extra breathable, which is an enchancment, particularly for these taking part in in heat climates.

That consolation I felt indoors at house transitioned to the courtroom, and I preferred them from the phrase go.

The FF 3’s felt straightforward to maneuver forwards and backwards in, and I had no issues with any discomfort or awkward emotions when shifting.

By way of breaking them in. I’d say there’s a  slight break-in interval.

My first hit was on a chilly indoor courtroom when it was minus levels exterior, so the rubber was rock laborious. This gave them a little bit of a stiffer, plastic-type feeling if you landed from a break up step, however on my second hit, in hotter circumstances, the FF 3 felt far more supple after the primary 20/half-hour of play.

Stability

My first take a look at of stability was on the ball machine doing the ‘Homicide Ball’ Drill. This can be a 100-ball drill; you get a ball up the center, one into the forehand nook, one other within the center, after which one into the backhand nook. And it repeats till the basket is empty.

Initially, I often hit all forehands, operating across the backhand nook ball, however after some time, it turns into unimaginable.

You’re altering path and pushing off with this drill, so a secure shoe is vital, and the Courtroom FF 3 was nice.

I felt tremendous safe within the shoe, and it felt rock stable. In addition they felt nice via the shot; as soon as I used to be able to hit the ball, the FF 3 gave me a really secure base, and I felt like I might hit the ball powerfully.

For the second drill, I put the machine on random mode; right here, you’ll steadily be wrong-footed, so there’s extra probability of rolling within the shoe, however once more, the FF 3 felt tremendous secure.

In an everyday match, play and baseline play towards an opponent, my expertise from the ball machine session was mirrored. The shoe is a superb all-rounder and feels good irrespective of the place you might be on the courtroom.

Are you sprinting as much as a brief ball? You get a fantastic push-off from the Flytefoam, and I felt quick within the shoe. Are you hitting a defensive forehand and having to get better to the center as rapidly as attainable? The FF 3 has rock-solid traction, and that sock design makes the foot really feel very secure.

Sturdiness

Asics footwear all the time carry out nicely for sturdiness because the AHAR rubber is among the finest in the marketplace, and the FF 3 will carry out equally nicely because the FF 2.

Whereas they received’t be marketed as an ultra-durable shoe, they’ll greater than maintain their very own towards some other ‘all spherical’ tennis shoe in the marketplace.

I haven’t racked up sufficient play time in them but to say something definitive, however I’ll examine them to the FF 2 as soon as I’ve the identical quantity of hours in them.

Traction

The brand new Courtroom FF 3’s have much less tread as a result of sole being break up into three, however there’s no lack of traction.

You have got grip in all the proper locations, and I had no points with traction on indoor and out of doors laborious courts.

Asics say the break up heel permits every part to maneuver independently, enabling you to cease and swap instructions extra rapidly. 

It’s tough to check that declare for mere mortals as we’re speaking about small margins. And I’m not a participant who slides a lot on laborious courts, however the footwear felt nice when altering path.

That preliminary push-off to get shifting within the different path feels a bit springier within the Courtroom FF 3 when in comparison with the FF 2, which is probably going as a result of enhance in foam thickness across the internal heel space.

Weight

My Courtroom FF 3 have been a UK Dimension 10, EU 44 or US 10.5 and weighed 452g. That is 19g (+4.3%) heavier than the Courtroom FF 2 of the identical measurement. 

That is solely a slight enhance however I can really feel the FF 3 is heavier when holding them facet by facet.

Nevertheless, it’s definitely not noticeable when taking part in; the FF 3 feels springier if you land, which supplies the notion of it being lighter, despite the fact that it’s not.

 

Last Verdict

The Asics Courtroom FF 3 is one other nice shoe within the FF line and will probably be a massively common vendor. It’s a fantastic all-rounder and can go well with most taking part in types, particularly aggressive movers who need a good mix of pace and stability.

That booty sock design provides you a really comfortable feeling; they really feel a contact bouncier than the FF 2 and tick all of the bins for what I, and most of the people, search for in a tennis shoe.

Not like most gear that the professionals endorse however don’t put on (e.g. Nadal doesn’t put on the shoe he endorses), Djokovic does put on the Courtroom FF 3, so you might be getting the tennis shoe that one of the best participant on the earth additionally makes use of.

Will it make you play like him? No, however it may well’t harm to put on high-quality footwear in the event you’re taking part in tennis at an honest degree.

Are the Courtroom FF 3 higher than the FF 2? I’d say no; there are just a few refined variations, however I don’t suppose there’s a big distinction to say one is best than the opposite. 

The Courtroom FF 3 is extra a continuation of the FF 2, so in the event you liked the Asics Courtroom FF 2, then I believe you’ll additionally love the Courtroom FF 3.

If you happen to hated the FF 2, I don’t suppose there’s sufficient distinction so that you can unexpectedly begin liking the FF 3. Nevertheless, I’d have an interest to listen to different opinions if anybody has turn out to be a fan of the FF 3 after not being just like the earlier iteration so let me know within the feedback.

The Courtroom FF 2’s will slowly be phased out, so in the event you can decide them up within the sale vs the total price ticket of the FF 3, that might be my first advice.

However in case you have the money to splash, the Courtroom FF 3 is superb tennis and simply the most effective tennis footwear in the marketplace.

The Courtroom FF 3 footwear can be found in males’s and ladies’s sizes.

Professionals

Cons

Have you ever used the Asics Courtroom FF3 footwear? What do you consider them? Or do you may have a query about them? Let me know within the feedback.