When it's properly adjusted, you can swing and steer the pole without maintaining a tight grip. I put this system to the test during 3 weeks of midwinter Southwest hiking, including a 5,000-foot descent into Arizona's Grand Canyon, and it never blinked. When I needed precise control on exposed slickrock in southern Nevada's Hidden Valley, I could still get a good grip on the handles. The size, shape, and forward tilt of the pole grips fit my body well. The grips' cork and urethane surface kept my hands happy whether they were bare and sweaty or bundled in mittens.
Shock absorption is pleasantly smooth and firm.
There is a quarter-inch of give before the shock absorbers bottom out, which provides just the right amount of play. The Summits are equipped with sturdy carbide tips and come with 2-inch baskets suitable for general hiking. Optional snow baskets are available. The only gripe I had with these poles was the size of the wrist-strap system. The strap fit my small hands and wrists decently, but my wife has smaller hands and couldn't get an optimum fit.