Opinion & Analysis
Clark: Give Nike Golf credit where credit is due
Remember all the criticism hurled at Rory McIlroy when he decided to switch to Nike Golf equipment? It’s quieter now, isn’t it?
The meteoric rise of Nike Golf has been nothing short of amazing considering that not very long ago, Nike Golf was the new kid on the block in the golf club business; a young company in a very old, well-developed industry. The success of Tiger Woods — and more recently McIlroy and Michelle Wie — has certainly been a huge part of the company’s growth, but success in the golf equipment industry has always come down to one thing: Do the clubs perform or not?
I’ve been on staff with Nike Golf now for some 10 years, so I’ve had a front row seat to watch it develop from an apparel company that also sold golf clubs to a full-fledged golf equipment powerhouse. It’s true that Nike is my company of choice as a golf professional, but If you’ve read any of my other GolfWRX stories you know that I let history, science and little else affect my opinions.
Here’s a story that nicely sums up Nike’s progress in the golf equipment world. I was giving a lesson about eight years ago and when we finished the student told me that he was interested in trying a new driver. I gave him mine to hit, a Nike Sasquatch, which at the time was one of the most forgiving drivers on the market and was pretty hot, too. But it had a problem and if you’ve ever hit one you know exactly what it was. People say it sounded like an aluminum baseball bat at impact and frankly I have to agree. While it was a great performer, it was one of the loudest drivers I’ve ever heard on the range.
Fast forward to today and you’ll find that Nike makes some of the best-looking, best-sounding and sweetest-feeling golf clubs in the industry. They offer a wide-ranging line of drivers, fairway woods, hybrids, irons, wedges, putters and golf balls that have impressed everyone from the mini-tour players I teach to golfers who are just learning the game.
I’ve also been impressed with Nike’s ascendance on the PGA Tour. The company has teamed up with some the Tour’s finest young players: Kevin Chappell, Kyle Stanley, Scott Brown, Seung Yul Noh, Russell Henley, Jhonny Vegas and the world’s former No. 1-ranked amateur Patrick Rodgers. Ten years ago, it might have been hard for Nike to attract so many good young players to its golf brand. Now, Nike has its pick of the litter. That says a lot about how the perception of Nike Golf has changed among good players.
I also have great respect for the performance-first approach the GolfWRX Staff took with its 2014 Gear Trials: Best Clubs list, and you’ll see that Nike lead the way in several categories with its Covert 2.0 and 2.0 Tour drivers, and posted even more impressive results in the Best Players Irons and Best Game-Improvement irons with its Covert Forged and Covert 2.0 irons, respectively.
It is not hard to see why. As a teaching professional, I rely on feedback from my students and ball flight observations of my own. My FlightScope radar gives me raw data, but no technology can capture feel, that elusive feedback we get from impact and ball flight. The overwhelming positive responses I get from the current Nike offerings sanction my recommendations time after time.
It has been my experience that brand loyalty is not as high on a golfer’s priority list as one might think; my students will hit brand “XYZ” if I can show them the results, and Nike’s clubs and golf balls absolutely perform. For better players, Nike is truly at the forefront in the players irons and wedge categories, producing clubs that are not only innovative but meet incredibly high standards in looks, feel and performance.
The company’s master model maker, Mike Taylor, is the only living club maker who has made custom clubs for Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, and he was the force behind Nike’s new VR X3X Toe Sweep wedges, which have their heels designed in a way that allows golfers to hit shots around the green from deep rough without the heel-snagging problem that can affect more traditional wedges. For such a different-looking wedge, the reception with tour players has been phenomenal.
The radical-looking Nike VR X3X Toe Sweep wedge that Rory McIlroy used to win the BMW PGA Championship. Michelle Wie also won the 2014 U.S. Open with two Toe Sweep wedges in her bag (56 and 60 degrees).
McIlroy used a 59-degree Toe Sweep to win the BMW PGA Championship, Europe’s most prestigious event outside The Open Championship. Michelle Wie used a combination of Nike’s VR X3X Dual Sole and Toe Sweep wedges to win her first major, the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open at Pinehurst. The list goes on and on.
Nike Golf has never lost sight of its original goal when it entered the golf equipment space: To be the best. Neither the company’s affiliation with Nike Inc., nor its star-studded lineup of athletes who play its equipment could truly move Nike Golf toward that goal without a dedication to create the industry’s best products for its best players. The Nike Golf team also knew that it had to capture the great mass of average golfers around the world by crafting golf clubs that work for them, too, and the company has done just that.
How has Nike Golf come so far, so fast? It’s a simple formula: Hire the best people, listen to the industry’s feedback and make products of the highest quality. And as Nike so quickly learned, they should look, sound and feel amazing, too. At this rate of progress, the sky is truly the limit for them.
As always, feel free to send a swing video to my Facebook page and I will do my best to give you my feedback.
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The PGA TOUR heads to New Orleans to play the 2023 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. In a welcome change from the usual stroke play, the Zurich Classic is a team event. On Thursday and Saturday, the teams play best ball, and on Friday and Sunday the teams play alternate shot.
TPC Louisiana is a par 72 that measures 7,425 yards. The course features some short par 4s and plenty of water and bunkers, which makes for a lot of exciting risk/reward scenarios for competitors. Pete Dye designed the course in 2004 specifically for the Zurich Classic, although the event didn’t make its debut until 2007 because of Hurricane Katrina.
Coming off of the Masters and a signature event in consecutive weeks, the field this week is a step down, and understandably so. Many of the world’s top players will be using this time to rest after a busy stretch.
However, there are some interesting teams this season with some stars making surprise appearances in the team event. Some notable teams include Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, Collin Morikawa and Kurt Kitayama, Will Zalatoris and Sahith Theegala as well as a few Canadian teams, Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin and Taylor Pendrith and Corey Conners.
Past Winners at TPC Louisiana
- 2023: Riley/Hardy (-30)
- 2022: Cantlay/Schauffele (-29)
- 2021: Leishman/Smith (-20)
- 2019: Palmer/Rahm (-26)
- 2018: Horschel/Piercy (-22)
- 2017: Blixt/Smith (-27)
2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans Picks
Tom Hoge/Maverick McNealy +2500 (DraftKings)
Tom Hoge is coming off of a solid T18 finish at the RBC Heritage and finished T13 at last year’s Zurich Classic alongside Harris English.
This season, Hoge is having one of his best years on Tour in terms of Strokes Gained: Approach. In his last 24 rounds, the only player to top him on the category is Scottie Scheffler. Hoge has been solid on Pete Dye designs, ranking 28th in the field over his past 36 rounds.
McNealy is also having a solid season. He’s finished T6 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open and T9 at the PLAYERS Championship. He recently started working with world renowned swing coach, Butch Harmon, and its seemingly paid dividends in 2024.
Keith Mitchell/Joel Dahmen +4000 (DraftKings)
Keith Mitchell is having a fantastic season, finishing in the top-20 of five of his past seven starts on Tour. Most recently, Mitchell finished T14 at the Valero Texas Open and gained a whopping 6.0 strokes off the tee. He finished 6th at last year’s Zurich Classic.
Joel Dahmen is having a resurgent year and has been dialed in with his irons. He also has a T11 finish at the PLAYERS Championship at TPC Sawgrass which is another Pete Dye track. With Mitchell’s length and Dahmen’s ability to put it close with his short irons, the Mitchell/Dahmen combination will be dangerous this week.
Taylor Moore/Matt NeSmith +6500 (DraftKings)
Taylor Moore has quickly developed into one of the more consistent players on Tour. He’s finished in the top-20 in three of his past four starts, including a very impressive showing at The Masters, finishing T20. He’s also finished T4 at this event in consecutive seasons alongside Matt NeSmith.
NeSmith isn’t having a great 2024, but has seemed to elevate his game in this format. He finished T26 at Pete Dye’s TPC Sawgrass, which gives the 30-year-old something to build off of. NeSmith is also a great putter on Bermudagrass, which could help elevate Moore’s ball striking prowess.
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After having four of the top twelve players on the leaderboard at The Masters, LIV Golf is set for their fifth event of the season: LIV Adelaide.
For both LIV fans and golf fans in Australia, LIV Adelaide is one of the most anticipated events of the year. With 35,000 people expected to attend each day of the tournament, the Grange Golf Club will be crawling with fans who are passionate about the sport of golf. The 12th hole, better known as “the watering hole”, is sure to have the rowdiest of the fans cheering after a long day of drinking some Leishman Lager.
The Grange Golf Club is a par-72 that measures 6,946 yards. The course features minimal resistance, as golfers went extremely low last season. In 2023, Talor Gooch shot consecutive rounds of 62 on Thursday and Friday, giving himself a gigantic cushion heading into championship Sunday. Things got tight for a while, but in the end, the Oklahoma State product was able to hold off The Crushers’ Anirban Lahiri for a three-shot victory.
The Four Aces won the team competition with the Range Goats finishing second.
*All Images Courtesy of LIV Golf*
Past Winners at LIV Adelaide
- 2023: Talor Gooch (-19)
Stat Leaders Through LIV Miami
Green in Regulation
- Richard Bland
- Jon Rahm
- Paul Casey
Fairways Hit
- Abraham Ancer
- Graeme McDowell
- Henrik Stenson
Driving Distance
- Bryson DeChambeau
- Joaquin Niemann
- Dean Burmester
Putting
- Cameron Smith
- Louis Oosthuizen
- Matt Jones
2024 LIV Adelaide Picks
Cameron Smith +1400 (DraftKings)
When I pulled up the odds for LIV Adelaide, I was more than a little surprised to see multiple golfers listed ahead of Cameron Smith on the betting board. A few starts ago, Cam finished runner-up at LIV Hong Kong, which is a golf course that absolutely suits his eye. Augusta National in another course that Smith could roll out of bed and finish in the top-ten at, and he did so two weeks ago at The Masters, finishing T6.
At Augusta, he gained strokes on the field on approach, off the tee (slightly), and of course, around the green and putting. Smith able to get in the mix at a major championship despite coming into the week feeling under the weather tells me that his game is once again rounding into form.
The Grange Golf Club is another course that undoubtedly suits the Australian. Smith is obviously incredibly comfortable playing in front of the Aussie faithful and has won three Australian PGA Championship’s. The course is very short and will allow Smith to play conservative off the tee, mitigating his most glaring weakness. With birdies available all over the golf course, there’s a chance the event turns into a putting contest, and there’s no one on the planet I’d rather have in one of those than Cam Smith.
Louis Oosthuizen +2200 (DraftKings)
Louis Oosthuizen has simply been one of the best players on LIV in the 2024 seas0n. The South African has finished in the top-10 on the LIV leaderboard in three of his five starts, with his best coming in Jeddah, where he finished T2. Perhaps more impressively, Oosthuizen finished T7 at LIV Miami, which took place at Doral’s “Blue Monster”, an absolutely massive golf course. Given that Louis is on the shorter side in terms of distance off the tee, his ability to play well in Miami shows how dialed he is with the irons this season.
In addition to the LIV finishes, Oosthuizen won back-to-back starts on the DP World Tour in December at the Alfred Dunhill Championship and the Mauritus Open. He also finished runner-up at the end of February in the International Series Oman. The 41-year-old has been one of the most consistent performers of 2024, regardless of tour.
For the season, Louis ranks 4th on LIV in birdies made, T9 in fairways hit and first in putting. He ranks 32nd in driving distance, but that won’t be an issue at this short course. Last season, he finished T11 at the event, but was in decent position going into the final round but fell back after shooting 70 while the rest of the field went low. This season, Oosthuizen comes into the event in peak form, and the course should be a perfect fit for his smooth swing and hot putter this week.
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Of all the clubs in our bags, wedges are almost always the simplest in construction and, therefore, the easiest to analyze what might make one work differently from another if you know what to look for.
Wedges are a lot less mysterious than drivers, of course, as the major brands are working with a lot of “pixie dust” inside these modern marvels. That’s carrying over more to irons now, with so many new models featuring internal multi-material technologies, and almost all of them having a “badge” or insert in the back to allow more complex graphics while hiding the actual distribution of mass.
But when it comes to wedges, most on the market today are still single pieces of molded steel, either cast or forged into that shape. So, if you look closely at where the mass is distributed, it’s pretty clear how that wedge is going to perform.
To start, because of their wider soles, the majority of the mass of almost any wedge is along the bottom third of the clubhead. So, the best wedge shots are always those hit between the 2nd and 5th grooves so that more mass is directly behind that impact. Elite tour professionals practice incessantly to learn to do that consistently, wearing out a spot about the size of a penny right there. If impact moves higher than that, the face is dramatically thinner, so smash factor is compromised significantly, which reduces the overall distance the ball will fly.
Every one of us, tour players included, knows that maddening shot that we feel a bit high on the face and it doesn’t go anywhere, it’s not your fault.
If your wedges show a wear pattern the size of a silver dollar, and centered above the 3rd or 4th groove, you are not getting anywhere near the same performance from shot to shot. Robot testing proves impact even two to three grooves higher in the face can cause distance loss of up to 35 to 55 feet with modern ‘tour design’ wedges.
In addition, as impact moves above the center of mass, the golf club principle of gear effect causes the ball to fly higher with less spin. Think of modern drivers for a minute. The “holy grail” of driving is high launch and low spin, and the driver engineers are pulling out all stops to get the mass as low in the clubhead as possible to optimize this combination.
Where is all the mass in your wedges? Low. So, disregarding the higher lofts, wedges “want” to launch the ball high with low spin – exactly the opposite of what good wedge play requires penetrating ball flight with high spin.
While almost all major brand wedges have begun putting a tiny bit more thickness in the top portion of the clubhead, conventional and modern ‘tour design’ wedges perform pretty much like they always have. Elite players learn to hit those crisp, spinny penetrating wedge shots by spending lots of practice time learning to consistently make contact low in the face.
So, what about grooves and face texture?
Grooves on any club can only do so much, and no one has any material advantage here. The USGA tightly defines what we manufacturers can do with grooves and face texture, and modern manufacturing techniques allow all of us to push those limits ever closer. And we all do. End of story.
Then there’s the topic of bounce and grinds, the most complex and confusing part of the wedge formula. Many top brands offer a complex array of sole configurations, all of them admittedly specialized to a particular kind of lie or turf conditions, and/or a particular divot pattern.
But if you don’t play the same turf all the time, and make the same size divot on every swing, how would you ever figure this out?
The only way is to take any wedge you are considering and play it a few rounds, hitting all the shots you face and observing the results. There’s simply no other way.
So, hopefully this will inspire a lively conversation in our comments section, and I’ll chime in to answer any questions you might have.
And next week, I’ll dive into the rest of the wedge formula. Yes, shafts, grips and specifications are essential, too.
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golffan4life
Sep 7, 2014 at 2:05 pm
Dennis, my son just finished his college career playing all Nike equipment, he has not turned pro and is staying with nike. It has worked for him just fine. The new ball is very good as well. RZN black. Thanks for sticking up for what we feel is a great company.
Mark Thorpe
Aug 20, 2014 at 5:33 pm
My Nike Pro Combos
The seven and nine iron rusted after only two weeks use have been waiting for seven weeks
Don’t buy poor quality poor customer service
Scotty
Aug 5, 2014 at 2:13 pm
…but it’s not Titleist.
4under
Jul 30, 2014 at 2:25 pm
Dear Nike Golf,
Congrats on the recent success.
Your club designs / quality control are still awful.
Justin
Aug 17, 2014 at 11:54 pm
Isn’t that why Tiger uses Muira irons?
golffan4life
Sep 7, 2014 at 2:03 pm
Maybe you are just awful and not the clubs..
Stuart
Jul 26, 2014 at 3:17 am
Couldn’t agree more but I will not buy as in Australia there is no custom fit for nike u buy as if off the shelf which is a big ask to the consumer forking out 1300$ for non fit irons
GChild
Jul 25, 2014 at 7:42 pm
This is a really great article that speaks to the evolution of nike golf, great job! Rory, Money and marketing aside, all of these “young” players could NOT be more competitive and want to win every week. So the mention of the young talent Nike is attracting is a true testament to their commitment to excel and grow their brand. Also, I have know 3 nike staff pros who switched to another mfg because their margins were better and would increase their bottom line so to say the author is biased isn’t entirely true, you have to love the brand and how it performs to stick with a company for over 10 years. Especially if it may it may not be the most profitable.
Dennis Clark
Jul 29, 2014 at 6:01 pm
Thanks, I’m glad you enjoyed the article!
rocagolf
Jul 25, 2014 at 3:45 pm
I know it sounds picky, but why cant they make their newer tour head drivers in black?? That red is so ugly. Doesn’t appeal as much to better amateur players in my (limited) experience, but I reckon Tiger and Rory play them for a reason.
This is part of a broader complaint against drivers for being to gimmicky and ugly. Where are the Mizuno MP 600 classic shaped heads of 4 years ago? Even Titleist stuff sets up shut…
Nike Irons in my experience are quite nice, though they’re a bit goosenecked…
Harry
Jul 24, 2014 at 6:01 pm
No one buys Nike. I mean, they are giving away a free driver with a set of irons at pga. Who does that? They try to flood the market but no one wants the low level cast or standard stuff at least. They have improved, yes, but they are not Go to a country club, how many players use nike? Go to a club that rents clubs …they will tell you people laugh at nike. They are forcing them in your kids especially colleges so they have no choice and they just sponsor them. They are money whores. Over pay tiger Rory and everyone else. Nike is not a top golf company. They have improved but seriously, they aren’t close.
Billy
Jul 25, 2014 at 1:51 am
They are giving away free drivers with irons to compete with other companies, makes sense to me.
Callaway did it, I am sure TM has done it as well.
GChild
Jul 25, 2014 at 7:52 pm
This is a very narrow minded view and makes no sense
JR
Aug 5, 2014 at 4:32 pm
Taylor Made just had a promo giving a free fairway wood with a purchase of a JetSpeed driver.
Harry
Jul 24, 2014 at 5:57 pm
Walk into a pga super store There’s a small section in the corner of the new clubs. The used club rack is flooded with nike. Yes, for the top of the line blades and maybe wedges here may be some quality. Maybe muira doesn’t make tigers irons any more. But either way, while it has come a long way since the ugly sling shots it made, it is no where near on the same level as the top club makers. People can buy what they want and a very few buy nike. Look at the market share. And a tour player can use whatever they want. Very few use nike. They overpay for all their talent. If Rory was given equal money by a competitor he wouldn’t have signed with Nike. And their balls blow. It’s a ridiculous percentage who used titleist this year. What percentage actually used nike balls. The oven is all for show. How do you know the quality??? They have some innovative ideas and good adjustment trends but other companies have actually made it better
James
Jul 29, 2014 at 1:36 pm
^This guy. PGA stores are about as useful as dicks sporting goods. Look how good bringing in tons of product did for them. Selling golf equipment is hard now. Thanks to taylormade and callaway. Nike does it right and puts out great product. Can’t help the dumb closed minded people that probably thing the are tour pros but in reality are a 12 handicap.
Justin
Aug 17, 2014 at 11:59 pm
I wouldn’t say “Great”. I bought a Covert Tour 2.0 to mess with the adjustability (different from my Cobra ZL). It’s very much a “meh” club. I reshafted it to the same as my Cobra, eventually left it on “N” and 10.5 (like the Cobra), and other than the loud impact sound, there isn’t much difference.
Barney Boom
Jul 24, 2014 at 12:34 pm
I was fortunate enough to travel from South Africa to The Oven about a year ago. I must say I was blown away by their dedication to innovation and by not following status quo by designing clubs that aren’t necessarily traditional looking. Their fitting facility is world class and ultimately as a fitter myself I know that by putting Nike clubs in a golfers hands they will perform and are definately a quality product. We need brands that aren’t scared to do something different because if it makes the game easier – I’m all for it
Harry
Jul 24, 2014 at 6:15 pm
Barney drank the kool aid
Patrick R
Jul 25, 2014 at 3:31 pm
Harry drank something else I guess. What did Nike do to you besides market Golf with Tiger to where golf became more popular than ever? Apparently you don’t see how you benefit with all the new courses, golf stores, web sites and product development. I personally don’t own a Nike club, but I have used their balls, they work fine. I have tried their blades and they felt great, I personally like how they have less offset than any of the other sets out there. But come on man, relax. More companies just mean more options for you.
Moon
Jul 24, 2014 at 11:29 am
How could Nike take a credit in Rory’s recent victories? If order to do so, Nike must take a blame for Rory’s slump just before. If a player does well, it’s the equipment and when doesn’t do well it’s all personal?? Also, when Michelle Wie did not play well, it was her father, but now when she won it’s Nike’s credit??
Don’t get me wrong. I like Nike as a company. Most of my apparels as well my balls are Nike. But, I just don’t think there is a credit due for Nike here.. I really don’t think Rory won because the equipments he was playing was superior to what others were playing including Tiger’s. I think he won because of his hard work and talents.
Jimmy
Jul 24, 2014 at 12:11 pm
Nike isn’t taking credit for his win. They, along with his other sponsors, are celebrating and congratulating Rory for his victory and accomplishment using their products. Same for Michelle Wie. If anything, look at the campaign Taylor Made put on when Kaymer won the US Open? It was far more boastful than anything Nike has done.
Moon
Jul 24, 2014 at 1:14 pm
I agree with you 100%. It’s just that the title of this article is “Give Nike Golf credit where credit is due”. 🙂
Dennis Clark
Jul 24, 2014 at 2:42 pm
Moon, The Title refers to Nike Golf’s growth as an equipment company, not “credit” for Rory’s victory. They have reached the top of the industry in a very short time and that’s why credit should be given.
Moon
Jul 25, 2014 at 10:58 am
This I can live better with. Just like pretty much everyone said that Nike produced mediocre equipment and the beginning. But, as the time progressed, Nike is producing top notch products. I just hope they drop “Victory Red” theme in near future. This is coming from a guy who has 5 red polos! 🙂
Jimbo
Jul 24, 2014 at 12:38 pm
The guy who wrote this works for Nike. Just more of an advertisement than an article. Their clubs have been getting gold stars from golf digest and sites for years …since they came out …probably load up review sites with nike staffers
Justin
Aug 18, 2014 at 12:01 am
That’s why they pay the big bucks for ad space… to get those gold and silver stars!
Bluefan75
Jul 24, 2014 at 10:25 am
I have the VR Pro Blades, and let me tell you they are maybe the best feeling blades I have played. And that includes an earlier Mizuno offering. That isn’t to say the others don’t make some quaity products, but Nike is certainly not out of place at the big boy table.
Heck, while I’ve been wanting to get my hands on a Method putter, I still have an Ignite from 2008 that has performed quite well for me.
The only issue I have with Nike Golf is that up here in Canada, they will do whatever they can for Golftown, but very few pro shops carry them, and my understanding is that its due to Nike Golf’s lack of interest in them, and not the other way around. Which is a shame if you ask me.
Jon Bon Jovie
Jul 24, 2014 at 9:14 am
Nike is what people who don’t really play golf, or know anything about it, wear/use because they’ve seen Tiger Woods using/wearing it.
Rob
Jul 24, 2014 at 10:30 am
The Covert Forged are an excellent set of sticks for anyone from a 5-15 handicap. The Pro Combos and blades are nice as well.
I won’t fault a person for having a reasonable opinion, but I’d give them a whirl before knocking them. Just because something has a swoosh doesn’t mean it’s inferior.
cheeshead42
Jul 24, 2014 at 1:41 pm
That is just proof that their marketing is working. If every new golfer thinks that Nike is the only brand because Tiger and Rory wear or play it, then their endorsement contracts are more than justified.
Pazinboise
Jul 24, 2014 at 5:21 pm
Now there’s a snobby statement. So what if casual golfers gravitate towards Nike? They make good products end of story. That’s why I have a Covert driver pair with my Mizuno irons.
Harry
Jul 24, 2014 at 6:40 pm
Just look at the percentage of pros that use it……number speak for themselves bro
Pazinboise
Jul 25, 2014 at 2:56 pm
Number of pro using a particular brand doesn’t necessarily speak to the quality of their products. Companies like Callaway and Taylor Made have a lot of pros using their products but that doesn’t mean they make the best equipment. Other factor in addition to performance, like say endorsement money, factor in to Pro decisions to use a particular product. I wouldn’t say Nike make the best product out there but they certainly make a good one. Besides outside of Tiger and a few other pros I’m not sure what their endorsement budget looks like when it comes to golf.
GChild
Jul 25, 2014 at 8:06 pm
That’s right bro! I bet Rory signs with Wilson now since their irons have won the most majors right? If you are quoting numbers and talking taylormade and their Rocketballzier stuff, then this is the most hypocritical stuff I have heard in awhile.
Notorious G.I.B.
Jul 24, 2014 at 8:58 am
i am glad to see Nike doing so well, i remember back in the day when they started putting out golf shoes, boy those were uncomfortable, lol. but, they got better with those and they have come to the table lately with some fine offerings. its good for all in golf to have another company produce solid products. and while i am mostly a TMAG guy, i have used multiple products from Nike over the last 10 years and can say i was never disappointed in any of them. i particularly think they made some great wedges and golf balls as well. i wore those ‘DD’ balls out a few years ago.
as for Rory, i think he had more than equipment issues when he was going through the “slump”, you can tell in his interviews that he was trying to get a grasp of what it really takes to be a megastar in golf.
Nike truly is a power brand now with having both great apparel and great equipment. IMO, a good thing for all golfers to see……
KK
Jul 24, 2014 at 7:55 am
I like all the advancements in tech but I’m not sure it makes too much of a difference at the end of the day and on the scorecard without a proper fitting. Golfers properly fit with 10 year old clubs and shafts will outplay self-fit golfers with the latest equipment (same skill level) the vast majority of the time, IMO.
Dennis Clark
Jul 24, 2014 at 8:23 am
I see your point. I would think the best of both worlds would be latest equipment fit properly. Thx for reading. DC
Justin
Aug 18, 2014 at 12:11 am
Not really.
Driver specs (COR, MOI, head volume, face height, etc.) have been capped for about 7 or so years now. Companies realized years ago that moving the CG of a blade away from the heel and into the center of the face (using shorter hosels and/or adding weight around the toe) actually makes them more playable.
As Barney Adams said in his piece, clubs are “static”. How are they going to improve? It’s not like you can take, say, Scandium and use it for a driver face… it still has to have a COR no higher than .83. Compare that to a cellphone, where this year’s model can have a much more powerful processor in it compared to last year’s.
Jimbo
Jul 24, 2014 at 7:39 am
They have definitely come a long way. New woods are very good and that forged covert set of irons felt great. I think the standard models are good for a mid handicapper, not high. The putters are horrible though. The new wedge looks interesting and I heard they have new technology coming out with new clubs to keep an eye on.
One negative thing I heard from a couple of very experienced club makers, are when they took apart nike clubs they notice the quality of material used to make the clubs are well below average. I just don’t think they can compete with the ping line and those types but, yes they have come a long way.
spinout
Jul 24, 2014 at 3:21 am
The toe sweep looks like the perfect lobbing club out of the rough around the green. Anyone play with it yet or know the loft and bounce offerings?
fit for purpose golf
Jul 24, 2014 at 2:50 am
Very Interesting. I am a UK based club builder and play at a club in Scotland that has just opened the first Nike Performance centre outside of the US, somewhere that European tour pros come to get their Nike gear but also club golfers will be fitted there. It is an amazing set up. To be honest I haven’t done much fitting with Nike products except for a few Pros connected with above venture. In the UK and particularly Scotland where I am based you just never see anyone using Nike woods and I don’t know why. I think it might be a generational thing, talking with US friends they tell me their children won’t wear any sports shoes or clothing that isn’t Nike, when they get into golf they will be Nike devotes. In the UK currently the aspirational brands are Titleist and TaylorMade, and I believe Callaway still has the image that its an “old mans” product. I am going to go out of my way to test Covert 2.0 to at least try and form my own opinion. On a side note I think the toe sweep wedge looks amazing and can’t believe its a new idea as it appears that there are few “new” ideas in golf. 🙂
nicklaus
Jul 24, 2014 at 2:24 am
every major club manufacturer produces a legit product. period. tour players are out there smashing these things pure; day in and day out.
this years major champions have the following sponsors:
Bubba – Ping
Kaymer – TM
Rory – Nike
none of the above conform to the most popular of brands… Buba may play a pro v, but you get the picture. obviously the equipment matters, but to say that one major manufacturer is inferior to the other is rediculous. on that note, im going to try out Cobra’s tour trusty’s… i have a direct connect on these and have been contemplating replacing 3 wedges. after watching Ricky demolish both the british and US open, why would i even second guess it. LOL!
Jeff
Jul 24, 2014 at 1:55 am
Great article. I love the 3wood. But I agree with Heintz, it should get downgraded if it isn’t made lefty. I’m sure if Phil went to Nike he’d get a set made.
Gary Jones
Jul 24, 2014 at 12:30 am
I tried a Covert driver (6-9) months ago and it felt like a brick and the end of the club and I couldn’t hit at all. Maybe it just didn’t fit me that day. But I definitely agree that product loyalty isn’t a big factor as much any more. If the club works, I’m all for it. The better Nike can be the better it will make the rest.
Dennis Clark
Jul 23, 2014 at 10:56 pm
Many would be surprised at how sensitive elite level ball strikers are to very subtle changes in their equipment. It’s amazing really.
Terry
Jul 24, 2014 at 1:13 am
I was not a believer as i remember a bulky yellow club of some sort. This year out of curiosity, I pulled a Covert 5 wood out of a used bin. Never hit them before. It has become my go to and has replaced a utility from another brand. I was stunned how workable and hot it was and promptly went hunting for a 3 wood. These are Standard not tour models. I am a convert. It has become a scoring club for me as it has shortened some par 5s by a full stroke. Totally new and delicious. Keep it up.
Don
Jul 23, 2014 at 9:43 pm
What I don’t get is the absence of golf clubs at the Nike stores, especially after the huge expense with endorsements and ads with Rory and Tiger etc.
For example the Nike store in San Francisco in a high rent area has a huge amount of wasted space in layout and only a small golf apparel section. I stopped in on holiday with time n my hands figuring to give the stuff a good look.
Golferguy1966
Jul 23, 2014 at 8:52 pm
It ain’t the clubs, he could have won with a set of pinseekers.
Dennis Clark
Jul 23, 2014 at 9:20 pm
He did have Pinseekers; they were called Nike 🙂
MHendon
Jul 23, 2014 at 11:56 pm
Yeah but everyone wanted to blame the clubs last year when he was struggling.
David Heintz
Jul 23, 2014 at 8:50 pm
Nice if you are right handed. We lefties don’t get the Covert Forged.
I am of the opinion that a club should at least be down graded in these reviews if it is not available left hand. Other companies make the commitment; they should be recognized.
Dennis Clark
Jul 23, 2014 at 10:50 pm
I agree David and I’ll mention it. Thx for bringing it up.
Billy
Jul 24, 2014 at 1:07 am
LH love coming from Nike in the Fall and in 2015.
Martin
Jul 23, 2014 at 7:13 pm
I bought a Covert 2.0 Driver about a month ago and love the thing after pretty much bashing every Nike product I ever tried.
Desmond
Jul 23, 2014 at 6:58 pm
I wrote a post, saying I guess it wasn’t the clubs after Ror’s victory. All I got was crickets. And I don’t even play Nike. The clubs are better, no doubt. I did play the original Pro Combos, Nike Wedges (all good), and the original SQ — the SQ 2 was the loud one – like someone hit a trash can.
Nike …. you’ve come a long way.
John
Jul 23, 2014 at 2:41 pm
I just picked up a 58 toe sweep. and ah lak it allah.
MHendon
Jul 23, 2014 at 2:14 pm
Dennis like so many WRX’ers at one time I had a hard time taking Nike seriously trusting in more traditional brands like Titleist, Ping, Mizuno, and Cleveland. But two years ago I found myself looking for a new driver. Being somewhat of a traditionalist I came across the VrPro limited with it’s bonded hosel and smaller by today’s standard pear shaped head and decided to give it a try. I found it more forgiving then what I had been using a Titleist 905T, plus it actually felt or sounded better depending on how you judge feel and produced the perfect flight for me. I don’t see it leaving the bag anytime soon.
Dennis Clark
Jul 23, 2014 at 3:09 pm
Yea thats kind of why I wrote this piece. Their stuff is awesome, as good or better than any out there. And they’re not done. Just watch!
Jeff
Jul 23, 2014 at 4:15 pm
That particular club. The vr pro limited driver, I think that was the beginning of the new Nike Golf, since it’s release almost everything has been high quality. I hate the red paint jobs but that will probably be phased out too
Dennis Clark
Jul 23, 2014 at 7:32 pm
I agree; there is always a turning point. The business model has been most effective. Finger on the pulse of the general golf community while crafting tools for the best in the world. They don’t quit!
JBH
Jul 23, 2014 at 5:14 pm
I went through a few drivers before finding the VR Pro Limited Edition. Was tired of all the adjustable heads and gimmicky things on the market, I never adjusted the club head to begin with. Anyhow, I absolutely love this driver, so much so that I went and bought the 3w and 5w. Very clean look and such a nice sound off the forged head. I wish Nike still made these as I would love to have a back up option if I should ever break them. Currently in my bag Nike VR Pro Limited Edition Driver, 3W, 5W, Nike Vr Pro Combo Irons, Nike V-rev 52° & 56° (although I have ordered the vr pro forged in same lofts, something about a forged club feel better than the cast ones) & Nike Method Midnight 008 putter. Yeah I may be a Nike whore but I gotta say it’s some great equipment.
Dennis Clark
Jul 23, 2014 at 7:33 pm
That driver gets the BEST readings on my Flightscope fittings, hands down.
RobG
Jul 23, 2014 at 6:20 pm
A few years ago my golf clubs were stolen and when it came time to select a new driver I tried just about every club on the market and could not find a single one that I liked. Out of sheer desperation I relented and tried the VR Pro LTD with the bonded hosel. I hit a dozen or so balls on the range – I was sold. But just to be sure I played one round with it and it completely won me over. It is by far the best driver I have owned, and it will not be leaving my bag any time soon.
deaus
Jul 23, 2014 at 2:13 pm
Nike clubs are great for low handicaps. Especially the Irons. I have a few of the Tour Only clubs and they are truly amazing. I have a Dymo 380 and VR Tour version 5 and they are the best of the best. I agree that the hybrids are not great. Im interested in tryin the ToeSweep.
Dennis Clark
Jul 23, 2014 at 7:34 pm
Ive put 5 really good players in the toe sweep in the last few weeks. Its all about performance!
LorenRobertsFan
Jul 23, 2014 at 2:06 pm
Their irons are top notch. Still rocking my VR Split Cavities. Method putters would do better if more looked like the Midnight 006 or Rory’s putter. The hybrids are among the worst shaped from address I’ve seen.
Joe
Jul 23, 2014 at 4:46 pm
The shape of the hybrid head might not be the best but I seem to not be able to take mine out of the bag. I have the Covert Tour (1st year) and pretty much leave it set on 21* and I can’t miss with it. I was the guy who wanted long irons because I couldn’t find a hybrid that fit me. I started hitting this one and have loved it ever since. Feel a lot more comfortable attacking most par 5’s in 2 with it. I however can’t stand the red paint and I sanded that off after a few rounds. So now it’s just a solid silver head with the black face. I also use the DG 60* wedge that might get replaced with the new toe sweep. My wife plays the Nike Ltd Drive 9.5* and she absolutely loves it.
Dennis Clark
Jul 23, 2014 at 7:36 pm
I can forgive any look when the ball does what I want it, but I agree on the hybrid shape; knowing NIke Golf, that too will soon be better.