Equipment
Nike Golf’s Full 2015 Equipment Line
Those of you making a new equipment wish list will love this: all of Nike’s 2015 products, which includes many things we expected and a few things that we didn’t expect.
Regulars in our forum knew that there were three new Nike drivers: the Vapor Flex, the Vapor Pro and the Vapor Speed, and we assumed that new fairway woods and hybrids were coming in 2015 as well. Nike also announced the release of three new Vapor irons in August. What we didn’t know, however, was that Nike would bring radical new wedge designs called “Engage” and two new lines of Method putters.
Take a look at our screen dumps of the new clubs and specs below (you can click on the images to enlarge them), or click this link to read the discussion in the forums.
2015 Nike Vapor Drivers
2015 Nike Vapor Fairway Woods
2015 Nike Vapor Hybrids
2015 Nike Vapor Irons
2015 Nike Engage Wedges
2015 Nike Method Putters
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Whats in the Bag
Kevin Tway WITB 2024 (May)
- Kevin Tway what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX
5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 90 TX
Irons: Wilson Staff Utility (2), Titleist T100 (4-9)
Shafts: Mitsubishi MMT 100 TX (2), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F @51, 56-14F), SM7 (60-10S)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (48-56), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (60)
Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: Scotty Cameron Black Baby T
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Plus4
More photos of Kevin Tway’s WITB in the forums.
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Equipment
Did Rory McIlroy inspire Shane Lowry’s putter switch?
Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
The timing of Lowry’s putter changeup was curious: Was he just using a Spider putter because he was paired with McIlroy, who’s been using a Spider Tour X head throughout 2024? Was Lowry just being festive because it’s the Zurich Classic, and he wanted to match his teammate? Did McIlroy let Lowry try his putter, and he liked it so much he actually switched into it?
Well, as it turns out, McIlroy’s only influence was inspiring Lowry to make more putts.
When asked if McIlroy had an influence on the putter switch, Lowry had this to say: “No, it’s actually a different putter than what he uses. Maybe there was more pressure there because I needed to hole some more putts if we wanted to win,” he said with a laugh.
To Lowry’s point, McIlroy plays the Tour X model, whereas Lowry switched into the Tour Z model, which has a sleeker shape in comparison, and the two sole weights of the club are more towards the face.
Lowry’s Spider Tour Z has a white True Path Alignment channel on the crown of his putter, which is reminiscent of Lowry’s former 2-ball designs, thus helping to provide a comfort factor despite the departure from his norm. Instead of a double-bend hosel, which Lowry used in his 2-ball putters, his new Spider Tour Z is designed with a short slant neck.
“I’ve been struggling on the greens, and I just needed something with a fresh look,” Lowry told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship. “It has a different neck on it, as well, so it moves a bit differently, but it’s similar. It has a white line on the back of it [like my 2-ball], and it’s a mallet style. So it’s not too drastic of a change.
“I just picked it up on the putting green and I liked the look of it, so I was like, ‘Let’s give it a go.’”
Read the rest of the piece over at PGATour.com.
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Equipment
Webb Simpson equipment Q&A: Titleist’s new 2-wood, 680 blade irons, and switching to a broomstick Jailbird
With seven career wins on the PGA Tour, including a U.S. Open victory, Webb Simpson is a certified veteran on the course. But he’s also a certified veteran in the equipment world, too. He’s a gearhead who truly knows his stuff, and he’s even worked closely with Titleist on making his own custom 682.WS irons.
On Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship, I caught up with Simpson to hear about his experience with Titleist’s new prototype 2-wood, how Titleist’s 680 Forged irons from 2003 ended up back in his bag, and why he’s switching into an Odyssey Ai-One Jailbird Cruiser broomstick putter this week for the first time.
Click here to read our full story about Simpson’s putter switch on PGATOUR.com’s Equipment Report, or continue reading below for my full Q&A with Simpson at Quail Hollow Club on Wednesday.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
GolfWRX: It seems like you’ve been a little all over the place with your irons in the past six months or so, and now going back to the 680’s. Is that just a comfort thing? What’s been going on with the irons?
Webb Simpson: Titleist has been so great at working with me, and R&D, on trying to get an iron that kind of modernizes the 680. And so the 682.WS took the T100 grooves, but kinda took the look and the bulk and the build of the 680’s into one club. They’re beautiful, and awesome looking. I just never hit them that well for a consistent period of time. It was probably me, but then I went to T100’s and loved them. I loved the spin, the trajectory, the yardage, but again, I never went on good runs. Going through the ground, I couldn’t feel the club as well as with the blade. So last week, I’m like, ‘Alright. I’m gonna go back more for…comfort, and see if I can get on a nice little run of ball striking.’
So that’s why I went back.
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OK, that makes sense. I know you had done some 2-wood testing recently. Is that in the bag right now?
It’s like day-by-day. I used it at Hilton Head every day. Valero, I used it one round. And this week, me and my caddie will do the book every morning, and if it’s a day where we think we need it, we’ll just put it in and take the 3-wood out. I love it because it’s a super simple swap. Like, it doesn’t really change much.
Yeah, can you tell me about that club? I mean, we don’t really know anything about it yet. You know? I haven’t hit it or anything, obviously.
It has grooves like a 3-wood. Spin is perfect. And it’s honestly, like, everything is in the middle of a 3-wood and driver number. Trajectory, spin, carry, all of it. So, a Hilton Head golf course is almost too easy to talk about because, you know, there, so many holes are driver 3-wood.
Valero, our thinking was we had two par-5’s into the wind, and we knew that it would take two great shots to get there in two. So instead of hitting driver-driver, we just put it in. And I used it on those holes.
Hilton was a little easier because it was off-the-tee kind of questions. But Colonial will be a golf course where, you know, there’s a lot of driver or 3-woods. It’s kind of like a backup putter or driver for me now. I’ll bring it to every tournament.
So it’s, like, in your locker right now, probably?
Well, it would be. It’s in my house [because Webb lives near by Quail Hollow Club, and is a member at the course.] It’s in the garage.
Oh, yeah, that’s right. Do you know what holes you might use it out here if it goes in play?
Potentially 15, depending on the wind. Second shot on 10. Could be 14 off the tee. The chances here are pretty low (that he’ll use the 2-wood). But, like, Greensboro would be an awesome club all day. I’m trying to think of any other golf courses.
There’s plenty that it’ll be a nice weapon to have.
It’s interesting, the wave of 2-woods and mini drivers. Like, it’s just really taken off on Tour, and all the companies have seemed to embrace it.
Yeah. The thing I had to learn, it took me, like, at least a week to learn about it is you gotta tee it up lower than you think. I kept teeing it up too high. You need it low, like barely higher than a 3-wood. And that was where I got optimal spin and carry. If you tee it up too high, you just don’t get as much spin and lose distance, I don’t know if that’s just a mini driver thing.
And you obviously have a Jailbird putter this week. What spurred that on?
Inconsistent putting. I’m stubborn in a lot of ways when it comes to my equipment, but I have to be open minded – I just hadn’t putted consistently well in a while. And I’m like, ‘Man, I feel my ball-striking coming along. Like I feel better; for real, better.’
If I can just get something in my hands that I’m consistent with. Being on Tour, you see it every year, guys get on little runs. I can put together four to five tournaments where I’m all the sudden back in the majors, or in the FedExCup Playoffs. You can turn things around quick out here. I’m like, ‘Man, whatever’s going to get me there, great.’
My caddie, David Cook, caddied for Akshay at the Houston Open and he putted beautifully. Then, I watched Akshay on TV at Valero, and he putted beautifully. And, I’m like, ‘I’m just going to try it.’
I’ve never tried it for more than a putt or two, and I just ordered what Akshay uses. It was pretty awkward at first, but the more I used it, the more I’m like, ‘Man, it’s pretty easy.’ And a buddy of mine who’s a rep out here, John Tyler Griffin, he helped me with some setup stuff. And he said at Hilton Head, he wasn’t putting well, then tried it, and now he makes everything. He was very confident. So I’m like, ‘Alright, I’ll try it.’”
And you’re going with it this week?
Hundred percent.
Alright, I love it. Thank you, I always love talking gear with you. Play well this week.
Thanks, man.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
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DJ
Dec 11, 2014 at 10:17 pm
Those wedges look terrible!
killerbgolfer
Nov 28, 2014 at 12:55 pm
Can’t wait to see some of these in person. The vapor irons look great in person, but I haven’t seen the woods, wedges, or putters yet. NIKE has really come a long way in the last few years.
Teaj
Oct 20, 2014 at 8:15 am
does anyone know if the black part on the back of the clubs is just paint or an insert? The reason I ask these clubs would look a lot better after I took some paint remover to them.
Mrmagooz
Oct 8, 2014 at 8:48 pm
Wow is nike going backwards? Ugly stuff!
Todd
Oct 8, 2014 at 10:49 am
I don’t get it….if the line isn’t out yet, how the heck is Rory already playing the new Vapor driver 🙂
Pat
Dec 3, 2014 at 6:24 pm
The guys on tour sponsored by Nike have access to prototypes at their disposal before the public does.
MHendon
Oct 5, 2014 at 11:17 pm
The Vapor pro irons looks great from the address position and I like the flex driver best from the address position of the drivers. So did Rory switch to everything in the Vapor line, fairways too?
Rich
Oct 3, 2014 at 7:38 pm
Does anyone else think it’s weird that the woods and irons are the “volt” and black colour scheme but the putters are red and black? How annoying! Why on earth would they do that!
Johnnie
Oct 3, 2014 at 6:13 pm
Best-looking Nike clubs ever.
paul
Oct 3, 2014 at 12:21 am
Putters look sexy in a futuristic way. I have gamed a Nike putter and almost bought a second. Might have to give that pro combo a try as well…
chad
Oct 2, 2014 at 7:14 pm
Really not feeling the look of these. IMO the worst looking clubs out there.
Nigel
Oct 2, 2014 at 10:14 am
I think the Pro driver, speed fairway and hybrid will be seeing the inside of my golf bag next year.
Love the colourway
BCav
Oct 2, 2014 at 10:07 am
Is Nike’s club business robust enough to carry three separate product lines? Seems like a lot of product.
ally smith
Oct 1, 2014 at 8:42 pm
sure glad you guys got this before they (NIKE) took it off line. thanks again
Christosterone
Oct 1, 2014 at 8:33 pm
I like my gap wedge to match my set.
I wonder if the AW from the Pro Combo would match 4-pw Pro???
Cwolf
Oct 1, 2014 at 6:05 pm
So excited that they are bringing back the ds wedge and having a raw finish. That is exactly what I was hoping for. The vr ds wedge is in my bag now and I love it, but the glare is awful. This new one is perfect!!!!
Jericho
Oct 1, 2014 at 1:21 pm
The Nike Camerons look pretty good
Chris
Oct 2, 2014 at 6:40 pm
yeah, almost as good as the cameron Pings…..
Lane
Oct 8, 2014 at 11:00 am
Which resemble the Ping Pings…
kess
Oct 1, 2014 at 1:19 pm
I like the engage wedge… That about sums it up.
Tizod
Oct 1, 2014 at 1:17 pm
Kinda surprised by the length of the Speed iron lineup. The Coverts 2.0 were already longer than “standard” and now they increased it another 1/4″
nothing0017
Oct 1, 2014 at 1:08 pm
43.75″ 3 Wood?! Yikes.
AdamB
Oct 1, 2014 at 5:38 pm
+1!! Yikes
Josh white
Oct 1, 2014 at 12:44 pm
Take 20% off msrp and that’s retail
cdvilla
Oct 1, 2014 at 12:01 pm
Nike Golf just gets better… I really like this offering. If I’m going to pick nits, I like the sole offerings but just wish their wedges were “classic.”
TR1PTIK
Oct 1, 2014 at 12:46 pm
Agreed. Although a bigger gripe on the lineup would have to be their inclusion of the Wrap 2G grip for the woods and hybrids. That grip seems to wear rather fast and is horrible for moisture control – I’m currently playing the grip on my irons and can’t wait to switch. No way would I want that grip on the fastest swinging clubs in my bag! They should have used the Tour Velvet or similar grip. Actually, they could have kept their “volt” theme going and used the Niion grips throughout the entire lineup. It would have been uglier, but at least it’s a better grip in my opinion.
John
Oct 1, 2014 at 1:54 pm
On your comment about the wedges. I do understand where you’re coming from, but I think one of the things that I’ve admired most about Nike’s recent golf offerings is the fact that they’re willing to be a little different in order to innovate. They don’t look like Vokey’s, because I think Nike doesn’t want to be associated with Vokeys, they want to be able to stand out on their own as an innovative wedge that performs. Same with the Covert Drivers and the cavity. And as an owner of a toe sweep 58*, I can attest, that they do indeed perform. But I have been waffling back and forth between going to a slightly more forgiving GI iron, and the vapor speeds have my attention. Fitted, of course, so I wouldn’t have to deal with the generous length, I’m -1/2″ from standard as it is.
dot dot
Oct 1, 2014 at 11:56 am
Look at that price list. They sure aren’t shy about wanting top dollar as an MSRP
J
Oct 1, 2014 at 11:53 am
Adjustable weight in the putter grip seems like a neat idea.
TR1PTIK
Oct 1, 2014 at 11:42 am
Surely retail prices will be lower, but I nearly crapped myself when I saw the MSRP for the Vapor Flex driver! Glad I don’t have any interest in that one, but I am interested in the Vapor Pro and would hope that retail will be closer to the $400 mark. Nice to get a look at the full lineup though, and I’m very interested in the putters and wedges as well. Great looking stuff from Nike this year!
MHendon
Oct 1, 2014 at 12:18 pm
Give it a year and get them for half price.
TR1PTIK
Oct 1, 2014 at 12:37 pm
Very true! Nike’s markdowns are often some of the biggest when new releases are just around the corner.
golfpunk46
Oct 1, 2014 at 11:40 am
Ew
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