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Tech Talk: Nike’s New VR_S Covert Irons

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Golfers love long and forgiving drivers. But when it comes irons, many golfers prefer an aesthetically pleasing model over one that packs the most performance.

Nike’s new VR_S Covert irons are a replacement of the company’s VR_S iron from last year. Like the VR_S, they are a cast iron aimed at double-digit handicapers. But thanks to a design initiative called “Covert,” the company was able to add distance and playability to the irons without the bulkier chassis of last year’s model.

Tony Dabbs, product line manager for Nike Golf, said the biggest problem with the VR_S irons was that they had thick toplines and thick soles. This made them less appealing for single-digit handicap players than Nike’s VR_S Forged Irons, which were used to win on the PGA Tour by Tiger Woods (3 iron) and Carl Pettersson (4 iron).

nike 2013 irons

The Covert irons actually have higher a Movement of Inertia (MOI) than the VR_S irons from 2012 thanks to extreme perimeter weighting. Like Nike’s Covert Drivers, the Covert Irons move a substantial amount of weight away from the center of the club face and to the heel and toe sections of the club where it adds forgiveness.

nike vr s covert iron

Moving weight away from the center of the club face can result in a harsher feel and clickier sound, which is why Nike engineers added a polyurethane badge behind the impact area that softens the feel and quiets the sound.

nike covert iron review

“It’s a decoration, but it also has a purpose,” Dabbs said. “Without the badging, it really rings.”

The Covert irons also use Nike’s NexCore faces that debuted in the VR_S and VR_S Forged irons, but the faces are even thinner that last year’s models, which according to Dabbs provides more flexibility and thus more distance, especially on mishits.

nike covert vrs iron

The Convert long irons and middle irons are constructed from 450 Carpenter steel, while the short irons are made from 1704 stainless steel for a slightly softer feel.

The irons will come stock with True Temper Dynalite 90 steel shafts (S and R-Flex, RH and LH), and will be available for $699 on Feb. 1. The stock graphite option will retail for $799 with Nike KuroKage Black 70 shafts in S, R and A-flex (RH and LH).

Click here for more discussion in the “Tour/Pre-release equipment” forum. 

Click here for more discussion in the “Tour/Pre-release equipment” forum.

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29 Comments

29 Comments

  1. John

    Jun 27, 2014 at 4:30 pm

    Hi, Could somepone please tell me how good are the standard Dynalite 90 shafts in these clubs as I have ordered a set. I am trying out the Regular shafts from my current KBS tour stiff which are in my Mizuno MP53’s. I am looking to swing a little easier and hopefully gain more distance and straighter. Any comments or suggestions will be appreciated.

  2. colin liddle

    Jan 4, 2014 at 2:51 pm

    I bought a set yesterday. I am high handicaper and I am so impressed by the feel of these clubs. Dont give a toss what they look like.

  3. joe dagostino

    Aug 14, 2013 at 8:51 pm

    I too like several of you who posted was not even considering Nike. LOL it was actually not even a club I was considering to hit. However after spending a few hours at Edwin Watts and trying more than a 1/2 dozen irons, the representaive after looking at my numbers suggested I give these a try. After the first few hits with the 7 I knew it felt the best and the numbers showed it. I now own the set and love them and don’t regret it at all. I can’t wait until the newer model comes out just to give them a shot. I’m a 4 handicap. Joe, Palm City Fl

  4. Andy H

    Jun 9, 2013 at 11:07 am

    To all of those commenting on the looks of clubs – are you insane? Personally it’s what they do rather than the look that’s important to me. I think you all need a slap.

    If you are hanging these on your wall at home however, please ignore me!!

    • Louis P.

      Jul 26, 2013 at 4:26 pm

      Well said!

      You can have the most beautiful clubs in the universe but if you can’t hit them, they are not worthy!

      After 2 hours trying several clubs from many brands, the last and the more effective were these Coverts. How impressive they perform, they were the chosen one.

  5. afogie

    May 5, 2013 at 3:41 pm

    I just bought the irons and couldn’t be happier. They have a funny sound but fly true and long. I don’t like thick topline clubs and I can say without question the irons are not ugly at address. I tested them against my Titleist AP1’s and the Coverts were a club longer. I am a 9 looking to get lower and I know these irons will help.

  6. Shark

    Apr 16, 2013 at 1:24 pm

    Looks are not great from behind. I know you don’t see at address but we all like to look at clubs sticking out if our bag with at least a moderation of looks.
    But at address they were great. I likes the compact for game improvement size. Waggling it felt great.
    Going to sim test the them based on a great review on YouTube (considering guy said repeatedly…. Irritatingly… Oh my god easiest to hit irons…. I’ve ever tested!) I have to ignore busy ugly back for nice at address look and supposed performance.

  7. rclwxmkoppdg

    Mar 28, 2013 at 7:19 pm

    gqluinnahihf

  8. ofdorlqzdenx

    Mar 28, 2013 at 7:18 pm

    oizzmvrdjblq

  9. Cronin1019

    Mar 21, 2013 at 11:09 pm

    I have never owned a Nike Club. Their first gen stuff left a lot to be desired. My buddies at Edwin Watts had me try the new VRS Covert Irons. We fitted the 7 iron to the same specs of my current clubs. 2 degrees up, standard length. I tested the Mitsubishi Kuro Kage graphite stiff. Looking at the club from the bag you wonder what they were thinking with all of the graphics and design. However, when I set the club down I understood what “covert” meant. The top line and offset are that of a good players club. The 7 iron was a degree in loft stronger than mine but I was hitting it longer and straighter than my current clubs. Making solid center face contact was easier than any club I have ever hit.

  10. Shineman

    Mar 3, 2013 at 5:38 pm

    I spent a couple hours getting fit for irons, hit Rocketbladez, Cobra AMP, Hot-X, and Nike Covert.
    I did not even want to hit the Nike,but guess what – Nike was the club…. Tight dispersion and comparable distance with good feel.. now what

    • JAS

      Sep 28, 2013 at 11:04 am

      I has exactly the same experience as yours. So what?
      Rally huye difference: Easy, straight and long.

  11. digi168

    Feb 7, 2013 at 9:03 pm

    I thought these were pretty ugly looking in the photo’s but had a chance to see them up close and personal and they actually aren’t that bad. They do however go a long long way. I demoed the 7 iron and it was carrying 185 which is about 15 yds. longer than my mizunos. I know the lofts are bit stronger, but man are these easy to hit. Long, high, and straight, if you can get over the fact that they are Nike clubs I think they will impress a lot of people.

    • Greg Uptegraff

      Feb 27, 2013 at 9:48 am

      I hit all the newest irons looking for a replacement for my R9’s. These felt as good as any, picked up ball speed, consistent group and ball flight, and consistently longer.

  12. acaldwell

    Dec 8, 2012 at 7:57 am

    wow! thats ugly haha. i have the original vrs irons and they’re so much nicer than this.

  13. Punky

    Dec 6, 2012 at 9:18 am

    Would like to see the specs on the Nike Covert irons.

  14. Congo Starter

    Nov 25, 2012 at 1:15 pm

    Aside from the combos and forged irons of the past and present these are pretty ugly. They are, however, an improvement over past VRS. Would be nice if they closed the gap on the back. Looks like a smile with a missing tooth.

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  16. Graphiteti

    Nov 10, 2012 at 6:37 am

    Rory’s new sticks!

  17. Joe Golfer

    Nov 10, 2012 at 2:10 am

    If the shorter irons are made of 17-4 steel, that’s hardly considered to be a soft steel, as was mentioned in the article.
    It’s actually a harder steel on the MOH’s scale. It’s just that the long and middle irons have that even harder Carpenter steel face (to make the face thinner, and I’m guessing that the hosel and perimeter of the club is also 17-4 steel in those irons.

  18. jay hall

    Nov 9, 2012 at 10:21 pm

    wow, looks like somebody did a $h!t on a shaft. Typical Nike stuff.

  19. obvioustroll

    Nov 9, 2012 at 9:36 am

    ye dont like the looks.. too much is going on there.

  20. Pingback: SNEAK PEEK: VR_S Covert Irons | NG NATION — Nike Golf Fan Blog

  21. Hans

    Nov 8, 2012 at 4:36 pm

    Looks like mick Jagger’s tongue coming out of the back of the iron.

  22. Gman

    Nov 8, 2012 at 2:17 pm

    I agree with Hoosier, very ugly. Top line is 6-7 mm thick, how can one get past this at address? i will stick with my MP-9’s , as they came with 1and 2 iron as well.

  23. Hoosier

    Nov 8, 2012 at 12:21 pm

    not sure i’ve seen an uglier iron. i’ll stick with my mp64’s but if you want forgiveness and a good look the JPX825s are way to go. These are ugly

  24. William Klosek

    Nov 8, 2012 at 12:20 pm

    Wow that’s one boring and ugly iron….I predict they have a dud on their hands….My Wilson Staff Di-11’s are a MUCH better looking club (and probably hit better too)

  25. theoo

    Nov 7, 2012 at 10:19 pm

    not bad looking, wish they would put some blades or CBs out this year

  26. paul

    Nov 7, 2012 at 10:11 pm

    I think TM will sell more rocketbladez then Nike will sell of these.

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Whats in the Bag

Chesson Hadley WITB 2024 (March)

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Driver: Titleist TSR3 (10 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 70 TX

3-wood: Titleist TSR2+ (14.5 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX

Irons: Titleist T200 (3), Titleist 620 CB (4, 5), Titleist 620 MB (6-PW)
Shafts: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 105 X (3), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-PW)

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-12F, 56-14F), WedgeWorks (60-K)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG 2-Ball
Grip: Odyssey

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Check out more in-hand photos Chesson Hadley’s clubs here.

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Whats in the Bag

Gary Woodland WITB 2024 (March)

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Driver: Cobra Darkspeed X (8 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TZ5 70 M5

  • The white circle that appears at the top of the face a removable sticker that’s used for launch monitor tracking, and Woodland removes it for competition!

3-wood: Cobra Darkspeed X (14 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TZ5 GW100 Prototype

7-wood: Cobra LTDx LS prototype (20 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TZ5 GW100 Prototype

Irons: Wilson Staff (18 degrees), Cobra King MB (4-PW)
Shafts: KBS Tour C-Taper Limited X

Wedges: Cobra SB (48), Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-08F, 56-14F), Cobra King (60)
Shafts: KBS Tour C-Taper Limited X (48 degrees), KBS Tour V-Ten 125

Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 3.0P

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord

See more in-hand photos of Gary Woodland’s WITB in the forums.

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Q&A: Martin Trainer on his Bobby Grace “Greg Chalmers” putter, 6.5-degree driver, and “butter knife” 2-iron

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As unbiasedly as I can put it, Martin Trainer has one of the coolest club setups in professional golf. (At some point soon, I’ll put together a top-10 list of “coolest club setups on Tour,” but I know that Trainer will be in the top-10)

What a lineup. He plays a 6.5-degree Wilson prototype driver, a 13-degree Wilson prototype 3-wood, a true blade Wilson Staff Model 2-iron, and a Bobby Grace “Greg Chalmers Commemorative” putter!

 

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I mean, look at this 2-iron from address…

To quote the great author R.L. Stine: “Goosebumps.”

On Wednesday at the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open, I caught up with Trainer to learn more about his bag setup.

Here’s what he had to say:

You have the Internet going crazy over your bag setup, and your putter. Where’d you pick the Bobby Grace-Greg Chalmers putter up? How long have you had it?

MT: This was from when Bobby Grace came to my course in California: Cal Club. And for whatever reason, they just started having them in the shop. So then I took my buddy’s, started using it, and made, like, a million putts in a row, which is how every putter story begins, I guess.

And then, I bought a couple of my own, used it for years, got to the Tour with it, won on Tour with it (the 2019 Puerto Rico Open). Then, about a year later, started using another putter, did that for a couple years, but now it’s back in the bag.

When did it come back in the bag?

MT: December of this past year. So a few months ago.

What year would you say was the first time you threw that in the bag, or, like, when you bought it?

MT: God…Probably, 2016, maybe? 2018?

Do you remember how much you paid for it?

MT: I don’t know, actually. Maybe $100-150 bucks or something. I think that’s the only golf club I’ve bought between high school and now. Well, two, since I bought two of them.

The driver is interesting, too. What went into the prototyping process?

MT: That was a version of the current driver, but it was the prototype that they first came out with for Tour guys to try. And for whatever reason, I just never switched out to the new one.

It’s just 6.5 degrees, right?

MT: Yeah. Very low loft, yeah.

What kind of ball speed do you have with that these days?

MT: Like high 170’s.

Yeah, that’ll work. And then a 2-iron blade? We’re seeing fewer and fewer of those out here.

MT: Yeah. The butter knife.

Very cool thing to have in the bag. Have you done any testing with driving irons? 

MT: Yeah, I used to have a thicker one, but it was a little offset, and I never hit it that well. And then finally, I started messing around with the butter knife. And I remember the first time I looked down at it, I was terrified. And then I ended up getting used to it, putting it in play, and it’s been in place since. It’s a pretty good club for me.

How far do you carry that? 

MT: Like 235.

A good little wind club, I’m sure.

MTL Yeah, exactly. I can hit it very low. It’s great.

I love it. You have people shook looking at that. Thanks for the time, man. 

MT: Absolutely.

To see more photos and discussion of Trainer’s bag, click here.

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