Equipment
Spotted: Nike “MM Proto” Irons
Earlier this month, Rory McIlroy posted a picture of a Nike’s new “MM Proto” 2 iron on Instagram that, according to a Nike representative, was a collaborative effort between McIlroy, Tiger Woods and club engineers at The Oven. McIlroy went on the win The Open Championship with the club in his bag.
Today at the 2014 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, we spotted Seung Yul Noh testing out a full set of Nike “MM Proto” forged irons. Although we don’t have any information on technology or design, the in-hand photos suggest they are Nike’s new line of forged, blade-style irons.
Check out our photos of the new irons below.
Click here to see more photos and read what members are saying in the forums
Click here to see what GolfWRX members are saying about the new MM Proto iron photos in the forums.
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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.
View this post on Instagram
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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Bradley
Aug 18, 2014 at 3:25 am
AB
Stan
Aug 6, 2014 at 2:14 am
Dear God….they’re beautiful….
Kevin
Aug 5, 2014 at 1:03 pm
Do these new Nike irons include the steroids?
marcel
Aug 4, 2014 at 12:15 am
emulation Mizuno Diamond shape… id stay away from Nike… Bridgstone rules them only anyway
TheJuice
Jul 30, 2014 at 5:05 pm
I haven’t felt this way about looking at a club since I first saw the Cobra Amp Cell Pros. I waited for them, purchased them and have loved them since they first came out. Damn it, I feel like that again!!!!
bradford
Aug 1, 2014 at 12:39 pm
Wasn’t that just last year?
MLH44
Jul 30, 2014 at 5:01 pm
Glad to see Nike coming out with new forged blades, but in regard to looks these pale in comparison to the VR Pro blades. Not even close and I luv my Vr Pro blades. I wish we knew what type of carbon steel they were forged out of. Other than feel the only thing that could possibly get me to part with the VR Pros is distance. With traditional blades you typically give up 10 yards in return for control. Who cares about 10 yards when the Vr Pros are darts. However, if these were 10 yards longer than the VR Pros…difficult not to consider the putting up $1,000 cause you know that’s how much these sticks will cost. Would like to see the trajectory figures as well. Get us some data WRX
Tom Duckworth
Jul 30, 2014 at 6:37 am
Nike is growing on me. These are the best looking irons I’ve seen from them yet. Looks like a lot of help in the toe. I hope they stick with the satin finish too. I would love to see what these feel like.
Robert
Jul 29, 2014 at 11:29 pm
I hate to say it, well really I don’t, but Nike is quickly becoming my favorite club manufacturer. Their recent stuff has been top notch. I know the swoosh has it’s detractors, but you can’t argue with the performance of their line-up. The 2.0 woods and irons are truly great clubs. Now if only I could play blades!
Tom
Jul 29, 2014 at 9:26 pm
The more loft , the more the toe surface area increases, interesting.
Mike
Jul 29, 2014 at 8:57 pm
It’s like a reverse mp-64, maybe a little higher flight with the weight lower? I like em!!
Matthew Bacon
Jul 29, 2014 at 6:41 pm
Wow, those look great!
Evan
Jul 29, 2014 at 11:35 am
Excellent looking modern players iron. Home run for Nike on this one, just hope they don’t go putting tacky badges all over it.
steve
Jul 29, 2014 at 10:18 am
I know it is petty, but the swoosh is annoying
W
Jul 29, 2014 at 10:42 am
Yeah, It’s in the wrong place, it should be on the heel, and smaller, and unpainted. That would have been cleaner
Chris
Jul 29, 2014 at 12:38 pm
It may be annoying, but it’s also probably a part of their marketing for these. People will see the Nike guys gaming these and if they win with them, people will want to buy them. Gotta let them know it was the iron with the giant black swoosh on the toe.
BcavWecllh
Jul 30, 2014 at 11:01 am
But you won’t see it as well on TV! Besides, you can’t see it from the playing position.
CJ
Jul 29, 2014 at 10:08 am
If I wasn’t in love with my s55’s I would give these a try but I highly doubt that they can get rid of my ping babies.
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Jack
Jul 29, 2014 at 6:51 am
Beautiful! Not ground breaking, but a good change in direction for Nike. Agree with other posters that it’s very ‘asian’ looking. I’ve seen many similar type asian style blades. Looks like a blade but has some CB qualities.
Nath
Jul 29, 2014 at 5:20 am
Looks like I need to hold off buying those mb’s
goatee
Jul 29, 2014 at 3:49 am
from Seung-ryol Noh? gorgeous.
W
Jul 29, 2014 at 3:25 am
Winner.
cody
Jul 29, 2014 at 12:07 am
very asian inspired.
cody
Jul 29, 2014 at 12:09 am
looks like a titleist 695 iron that went to a Japanese design class.
MHendon
Jul 28, 2014 at 11:36 pm
I like a little more square toe but over all these are some nice looking sticks.
Tony Lynam
Jul 28, 2014 at 10:01 pm
Nike is really starting to come around.
NB
Jul 28, 2014 at 8:43 pm
buttersticks
snowman
Jul 28, 2014 at 8:34 pm
Those look good; doubtful I’m good enuf to game ’em…..Perhaps a forged cavity back offering as well?
kess
Jul 28, 2014 at 8:33 pm
I’d buy those. Gorgeous.
cdvilla
Jul 28, 2014 at 7:28 pm
Nike making Miuras… I like it.
bradford
Jul 29, 2014 at 9:51 am
Lol, what goes around comes around. A company can use whatever forge they’d like, so it’s very possible Miura is making these, especially in the prototype phase. I’d love to hear you could buy Nike designs and have them crafted at Miura