Equipment

Spotted: Nike “MM Proto” Irons

Published

10 years ago

Jul 28, 2014

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.

Your Reaction?

LIKE2
LEGIT1
WOW3
LOL0
IDHT0
FLOP0
OB0
SHANK0

Related Topics:

Up Next

Spotted: Callaway Big Bertha V Series Driver

Don't Miss

GolfTEC’s My Pro To Go offers personalized swing analysis, instruction

Andrew Tursky

He played on the Hawaii Pacific University Men's Golf team and earned a Masters degree in Communications. He also played college golf at Rutgers University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

32 Comments

Bradley

Aug 18, 2014 at 3:25 am

AB

Reply Report comment
Stan

Aug 6, 2014 at 2:14 am

Dear God….they’re beautiful….

Reply Report comment
Kevin

Aug 5, 2014 at 1:03 pm

Do these new Nike irons include the steroids?

Reply Report comment
marcel

Aug 4, 2014 at 12:15 am

emulation Mizuno Diamond shape… id stay away from Nike… Bridgstone rules them only anyway

Reply Report comment
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!!!!

Reply Report comment
- bradford
  
  Aug 1, 2014 at 12:39 pm
  
  Wasn’t that just last year?
  
  Reply Report comment
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

Reply Report comment
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.

Reply Report comment
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!

Reply Report comment
Tom

Jul 29, 2014 at 9:26 pm

The more loft , the more the toe surface area increases, interesting.

Reply Report comment
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!!

Reply Report comment
Matthew Bacon

Jul 29, 2014 at 6:41 pm

Wow, those look great!

Reply Report comment
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.

Reply Report comment
steve

Jul 29, 2014 at 10:18 am

I know it is petty, but the swoosh is annoying

Reply Report comment
- 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
  
  Reply Report comment
  - 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.
    
    Reply Report comment
- 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.
  
  Reply Report comment
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.

Reply Report comment
Pingback: Spotted: Nike “MM Proto” Irons | Spacetimeandi.com
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.

Reply Report comment
Nath

Jul 29, 2014 at 5:20 am

Looks like I need to hold off buying those mb’s

Reply Report comment
goatee

Jul 29, 2014 at 3:49 am

from Seung-ryol Noh? gorgeous.

Reply Report comment
W

Jul 29, 2014 at 3:25 am

Winner.

Reply Report comment
cody

Jul 29, 2014 at 12:07 am

very asian inspired.

Reply Report comment
- cody
  
  Jul 29, 2014 at 12:09 am
  
  looks like a titleist 695 iron that went to a Japanese design class.
  
  Reply Report comment
MHendon

Jul 28, 2014 at 11:36 pm

I like a little more square toe but over all these are some nice looking sticks.

Reply Report comment
Tony Lynam

Jul 28, 2014 at 10:01 pm

Nike is really starting to come around.

Reply Report comment
NB

Jul 28, 2014 at 8:43 pm

buttersticks

Reply Report comment
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?

Reply Report comment
kess

Jul 28, 2014 at 8:33 pm

I’d buy those. Gorgeous.

Reply Report comment
cdvilla

Jul 28, 2014 at 7:28 pm

Nike making Miuras… I like it.

Reply Report comment
- 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
  
  Reply Report comment

Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Equipment

A shocking Backstryke putter appearance + 7 interesting gear photos from the Zurich Classic

Published

4 hours ago

Apr 25, 2024

Andrew Tursky

Welcome to New Orleans, where TPC Louisiana plays host to the 2024 Zurich Classic. In between breakfast beignets and nightly Creole feasts, PGA Tour players are also competing in the unique two-man format at the Zurich this week.

Although the vibes in Nawlins are a bit lighter-fare than the recent back-to-back competitions the Masters and the RBC Heritage signature event), the gear news was no less serious this week.

We spotted some recent changes from Rory McIlroy, a very rare Odyssey Backstryke putter, dove into the bag of legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and spotted Patrick Cantlay continuing to test new equipment.

Get your beads out and crack your crawfish, because it’s time for an equipment rundown from The Big Easy (meaning New Orleans, of course, not Ernie Els).

See all of our photos from the Zurich Classic here

Rory’s on-and-off lob wedge

Since the end of 2023, Rory McIlroy has had an on-again, off-again relationship with a Titleist Vokey K-Grind lob wedge. In his last start, it was on, and the wedge is back in the bag again this week. We got a great look at the complicated grind that McIlroy uses.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by GolfWRX (@golfwrx)

A full look into McIlroy’s bag above also shows that he switched out of the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper that he used at the RBC Heritage, and he’s back into the Qi10 core 3-wood. As we discussed last week, McIlroy will likely keep the BRNR around as a course-specific club, trading it in and out for the 3-wood.

See Rory McIlroy’s full 2024 WITB from the Zurich here

Turning Back the clock

Unless Tommy Gainey is in the field, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see Odyssey’s Backstryke technology make an appearance on the PGA Tour.

But then, when you least expect it, Russ Cochran shows up.

For more than a decade – since the 2013 Sony Open in Hawai’i – Cochran has been stuck on 599 PGA Tour starts. This week will be his 600th.

Cochran is in the field at the Zurich this week playing alongside Eric Cole, whose regular caddie is Reed Cochran, Russ’s son.

The Backstryke putter was first released back in 2010, and its unique design helps shift the axis point of the putter closer to the CG of the head. And, the putter is getting a nod this week at the Zurich Classic, thanks to Cochran’s 600th career PGA Tour start.

The putter is certainly awesome, but don’t forget to check out Cochran’s full WITB from this week.

Drew Brees with a Super Bowl winning Scotty Cameron putter

Drew Brees, a legendary retired quarterback for the hometown New Orleans Saints, made an appearance at the Zurich’s Wednesday Pro-Am, playing alongside Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer, and current Saints QB Derek Carr.

Brees’ bag included a TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus driver, a BRNR Mini 13.5-degree, a Stealth 5-wood, a mixed set of P-790 and P-760 irons, Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges, and a custom Scotty Cameron “New Orleans Saints” putter, which Scotty made for Brees following his Super Bowl MVP-winning performance in 2010.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by GolfWRX (@golfwrx)

It should also be noted that Brees has his Venmo QR code as a bag tag.

If you’re gambling with Brees on the course, just know that not having cash won’t work as an excuse.

Brilliant.

See Drew Brees’ full WITB from the Zurich here

Stricker’s unrecognizable putter

Steve Stricker has made numerous upgrades to his bag recently, including a new TSR3 driver and T100 irons, but his longtime Odyssey White Hot No. 2 putter is still going strong. It’s the most recognizable unrecognizable putter ever.

Here’s a better look at Stricker’s flatstick, which he started using back in 2007.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by GolfWRX (@golfwrx)

Patrick Cantlay has opened the equipment-switching floodgates

Over on the PGA Tour’s Equipment Report this week, we covered Cantlay’s recent switch into Ping Blueprint S irons, and a Titleist TSR2 driver.

Cantlay hadn’t switched irons for about seven years, so the iron switch he made at The 2024 Masters came as a shock to the norm. He simply isn’t one to change gear very often, so anytime Cantlay makes a switch, it’s news.

It seems the floodgates of equipment testing have opened up a bit for Cantlay, who was also spotted testing a custom Scotty Cameron blade putter on Tuesday this week. By Wednesday, Cantlay was back practicing with his familiar Scotty Cameron T5 Proto mallet, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on going forward.

Daniel Berger’s custom Jailbird site lines

Berger, who’s currently using Odyssey’s Ai-One Mini Jailbird mallet putter, has a unique 3-dot, 2-line alignment on the crown of his navy-white-navy-white mallet putter. Looking down at the putter, it’s easy to see why this alignment system would help; it just seems impossible to set up to the ball off-center, or misaligned to the target.

Also, for anyone worried, you can rest easy. Yes, he’s still playing the 2013 TaylorMade TP MC irons, which we highlighted in our recent “Modern Classics: Old vs. New” video testing series.

FitzMagic teams back up

Brothers Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick are teaming up once again at the Zurich this year, and Bettinardi Golf hooked them up with some festive “FitzMagic” headcovers to match this week.

See what else is in Alex Fitzpatrick’s WITB here

And, with that, we say goodbye to the Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week, including 30 unique photo galleries full of equipment photos.

We’ll see you next week in Texas for the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson!

Your Reaction?