Equipment
Photos of Nike “VPR Strike” drivers that apparently would have come out in 2017 (updated with info and more photos)
Updated 10/10/18 at 10:32 a.m.
Photos of two other Nike VPR drivers added to Instagram
Updated 10/9/18 at 10:10 a.m.
Instagram user @oli_willson shared some of his knowledge about the Nike VPR driver that he photographed; he says the info is based on his time at Nike, and is not confimred technology stories that were gonig to be released.
“There was going to be 2 drivers, the Vapor Strike and the Vapor Strike Elite. The theme was angle of attack as most higher handicappers are steep so the VPR Strike was aimed to launch high off a steep angle of attack. The Vapor Strike Elite was a RZN head and the ball speeds were incredible. It was aimed more at the guys who sweep the ball and better players. Rory loved it and wanted to put it in play following final testing at The Oven, but Nike wouldn’t let him. I heard an extra 8 mph of ball speed vs. the blue Vapor FLY Pro. One interesting technology I heard this driver had, was that it was illegal in certain parts of the driver face, but legal in the parts where COR was measured. Was going to be marketed potentially as ‘The legal, illegal driver.'”
— original story —
An Instagram post by user @oli_willson, an “ex-Nike Golf employee” according to his Insta bio, shows a Nike “VPR Srike” driver that apparently would have come out in 2017 had Nike not decided to exit the hard goods section of the golf industry.
That is one thick “speed channel,” isn’t it?
In the Insta post, Wilson included 4 photos of the driver. Here’s a look at the crown, which seems to show some kind of carbon fiber-type technology.
Check out our TG2 video review of the product photos here.
It’s interesting to see Nike was going back to a black-and-red colorway instead of the electric blue or volt colors the company was becoming known for. What other takeaways do you have from these photos of the Nike driver that never was?
Check out our TG2 video review of the product photos here.
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- Daniel Berger what’s in the bag accurate as of the Farmers Insurance Open. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7 X
6-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 Tour (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8 X
Irons: TaylorMade P770 (3), TaylorMade Tour Preferred MC 2011 (4-PW)
Shafts: Project X Denali Blue 105 TX (3), Project X 6.5 (4-PW)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (50-12F), Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (56-14F), Callaway Jaws Raw (60-08C)
Shafts: Project X 6.5 (50), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (56, 60)
Putter: Odyssey Ai-One Jailbird Mini DB
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy PistolLock 1.0
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Wrap
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Check out more in-hand photos of Daniel Berger’s clubs in the forums.
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What are the driver and shaft combinations of the best golfers in the world? For gearheads, it’s an endlessly interesting question — even if we can only ever aspire to play LS heads and 7 TX shafts.
At this week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans, GolfWRX got in-hand looks at the driver setups of a wealth of players.
Check out some of the most interesting combos below, then head to the GolfWRX forums for the rest, as well as the rest of our galleries from New Orleans.
Rory McIlroy
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (9 degrees @8.25)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
Grip: Golf Pride MCC
Alex Fitzpatrick
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
Grip: Golf Pride MCC
Daniel Berger
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees @9)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
Grip: Golf Pride Tour Wrap
Rasmus Hojgaard
Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Blue 60 TX
Grip: Golf Pride MCC
Alejandro Tosti
Driver: Srixon ZX5 Mk II LS (9.5 degrees @10.5)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS T1100 75 6.5
Grip: Golf Pride MCC Plus4
James Nicholas
Driver: Titleist TSR3 (8 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 7 X
Grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Kevin Streelman
Driver: Titleist TSR3 (10 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 6 X
Grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Sang-moon Bae
Driver: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond (9+ @8)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 X
Grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Russ Cochran
Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke (9 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD TP 6 X
Grip: Golf pride MCC Align 
MJ Daffue
Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max (10.5 degrees @9.5)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Green RDX 65 TX
Grip: Golf Pride ZGrip Cord Align
Check our more photos from the Zurich Classic here.
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- Rasmus Højgaard what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic.
Driver: Callaway Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Blue 60 TX
3-wood: Callaway Ai Smoke Triple Diamond Prototype (16.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX
Utility: Callaway Apex UW (21 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei AV Raw White 85 TX
Irons: Callaway Apex Pro (3), Callaway X Forged (4-PW)
Shafts: KBS $-Taper 130
Wedges: Callaway Jaws Raw (52-10S, 56-10S, 60-06C)
Shafts: KBS Tour 130 X
Putter: Odyssey Ai One Milled Eight T DB
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
Check out more in-hand photos of Hojgaard in the forums.
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Dave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
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Daniel Berger WITB 2024 (April)
Daniel Berger what’s in the bag accurate as of the Farmers Insurance Open. More photos from the event here. Driver:...
Rasmus Højgaard WITB 2024 (April)
Rasmus Højgaard what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic. Driver: Callaway Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (10.5 degrees)...
Rory McIlroy WITB 2024 (April)
Rory McIlroy what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic. Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (9 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus...
Sam Burns WITB 2024 (April)
Sam Burns’ what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. Driver: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond S (9 degrees...
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H?ng Phát Blue Star
Oct 23, 2018 at 1:40 pm
The content is great
Emboom
Oct 12, 2018 at 8:02 pm
I always find it funny how people will slam something they know nothing about. I also find it interesting that several golf companies were interested in purchasing Nike technology after the Oven was shut down. If memory serves me correctly, Taylor Made was the eventual winner in acquiring the tech. Must have been something cooking in the oven that smelled pretty good.
Curt
Oct 12, 2018 at 12:55 pm
They quit making clubs I quit golfing.
~j~
Oct 9, 2018 at 11:19 am
This driver wouldn’t even make the cut for the driver vs driver show. At least they gave up on the square head and yellow shafts though. (smh)
Greg
Oct 9, 2018 at 9:30 am
Would have been in my bag . I still love my covert driver
Simms
Oct 22, 2018 at 11:45 pm
As if the DVD driver is going to be any good, try one of the DVD Triton from the first show…if Wilson had any faith in the second DVD they would offer to trade them for the first DVD, which is worth about $25 dollars in trade at the most…..
Pablo
Oct 9, 2018 at 9:21 am
So over Nike.
Brian McGranahan
Oct 8, 2018 at 7:49 pm
KABOOM!!!!
Tom
Oct 8, 2018 at 6:31 pm
Nike golf equipment? Nobody cares!
Kris
Oct 9, 2018 at 9:44 pm
Yet you just read about it and felt it important enough to you to lie in a comment.
Jarrod Calloway
Nov 9, 2019 at 12:34 pm
Exactly! So many idiots show up with their opinion like someone cares about their negative viewpoint. If you read something and don’t like it what makes your mind go to the comment section and drop ignorance. Only a miserable person acts that way…
DJ
Oct 8, 2018 at 6:27 pm
best driver Nike came out with was the Ignite
Brad
Oct 8, 2018 at 6:02 pm
Funny how the average driving distance on Tour jumped significantly after Nike bowed out of making golf clubs and most Tour Players stopped using Nike drivers. Coincidence or not? I’d say not.
Probably best that this one never made it to market.
Scott
Oct 9, 2018 at 10:16 am
I think that you are on to something. The last Nike one I hit 5 years ago was pretty accurate but substantially further behind my driver. Maybe 20 to 30 yards behind. I am not sure how any of the Nike stable of players could be near the top in driving distance, unless they were playing another brand painted to look like a Nike.
2putttom
Oct 8, 2018 at 5:49 pm
so that’s the piece of equipment with R&D that put em in the red financially
Stump
Oct 8, 2018 at 4:29 pm
I think Nike was pretty good at irons but their woods were cheesy. They remind me of the less expensive brand Rick Shiels has on his channel sometimes…Ben Ross I think.
Ardbeggar
Oct 8, 2018 at 3:29 pm
Who knows? It might be the best driver nobody ever hit.
Scheiss
Oct 8, 2018 at 1:49 pm
Looks like a great driver for Target, Walmart and Costco. It was the right decision to quit
Tim
Oct 8, 2018 at 11:50 am
Might have been a better choice in 2016 vs the butt ugly blue. Nike Golf Equipment may have lasted 1 more year?