The folks at Nike Golf aren’t wasting any time getting a new driver out to the masses in 2009 with their release of their SQ DYMO drivers. While billing itself as the winningest driver brand on the PGA Tour the past three years (it helps to have a guy named Tiger Woods on your team), there is no doubt the impact the SQ line as a whole has made on the golf industry.
The SQ DYMO line is the latest incarnation of drivers to come from the folks in Beaverton, OR and they utilize some fancy geometry in order to provide a better fit for today’s golfer. Tag along as we take a look under the hood at the latest from Nike Golf.
Technology
The DYMO line is a creation born from ideas from Nike Golf’s PGA Tour staff as well as from the folks who customize their equipment in the Tour Van. The DYMO technology is described as “Dynamic Moment of Inertia, which means that the CG location, Nike PowerBow size, head size, lie angle and MOI have been optimized and performance-matched to each respective available loft for more distance and better performance.” Yes, each loft is a bit different in order to fine-tune your golf game. Pretty heady stuff.
Using what Nike Golf calls “PowerBow Weighting,” the weighting for each loft is different in order to maximize the “shot-enhancing performance demanded by all players.” The PowerBow Weighting is the smallest in the 9.5° model and also featuers a higher face as well as a more forward center-of-gravity to help give players a more “penetrating trajectory with less spin.”
With the higher lofts, from the 10.5°, 11.5°, and 13° HL models the weight is gradually increased in size and the center-of-gravity is moved further and lower back from a slightly shallower face in order to give you a higher launch angles and higher spin rates. This fine-tuning gives each combination the “ideal balance of carry and roll for greater overall distance for each and every loft.” Very nice!
As well with each loft, the lie angle increases in increments of one degree, from 60° in the 9.5° model up to 63° in the 13° HL model for more assistance in helping keep your drives long and on the straight and narrow. Technology can be a wonderful thing.
Besides all the options discussed above, you also have two options for head shape. For those of us who just want to bomb it straight, the square-shaped SQ DYMO2 is available with it’s weight positioned deep in the corners of the clubhead in order to give you exceptional stability and forgiveness as well as to assist you in getting the ball airborne more easily.
The more traditional looking, and rounder-shaped SQ DYMO gives you some of a bit more feel and control and offers better players the ability to work the ball based on the shot-shape their tee shot demands.
If that wasn’t enough customization to put together a driver to suit your needs, both DYMO drivers are fitted with a Nike Golf proprietary UST Wide Body Shaft with an AXIV Core. Featuring a larger overall diameter throughout the body in order to provide you with more stability through impact based upon “specific moment of inertia characteristics of each loft-tuned head”, while the AXIV Core “provides the tip stiffness required for optimum power transfer.” Put your tray tables in the upright and locked position and be prepared to be launched.
Availability
The DYMO drivers will be available for men in the following loft options: 8.5°: X,S,R,A (righties only); 9.5°: X,S,R,A (righties and lefties); 10.5°: X,S,R,A (righties and lefties), 11.5°: X,S,R,A (righties only), and 13° HL: X,S,R,A (righties only). Women have the loft options of 11.5°(righties only) and 13° HL: W (righties only). Both will carry a MSRP of $360.00 (about $300 street is what I’m guessing).
You’ll be able to add the SQ DYMO to your bag in a few short weeks on on February 1.
Final Thoughts
In golf today, if your equipment isn’t customized to fit your game, you are leaving some distance, accuracy, and strokes on the course. Nike Golf certainly is spending some serious money in their R&D department to utilize various technologies in order to help you find the fairway.
I’ll be interested to give these a try and will be sure to hit up my favorite golf shop when these come out to see if all this geometry is worth the hype. I haven’t been the biggest fan of the SQ line up to now mainly due to the looks and sound but I am intrigued with what the SQ DYMO has to offer. We’ll have to see how all the geometry and technology shakes out but at least from a looks standpoint, Nike Golf has finally come out with a driver I will at least give it a chance to knock my current occupant out from my bag.
I’ll give them a try along with the new Taylor made and Cobra offerings when I get to America. It will be interesting as I was not impressed with either Nike’s or Calloways 1st square offerings at all . They went straight up and then down with NO distance at all I could hit a 7 iron further.
that dymo is looking pretty sharp. it will spend some time on my golf wish list.
Today I went to be fitted for the ideal driver. Had many to choose from. The final fit was a Nike SQ Dymo 9.5 with a V2 stiff shaft. Wow! What a nice combination for me. My launch angle was like 14deg+ and the spin was 1800 – 2400 consistantly too.
I also wasn’t impressed with past Nike drivers but after testing the new Titleist 440 and others, this turned out by far to be my best fit. I was also impressed as the main reason for getting a new driver this year is to shape the shots’. This clubhead allows that. The club was available at the pro shop for $299. I’m not sure if there was an upcharge for the shaft. Will probably buy this one in the next 30 days.
I have just got a 9.5 degrees with a regular stock shaft. My previous Nike SQ driver (both round heads) had a whippier shaft and head and certainly felt lighter. This club just feels heavier in my hand and I am having trouble hitting it as long. I also feel like I am having a problem with the stiffness of the new Dymo shaft. Will reserve comments till I have hit it a while longer and on the course. At the moment just hit it with range balls on a rather cold evening. Also will spend some time with the club pro to see if I can get it going. I am a mid-handicapper.
Very nice review.
This will be an interesting addition to Nike’s arsenal. The PowerBow Weighting” concept sounds very interesting to me, we’ll have to see that plays out.
I’m a little surprised by their shaft selection, AXIV Core. By all standards, an excellent shaft. But the AXIV caters for the stronger player while this driver seems to be catering to the recreational golfer. I would have thought they’d go more for the Grafalloy or even Fujikura stock shaft.
Nice driver but pity as no NS PRO/Fujikura etc. shaft options.
I just bought the 11.5 square model, labeled “R”.
Salesman said that “R” means Regular stiffness. Is he right?
What do X, S, R and A mean?