Nike Introduces New 20XI Balls, Method Core Putters, and VR Pro Cavity Irons

Nike again thinks outside the box and the result is a brand new ball design that takes an inside out approach to improving the one piece of equipment we use on every single shot.

Bag DropNike Golf, it seems like, has always been a company to push the boundaries and buck the trends in order to produce equipment that legitimately does make positive differences in their customer’s games. Such clubs as the SQ Sumo2 and the original line of Slingshot irons immediately come to mind. While those clubs aren’t exactly synonymous with traditional clubs, they did go a long way in making the game more enjoyable for high-handicap players. Over the last couple of years, we’ve seen them tone down the appearances and even the sound in some cases, but don’t mistake that as them resting on their laurels. Their VR franchise is proof of exactly that as well as Nike’s commitment to give the players what they want. Even the SQ Machspeed line of drivers and fairways have a much more subdued, all black finish this year, which is a stark contrast to the light grays and bright yellows we’ve seen used in recent years.

As I said though, don’t mistake those trends in aesthetics as a lack in progressive thinking. In fact, they’re still pushing the limits as hard, if not harder, than before and a prime example is their newest golf ball, the 20XI. What makes it so revolutionary? Well, you’ll have to follow along to find out. While you’re at it, kick your feet up and take a look at the latest in the Method line of putters as well as the all new VR Pro Cavity irons.

Nike 20XI Ball
I’m not sure how sharp your attention to detail is during the weekly televised PGA broadcasts, but the sharper eyes may have noticed a small difference in the Nike Golf commercials. The iconic ONE badge has been replaced on the hats of Nike’s athletes with a new, unfamiliar “20XI” (pronounced “twenty-ex-eye”). The veil has been lifted as Nike has introduced 20XI as its new line of premium golf balls. Formerly codenamed “RZN”, the new 20XI balls mark the introduction of new materials and technology that has never been used in the industry before. For the last four years, Nike Golf’s ball engineers have worked in conjunction with material and science experts at DuPont, with the end result being a new ball which drops the conventional rubber core in favor of a new resin material (hence its codename, RZN). This resin is a highly neutralized polymer that’s faster and lighter and results in both longer distances and more control.

Nike 20XI

By employing this new resin core, the three critical components golfers desire are all achieved in a single ball: longer distances from the tee, more predictable, consistent, straighter ball flight, and an increase in control near the green. As we’re all aware, achieving longer distances is a result of an increase in ball speed at a rate of roughly 3 yards per every mile per hour increase in ball speed. Thanks to advancements in their proprietary resin core chemistry, Nike’s new 20XI delivers just that. In fact, internal testing with their tour athletes has shown an average of 2-3 mph increase in ball speed.

I have never been more excited about a new golf ball innovation than I am now. For many years, golf ball development has primarily been focused on the number of layers with a solid rubber core. We believe that there wasn’t really anywhere else to go as far as technology advancement in these areas, and felt that the next window of opportunity was in the exploration of various materials for the core.

Rock Ishii, Product Development Director for Golf Balls, Nike Golf

Nike 20XI X Cutaway
The Nike 20XI-X – Tour-Level Distance

The 20XI also has an enormous amount of MOI, which has a couple of different benefits. First and foremost it’s going to produce not only a longer ball flight, but also a straighter one. Just like with a driver, or any other club, perimeter weighting is the key. The 20XI ball achieves this by having a lighter core with heavier outer layers. This high MOI helps to reduce spin off the driver (at an average of 100-200 RPM less than previous Nike balls), yet maintains spin longer after the ball reaches the apex of its flight, allowing it to maintain carry and control. Once the ball begins its descent, the higher MOI helps to sustain an average of 100-200 RPMs, which keeps the ball carrying a little more. The 20XI, in fact has the highest levels of MOI in a golf ball to date.

Nike 20XI S Cutaway
The Nike 20XI-S – Tour-Level Spin

While the 20XI is designed to spin less off the driver, the opposite is true for wedge shots. This comes from the use of softer cover materials, which is a key factor in producing optimal spin, as it allows for a ball to be “grabbed” more by the grooves in a wedge.

Rock and his team have nailed this. They’ve been able to increase the gap between driver spin and wedge/iron spin. With this ball, I have 2mph more speed off of the driver and I’m hitting it 10 yards farther. Nike has developed a ball that goes faster and has found materials that spin more with the wedges and less with the driver. So it’s longest off the tee and spinniest around the greens. What’s not to like?

Stewart Cink, PGA Tour Pro

There’s also one other notable fact about this revolutionary ball – Nike’s new technology led to a reduction in manufacturing steps, and results in a 54% increase in production consistency with these new resin core balls compared to the rubber core balls.

Nike 20XI X Packaging

Like the previous generation Nike One Tour and One Tour D, the 20XI will launch with two different versions. The first is the 20XI-X, which takes the place of the One Tour D as the “tour-level distance” ball. The other is the 20XI-S, which replaces the One Tour as the softer, spinnier ball. Both balls deliver an increase in ball speed, an increase in MOI, and a steeper spin slope, though the properties of the 20XI-X reduces driver spin and gets the most out of the tee shot.

Nike 20XI S Packaging

Expect to see both variations of 20XI in stores in late April, as they become available on April 29th in North America. Though MSRP is set at $58, expect to pay $45.99 when they hit the shelves.

Nike Method Core Putters
Launched in November 2009, the original Nike Method putters made quite the splash, as two majors were won with the then-mysterious, prototype grooved-face Nike putter that was in the bags of Open Champion Stewart Cink (Turnberry) and U.S. Open Champion Lucas Glover (Bethpage Black). Even longtime Scotty Cameron loyalist Tiger Woods, who had won all of his majors with his precious Newports, experimented with the Method at times.

Nike Method Core
From left to right: MC-1i, MC-2i, MC-3i, MC-4i, MC-5i. Note the red face insert as opposed to steel finish in the original Method.

Now the Method family has a new member in the form of the new Method Core, which makes use of a polymer-aluminum fact insert with polymer back that goes all the way through the milled face grooves.

This face insert serves a dual purpose – it lessens impact vibrations and produces a full, pure sound while also “grabbing” the ball at impact which produces a truer forward roll. Backspin, skidding, and misdirection are therefore eliminated, and the result is more accurate distance control.

Nike Method Core
From left to right: MC-1i, MC-2i, MC-3i, MC-4i, MC-5i

While the face of the original Method was all steel, with polymer filled grooves, the new Method Core features a distinct red face insert that composes the entirety of the impact zone. The grooves remain present as well, as they are the main contributor in gripping the ball and setting it on a more accurate path, though now they reside within the red insert.

It used to take upwards of 4 degrees of loft to achieve this kind of launch angle, but 4 degrees of loft creates skid, which causes the ball to be unstable and inconsistent in speed, said . “By introducing Polymetal Groove Technology, we’ve found a way to create the desired launch angle with the stability and speed control of a skid free roll.

David Franklin, Golf Club Designer, Nike Golf

The new Method Core, as you can see from the pictures, comes in five different models. They MSRP is set at $159.99, though in-store price will be $129.99.

Nike VR Pro Cavity
Being the idiot I am, I completely overlooked the new Nike VR Pro Cavity irons, which hit stores February 3rd. I had assumed they were the same design as the long irons in the VR Pro Combo irons that we covered a little while back. Well, turns out, they’re not. Instead, they’re an all new member of the VR Pro family, designed to be the successors to the cast VR Full Cavity irons. So what’s new in these irons?

Nike VR Pro Cavity

For starters, the VR Pro Cavity features the new Opti-Mass Weighting system, which moves weight lower, deeper, and more towards the center, basically optimizing the location of the center of gravity so that the VR Pro Cavity irons produce a more optimal ball flight and longer distances.

You may be wondering what exactly the Opti-Mass system entails. Nike describes it as an injection molded blend of polymer and high density tungsten to create precise weight distribution, while also serving as a dampening tool. In plain English that dummies like you and I can understand, that means that it’s a mixture of materials that allows them to both place weight exactly where they want, and also fine tune what your hands feel.

Nike VR Pro Cavity - Face

Another of Nike’s new technologies present in the Nike VR Pro Cavity is their Linear Center of Gravity Mapping. By gradually moving the CG back as the irons progress from short to long irons, each club in the set produces more consistent distances and optimal launch for each individual iron. As a side note, the VR Pro Cavity irons have a lower and deeper Center of Gravity than that of the previous generation VR Full Cavities.

Though these may have their fair share of forgiveness, they continue the aesthetically pleasing styling of the VR Blades and VR Pro Combo irons, which will likely make them appealing to the mid-handicapper who is looking for forgiveness in a traditional looking package.

Nike VR Pro Cavity - Address Position & Toe

Options and Availability
The standard set of Nike VR Pro Cavities consists of 4-iron thru Gap Wedge, and is available for both right handed and left handed players. Individual 3-irons, sand wedges, and lob wedges are available as well. The standard steel shaft is the True Temper Dynalite 110 (available in X, S, and R) and the standard graphite is the Project X Graphite (available in 6.5, 6.0, 5.5, 5.0, and 4.5). MSRP is set at $839.99 for steel and $959.99 for graphite, though real world expect to pay $699.95 and $799.95 respectively. The individual irons will run just under $90 each. As always, custom options are available if you prefer a different shaft or grip. You can find them in stores now, as they hit shelves February 3rd.

5 thoughts on “Nike Introduces New 20XI Balls, Method Core Putters, and VR Pro Cavity Irons”

  1. Hey natpowers,

    Thanks for the compliment, but this isn’t really a review. Instead it is just our coverage of Nike’s announcement of these new products. We do have some Nike reviews that have either recently been published (including the VR Pro Combo irons review Jamieson wrote) or are soon to be published (including my review on the Nike Lunar Control golf shoes). Here’s the link to the VR Pro Combo Review I mentioned – http://thesandtrap.com/b/clubs/nike_victory_red_vr_pro_combo_irons_review

    Stay tuned for the others 🙂

    And I know I’m certainly looking forward to getting my hands on the 20XI balls. Maybe we’ll end up actually reviewing them once they get closer to launch. If anything, there will be some good reviews from forum members in the equipment section there.

  2. Interesting. Not sure about the putters and irons but keen to try out the balls when they appear this side of the Pond.

    On the subject of the balls, can someone please clear something up? I was under the impression that there was a maximum initial velocity for balls under some specified testing setup. Assuming this is the case how can Nike claim increased ball speed? Or were they that far away form the max legal limit initially? Or is the claim re. ball speed/distance a bit of guff?

  3. Misty-

    Here’s the ruling – http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Rules-on-Clubs-and-Balls/Appendix-III-%E2%80%93-The-Ball/

    Now, the thing about is that it only lists initial velocity, Nike could be referring to a different point in the ballflight, as in it somehow maintains it’s speed for a longer duration, or for a lack of better way to say it, slows down slower than the previous One balls. That’s only my best guess though, I may not be thinking about it correctly 🙂

    As far as the distance thing goes, my understanding is that the ball maintains its spin longer(see above, the part about 100-200 RPMs, after the apex), which keeps the ball in the air longer and therefore leads to additional carry. That plus the additional ball speed (if that’s the case).

  4. Normally irons look better in person, but not so for these Nikes. They’re hideous. Not as bad as the new Burners and Cobras, but still, blech!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *