I’ve had the opportunity to review a few different sets of irons over the past six or eight months, all of which were positive experiences. I had the Nike Slingshot OSS Irons first, and I hit those pretty well. They weren’t as consistent as I would have liked, so I was very excited to give the Nike CCi Cast irons a chance.
The Slingshot and CCi irons are completely different when it comes to technology and look, but in the end, they are about the same when it comes to performance. The CCi Cast irons are respectable in all categories, but is respectable enough in the competitive world of golf equipment? Read my breakdown to find out if they are made for you or not.
Technology
Nike is constantly trying to create clubs that help separate themselves from the competition. In hopes of achieving their goal, the designers created the Composite Cavity Insert, better known as CCi. The two key components that make up the insert are a feel-enhancing polymer and a high-density tungsten weight plug.
The two polymer-filled sole ports were incorporated in hopes of dampening vibration to achieve a softer feel than a conventional cast clubhead. The CCi Cast irons are constructed from 431 stainless steel. The 431 stainless steel is 25% softer than the commonly used 17-4 stainless. All of this is designed to decrease vibration at contact and create a much more comfortable experience.
The polymer-filled sole ports shown above were designed to increase forgiveness for me and my fellow hackers.
The tungsten weight plug was created to increase forgiveness by lowering the center of gravity. In addition, the CCi irons provide a clean design with a CNC Milled Face which is designed to make distance and shot pattern predictions much easier and more consistent.
The Look
I mentioned above how much different the CCi irons look in comparison to the Slingshot irons, and this is a great thing. The Slingshot irons are hideous looking, while the CCi irons are very sharp. In fact, they are probably the slickest-looking iron I have seen over the past couple years. The look of a golf club isn’t the most important thing, but it’s nice to play ones that are appealing.
The first thing you will notice when looking at the head is the Composite Cavity Insert. The tungsten weight plugs are located on the back of the irons, and the two polymer filled ports are located on the sole. The back of the irons are mostly a slick-looking black color, with a stainless steel look mixed in. Each iron has a small Nike and CCi symbol on the back which is simple yet effective.
The back side of the CCi Cast Irons are made up of the Composite Cavity Insert and are also very slick looking.
At address, the CCi irons look very similar to my Titleist 804.OS irons. They may be a hair or two wider, but the topline is pretty close. This is much narrower than the Slingshot irons I reviewed last year. The Slingshots were far too wide for my liking, and it’s nice to see the CCi irons take a much-needed step back in that department.
Overall, the CCi irons are prettier than any other iron I’ve ever played. All my friends liked what they saw as well and had nothing but great things to say about the slick look of the clubs. If nothing else, at least the irons looked good while I was playing. Unfortunately, a club’s looks don’t improve a golfer’s ability.
At address, the CCi Cast Irons are easy on the eyes and look a lot different than their Slingshot OSS siblings.
Feel and Performance
This is where golf companies set themselves apart from the rest of the pack. An iron can look better than any other in the world, but it doesn’t mean a thing if it doesn’t perform on the golf course.
Unfortunately, the Nike CCi Cast iron didn’t perform well enough to set itself apart. It ends up in the middle of the pack for me here. The CCi, as a cast club, feel remarkably similar to TaylorMade’s r7 irons. The CCi aren’t nearly as heavy as the Slingshot OSS nor are they as light as my Titleist 804.OS.
My first couple rounds were a struggle with the CCi irons. I didn’t hit the irons very straight or far, and I struggled with getting my traditional distance from these irons. Part of this may have been caused by the cool winter weather that I wasn’t accustomed to yet, but I eventually improved.
The face of the Nike CCi Cast Irons are very similar to other top irons on the market. They are nice looking nonetheless.
After playing a few more rounds, my accuracy improved, but my distance did not. After making some adjustments, I can hit the CCi irons fairly straight now, and for the most part, fairly controlled distances. It just surprises me how much shorter the irons are in comparison to the Slingshot OSS and Taylor Made r7. The CCi irons are easily one club shorter than similarly marked irons from either of those sets.
The feel at contact wasn’t what I had hoped for. The polymer and 431 stainless steel technology was designed to create a smoother contact with less vibration, but I couldn’t tell any difference.
As far as the overall performance goes, I wasn’t blown away by any means. The irons feel good at setup, and they feel good going through the swing motion. However, the contact and performance isn’t overwhelming. The CCi irons are likely better than average, but they simply aren’t as good as some of the ones I’ve hit in the past.
The picture above shows the obvious differences between a Nike CCi Cast short iron, mid iron, and long iron.
Specs and Other Features
The Nike CCi Cast irons are available in many different lofts, lies, and lengths. As I’ve said before, be sure to get custom fit for any new iron purchases. It’s definitely worth your dollar (if it even costs anything) to get things right the first time.
When it comes to shaft options, you can outfit your Nike CCi Cast irons with True Temper’s ultra-popular Dynalite Gold Steel Shafts in X, S, R, and A flexes. There is also a CCi Constant Weight Graphite Shaft by Mitsubishi Rayon as well. The lighter graphite shaft will provide optimum distance control, and is also available in X, S, R, and A flexes.
The Dynalite Gold Steel Shaft is my shaft of preference, but a graphite shaft is also available for those interested.
The default set of Nike Slingshot OSS irons comes with 4-iron through A-Wedge, though 2- and 3-irons and sand wedges are optional custom orders. You can purchase the CCi irons at Edwin Watts Golf for $699 (steel) or $799 (graphite).
Conclusion
The Nike CCi Cast irons are solid in every way, but they aren’t great in any area other than look. In the ever-competitive golf equipment market, a company must go above and beyond other companies to create a great iron. I would recommend the CCi irons to anyone who enjoys playing Nike clubs, but that’s about it.
My Titleist irons are almost two years old, and they are just as good, if not better, than the CCi irons. And the Taylor Made r7 irons I played for a few months last year blow the CCi irons out of the water when it comes to distance and control. If I played with the CCi irons for a year or so, maybe I would perfect them. Then again, maybe I wouldn’t.
All in all, I can’t say many bad things about Nike’s latest irons. My scores probably wouldn’t get much worse if I played them instead of my Titleist irons, but they probably wouldn’t get any better either. When it comes right down to it, other than the slick look, the CCi irons didn’t knock my socks off in any category. They are solid and nothing more.
I don’t know what your problem is with these irons. 👿
I can honestly say these are the longest irons I have ever hit.
For all of you reading this review, dont count the CCi’s out of it.
These are some great irons that are at the top of my list, “this coming from a guy who plays blades.”
no offense, cody… but distance is really not a factor when chosing an iron. You hit the R7 longer? Maybe because TaylorMade bends them 2 degrees strong?
Considering you played R7s I guess you arent the typical scratch player so as with any equipment, looks and custom fitting are the most prominent factor to determine whether you will have success with your clubs or not. “They are solid and nothing more.” seems a very harsh verdict given the sample size.
Cody: Good review. Nothing wrong with “solid and nothing more.” The definition of “review” isn’t “A chance to fawn over everything, no matter what.” Sounds like the Nikes are good irons that are worth a try, but they’re not going in your bag. I’d rather read that than a joyous rehashing of a press release. Keep ’em coming.
Different brands have varying loft, shaft length, shaft flex. Furthermore if distance is the sole criteria of choosing an iron set, all the pros would prefer either regular flex or even graphite shafts. So long as there’s a reasonable distance gap between the 3 iron and 5 wood, it’s alright. If someone really want ultimate distance out of their iron, I’ll tell them to put a driver shaft on their 5 iron and increase the loft by 5 degree…..that’ll do it.
I completely agree with those mentioned about the distance. Irons are mostly required to provide an accuracy with certain distance. If you are a player who want and show your buddies 200 yards shot with 7 or 8 iron just like Tiger Woods, this is not a set of club for you. I played only 3 rounds with Nike cci and gradly tell you that it helps you to hit high trajectory shot.
If you think CCI’s good, try Fusion Irons. Soft feel & impact, extra distance, and sounds extremely wonderful when you hit it right.
I will agree with this review. I am currently borrowing a set of these from my club to try out for the week. They are solid and beautiful clubs, but, they do infact hit one club shorter than my current clubs which are basically Callaway custom fitted knock offs and a few others I’ve been trying. I am a single digit handicap, and when it comes to clubs, hit them all and buy the ones you hit the best. Who cares what brand you play, play the ones you feel the most confident with. Currently, for me, these clubs feel incredible for ME. Just my $.02.
That is exactly my point. If you are above average player, you would not care for extra distance, (Extra distance for par 4 or 5 depends on a driver.) Why would you have extra distance for irons?? Let’s say, 190 Yards par 3, by this “extra distance” iron, you use 5 iron, but by using this typical or nike CCi iron, 4 iron is your choice, what is the deal?? if you can’t hit 4 iron, probably you should not be on the course or at least hit from ladies tee. There are thousands of golfers who should not play on courses by lack of skill. at least they need to know how far they can hit by every single club. To me, extra 10 yards is just changing club up one. Like I said, if you want hit 200+ yards by a iron, get nickent or tour edge or some those manufactures design irons for the distance. Nike CCI is not that bad. I do not work for Nike nor love desparately Nike but CCi irons are decent and well designed irons that I have ever used. Well balanced for the accuracy (straight ball). For sure, it is better than my former irons, Titleist 981 (I know that it is kinda old, but they were excellent club for those who love extra offset feel setting). Anyway, my point is when you are getting a brand new iron set, what are are you willing to do? If you feel that your short distance or lack of power stops you beating your friends, Nike CCi is not for you. But if you feel the accuracy, especially on Par 3, bothers your overcome your opponents, these clubs would prabably help you. My swing used to produce what we call “power fade” but afte swithing to Nike CCi, it has became dead STRAIGHT! If you dont trust me, try the at your local golf shops. it’s free!
Some of you are confused. I play a set of King Cobra Gravity backs from 1999. I hit the 6 iron 200 yards, but when i go to the 5, 4, and 3 irons, my yardage between clubs falls. I hit the 3 at max about 240. Where tiger can hit his damn near 270. In all its true about the length of irons. There is no need for length. THats why they offer rescues, hybrids, and fair way woods. THe point of an iron is to be dead on straight. If you want to be able to put the ball on the greeen from 200 + yards it doesn;t matter what club it is. Just get it on. The only people who can complain about iron length are those who hit their driver 330, their fairway wood 300, and their 3 iron, 250+. That group is known as long hitters on the PGA tour. Therefor, without knowing anything about these nikes, as long as you are hitting it straighter, even if u lose one club of length, they will help your game. Much like distance golf balls. THey help u hit it further but don’t help your score. Ever played with a 65 year old that can shoot in the low 80’s but can’t drive it over 200 yards? THe key is hitting the ball straight. Anything that helps u do that will improve your game. Distance is cool, but accuracy scores.
I applaud this review. Very well put.
if you are so displeased with the distance then change the shaft flex or even material. but that is not the most important thing when it comes to buying irons. they are officially ‘game improvement’ irons so surely a higher, straighter trajectory would be nothing but beneficiary. i am about to put these in the bag, 4-gw along with my hybrid (incidentally the nike slingshot) of a 4 iron loft. hybrids are designed to hit it further, so i believe, as i hit the hybrid nearly as far as a 3 iron but with more consistency, that with these irons in my bag i will perfect the distance gap between my irons. im going to purchase them in graphite so as to gain more control. i hope to be left with clubs to perform the distances of a 3-gw set. overall i think this is a slightly naive review of the clubs because if used in the bag correctly distance should never be an issue, especially with irons that perform high and straight.
adam please shutup. most of what you said made little sense and anything that did simply repeated previous comments. and i hope you don’t buy graphite shafts for control. you might get a small shock. i commend the previous comment much more accurate
” im going to purchase them in graphite so as to gain more control. ”
GRAPHITE SHAFT for MORE CONTROL??? Are you kidding me?? No offense, but you must be a beginner.
I have just bought a set of these clubs from american golf, having tried clubs such as the mizuno mp 32, a blade club, wilson pi5 and lots of other forged cavity back clubs.
since i was only hitting into a net i could not realy tell how far these went but after a long har 😆 d decision between the wilson pi5 and the nike cci , i decided that with these i was hitting minutely more acurately from where the balls hit the net, and i had hit some balls out of the toe of this club which still went ok.
i dont know about the distance of these clubs but all that matters is that the longest club in your bag is long.
I just bought these irons and have only hit them at the driving range, but was a little concerned about two things. First, the great sound I used to get with my other irons I don’t get with these when I hit the sweetspot…it sounds more like a metal-clanging sound. Secondly, when I went to clean the clubs afterwards, I noticed the finish they had on the club face was already starting to chip away after hitting just a few balls. Anyone else experience this with their clubs and should this be a concern?
the marks were noticable after my first hitting session as well but soon you will not notice them as the finish on the clubs makes it more noticable but as they age they react as normal irons do and the great thing about these is they retain their awesome looks even when the sole gets a little scratched
I have been using this irons for about 3 months and I love it. Very forgiving set of irons. Very straight.
Cody excellent review. Very helpful and informative. These are all over Ebay for short money, which tends to support your conclusions. Obviously, they didn’t sell well despite their good looks.
I am a +0.2 GHIN hcp golfer. I have, like most, tried everything on the market, except Nike. I read horrific reviews of their irons and knowing Tiger is actually playing Mizuno Irons with a Nike Stamp doesn’t sit well either. Their Drivers and woods are great, and putters are crap. So with all of this said, I went to the Professional Fitting Shop near my home here in W.P.B., FL and decided it was time to trade in my old DCI irons for new technology.
I spent 2 1/2 hours, hit 4 buckets of balls, and tried 7 sets of Irons 8I, 6I, 3I (all the usual suspects). At the end of the day the Mizuno MP 57’s were on the top of the list, followed by the new Cobra Irons the tour players are playing, and last were the Ping i10’s. Now my game is quite different than most, so by no way is this a suggestion of equipment for most golfers. My fitting pro said he played the CCi Cast Irons by Nike, and suggested I give them a whack. Against my wishes I did. The last set… I was carrying the 6 iron, with 18.2* average launch angle and moderate spin rate from the Pro V1x, 195 yards, and rolling out an estimated 202. I hit my DCI Irons total 190. Before you all write and say the shafts were to blame, save you breath. I hit the satin project x 6.5 made before the buy out by true temper. And they are all SST PUREd.
So, Nike, the last set of irons after 2 1/2 hours, and about 400 balls, were hit higher and further and on a stronger ball flight than all the rest. They are in my bag currently, and I absolutely love the soft feel of the inserts, and the mid-high flight is great. The only draw back side is trying to keep the ball down into the wind… It is a bit tricky to hit a low hook/slice. All the other facets of these irons are spot on, and since I don’t play on tour, and need not play in wind gusts over 20 mph for a paycheck all the rest outweighs that small flaw… I will be playing them for years to come.
P.S. as you have all said…If you are not hitting them as far, CLUB UP!!!! It shouldn’t matter what you hit 150 yards, just that you can hit it 150 yards where you are aiming… I play with A LOT of big hitters in the woods!!!! Bending the head will change the bounce and leading edge characteristics of your club and may impede the basic design of the club. And unless you have a professional club maker who knows how to re-shave the leading edge, and re-shape the bounce, I’d suggest going up a club. Honestly, other than hurting your BIG man ego, who cares? I laugh at my buddies who brag about hitting their 9 iron 160 into the wind…. I’ll choke down a 7 and hit it poker straight… does that make me a wuss because the club I used had an 7 on it, and my score card has a 3????
I was fortunate enough to purchase these brand new on sale from a large sports equipment store for $210 OUT THE DOOR! 😯 Because this was an upgrade from my starter set 4 years ago, I was extremely pleased once I started hitting some ball at my favorite driving range. The club layed different than my other set, so it took some adjusting, but once I figured it out, my shots were considerably longer than my other set club for club. But then agian, this is the most expensive set I’ve ever played with. So, for the less-experienced golfer, these will be a great step up into the next level of clubs. For that price, I’ll be just fine adjusting to them 🙂
anyone notice that Immelman was playing the Nike CCI CAST irons when he won the masters?
Wide soles, offset, very Game Improvement looking irons for a pro to be playing.. and I don’t think he hit them short…
I have to believe irons are irons these days, and if you hit them in the sweet spot but come up short, either the loft is higher than the other club you usually hit or the shaft isn’t as good a fit for you.
Iron heads don’t have the Coefficient of Restitution thing going for them, not usually.. taylor made R7 sort of fools you to think that with the cone on the back, but generally an iron doesn’t ‘bounce back’ like a metalwood face does…
So, shaft and loft. Not the actual head. Some heads have bigger or smaller sweet spots, some have a sweet spot that isn’t where you expect it to be. Some heads feel unmissable, some feel unhittable. But if you hit it flush and it flies short, it’s the shaft or the loft.
Cut him some slack guys. Its a review – its only right for a writer to put down what he experienced in a review , and what he got is shorter distance. And nobody would deny that all else being equal a club that hits longer is better off than one that hits shorter eh? At least it means you wouldnt have to take a longer club to get a required distance, i.e. translates to greater consistency, confidence and results!
In any case, i tried this set out at my local pro shop recently, together with the Ping i10. I’m hitting it shorter than my current set too, mx23. And it sure doesnt feel as sweet as the mizunos. So if u dont like it, move on!
I just returned from demo days at one of the local courses in my area. All manufacturers were represented, and I went there in mind with getting set up with new irons. My last set of irons are Ben Hogan Apex edge pros. I love the irons , but decided I wanted something a little more forgiving. I no longer have a lot time to dedicate to practice and thought maybe I would try a game improvement iron. Well I pretty much tried everything available, and was actually discouraged that I could not find anything enticing enough to give up the old BH’s. Just by chance a couple guys I know yelled over to get my attention and wanted me to try this Nike club. Well at my first glance I thought they were blades. Standing over the club at address they definitely are appealing and look like a true players club. I had a 6 iron std lie/loft with S300 true temper shaft. As soo
n as I hit this butter feeliing I knew it was going in my bag. Set on order…can’t wait to hit the rest of the set.
I just wanted to update the few comments in this thread that reference the CCI cast irons as “on their way out” by Nike. That is far from true. I just spent some time with two Nike reps at a demo van session and with Trevor Immelman winning the Master’s with these cast clubs they said they’d be foolish to discontinue this iron. In fact, they said it was never intended to be discontinued even before Immelman won with it. It’s funny how rumors get started.
I play these clubs and went to the demo hoping I’d hit their big brother forged iron better…but it wasn’t the case. The forged version felt a “tiny” bit better at impact, but the results were far better with the cast club (for me).
I think the CCI is one of the ugliest clubs I’ve ever play (except when looking down at it from the address position). With the stiff graphite shafts I at least get a small amount of feedback, enough to make me keep them as I feel the dispersion is less (again…for me).
All in all, the CCI is a very nice club and for me they replaced the Mizuno MP-57s, which are nice, but just weren’t for me.
Well, I am getting a different story today. I usually buy Irons from the golf Club I played as they usually can match discount and do even a bit better on price. I notice the CCi Cast Iron set is on sale ($399) everywhere, so I called my Club requesting to get a price without telling them the discount going on. They call me back today saying they can no longer get the CCi Cast Iron set as they are being discountued by Nike. Upon telling them the discounted price, they tell me that these place must have bought the closeout stock which was at a big discount.
I just searched the Nike website and they have both the CCi forged and cast on there. I don’t know why they would be discontinued if they were still on the site? I was hoping to get a used set anyway to save money. Did anyone who purchased a set have the lie adjusted? Just interested in seeing how they did when bent.
I called Nike and asked them if I could safely bend the cast irons two degrees and they discouraged it. Their reasoning was the metal was VERY hard and could break during the process.
I tried two local club repair facilities and neither would do it unless I waived damages. I decided it wasn’t worth it, and I’m hitting them just fine.
I went from Mizuno MP57s to these irons and I couldn’t be happier.
LarryMcJ
I have play this set of CCI iron about one and half years, first time I was’nt felt this set suit for me, I think might be it’s weight have a little bit heavy especially which club head, Since I was play them after I learned play golf about two months, but at the moment I have adpated it’s weight and It made me hit the shot have more power. I hit the shot can meet 170yards with #7 iron and can meet 200yards with #5 iron . I am very satisfy the club of performace. But, sometimes I felt my swng not quite stable that I ‘m not sure is it which club head of weight affect and lead me running out from my swing plane.
I just got a set of the cci last week and am not to sure about them. The clubs I’m hitting now are 2002 Callaway Big Bertha’s which are very fat and forgiving. I took my new nikes to the range and the clubs felt absolutly horrible. It was like hitting a rock. There was so much vibration when the ball was struck. When I hit my callaways just right I feel nothing. When i hit the nike’s, even if it was a great shot, it still didn’t feel good. After a while I could hit the AW,W,9,8 pretty decent but anything lower than than was horrible. I’m afraid if i switch to the nikes as my primary set it will ruin my golf game? does anyone have a similar experience with them?
I have read reviews from serveral websites including this one. It doesn’t seem like Nike CCI cast clubs are the experts favorites beyond the actual players using the irons on an ongoing basis. I only can give you my feedback based on using the irons since Trevor Immelman won the Masters with these sticks. The following are areas I would focus on when looking these irons.
1) Appearance at set up as well as in the bag is excellent.
2) Composite Cavity Insert technology is proven and used by several top manufactures including Cobra.
3) Distance is only relative if you know how far you hit it. Loren Roberts hits a 9 iron 130 yards, I hit the CCI 9 iron 145 yards …so what. Lofts,swing speed, shafts & abilities vary.
4) The CCIs are heavier than most other pro line clubs giving you the feel most better players want.
5) Overall performance is above average in every category.
6) PRICE. I purchased these irons for $250 brand new in plastic and the matching sw for $39 on Ebay while Golf Galaxy and other just reduced from $599-$399 4-pw. Try to buy any pro line club still promoted for this price you WON’T FIND IT!
NEGATIVE: Grips are weak, you will probably want to regrip.
Back to Mr Immelman, after a terrific amateur and professional career, this accomplished player could play anything he wants yet he played with and won the Masters with a set of Nike CCI cast irons. All you players do yourself a favor, read all the comments of people who play them more than handful of times a year. As with most clubs some adjustment is needed when making a club change. Then go to almost any pro shop and demo them for yourself. If you like them as a much as I do go buy yourself a close-out set, in my opinion one of the best dollar 4 dollar buys in golf. Buy the way it seems hard for me to believe Nike would permanently discontinue making a club used to win the Masters, look for these to remain on their site the rest of this year. Good Luck in your pursuit of the perfect club.
I couldn’t agree more with Jeff’s comments (above). I’m a 6 handicap and as important as golf is, I would purchase any irons made if I thought they were the best. I gave up a brand new set of Mizuno MP 57s for these Nike CCI cast clubs and I haven’t looked back.
Yes, they are (in my opinion) ugly when viewed from any angle except at setup, where they look great. I have stiff graphite shafts in them and there is no vibration at all at impact…every shot feels like you just hit a ripe plum.
After about 15 rounds I noticed how scratched up the shiny surfaces were getting, so I used ultra-fine (0000) steel wool and just buffed down all the metal surfaces to a satin finish. Now they look more like their forged big brothers (which I tried at a Nike demo day and hated).
Forget what they cost or what they look like and try them. Even if you buy them and don’t like them there will probably be a bidding war for them on eBay as soon as Nike quits making them. I’m buying another set just to have in case these ever totally wear out.
Larry
I couldn’t be more happier. I have had the CCi irons for a week now. I use to play Mizuno MP-14 irons and I loved the way they would feel when I struck it purely. Now the CCi irons feel even better and even when I miss hit the ball. These irons are awesome!! I have the Rifle Project X 6.5 shafts in them. I hit a small bucket with these clubs on the range and that was it. Two days later I played a full 18. They seemed to get the job done even when I miss hit the ball. I shot a 74 which wasn’t bad considering that I only hit a small bucket (par 72). I can’t wait to see what I am capable of doing with thes clubs with a little practice. I would recomend these clubs to any one. Even the scratch golfer who doesn’t think they are real golfers if they aren’t hitting blades. I made the switch and no regrets. These irons have a nice high ball flight, straight, and can even work the ball. As far as being short? I guess it depends on what you consider short 290 or 300??? But now I know I have a winner, seeing that Trevor Immelman won the Masters with these sticks.
they look sexy but not as sexy as the cci forged
graphite is for distance and forgivness you noob
“graphite is for distance and forgivness you noob”
Certainly qualifies your total lack of understanding about golf equipment. Do some studying about graphite vs. steel and come back and post your new-found knowledge 🙂 You might start with reading up on how “some” graphite shafts have surpassed the capabilities of steel in several areas. The ONE area in which they don’t…and it’s why nearly all the pros play steel, is FEEDBACK. I’d play steel again myself, but the other great thing about graphite is lack of impact shock, which is a great thing if you have tendonitis, especially in your left elbow. But I can tell you’re way too young to have that yet
“you noob”
…oh, I forgot. I’m a 5.1 handicap and been playing for nearly 40 years, and owned a golf business for ten of those. I don’t think “noob” applies here.
I use to play Mizuno’s blades and found them monotonous afetr a while. Then I tried my luck with the CCI’s cast and I have not looked back. I had them in January and I have broken 90 seven times already since. I hit more GIR’s, punch shots under severe windy conditions, was able to loft it a bit more with minor setup adjustments and it’s even great in the Bruneian rainy muddy conditions!
I have to say there is not much of a difference in terms of distance but it surely improved my accuracy and confidence. The TrueTemper shafts are a bit on the heavy side, so it might not appeal to girly-armed men who can’t cope. Anything else it’s top class!
I know steel is more for control and feedback, I don’t recall saying shit about steel shafts if you can read Im just adding to adams bad reply on how graphite is for control and if I want to call someone a ”NOOB” or amateur why do you care Im 15 with an 11 handicap so back off. Graphite is for the old, really young and women, no offence.
larry is a noob thats why his golf business failed cause of all the bad info he was giving. 😈
Justin,
I guess that’s why there’s approximately 20 sets of graphites shafts in play on the PGA tour…not to mention those used on the Natiionwide. Nothing old about those guys. Maybe they’re onto something. In fact…there are two sets of irons being used by top 25 PGA players.
Ha…you mean that’s why I was able to retire young and play more golf 🙂 Go be productive and sit in the mall and text your friends like a good teenager .
Im sorry this got this far 🙁 but im not that type of teenager and aside from all the rude shit were saying that has nothing to do with the review. I actuatly liked what you said and what jeff said which is part of the reason im buying these irons other than I like nike alot,my only concern is the finish coming off and having to buff it off,sorry again
P.S how have you played 40 years and onley have a 6 handicap
how off set are these irons and do the have an over sized head
My apologies as well. I guess if you were “that” kind of teenager you most likely wouldn’t be interested in golf, which you obviously are. This game needs as much youth as it can get.
I’m a 6-handicap because that’s what happens when you get older . I had it to about a 3 for a long time, but at 62 I’m very happy to just be able to play, let alone keep up with the boys.
BTW, the finish does not actually come off these irons as they’re solid cast stainless steel. After about a month of play they just start looking old, but after I buffed mine once I haven’t had to do it again and they look fine.
The offset is minimal and more on the longer irons. They’re only slightly oversized (not like many others) and the top line is thin and they look a lot like blades at address, which is one of the things I like about them.
I really do think you’ll like them…especially at the current price.
Larry
ya its between the cast and the forged the review for the forged made them sound good but there almost double the price. you said you tried them and hated them why?
For me, the heads were too small. They seemed even smaller than the Nike blades Tiger plays. I think unless we’re scratch or better we should all have as much forgiveness and playability built into our irons as we can stand to look at.
Not that it’s a big deal, but comparing equal 6-irons (one forged the other cast) I liked the feel of the cast better. It was not a hard feel as you might expect…with the sole inserts it made for a very good feeling at impact.
Also, comparing identical irons with identical shafts at the Nike Demo Day, the cast 6-iron averaged 4-5 yards further and I liked the trajectory better. It was enough for me to go for the cast CCIs, but in the end, nothing matters unless you like what in your hand 🙂
thank you for the response it is going to help me when it comes time to buy them. 😀
I love a blade look but hate how hard it is to hit, my friend has callaway X-tours and there sort of blade style with stiff shafts , do regular flex shafts help get the ball in the air and not that stinging feeling with blades? i know my driver(new sumo 5000) has stiff shaft and its perfect, I get another 15-20 yards farther on carry and roll.
question for larry
Justin,
One of the guys in my Saturday group has the Callaway X blades and he’s a very good golver (always between a +2 to -2). he loves the X blades but claims that even he could be playing better with more forgiving blades. He recently had them reshafted by Callaway from the 6.5 Projext X shafts to Callaway Tour Graphite and he says they’re easier to hit now.
At your age, I’m assuming you have a reasonable fast swing speed with your irons, which would normally indicate you should play stiff shafts. If you have a way to check your swing speed with your 6-iron and it’s over 82-85MPH…you should probably be in a stiff shaft. Many people use regular shafts in their irons and stiff in their woods…mostly because swing speeds increase the long the club.
Perhaps more importantly, remember that all stiff (or regular for that matter) shafts are not the same. If you desire a high ball flight you need a low bend point in the shaft. Oppositely, for a low ball flight, choose a high bend point.
Another reason to use a regular flex in your irons is if you’re pushing your iron shots “consistently” to the right (if you’re right-handed), and it’s not a swing problem, it’s often curable by moving to a regular shaft which will flex a little sooner at the bottom of the swing arc and begin it’s turn to the left just a fraction soon than the stiff shaft, causing a little more right-to-left pattern, and just a little bit higher trajectory.
The stinging feeling can also be cause by too much stiffness in a shaft or too much torque (the latter especially in a graphite shaft). If you or I swung Tiger’s driver, it would probably feel like swiing a broomstick. I know you don’t want to play graphite shafts, but that is the PRIMARY reason (lack of shock at impact) that I play them. Another reason some pros play them is they know that continued years of all that impact will eventually cause left elbow tendonitis problems, so they’re trying to avoid this…be able to play longer, and sacrafice very little with some of the very expensive graphite shafts now available for irons (not what you’ll find in stock irons, though)
Sorry if I’ve rambled…but hope this helps.
Larry
yes it has, at golf town I’ll take a 6 iron and hit a couple of balls at the simulater which is pretty accurate and see if I can hit a stiff shaft swing speed between 80-85 with out losing tempo then if I cant I’ll hit the regular shaft and see if it goes higher and feels softer. My proplem right now and always has been is hitting the ball higher and getting more carry.
I used to have the taylormade bubble shaft burner irons and they hit really straight and the graphite felt soft, but now the feel and controll for hitting cuts and draws from steel helps stick the ball on the green.
can you shape the ball some what with these irons?
Justin,
If you haven’t hit graphite shafts since the Taylor Bubble shaft…they’ve improved about 400%! Maybe at Golf Town they’ll let you hit a demo with a good shaft in it. Honestly, I can hit an intentional draw/fade or even hook/slice with mine. They’ll also help get the ball more airborne for more carry.
Larry
Ok, 🙂 do you have stiff flex graphite or regular and are they likely to break and how cheap is to fix a broken graphite shaft.I know golftown is good that way and they’ll let me try graphite and they’ll tell me whats right for me.
I have the stiff graphite shafts that come default in the CCI cast irons. They’re made by Mitsubishi and considered to be one of the better shafts available for irons that still don’t cost a lot. Nike goes to the trouble to cut and match each shaft with the heads for better overall weight, swing weight, feel, etc., where a lot of manufacturers of more expensive irons don’t bother.
Durability: here’s a stat that may surprise you, and I would have mentioned it sooner but didn’t think it mattered. Graphite shafts, while certainly more susceptible to scratching, are way more tolerant to bending before breaking. These have a satin, not shiny, finish, so I think they’ll do better over the years avoiding scratches as well. I’m kind of particular and always keep mine in a a good bag that doesn’t produce wear on the irons where they touch the bag (read soft material…not harder plastic).
…forgot to answer the repair part of your questions and I checked this out before purchasing as well. You’re better off to send a broken shaft to Nike for repair…you’ll have it back very quickly and it will be replaced with the exact shaft needed. Their price is nothing if the damage is due to anything but abuse. Most manufacturers do this same thing just to keep u good will. I once sent a set of Callaway steel-shafted X12 Tour Blades back to have graphite shafts installed and Callaway never charged me a penny…told me to just enjoy them.
However, going price to actually change the shaft out locally should be about $20-25 for labor and “if” they can get the exact replacement shaft from Nike or Mitsubishi I’m guessing about $22-30 for the shaft.
thank’s these irons sound really good for my handicap and will be able to stay in my bag for a long time so I can master them.
Here should be the ultimate compliment to them…I’m just starting to look for a second set just to have as a spare 🙂
Larry
why do you need 2 sets 😕 are they discontinuing them,
❓
Nike won’t actually admit it…but all indications point to discontinuing the cast CCI irons. That’s why the price point has dropped from $699 (graphite) to whatever they are now (I’ve seen them below $300 somewhere.
Larry
ae looking at american prices?
what indications have been made other then the price drop
When I purchased mine, the owner of our local Golf Headquarters told me the price took a huge drop because Nike was discontinuing them and (at that time) they would be replaced by the Sumo irons. We both thought it odd they would do so after Trevor just won the Master’s with them. I went up to Nike.com and they didn’t have any special coverage there…so I couldn’t be sure. I just believed Dave, who said he couldn’t order them any longer.
Now (this morning) I see Nike has changed their product pages for irons and both the forged and cast CCIs are featured in a neat Flash video opener there…so perhaps they’re not going to discontinue them. They would be foolish to, I would think as popular as the irons have become.
Larry
today I used an old set of wilson tournaments and thier like blades and a played to my handicap and that was only using the 5,7,9 iron so im rethinking about the cast and might get the foged seeing as i could shoot my handicap with old school blades so new ones should be easier.
I just purchased a new set of the Nike CCis (graphite shafts) last night and hit a large bucket of balls today. I’m a 9-10 handicapper, 59 years old, and even when I made a bad swing the forgiveness was excellent. I did notice however, that I hit the mid irons about 5-10 yards less than my other set of clubs (assuming the target distance signs were accurate). But, as many have said, if the ball flies straight just hit one extra club when necessary. I love the look and feel of these irons. And, again, as some of you have noted, if you don’t like the look of the club at address, it’s probably downhill from there. I’m glad a bought them.
Just bought these clubs from the local golf town- it was a choice between X-18’s, the new Nike Slings, and these. The Nike slings definitely felt the best, and the X-18’s had less forgiveness but more distance. I felt these clubs were the perfect balance between accuracy and distance, even though there was a noticable drop in distance (according to the simulator). Even when I completely duffed a shot (hit it off the toe, felt like hitting a rock) the result was a surprisingly far, straight shot that would have been perfectly playable on a course setting.
Saw a sale on TGW and first tried hitting the cast CCI locally – loved them. Have had McGregor Tourney Blades, Ping I3+ Blades, Callaway X18s, Callaway X14s (all fitted with lie adjustment 2deg flat). The CCI hit further than all. I use one half club less than before. One problem I need to work on is getting them to fade. With the std. lie, they tend to draw more and when it is windy and pushing in the diretion of my draw, it is a problem. More birdies and pars than ever with these irons. Handicap is dropping. In mid 80s.
Right now I am fifteen years old and just made my high-school golf team as a sophomore. The clubs I used were Wilson Matrix irons and in my opinion they were good but after a few years of summer play they began to fall apart. My parents bought me these irons days before tryouts something i was unhappy with and I went out onto the ourse to practice. These irons gave me higher trajectory when I wanted it, and I could hit them striaght as well as longer than my old clubs. I don’t know why the guy reviewing these clubs is so harsh because i looked up his Titleist irons and they got a bad review from SIRShanksAlot.com.
These Nike irons is one of the best golf sets ive ever played with! their distance is consistent, it lands on the same place every time and over all n beautiful iron!
Well done Nike with a Great set!!
Thanks for that insight wurn, you wouldnt happen to work for nike now???? would u??
i would like to say that i bought a set of these nike cci with mitsubishi graphite shafts. i have been golfing for about 25 years. i am astonished and amazed of how well i can hit with these irons. my first time out took about 4 holes to get used to. these nike irons are forgiving, i can crank them farther than my older pro series, and way more straighter.
listen to me, buy these irons, they look sharp, feel great and do not listen to anyone else, they will improve anyones game, including mine, and i rock at golf!
I just got the Nike cci irons. So far so good. I really like the look at address. They are very classic looking. I also have felt like they are somewhat forgiving on ball flight, but I like that I can really feel when I mishit. I will say I am hitting the ball about a full club longer, but I think I just had the wrong flex for my club head speed with my old irons. I am hitting the Xstiff now where before a had R Flex, and the club head always seemed to lag behind. I shoot in the mid to low 80s and have a long way to go. I will say that if I were still up in the high 90s or 100s I would have had trouble with these irons. Overall, I think these irons will stay in the bag for a good while. Now I need a new driver… and I don’t like the Sasquatch !!!!
hey i just bought these but got them at a wonderful price. almost to good to be true. is there a way of telling if they are fakes or not?
I just bought the Nike CCi’s (Cast) for my 15 yr old aspiring collegian golfer. He will not play them until after X-mas as they are his gift from me. I boughht these for 299 + tax and price was the major factor in the decision to buy.
I will add a review later to inform this jr. players impression.
I have played this game for 34 years and have a 3.4 index currently. This game requires intelligence, patience, confidence, implementing fundamentals and effective routine and…controlling emotions, specific goals and focus for preperation and practice. It is a gentlemans game that asks for high character on the course .
Gentleman, you can not buy a game off of a rack, out of a magazine or from a pro, the responsibility is up to you to “GET THE BALL IN THE HOLE” if a club or name provides you a calm confident mind then stay with that and go to work.
In a two man team event, I’ll partner up with the player before I partner up with the golf consumer who is searching for his game in consumer reports.
That said, get fitted take lessons, commit to the lessons work at it and watch your scores come down and the respect from your peers on the course go up.
Nike, my son will take your CCi’s get them fitted and he will go to work with them and he will succede with them !!
hi guys! can anyone help me? i need your opinions…
i am a newbie and been playing for 2mos now, is nike cci suitable for me?
I was looking for a new set of clubs (my clubs were 10 years old).
Tried a bunch of different clubs as demo sets
Used these as a loaner when traveling and really liked them.
Saw them at Sports Authority online for $299, so figured what the heck.
I am a 16 handicap.
These clubs are great:
1. Look great. I never liked the look of the oversized clubs.
2. The weighting down low makes it easier to chip and have a great feel around the green. Also very nice out of the rough (again I assume because of weighting).
3. They are smaller heads, so be aware of that. These are NOT mass game improvement clubs.
4. As to the debate on distance in this thread, I hit them the same distance as my own clubs, but the ball flies higher and lands nice and soft.
I would recommend these clubs.
Not the easiest to hit as face is smaller than most game improvement clubs.
If you are decent player ok. If a “hacker” try a different club.
Pleased with the irons. 😆
Short game/Putting is where its at.
🙂
just bought this new cci and great improvement on my game. better control and pretty much the same distance as my old taylor made ht set. would definitely recommend if anyone is thinking of buying one…
Now having played a bunch of rounds with these clubs I am very pleased. 🙂
In fact, I hit the ball farther with each club. Ball flies high and straight, stops on a dime. I am even spinning ball, which is always cool.
Great feel around the greens.
And you can’t beat the price!!
i am a young golfer and i got these irons and my game has just gone up hill from here i just shot a 72 on the 24th hardest coarse in Michigan
Invest in a lesson and be directed by the pro. a 72 for a youngster on difficult course from the back tee’s need’s professional tutoring. Barter work at the course or range for the lessons.
you are all crazy, its not the equipment but the player. dont compare yourselves to tour players. they hit the sweetspot every time. the CCi is a beautiful iron and it dosent matter how far they go. thats why you have 14 different lofted clubs in the bag. and if the ball is struck well. it dosent matter what iron it is, it’ll go where you want it
these are great!!
I have played these irons for a while now. Not only do they look better than all my friends clubs but they have taken my handicap down from the 35 range to the 15-20 range. Now granted I have a year of golf more under my belt but I must say the consistancy these clubs give me is the difference. I know when I am 150 to 160 out gram my 7 iron. Everytime same swing same effect. It is all about knowing if you put the same swing the same thing will happen. I should be a scratch golfer this time next year and have no plans to upgrade. Enjoy your golf my friends.
I bought these clubs to be kept as my second set, my other set was Callaway 2004 Big Berthas and I really loved them but after playing the Nike CCI I was torn so instead of leaving the Nike clubs at my regular vacation spot I took them home and stated playing them. Now I cannot stand to be without them. They have given my game so much more consistancy and confidence that it is remarkable. I will agree that they tend to play a bit shorter but for the accuracy I could care less. I think these are excellent clubs and really enjoy playing them.
Just pick these clubs up for a great price. switch over from the Ping g5 and notice more control and worakability with out sacraficing any distance. still hitting the 7 iron 180+ but have notice way more accuracy.
the only negative thing i have notice is that you feel your miss shots way more than you would with a larger cavity back but when you hit it off the screw, the ball flight is down right sexy.
sweet iron at a stellar price.
All things considered, no one will ever read this so long after the rest of the discussion is over. The last thing I want is to have to finesse a sand wedge from 135 yards. If the club goes a little shorter, that is really not a problem. In fact, I have an old set of Hogan Redlines from the day when I could justify blades. They have the same loft on an 8 iron as today’s 9 iron, and this carries all the way through the set. As a result, I expect to hit the Redlines shorter than any of today’s clubs – CCI, X-20, R9, you go ahead and name it. Does that make the Hogans a poorer set? I would argue that being able to hit a full shot from 100 yards is better than having to hit a half shot, especially when the heat is on.
Clubs good but warranty is not worth the paper it is written on