Nike Golf

[Nutter]

Under rated equipment..? No, definitely not. I just picked up my new set of VR Pro Combo irons by Nike and they're the nicest clubs I've ever hit. But as always, every brand has fanboys. It was a really tough call between those clubs and the Mizuno MP-4's. Damn those clubs are sweet....

Mizuno pumps out some eye candy when it comes to irons

[Chris223]

Just look at what it's done to Rory

They seem to work just fine for Tiger

Anyway - I am a fan of Nike products.  I love my Ignite II Irons, LOVE them.  I have never swung any of their drivers or woods though so I can't really comment on anything except their irons.  Never really found a ball of theirs I truly liked.  I'll play the PD Soft or PD High (the dozen I have left still in a box).  Played the 20XI for a couple holes... just didn't like it at all.  Much prefer either the NXT Tour S or B330 RXS.  My closet is full of their shirts and the Nike Extreme glove is one of the best out there IMO based on price and durability

[Teamanglerx]

I am a big fan of the Nike gear.  Clothing wise I have the shirts, shoes, shorts, and hat (multiple of each in different colors).  I used the extreme glove as well.  I love the Tiger Woods line but I can't bring myself to spend $90 on a golf shirt.

Equipment wise I have a Nike bag (Extreme II I think is the model), the Machspeed Black round driver in 9.5*, and a Method 1 putter.  The driver has been good to me and the putter is awesome.  Next year I am thinking about getting the Covert line.

I also have always used a Nike ball.  Three years ago I used a PD soft.  Last year the Vapor Black which I loved. This year I have been playing the RZNone Soft and really like it.  It feels great coming off of the club and I can control it well on chips and pitches.

[dfreuter415]

As for me, Nike hats are okay, as well as their shirts and jackets. However, I have tried on their shoes, and they were not as comfortable as Footjoy or Adidas.

I also doubt if their clubs would find their way into my bag; however, I did buy a nice set of Nike Ignite irons/hybrids for my wife who is a 36+ handicap. They have worked out well for her.

Finally, the Nike balls are not my cup of tee. IMHO, Nike does not have the same feel or durability as Titleist, Bridgestone and Callaway, which are the balls I currently play.  I will say that during the winter months, I have used the Nike Power Distance balls (soft).  They get good distance, even on a cold day.

[TJBam]

Shoes too narrow Nike PD soft ball is nice-ish never hit the clubs.

[nick1998bunker]

20xi is just as good as a prov but is harder, clothes are great, tw shoes perfect width, didn't like the covert driver, wedges are great

[RonTheSavage]

My signature says it all

[GaijinGolfer]

Theres a lot of people who still have a deep hatred for Nike and refuse to try anything they make no matter how good it may be.  I used to be a Nike hater but after trying some of their stuff, it was so good that I had to let go of my Nike hating.

I think that for some people, they cant let go of their old perception of Nike as a clothing company who signed Tiger to a full contract when they didnt even make any clubs and rebadged other companies' products as their own.

[Jeremie Boop]

I have a Nike VR2 Pro driver, I like it a lot. Only problem I have is that the shaft broke at the str8-fit adapter, however I understand that is a common flaw that happens with other companies too so I don't hold it against them. Saevel25 and Iacas both hit it this weekend on the range and it seemed to perform as well as their Titleist drivers, though you'd have to ask them about that. I would say that the clubs they make are just as good as any of the other top end clubs out there. As far as to the person who said the new Covert driver was on sale somewhere for 139, I just say I wish I had been there because I would have bought that for sure.

[MPtheKid]

I am a big fan of Nike clothes, I like how the stuff wears and you can find some great deals. Don't have a ton of experience hitting Nike clubs, but when I got my Titleist 913 the Nike Covert was my 2nd choice and it was a tight race. My numbers were identical with both clubs and I ultimately went with the Titleist just based on looks. I was impressed with how good of a driver the Covert was. I like the 20 xi balls too, just not as much as the ProV.

[Nutter]

They seem to work just fine for Tiger

Anyway - I am a fan of Nike products.  I love my Ignite II Irons, LOVE them.  I have never swung any of their drivers or woods though so I can't really comment on anything except their irons.  Never really found a ball of theirs I truly liked.  I'll play the PD Soft or PD High (the dozen I have left still in a box).  Played the 20XI for a couple holes... just didn't like it at all.  Much prefer either the NXT Tour S or B330 RXS.  My closet is full of their shirts and the Nike Extreme glove is one of the best out there IMO based on price and durability

That negates Rory's drop in level of play since his switch from Titleist to Nike? I'm confused.  Tiger is Tiger.

[newtogolf]

That negates Rory's drop in level of play since his switch from Titleist to Nike? I'm confused.  Tiger is Tiger.

There are a number of potential reasons for Rory's drop in level of play, one, but least likely, is switching the "name plate" on his clubs from Titleist to Nike.

[Nutter]

There are a number of potential reasons for Rory's drop in level of play, one, but least likely, is switching the "name plate" on his clubs from Titleist to Nike.

There's a mental aspect to everything, I've already stated that I believe the equipment itself is just as good as any other as far as performance goes.  I'm sure he had doubts about switching when playing so well, whether the club suits your eye or not is a huge factor, and the covert is butt ugly.  So saying the only difference is the name plate is ridiculous.  When you buy clubs, do you pick the one with the coolest name and that's it?  On top of all that, the original post was more of a joke than anything.

[rehmwa]

I'm mixed:

Shoes - Lunar Control - love the shoes.  But after one year an eyelet ripped out.  BUT - they replaced for free immediately, no questions no hassle and switched to a color a preferred.

Hat, shirts - very nice, very well made.  These came out about a year ago.  nice hat, meh.  I have a workout shirt that's top notch

Clubs - I have Driver, 3w, 5w, 2h, 4h in the VR ii Pro's (limited edition model for all the woods with no adjust and ahina shafts.  the hybrids are ProjX shafts).  These are absolutely the best I've hit so far and I tried a ton.  Some others are equivalent.  But the - look, feel, sound - is amazing for me.  All of these I bought on clearance over the last year.  (these are 2 or 3 generations older than the Covert line - so I got them, one at a time, for great deals).

I had the STR8 Fit driver originally and have sent it back twice - once for broken shaft (Proj x - it's an issue on this model of driver), 2nd time for a rattle.  Each time NIKE took the gear, fixed the issue - on the 2nd issue, they just gave me a new Limited edition replacement driver (that's an upgrade in type I don't need the adjustable hosel at all and better Ahina shaft for my swing).  No questions, no issues, and fast turnaround.

So I'm thrilled with the gear and service.  And the only issues (defect on the shoe and driver) I ended up with new replacements that I like better than the ones I bought in the first place.  that's pretty cool support considering that a case could be made for reduced warranty policies on models of gear a couple years old.  I've heard a lot of horror stories about other manufacturers, but I suspect most manufacturers will stand by their gear...

talking to people at the store, general consensus on clothing and shoes that Nike is top of the line.  mixed reactions about gear.

makes sense - club fitting is very subjective to the player...

for that matter - shoes are too.  there is no manufacturer that's the best, there is only that specific manufacturer that builds the shoe that is a best fit for your foot shape.  Nike works for me - my feet are rather wide and short and very tapered.  For someone with a narrow foot or less taper in shape, these would be very uncomfy.  I absolutely could not find a Footjoy or any other brand that came close.  I have the same issue with tennis shoes - only a couple brands fit at all.  Ditto on ski boots.

[dfreuter415]

There are a number of potential reasons for Rory's drop in level of play, one, but least likely, is switching the "name plate" on his clubs from Titleist to Nike.

This is a very interesting topic.  From what I've read, there are a number of theories going around about Rory's off-year.

Nick Faldo had an interesting comment, " But I said at the start of this year I thought the equipment change to Nike was very dangerous and would affect his confidence. Now he’s on a spiral going down rather than going up.... That’s all I’m saying. Don’t write it as if I am having a go at him. "

Gary Play, referring to Rory's current relationship with Caroline Wozniacki, conjectured, "When you’re in love as a young man naturally golf seems to take second place for a while. It’s natural. Love is still the greatest thing that ever happens in our lives."

And, Rory has sought help from the noted golf psychologist, Bob Rotella. As McIlroy himself said, " I have worked with Bob, who has worked with Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke  before, and it could be beneficial to see someone like that again. "

To me, this sounds a lot like Mark Calcavecchia, who in 1990 signed a big-bucks deal to play Tommy Armour Silver Scot 845 irons. Calcavecchia, a longtime Ping iron player, turned to the Tommy Armours when the PGA Tour and the USGA banned the Ping Eye2 irons. During his career Calcavecchia won a total of 13 PGA tournaments - 6 victories from 1986 to 1989, and only 7 more wins after he left Ping from 1990-2007.  Ironically, Rory had 6 PGA victories with Titleist and has nothing so far with Nike.

One other interesting theory is now mentioned... Could he be the next David Duvall or Ian Baker-Finch? Will Rory McIlroy ever regain that flare and knack for winning that made him the favorite of millions of golfing fans?  Now, only time will tell.

[newtogolf]

There's a mental aspect to everything, I've already stated that I believe the equipment itself is just as good as any other as far as performance goes.  I'm sure he had doubts about switching when playing so well, whether the club suits your eye or not is a huge factor, and the covert is butt ugly.  So saying the only difference is the name plate is ridiculous.  When you buy clubs, do you pick the one with the coolest name and that's it?  On top of all that, the original post was more of a joke than anything.

Guys like Tiger and Rory can get Nike to do whatever they want to their clubs.  There are all sorts of rumors online that Tiger's clubs were Nike in name only but the irons were made to exact specs of his old non-Nike irons.

The same goes for his putter, Nike basically made Tiger a SC putter with a Nike logo.  Tiger still uses a Ping grip.  Point is, the clubs most of these guys bag aren't the off the shelf versions we buy, they have custom shafts, custom grinds etc.

It didn't read like a joke but if it was then sorry for missing it.

[CaddyshackD]

Nike makes garbage products (well they USED to, anyways).  I had two Nike wedges, and neither of them held up.  The bottom 2 grooves were completely gone on my 58* after ONE season of play, and the other lost its paint finish after about 4 rounds.  Maybe they've gotten better, since that was probably 8 years ago, but it has completely turned me off of their equipment.  I'll still keep wearing their shoes (it's what they do best).  If I'm using golf clubs, I'm going to a GOLF retailer...not someone that is benefiting from their brand and the best player in golf.

[PirateJim]

So far as the clubs, I've not found any from Nike that get my interest up, but clubs are so personal that it's not at all surprising that there are folks that love 'em.  I like some of their clothes too, got a Nike bathing suit that is my favorite, and it is coming the time of year that my Nike sweats will be coming out of storage.

The thing about Nike is that they are huge, and they seem to have a commitment to being a major player in most aspects of sports equipment.  I'm looking at the Nike web site, and under the "Sports" toolbar heading there are six major categories and five, um..., minor? categories listed. (The difference being that the major categories have neat graphic images, the minors are just listed in text on the next line down.

1 - Running

2 - Basketball

3 - Football

4 - Soccer

5 - Men's Training

6 - Women's Training

and then....

Baseball, Golf, Skateboarding, Snowboarding, Tennis

Glad Golf beat out Skateboarding, but I think this probably suggests where the priorities are when people sit around the board room allocating money for product research and development.  Just one person's opinion, but I would expect more focus on trying to keep up with the competition's innovations and with marketing ploys (should we paint our drivers a different color this coming year?).  Most of their innovation will probably come in shoes and clothing rather than clubs.