TEST: Nike Vapor irons

These new irons from Nike Golf were eagerly snapped up by our road testers. Did they deliver on promises of greater distance and accuracy? Find out how they performed.

MODEL AND SHAFT PLAYED: Nike Vapor Pro 4-iron to pitching wedge, fitted with stiff-flex steel shafts.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: The toplines are terrific to look at and to set-up with at address. I haven’t used forged irons for a long time and while these clubheads are a little smaller than I am used to, they feel great to line up with.

VERDICT: Contact with the Vapor Pros felt fantastic. Having used more forgiving irons for the past five or six years, when you connect solidly with these you know you’ve hit a good one. They lowered my ball flight, which is really good. It could be due to the shafts, the clubhead design or both, but I liked the trajectory I hit all the irons on. That was the big thing I took away from using these clubs.

For accuracy, I’d say the Vapor Pros were a little more accurate and I was able to work the ball more. For distance they were very similar; there’d only be a metre or two difference. Out of the rough the shorter irons in particular gave good access to the back of the ball and I felt I could control the ball better out of the longer grass. For the above average or better player who is thinking about changing their irons, I would consider these clubs a nice option.

MODEL AND SHAFT PLAYED: Nike Vapor Pro Combo 4-iron to pitching wedge, fitted with stiff-flex steel shafts.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: The clubheads look a little smaller and more compact in design and feel lighter. I don’t mind that, though, as they do sit nicely behind the ball at address. They are attractive-looking clubs; very bold and very Nike in style.

VERDICT: These are really nice irons to hit. I’m more impressed by them than I thought I would be before teeing off. When I found the sweet spot of the Vapor Pro Combos, the sensation of impact was terrific. Not that the sweet spot was hard to find, but the shots I did catch solidly gave a ball flight that was superior to what I normally find with my irons. They’re a half-club or more longer and probably better for direction, too. These are really powerful irons as it took less effort to achieve more distance. I felt very comfortable using them.

I found I had good control on half-wedges and pitch shots with the pitching wedge onto and around the greens, but I’d have to say my favourite thing about the Vapor Pro Combos is just how comfortable they felt for irons that are lighter than my set. That surprised me because I suspected they were going to feel too light for me.

FACTS & FIGURES

SUITABILITY: The Vapor line includes three models, covering all levels of golfer. Higher handicappers will lean towards the forgiveness of the Speed line and mid-handicappers the mixed Pro Combo set, while better players will favour the muscleback-blade Pro irons.

SHAFTS: True Temper is the standard offering, with the exact shaft depending on the Vapor model. Pro irons are fitted with True Temper Dynamic Gold, in regular, stiff and extra-stiff flexes, Pro Combo have Dynamic Gold Pro shafts and Speed the Dynalite 105. A graphite option also exists in the Speed line: MRC Fubuki Z, in R, A and W flexes.

SET COMPOSITION: The Pro and Pro Combo lines come in 3-iron to pitching wedge, the Speed in 4-iron to pitching wedge or 5-iron to sand wedge in women’s.

LEFT-HANDED MODELS?: Yes, but only in the Pro Combo and Speed models.

HOW MUCH?: $1,430 for the Vapor Pro (3-iron to PW, steel shafts) and $1,600 for the Vapor Pro Combo (3-iron to PW, steel shafts). The Vapor Speed sets vary from $1,000 (4-iron to PW, steel shafts) to $1,150 (4-iron to PW, graphite shafts or 5-iron to SW, women’s shafts).

NIKE SAYS: Pro – “Carefully crafted based on direct insights from Nike Golf athletes including Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, Nike’s newest forged blade irons feature innovative Modern Muscle design. Modern Muscle is defined by balanced weighting for perfected precision and power. A modernised take on the classic Nike blade profile, the forged Vapor Pro irons feature a slightly longer blade length in the long irons with one degree of added bounce to add forgiveness through the turf.”

Pro Combo – “The new Modern Muscle geometry provides a shifted centre of gravity, previously located closer to the heel, now moved towards the centre of the face. The long irons (3 to 7) feature a forged chassis with a thin, high-strength machined face and a lightweight RZN insert to promote faster ball speeds, higher trajectory and increased stability with pure feel. The short irons (8-iron to pitching wedge) feature a forged construction with a shallow cavity that promotes a strong, penetrating trajectory for enhanced shot-making.”

Speed – “Like the Vapor Pro and Pro Combo irons, the Vapor Speed irons feature innovative Modern Muscle design. The Speed irons’ design moves the centre of gravity lower, deeper and more towards the centre of the face for faster ball speed and long, consistent distance. Ultra-thin NexCOR clubfaces and lighter, half-inch longer shafts further amplify ball speed for incredible distance. The long irons (4 to 7) are built with a hollow, metalwood-inspired construction that features Nike’s new FlyBeam technology. Progressive face heights and larger blade profiles merge with a sleek, satin chrome finish for a clean, traditional look at address.”

Contact Axis Golf on 1800 777 793 or visit www.nikegolf.com