Nike VR Pro Combo Irons - Forum Testing Review

[#Cookie]

To the course with these again tonight, and once again I'm doing everything I can to clear my hips to avoid any sort of a draw.

First hole was a great success, with a 9 iron flying the pin by about 10 feet and sucking back a foot or two.
Second hole was a punched PW that landed soft but checked more right to left that it did anything else, not a bad result.
Third hole was a blocked 7 into the wind that was more or less straight and to the right.
4th hole was a 4 iron from a bad lie that again stayed too straight and ended up green high on the right side, with great flight.
5th/6th/7th/8th either wedges or hybrid..
9th hole had a PW in from about 130 and I blew it long and to the left.. I tried to soft play it but caught it hot and tugged it a bit.

All in all I think I got what I deserved out of the round.. It was an up and down kind of day for me (3 birdies, 3 pars, 2 bogeys, 1 double) and the irons acted accordingly. Obviously my best shot was the approach on #1 which was a relatively routine putt for birdie. I find it interesting that my mishits in terms of fat/thin/toe/heel have been reduced substantially over the last couple weeks.. Obviously I need to work on my expectations and my aim (the less I draw the more I need to aim over the pin) but that will come in time when the confidence of a no draw shot is there.

Love these irons still.

Nice feedback Canadan! Glad to see that you are still scoring well while working through exactly how these irons play for you; that has to feel good.

I am headed out to play 18 in a few and hoping that the great range sessions I had Wednesday and Thursday carry over to my play on the course. Will be back with a write up this afternoon. Hope everyone hits them well that is headed out today! FTW!

 

[Chunkylover77]

Had exactly 45 minutes to hit balls yesterday at a local range. Heading out in a few minutes to hit some more. Worked on ball position and stance yesterday. Trying to get the 3I in line with the rest of this set. Looking a little rainy so I'm not sure video can be made.

 

[DawgDaddy]

Great job to everyone, now that the blind ball testing thread is completed this is hands down my favortie testing thread on THP. I am really thinking I will be giving these a hard look when I replace my irons next year. Keep up the great work guys, and thank you all for working so hard on this test.

 

[Canadan]

Nice feedback Canadan! Glad to see that you are still scoring well while working through exactly how these irons play for you; that has to feel good.

I am headed out to play 18 in a few and hoping that the great range sessions I had Wednesday and Thursday carry over to my play on the course. Will be back with a write up this afternoon. Hope everyone hits them well that is headed out today! FTW!

It's definitely an interesting feeling.. I am not saying I am above taking lessons by any stretch, but it's been an interesting year dissecting my swing and making small changes for the better..

That said, I think these irons have made the process a lot more satisfying than other clubs I've owned.. While I do think they offer some forgiveness in the mid irons, it's not to the point where I can't openly get feedback from each shot to know whether I am improving.

Anyone else feeling this way?

 

[Canadan]

Great job to everyone, now that the blind ball testing thread is completed this is hands down my favortie testing thread on THP. I am really thinking I will be giving these a hard look when I replace my irons next year. Keep up the great work guys, and thank you all for working so hard on this test.

I am really happy you've been tuning in dawgdaddy!!! You should definitely swing these if you have not already.. They are an absolute treat to hit.

And please ask us questions!! I'm more than happy to take a look at something specific if there is something your interested in..

 

[Hanks]

love the updates everyone, great job Canadan

 

[DawgDaddy]

I am really happy you've been tuning in dawgdaddy!!! You should definitely swing these if you have not already.. They are an absolute treat to hit.

And please ask us questions!! I'm more than happy to take a look at something specific if there is something your interested in..

All of you guys have been doing such a fantastic job I can't think of a thing to ask right now, next time I am in Atlanta I will swing these in one of the SuperStores.

 

[Golfgod13]

Im so jealous, and Im also new to THP and I was wondering they obviously dont let you keep those (or not?) but how exactly does the whole thing go... how long do you have them for? I would love a response as I try to get aquainted(?) to THP...thanks

 

[MikeF]

The testers get to keep them. They are there's

 

[Chunkylover77]

Im so jealous, and Im also new to THP and I was wondering they obviously dont let you keep those (or not?) but how exactly does the whole thing go... how long do you have them for? I would love a response as I try to get aquainted(?) to THP...thanks

We are lucky enough to keep them Golfgod. As long as the company being represented is happy(Nike & THP). If we are not living up to our duties we will be asked to send them back.

Range session this morning. I have some video which is poorly shot and filled with my son Max but I have video. Hit the ball better today. Have to go to a BBQ right now but I'm uploading as we speak.

 

[the_paulo]

It's definitely an interesting feeling.. I am not saying I am above taking lessons by any stretch, but it's been an interesting year dissecting my swing and making small changes for the better..

That said, I think these irons have made the process a lot more satisfying than other clubs I've owned.. While I do think they offer some forgiveness in the mid irons, it's not to the point where I can't openly get feedback from each shot to know whether I am improving.

Anyone else feeling this way?

Nice to hear this Dan. I'm actually trying to get used to the feedback I'm getting from the splits. If you look at my wear pics, you'll see that I'm hitting just about everything towards the heel. I know there will be less feedback from these from a thin or toe hit for instance, but I didn't get anything from it compared to the blades I was gaming. Now, this might say something about the increased forgiveness because a part of the feedback I got from the fg59s was the terrible result!
The pockets are, as well documented here, pretty harsh on the feedback front when not hit well. When hit well, they're pretty nice to me.

The bit I'm impressed with when thinking about feedback is the blades in the Pro Combo set. The feedback is spot on for what I'd expect from short irons in a blade set, yet somehow they seem to be more forgiving than I'm used to. I'm not trying to work this out, I'm just concentrating on enjoying it!

 

[the_paulo]

Also, I'd like to thank all the THP'ers who have taken the time to read along and comment on this thread. Your feedback means a lot. If there's any small wondering, pics you'd like to see, comparisons, or videos...please just ask and I'm sure we'll all be happy to take a shot at it!

 

[#Cookie]

Hey THP - just got home from my round today. Wish I could say that I had a great day on the course with the irons but unfortunately that is not the case. Will go into detail below, but here is a quick summary: shot 91, pretty strong off the tee, and had 31 putts. That obviously means that I did not fair extremely well once in the fairway but it should be noted that some of my struggles were in the chipping area today also. Generally speaking, I hit most iron shots solid but was pulling ALL of them left today for some unknown reason. This was not what I was seeing on the range this week but I have learned that it is different hitting range balls and then executing on the course to an exact target.

POCKET CAVITIES:

Hole 6 - par 5 - 460 yards: Crushed a drive 275 leaving me 185 to middle of the green in decent rough but sitting up ok. Hit a 4 iron and pull it left of the green and about 5 yards past pin high. Ball flight was pretty low on this shot and while it was not a bad shot when it landed short of green at left front it took a big bounce long and left making the end result ideal.

This was the only time I played a PC today. One other par 3 where I normally hit 4 iron was downwind so I hit 5 and another where I hit 3 iron was into the wind so tried a knock down 5 wood there.

SPLIT CAVITIES:

Hole 2 - 6 iron from 171 and just a tad long left leaving me a 28 footer for birdie. Ball actually hit short of the green and took a big bounce back; everything in TX is pretty dry right now so seeing more hard bounces than usual.
Hole 5 - par 3 playing 169 into the wind so I decide on a 5 iron. I end up hitting my normal miss with these which is off the toe. Dead straight at front of green but leaves me 20 yards to flag.
Hole 10 - 157 to middle of green and choose 7 iron. Ball is sitting down in the rough and I catch some grass with it resulting in a semi-fat shot and end up about 10 yards short of the green.
Hole 14 - par 3 playing 153 to middle the pin and I opt for the 7 iron. Catch it just a bit heavy and flight is good but ball comes up 6 feet short of green on fringe.

Nothing great in this portion of the set, but nothing terrible either. The mishits still got me around the green and a chance to still score which is all that I expect on a mishit shot. I really do appreciate just how forgiving the split cavities and blades can be on the "non-perfect" shots. Whether they are a tad heavy or thin, they still are able to maintain an ideal direction with minimal distance loss.

BLADES:

Hole 1 - 109 to middle of green and have PW. Hit it a tad fat and end result is front left of green about 8 feet off with a chip at birdie. Did not hit this well at all but it saved me enough to clear the water and leave me a chance to score.
Hole 3 - par 3 - 130 yards: 9 iron and I hit it solid but pull it dead left leaving me pin high and 15 yards left of green.
Hole 4 - 95 yards and choose a choke down PW. Pull it left again but the trajectory was quite low like I almost completely bladed it.
Hole 7 - par 3 - 130 yards: just like hole 3 I hit a solid 9 iron but pull it just left of pin high off of the green. Ended up about 6 yards left of the green.
Hole 13 - 8 iron from 152 yards and I am just thinking "don't go left". Ball is about 2 inches below my feet and I hit it well - end result was pin high about 28 feet from the flag to the right (over compensating for the left pull most likely).
Hole 16 - 116 yards out with a PW and pull it left again with a solid strike of the ball. Bounces across cart and into water...bad bounce on a ball that just landed short left of green before the big bounce.
Hole 18 - 130 yards to middle of green and choose 9 iron. Another pull long and left of green.

As you can see, I had a case of the pulls today for some unknown reason. Was happy for the most part with solid contact (no real bad fat shots) but alignment was just not there. Hoping to get a range session in tomorrow morning to work on this before playing again Monday it looks like. Until then....

 

[JB]

Since my last update I have played 45 holes and have had two range sessions. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the Nike VR Pro Combo irons have made a remarkable difference in my game. I want to take a few minutes and try to spell out exactly how these clubs have performed in various circumstances and conditions that I have encountered.
Craftsmanship – As has been stated numerous times, these clubs are very pleasing to the eye. Probably the best looking club I have ever had the pleasure of swinging. The profile at address is confidence building and easily makes targeting a simple task. This is consistent across the array of clubs regardless of whether they are blades, splits, or cavities. They are built solid and completed with a beautiful finish that is aesthetically pleasing. After a half season of golf, there is virtually no wear on these clubs aside from some minute bag chatter. There was some discussion of the difficulty in cleaning the smaller grooves that Nike uses on these sticks, but I have had no issues with that at all.
Ball Striking – When I first began testing these clubs, there appeared to be an issue with the long irons or cavity backs. Most of this was the “Indian not the arrow.” I say most because there is a distinct difference in both sound and feel of these irons at impact. When struck well these irons perform splendidly and I have no issues at all. But I do not always strike them perfect and any mishit is, to me, punishing. There is a reverberation that can actually be painful on my elbows and wrists. On difficult shots, this can and does affect my confidence. There is a slight trepidation to attempting a shot when one knows that it may result in pain.
The remainder of the set is solid and consistent throughout and the blades are truly the sweetest irons in the set. Truly the easiest hitting blades I have used.

Ball Flight – Though this is partly attributed to shaft, I find the loft of these clubs suit my game very well. A mid to high ball flight that can be easily adjusted through grip and stance is crucial in an area that is subject to breezy or windy conditions. Being able to send a stinger down range, or pop one over a tree is a wonderful tool set to have and these club heads allow for either of those with ease and confidence.

Consistency – I have played a wide variety of clubs over the years. I finally settled on Mizuno irons because my shot consistency with the mizzies was nothing short of spectacular. The VR Pro Combos are every bit as consistent as the mizzies, perhaps even more so. I say that because as others have mentioned before, mishits off the toe result in very little lost distance. Being right of target is one thing, but being right and short is completely different. That doesn’t happen with these clubs, at least not a significant amount.

Playability – I can say that these clubs possess a workability that is not only expected by “forged” players, but is easily accomplished with proper mechanics. This may fit into the craftsmanship category, but there is a consistent “feel” when trying to shape shots. You know the second you hit the ball what is going to happen. The transference of energy is once again, nothing short of spectacular.

Affordability – This is something that some may see as inappropriate to discuss. As I did not pay for these clubs is it really OK for me to remark on the price of these clubs? I have to say that I would have a hard time shelling out the MSRP for these clubs if I had not been able to play a couple of rounds with them first. But when I look at other premium clubs of similar make up, I find these a true bargain. I will gladly recommend these clubs to anyone looking to “up” their game.

IN conclusion, the only negative I find in these clubs is in the cavity clubs on mishits. Perhaps some of this can be attributed to my grip, but the sound makes me think it is in the club.

Thank you Nike for allowing me the opportunity with this wonderful set of irons. And a huge thank you to THP for choosing me to do this. I am having a blast, and I am lowering my HDCP. Woo Hoo!

Any further updates for us?

 

[Chunkylover77]

Came home from the BBQ and my dang video didn't upload properly. Had my 4 year old with me and he created some havoc with the video but I'll post it anyway.

 

[10YardDraw]

Came home from the BBQ and my dang video didn't upload properly. Had my 4 year old with me and he created some havoc with the video but I'll post it anyway.

lol kids only make videos funnier most of the time

 

[Chunkylover77]

lol kids only make videos funnier most of the time

I would just chalk it up to a wash but I actually started hitting the 3/4I's good today toward the end. Very hard concentrating when the little ones are running around there.

 

[JConn]

Great updates Canadan and Mcook.

Canadan - on mishits with the splits I don't necessarily feel like I get feedback as to exactly where I hit the ball on the face, but I typically have a very good idea by the feeling as to the "area" of the face it hit (does that make sense? Kind of confusing). I can tell the difference between shots hit on the toe vs heel, fat vs thin, high on the face, etc.

Mcook - I had a case of the pulls for about two weeks, which really caused me frustration. It will come around man, keep practicing. I ended up changing my grip slightly and it has helped quite a bit. (see previous posts for a little more detail)

I didn't get the chance to play or practice today, but should get out tomorrow afternoon.

Great reminder Paulo. I too would like to thank everybody following along with this testing thread. Please ask any questions you have, or any recommendations for pics/videos you would like to see.

 

[JB]

Has anybody struggled with glare?

 

[Chunkylover77]

Zero issues with glare dude. Are you playing very close to the sun?

 

[#Cookie]

Has anybody struggled with glare?

Zero here also....and that is in a bunch of TX sun all summer! I do not wear sunglasses either - FYI.


Tappin' from my iPad!

 

[Chunkylover77]

Now you've got it in my head. Maybe I'm so focused on the ball that I"m just not noticing. I will take a look tomorrow as I'm pretty sure I'm playing 18

 

[JB]

Zero issues with glare dude. Are you playing very close to the sun?

Now you've got it in my head. Maybe I'm so focused on the ball that I"m just not noticing. I will take a look tomorrow as I'm pretty sure I'm playing 18

I have not experienced it, but I got a couple of emails from readers saying the glare was causing them issues.

 

[Chunkylover77]

I've got a fun idea to see if glare will be an issue. Hopefully I will have something for you tomorrow

 

[#Cookie]

I have not experienced it, but I got a couple of emails from readers saying the glare was causing them issues.

Interesting....I could see the issue from thinking about it as mine are very shiny but have just never had an instance on the range or course where I was bothered. Will keep eye on this also and just see if I am overlooking somehow as CL mentioned. I am so focused on the ball at address - perhaps that is why I have not been bothered?


Tappin' from my iPad!