We've launched the new forums! Read more here

Nike VR Pro Combo Irons - Forum Testing Review

SuperStroke
MikeF said:
Usually when I hit a push it is because I have kept my head down too long stopping me from shifting my weight over to the right properly. It could also be alignment
Click to expand...

It was definitely not alignment yesterday Mike. Some of my drives were so far right that I could not have been aiming that poorly. Weight shift is sometimes an issue for me though so I will take a look at that. Thanks
 
Fairway2Green said:
Pushes to the right could be from swinging under plane. Getting a little to inside to out and underneath your plane.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...


I have a very inside take away so that could also be the case. Problem was that I felt like I was swinging pretty good. Usually when I develop the pushes I can feel that something is off. I didn't have that feeling yesterday.
 
Chunkylover77 said:
I have a very inside take away so that could also be the case. Problem was that I felt like I was swinging pretty good. Usually when I develop the pushes I can feel that something is off. I didn't have that feeling yesterday.
Click to expand...

It only takes getting a little bit underneath the plane and a few degrees to inside to out. That little change completely throws off the way you usually close the clubface down and that will cause those pushes. I have the same problem sometimes too. I usually just take a few swings over exaggerating trying to hit a fade to get myself back on the right plane.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Fairway2Green said:
It only takes getting a little bit underneath the plane and a few degrees to inside to out. That little change completely throws off the way you usually close the clubface down and that will cause those pushes. I have the same problem sometimes too. I usually just take a few swings over exaggerating trying to hit a fade to get myself back on the right plane.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I will try that. When this happens to you do you notice that you are striking the ball really well. I ask because when washing my clubs last night I noticed that the ball marks were very consistent center.
 
Chunkylover77 said:
I will try that. When this happens to you do you notice that you are striking the ball really well. I ask because when washing my clubs last night I noticed that the ball marks were very consistent center.
Click to expand...

I usually feel that the strike was perfect when I have a case of the pushes. Maybe it was just a bad day at the office
 
Chunkylover77 said:
I will try that. When this happens to you do you notice that you are striking the ball really well. I ask because when washing my clubs last night I noticed that the ball marks were very consistent center.
Click to expand...

Absolutely. Exactly the same thing. Ball marks are dead center.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
MikeF said:
I usually feel that the strike was perfect when I have a case of the pushes. Maybe it was just a bad day at the office
Click to expand...

Fairway2Green said:
Absolutely. Exactly the same thing. Ball marks are dead center.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Well now. That is exactly what I was feeling so maybe you guys have hit it on the head. I really appreciate the help guys.
 
Chunkylover77 said:
Well now. That is exactly what I was feeling so maybe you guys have hit it on the head. I really appreciate the help guys.
Click to expand...

That's exactly what happens to me when my swing starts to go south, a series of dead straight, 40* or more to the right shots, that feel like I absolutely crushed them. For me it almost always comes from incorrect, out of sequence, or often just too much, lower body movement. FWIW The one thing that has helped me the most to get over it is to start hitting nice and easy shots with my feet together, even with a driver. This drill really settles me down and takes away almost all of my lower body movement. There's really not much you can do wrong swinging this way without falling over. I'll hit shots this way and gradually widen my stance until I'm hitting my normal shots. I can't say it works every time, but more often than not, it helps me.

BTW You probably already know this but Lee Trevino played blocks like that his whole career, he just lined up to the left and blocked it right down the middle.
 
BamBooBender said:
That's exactly what happens to me when my swing starts to go south, a series of dead straight, 40* or more to the right shots, that feel like I absolutely crushed them. For me it almost always comes from incorrect, out of sequence, or often just too much, lower body movement. FWIW The one thing that has helped me the most to get over it is to start hitting nice and easy shots with my feet together, even with a driver. This drill really settles me down and takes away almost all of my lower body movement. There's really not much you can do wrong swinging this way without falling over. I'll hit shots this way and gradually widen my stance until I'm hitting my normal shots. I can't say it works every time, but more often than not, it helps me.

BTW You probably already know this but Lee Trevino played blocks like that his whole career, he just lined up to the left and blocked it right down the middle.
Click to expand...

It's funny because I started joking with Seth that I should just set up left and play it. I just never did.
 
I'd like to continue to group the clubs by type, rather than going through the set individually, mostly because my experiences have been generally identical in that concept.

To start, the blades. 8-9-PW. These remain my favourite clubs in the set. Ball striking is consistently the same feedback and the ball flight is a light draw. When i really go after the ball I see my draw increase, and when I lay off them my shot is relatively straight. I can't help but wonder what having an entire set of blades would be like. The consistency has not been an issue with these at all, and have slowly become my favourite of the set. Additionally, I have found a fair bit of backspin on these irons when taking 3/4 approach shots as well as full shots. There were at least a couple instances this weekend where I was pulling back the 8 and 9 iron at least 5 feet or more.

Second, the split cavity. 7-6-5. When well struck, these irons remain extremely consistent and pure. I have found that I overcook draws when trying to play a draw, which can mix me up a bit while switching between shot styles, but it's just a matter of finding some consistency in the way I swing the club. My expectations are growing with these clubs and with that I have found even more consistency. The ball flight is solid and the greenside action it almost always a drop and hold.

Finally, the full cavity. 3-4. Here's where my love affair ends. I cannot find quality ball striking or consistency with these clubs. Once again I find myself wishing that the combo set was actually blades/splits all the way through the set. While the split cavity still provides a ton of feedback, the full cavity presents itself as harsh and unresponsive when I do anything other than hit it perfectly. I can't help but think that not playing that style of club holds some relevance, but it's something that has really started to bother me. Hopefully I can get the shots right over the next week.

In a bit of an update overall, I intend to finish out the year with the Nike irons, unless something comes along in the fall. The Mizuno's are solid clubs but never really stood a chance against this set, aside from MAYBE the 4 iron. As always, questions are more than welcomed.
 
Chunkylover77 said:
It's funny because I started joking with Seth that I should just set up left and play it. I just never did.
Click to expand...

I've tried that, it worked great for a few holes. Then I started hitting them right where I was aiming, or even worse, a double-cross. I guess I'm just not as consistent as Trevino. lol
 
Canadan, love the honest feedback. Great stuff! I get a little dizzy every time I see these irons in a shop.
 
SFCoach said:
Canadan, love the honest feedback. Great stuff! I get a little dizzy every time I see these irons in a shop.
Click to expand...

Thank you sir!! I hope my negativity doesn't deter anyone, as I have already noted that I'll be making a concentrated effort of at least getting used to the 4 iron (which should speak volumes about the rest of the set).

And you're definitely right, they are gorgeous clubs.
 
Canadan said:
Thank you sir!! I hope my negativity doesn't deter anyone, as I have already noted that I'll be making a concentrated effort of at least getting used to the 4 iron (which should speak volumes about the rest of the set).

And you're definitely right, they are gorgeous clubs.
Click to expand...

It shouldn't! I think we're all looking for honest feedback. Honestly, I've often wondered if I've been too giddy about the product I've been testing, haha. However, it has just worked for me and that's the message I want to convey to people. Likewise, I think it's fantastic that you're providing honest, genuine feedback on the VR's.
 
SFCoach said:
It shouldn't! I think we're all looking for honest feedback. Honestly, I've often wondered if I've been too giddy about the product I've been testing, haha. However, it has just worked for me and that's the message I want to convey to people. Likewise, I think it's fantastic that you're providing honest, genuine feedback on the VR's.
Click to expand...

+1 Honest feedback is what drew me to this site in the first place. You can get advertisements and hype any where. jmho
 
Canadan said:
Thank you sir!! I hope my negativity doesn't deter anyone, as I have already noted that I'll be making a concentrated effort of at least getting used to the 4 iron (which should speak volumes about the rest of the set).

And you're definitely right, they are gorgeous clubs.
Click to expand...

What do you think is the cause of your trouble with the 3 and 4i?

I don't have a 3i in my set but both my 4 and 5i are the pocket cavity. I quite like the 4i in this set now I have gotten used to it.
 
MikeF said:
What do you think is the cause of your trouble with the 3 and 4i?

I don't have a 3i in my set but both my 4 and 5i are the pocket cavity. I quite like the 4i in this set now I have gotten used to it.
Click to expand...

I still haven't been able to get a range session in with the three, but I absolutely love the 4 iron. I've been hitting it quite a bit actually (teeing off on short par 4s, longer par 3s, tee shots on tough par 5s, lay ups on par 5s).
 
Sorry it took so long to post another update. It has been a heck of a week.

Last Thursday I went to the range early in the AM and grabbed a bucket(70) of balls. Went to the far left edge and tossed all the balls into the tall grass down the side. I then proceeded to hit each club from the bottom up. The grass here in Indiana is made up of a few varieties from long fescue to timothy with crab grass and a few others thrown in as well. The balls landed in a great variety of lies from nestled deep to sitting up on top like a tee shot. I spent nearly an hour hitting and came away with a lot of good info as far as how well each club reacts to the conditions. Every single club, without exception seemed to breeze right through the thick stuff with little resistance or snagging. The tall stuff was a bit different as the shorter clubs (7-PW) did seem to want to hang or open as the swing went through. Believe it or not, I was still able to get some good spin on the blades. There were only 2 shots that I completely choked on and for me that is just incredible. It was extremely hot (even at 7am) so when I was done playing in the weeds I called it a day.

On Friday I met up with a friend from Utah and we went to French Lick to play a round on the Donald Ross course. This is just an incredible course that I have never played before. We played from the Regulation Tees which were 5981 yds. par 70 with a rating of 69.5 and a slope of 131. The heat that has enveloped most of the country was at full force when we teed off at 10:20. I was not going to have a very good day. The clubs were fine and the Hirzl kept my grip, but I ended up shooting a 96. This was probably the worst round in a couple of years. The long irons really failed me and I could not hit but 2 GIR. I attributed this to the heat and promised myself that I would return in the fall and give this place another go. Kirt, my friend from Utah is a scratch golfer(he shot 74) who has never owned anything but Titleist gave the Nike’s a try on a couple of holes and commented that he loved the feel at impact and thought they were probably the best looking irons he had ever seen. The regular flex shafts were a bit soft for him but he was able to compensate his swing and hit those clubs so well I was truly envious.
The round from Friday was not a good test for the Combos, but what I learned about them from the weeds on Thursday was very valuable info. These clubs are for real and I am certain I will carry them for quite some time. If the 3 and 4 do not come around, I may look into trying the Nike hybrids as Nike has definitely proven itself worthy to me.
 
Hello folks, this feels like my first post on the forum :wink:

Well, after my holiday, I'm back refreshed and ready for this testing...but.....I'll just be picking my clubs up today after a nice little dance with the good man at UK Customs. I've got a lot of catching up to do! Kinda hoping that at worst I'll be able to add a fresh perspective by starting out a little late, and I'll have some great experiences here to compare against!
 
Looking forward to the "European" take on these sticks. Now get busy!
(no offense MikeF and others)
 
love the honest feedback Canadan.....sounds like a hybrid or two may be in order for your bag?

Canadan said:
I'd like to continue to group the clubs by type, rather than going through the set individually, mostly because my experiences have been generally identical in that concept.

To start, the blades. 8-9-PW. These remain my favourite clubs in the set. Ball striking is consistently the same feedback and the ball flight is a light draw. When i really go after the ball I see my draw increase, and when I lay off them my shot is relatively straight. I can't help but wonder what having an entire set of blades would be like. The consistency has not been an issue with these at all, and have slowly become my favourite of the set. Additionally, I have found a fair bit of backspin on these irons when taking 3/4 approach shots as well as full shots. There were at least a couple instances this weekend where I was pulling back the 8 and 9 iron at least 5 feet or more.

Second, the split cavity. 7-6-5. When well struck, these irons remain extremely consistent and pure. I have found that I overcook draws when trying to play a draw, which can mix me up a bit while switching between shot styles, but it's just a matter of finding some consistency in the way I swing the club. My expectations are growing with these clubs and with that I have found even more consistency. The ball flight is solid and the greenside action it almost always a drop and hold.

Finally, the full cavity. 3-4. Here's where my love affair ends. I cannot find quality ball striking or consistency with these clubs. Once again I find myself wishing that the combo set was actually blades/splits all the way through the set. While the split cavity still provides a ton of feedback, the full cavity presents itself as harsh and unresponsive when I do anything other than hit it perfectly. I can't help but think that not playing that style of club holds some relevance, but it's something that has really started to bother me. Hopefully I can get the shots right over the next week.

In a bit of an update overall, I intend to finish out the year with the Nike irons, unless something comes along in the fall. The Mizuno's are solid clubs but never really stood a chance against this set, aside from MAYBE the 4 iron. As always, questions are more than welcomed.
Click to expand...
 
Hanks said:
love the honest feedback Canadan.....sounds like a hybrid or two may be in order for your bag?
Click to expand...

That's where I am leaning at this point.. My miss with my adams is a massive hook which I think is because of the way the club was designed, so I may be back at the drawing board on this one, searching out some ideal options.. That said, I'm going to give these at least another month of feedback and effort before I make the move to hybrids again.. I am determined to resolve my issues with them.
 
Canadan said:
That's where I am leaning at this point.. My miss with my adams is a massive hook which I think is because of the way the club was designed, so I may be back at the drawing board on this one, searching out some ideal options.. That said, I'm going to give these at least another month of feedback and effort before I make the move to hybrids again.. I am determined to resolve my issues with them.
Click to expand...

Canadan - on the 3 & 4 irons: are your issues just off the deck or off the tee as well?
 
MikeF said:
What do you think is the cause of your trouble with the 3 and 4i?

I don't have a 3i in my set but both my 4 and 5i are the pocket cavity. I quite like the 4i in this set now I have gotten used to it.
Click to expand...

mcook77 said:
Canadan - on the 3 & 4 irons: are your issues just off the deck or off the tee as well?
Click to expand...

It's definitely a combination... I don't know if the weight distribution is different, but they are by far my two least consistent clubs in the bag. I also really struggle with the feedback off mis-hits and even well struck balls.

I'm not going to dog the club that hard just yet, because I am sure my swing can improve with them. The problem is that most of my clubs have a slight to moderate draw, and lining up a bit right of the hole with these can be disastrous, because they are the only two clubs in the set that I have faded. That of course creeps into the back of my mind, and with it comes overcompensation and a big old hook (sometimes).
 
mcook77 said:
Canadan - on the 3 & 4 irons: are your issues just off the deck or off the tee as well?
Click to expand...

I haven't hit mine from the deck yet as I haven't been at the right distance. I tee up low though so it is almost like I am hitting from the deck.

The thing I like about the 4i is if you hit it slightly low on the clubface the ball still flies and doesn't really loose much distance.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top