Tag: USGA

Nike Golf’s Covert Ops

With a name like Global Innovation Summit we’d expect something big. This technology and design-themed event was actually held by Nike, proving that the world of fitness and sporting goods continues to look to innovate! One of the big things to come out of this week’s even was the introduce of Nike Golf’s first high-speed cavity back technology in a driver that conforms to USGA and R&A Rules.

The result is the VR_S Covert, which offers three proprietary technology platforms including high speed cavity back, FlexLoft adjustability and NexCor face. This offers the promise to create unprecedented distance, control and forgiveness. The club will be ready to tee off in February, and we expect nothing covert about its launch or driving abilities.

Nike Golf Official Website

T12 Blades Offer Customization

Custom club-fitting pioneer Henry-Griffitts announced the release of its new T12 Blades, which according to the company will combine the unique upside-down “v”-shaped design with the traditional blade workability to provide a low, centered CG to get the ball airborne quickly and on target. Continue reading T12 Blades Offer Customization

Nike Gets Into the Groove With New Drivers

Nike Golf has announced the upcoming availability of its Nike VR Pro wedge, the lasted innovation to its VR Pro line. The VR Pro wedges are developed out of a precise forging process resulting in a wedge that offers accurate shot-shaping performance.

The maker is also putting a good face forward, as the VR Pro wedge promises to be the most exact wedge face Nike has ever created. Each wedge face features more grooves, resulting in cleaner, more consistent ball flight and spin while still conforming to the new USGA and R&A rules. The promise of more grooves closer together and deeper on the clubface is more control and consistency in all conditions off of the clubface.

To get the “facelift” done, Nike’s team uses a precision laser crosshatch pattern that is applied to the land area between the grooves. This pattern adds three times the surface texture versus conventionally finished faces, creating more spin in all conditions. In addition the wedge gets precision-forging, a technique that eliminates most hand work and ensures consistency and maximum performance throughout the set. As a result each iron face is milled to a perfectly flat surface, and is then carefully die-stamped, pressing grooves to exact specifications for extremely low variance and shot-making consistency.

With this new face forward Nike Golf will be truly in the groove April 1 when the wedge is available in satin chrome or brushed oxide RAW (MSRP: $149.99).

Nike Golf Official Website

The New Nike Club

Earlier this week we noted that some golf clubs have been banned for their laser grooves, and while still for sale might not be the best investment in the long run. However, Nike Golf has introduced a new set of irons to the VR line that will be totally legal and could just help your game. The new VR Pro Combo irons are a premium Tour-level iron set that offer higher trajectory on long shots. These use a new linear Center of Gravity (CG) Mapping that makes the clubs ideal for optimal launch and consistent distance control.

The irons are precision forged out of 1025 Forged Carbon Steel , and each face is milled to a perfectly flat surface and then die-stamped, pressing grooves to exact specifications, which conform to new USGA and R&A rules. These new X3X high-frequency grooves provide extremely low variance for shot-making consistency, along with better performance and distance control.

[Via Sandbox8.com: Nike Golf Introduces VR Pro Combo Irons]

Nike Golf Official Website

Banned on the Course: What’s the Deal With Grooved Clubs?

Would you think about buying a banned item to improve your game? That’s been a question raging all year over certain golf clubs. It didn’t attract as much mainstream media attention when it came up last winter, but there was the little scandal involving a certain high profile golfer.

But the USGA last year banned certain clubs that got their groove on, or rather had too much of a groove. The issue is more complex because certain clubs such as the Cleveland CG14 Wedge was banned, while initially the CG15 Wedges were in the clear. To the untrained eye both wedges have the same laser-milled groves.

In its holiday gift guide round-up Wired magazine noted that the CG15s won’t be sold after this year – so get them while you can, or not. The clubs are, according to the outlet, verboten for amateurs after 2024. So if you plan to keep the same clubs for the next dozen years you might want to reconsider. But in the meantime check the USGA Equipment Overview site to see if your clubs conform to the “rule of golf.”

Of course it is possible the ruling will be overturned too. By 2025 the USGA might be banning anti-gravity balls.

Cleveland CG15 Wedges Official Website