Nike Vapor Speed Family – Range Review

Designed with a low yet balanced center of gravity throughout, and hell-bent on promoting maximum ball speed, stability and the purest feel, the Nike Vapor Speed family of golf clubs is the newest in a series of innovations from Nike Golf. Recently we were given the opportunity to test and review almost every club in the Vapor Speed family. From irons all the way up to the driver (minus the hybrid). While the Vapor family includes other models, such as the Flex, Pro and Pro Combo series, we choose to test the Speed family for its focus on distance and control. Oh yeah, and because they’re some of the most handsome clubs to hit the pro shop in 2015.

Throughout testing we took each club to the range for some quality time and then out on the course where the real work happens. More than a month has now gone by and several hundred shots have been recorded. Here’s what we discovered about the Vapor Speed family…

Utilizing Nike’s Covert Cavity Back design, the Vapor Speed Driver distributes its weight primarily towards the heel and toe which maximizes forgiveness off the tee. At 460cc this bad-boy is a beast! Hitting a new driver for the first time is always a blast – and this one from Nike was no exception. It’s beautiful to look at and draws a ton of attention on the course. Yet from the top (at address) looks like a traditional driver, which we love. No racing stripes or funky paint job here. Just some crosshatching and a neon Nike emblem.

As far as distance goes, this is one of the best in its class. We put it up against the R15 and XR side-by-side and it was a neck and neck race. While we can’t confirm that it’s the longest driver on the market, it will have your playing partners second guessing their driver choice pretty quickly.

And if you’re the type of golfer who likes to tinker, you’ll also get a kick out of Nikes FlexLoft technology, which offers 15 different launch options. Using the included T-Wrench you can mess with the loft options until the cows come home. For testing purposes we chose to hit the driver at 10.5 degrees of loft (neutral) and found it to be exceptional for trajectory and carry.

Buy Now: $299 or to learn more, go to Nike.com

We found these woods to be an excellent addition to the Speed family. They are well balanced and sound great from the fairway or on the tee-box. Throughout testing we did find that the gain in distance wasn’t matched by forgiveness. Sadly, on off-center shots you can expect less than stellar results. But with a little practice and after a few hundred range balls we were able to hone in and develop a repeatable shot that was both long and down the center line… or at least somewhere near it.

If you’re looking for a set of (metal) woods that will keep you high and dry, not to mention LOOONG, we highly recommend taking the Vapor Speed Woods for a test drive.

Buy Now: $199 ea. or to learn more, go to Nike.com

  To us, these irons are the standout performer in this family of golf clubs. They are simply beautiful to look at and truly get they job done on the course. Designed for distance utilizing modern muscle technology, these sticks were wildly effective throughout our testing sessions on both the range and on the links.

Beyond shear distance, these irons also delivered excellent trajectory with much of the credit going the balanced CG Nike baked into these irons at The Oven. While hitting these irons on the range we were stunned by how high and long they sent the golf ball through the air. Consequently the ball lands very softly too, which is very nice for those of us who commonly find ourselves running the ball past the hole and off the back of the green… you know who you are!

Utilizing FlyBeam reinforced hollow cavity-back technology in the long irons (3, 4, 5, 6, 7) Nike was able to maximize energy return and off-center stability. While on the short irons (8, 9, P, A, SW) a RZN cavity-back was used to promote stability and feedback.

The Vapor Speed irons also have great balance and feel to them. I always find it difficult to explain “feel” to others, because it’s a truly unique thing for most people, but these irons exude confidence. They feel well balanced and offer very nice feedback on flushed strikes as well as mishits.

If you’re a golfer who’s looking for a for more distance out of your irons (and aren’t we all?), these are a set to consider!

Buy Now: $799 or to learn more, go to Nike.com