For anyone who had the chance to hit the links with any of Nike’s previous blade options, drivers or fairway woods, then you will know the Victory Red line has produced the outrageously successful VR Forged TW Blades and VR wedges. These VR branded replacements for the Dymo line bring in an even more adjustable hosel and new technology to the woods and hybrids.
Continuing the adjustability of the SQ Dymo STR8-FIT, the VR versions of the woods have 32 possible settings rather than the previous 8 and add in a “compression channel” which is designed to increase ball speed across the entire face while the hybrid has been specifically designed to meet the demands of the better player.
With their black, chrome and red looks the VR Series woods are Nike’s best looking ones yet. The original Dymo’s were always love or hate as regards to looks and the most recent SQ Dymo STR8-FIT was Nike’s first foray into properly decent looking clubs. The VR’s have all but lost the powerbow which is now much smaller and the same metallic black color as the rest of the head. Sharing so many cosmetic features the 3 wood is in effect a miniature driver in appearance and as the Driver has lost the powerbow, the fairway wood has lost the quad keel sole of the Dymo.
The clubs have an amazing feel and look. The heads look small and compact sitting next to the ball and the standard face angle is neutral. The silver STR8-FIT hosel looks obviously different from standard hosels but it is not too unobtrusive even in the smaller fairway wood although it can take a little getting used to.
The STR8-FIT in the driver and fairway wood is the same as the one in the previous generation with the difference that the old version ‘only’ allowed 8 setting rather than the 32 offered by the new setup. The shaft ends with an offset adaptor. Rotating the shaft means that the club head is set at an angle in a similar manner to bend the hosel. The adaptor is tightened with the STR8-FIT wrench that comes included. The wrench beeps to prevent you over-tightening it which saves you from damaging your investment.
When we took both of the clubs on the course we saw at least an additional 10 yards out of each fairway over some of the previous NIKE Fairway woods we have used. There seems to be exceptional control with these woods over some of the previous models Nike has released. We also really liked the smaller head, which tends to give a bigger sweet spot and probably is one of the solid reasons that this club certainly will add at least anywhere from 5 to 15 yards out of the fairway. We found that on an average of five rounds of golf in the last 45 days, we were able to deliver those consistent averages. We did notice that our rounds in Florida during temperatures around 72 degrees netted higher distances than our round in 58 degree weather in Virginia.
The winner of why to purchase either of the fairway woods is definitely their appearance. They are mostly metal with intermixed red and black. Our only gripe with the clubs was that they seemed to scratch a bit easier than previous models. The head covers are impeccable and really need to be praised for their design. It is leather with a braised VR symbol.
You cannot go wrong with either one of the fairway woods in your bag. It is a very good mix of quality and luxurious appearance. If you really want to get fancy, pick up one of their VR Series Tour bags and head out on the course with a mission of winning. With the VR Series, there is nothing less than Victory on the mind with every swing.
For more information on the clubs and all of the other fine Nike Golf Products, visit www.nikegolf.com