Nike introduce Vapor Speed and Flex Fairway Woods
Nike engineers and designers took the inspiration and insights from Nike athletes to drive the technology of Nike’s new Vapor Speed and Vapor Flex fairway woods.
“Athlete insights drove significant chassis refinement in the Vapor fairway woods,” said Nate Radcliffe, Director of Engineering for Nike Golf.
“Our athletes wanted tighter but forgiving leading edges, fuller profiles and added ball speed. We’ve delivered that with the synergy of our FlyBeam and compression channel technologies.”
The Vapor Speed fairway woods have a 25 per cent larger footprint with a lower and deeper Center of Gravity (CG) than previous Nike models.
“Athletes including Tiger Woods requested larger face profiles in fairway woods, but it was vital that we do that without compromising ball speed optimal launch conditions,” added Radcliffe.
“We successfully modified the chassis by sloping the crown to lower the CG which optimized launch characteristics across the family.”
New technology stabilises the chassis, maximises ball speed and promotes longer and straighter distance"
Like the new Vapor driver, the Vapor Speed fairway woods feature Nike’s new FlyBeam-reinforced Covert Cavity Back design, a re-engineered Compression Channel and a NexCOR face – all combining to stabilise the chassis, maximise ball speed and promote longer and straighter distance.
The low CG provides a high launch with a lower-spin flight.
The Vapor Flex fairway woods highlight the same technologies found in the Vapor Speed on a more compact chassis, except the Vapor Flex has added Nike’s FlexLoft 2 adjustability system, allowing the golf athlete the functionality of five lofts and three face angles within 15 different settings.
The new, improved FlexLoft system is five grams (30 per cent) lighter without compromising function, which leads to a CG that is up to 2mm lower on the Vapor Flex fairways.
The redistribution of mass creates more stability, better launch conditions and faster swing speeds. Another benefit of FlexLoft 2 is its forward and backward compatibility.
Golfers with previous generations of Covert can use shafts with the original adaptor in the new head or vice versa.
Nike Vapor Speed Fairway Woods
Available: January 31, 2015
Specifications: 3W: 15° (RH/LH); 5W: 19° (RH/LH)
SRP: £159.99
Nike Vapor Flex Fairway Woods
Available: January 31, 2015
Specifications: 3W: 13° – 17° (RH/LH); 5W: 17° – 21° (RH/LH)
SRP: £189.99
James Savage
Former equipment editor of NCG. Inconsistent ball-striker and tea-maker.