FIRST LOOK: New Nike fairways and hybrids

The VR_S Covert driver is doubtless the stand-out from Nike’s new range but the matching fairways and hybrids are also going to be in demand in the coming months.

Available in February, they feature the same eye-catching aesthetics and state-of-the-art technology.

The world’s first high-speed cavity-back fairway woods and hybrids are available in Performance and Tour options. The latter boast FlexLoft adjustability and both benefit from the NexCOR face.

The cavity back is visible from the sole view of the club, but is covered by the crown to be more pleasing at address – hence the name Covert. By incorporating this new hidden geometry into fairway woods and hybrids, Nike Golf engineers have been able to move the weight of the club to the corners, raising Moment of Intertia (MOI) to increase forgiveness and add even more distance to off-centre shots.

FlexLoft is a simple pull, turn, and push/tighten mechanism that allows for an intuitive adjustment system. The patented Dual Axis adjustment allows golfers to choose their loft and face angle independently of each other by de-coupling loft from face angle.

To explain, with a single-axis adjustment, whenever you alter the loft you also change the way a club sits – add loft and the face also closes; take off loft and the face opens. That’s fine as long as you hit it either low and right or high and left. If it’s the other way round, you are struggling.

With FlexLoft adjustability in the VR_S Covert Tour fairway woods and hybrids, distance gaps between irons and woods are resolved through simple loft and face adjustments, giving athletes more range and versatility in their bag.
“Providing athletes with the tools to succeed is our ultimate goal” –Tom Stites
“Providing athletes with the tools to succeed is our ultimate goal,” said Nike Golf’s director of club product creation, Tom Stites.

“With the combination of High Speed Cavity Back, FlexLoft, and NexCOR technology, we are able to maximize distance, control, and consistency for every club in the bag. Athletes now have the performance they demand, as well as adaptability for any condition.”

The NexCOR face technology featured in the VR_S Covert fairway woods and hybrids is designed to deliver faster ball speed and longer shots from a wider area of the face. NexCOR creates more speed at impact by employing variable face thickness that increases the ball speed off the clubface, especially on the bottom half where players are most likely to make contact.

Both models will come with proprietary Kuro Kage shafts that are produced with higher carbon-fibre density for superior strength.

Specifications

Performance fairways

Models: 3W 15˚, 5W 19˚

Tour fairways

Models: 3W (13-17˚), 5W (17-21˚)

Performance hybrids

Models: 2H 17˚, 3H 20˚, 4H 23˚, 5H 26˚

Tour hybrids

Models: 3H (17-21˚), 5H (21-25˚)

• SRPs to be confirmed