Nike Victory Red Irons Announced

UPDATE – Read my Victory Red Forged Split Cavity Back Irons Review

There have been a lot of rumors and leaked photos of the new Nike Victory Red Irons, and those rumors have been confirmed. The new Nike Victory Red Irons will be available November 1, 2008 at golf shops and retailers nationwide.

The Victory Red irons come in three distinct offerings – Victory Red Forged TW Blades; Victory Red Forged Split Cavity and the Full Cavity Victory Red irons. Nike Golf athletes, including Paul Casey, Trevor Immelman and Stephen Ames teed it up with the Victory Red irons at The Barclay’s on the PGA Tour last week. Casey, who finished tied for seventh, credited his new Nike Victory Red Forged TW Blades for giving him extra distance.

“For me, they go about two to three yards further than my old set,” said Casey.

Nike Golf’s new family of Victory Red irons comprises traditional looking irons designed for the aspiring golfer who demands the ultimate combination of Tour proven craftsmanship, performance and forgiveness. Prior to his absence from competition because of a knee injury, Nike Golf athlete Tiger Woods worked directly with Nike Golf’s experienced team of designers and engineers to create Nike Golf’s best irons ever under the Victory Red brand. Woods’ influence is especially evident in the Nike Victory Red Forged TW Blades.

Nike Victory Red Forged TW Blades

The Victory Red Forged TW Blade is a forged iron that is all about precision. It features a more traditional muscle back design that includes a conspicuous and recognizable “TW” mark. The center of gravity of the Victory Red TW Blades is positioned to Tiger Woods’ specs and provides ultimate control and shot shaping demanded by Nike Golf’s preeminent athlete himself. Made of 1025 Forged Carbon Steel with a CNC milled face, the Victory Red Forged TW Blade differentiates from Nike’s original Blades with a more modified backpad and a slightly thicker toe.

“I like the new VR Blades because of the consistent feel throughout the bag, how good it looks in a playing position and my workability,” said Woods. “I can shape the ball both ways, change my trajectory, do whatever I need to do to hit the ball closest to the hole and be as efficient as I can throughout the round. That’s ultimately what you want to have happen. I hope to have these new irons in my bag upon my return to competition.”

Validating his confidence in the Victory Red brand, Woods used a 60-degree Victory Red Wedge during his stunning performance at the U.S. Open in June.

Availability: November 1, 2008
Men’s: #3-PW Steel X,S,R; RH; MSRP: $999.99
Individual: #2 Steel X,S,R; RH; MSRP: 124.99

Nike Victory Red Forged Split Cavity

Nike’s Victory Red Forged Split Cavity irons have a moderately wider sole and slightly thicker topline than the Victory Red TW Blades. Still maintaining a traditional look with a high degree of workability, the Victory Red Forged Split Cavity includes a split back design that positions the center of gravity behind the sweet spot for ball control while providing forgiveness. The Victory Red Forged Split Cavity irons are made of 1025 Forged Carbon Steel and are machined to precise tolerances to optimize feel and accuracy. The CNC Milled Face ensures uniform ball compression for consistent ball flight and distance control. Differentiating slightly from the Victory Red TW Blades, the Victory Red Forged Split Cavity provides a higher trajectory and is more forgiving. The loft and lie of the Victory Red Forged Split Cavity irons are the same as the Victory Red TW Blades; the Victory Red Forged Split Cavity irons do have more offset than the blades.

“The first time I hit the VR Forged Split Cavity irons, I immediately noticed what a great feel they have as the head penetrates through the ground,” said Nike Golf athlete, Lucas Glover. “I really like the shape of these new irons. The look and feel is terrific.”

Availability: November 1, 2008
Men’s: #3-PW Steel X,S,R; RH/LH MSRP: $999.99
Individual: #2 Steel X,S,R; RH/LH MSRP: $124.99

Nike Victory Red Irons

The Nike Victory Red Iron is a full cavity iron and has more offset than the Victory Red TW Blades and Victory Red Forged Split Cavity irons. The Victory Red Irons deep full cavity, wide sole, thick topline and moderate offset provide added forgiveness and confidence for the average golfer. Made from 431 Stainless Steel, the Victory Red irons provide a soft, crisp feel (25% softer than the commonly used 17-4 Stainless). The full cavity clubhead design positions the center of gravity further back to facilitate high launching, soft landing accurate approach shots. Perimeter weighting and the undercut cavity distribute more weight to the perimeter of the iron to increase the MOI of the club head and produce more forgiveness on off-center hits. Thinner face thickness on the top and progressive thickness closer to the bottom move weight closer to the sole and lower the center of gravity.

Availability: November 1, 2008

Men’s: #4-AW Steel X,S,R; RH/LH; #4 – AW Graphite S,R,A; RH/LH;
MSRP: Steel: $799.99; Graphite: $999.99
Individual: #2, #3, SW, LW Steel X,S,R; RH/LH MSRP: $99.99
#2, #3, SW, LW Graphite S,R,A; RH/LH MSRP: $134.99

Women’s: #5-SW Graphite W; RH/LH; MSRP: $999.99
Individual: #3, #4, LW Graphite W; MSRP: $134.99

I look forward to reviewing these clubs this fall, and I think these will be a nice addition to Nike’s line of golf clubs.

Read my review of the VR Forged Split Cavity Back Irons