Tiger Woods made his return to the PGA Tour at the 2009 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, after spending the last eight months recovering from knee surgery. There is no doubt, that this was probably the most anticipated return of an athlete, since Michael Jordan retired from basketball and returned to the NBA shortly thereafter. Tiger Woods return also meant the debut of new equipment from Nike Golf, which included Tiger’s sporting his new golf shoe, the Nike Air Zoom TW 2009.
Designed specifically to provide additional support where it is needed most, the Air Zoom TW 2009 is a Tour grade shoe that offers the luxury of leather with the built-in performance benefits of lighter and more durable materials.Working closely with the world’s number one golfer Woods, the Air Zoom TW 2009 is the first shoe that combines leather and the unique Ballistic Mesh technology resulting in a sophisticated, luxurious and lightweight shoe.
Look and Feel
The first thing you’ll notice about the Nike Air Zoom TW 2009 is what a great looking pair of golf shoes these are. I’ve been testing the Baroque Brown/Bronze colorway, and love the contrasting use of materials of fine grain leather and Ballistic Mesh. The use of full-grain premium leather give the Nike Air Zoom TW 2009 a luxurious and refined look, which isn’t easy to pull off in a pair of golf shoes. I also really liked the way Nike integrated the use of technical materials, like the Ballistic Mesh that gives the Nike Air Zoom TW 2009 its sporty technical look. The Ballistic Mesh is not all window dressing, it actually does several things for the Air Zoom TW 2009: For starters the Ballistic Mesh is more enduring and lighter material than leather and will not stretch out like leather will over the life of the shoe. 2. The Ballistic Mesh also provides more support than leather, which is important in a golf shoe. 3. The use of mesh, also makes the shoe extremely breathable. To prevent the your feet from getting wet, Nike treated the mesh with Repel DuPont™ Teflon® brand finish that provides lasting stain and water resistance, ensuring dry feet no matter the weather conditions and it comes with a 2-year waterproof guarantee.
The full-length and contoured Poron Sockliner provide instant comfort over the life of the Nike Air Zoom TW 2009. The Heel Fit System provides a secure custom fit and your feet will also appreciate the use of Nike Zoom Air technology, giving you responsive cushioning with stability.
Performance
What makes these golf shoes worthy of the $270 price tag? One of the key essential features of the Nike Air Zoom TW 2009 is the lateral stabilizer located above the outsole, which prevents roll during weight transfer and provides ultimate balance and more powerful swing. The lateral stabilizer is critical during the follow through of the golf swing, when the weight is moved off of the right inside part of the heel to the outside left heel on the downswing. The transfer of weight from your right foot to your left foot produce a significant amount of lateral forces, which can cause you to roll your foot on the follow through and lose your balance. I noticed that my left foot was more stable on my follow through of my golf swing, allowing me to have a more balanced finish. The lateral stabilizer which is made from TPU that works in harmony with the Ballistic Mesh panel to give you the ultimate support without compromising comfort. I’m really glad Nike decided to address this issue of lateral support and comfort, in this case they managed to strike the perfect balance.
Other features include the Nike Golf Tour-proven tri-density Nike Power Platform technology, which gives you maximum control with a responsive low profile cushioning provided by Zoom Air technology, optimal traction from Champion Stinger spikes, and a 100% waterproof, yet breathable Sympatex membrane. The Power Platform allows you to have better balance, smoother weight transfer, and stronger push through impact. One of the key sources of power in a golf swing comes from your footwork and shifting your weight on the downswing. The Power Platform does help you with shifting your weight more smoothly and pushing of the ground. This doesn’t mean that the Air Zoom TW 2009 is going to correct any problems with your downswing, with weight transfer, etc. That can only be corrected with proper golf lessons.
The Champion Stinger spikes provide good traction in booth soft and firm conditions, I always felt like a I had just the right amount of traction at all times. In terms of overall comfort, these are extremely comfortable golf shoes to wear and my feet never felt fatigued after walking 18 holes in them, thanks to the Zoom Air technology. The Ballistic Mesh did a great job of keeping my feet very dry and comfortable, and the DuPont™ Teflon® finish also helped keep my shoes stain free. Granted, your not going to notice dirt easily on the Brown or Black versions of the Air Zoom TW 2009, like you would on the White version.
The only drawback I could find with the Air Zoom TW 2009 is the MSRP of $270 which may prevent some golfers from spending that kind of money on a pair of golf shoes.
Overall, I think the Nike Air Zoom TW 2009 are excellent pair of Tour grade golf shoes that have a great combination of performance and luxury features and worth the premium price tag.
Nike Air Zoom TW 2009 retails for $270
Colors: White/Gunmetal-Silver; Black/Met Silver; Baroque
Brown/Bronze
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I recentrly purchased the WHITE Nike Air Zoom TW 2009, and even though they are very comfortable, they get horrible brown watermarks in the Mesh, which makes the shoes look old and very ugle
Francisco, that shouldn’t be happening because its treated with teflon which is stain resistant. The key is resistant, not stain proof. Is it also possible that dirt got under the mesh? Contact the store where you bought them and see if this can be covered under the warranty as a manufacturing defect.
Rob
I am now awaiting my third replacement pair of the white nike air zoom 2009 shoes as my first pair only lasted 24 holes of golf and my second pair last 6 rounds of golf before splitting.
The fault being the sole on the outside of the shoe splits away from the balistic mesh in the area where you bend your toes when squating down to mark your ball ect.
This is the fifth pair that i know of in my golf club from members also experiencing the same problem and again their’s lasted a minuim of 2 to 8 rounds of golf. very disapointed in the shoe when you pay alot of money you expect them to last.