What does victory mean to you? That’s the question that Nike Golf wants to answer with its highly anticipated line of Victory Red Irons golf clubs that they introduced last fall.
The Nike Victory Red Forged Split Cavity Back irons are aimed at the better golfer or Tour player like Trevor Immelman and Suzann Pettersen, who want the look and feel of blade, with the forgiveness of a muscle back. The Victory Red Irons didn’t come about of some marketing idea to produce another set of golf clubs for the sake of selling. The new line of golf clubs are a part of an evolutionary process over the past three years by Nike Engineers to develop a set of irons based on feedback from its Tour players, that helped them achieve victory. Nike has taken everything they learned during this process to create a line of great irons using the same technology, design, and materials, their Tour players have been using over this three year development process and finally make it available to the consumer.
Look and Feel
The new Victory Red Forged Split Cavity Back Irons have an amazing looking finish of partially matte brushed with a highly polished 1025 Forged Carbon Steel. The sole of the VR Forged Cavity irons have a moderately wider sole and slightly thicker topline than the Victory Red TW Blades. At address the Victory Red Forged Split Cavity irons maintain a traditional look of a blade with a split back design that’s not noticeable from address, which is incredible for a midsize blade. The split back design positions the center of gravity behind the sweet spot for ball control while providing forgiveness. The face of the VR Forged Split Cavity irons is CNC Milled to ensure uniform ball compression for consistent ball flight and distance control. The offset on these irons is slightly more than the Victory Red TW Blades, but they do share the same loft and lie. Round this out with the Victory Red Grip by Eaton Grips, which are designed for maximum grip on the top half, and fantastic feel on the bottom. I found these grips felt really good in my hands and enjoyed the firm and soft texture of the top and bottom. These irons also come equipped with True Temper Dynamic Gold Steel Shaft, designed to give you a low penetrating ball flight with maximum control and accuracy.
Performance
The first time I hit the VR Forged Split irons, I immediately noticed how great these club feel when you strike the ball, similar to a blade, but a lot more forgiving. The CNC Milled forged flat face of the VR Forged Split irons ensure uniform ball compression for consistent ball flight. The split back cavity design positions the center of gravity behind the sweet spot of the clubhead for ball control and forgiveness on off center hits. If you’ve ever hit a blade, you know how difficult it is to get the ball up in the air and how unforgiving they are on off center hits. You’ll appreciate the slightly wider sweet spot and the medium penetrating ball flight, that the VR Forged Split irons produce. The amount of workability you get in these clubs is as close as you can get to playing blade, but with the added benefits of a forgiving split cavity. This is why 2008 Masters Champion Trevor Immelman and LGPA golfer Suzann Pettersen will be playing the Nike Victory Red Forged Split Cavity Back irons this season on Tour.
The cambered sole design allows for greater playability from various lies on the course and promotes consistent contact shot after shot. I always felt confident no matter what type of lie I had, that the VR Forged Split irons would make solid face contact. This can be attributed to the lie an bounce angles of these irons that have been designed for the better golfer or Tour player angle of attack. The sole of the club glides through the turf effortlessly in the mid-rough and on the fairway, without digging into the ground.
The Victory Red by Eaton Grips are really comfortable to hold and provide a nice combination of firmer grip on top and much softer texture on the bottom, which allows you to have more control and better feel, shot after shot.
The only drawback to these amazing set of irons is the $999.99 price tag, which might be too expensive for some to justify spending, especially during the current economic climate.
Overall, the Nike Victory Red Forged Split Cavity Back irons are great set of golf clubs for the better player who wants the look and feel of a blade, but the forgiveness of a cavity back. You’ll understand why so many of Nike’s Athletes have achieved victory on Sundays, and I’m not just talking about Tiger Woods.
Nike Victory Red Forged Split Cavity Back Irons 3-PW Steel X,S,R; RH/LH MSRP: $999.99
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Hi Rob,
I’ve read both of your reviews on the Nike VR Split Cavities and the TaylorMade TPs. Having used them both, which do you like better? I’m trying to decide b/n these two sets. I’m currently an 8 handicap.
Your input is much appreciated.
Mike,
it’s kind of toss up if you ask me, because both are great sets of irons. If I had to choose one set over the other, I would select the Nike VR Split cavity backs, because I found them a tad more forgiving with my swing. What I highly recommend is that you get fitted for which ever set of irons you decide on purchasing, it makes all the world of difference in your game.
Thanks
Rob
Thanks Rob. I’m glad you said the Nike VRs b/c right after I sent you the question I came across a set for less than $550 new, and couldn’t pass it up. I’ve been fitted before for my golf swing speed so I know the shaft is right for me, however when I recieve them I’m going to have them fit for my lie angle.
Rob,
Nice site. I just discovered it and am enjoying reading your reviews. I’ve been testing the new VR Split Cavity irons and the Titleist AP2’s. I couldn’t find a review on your site, so I was wondering if you’ve had a chance to try the AP2’s and what you think about them compared to the VR’s.
Thanks for your input!
Emil,
I haven’t had a chance to review the AP2 irons so I can’t give you a direct comparison between them and the VR Spilt Cavity. I think you’re on the right track by testing both irons out and seeing which one you like best. I would recommend you get fitted for whatever set of irons you decide on purchasing, so you can maximize the technology in these high performance clubs with your swing. It’s amazing what a properly set of irons or golf clubs can do for your game. I’ll look into getting the AP2’s to review.
Thanks
Rob
Hey Rob I am doing a marketing project on the new set of nike victory reds and there Zumo driver. I was wondering if you knew anything on this topic. I jsut need a little insight on the main idea of some of the aspects in the marketing process. Some of the questions I need to address are…
1. History of product/event
2. How is the product/even branded and positioned?
3. Who is their target market?
4. Do they conduct market research? How?
6. If you selected a product: Do they sponsor any events? Where and how do they promote their product? Do they use athletes to endorse their product?
7. Does the event or product have any licensed merchandise?
9. If you selected a product: Is it a niche product? How is the product distributed? Is the product a stand alone product or is it part of a product line? Are there any brand extensions related to the product?
11. Do they hire sport management interns?
12. What does the event or product do well?
13. What areas does the event or product need to improve on?
14. What is the biggest marketing challenge facing the company or product?
15. How can they make improvements?
16. Profile of your contact person. How did they get their job? What is their background?
Or direct me to someone who might know. Thank you for your time Rob.
Hi Mike,
You can get answers to some of your questions on the http://www.nike.com/nikegolf/victoryred/ for the Victory Red Irons. I’m not really sure who you could contact at Nike Golf about your marketing related questions, perhaps the Marketing Director.
Best of luck.
Rob
I bought these clubs 2 weeks ago and have shot 5 rounds with them. I love these new split cavity irons. I was able to demo the Ping G5 irons before I chose which one’s I wanted and I made the right choice for sure. Last year my first 5 rounds were 77, 74, 72, 70, 70(on a 72/130 course). This year with the only adjustment to my game being these new irons, I shot rounds of 73, 70, 69, 70 and 67 on the same course. So happy right now.
Rob,
Another comparo question. I noticed you’ve reviewed clubs from Miura. How would you compare the Miura’s with the Nike VR’s? Would you choose one over the other? I’ve never swung a Miura, but I’ve read some incredible things about them.
Thanks,
Emil
Emil,
the Miura Golf clubs are hand forged and produce a buttery feel at impact. It’s unlike anything you’ll experience. Technology wise the VR are more forgiving and come close to reproducing a truly forged club feeling in a Split cavity. For the money the Nike VR are a great value. If money is not an issue, the Miura’s are a great investment. Like I said before, whatever you decide on buying, just get properly fitted.
Thanks
Rob
Love these clubs. Worth every penny. Even though I did not pay full price for the clubs, after hitting them I would have! Very forgiving for a forged half blade. Clubs feel great to hit. Every shot feels like your hitting the sweet spot.
How would you compare the Nike VR Split cavity with the CCI forged clubs that they are replaceing. Thanks, Juan.
I have a problem with my longer irons and how I can see the back of the club when I set up. I noticed it in the full cavitys when I was looking at them. can you see the back at all on the 3 or 4 iron in these clubs?
Shaun,
The split cavity back is not noticeable on these irons on any of the clubs. The topline is thin and does a great job of hiding the cavity. I don’t think you’ll have a problem with these. I suggest going to your local golf shop and seeing if these irons past the waggle test for you.
Good Luck!
Rob
How would you compare, if you can, the nike VR split withthe cci forged. Thanks
Darren
Darren, I have the same concern. I currently have a set of CCI forged and I love them. They have great feel and working the ball is very easy. We can see that 2 of the last 4 major winners used the cci’s (Glover and Cink). And technology is not very different to the last models, if you see the Titleist AP2’s they also use a Tungsten insertion on the small pocket, as many of the other brands are using still similar technology. I think it may not be worth the money difference between the VR split cavity and the CCI forged irons since the feel is veery similar (both of them have great feel) and their performance is pretty similar too (extremely easy to work the ball right and left). I would like to know what Rob’s opinion is.\
Thanks,
Juan.
Hi Juan,
I haven’t played the CCI forged irons so I can’t give you a comparison. I assume you were fitted for the CCI irons you’re playing? I would see if you could try both the CCI and VR Split Cavity back via a trackman and look at the launch data of both clubs to see which are better for your swing. I think if you love the CCI irons and play them well, hold off on switching until you get some swing data or get fitted for VR. VR Split Cavity have great feel and easily workable irons, there is a reason that some of the top athletes in the world are playing them. If I was a better golfer (low handicap) and had a fast enough swing speed, I would be playing these irons.
Good Luck!
Rob
Why is there no victory red forged tw blades in lh i look over thanks
Rob, I love thse clubs and will get a set this year. Somehow, whenevr I look at getting a set of clubs – the fittng is never anything substantial. They tell me I’m standard size at 6Ft. and I need stiff shafts. Should there be more to a fitting? You always stress how important it is, somehow I feel shafted!!
Michael,
A proper club fitting will have you hit your existing golf clubs and try various clubs from the manufacturer your interested in purchasing with different shafts, etc. A good club fitter will record your data using Trackman to measure, ball speed, launch angle, spin, etc. And make a recommendation based on what suits your swing. You can read about my TaylorMade Performance Lab review to find out what a proper fitting includes. A fitting should take from a 1hour -1 1/2 hours depending on what your being fit for. What you described isn’t a fitting.
Nike Golf does have a great 360 Fitting system that you can look up on their website for one near you.
Good Luck!
Rob
The Nike Split Cavity irons are designed for the player that loves the feel of flushing a pure blade with a touch of forgiveness. As a player that expects quality in the production, and a clean feel off the face the Victory Red Split Cavity Forged Irons, these irons will always be in big demand for the dedicated player. These irons are the next level from the CCI forged. Technology in golf clubs is always progressing and Nike have produced and fantastic iron.
The Nike Split Cavity irons are designed for the player that loves the feel of flushing a pure blade with a touch of forgiveness. As a player that expects quality in the production, and a clean feel off the face the Victory Red Split Cavity Forged Irons, these irons will always be in big demand for the dedicated player. These irons are the next level from the CCI forged. Technology in golf clubs is always progressing and Nike have produced a classic pure iron.
Rob do you think this is the perfect club for me? I play once a week shoot low to high 90’s, I have occasional birdies, some pars but mostly bogies, and want to step up my game. I need some new irons and have been watching them for a year now, what do you think should I pull the trigger? I am currently swinging Nike sling-shots oss. Any help would be much appreciated, thanks, Jocko
Jocko,
The VR Split Cavity Backs are a great set of irons, but I couldn’t tell you based on the limited information you provided. Only a good club fitter could tell you if these are best irons for your swing. I highly recommend you get fitted before you buy a new set of irons, it’s the best investment you can make. Visit http://www.nike.com/nikegolf/ and find your local 360 Custom Fitting provider near you.
Good luck!
Rob
Rob:
I would love to purchase these clubs. I’m a lefty, and currently playing with NIKE’s CCI forged irons. Being overseas (Germany) is kind of hard to find a good club fitter. I will also would love to hit these clubs prior to purchasing a set; to get a feel for them. My handicap is a 12. I’m a little bit skeptical they may not be for me. Please comment.
Thanx
Louie,
Is there a golf pro shop near you where you can demo the clubs? If you can’t get fitted, at least demoing the clubs to see if you even like them would be a good start. Being a 12 handicap doesn’t tell me if the clubs are good for you swing, there other factors, like swing path, swing speed, angle of attack, etc that a club fitter would use to determine what the right club is for you. What’s wrong with your current set of irons?
Thanks
R
Rob:
Thanx for the advice. My nearest golf course have the demos reds, but of course, not “leftys”. As for my CCI’s; they are still a great set of irons. Just looking for something new.
Which ones would you recommend Nike Victory Reds or Cleveland Action tour(Tour Action). Trying to decide between full bag set or just iron set of Victory red’s. Same price 599
Rafael,
I haven’t tried the Cleveland Action irons so I can’t give you a recommendation on which to choose. I suggest you try and demo both sets and see which one you like best, but I highly recommend you get fitted for your irons.
Good Luck!
R
Thanks for such a quick response.
I went ahead and bought the irons, I will let you know how they hit next week after I play.
Rob:
I just had to have these clubs. Went down to my golf course, talked to my pro and got fitted. Purchased a set as a gift for myself for Xmas. Haven’t got the chance to hit them yet..to cold and too much snow here in Germany! I’ll keep you posted
Congrats! Let me know how it goes and I’m glad you got fitted. It’s the best investment you can make!
R
i have the full cavity and i shoot mid 60s with them i recomend the full cavity victory red,s for amatures
Hello I am a sophmore in highschool and i am looking for a better set of irons. I went to dicks sporting goods the other day and i narrowed my choices down to two sets, The Nike VR Taylormade Burner Plus i was hitting them both basically the same. Wich would be the best for me?
Austin,
I recommend you get fitted for your next set of irons, it makes a big difference in your game. A good fitting will make sure the you not only select the best club for your swing, but the right shaft, loft and lie angle, and grips, etc. BTW I play the Burner Plus which I was fitted for and like them a lot.
Good Luck!
Rob
alright thanks…i just went to a golf store where i live and got fitted to the nike Victory Reds and have been chipping at hitting them at a range in my town and like them alot thanks
Forgot to get back to you, the clubs are butter, feel like my old Tommy Armour’s… They feel a little heavier but the ball goes really high which I like, distance is decent need to make some tweaks in my swing distance will come, and yes if you do it hit it wrong when it’s cold it will rattle your hands but they hit the ball so smooth on a good shot, there is no forgiveness on bad shots that is B.S. perfect fit for my prov1 ball. The grips are nice but I miss my Winn DSI grips I will probably switch it, but the irons overall I give a 91%…Go get them, Jocko
Oh PLEASE ! Listen to yourselves and your mutual appreciation society. “Tiger had input” Sheesh. When? His schedule is FULL ( except post scandal – well.. pre scandal too if you think about it ). Every Pro has input on what they PERSONALLY play and trust me Tigers set is TA-WEEAKED to his personal specs. I’m not just talking shafts & lie angle here.
Furthermore he wouldn’t play the Titleist’s until they could get MIURA to forge him a set that would play just like or better than his ( then ) current MIZUNO mp14’s & mp29 split set. So now Nike ( known for their factory slave record ) is having Endo in CHINA crank these out for the masses and you think that what you have is what Tiger plays (?!). Why would you bother with a Chinese forged club when you could easily buy a Japanese forged head ?? Given the choice Tiger sure would. Do you think the best, richest player in the world is going to settle for a set of Chinese forged clubs when he could have Miura or Kyoei or the folks in Hemiji lovingly make him a set in 1018-virgin rather than your consumer version in 1025-recycled ? He probably had 30 Japanese forged sets sent to him with all sorts of custom grinds, toe weighting & shafts for his feedback. Nike wouldn’t have taken either non existent or oversight staff away from their work at ENDO supervising the mass production ( making money ) of the consumer version. What do you think – that this is Hogan in his semi retirement almost living at his personal assembly factory ? Sheeesh . You guys. Come on !
I’m sure whatever it is that you think you bought is a very nice club. Look, if it brings you happiness then great. After all that’s what this should all be about. But if your thinking that you bought a Japanese forged club – Don’t Fool Yourself. If you think Tiger plays the exact same clubs – Don’t Fool Yourself. Remember your the people that bought the media fabrication of who Tiger is hook, line & sinker. Don’t get me wrong – I like the man even more now. But I never sat there watching pro golf thinking that any of these guys, who are on the road all year long, were monks. So please don’t think that Tiger had much to do with these clubs no matter what he says on ‘take 5′ into the camera. It’s all just a big game and he knows it. I mean really – how could you be that naive.
Hi Rob,
I am an 18 Handicap and want to take my game to the next level. I have bought new Nike drivers, woods, lob wedges and putter and improved drastically in each of those areas of my game. I have a very fast swing and having stiff shafts has helped me dramatically. A decent putter and wedges I can spin have also been great. I now want to complete the set with a set of irons and the Split VR reviews sound great. With my current Handicap am I good enough to use this type of Iron? I dont want to buy just another set of cavity backs and get the same results. I like a narrow head at address. I am based in Dubai and it seems you can get fitted for Taylor Mades just about anywhere but cant find anywhere to do this with the Nikes. Is there certain shaft flex or size I need to look out for? Im a fairly average 5ft 10″ tall. Many Thanks
Hi Mark,
Glad to hear that you’re ready to buy a set of new irons and the VR Forged Split Cavity Back irons are really good. It would be irresponsible if I were to tell you to get these irons, if you haven’t been fitted, etc. It’s very rare that a stock set of irons fit the golfer and that’s why it’s so important to get fitted. There are other factors besides swing speed that factor into finding the right set of irons, like what golf shaft suits your swing speed, desired ball flight, loft and lie angle of the clubs, what your tendencies are when you hit the ball (flush, off the toe, heel, etc), etc.
Is there anywhere in Duabi where you can try the VR Forged Split Cavity Backs? Are there club fitters in Dubai? Let me find out from Nike if there is someplace in Dubai you can try the clubs, etc.
Thanks
Rob
Thanks for the immediate response Rob! I tend to hit the ball very high but not as far as I would like so I assume that I hit it fairly flush and that I am looking for a slightly lower ball flight. I dont know too much about lie angles and am very keen to to get fitted so that they can answer all of these questions for me. There are local sports shops in Dubai where I have annoyed by continually testing them! However hitting 3 metres away into a net doesnt give me the answers. I think some of the clubs out here fit but I assumed that would then mean getting the clubs they stock which are usually Taylor Made. I really want to complete my set of Nikes so leaves me stuck. If you can tell me whether Nike do any fittings here that would be awesome. Anyone reading this page, come and play in Dubai, the courses are fantastic!!!
Umm, hmm…. Jason no one asked for your opinion from outer space, that comment would only make sense to me if I could confirm you are mentally challenged…