You probably can’t remember the last time you bought something that had the words “Made in the USA” stamped on it. It seems like everything now a days is either made in China or some third world country. In a lot of ways the golf industry is just a cog in the wheel of the global economy. Where golf clubs are researched and developed in the United States, and then manufactured overseas.

I recently made a visit to Bettinardi Golf, one of the few companies that makes its putters in the United States. Bettinardi Golf is named after its founder Bob Bettinardi, which is located in the southwest Chicago community of Tinley Park, making some of the nicest one piece milled putters. Watch this rare behind the scenes look at what goes into making Bettinardi putters and you’ll have a greater appreciation for what “Made in the USA” stands for.

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About Bettinardi Golf
The 52 employee operation features 23 CNC milling centers on its 22,000 square foot shop floor, that produce one piece milled putters and custom belt buckles. Located in the same facility is the X-Cel Technologies which Bob opened not too long after graduating from the Milwaukee School of Engineering, which still manufactures parts for medical and defense industry. As an avid golfer, Bob was eager to design one piece milled putters. And in 1998 Bettinardi Golf is born, and like they say, the rest is history.

The Bettinardi Process
All putters at Bettinardi Golf start off as either some kind of an idea or sketch that Bob has for a new putter. At this point the sketch or concept is then entered into special software to render the putter in 3D. It typically takes about 30-45 days to go from design to production, with an additional week for machining on the shop floor to develop a prototype.

From this point the putter, depending on its complexity will go through an 8 step manufacturing process. The material of choice is 303 stainless steel, which comes in 12 foot bars that get chopped down to size. A forging blank that weighs 5 pounds then goes through a series of steps to create a finished head. It can take up to 6 CNC operations to go from forging blank to finish head weighing a ½ pound. The 3 ½ pounds of steel that is removed is then recycled.

Depending on the type of putter being made, it goes to art work and engraving where site lines and any custom engraving are added. At this point the putter is 95% completed. The final stage is when the paint fill is added and that is all done by hand, This process can employ anywhere from 1-5 people, depending on how busy the shop is. The last step of the process is assembling the putter.

Quality Standards
As an ISO 9001 certified shop, every part they produce needs to be controlled via documentation and quality standards. Any part that is manufactured that doesn’t meet the quality control standards is automatically rejected and placed in red bins.

2011 Product Line
During my visit I got a chance to look at the 2011 product line that showcases the next step in the Bettinardi evolution.

The BB33 is classic face-balanced mallet putter with a custom double-bend shaft and patented Honeycomb face. The face of the BB33 is gorgeous in my opinion, because of the Honeycomb face which ensures the flattest surface possible.

Another putter in the 2011 product line which really stood out was the Studio Stock Series #8 putter. What makes this compact raised toe putter so unique is the Borealis Black finish, which gives it an iridescent glow to the putter. Simply stunning! Other features of the SS8 are the standard plumber’s neck and patented Tour F.I.T. face milling.

The Model Two Signature Series putter is a limited run of 1000 pieces for 2011. This putter gets its inspiration from one of Bettinardi PGA Tour Staffer’s and is milled from Double Aged Stainless Steel (D.A.S.S.). Featuring a plumber’s neck and Tour F.I.T. face this putter will appeal to any golfer who prefers a classic heel-toe weighted design. One look at the detail work on this putter and you’ll understand why Bettinardi made this a limited edition run and are highly sought after.

After my visit to Bettinardi Golf, I was blown away by the attention to detail and craftsmanship employed at Bettinardi in the manufacturing of their putters. I quickly realized that you’re are buying some of the best putters that money can buy and helping support U.S. manufacturing, which is becoming a rarity in this day and age.

Special thanks to Keith Webster and Bettinardi Golf for making this possible!

www.bettinardi.com

A couple of days ago, TaylorMade Golf introduced the next generation of adjustable face drivers with the R11 and R11 TP. One of the big differences in the R11 from the R9 is the Adjustable Sole Plate Technology(ASP)- that allows you to adjust the face angle independent of loft.  But what makes the R11 so unique from all the other drivers is it’s white matte finish.

In this video, Brad Syslo from TaylorMade Performance Lab at Olympia Fields Country Club walks through all the features of the new R11 driver.

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Mini-Lightning Review of the R11 Driver

I have to be honest, I thought aesthetically a white driver is cool, but not very practical and just some marketing gimmick to sell more golf clubs.  But after seeing the TaylorMade R11 driver in person, I was blown away how the white matte finish provides zero glare. When you address the ball (watch the video or look at the photos) you’ll notice how easy it is to tell at address if the clubface is open or closed. The black clubface also provides a lot of contrast making it super easy to aim the R11 at your intended target.

The shape of the driver of address is very pleasing to the eye, and looks more like a 460cc head, but is only 440cc clubhead. The white color crown tricks your eyes into thinking it is larger. Adjusting the sole plate or ASP is really simple with the torque wrench, which can also be used to adjust the moveable weights and Flight Control Technology. The Fujikura Blur shaft is truly a work of art with its contrasting matte black triangle pattern and provides just the right amount of flex and feel.

I can’t speak to performance aspects of the R11 driver, because I was only able to hit it indoors at the TaylorMade Performance Lab. What I can tell you, is it produces a great sound at impact and feels great. I’ll have an in-depth review of the R11 driver at a later date, when I can play it in real world playing conditions. So check back soon!

Special thanks to TaylorMade Golf and Brad Syslo from the TaylorMade Performance Lab at Olympia Fields Country Club.

The TaylorMade R11 and R11 TP driver hit stores February 4, 2011.

Introducing the Sandbox8.com iPhone app . It’s a great way to stay up to date on the latest golf products and news from your iPhone, when you can’t be in front of a computer. You can download the free iPhone app , from the iTunes App Store and have access to all of our golf product reviews, news stories, interviews, videos, twitter updates, and more!

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We’ll be adding push notifications and other features in the near future. If your wondering about Android support, we’ll be offering an Android version soon too! Go download the Sandbox8.com iPhone App! It’s free!

Lemont, IL-At the 2009 BMW Championship I got a quick tour of the Cobra Golf Tour Van that supports PGA Tour pros Geoff Ogilvy, Camilo Villegas, Ian Poulter, and J.B. Holmes. Watch the video and find out what equipment they will be using and player testing of the new Cobra ZL driver by Ian Poulter in the third stop of the PGA Tour FedEx Cup Playoffs.

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Special thanks to JJ VanWezenbeeck PGA Tour Technician of Cobra Golf for the tour!

For more information visit http://www.cobragolf.com

The highly anticipated introduction of Nike Golf’s new METHOD putter yesterday satisfied the curiosity and buzz generated by the Nike Golf Prototype putter that has won two major championship titles and three other Tour victories worldwide.

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The much talked about putter also represents the emergence of yet another ground breaking innovation from Nike Golf’s Research and Development center, The OVEN. Following the same game-changing engineering and design trail blazed by the square and adjustable drivers, which also were created and developed at Nike Golf’s Fort Worth Facility.

Why The Method?
The philosophy of the “scientific method,” was the inspiration for the OVEN’s team of designers and engineers that combined steel and polymer in multiple ways before discovering the unique polymetal groove technology. The highly visible and distinctive polymetal groove technology is influential in creating a faster forward roll after impact for the kind of accuracy and consistency that the Tour professionals demand.

The Polymetal Groove Technology
When the golf ball is at rest on the green, it’s sitting in a depression in the grass. The putter’s loft is what helps lift the ball out of the depression, but the problem is that traditional steel faced putters lift the ball too much and impart backspin, that  cause the ball to initially bounce slightly higher and go offline. The polymetal groove technology is designed to help lift the ball out of the depression without imparting the backspin, but forward spin to minimize bounce and keep your putts on line.

The Nike METHOD has a flowed-through low-durometer polymetal groove technology that dampens impact vibrations for soft touch, while the interspersed milled steel face maintains audible feedback for proper distance control. A multi-material face starts the ball on a positive spin that is faster than both a milled steel putter as well as putters with a polymer face insert.

For increased Moment of Inertia (MOI) and added stability, a ported polymetal groove technology allows 30 grams of internal weight to be excavated from the face and body and relocated to the perimeter.

Tour Proven
Since switching to the Nike METHOD, U.S. Open champion Glover’s putts-per-round ranking has significantly improved from 116thin 2008 to T39 in 2009.

“This putter has made all of the difference in my game,” said Glover. “I attribute a lot of the success I had at Bethpage to my putting. I give a lot of credit to Nike for coming out with such a great product.”

Paul Casey, who was the first player to win with the Nike METHOD this year – twice on the PGA European Tour and once on the PGA Tour — has improved 43 spots in his putts per round ranking. “I fell in love with this putter the first time I putted with it,” said Casey, who first put it in his bag last fall.  “You can really feel the difference in how the ball comes off of the face and you can see the difference in how it rolls.  It’s really helped me with my confidence on the greens.”

In addition to Glover, Cink and Casey, Nike athletes Justin Leonard and Stephen Ames also switched to the new Nike METHOD putter.

Look and Feel
The Anser blade style putters have a nice clean look with a matte finish that won’t distract you when standing over the ball. Each of the four blade models has different characteristics, like shaft bend and alignment lines. For instance the METHOD 004 has a three alignment lines in the cavity, while the other versions METHOD 001, 002, and 003 have slightly different necks and alignment lines.

At the media event I was able to try all five models of the METHOD putters and I was really impressed with how fast the ball would roll off the face of the polymetal grooves. It didn’t seem to take much effort to get the ball rolling on the putting greens and it gives you just the right amount of feedback on impact.

I naturally gravitated toward the METHOD 005 the mallet version of the putter, with its half moon shape and really liked how it rolled the ball with such ease. The blade versions of the METHOD putters are equally impressive with the proper amount of heel-toe weighting and control. I really like the blade versions of the METHOD so much, that I’m going to switch back to using a blade putter.

Overall, I think that Nike Golf has another hit on their hands with the Tour proven METHOD line of putters.

All five of the METHOD putters come with a standard 2 degrees of loft and will be available in 33″, 34″, and 35″ lengths.

The new Nike METHOD will officially be available in the market on February 1, 2010, with limited, special edition quantities becoming available starting on November 1, 2009. MSRP $249.99

For more information visit http://www.nike.com/nikegolf

At the 2009 PGA Merchandise Show I had the opportunity to try out the new Nike SQ Dymo STR8-FIT (pronounced “straight fit”) driver, which is Nike Golf’s first adjustable driver, that allows you to change the golf club face, loft, and lie angle. Over the past few months I’ve been playing the Nike SQ Dymo STR8-FIT driver and like the results I’ve been seeing on the golf course.

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Look and Feel
At first glance the Nike SQ Dymo STR8-Fit has a nice round shape that features a shiny black finish, which has that stealth bomber look. The 460cc clubhead setups up quite nicely when you sole the club and very easy to align to the target line with alignment stripe. When you flip the club over you’ll notice the new rounded folded geometry repositions square mass into a round format.

The wide face and STR8-FIT adapter logo on the face of club, will give you all the confidence when you tee up. The stock shaft is a nice yellow Nike Golf UST Proforce AXIV Core (45.75″), which features a strengthening core material that provides an extremely stable environment at impact, making it easier to swing the club faster and remain in complete control of the club head at all times. Custom shafts are also available. The SQ 360 design grip is designed to look the same no matter what position the club head is in, just like the shaft. The butt end of the grip also features a visual reference to the clubhead position, like what is found in the head cover.

The head cover is worth mentioning because it has two well thought out features: one is the storage pouch for the torque wrench, and the other is the  head positioning reference wheel. Why is this important? It’s important, because you’ll always have easy access to the torque wrench and you also have a visual reference to what position the clubhead is in without having to look down at the hosel. I appreciate the thought process and attention to detail by Nike Golf, to make everything easily accessible.

How Does The STR8-FIT Work?
The creation of STR8-FIT technology was inspired by how Nike Golf Tour athletes set up their equipment to suit each tournament’s course. On the PGA Tour, Nike Golf athletes have the luxury of utilizing the Nike Tour Van, where a staff of Nike club experts can adjust each Nike athlete’s driver to the face and lie angle that they want to perform their best on any given week. This same concept is now being made available to consumers through the STR8-FIT’s wide range of choices in shot shaping with one shaft, one club head, one club.

Simple changes can be made before your round to dramatically correct your ball flight or subtly perfect it through the selection of eight unique head positions from open to close with one club, eliminating the use of multiple shafts and movable weights. For example, if a golfer is pushing, fading or slicing the ball too much and they wish to draw the ball or hit more to the left for a particular course set up, they can change the position of their clubface to a more closed position. If a golfer is hooking, pulling or drawing the ball more than they wish, they can manually change the clubface to a more open position. Club face angles range from a neutral position of zero degrees to both one and two degrees closed or open.

The technology in the NIke SQ Dymo STR8-FIT is quite simple. To adapt the head positions, the player will use a torque wrench (70 in/lbs), which is located in the headcover that comes with each SQ DYMO STR8-FIT driver. Select the desired head position, based on desired ball flight, trajectory, or course conditions. When the head position is “locked in,” a sound indicator (produces a loud beep) and light on the wrench goes off to ensure that the club is ready to be hit. It’s that easy!

During my tests, I found it incredibly easy and comfortable to use the 70 in/lbs torque wrench to unlock, adjust, and lock the clubhead into place. Another nice detail on the torque wrench, is that it tells you what side should be facing the clubhead and which way to tighten and loosen the clubhead. I also really liked the audible and visual feedback of the wrench, so I new when the clubhead was securely attached.

Performance
All SQ DYMO and SQ DYMO² STR8-FIT drivers are engineered from the ground up with the express purpose of optimizing the launch and spin by loft. Distance is maximized in every loft by varying multiple specifications from lie angle, to MOI and CG placement, to overall head size and face.

The first thing you’ll notice when you hit the STR8-FIT is the pleasing sound that the driver makes when you hit the ball off the tee. The ball comes flying off the face of the club producing the optimal medium-high trajectory on my drives, that produce a lot of extra carry.

The STR8-FIT is also a forgiving driver on mis-hits, thanks to the low center of gravity and MOI in the square mass that is repositioned in the rear of the the driver. Off center hits seemed to go nearly as far as those hit in the sweetspot of the driver. As you adjust the clubs position, you start to see the impact the different lie and loft angles can make on your drives as well. According to Nike Golf’s comprehensive tests you can see a 45 yard difference between maximum left and maximum right positions.

I couldn’t be more pleased with the results of my drives after using the STR8-FIT, I was blown away by how much better my driving accuracy became after fine tuning the club position that suited my swing. I have a tendency to push the ball or what I like to call a power fade, and by closing the driver face 2 degrees, it helped with promoting more of draw to my drives.

How Does The STR8-FIT Compare to the TaylorMade R9 Driver?
I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to test both drivers simultaneously over the same period of time and the results are quite interesting.

Before I go into my results, I want to point out the obvious difference between both clubs and that is the R9 features movable weights in addition eight adjustable club positions (TaylorMade recently released the R9 460 (no MWT) that I did not test), and the STR8-Fit does not use movable weights. The other big difference is clubhead size, with the R9 being a 422cc  and the STR8-FIT is a 460cc.

One of the first things I noticed when hitting both the STR8-FIT and the R9, is how much more forgiving I found the STR8-FIT to be on mis-hits. My off center hits with the STR8-FIT went a lot straighter and 3-5 yards longer than with the R9.

In terms of ball flight and distance, I found the STR8-FIT outperformed the R9. The ball flight and trajectory was much more desirable with the STR8-Fit, resulting in drives that were 7-10 yards longer on average. The R9 would produce a low-medium trajectory ball flight, that didn’t carry as nearly as far.

I also found that STR8-FIT, much easier to adjust the clubhead positions using the torque wrench, that fits comfortably into your hands. As mentioned before, the audio and visual feedback are great for determining exactly when the clubhead is locked into position. What I also liked was the head positioning reference wheel found inside the torque wrench pouch and on the butt end of the grip. With the R9 you have to look at the hosel every time to determine the head position.

Overall the Nike SQ Dymo STR8-FIT is a phenomenal driver, that provides maximum distance and forgiveness, unprecendented amount of control to shape your shots, and eight ways to attack any golf course.

Men’s: Loft Options 8.5 (RH), 9.5 (RH/LH), 10.5 (tested)(RH/LH), 11.5 (RH/LH), HL (RH)
Women’s : Loft Options 11.5 (RH/LH), HL (RH)

Nike SQ Dymo STR8-FIT Driver MSRP: $540.00

TaylorMade-adidas Golf is a pioneer in golf club adjustability when it introduced its r7 quad driver in 2004. The r7 quad incorporated TaylorMade’s Movable Weight Technology(MWT), which gave golfers the ability to change the clubhead’s center of gravity to promote different ball flights.

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2009 marks a dawn of a new era in golf club design and adjustability with the introduction of the R9 driver, that not only allows you to adjust the center of gravity, but also the face angle, loft, and lie angle of the R9 through its Flight Control Technology (FCT). The combination of the of Flight Control Technology and Movable Weight Technology promote up to 75 yards of side-to-side trajectory adjustability.

Look and Feel
At first glance the R9 driver features a new clubhead shape that is a blend of modern and classic designs in 422cc clubhead, that looks a lot like last year’s r7 limited driver and r7 SuperQuad, with its triangular shape, contoured corners, and similar graphics on the sole. In fact, TaylorMade calls it “New Classic” because it is at once modern and traditional, and should prove the test of time.

The R9 clubhead is constructed with the aid of TaylorMade’s Ultra-Thin Wall (UTW) technology, which allows the clubhead walls measuring as thin as 0.6 millimeters, with the saved weight redistributed to make the MWT and CG low as possible.

The Movable Weight Technology on the R9, features three weight ports (Center, Heel, and Toe) and cartidges. One 16-gram weight, and two 1-gram weights that can be adjusted using included torque wrench.

When you setup to the ball, R9′s smaller triangular shape took a little getting used to, espeically in this era of oversized 460cc clubheads. The R9 is equipped with a brand new shaft by Fujikura Golf-the 65-gram Fujikura Motore graphite shaft that is 45.25″ Long. The Fujikura Motore graphite shaft with High Intertia Tip (HIT) technology, is engineered with a new advanced tip construction that promotes faster ball speed. The added kick through the impact zone to promote increased ball speed and distance.

The Fujikura Motore shaft features a white graphic print on the top portion of the shaft, that uses a special “rotating graphic” that looks the same no matter what position the shaft is locked into. You’ll also notice that the grip is also graphic free, as to prevent distraction when the shaft is rotated.

As the shaft tapers down towards the hosel it begins to turn into a deep red and connects to the special metallic sleeve over the tip of the shaft.

Overall, its a really sharp looking driver that has a great throwback look to it packed with a lot of modern technology.

How Does FCT Work?
Up until now, if you wanted to adjust the face, loft, and lie angle, you needed to have that done by a club technician at your local golf shop. Or in the case of the PGA Tour Pro, you had this done at the TaylorMade Tour Trailer. This process requires a technician to immobilize the  clubhead and bend the hosel by hand.  Flight Control Technology eliminates the need of a tour technician to make adjustments quickly and accurately to the face, loft, and lie angles (Neutral-1 Flat Lie, Neutral Upright-1 Upright Lie, 1.0 Closed-.5 Flat Lie, 1.0 Closed-.5 Upright Lie, 2.0 Closed-Standard Lie, 1.0 Open-Flat Lie,1.0 Open-.5 Upright Lie, 2.0 Open-Standard Lie).

To adjust the face, loft, and lie angles, is quite simple process with the supplied R9 torque wrench, which provides 40 inch-pounds of torque. Just loosen the FCT bolt, remove the shaft from the head, rotate the sleeve and shaft into one of the eight clubhead positions and then locking the clubhead into position with the FCT bolt. The clubhead position adjustments were simple to make, like described, but I did find it a little tricky at times to line up the desired position with the clubhead. You’ll know that you have tightend the FCT bolt on tighly when you hear a loud snap.

When using the provided torque wrench, I was little nervous about loosening the FCT bolt, because I might lose it. But that’s not possible, since the FCT bolt cannot be removed from the clubhead completely. Using the same torque wrench you can also adjust the Movable weights on the R9, but these can be misplaced, so be careful where you do this.

I would really like for the torque wrench to be able to be stored in the clubhead cover, because having to fish it out of my golf bag anytime I want to makea an adjustment can be a bit of a hassle and easily misplaced.

Performance
What makes the R9 a fully adjustable driver is the combination of the FCT and MWT. As mentioned before, the R9 features three weight ports that can be adjusted. Put the 16-gram weight in the heel port to promote a draw, in the toe port to promote a fade, and in the middle for a neutral ball flight. By combining both the MWT and FCT you actually give yourself a ton of influence over the flight trajectory of your shots. According to TaylorMade testing, the R9 driver can promote up to 75 yards of side-to-side trajectory change, depending upon how the clubhead has been adjusted. If you take the eight positions of the FCT and multiply that with the three MWT configurations, you end up with twenty-four possible combinations.

In my tests, I didn’t notice too much of a variance in my shot trajectory to validate the 75 yards claim by TaylorMade, you’ll need to take their word for it. But what I did notice, is that shaping my shots was much easier to do with the combo of FCT and MWT. The only downside of so many options is that it took a lot of experimentation to find the right combination that worked best for my swing (neutral upright). Once, you have it dialed in your not going to want to change it.

In terms of the trajectory of my shots, I found that ball would fly off the face of the R9 and have a nice medium to low trajectory, similar to that of Tour player. Part of this can be attributed to triangular shape of the R9 that lowers the center of gravity lower in the face of the club that makes it easy to launch the ball.

The Inverted Cone Technology which has been used in other TaylorMade drivers, expands the area of the clubface that delivers high ball speed. The cone is actually milled directly onto the inner side of the clubface, which gives the R9 forgiveness on mis-hits, high MOI, and low CG. Now in terms of distance, the ball flies off the face of the R9 and travels a good distance, but not as far as I would like. I think part of it has to do with the lower trajectory ball flight and Fujikura Motore shaft. I need a softer tip shaft then the stock offerring on the R9.

Bottom line, the TaylorMade R9 driver is a great golf club that provides unprecendented amount of adjustability and customization quickly, and without the support of a tour van. If your a low-mid handicap golfer, who likes to fine tune their golf club, and wants a tour claiber flight trajectory, than checkout the R9 driver.

The TaylorMade R9 driver is available in 8.5, 9.5, and 10.5 (tested) degree lofts (9.5 and 10.5 left-handed), and in X, S, and R shaft flexes. MSRP $500

 
(Part One: Club Testing, CAD Design, Impact Testing)

(Part Two: Club Assembly and CNC Shop)

On my recent trip to Fort Worth, TX I had the opportunity to get a rare behind the scenes tour of Nike Golf’s Research & Development facility, “The Oven”.  ”TheOven” is where Nike Golf designs, prototypes, tests, and builds the golf clubs and balls that their PGA Tour players (Tiger Woods, Paul Casey, Stewart Cink, etc) use, but also make the final versions that are sent out to be mass produced and sold to consumers.

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This is Nike Golf’s second R&D expansion in just three years. Part of the renovation for the “Oven” involved adding an additional 17,600 square footage for offices and new large auditorium for meetings and presentations, but also an entirely new 129,000 square foot short game area made of synthetic turf, that looks and plays like real grass in the front of the complex. The short game area  includes three synthetic greens, one natural grass green, bunkers and practice holes.  The practice holes and hitting areas are designed for the purpose of providing various distances for short irons so that iron and ball testing is both extensive and constructive for Nike engineers and Nike athletes.  The short game area also is enhanced by a water feature that runs through the middle of the short game course.

The main entry way features a wall of fame and time line of all the highlights of Nike Golf, and even a wall that displays every version of their golf clubs Nike Golf has produced from past to the present.  A mixture of their latest equipment or technology breakthroughs are on display along with memorabilia over the years, like Tiger Woods tiger headcover and signed mock turtleneck that he first started wearing in 2003. 

Before we went on the tour, we sat through a short presentation on the history of Nike Golf R&D and how they came up with the name. Interesting  to note, because the name came from baking up good things, therefore the name “The Oven”. After the presentation, Nike Golf’s Director of Product Creation Tom Stites, Nike Golf athletes Stewart Cink, Paul Casey, and Justin Leonard took questions from the audience.

The Tour

The tour begins with the testing lab, where Nike engineers test for a clubs sweetspot, USGA groove tests, center of gravity, and moment of inertia. The amount of testing time that goes into the developing your golf clubs is astounding. You come away with a big appreciation  for the commitment and dedication by Nike Golf in producing the best product available.

Next stop on the tour is the CAD room where a design gets made into model that can be touched. Currently Nike Golf is working on clubs for 2013 release. 

From their we go to the sound testing lab, where they tune the sound of the golf club. I never knew that this was part of developing a golf club, I always thought the sound was result of the material used to make the club.

Next is the CNC Shop, where the CAD designs are built into prototypes, either out of resin or metal. It’s in this room that all the initial prototypes are created, so they can be assembled into a golf club. 

The assembly room, is where individual components are put together and assembled into a golf club. This is where they assemble the final clubs that Tiger Woods or any of the Tour players use. What was really unique about the assembly process, is how they determine the proper lie of the golf club. Traditional club making involves using either a Mitchell or lie board to determine the lie angle, but Nike Golf uses it’s more accurate method, with their patented device called the “Green Machine”. The “Green Machine”, which was developed by Nike Golf’s engineers, allows a club builder to build the club to the exact lie angle every time, no matter who’s building the club. The advantage of building clubs this way, is there is no variance in lie angle and club length from builder to builder.

The machine shop is where they polish and finish the golf clubs that the CNC shop produces before being sent to assembly.

At the end of the tour I came away with a several things: one is the commitment and passion of the Nike Golf R&D employees. Every person is so committed to building the best product on the market and it shows. Second, this isn’t a company out to make a fast buck by leveraging the Nike brand name. I still stand behind my belief, that Nike Golf is one of the most underrated golf equipment manufacturers, that has been producing high quality product over the last few years, and it shows.

“The Nike brand is globally synonymous with innovation, performance and the pursuit of athletic excellence,” said Cindy Davis, President of Nike Golf. “The expansion of “The Oven” is an indication of Nike Golf’s commitment to our athletes, as well as to solidifying our role as an undisputed leader in the research, design and development of clubs and balls.”

My visit to “The Oven” further reinforced my belief and look forward to seeing what Nike Golf comes up with next.

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.

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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

“Modern Technology meets classic design”, is the tag line used to describe the new TaylorMade Tour Preferred Irons and I’ve had the opportunity to test out the latest offering from TaylorMade to see if the Tour Preferred irons live up to their billing.

Look and Feel

The Tour Preferred irons is the latest addition to the TaylorMade product line, aimed at a wide-range of golfers who prefer a club that has a classic look, but the forgiveness of a cavity back iron.  The first thing you’ll notice when you sole the TaylorMade Tour Preferred iron is the thin topline and shorter blade-length from heel to toe for a compact clean look at address. What you will not see at address, is the sole and the cavity features built into this club that make it a very forgiving and high performance golf club. This is a feature you don’t see in a lot of irons today, especially in a cavity back iron.  The tour configured sole was shaped based on the feedback from the TaylorMade Professional Tour Staff professionals, and features a thinner sole that will promote less digging and better turf interaction. By softening the leading and trailing edge, the sole of the club glides effortlessly through the turf for better ball striking. The face of the TaylorMade Tour Preferred irons do not feature an alignment line, like you have on most golf clubs, so this could be a problem for some golfers.

The Tour Preferred irons does feature the same Inverted Cone technology that is used in the TaylorMade drivers to promote a larger sweetspot and more forgiveness on off-center hits. The cavity back of the TaylorMade Tour Preferred irons also feature a shallow undercut design to push the weight of the club to the outer perimeter of the clubhead, to create a very high MOI and forgiving golf club. In the cavity, you’ll also notice a vibration management sound badge over the Inverted Cone, to fine-tune the club’s pitch and resonance, ensuring that sound at impact is solid and satisfying. This is what gives the TaylorMade Tour Preferred irons their forged iron like feel. It’s amazing how this club does give you that forged iron feel, I was quite impressed to see a cavity back replicate that. The Tour Preferred irons come equipped with True Temper Dynamic Gold steel shafts and Golf Pride Tour Velvet grips. The Dynamic Gold shafts are a little bit on the heavy side in my opinion for a stock shaft offering, and aimed at golfers with a higher swing speed. I did like the fact that they used Tour Velvet grips, which are my grip of choice on all my golf clubs.

Performance

Do the new TaylorMade Tour Preferred irons live up to the hype of having modern technology blended with classic design? The answer to that question is, Yes!
What I really liked about the Tour Preferred irons, is how solid they felt at impact. I noticed immediately, how the club would respond, in terms of sound and feel at impact, just like hitting a forged iron. The next thing that really made this club stand apart, is how easily the club would just glide through the turf. During my tests, I used these clubs on both the fairways and moderate rough, and had no problems with the club’s sole digging into the ground during my swing. As mentioned before, this was due to the softening of the the trailing and leading edge of the sole of the club. The results were purer ball striking and you’ll really appreciate this in the moderate rough.

The other nice feature of the sole design, is the minimal offset of the club, which makes the Tour Preferred very playable. The Inverted Cone technology used in the face of the TaylorMade Tour Preferred irons, really expanded the sweetspot on the face of the club, which made it so forgiving. The face was very resistant to twisting on mishits and provided a consistent shot to shot distance on all my shots. Couple the Inverted Cone technology with the shallow undercut cavity, which redistributes the weight to the heel and weighted toe pockets, you have a club that is going to have increased MOI and all around forgiveness. I was very impressed how easy it was to hit these irons and really pleased with my results, even on off-center hits. The trajectory on my shots using the Tour Preferred irons was more neutral biased and on the low to mid launch angle, which is what you would expect from a high performance iron.

Overall, the TaylorMade Tour Preferred irons are able to mix both modern technology with classic design to produce high performance irons that have a tour look, with the forgiveness of a cavity back.

TaylorMade Tour Preferred Irons are available in 2 through 9 iron, pitching wedge, attack wedge, and sand wedge and retail for $899