The Oven: GolfWRX's Nike Vapor Driver Experience (trip recap and reviews on page 1!)

[SwooshLT]

[quote name='Pure745' timestamp='1413755192' post='10315895']
[quote name='stage1350' timestamp='1413745361' post='10315183']
Just give it to me straight, Tai.

Am I picking up a Flex in the spring? I still have a Whiteboard 83-X with a flexloft tip on it lying around.

And how much of a difference (All other things equal) am I going to see compared to the 430? Like you, the Covert Tour just didn't do it and the 2.0 looked horrible to me.
[/quote]

Are you? Yes. It's been one of the lowest launching and spinning heads I have hit in a while, including the 430.. with much better feel, shape and sound. I don't want to get ahead of myself because I need to test it on my course and in competitive rounds to see how it holds up under pressure and how the forgiveness is when I need it. The distance is definitely there, no doubt about it.. I think you will definitely be trying it. The head shape with the softened toe area frames the ball so nicely at address and I think you will really love the feel/sound. Both on the Trackman and at the round at Shady Oaks, I hit some very long and straight drives basically cold turkey right off the Trackman fitting. 182 BS, 10ish launch and sub 2000 spin.. I haven't seen numbers like that in any driver I have tested in my shootouts. The best part is that I can move the launch spin both up or down from that position depending on conditions or if my swing changes.

None of the Nike stuff from last year made very long in my bag, the entire Nike team pretty much all knew it when I showed up at the Oven.. I showed up with basically zero Nike clubs, except the Rory putter and felt very happy with the Vapor line coming out of the fitting. BUT, it was only one day, one session, and 9 holes.. it's going to take a lot more time and a lot more shots under different conditions and playing situations for me to tell, but I like what I see so far. As with last year, I will give it to you straight.. No BS if the stuff doesn't work. My only allegiance is to lowering the numbers on my scorecard at the end of the round
[/quote]


Do work Son! Happy Dance!

[PapaMike25]

I love the reviews so far on the forgiveness through out the entire vapor line. I'm eyeing the VPC's 6-A to go with my VRS Forged 4 & 5 irons.

For you gentlemen who have tested the Vapors and have also gamed the 2012 VRS Forged, how do the VPC's play bounce wise?

I ditched a set of I-20's because I could never get used to the bounce on them among other things, and think that the way the VRS Forged irons play are perfect. (Playing with a lower effective bounce due to the leading edge grind)

I'm mostly concerned with the short irons, as they have similar numbers on the spec sheet as the I-20s do.

Thanks in advance, can't wait for the full reviews!

[Holy Moses]

Good thread, but I kind of had to laugh that "20 yards could change my life." Let's hope there's a bit more to life than that.

[J13]

Vapor Pro vs Vapor Pro Combo's - how much more forgiveness is there and where exactly does the extra help come into play meaning thinned shots? Toe Shots ect... So far it looks like a lot of Nike Pro's are going Vapor Pro's and judging by pictures they look like they aren't butter knives but MB"s with some help built in.

[Pure745]

[quote name='Holy Moses' timestamp='1413763027' post='10316465']
Good thread, but I kind of had to laugh that "20 yards could change my life." Let's hope there's a bit more to life than that.
[/quote]

You're reading too far into it Moses!!

[theinsider]

Just a quick post but wanted to point out a key thing - I was along on this trip from a different angle but enjoyed watching Scott, Tai, and Ryan interact with the team at The Oven.

I was in different sessions than their group but when I was around them it was clear their feedback was valued and compared to the "other" forum guests they were easily the most knowledgable, respectful, and passionate about digging up product details.

Nice job lads; way to do GolfWRX.com proud. You not only represented yourselves well but acted as great ambassadors for the site and your fellow members.

Good to see you again Ben and great to meet you Andrew.

[Holy Moses]

[quote name='Pure745' timestamp='1413763574' post='10316513']
[quote name='Holy Moses' timestamp='1413763027' post='10316465']
Good thread, but I kind of had to laugh that "20 yards could change my life." Let's hope there's a bit more to life than that.
[/quote]

You're reading too far into it Moses!!
[/quote]

Maybe, but this is GolfWRX. Golf IS life here.

[adfrick]

[quote name='Pure745' timestamp='1413763574' post='10316513'][quote name='Holy Moses' timestamp='1413763027' post='10316465']
Good thread, but I kind of had to laugh that "20 yards could change my life." Let's hope there's a bit more to life than that.
[/quote]

You're reading too far into it Moses!! [/quote]
Did someone say drinks? Why thank you I will! And incidentally, 20 yards would really help out short knockers like me, but the drinks help me get over it!

[scottvw13]

[quote name='theinsider' timestamp='1413763906' post='10316543']
Just a quick post but wanted to point out a key thing - I was along on this trip from a different angle but enjoyed watching Scott, Tai, and Ryan interact with the team at The Oven.

I was in different sessions than their group but when I was around them it was clear their feedback was valued and compared to the "other" forum guests they were easily the most knowledgable, respectful, and passionate about digging up product details.

Nice job lads; way to do GolfWRX.com proud. You not only represented yourselves well but acted as great ambassadors for the site and your fellow members.

Good to see you again Ben and great to meet you Andrew.
[/quote]

You are to kind sir....And the pleasure was all mine

[Pure745]

[quote name='J13' timestamp='1413763476' post='10316503']
Vapor Pro vs Vapor Pro Combo's - how much more forgiveness is there and where exactly does the extra help come into play meaning thinned shots? Toe Shots ect... So far it looks like a lot of Nike Pro's are going Vapor Pro's and judging by pictures they look like they aren't butter knives but MB"s with some help built in.
[/quote]

J - I'll give you my initial impressions from the Oven range and 9 holes.. I reserve the right to update my opinion once I get my set in play Anyways.. The concept of the Vapor Pro was to move the weight out towards the toe so that it would move the CG out closer to the toe rather than the heel where it is typically on blades, by design.. you might have seen Rickie Fowlers Cobra MB's with tungsten plugs in the toe, TW's proto's etc. This is the concept of the Vapor Pro and the rest of the line. I noticed that the Pro's were way more forgiving than the VR Pro's, especially in the mid irons. I hit one thin on a 200-ish yard par 3 at Shady Oaks that literally almost went in the hole.. not saying this as a passive brag, but saying it more that with the VR Pro, I'd probably be short with a wedge in my hands rather than having a 5 foot birdie putt. I think low on the face and toe shots are going to see an improvement on distance and closer to intended line than the previous blade. Just my thoughts so far..

[quote name='theinsider' timestamp='1413763906' post='10316543']
Just a quick post but wanted to point out a key thing - I was along on this trip from a different angle but enjoyed watching Scott, Tai, and Ryan interact with the team at The Oven.

I was in different sessions than their group but when I was around them it was clear their feedback was valued and compared to the "other" forum guests they were easily the most knowledgable, respectful, and passionate about digging up product details.

Nice job lads; way to do GolfWRX.com proud. You not only represented yourselves well but acted as great ambassadors for the site and your fellow members.

Good to see you again Ben and great to meet you Andrew.
[/quote]

Thank you for the post, and also the comment. We really did try our best to represent GolfWRX and fellow WRX'ers the best we could! I know more than a few times we would interrupt any given session with a question posted to the forum in live time.

[CactusGolf]

Was there any insight into new bags featuring the Vapor color scheme?

[scottvw13]

The Par 3 the Tai is referring to was 198 downhill with a 15 MPH left to right helping wind. I hit a pretty solid 6 iron to about 15 feet and was pleased.

Right off the face Tai says "I skanked it"

Well sure enough the ball held its line and missed the hole by inches...If only he played a touch more break!

But we won't talk about the resulting five footer...

[Holy Moses]

Has Nike always incorporated their clothing/shoe lines, names, and color schemes into their golf line? I think it's a good idea. Bring more reconizeability to Nike's golf division.

[GC70]

[quote name='scottvw13' timestamp='1413765135' post='10316713']
The Par 3 the Tai is referring to was 198 downhill with a 15 MPH left to right helping wind. I hit a pretty solid 6 iron to about 15 feet and was pleased.

Right off the face Tai says "I skanked it"

Well sure enough the ball held its line and missed the hole by inches...If only he played a touch more break!

But we won't talk about the resulting five footer...
[/quote]
So your saying he shanked a 8 iron the missed his 5 footer?

[shakey]

[quote name='Holy Moses' timestamp='1413765503' post='10316767']
Has Nike always incorporated their clothing/shoe lines, names, and color schemes into their golf line? I think it's a good idea. Bring more reconizeability to Nike's golf division.
[/quote]
I was told that this is the first time that Nike has really taken a color-way across the full golf line. It will have matching colors from hats to bags. Some having very specific release dates to keep colors fresh.

[scottvw13]

[quote name='Holy Moses' timestamp='1413765503' post='10316767']
Has Nike always incorporated their clothing/shoe lines, names, and color schemes into their golf line? I think it's a good idea. Bring more reconizeability to Nike's golf division.
[/quote]

That is precisely what they are doing. And it seems to work. Much better continuity.

[scottvw13]

[quote name='MNNikeGuy' timestamp='1413765558' post='10316777']
[quote name='scottvw13' timestamp='1413765135' post='10316713']
The Par 3 the Tai is referring to was 198 downhill with a 15 MPH left to right helping wind. I hit a pretty solid 6 iron to about 15 feet and was pleased.

Right off the face Tai says "I skanked it"

Well sure enough the ball held its line and missed the hole by inches...If only he played a touch more break!

But we won't talk about the resulting five footer...
[/quote]
So your saying he shanked a 8 iron the missed his 5 footer?
[/quote]

He SKANKED it. Not SHANKED it.

And yes. Was prob an 8.

[Pure745]

[quote name='scottvw13' timestamp='1413765135' post='10316713']
The Par 3 the Tai is referring to was 198 downhill with a 15 MPH left to right helping wind. I hit a pretty solid 6 iron to about 15 feet and was pleased.

Right off the face Tai says "I skanked it"

Well sure enough the ball held its line and missed the hole by inches...If only he played a touch more break!

But we won't talk about the resulting five footer...
[/quote]

Hey, that was the 4th hole.. didn't have my Rory till the 7th

[scottvw13]

[quote name='Pure745' timestamp='1413766222' post='10316873']
[quote name='scottvw13' timestamp='1413765135' post='10316713']
The Par 3 the Tai is referring to was 198 downhill with a 15 MPH left to right helping wind. I hit a pretty solid 6 iron to about 15 feet and was pleased.

Right off the face Tai says "I skanked it"

Well sure enough the ball held its line and missed the hole by inches...If only he played a touch more break!

But we won't talk about the resulting five footer...
[/quote]

Hey, that was the 4th hole.. didn't have my Rory till the 7th
[/quote]

That is actually a true story..the vaunted Rory/Tai was actually HAND DELIVERED by the man who runs the Oven...how is that for service!

[csiachos]

Don't mean to rush you guys but where are the reviews? I just got in trouble with my wife for looking at my phone too much.

[scottvw13]

[quote name='csiachos' timestamp='1413766516' post='10316907']
Don't mean to rush you guys but where are the reviews? I just got in trouble with my wife for looking at my phone too much.
[/quote]

You will see the reviews roll in over the next few days.

Suffice to say you won't be seeing a paragraph...

[J13]

[quote name='Pure745' timestamp='1413764697' post='10316655']
[quote name='J13' timestamp='1413763476' post='10316503']
Vapor Pro vs Vapor Pro Combo's - how much more forgiveness is there and where exactly does the extra help come into play meaning thinned shots? Toe Shots ect... So far it looks like a lot of Nike Pro's are going Vapor Pro's and judging by pictures they look like they aren't butter knives but MB"s with some help built in.
[/quote]

J - I'll give you my initial impressions from the Oven range and 9 holes.. I reserve the right to update my opinion once I get my set in play Anyways.. The concept of the Vapor Pro was to move the weight out towards the toe so that it would move the CG out closer to the toe rather than the heel where it is typically on blades, by design.. you might have seen Rickie Fowlers Cobra MB's with tungsten plugs in the toe, TW's proto's etc. This is the concept of the Vapor Pro and the rest of the line. I noticed that the Pro's were way more forgiving than the VR Pro's, especially in the mid irons. I hit one thin on a 200-ish yard par 3 at Shady Oaks that literally almost went in the hole.. not saying this as a passive brag, but saying it more that with the VR Pro, I'd probably be short with a wedge in my hands rather than having a 5 foot birdie putt. I think low on the face and toe shots are going to see an improvement on distance and closer to intended line than the previous blade. Just my thoughts so far..

[quote name='theinsider' timestamp='1413763906' post='10316543']
Just a quick post but wanted to point out a key thing - I was along on this trip from a different angle but enjoyed watching Scott, Tai, and Ryan interact with the team at The Oven.

I was in different sessions than their group but when I was around them it was clear their feedback was valued and compared to the "other" forum guests they were easily the most knowledgable, respectful, and passionate about digging up product details.

Nice job lads; way to do GolfWRX.com proud. You not only represented yourselves well but acted as great ambassadors for the site and your fellow members.

Good to see you again Ben and great to meet you Andrew.
[/quote]

Thank you for the post, and also the comment. We really did try our best to represent GolfWRX and fellow WRX'ers the best we could! I know more than a few times we would interrupt any given session with a question posted to the forum in live time.
[/quote]

Gotcha, I know you guys have barely played with them but wasn't sure if they discussed this. I would love to go back to MB's but companies are making some really good players CB's nowadays. These MB's almost look like a hybrid between a true MB and players CB. And I will certainly understand if your opinion changes as 9 holes is not nearly enough time to evaluate a set of irons.

[Holy Moses]

I have seen posts on the main page here that argue that Nike could really get to the TaylorMade, Callaway, Titleist, and Ping levels of golf recognizeability and sales if they wanted to pour a ton of $ into R&D with this new line. Seems like they are really moving in that direction, but I wonder if the downturn in the golf market will prohibit that.

[scottvw13]

[quote name='Holy Moses' timestamp='1413767536' post='10316997']
I have seen posts on the main page here that argue that Nike could really get to the TaylorMade, Callaway, Titleist, and Ping levels of golf recognizeability and sales if they wanted to pour a ton of $ into R&D with this new line. Seems like they are really moving in that direction, but I wonder if the downturn in the golf market will prohibit that.
[/quote]

A year from now I believe that Nike will be in that category. Maybe at the low end, but they will be there.

[bjackson]

[quote name='csiachos' timestamp='1413766516' post='10316907']
Don't mean to rush you guys but where are the reviews? I just got in trouble with my wife for looking at my phone too much.
[/quote]

Full writeups will be in by next week. Full scale reviews are hard to do without lengthy testing and on course impressions though, so expect over time to get more and more information as we are about to produce data to write about.

[FSCMatt]

[quote name='scottvw13' timestamp='1413767753' post='10317023'][quote name='Holy Moses' timestamp='1413767536' post='10316997']
I have seen posts on the main page here that argue that Nike could really get to the TaylorMade, Callaway, Titleist, and Ping levels of golf recognizeability and sales if they wanted to pour a ton of $ into R&D with this new line. Seems like they are really moving in that direction, but I wonder if the downturn in the golf market will prohibit that.
[/quote]

A year from now I believe that Nike will be in that category. Maybe at the low end, but they will be there.[/quote].

Wow.. That's pretty exciting. It does seem like they haven't been afraid to take chances in the golf market in the last couple of years.

[pr1mo990]

Great info guys, especially on the VPC irons and how they compare to the VR_S Forged. I play the VR_S Forged and while i've been through many woods, wedges, putters over the last few years I never even thought about changing irons. I find it hard to believe that the VPC's are as forgiving as mine due to how much more "players iron" they look like from address, less offset, thinner top line an soles, but I'm really hoping they are. I will definitely be giving them a try as soon as I can.

[Paranorml]

[quote name='Pure745' timestamp='1413766222' post='10316873']
[quote name='scottvw13' timestamp='1413765135' post='10316713']
The Par 3 the Tai is referring to was 198 downhill with a 15 MPH left to right helping wind. I hit a pretty solid 6 iron to about 15 feet and was pleased.

Right off the face Tai says "I skanked it"

Well sure enough the ball held its line and missed the hole by inches...If only he played a touch more break!

But we won't talk about the resulting five footer...
[/quote]

Hey, that was the 4th hole.. didn't have my Rory till the 7th
[/quote]

Tai,

Aside from the grip what tweaks did David make to the "Tai" Proto? Looking forward to seeing yours and the rest of the reviews from the group in the coming week!

[scottvw13]

[quote name='pr1mo990' timestamp='1413768384' post='10317099']
Great info guys, especially on the VPC irons and how they compare to the VR_S Forged. I play the VR_S Forged and while i've been through many woods, wedges, putters over the last few years I never even thought about changing irons. I find it hard to believe that the VPC's are as forgiving as mine due to how much more "players iron" they look like from address, less offset, thinner top line an soles, but I'm really hoping they are. I will definitely be giving them a try as soon as I can.
[/quote]

I don't often change irons. The adjustment period can be lengthy due to understanding and predicting carry distances based on different lies.

Other than the look at address, I played these like they had been in my bag for 3 years like the VRS. There wasn't a single yardage that surprised me all day at my home course to a +1 round in 20 MPH winds.

I think it really depends in HC as to the adjustment between the two.

If you are a 20 playing the VRS you might have an issue. Because at that HC it is likely the longer blade length of the VRS comes into play.

But if you are say 12 or less, the VPC is a god send. Because you likely have a repeatable swing to the point that you can handle the smaller head size. But you also benefit form the workability of the smaller blade length and more narrow sole.

[Pure745]

[quote name='Paranorml' timestamp='1413769283' post='10317173']
Tai,

Aside from the grip what tweaks did David make to the "Tai" Proto? Looking forward to seeing yours and the rest of the reviews from the group in the coming week!
[/quote]

He changed the loft from 2 to 3.5˚, while looking at it he also noticed a spot where he welded the neck that was still there and politely said "I would like to clean this area up on the neck if you don't mind" so he cleaned the neck up, re-blasted it, painted it, and put a new stepless Rory shaft in it all to spec. I was honest with him and told him I had trouble controlling the distance with it, he said the additional loft will help since I told him I putt on poa annua greens most of the time. It was cool to see him examining the putter after I have had it for about a year and a half.