In the bag: Nike Vapor Fly Pro
The long iron that still holds a spot in my bag and battles for more.
Hello again. Today I’m writing in from Los Angeles after a long work week on the road. It has been full of meetings, team dinners, and coffee connects. A lot of post Masters conversation throughout but very little time to think about golf. That all changes this afternoon as I’ll sneak out for a round on one of LA’s public courses with a few locals, redeye back, and get in some proper NYC play tomorrow at my home track only a handful of hours after landing. Just thinking about it has me tired. I can’t wait.
I figure with the Rory win this past week it as good of time as any to talk about Nike golf and a fascination I have had with their product that has only gown for me as their general presence—particularly in equipment—has faded.
I’m of the age where the Tiger ‘97 win was the one that made me care about golf in general. Seeing Rory pull it off this past weekend felt a little full circle—not just for the historic moments and the connection between these two athletes, but maybe in importance for the swoosh and its tie back to the game.
It had been 11 years since his last major win and about 8 and half years since Nike announced it was done producing golf clubs. I can safely say in 2016, I didn't care all that much. In fact, I vividly remember being at the Nike employee store in Beaverton that week and seeing a box of Nike putter heads all marked $10. Full sets were being blow out at 60-70% off retail. Drivers were $100. I kicked tires but walked straight back to the shoe section to grab some AF1s instead. I loved the brand. Still do. But my appreciation for their clubs wasn’t strong. I now wish I had bought all of those putter heads.
The hard goods component of the Nike golf business had always struggled to compete with the big boys. As a player, having their clubs often came with the same jabs Phil gave Tiger for his driver. A lot of people assumed it was mediocre. But here I am today, still with one Nike club in the bag and about to make it two (plus a bunch more tucked away for a rainy day and a different story).
That club in question? A known quantity to golf equipment nerds—The Nike Vapor Fly Pro.
The Nike Vapor Fly Pro was a follow up to the Nike Vapor Pro Combo (and before that, the impossible to find MM Protos) with a ton of tech packed in. They came in a more game improvement standard version and the Pro. Slimmer. Pre-worn leading edge. Mostly black packaging. Juiced up lofts. Reviews were all pretty good, but by February ‘16 it all came a bit too late. As Nike pulled back from manufacturing this club could be had for peanuts. The only person I knew who actually played a full set worked for the brand (and he nuked them) and for the most part, the interest just wasn’t there.
Except for some reason, on tour in a format I doubt Nike expected but was celebrated. Then, and today, as a driving iron.
If you keep up in golfwrx or know the name David Dusek or Jonathan Wall you’re all to familiar with this club. Finau still bags it as a 3 iron. Kopeka as well. Over the years there have been numerous articles written about how these guys just won’t give them up despite no contractual obligation and (arguably) better equipment being produced over the last near decade.
But something about this one has stuck, and a few years back I had to try it for myself. I went on eBay, grabbed a 4 iron head, threw in a graphite shaft and gave it a whirl. It is probably the only club in my bag to have survived 3 years and it isn’t going anywhere.
The 4 iron is a thing of beauty and it sounds incredible. More snap than soft. Ample spin but the ability to control the trajectory. I’m not the longest hitter, but at 21* it plays more like a 3 iron. I often use it and wonder why I bother trying hybrids at all. With a 105 gram MMT shaft it has been insanely reliable and I’ve basically built the rest of the top end of my bag around it. Between it and driver I’ve tried mini drivers (another experiment coming soon), juiced up Super hybrids, and most recently a PXG driving iron that has done well. But this club has always been my favorite. A strange blend of novelty and uniqueness paired with forgiveness in an appealing form. I can’t tell you the number of caddies who instantly gravitate towards it when they see my bag (a sentiment rarely given to whatever driver I’m struggling with). It looks better in person than I think most expect. And since I’ve had it I have been on a search for more—trying to find a 3 or 2 iron to build around and expand the fandom.
A quick eBay search will inform why I haven’t until now added more the 4 iron. While full sets of 5-PW or even a random 4 iron can be had, the prices on the sought after 3 and 2 irons are out of control. Somehow (like all collectible golf equipment) they all seem to have made their way to Japan and sell for $700-$1000 a pop. Any other golf club from 2016, even top shelf drivers with still useable shafts might fetch $200 bucks. But a 2 iron from the same year as the Titleist 915? Good luck finding one worth taking a chance on. Because let’s be honest, at this loft (17* in a 2 iron) there is no guarantee it is going to be gameable. It could always be flipped, but I find the value in golf clubs is rarely in holding on to them—it is in playing and enjoying them.
About a week ago I finally got a chance at grabbing that long iron. A strange eBay listing for a full set, 2-AW, for a price on par with the original 2016 costs. Not in the US. Not in Japan. Somehow prices reasonably—10 clubs for less than what 1 sometimes goes for. Yes, they were used but I would have gladly paid it for just the 3 iron & 2 iron. When they arrived, they looked better than expected. Minimal wear (the black on these holds up better than most black irons I’ve seen) and all stock. XP95 steel shafts and Lamkin nike grips.
Through some initial testing, the 2 iron is going into the bag. It needs a new shaft to maximize the potential but even with the light steel it is zipping past the PXG 0317 on the simulator. I am beyond excited for the turf interaction I know in an even stronger format. It has me even contemplating putting the entire set together with some modern components. Maybe some Obans and z-cords. A fully ‘modern-retro’ Nike bag perhaps? Only with the Tiger version Vapor driver and some Oven Engage wedges. The hunt may continue or I may pass on the rest to another Nike diehard looking to chase down a past classic.
A lot has been written about the club and its pro connection, but I think it is as good as any long iron/driving out there. I’ve tried Taylormade UDIs, Titleist T-200 utility builds and one-offs from Cobra, PXG and Srixon. For me, this can’t be beat. Maybe it’s the nostalgia and rarity? It can’t hurt. I am the golfer who after all needs the equipment to look good even when my game does not.
Tucked away in the golf closet I have a few other Nike clubs. Some old tour issue putters from Monty and Paul Casey. A fairway wood to reshaft. A slant neck Oven putter. All are unique and interesting but they just don’t compete as well with other offerings.
The Vapor Fly Pro? It is in a league of its own. My only hope is these both somehow continue to hold a spot in the bag and bring me excitement vs fear when ready to put them in action.
Maybe the coolest(?!) iron covers I’ve ever seen