Written By: Tony Covey
Nike Golf just won the Ryder Cup.
I know that’s a bold statement to make considering there isn’t any widely accepted criteria on which to make that assertion, but when the best player in the world basically launches your highly-visible (it’s got Volt accents, people) latest and greatest at one of the sports’ biggest events, well…from any reasonable marketing standpoint, that’s winning…even if Nike Golf wasn’t totally ready to play.
Sure, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Rory McIlroy and his new Vapor Pro Driver could have an atrocious Ryder Cup, in which case Nike Golf just lost the Ryder Cup, but it’s unlikely that McIlroy will experience the same issues that Phil Mickelson did in 2004.
Mickelson, as you may recall, swapped out an entire bag full of Titleist gear for Callaway barely 2 weeks before the tournament. That’s a whole of change in not a whole lot of time.
McIlory is moving from one Nike driver to another Nike driver. It’s worth a mention that the Vapor Pro isn’t exactly new to him either. He’s been testing it for months, and likely had plenty of input into the design.
Toss in the fact that McIlroy’s driving has been otherworldly of late, and while that might cause us to question why he’d want to switch; it also makes me believe there’s not much risk in the decision.
A Little Arm Twisting
It’s fairly well-observed that equipment companies have a fondness for debuting new gear at big tournaments (those less-than-two-handfuls of events that people actually watch in any meaningful numbers), and so there’s a reasonable assumption to be made that Nike saw an opportunity, and twisted the arm of their only Ryder Cup staffer to get some airtime for the new model.
It certainly wouldn’t have been foolish, and you are a cynical bunch.
The prevailing perception is that manufacturers almost always push their staffers to put the new stuff in their bags as quickly as it’s released. That definitely happens from time to time, but in this case, multiple sources have told me that it was actually McIlroy who pushed Nike to get the new Vapor Pro driver on the USGA list ahead of schedule, specifically so he could put it in play at Gleneagles.
This is Rory’s choice. He wants it in the bag.
That’s Just what They Want You To Think
Conspiracy guys no doubt believe that I believe exactly what Nike wants me to believe, but there’s some pretty interesting, albeit anecdotal, evidence to suggest Nike wasn’t fully prepared for Rory to embrace the Vapor as quickly as he did.
If you step back and compare the rather sudden appearance of the Vapor Driver with more recent major releases from Nike Golf, you’ll find an almost stunning lack of preparation. The leak of a few low quality cell phone pics, a Nike produced Vapor Flex video that was scrubbed from the internet almost before the original upload was complete, and the mandatory black and whites from the USGA. That’s it.
No Facebook teasers. No something exciting is coming <insert date here> stuff. Nothing.
Nike Golf is off script.
In fact, it wasn’t until will he put it into play? became holy shit, he put it in play!, that Nike Golf was willing to say anything at all about the new driver.
It’s also telling that despite a mountain of evidence that at least two other Vapor Driver models are ready to go, Nike’s own press release acknowledges only the existence of the Pro model McIlroy is using.
We know there’s a Vapor Speed (non-Pro), and we know there’s a Vapor Flex (horizontally movable weight). For now anyway, Nike Golf would apparently like you to know that there’s a Vapor Pro, and nothing else.
Given the execution of past launch plans, and the 1/30/15 retail date, my guess is that Nike hadn’t planned to start discussing the Vapor Driver (and won’t discuss the others) for at least another month…maybe two.
What Nike Golf Wants You to Know
It’s football season, so let’s roll with another analogy. While this unexpected Vapor Pro business has forced Nike Golf to call an audible, don’t expect the company to throw out the playbook entirely.
Whatever the larger plan for the release of the Vapor Driver in its various incarnations is, Nike Golf is almost certainly going to stick with it. What that means is that, for now, Nike is going to give us just enough information to start the buzz building, without blowing up the larger launch plan…and so here’s your technology teaser.
Actually, we gave an overview of the technology upgrades last week, but it’s still worth reading these two quotes from Nike’s Nate Radcliffe regarding the evolution of Nike’s Fly Brace technology to what is now being called Fly Beam.
Actual performance will ultimately verify or debunk these claims, but the idea that stiffening/improving the flex properties of the body can lead to increases in ball speed across the whole of the face (and within USGA limits) is something that Nike has been touting since the original Covert. Accordingly to Radcliffe, Nike has taken a significant step forward with its rigid body construction.
For now this only applies to the Vapor Pro, as the Vapor Speed and Vapor Flex drivers don’t officially exist. While we expect there will ultimately be a congruous technology story across all models, we’ll have the additional details on the rest of the driver lineup as soon as they become available.
Availability, Specs, and Pricing
Availability: January 30, 2015
Specifications: 8.5° – 12.5° loft; 460cc, Mitsubishi Diamana S+ Blue Board 60 shaft; RH/LH: R, S, X flex
MSRP: $479.991
1. MSRP is never the same as retail. Actual street price will be under $400.
Lou
10 years ago
Just curious but if Nike has a potential 4 drivers coming into the market, why hasn’t anyone said anything about “flooding the market” thing. I find it pretty ironic that had this been Tmag or Callway, people would be calling for heads to roll lol
On another note, I do might be making the move over to the covert 2.0 since this new release should drive the prices down. I’m just not sure if it’s the regular or the pro that I’m gonna end up with?
proside
10 years ago
I’m going with the pro. Crisper sound like the 1.0. but with low spin numbers. roll, baby roooolll.
The reg 2.0 doesn’t thrill me, too dull sounding.
J
10 years ago
Regarding the “flooding the market” thing. They aren’t re-releasing a new covert every 6 months, they’re releasing what is effectively 3 or 4 different tweaks of the same club, so that each person can find one covert driver that works for them. It’s viewed differently because they have a consistent name and are released together as a unit.
They don’t replace their own tech three times a year, they just release them all together so that there is theoretically one for each person.
That’s my view.