Remember back when we couldn't decide whether to call the new driver designs 'woods' or 'metals'? Well, that debate seems insignificant compared to what's going on with the newest clubs.
TaylorMade has been getting a number of publicity with its M1 multi-cloth driver, however this new motive force from Nike is one of the wildest designs I've ever seen.
Golf Digest ran a post yesterday about Nike's new drivers, fairway woods and hybrids in the Vapor line. You can find that post here, which includes the photo above. I did a little more searching and found some cool pictures of the most interesting driver -- including the exploded view farther down below -- over at the Golf Support Superstore site. That page is at this link, where you can see a bigger version of the photo below.
Several of the drivers, as well as the fairway woods and hybrids, are part of the Vapor Fly line. The two drivers -- the Vapor Fly and the Vapor Fly Pro (pictured above), both with 460cc heads -- are basically titanium woods with some neat additions. There are speed slots and thin crowns, among other things, although I thought those two support bars in the cavity were particularly cool looking. And all of that tech allows them to make the face even bigger.
But the one that clearly stuck my eye was the Vapor Flex 440 (440cc head). Check this out -- the club is 60% carbon fiber reinforced with RZN, the same stuff they use within the center of the RZN golfing balls. They say they are able to use it to make designs which can be not possible in titanium, and that it lightens the club a lot that they have been capable of make the candy spot forty five% larger! The exploded view shows all the different components. Isn't this a golfing geek's dream?
The Flex 440 goes to be the most highly-priced driver (of route). Golf Digest says it'll retail for $500 and the other golf equipment might be below that, with the hybrids beginning at $220. Everything however the Flex is meant to be available late next month; the Flex is due in March.
If the Flex turns out to be famous, you could wager we're going to be seeing even more 'creative methods' to clubmaking going forward. But it looks as if the "what can we name them?" arguments can begin in earnest now.
I think for now I'll simply call the big ones 'drivers' and the others... 'now not drivers.'
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