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FIELDREPORT


way of saving weight, as in our new Fly irons, and for feel, as in our putters. But for the driver, RZN is one third the weight and density of titanium at the same strength. That gives designers the ability to do more things with the club.”


While there was minimal RZN used in 2015’s Flex driver, the 2016 model employs it in the back, body, crown and sole. The face is still made out of titanium, as is the Volt-hued channel and blue area on the top. Plumb describes the sound it makes as “solid”. “It’s not that light, bright metallic titanium sound we are used to, but not dead like some carbon-fibre clubs that have come out before. The face is still titanium, so it offers a good balance.” But with a face now taller and wider, Flex 440 apparently offers the same MOI levels as last year’s Pro. The fine-tuning FlexPod is retained, allowing CG to be moved 3mm forward or back – enough to add or remove up to 500rpm of spin and three quarters of a degree of launch angle. Plumb suggests the only thing stopping Nike using more RZN for all three drivers was a certain element of caution in ensuring they are meeting the challenges of working with a relatively new material. RZN shows up again though in the new irons for 2016, the Fly and Fly Pro, which will sit beside the Pro and Pro Combo forged irons in a rejigged line-up. Here, it is used on the back of the heads to replace steel, a weight-saving measure that allows more mass lower, and easier launch. It is also used in the mid irons for dampening and tuning.


“The main


difference between the two irons is profile shape and offset,” Plumb continues. “The better-player option, Fly Pro, has game-improvement technology but it is masked. But both sets feature three different constructions: the long irons have a hollow metal wood- style construction, a face plate melded on to the body and hollow space behind the face; mid-irons feature a pocket cavity and a similar two-piece


construction, while not pulling CG back as far or as deep; short irons are one-piece construction with some RZN used to push weight towards the perimeter.” Meanwhile, for 2016 Nike have introduced


Vapor Fly Pro Iron


The Fly range Vapor Flex 440 Driver Shaft: MRC Diamana S+ Limited 60 (X, S, R)


£379.99, €499.95


Vapor Fly Pro Driver Shaft: MRC Diamana S+ Blue Board 60 (X, S, R); and MRC Diamana D+ White Board 60 (X, S) £299.99, €399.95


Vapor Fly Driver


independent fairway wood lie angle adjustability for the first time. The light-crowned Vapor Fly fairway offers an upright position alongside its three loſt settings through its FlexLoſthosel. “That upright setting makes the club about 2º more upright,” adds Plumb. “It can work as an anti slice mechanism.” The Fly hybrids (17º, 20º, 23º, 26º) do not have this lie adjustability but have been designed more as direct iron replacements – including the same hosel used on the Fly and Fly Pro, to improve the


Vapor Fly Pro Iron


transition into the longer irons and allow adjustability through Nike’s customising service. But, like the rest of the Fly range they feature the


forgiveness and launch-assisting technologies of a lightweight crown, variable-thickness HyperFlight face and compression channel – and of course, they are bathed in Photo Blue.


Vapor Fly Driver Shaft: MRC Tensei CK Blue 50 (X, S, R, A, W) £249.99, €349.95


Vapor Fly Fairway Wood Shaft: MRC Tensei CK Blue 65F (X, S, R, A, W), and MRC Diamana S+ Blue Board 70 (X, S, R) Diamana £199.99, €269.95; Tensei £179.99, €239.95


Vapor Fly Hybrid Shaft: MRC Tensei CK Blue 80H (X, S, R, A, W), and MRC Diamana S+ Blue Board 80H (X, S, R) Diamana £169.99, €229.95; Tensei £149.99, €199.95


Vapor Fly Pro Irons Shaft: True Temper XP 95 (S300, R300) 4-PW steel £599.99, €799.95


Vapor Fly Irons Shaft: True Temper ZT 85 (S, R), and UST Mamiya Recoil 400 Series 4-PW steel £499.99, €699.95; 4-PW Graphite £599.99, €799.95


SGBGOLF 27


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