Are Nike clubs popular because of Tiger Woods, or are they actually good? Are they on a level w/ Callaway?

Question

Are Nike clubs popular because of Tiger Woods, or are they actually good? Are they on a level w/ Callaway?

Answer 1

As much as I didn't really want to, I ended up with the Nike Pro Combos (with blades for the higher lofted clubs).  They are terrific, although a little soft and need to be tuned up twice a year.  I tried some Callaways, but found they popped up too high, and I never did like the feel, or sound.  Either way, they are both excellent clubs and won't hold you back.

Answer 2

Didn't trust my first answer eh?  You really need to go hit both types of clubs and see which works best for you.  The sumo irons are game improvement clubs (not what Tiger hits), but Nike is a shoe company, and Callaway is a golf company that has been around for a long time and responsible for many innovations in golf technology.

Answer 3

in the beginning Nike didn't have great equipment, but now they are on par with all the biggies like TM, Callaway, Ping, etc...

and IIRC Tiger doesn't really play Nike irons, they are Miura's. but yes, they are good, and yes they owe a lot of their popularity to Tiger.

Answer 4

Yes, the only reason that Nike clubs are so popular is because they advertise so much, using Tiger as their key selling point.  Nike is way behind when it comes to golf equipment.  Except for their shoes, their golf equipment is regarded as poor by most people within the golf industry.  Take them out on a demo day and hit some other brands as well.  You will find that all the other brands easily out-perform them on all levels.

Answer 5

Great question!  You really can't go wrong with both.  Unless you're a top professional, it really doesn't matter what clubs you use, a good swing is a good swing regardless of the clubs.  

It's true, within each brand, you'll typically find a "more forgiving" club vs. "less forgiving/aka smaller sweet spot" club.  This is true, but the difference is really psychological...remember practice makes you better, not the difference in sweet spot size.  

You can't go wrong with Callaway, they do make a good product and have been around the sport for a while, however I wouldn't eliminate Nike for lack of experience.  Although Nike is relatively new to the sport, they have invested much time and energy the last 10 years in junior and professional golf to be on the same level as proven competitors such as Callaway.  

Good luck on your selection of a set of irons and good luck with your development!    

Hit'em straight!