Driver

The hottest “buzz” in the golf community so far this year is that the new Nike Ignite driver, already a winner on Tour and in Tiger’s bag, is going to allow Nike to challenge the big boys. Both the 410 cc and the 460 cc Ignite drivers, with their expanded sweet spots, use a material called NexTi Titanium. It features ‘Around the Crown’ design, a construction that actually wraps the face over the top line of the club head.

In the distance game, Nike’s research found that of the Top 20 Average Distance leaders on the PGA Tour from the end of 2003, 19 of the 20 have dropped in average distance. Tiger is the only player from the Top 20 at the end of 2003 to actually increase in distance. He's currently ranked No.2.

Although the creation of NexTi, a titanium-based alloy that can be directionally engineered, is a proprietary process that cannot be disclosed, the result is a layered yet tightly compressed metal that is thinner, lighter, and stronger than Beta-Titanium. Additionally, NexTi micro fibers can be bent, shaped and formed unlike previous forms of titanium. NexTi's unique strength, even when bended and formed allowed Nike Golf's engineers to free their minds and push the limits of current standards of club head design. It also allowed Nike Golf to increase the COR to previously unimaginable limits during the development process.

Nike touts it as the strongest titanium ever invented, and the 460cc head makes it one of the industry’s biggest driver heads to date.

Our testers found the Ignite to be extremely forgiving, aesthetically excellent and extremely long especially when using the Nike One ball. You are encouraged to try the “Lucky 13” model, especially if you have a slower swing speed. You will be amazed at how much easier and further this loft produces.

The Nike team settled upon two sizes to appeal to a broad golfing audience - a 460cc and a 410cc - with one design shape that makes the heads not appear as large as their actual size. Often a barometer for acceptable standards, players on the professional tour have already begun to switch to larger head drivers for the performance enhancements they provide. This includes Tiger Woods, typically one of the most traditional players on tour.

Size Loft (Flexes)

• 460cc 8.5-degree (X/S); 9.5-degree (X/S/R); 10.5-degree (S/R/A); Lucky 13-degree (S/R/A)
• 410cc 8.5-degree (X/S); 9.5-degree (X/S/R); 10.5-degree (S/R)
• 460cc (Left-Handed) 9.5-degree (X/S/R); 10.5-degree (S/R/A)

Nike has not forgotten the female golfer. The women’s Ignite driver will be available in a 410cc head with a 10.5 degree loft, and a 460cc head with 10.5 and Lucky 13-degree lofts. The 460 is designed for maximum forgiveness, turning miss-hits into long drives, while the 410 is still very forgiving but with more workability for those who want it.

The Women’s Ignite will feature the YS-5 shaft from Graphite Design. The YS-5 is designed specifically for women in an L-flex. It is very lightweight at only 51 grams (14 grams lighter than the Ignite S-flex shaft), leading to faster swing speeds and greater distance, and it’s soft tip profile helps launch the ball on a higher trajectory.

Both men’s and women’s Ignite drivers have a MSRP of $469.00

www.nikegolf.com

Fairway Woods/Hybrids

One of the “hottest” companies in golf today, Sonartec, has introduced a new series of hybrid iron/woods called “transition clubs”. The Md set of transition clubs ($199, graphite UST Irod shaft) is designed to replace those hard-to-hit 1- through 4-irons. They are available in lofts of 17, 19, 21 and 23 degrees. Almost 20 PGA Tour pros carry an Md, including Lee Janzen, Jonathan Kaye, Brenden Pappas and Bill Glasson. The Md provides a more penetrating ball flight than typical utility woods on the market today.
It’s bigger sweet spot gives players more confidence than long irons can provide.

Also available is the NP-99, which has been known on Tour under the moniker BBD. The NP-99 is the most used Sonartec club on the PGA Tour, representing over 30% of all the Sonartec woods in play. In 2003, Sonartec had over 90 players use over 600 Sonartec golf clubs on the prestigious PGA Tour. So far this year, 43 different players are using Sonartec clubs, leading Sonartec to 15 Top Ten finishes after the first 12 events. Sonartec is the # 3 most played fairway wood on the PGA Tour, while only paying 3 staff players to use their equipment. One of those staff players, three-time Major winner Nick Price, has recently become an owner of Sonartec.

The new NP-99, named for Nick Price's induction as the 99th member into the World Golf Hall of Fame, is a hybrid of Sonartec's best selling SS-02 and SS-03 fairway wood models. This gives the NP-99 extreme playability that will provide every skill level with professional grade trajectory and distance. The NP-99 is considered by Sonartec to be the ultimate fairway wood on the market. The state-of-the art design has a horseshoe shaped weight concentrated in the rear of the sole plate for a higher lift and a deeper Center of Gravity for an expanded sweet spot. This perimeter weighting system combined with Sonartec's patented technology, the Driving Cavity™, gives golfers the opportunity to hit the ball with a high, flat ball flight that minimizes spin and increases distance.

The NP-99 comes with a high-polish sole plate and face, and an exclusive "midnight blue" Aldila NV shaft. Lofts for the NP-99 are available in 13, 14, 15, 17, 19 and 21 degrees. MRSP is $339.00

www.sonartec.com