McIlroy playing Nike for 2013?

[anonymous golfaholic]

He doesn't have to accept an endorsement contract that includes the ball and putter. Might cost him a few million bucks, but it wouldn't be unheard of.

 

[anonymous golfaholic]

http://msn.foxsports.com/golf/story/rory-mcIlroy-signs-200-million-dollar-deal-with-nike-110212

 

[nututhugame]

I like that Tiger not only made Nike Golf, he is helping lengthen/strengthen Nike's impact on golf by recruiting the kid he knows is going to replace him. Using his influence to mentor Rory and bolster Nike at the same time. Good move.

 

[BigJim13]

I like that Tiger not only made Nike Golf, he is helping lengthen/strengthen Nike's impact on golf by recruiting the kid he knows is going to replace him. Using his influence to mentor Rory and bolster Nike at the same time. Good move.

Agreed. Remember there was NO Nike Golf before Tiger. Everybody thought they were making a huge mistake by making their first club offering the Nike Blade. I still to this day think that is one of the sweetest looking clubs ever made and would play a set in a heartbeat. I had and still miss the first set of Nike Pro Combo irons that were released.

In the last few years though, their offerings have been ugly, no feeling and just plain not something I would want in my bag. Their putters are still garbage. Hopefully with the recent signings this will be a turn around of sorts for Nike and they will make a comeback.

 

[anonymous golfaholic]

In the last few years though, their offerings have been ugly, no feeling and just plain not something I would want in my bag. Their putters are still garbage. Hopefully with the recent signings this will be a turn around of sorts for Nike and they will make a comeback.

My buddy has the latest Pro Combos with the short iron blades and I must say that they are sweet. They feel every bit as good as my MB's.

 

[nututhugame]

Agreed. Remember there was NO Nike Golf before Tiger. Everybody thought they were making a huge mistake by making their first club offering the Nike Blade. I still to this day think that is one of the sweetest looking clubs ever made and would play a set in a heartbeat. I had and still miss the first set of Nike Pro Combo irons that were released.

In the last few years though, their offerings have been ugly, no feeling and just plain not something I would want in my bag. Their putters are still garbage. Hopefully with the recent signings this will be a turn around of sorts for Nike and they will make a comeback.

I actually have not minded their offerings ever. The GI or SGI stuff is no worse than other companies crap. The TW blades, VR half cavity, CCI forged, and old blades and combo set were all nice. They've always had at least one driver I could hit. All of their wedges have been acceptable. I don't know about putters of the past, but a couple of the Methods are pretty nice. They've had one or two real nice ball offerings every year. Point being that I could've owned a few Nike products if they had been the right price at the right time. For me it's not that their club making has lacked.

I don't know how much sponsorship really nets a company keeping in mind that, for myself anyways, it doesn't matter who plays Wilsons... I think they are a great product for an even better price. I'd like to know how long it'll take Nike to recover however many millions it took to sign Rory and actually start making a profit off of him. Are there really that many label whores out there? That being said they definately have invested in golf. They have the 1-2 punch who just happen to be the best ever (possibly on the way down?) and the kid who may replace that legend for the future. And they both have swag to boot. If advertising really works that well how can they lose? That's it... i'm going to buy some Nike right now!

 

[nututhugame]

Disclaimer- If in the future I do end up with some Nike stuff it is not directly related to this situation. It would just be coincidence as I have liked past Nike products and just couldn't afford them. It was sarcasm!

 

[BigJim13]

I haven't really liked any of their stuff since the originals. The Sasquatch and sumo lines were hideous, CCi's looked toyish, wedges and balls were ok though. I probably won't own any of their stuff though.

 

[xamilo]

I have to admit I hated Nike stuff without even trying it. Thanks to a grea review here in Shottalk I bought a Hideous looking Dymo2 Driver (I still think there is no worse looking driver out there) and felt in love with it. Yes. their clubs are fugly but they perform anyway.

I think the VR original line looks quite nice, but the Matchspeed line just makes you look somewhere else...

 

[BStone]

There have been many examples of top tier players changing endorsements and then fall off the dock. Curtis Strange... won two U.S. Opens in a row with MacGregors. Moved to Mauramann for dollars and couldn't hit his butt with either hand. Payne Stewart's move to Top Flite clubs was a bust. Most recently, Gramme McDowell was at the top of the game with Callaway. Moved to Srixon and he hasn't been a factor.

Tiger has won 12 majors after a switch, Phil won all of his majors after switching to Callaway.

 

[BigJim13]

Tig


Tiger has won 12 majors after a switch, Phil won all of his majors after switching to Callaway.

**none with a Nike Putter though**

 

[BigJim13]

I have to admit I hated Nike stuff without even trying it. Thanks to a grea review here in Shottalk I bought a Hideous looking Dymo2 Driver (I still think there is no worse looking driver out there) and felt in love with it. Yes. their clubs are fugly but they perform anyway.

I think the VR original line looks quite nice, but the Matchspeed line just makes you look somewhere else...

I agree the VR line looks better than their last few offering and I would consider that line above most of the others. I have hit a SQ 460 and you are right, its fugly but performs decent. Not enough to knock out what I had though. I guess I am picky when it comes to looks, if it looks bad to me I just feel like it won't play well....

I like classic looking stuff. Mizuno and Titleist's recent offerings in irons/wedges are exactly what I am looking for. Also, I am not interested in adjustability. I don't need to change the loft or the face angle. I just need to hit it solid and in the fairway. Gimicks sell stuff but don't always make a player better.

 

[BStone]

I like classic looking stuff. Mizuno and Titleist's recent offerings in irons/wedges are exactly what I am looking for. Also, I am not interested in adjustability. I don't need to change the loft or the face angle. I just need to hit it solid and in the fairway. Gimicks sell stuff but don't always make a player better.

I think it is a matter of what category of club you are looking at. I think that there are clubs that every company makes that are ugly or non traditional looking. The Nike offerings seem to have more staying power in golfers' memories.

Callaway had the FTiz and some of their super game improvement irons have been brutal looking.

Taylor Made with the r7 CGB Max and their super game improvement irons have had some rather garish badging.

Titleist and the 907 D1.

Cleveland Hi Bore.

These are all clubs that I wouldn't have given a second look to before, but I wouldn't dismiss these brands and all of their offerings in the future because these designs were ugly in my opinion.

 

[BigJim13]

I think it is a matter of what category of club you are looking at. I think that there are clubs that every company makes that are ugly or non traditional looking. The Nike offerings seem to have more staying power in golfers' memories.

Callaway had the FTiz and some of their super game improvement irons have been brutal looking.

Taylor Made with the r7 CGB Max and their super game improvement irons have had some rather garish badging.

Titleist and the 907 D1.

Cleveland Hi Bore.

These are all clubs that I wouldn't have given a second look to before, but I wouldn't dismiss these brands and all of their offerings in the future because these designs were ugly in my opinion.

I don't disagree with anything you said. In the last few years though, and this is just my opinion, Nike clubs in the whole have been hideous. From the GI to player clubs, just ugly. And while other brands have ugly clubs they all had at least one club that you could point to and say was decent looking.

 

[BStone]

I don't disagree with anything you said. In the last few years though, and this is just my opinion, Nike clubs in the whole have been hideous. From the GI to player clubs, just ugly. And while other brands have ugly clubs they all had at least one club that you could point to and say was decent looking.

I guess I am just trying to figure out what is a good look in your opinion. I would have put any of the Nike forged players' clubs from the original blades to the first versions of the Pro Combo irons to the first version of VR up against any iron on the market as far as clean looks at address. The Ignite woods to the SQ Tour with the minimal grey on the back was nice, and the Dymo Tour was a very good shape.

The over marketed game improvement lines were a little too out there for me, but they were targeting the younger player since that has been their MO in all sports. They miscalculated the traditionalist golfer and paid for it early on. The VR Pro line is some of the most traditional looking clubs on the market (especially the Limited Edition woods). The new red driver is not my cup of tea, but other companies are going the color route too so I will still test it and see if it outperforms the Limited I am playing. Of course they may mandate it for staff pros so I may not get a choice.