Equipment
GolfWRX Review: Nike Covert Drivers
Sure, Tiger and the rest of the Nike Golf staff played one. But at GolfWRX, we tend to measure the success of equipment by the usage habits of golfers who are not getting paid to play certain equipment. For Nike drivers, that number was low.
We didn't know what to say when we first saw the Nike VR_S Covert driver. Unlike the company's position in some other sports, Nike is the new kid on the block in golf. And here they were in 2013 attempting to sell consumers a driver with one-third of its sole missing. And it was red. And it had a Swoosh on the crown. Were they crazy? Tiger was never going to hit that.
But as the technology behind the Covert drivers began to leak out, we suddenly became very interested.
Check out our quick-hitter review of the Covert driver's below.
Pros: Thanks to their radical cavity back design (a.k.a. the large chunk missing from the rear portion of the sole), the Nike Covert and Covert Tour drivers less spin and are more forgiving than previous models. Surprisingly, they also have a very pleasing sound. Their adjustable hosel system, Flex Loft, is also one of the widest ranging and most intuitive in the industry.
Cons: Not everyone will love the shiny red paint and the white Nike Swoosh on their crown. Flex Loft is easy to use, but it's not as fine-tuned as other systems, allowing only 1.5-degree changes in face angle (from neutral) and 1-degree adjustments through its 5-degree loft range. The drivers also lack a non-invasive way to adjust swing weight, which would have been nice to have.
The Takeaway: The Covert and Covert Tour drivers will be hard to beat for golfers who are looking to reduce spin without parting ways with forgiveness. That's why for the first time, Nike will have non-Nike Golf fans interested in its driver. It's cool, it's adjustable and it's long and straight.