nike covert vrs tour driver review

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Nike VR_S Covert and Covert Tour Drivers Review

It’s good enough for Rory McIlroy, is the Nike VR_S Covert good enough to make your bag?

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It was the name of the game about five years ago, thanks to square drivers, perimeter weighting, and a USGA restriction on the industry’s previous CoR and clubhead inroads. MOI was capped eventually, but even before hitting the max the OEMs turned away en masse. We haven’t seen anything quite so boxy in a while, and objectives seem to have turned. Companies got sidetracked towards adjustable hosels, colorful crowns, and innovative aerodynamics.

But it’s back. Ever since Karsten Solheim designed the original Anser putter way back when, the golf industry has been trying to find new and creative ways to distribute weight to the edges of the clubhead. Not just with putters, but with cavityback irons and woods as well. Until now they had to resort to odd shapes (namely, squares or triangles) or heavier tungsten inserts.

Nike says the Covert, and its rear cavity, has changed the game. Let’s take a look. Design and Technology For the less technically-inclined, moment of inertia is a mechanical property that describes how the weight is distributed throughout the body of an object. Moment of inertia is to rotational dynamics what mass is to straight-line motion. F=ma becomes T=Iα, essentially. The higher the moment of inertia, measured in g*cm2, the more of the mass is found towards the edges of the object. In 2006, the USGA capped horizontal (heel-toe) MOI at 5900 g*cm2. One of the few OEM drivers to hit the limit was the Nike SQ Sumo2 5900, Nike’s second generation of square drivers.

Objects with a higher moment of inertia are more resistant to twisting, which is (in part) why tightrope walkers hold a long pole, or why someone trying to stand on one leg will extend their arms straight out. In golf, an increased MOI means that the clubhead won’t twist as much on an off-center hit. In theory this should lead to longer and more accurate mishits.

Nike calls the technology behind the Covert’s increased MOI the “High Speed Cavity Back,” and it has been concealed under the crown (which is where Nike says the name “Covert” comes from). This is somewhat a diversion from previous attempts to increase MOI in that it’s completely invisible at address. The square shapes of drivers from Nike and Callaway as well as the Hi-Bore design that Cleveland employed were both radical changes from the normal crown, but Nike has managed to avoid that.

Nike was among the first OEMs to integrate an adjustable hosel into their woods, and they’ve been steadily improving the technology. This year they have come up with what is probably the most important innovation since inception of adjustable hosels themselves: FlexLoft. Using what they call “Dual Axis” adjustment, Nike has built substantially on their old designs. The hosel has two adjustable sheaths, both unbelievably simple. The top one has three settings: Open, Neutral, and Closed, while the bottom sheath has five: 8.5˚, 9.5˚, 10.5˚, 11.5˚, and 12.5˚, giving you 15 different options. This is great because you don’t need to carry around a manual to memorize the difference between “A2,” “B5,” and dozen other settings. Pick which direction you want, and decide how high you want the ball to go. It’s that easy. In addition, this allows Nike to combat post-purchase buyer’s remorse because you can change the loft at any time.

Lastly, the clubface is made of what Nike is calling NexCOR, a variable face thickness technology designed to deliver the maximum ball speed possible across the entire face.

Esthetics In recent years, Nike has not been shy about giving their clubs a unique look, from the old silver PowerBow weighting to the innovative shapes. This year they’ve managed to hide the technology, but they have made an esthetic choice that is sure to be polarizing. The crown of the clubhead on both the Covert and Covert Tour is a vibrant red, with a microscopic speckling and a Swoosh logo near the hosel. Both Covert models are fairly simple at address despite the color, and have a tiny black “Covert” script for use as an alignment aid.

I wasn’t sure how I would adapt to the look of the Covert, but I can certainly report that it’s not a determinant to my feelings about the club. The “Covert” alignment aid is a nice touch, and the red color tends to fade away. It became “normal” within just a few shots. Even the Nike logo was gone from my sight after a short time, though I can see how it could be more of a sticking point for some people. When I do happen to look at it, the Swoosh screams at my brain. “Swing From The Inside!” and “Turn That Face Over!” it yells, I feel like I’m going to become Kenny Perry. I didn’t have a problem with hooking either Covert, but the placement of the logo made it seem like I was going to.

I have had a problem with many of the recent drivers from the companies that have made drivers with non-black crowns. The TaylorMades in particular just do not look right to me. Maybe it’s the white color itself or the matte finish they have been using lately (my current best guess), but for some reason the “titanium balloon on a stick” look of those clubs is turned to 11. It’s a mental block, clearly, but one I just cannot get past.

I got none of that with the Coverts, both of which look like as traditional as a 430-460cc clubhead can. Even the red color did not bother me as much as the increasingly popular white crowns seem to. I still prefer black, but the red isn’t even close to as off-putting as I thought it might be.

The soles of the club are certainly busy, but that’s not something I’ve ever had a problem with. Fitting with the name and design of the Coverts, the lines on the sole are sharp and angular, and the color combination of red, black, and silver makes sense. The black accents of the Tour edition looks substantially better than the silver accenting on the normal Covert, but both clubs place high in the looks department. The black pattern on the Covert Tour continues onto the face, which I highly prefer to the silver face of the Covert. The grooves on the heel and toe of the face are painted red and fade nicely into the background, while the two white grooves on the bottom are great for lining up. The middle of each clubface has the logo that Nike has been using since the inception of their adjustable hosels (it looks like the infinity symbol). At the very least it provides a reference for finding out where you struck a shot on the face, at worst it’s a nuisance that isn’t visible from address.

Performance When you hit the two Covert drivers side by side, you realize there’s an odd dichotomy. The Tour makes a distinctive “ping” sound, while the regular Covert produces more of a “thwack.” This is the opposite of what we usually see; tour drivers tend to be more muted, because better players generally to want a driver that’s a bit more quiet.

Those sounds translate to the way the clubs feel as well, as sound is wont to do. The Tour version has a bit more of a “pop” feel, while the regular Covert feels a bit more solid.

Both drivers rank highly in the distance department. Neither Nike nor I is going to promise you a dozen extra yards, but I did pick up a few over my five-year-old TaylorMade r7 SuperQuad due to a slightly better fit. My swing speed was a touch higher with the lighter shafts and heads, and my spin rate dropped substantially with the Tour (I’ve always spun the SuperQuad too much). Once I got a few swing issues suited out, both drivers did launch plenty high.

Now that that’s sorted out, let’s get to how the giant chunk they’ve taken out of the back of the driver works out. In short: it’s great. I’ve never had a huge problem with mishits on my driver, but each Covert provided more gear effect than nearly anything I’ve ever hit. Sure, if you lay the clubhead open or shut it down (relative to the path), it will curve just like any other driver. But hit one off the toe and you are much more likely to still be in the fairway, with a respectable distance to boot. It’s a great feature, especially now that Nike has found a way to hide it away.

It sort of makes you wonder why other drivers have to be any different.

The FlexLoft hosel left me with the same feeling of satisfaction. Just to make sure, I had someone change the settings and hand me the driver, while I was already in my setup position. I gave it a few waggles and made the swing, to avoid negating the changes though my grip. Did every little setting drastically change the ballflight? Of course not. But there was a noticeable difference between the “Open” and “Closed” settings, just as I could tell the launch differences between 8.5˚ and 12.5˚.

What this system also lets you do, conceivably, is have a few shafts to swap in and out based on course conditions or your current swing. Or, and this is probably the best path, you could find the shaft that fits you best, pick the club face and loft that work best, and forget about it.

Specs Each Covert comes in just one loft: All of them. The Tour comes with a Mitsubishi Rayon Kuro Kage Silver shaft, available in regular, stiff, and x-stiff, while the regular Covert’s Kuro Kage Black shaft comes in womens’, senior, regular, stiff, and x-stiff. The Tour version is slightly more heavy; for the stiff shafts I received, the Covert was 59 grams, while the Tour was 66 grams. Both heads weigh in at 203.5 grams though, so the weight difference was not readily apparent.

Custom options are available, of course.

The stock shafts both felt oddly whippy to me. It’s possible that I’m closer x-stiff than I once was, but in testing these against other shafts, both Coverts were noticeably more whippy. I’m sure some people will like that, but I’m not one of them.

I remain unimpressed with Nike’s stock grip offerings. These ones, a Nike-branded Golf Pride Tour Velvet variant, are slick, not very tacky, and don’t handle sweat well, so I made sure to swap them out. That’s not a particularly big deal; I prefer a midsize grip anyway.

The headcovers are relatively nondescript. Not anything special (I had gotten a bit spoiled by the magnetic enclosure on my SuperQuad’s headcover), but nothing that should come into the buying decision. The lower half is a sock, while the upper is black, red, and white. It looks cool, though an easy-off latch or something would be a nice touch.

Conclusion When we contacted Nike about doing a review of the Covert drivers, Nike was kind enough to send me both, and asked that one be sent back upon completion of the review. That means I, like most consumers out there, have a choice to make between what really aren’t terribly different drivers.

Why aren’t they that different? Because, like most drivers on the market, with the right shaft adjusted for their launch conditions, anyone will hit them the same distance. They are both long off the tee, on par with anything else out there. They also both hit the ball reasonably high, with moderately low amounts of spin.

The performance differences are subtle, and align right along with what you would expect. The regular Covert is certainly more forgiving on off-center hits, in terms of distance and gear effect. The Tour launches a bit lower and spins a touch less. Because I generally launch the ball too high and spin the ball a smidgen too much, that gave me a more distance.

But the real dichotomy between the two Covert drivers, as well as what differentiates them from other drivers on the market, is superficial. The red crown is something you’re going to have to weigh against white or black offerings from the rest of the industry. The Tour certainly looks better, with its black accents and smaller size, but that size is something you will have to measure against the way it affects the performance. The sound and feel differences between the two Coverts was, amazingly, the most important disparity I found.

I like both drivers more than I thought I would. The look of the Tour is simply sinister, and I love the way it launches. It has kicked the SuperQuad from my bag, though I never really got over how awesome the regular Covert felt. Every single shot just felt like a rocket off the face, and it did wonders for my confidence, which is something I think the vast majority of people will find very, very appealing.

10 thoughts on “Nike VR_S Covert and Covert Tour Drivers Review”

Very nice review Jamo. Pretty much hit everything I thought about the Covert, which is now in my bag. The stock Kuro Kage shaft in the tour was “whippier” compared to my 910D2 Kai’li shaft, both of which are stiff shafts, but I think the slight extra flex in the Kuro Kage is giving me the extra distance.

My mishits tend to by towards the heel, but it’s still giving me good distance, albeit to the right. The black face on the tour definitely looks a lot more sinister and I think a lot of people will like having that same black face on the 460 head.

Both the grip and the headcover to me were both lackluster, but I always change the grips with new clubs anyway and also think a magnetic closure for the headcover like the Titleist 909 had would also be a good.

Again, great review, Jamo!

The fact that Nike decided to make the Tour version cooler looking kinda pisses me off. I was sold on purchasing this driver before it even came out, but I, like most golfers out there, probably have no business hitting a “tour” anything. So what does Nike go and do? They make the version that appeals to the small minority of players the cooler looking one… which only makes me think that next year’s regular version will also have the black face and sole of the Tour… just to give them something to sell. This probably seemed like good business to someone in their marketing dept, but I think that in doing, they’ve made me (and probably a number of other people) not want to buy the Covert, just to avoid buyers remorse when they come out with a black and red regular Covert next year.

Great review though!!

I didn’t buy the driver but did buy the fairway wood and a lot of your review on the driver transfers over to the Fairway Woods. I personally feel Nike hit a Homerun with their entire line of woods one this one. They are absolutely stellar in all aspects.

Thank you for your review as always.

Yup. I always wish that these companies would put a bit more effort into headcovers. Obviously I see why they would spend engineering time elsewhere, but a better headcover isn’t rocket science, nor should they be particularly expensive to manufacture. Hell, they could design one great headcover tomorrow and then just slap the new logo on for 2014, and 2015, and 2016, etc.

I really liked the 460 head vs the 430 Tour head when I tried these out earlier this year. Thought 460 had better feel, but also had higher spin for me. I also thought the cavity back driver would sit funny on the ground behind the ball, but it didn’t. As much as I liked the driver, the hybrid feels even better! Thanks for the review.

Great Review………..Im in love with my Covert Driver and 3 wood Non Tour Models.

I did a trackman driver fitting and my best numbers, which were basically the same, showed that the Covert and Hot X were best suited for me. As I’ve never been much of a Nike fan, their Slingshots were the last thing that caught my eye, I was somewhat taken aback that this was one of the finalists. Although I chose the X, I am thinking about buying the Covert as its a bit more versatile than the X…ability to change lofts unlike X.

My only concern, which the author echo’s, is finding the right shaft for my swing, otherwise I think Nike has a winner with this driver

I just purchased this driver and though I have yet to receive it, I am super stoked and confident that it is going to do wonders for my driving. I took the time to hit different shafts on a trackman to see what gave me the best numbers and consistency so hopefully all that helps! Unfortunately, I have been waiting because I chose the KK silver shaft over the KK black/red shaft and it is on backorder until June 7th. Great review!

On a side note, I always wish the performance model came in black face and underbelly because it would just be such an outrageously beautiful club.

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I got my Covert driver last May, so I have had plenty of time to dial it in…..currently at 12.5* Left. This gives me the flight path that is mid trajectory. I almost ordered it with a Project X shaft but, after hitting it on the LM along with my Powerbilt AFO with PX 5.0 shaft, I decided to go ahead and take the KuroKage regular shaft. It does have a lower launch than the Project X so that’s why I have it set at 12.5

I also have the Covert 3 wood.

Looking back, I am glad I made the purchase. I may not be longer than the Powerbilt, but I am much more accurate. This means more fairways and more chances to get a GIR.

Currently considering the Covert Tour 5 wood.

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Nike VRS Covert 2.0 Tour Driver Review

There’s been a lot of noise surrounding Nike’s new VRS Covert 2.0 Tour driver over the past few months, and with Tiger and Rory both dropping them into the bag in 2014, I think there’s good reason for the hype. Deciding that my ballstriking was easily on par with those two chumps, I’ve been out testing Nike’s newest offering to see what’s up.

That was a joke.

With both the VRS Covert 2.0 and VRS Covert 2.0 Tour, Nike has gone with a bold red look that is visually striking and, quite frankly, badass. A small white swoosh is placed from 7:00 – 8:00 on the crown of the club, which seems odd at first but becomes a non-factor within seconds. One way the Tour version is distinguished from the regular Covert 2.0 is that its clubface has a muted black/gray color, which looks pretty cool on its own and really cool in comparison to the regular steel-colored face on the Covert 2.0. Way to make us feel special for stepping up to the big boy club, Nike! Seriously. The Tour version also comes with a red Nike Tour Wrap grip (made by Golf Pride), which stands out and looks cool.

I’ll spare you the techno-speak pertaining to what Nike has put under the hood, as you can always read about that stuff on their website. Simply put, the Tour version is designed to create lower spin and lower ball flight for better players. Like any “better player” club, a little forgiveness is traded in for workability. The 2.0 version is an evolution of last year’s model, again utilizing a cavity back design, something called “Fly-Brace” technology, and a larger face utilizing variable thickness intended to create hotness. “Cavity back” might sound weird for a driver, but in person it looks plenty cool and reasonable, nothing gimmicky about it.

The club also boasts Nike’s FlexLoft adjustability system, which is a very solid rig that allows loft to be adjusted from 8.5 degrees – 12.5 degrees and has 3 face angles: Right, Neutral, and Left. It is important to note that the FlexLoft systems allows you to adjust loft and face angle independently, so you don’t have to worry about inherently tweaking your face angle when you change your loft.

On to the range! You’re going to have to bear with me here, as I have always vowed to give the whole truth and nothing but the truth, and sometimes my annoying personal story can help paint the picture: the Nike Covert 2.0 Tour taught me a valuable lesson in clubfitting right off the bat, more than any previous driver had. When I first swung this club, I was shocked at how horribly I was hitting the ball. I actually started to panic over the future prospects of my hacker golf career . . .  I knew “Tour” versions were for true adults, but I had no idea they could be  this finicky. But then I remembered that this baby was adjustable, and that’s when the clouds began to part. The club arrived at a 10.5 degree loft and a neutral face, which sounded appetizing enough to me at first glance. But all I was doing was hitting low laser slices that felt like hitting a rock with a broomstick. And while I’ll admit to having some “minor” issues with my stroke, slicing the ball is not one of them.

Duh, let’s use this wrench and try tinkering with it a bit. I adjusted the face angle to “Right”, which for a lefty means draw. Holy cow, now it looks like a normal driver! The draw face brought the Nike over to my side . . . turns out that Nike’s “Neutral” setting is actually about 1.5 degrees open (another reminder that Tour players and low handicappers are freaks).

Anyway, after making the adjustments, I started hitting some legitimate balls. Legitimate low, fast, knuckleballs that is. I never knew how much spin my previous driver was generating until I saw the flight of my ball off of the Nike . . . these things were screaming off the face and just staying low, hurdling across the range at about 20 feet on the altimeter. By now I’ve learned two things: 1) this face is hot, and 2) this driver lives up to its low spin claims. In fact, I ended up finding my nirvana at a whopping 11.5 degrees of loft. 11.5! I always thought you had to show an AARP card and a note from your doctor to get permission to wield that number. I should mention that my driver came with Nike’s stock Mitsubishi Rayon Kuro Kage shaft in Stiff flex, labeled as geared for a “LOW” trajectory. Okay, do you get it now? Ball flight leans toward low.

I’ve since played with this driver for a few rounds and a few range sessions, and I have some general thoughts to share about my experience. First and foremost, this sucker is LONG. I would attribute this to both the lower spin and the hot face, as well as my own feeling that the club feels “heavy”, like when you use a heavier bat in baseball and get more smash. When you get a’hold of this driver, it goes. I had several drives that were 10-15 yards longer than my normal drives on certain holes, and while a few yards here or there could be due to conditions, there were enough instances of walking past my usual spot to know that the distance thing is legit. This was confirmed at the local Golf Galaxy launch monitor – well struck drives were 8-10 yards longer with the Nike Covert 2.0 Tour than any of the other 4 drivers I tried. And to be fair, this might be the only driver I’ve hit in a while that didn’t even really demand a walk-off or computer session . . . whenever I striped one I could tell just by eye that the ball was humming out there a bit faster and further than my usual.

Now, obviously I didn’t hit every ball perfect. I would say that for slight mis-hits, this club performed great – no significant loss in distance and the dispersion was very tight. In fact, on a few holes I would hit a less-than-satisfying drive that would come out a bit lower than the norm, feel kind of lame, and it would end up rolling out just as far as one that I ripped. Seemed like the 85% hit created even less spin and the ball just rolled forever. There is a steep drop-off, however, when you put a bad move on the ball; the club punishes you with a negative impact feel and a not-so-good shot. Living up to its Tour name, this driver definitely demands a slightly better stroke out of its owner than the average driver. This is not very scientific, but I’d say anything less than 80% swing execution and you’re not having any fun . . . perhaps time to check out the Covert 2.0 if you’re worried about that.

The feel of this club, when hit right, is fantastic. It has a modern (and definitely unique) ‘ting’ sound to it, but impact has a little classic ‘CRACK!’ feeling mixed in with the modern trampoline vibe that is wholly satisfying. When you rip this driver, you know it, and you look up with dollar signs in your eyes.

Over the span of my time swinging this club, however, I have had some funky thoughts about how important pure distance is to me. I continue to think “heavy” when I hit this club, and this could very well be what Nike was shooting for in their Tour version. But when I hit the Nike alongside two or three other drivers, I always feel like I’m swinging a little more lumber, and maybe my swing isn’t quite up to snuff because if I get lazy at all, the whole schebang feels a bit sluggish. To be fair, the lazy drives usually end up moving out there just fine, I’m just not always quite sure how it all came about.

But that’s just my game. I am sure that there are better players out there that can take full advantage of what this club can do (possibly with a modified shaft). I just want to be clear that this is not a plug-n-play driver that ends up being like all the rest once you wash off the logos and paint jobs. In fact, I can’t remember ever being so anxious to watch other people try a club to see what they think (I wish I knew some lefties). The Covert 2.0 Tour is its own type of beast, and I’ve hit enough insane bombs with it to know that for the right player this thing will be an absolute monster.

Learn more about the Nike VRS Covert 2.0 Tour driver at their website .

More from my site

Im a lefty and I just got my 2.0 in the mail today. Glad i saw your post about switching it to the right setting because when i stood over the club I did not like how it looked at all. I switched it to right and 10.5 and immediately was relieved. Taking it to the range and course tomorrow. looking forward to it.

I live in Buenos Aires, and I have one of this, as you say monsters. I read every thing before I buy this but its the first time I hear about this 1.5 degree open, good to know, that explain a lot of thing. I also take it up to 11.5, but i am playing neutral. I love the sledge hammer heaviness this one got, this is the reason i will never get back to a Light driver.

Bets regards.

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Nike VRS Covert 2.0 Driver Review

The Nike VR_S Covert 2.0 driver as its name suggests is the successor to the Nike VR_S Covert driver and thankfully I can report that this is a significant improvement to the original.

You still have the big cavity on the underside of the head that is the heart of the Covert range. However, it looks better, goes better, in fact, pretty much everything about it is better.

The cavity includes a new version of the FlyBrace technology that ties the sole of the head to the crown and provides the rigidity to transfer energy from your swing into the ball at impact.

This really improves the feel and makes the whole experience of using the club so much better than the original. The sound is solid and a little hollow thanks to the cavity, but is still good.

Nike place a lot of faith in their NexCOR face that aims to increase forgiveness and I would have to say that this does a good job in keeping up ball speeds wherever you hit it around the sweetspot.

The flight was medium to high, but you can adjust this using the flexloft adjustable hosel over a range of 4° from 8.5° to 12.5° in 1° steps. The more you change the loft the more you will change the lie as the face angle changes, but the camber on the sole manages to accomodate this as well as before.

It is quite easy to change the loft and the numbers marked on the hosel are clear and easy to understand. They combine well with the 3 different face angles of right, left and neutral to offer a setting for most people.

Changing the loft did have a big impact on the flight of the ball and the 3 additional lie settings mean there is a choice of 15 different options for getting the driver set up as you like it. However we would suggest not going right to the edges of the loft range as the driver did not seem to sit quite as well here.

Visually the crown is still red which looks good and thankfully the swoosh on the inside of the crown is a little smaller so it is less of a distraction.

There is also a Tour version of the Covert 2.0 and this has also had a good makeover.

Unusually for 'tour' models, the head is the same as the standard driver at 460cc, which I like to see as I am sure even better players need forgiveness occasionally.

It is a little taller and has a more classic pear shape at address, with an extended toe and a darker face compared to the silver of the standard version.

With the original Covert drivers, the Covert Tour driver was by far the better of the 2 models, but now they are closer, but I would still prefer the Tour version of the 2.0 as well.

As you would expect, the flight is a little more penetrating but the lower spin makes it more consistent too. When we spoke to Nike Tour player Scott Jamieson about the Nike Covert 2.0 Tour driver he said the biggest change was that his driver accuracy improved as well as his distance.

The feel was a little more lively at impact and the sound was a bit sharper. The cavity on the back of the head will create a different sound to a non-cavity driver, but the sound from the Covert 2.0 Tour was still reasonably pleasing.

Overall then the Nike Covert 2.0 is a big improvement, especially the standard version which is now worthy of consideration and if the price is right then you won't go wrong with it.

Like before, the Tour version is our choice of the two and better players will find that it is good fun to hit. It does cost aorund £80 more, but the results we had combined with Scott Jamieson's Tour experience, show that technically it is delivering better drives and so it is worth the extra investment.

What they both suffer from is a little something to make them stand out from the crowd as there are other models that maybe sound better, feel better and possibly look classier.

However after the last few versions of Nike drivers, we are pleased to report that Nike are back on the tee swinging.

Nike VRS Covert 2.0 Driver - Product Details

User reviews.

Most accurate driver I have played. I carry the ball 270 on Trackman. No change in distance from any other drivers I have used.

Have just bought this and now played a couple of rounds. I found it consistently better for me as I have adjusted it to 10.5 and right which stops my slice. I have a high handicap. Used a Ping G10 and Ping K15 previously.

Had the the 2.0 tour for 2 seasons, hated every round with it. Difficult driver to find the sweet spot. Also very heavy driver. Not recommended if you swing over 100mph unless you have very very consistent ball contact on the face. Ping all day!

Best driver i've played with, it has given me more consistency, more accuracy off the tee. I haven't lost any distance compared with other drivers I've used and is very forgiving with off centre hits.

Fairly forgiving, not the longest, very good look and feel, instant feedback on your shot.

Accuracy at its finest.

Best driver I ever hit. Not quiet as long as some drivers, but not much difference between distance and the accuracy is between left and right of center is by far most accurate I have hit.

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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.

Check out GolfWRX.com for our full review of the VR_S Covert and Covert Tour drivers. 

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Nike Golf VR_S Covert Driver Review

Published: 08 January 2013 Last updated: 04 October 2023

At a glance

• TG Rating 4.5 out of 5
• Owner Rating 4.5 out of 5

An eye-catcher on the course and the performance backs it up. The head is classy and the simple, independent adjustability increases the shelf appeal.

We found distance wasn’t as impressive for lower swing speeds and the Tour version didn’t offer great forgiveness. The Tour version is £100 more expensive at £349.

• RRP £249.00

What we say...

2013 Driver Test

Instantly, your eye is drawn to the rich, red on the crown and the Nike Swoosh near the hosel – but our testing team didn’t mind it. In fact, all the testers apart from Kit said they liked the red design. Joel tried the smaller-headed Covert Tour version and it was an instant hit. His dispersion was on average five yards left of target and he hit his longest drive of the day.

James liked the slightly heavier stock Kuro Kage shaft and deeper face on the Tour version that offered surprising levels of forgiveness. Some felt the sound was a little muted, but all enjoyed being able to tweak the face to suit their swings easily. Chris was impressed with the forgiveness of the standard version while Graeme felt this was the best looking driver on test.

First Hits – Jonathan Greathead 10 hcap

If you’re thinking that whopping great hole in the back of the sole is bound to make it sound strange, you’d be wrong. Nike told us that this was a great-sounding golf driver , but until I hit it I had my doubts. However, this really did offer a pleasing thud at impact, and is a considerable improvement from the sound of Nike drivers before – VR_S excepted.

The stunning red head conceals the cavity beautifully, and it really is a very classic shape at address. It also flew well, and with all of the adjustability on offer (from 8.5-12.5) there is a setting for the vast majority of golfers.

It’s confidence-inspiring, easy-touse and the Tour version will also please the better players. Finally, at less than £250, it represents a very solid investment.

Pros:  Easy-to-hit and stunning aesthetics make it a winner. Cons: A great concept, but will have its detractors. Try it before you criticise.

Nike Golf have introduced their marquee product for 2013, the VR_S Covert driver, featuring an innovative cavity back head and FlexLoft adjustability system.

The cavity in the 460cc head, visible from the sole only, has been engineered so that more weight can be moved to the heel and toe of the driver, ensuring more stability at impact, greater forgiveness and better results on off-centre strikes. The stunning red crown will certainly turn heads, but the real story is the technology that lies beneath.

The driver also features the intuitive FlexLoft adjustability system which allows golfers to alter the loft from 8.5° through to 12.5° and to any face angle independently from the loft.

The new VR_S Covert benefits from Nike’s NexCOR face technology that featured in the original VR_S line – the innovation delivers faster ball speeds across a wider area of the face by moving the sweetspot higher from the heel, an area proven to be where most golfers make contact.

There will also be a Covert Tour driver, complete with the same level of adjustability and the cavity back design, but in a slightly smaller 430cc head size and with a deeper face, as favoured by better players.

Available: February 8th 2013 RRP: VR_S Covert £249.99, VR_S Covert Tour £349.99.

Product Information

Your reviews, nike drivers user reviews.

4 out of 5 Love this club, but takes a while to get used to. 17 February 2013

By Anonymous

 The first thing I noticed when we saw the VRS Covert tour driver for the first time was where was the rest of it? Are Nike having a laugh here, they have taken it too far…..you’ll notice that half of the head is missing! This is what Nike call high speed cavity back technology, and apparently its the worlds first high speed cavity back conforming driver in the world which delivers longer and straighter shots. amazing, it’s what every golfer wants to hear, but this missing cavity certainly take a lot of getting used to, its a driver like none other than I have seen out there at them moment. I have found plenty more opinions on this club here- Nike VRS Covert driver review No question though that even if it looks strange, the performance is great. I have been hitting better drives ever since starting to use this club, no more slicing! I have no complaints

5 out of 5 Excellent 10 February 2013

 Just bought the tour version of this club and its awesome!I have bought several drivers over the last few years and struggled to keep my spin down until I hit this.My average spin is 2500-2800 with this driver .I was always nearly 4000.I have it set at 11.5 degrees and I'm still getting a penetrating ball flight.I can't recommend this club enough and you don't have to be a genius to set it up like other drivers.Go and try one!!!  

Nike VRS Covert 2.0 driver review

Golf Monthly Senior Staff Writer Paul O'Hagan reviews the Nike VRS Covert 2.0 driver in his equipment test

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PGA pro verdict:To fully appreciate the performance on offer here, this special product needs to be tried. It worked extremely well on test, providing consistent, high-flying drives that carried longer than expected. The 2.0 can also be adjusted to suit all playing requirements and characteristics, due to its first-class adjustability. By Top 25 Coach John JacobsTest team rating:Performance - 4.5/5Visual appeal - 3.5/5Innovation - 4/5Value - 4/5Overall - 4.5/5

Why you can trust Golf Monthly Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test .

Components:

1) Shaft options - The Mitsubishi Rayon Kuro Kage Silver TiNi is a new shaft designed to produce a lower launch and less spin than the original Kuro Kage Silver offering.

2) Grip - The Nike Tour Golf Pride Wrap 2G is white as standard. The look and feel will divide opinion, particularly when tested in the rain, as it doesn't provide as much grip as others in the Golf Pride range.

Technology:

3) Adjustability - Nike's impressive FlexLoft system returns, offering lofts from 8.5 to 12.5 degrees in one head, with three different face angle positions also available at each loft. Despite the number of options, the adjustability is easy to understand.

4) Head design - New Fly-Brace technology joins the sole to the crown. This stiffens the rear portion of the club so that more energy can be transferred to the face at impact to improve distance.

Aesthetics:

5) Shelf appeal - As with the original, the cavity will certainly catch the eye; the sole in the 2.0 looks even more futuristic.

6) Address - The bold red crown design remains, as does the white Nike swoosh near the heel. A new ‘2.0' alignment aid is clear without being distracting.

Performance:

7) Flight - Although the stock shaft promises a lower flight, the 2.0 actually felt slightly easier to launch than the original at the same loft. With slightly more loft than the ideal settings for most drivers, the flight on offer here was excellent.

8) Distance - Compared to the original, distance gains weren't dramatic, but it did prove slightly longer on average. With so much adjustability on offer, the distance varied dramatically depending on the setting. The 2.0 is so easy to adjust that you can set the driver to suit course conditions and weather, as well as your swing.

9) Forgiveness - The cavity design and face combination provide impressive forgiveness, particularly on shots that find the heel and toe of the club. Overall performance is very good, with tweaks to the original rather than a complete redesign.

10) Impact sound - The addition of Nike's Fly-Brace technology seems to have provided a more solid impact sound, which is sure to appeal to many golfers.

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Nike VR_S Covert Tour Driver Review

Innovation and Buzz

 What do those words mean to golfers when it comes to selecting our next driver?  One means a lot – innovation.  The other, buzz, doesn’t mean a great deal to me personally, but it can be very important to move product in the ultra-competitive business of selling golf clubs.   Innovation and buzz are two words that immediately come to mind when I think of Nike Golf products and that has never been more true than early in the 2013 season. 

 Nike Golf is still quite young when compared to some of the other long-in-the-tooth equipment companies fighting for spots in our golf bags.  One thing they have never been afraid to do is think outside the box. A few years ago they were one of the first major OEMs to drop a square driver on the market.  The engineers over at Nike are at it again, this time with the first ever cavity back driver in their new Covert and Covert Tour driver for 2013. 

Buzz doesn’t help square up the club face at impact, nor does it increase ball speed, but it does move product.  The buzz coming from Nike Golf is at an all-time high early in 2013, with the huge announcement of the Rory McIlroy signing giving Nike the top 2 players in the world.  Throw in the fact that Rory has the brand new Covert driver in his bag and that just adds to the buzz of this club.  Will that buzz translate into a better driver for consumers?  Let’s find out.

Covert Explained

From dictionary.com the definition of the word covert: concealed; secret; disguised .  That is exactly the case with the Covert driver from Nike as well.  By simply looking at the driver from address you have no idea what is going on.  Turn the club over and that is where all is revealed, but as you’ll see, there is a lot more going on with the Covert driver than just the cavity back.

• High-speed cavity back technology delivers longer and straighter shots.  Utilized in drivers for the first time, this technology positions the weight of the golf club at the heel and toe to enhance forgiveness and add even more distance to off-center shots. The result is more stability at impact for greater distance and control.
• The innovation of the Covert does not stop with the cavity back feature.  The FlexLoft adjustability system allows you to independently choose your loft and face angle to fit your swing and maximize your distance.  This easy-to-use system offers 15 different options in one single club to meet the demands of various swings and course conditions.
• NexCOR Face Technology produces faster, longer shots across a wider area of the face.

With a hot zone that’s 45 percent larger, NexCOR creates more speed at impact with a variable face thickness that moves the sweet spot higher—from the heel of the club to the center high—where golfers are most likely to make impact.  

Looks, Sound and Feel

I consider these aspects to be very subjective and difficult to review because what may look, feel and sound great to me might not do anything for the next guy.  As far as I’m concerned, Nike nailed it with the appearance of the Covert Tour.  From address all you see is a nice deep red crown with perhaps the most famous logo in the world, the Nike Swoosh, towards the rear.  There is a minimal alignment arrow in the form of the word Covert in black.  The red and black colors make up most of the sole of the club as well.  The black face gives way to more black in the tip of the shaft before the Mitsubishi Kuro Kage blends into some gray graphics and disappears into the black grip.  The 430cc Covert Tour has a traditional pear shaped head that pulls together one of the better looking drivers on the market for 2013. 

Sound is something that always gets brought up when discussing Nike drivers, probably because the sound of their Sasquatch line of drivers were quite possibly the most universally despised in history.  I actually love that driver, but the sound….not so much.  The folks at Nike got it right with the Covert though. After seeing the cavity back, I instantly expected that aluminum baseball bat sound, but was pleasantly surprised with more of a pleasing thud. Although a little higher pitched, it still sounds great.  Shots hit right on the sweet spot produce the best sound and it is something that I found very addicting as I continued my testing.

Feel is closely related to the sound for me and I found that to be true with the Covert as well. You hit a good shot and you get both a good sound and feel back from the driver.  One of my very first shots was caught high and very much toward the heel of the club. As you’d expect, the sound and feel was harsh.  Overall though, you get a great feel when you catch it right in the middle and the feeling is as good as any driver I’ve used. 

  Performance

I am impressed with the performance of the Covert Tour.  Really, for me the club starts performing before I even start my swing.  This is because it sets up so nicely behind the ball that it immediately gives me the confidence that I will undoubtedly hit a good shot.  It seems like the trend lately has been to push high launch/low spin drivers and that’s probably fine for the majority of golfers.  Personally, I do not like launching my drives that high, so I’m happy to see that with the Covert it’s not a high launching driver.  I routinely hit mid launch shots that took off fast and the roll out will be outstanding when the ball hits the ground on the courses I generally play. 

Numbers wise on the launch monitor my stats look very solid with the Covert Tour.  Numbers were taken from a 10 shot average.

I did most of my testing with the loft set to 10.5 degrees, but did change it for the purpose of testing. I found that my desired setting was in fact 10.5 degrees, which is a full degree to a degree and a half higher than I typically play.  The higher loft setting of the Covert did not result in sky high drives like I expected.  Changing the loft and face angle on the Covert is simple to do and does not take a manual or an app to figure it out.  Everything is labeled on the hosel and you can change settings in a matter of seconds. 

This is my first experience with a Mitsubishi Kuro Kage shaft and I have to say that I really liked it.  I think it combines with this club head perfectly to deliver a great feeling driver that you can confidently go after shots without any concern of the shaft not being able to hold up.  I could feel the shaft delivering power through the ball at impact and with solid consistency and great feel to boot. I think this pairing is definitely a winning combination for Nike.

My first reaction to seeing media on the Covert driver was a little mixed.  I wasn’t crazy about the look of the cavity and I felt like they were trying to offer too much adjustability with the various loft and face angle settings.  I’m happy to say that in person the looks of the Covert, and especially the Covert Tour model I tested, are a lot better than what I initially expected.  In fact, from address there are few drivers that can hold a candle to it in the looks department as far as I’m concerned. 

The adjustability is great, but how much is too much is what I keep asking myself here.  With 3 different face angles and 5 different loft settings I can’t help but think it’s a little overboard.  I personally have had countless adjustable drivers that once my go-to setup was found I never changed the settings again.  I can’t hold this against the club though. It’s more of a complaint with the way the entire driver market seems to be going these days than anything. 

The Nike Covert Tour is a driver that gets noticed. During testing I had multiple people come up to me and ask about the club.  They had seen it on TV and they were intrigued, so that goes back to that buzz thing again. The buzz is certainly there for Nike with the Covert line.  Everyone has seen it and everyone seems intrigued.  I believe that everyone in the market for a driver in 2013 would be doing themselves a major disservice by not checking the Covert out.  The Covert Tour is available now for a price of $399.

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Review: Nike VR_S Covert 2.0 driver

We take the driver from Nike out for spin

WHEN Nike first entered the golf world in a whirlwind of PR hype, people were queuing up to criticise the brand for what they saw as an outsider trying to break into an insular golf industry.

Nike was seen to be encroaching into a field which already had dedicated, golf-only brands. Many thought it would struggle to compete as they were so far beghind in terms of research and development, technology, brand loyalty etc.

Fast forward a couple years and two of the most marketable athletes on the planet, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, are on Nike’s books and they have just released the much anticipated 2.0 range following the successful VR_S Covert range.

I think it’s fair to say Nike has arrived and it is here to stay.

I’ve had the Nike VR_S Covert Tour driver in the bag for some time now so I was excited to see what the new VR_S Covert 2.0 could offer me as, on first glance, it looked a very similar driver.

Essentially, this is an upgrade to the VR_S Covert, which the 2.0 name suggests, rather than a new driver.

From a brand which is heavily involved in fashion, you expect that Nike’s equipment is always going to look pleasant, and the new driver does not disappoint.

The famous red-head is still in use and it is still a predominantly traditional shape. The tour version has a black finish to the face and the underside of the driver which I prefer to the chrome finish used on the standard driver. The overall appearance has a futuristic, space age feel to it and I’m all for it.

The club sits nicely behind the ball which is important to me. When lining up my driver, I’ve got enough things to worry about other than working to keep my club flat on the ground and pointing it in the direction I want the ball to go.

In performance terms, this driver excels. Nike promised us more distance, thanks to the re-engineered NexCOR face, and I did see a couple extra yards being milked out by the 2.0 Covert. It wasn't a drastic extension, I’d say around 3-5 yards, but added length nonetheless.

The face has a fantastic feel and the ball explodes off it with the bi-product being a satisfying ‘whack’ sound.

FlexLoft adjustablilty is on offer, allowing users to take advantage of the 15 different lofts available, and I would definitely be taking advantage of this as the stock loft was throwing my ball too high for my liking.

This is the major advantage of adjustable drivers. Pre-adjustability, I wouldn’t even think about bagging this driver as I would be losing 10-20 yards due to my ball ballooning in the air. However, with a simple twist and turn, I can tune this flat stick to suit my swing allowing me to reap the benefits.

While the tour version has a smaller head, allowing for more workability but less forgiveness, the standard driver offers up a confidence-boosting amount of forgiveness. The sweet spot feels huge and will have you attacking the golf course.

It’s a nicely weighted driver which promotes good tempo and a smooth swing. It’s one of those clubs which seems to do the work for you. Get set at the top, start the down swing and next thing you know your ball's out there and you’re holding a pose.

With both Rory McIroy and Tiger Woods using the VR_S Covert 2.0 Tour, you’re in good company. This is a forgiving big stick with great feel which will add distance to your drives.

Click here to write a reader review of the VR_S Covert 2.0

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A Nike VRS Covert 2.0 Driver review

by Matt Ristine | May 16, 2014 | golf equipment , Nike VRS Covert 2.0 driver review

Nike is no longer a new player in the golf equipment world. They started getting seriously into the golf business as their relationship with Tiger Woods developed in the late 90’s, but Nike is now an established player in golf and has produced many quality golf clubs that have improved the games of golfers all over the world. Their latest offering, the Nike VRS Covert 2.0 driver, has a modern look and plenty of technology to help you move the ball long and straight down the fairway.

Perhaps it isn’t too surprising that a company such as Nike would offer such an advanced and unique looking club. Nike doesn’t have the history in the game of golf like a company such as Ping or Titleist, so they aren’t trying to balance tradition with modern technology. While not all golfers will love the colors and design of the Nike VRS Covert 2.0 driver, it is sure to have more than its fair share of fans.

A Cavity Back Driver

Going back through the history of golf equipment, there has long been a debate over cavity back or blade irons. The thinking was that cavity backs tended to be more forgiving, while blades offered better control for players good enough to take advantage of what they could do. While that debate is nothing new, it normally was restricted to only irons.

The Nike VRS Covert 2.0 driver brings the cavity back element into the world of drivers. Just the visual look of the cavity back in a driver will take some getting used to for some, but the thinking behind the design makes a lot of sense. If a cavity back design is more forgiving on miss-hits for iron shots, why wouldn’t the same apply for drivers? Nike believes that this design will offer both more distance and better stability through the hitting zone, and you might want to try one of these drivers for yourself to decide how it works for you.

Adjustable Loft

Instead of deciding which loft driver to purchase when you decide to add the Nike VRS Covert 2.0 driver to your bag, you just get the driver in one standard, adjustable loft. Once you start using the club, you can adjust the loft that you are using from between 8.5* to 12.5*. Beyond that customization, you are also able to place the face angle into three different positions.

When you combine the loft and face angle adjustments that you can make with this driver, there is an impressive level of customization possible. It might take a little bit of time on the driving range to work through the various options and find just the right set up that will give you the ball flight you desire.

Will you get more distance with the Nike VRS Covert 2.0 driver than your current club? That is something that you will have to find out. The Covert 2.0 certainly has the ability to launch great drives hole after hole, but you need to make sure it is a good fit for your swing and your eye. Test one out for yourself and see how you like the feel of the club and the ball flight it is able to produce.

If you still look at Nike as a new golf club company that isn’t up to the level of the others, it might be time to change that perception. Nike has created a wide-range of top quality golf clubs, and the VRS Covert 2.0 is another model to join that growing tradition.

If you liked the Nike VRS Covert 2.0 driver review and you think it would help other golfers, please LIKE it below.

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And, if you would like to find out how to add 30 to 40 more yards to your drive, for less than 12,5% of the cost of a new Nike VRS Covert driver, use this tool below to see how much you could gain from Swing Man Golf’s unique Swing Speed Training System:

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Review: Nike Covert Driver

The new Nike VRS Covert Adjustable hosel is the best on the market right now.  It is the easiest and most adjustable of any current driver.  The 2 independent cogs allow you to set loft and direction separately.  While in the most extreme settings it might not be perfect, any where in the mid-range lofts it looks right, left or neutral.  On the course, these setting do make a difference.  The loft does go up and down accordingly and the lofts seemed pretty close to right on.  The Right, Left or Neutral settings also seemed to impact initial ball direction.  It doesn’t cure a slice or a hook, but it does help get the ball started on the intended path.  The twist of the wrench and a couple slides of the 2 cogs and this driver is ready to go.  I liked that I could raise the loft, yet not raise spin.  The low spin head can now be loft adjusted without major impact on spin, so you can get a higher lofted club with lower spin.  I actually went with the 10.5 setting because I was getting such good spin numbers and adding the extra loft added some yardage.

The sound of the Nike Covert is so pleasing to the ears, gone are the aluminum bat days and in are the solid metal cracks.  The sound tuning of this driver is really good and it feels really hot.  The weight distribution along with the cavity back really give this driver a solid pop off the face.

The NexCore face is a variable thickness face that feels great, but most importantly is forgiving.  Even on the smaller sized Tour head, I had great control even with my winter swing.  I couldn’t believe how forgiving the face was.  I know I didn’t hit the center every time, but I certainly found the fairway most of the time.  It would be assumed that the Tour head being smaller and designed for the better player would not be very forgiving, but I found it to be excellent in this category.  I would imagine the standard head would be even more forgiving. 

The real joy comes on the course.  From the 1st tee shot to the last one on my vacation, it was a pure joy to rip this driver down the middle with great distance.  I can’t tell for certain if it was much longer than my other drivers, but at sea-level I hit a few over 3bills.  I was pretty happy to see those in the middle of winter.  The stock shaft is a real deal Mitsubishi Kuro Kage.  It has a tight feel with lower spin and mid trajectory.  It is kind of like a Diamana Blue Board, with just a little more kick feeling.  The shaft combined with the low spin head set to a higher launch was a perfect combo to tackle Teeth of the Dog in the Dominican Republic this winter.  I had a great couple rounds with it there and found a high percentage of fairways.  I didn’t count the exact number because I was distracted by the beautiful ocean scenery.

The Nike VRS Covert driver might be the most highly anticipated driver of 2013, and for good reason.  It looks cool, has new technology, is fully adjustable and flat out delivers great performance.

For more information:  www.nikegolf.com

Quick Hits +Best loft/direction adjustable hosel +Solid sound and feel +Delivers great performance +Excellent stock shaft

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Nike VRS Covert 2.0 Iron Review

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50 Words or Less

A well balanced game improvement iron that can help average players and also grow with improving and better golfers.

Introduction

Designing a game improvement iron is like walking a tightrope.  Lean too much towards forgiveness and golfers will criticize the looks.  Lean too much towards a “players” design and it will be unplayable for the 15 handicapper. With the new VRS Covert 2.0 iron , Nike has walked that tightrope deftly and the reward is an iron that can be played by virtually any golfer.

Nailing the look of the game improvement iron is the hardest part, and Nike did a fine job with the VRS Covert 2.0 iron .  The top line is thick, but not overly so.  The sole is wide enough to give golfers a little help, but it’s still thin enough to be playable off any lie.  Perhaps the best element of this iron’s look is the offset which is very modest for a game improvement iron.

When it comes to the cavity, Nike struck a good balance between classy and eye-catching.  Game improvement irons need a little flash, and the red paint in the undercut delivers that.  The rest of the cavity is filled with a design that calls to mind looking through the blinds in a noir film – an image that fits the Covert name well.

Sound & Feel

The Nike VRS Covert 2.0 irons do something that not a lot of game improvement irons do: they provide excellent feedback .  When struck purely, these irons have a very crisp feel, a nice tight “snap.”  When you stray from center of the face, the feel dulls significantly – a clear sign that you missed. Most forgiving irons just cover up the feel of a mishit which can be a confidence booster, but it does little to help the golfer improve his ball striking.  This quality feedback is a big part of why the Covert 2.0 can appeal to a wide range of players.

Performance

While I’ve talked about the VRS Covert 2.0 primarily as a game improvement iron, Nike’s main focus with these clubs is distance, so let’s start there.   These clubs are very long.  PluggedInGolf has tested all of the top distance irons this year and the Covert 2.0 is equal to the best of them.  On average, the 6-iron is nearly two clubs longer compared to a traditional players cavity back .  As with many of the better distance irons, the Covert 2.0 spreads out this distance boost so that you won’t have to add two more wedges to your bag.

What I find more impressive about the Covert 2.0 irons is the way they blend forgiveness, ease of launch, and ball control.  These irons definitely have plenty of forgiveness.  You can miss the center of the face by a reasonable margin and still get really good ball speed and distance.  You can catch it a little thin and still get a nice, high trajectory.  What makes this iron unique is that you get this forgiveness, but you also get the ability to control the ball and hit a wide variety of shots .  Of course, any iron can hit fades and draws, but many game improvement irons force you to really work to do this.  The Covert 2.0 makes it fairly easy which is why I could see better players gaming these.

Finally, I want to point out how fun these long irons are to hit.  Long irons aren’t usually fun, even for better players, but these are.  They launch high on any kind of decent contact, and the NexCor face technology gives you lots of distance, even on mishits.  Even if you love your current mid and short irons, you should give serious consideration to creating a combo set with these long irons.

The Nike VRS Covert 2.0 iron is one of those rare clubs that could be a great fit for virtually any golfer.  It has all the distance to hang with the longest irons, the forgiveness to help the average players, and plenty of the characteristics that better players want as well.  Whether as a complete set or part of a combo set, the Covert 2.0 iron is worth a look.

Price and Specs

The Nike VRS Covert 2.0 irons retail for $700 for a 4-AW set. The stock shaft is the True Temper Dynalite 105.

Watch the Video

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22 Comments

which shaft is best for these irons? i have played w steelfiber i95 for past 7 years and really like them. I am about an 8 handicap. about 40 yrs old and swing speed around 95mph. currently play Mizuno mx 200 irons. i just bought the new nike woods – driver, 3 wood and hybrid – based in part on your recommendation but i also got fitted using Trakman with my club pro. I am looking to upgrade my irons. thanks!

Thanks for the question. Here are my thoughts: 1) If your pro was able to fit you for your woods, I think the best option is to have him fit you for the iron shafts as well. 2) Failing that, I would recommend sticking with the SteelFiber if they’re still performing for you. In my opinion, if you have an iron shaft that performs well for you, you should stick with it unless you’re making a dramatic change in the type of iron you’re playing. The MX200 and Covert 2.0 are both GI irons, so I think they should both work similarly well with the Steelfiber.

Hi, great review! I’m 23 year old and have a handicap of 28. After playing with my first set, Wilson staff di9, I’m looking for something new. What do you think about these clubs? Do you rate the cobra bio cells higher? And one last thing, how is the sole? I really dislike the thickness of some GI irons. Thanks a ton !

What is it that you’re looking for out of your new irons that you’re not getting from your Di9? That would help to determine whether or not the Covert would be better than the Bio Cell. The sole of the Covert 2.0 is an average size for GI irons.

Well, they’re a bit worn out I guess. Is the sole of cobra thicker or compared to the di9? I’d like some GI but would also like some more feedback when hitting it. And I don’t quite know why I’m stuck between cobra or nike based on gear really :p Are the Di9 more GI than bio or covert?

Thank you so much for answering.

I don’t have much experience with the Di9, but as I recall, the Cobra and Nike are both a shade thinner than the Di9. I think the Di9 might be categorized as SGI whereas the Covert and Bio Cell would be GI, but I think that’s really splitting hairs. Ultimately, if you’re looking for more feedback, you need to hit the clubs and see which one speaks to you.

Yes I understand it’s no easy question, but I appreciate you trying ! Trying them out will probably be the best way. It’s what I was trying to get at, with the SGI/GI comparison. Thank you very much and keep up the good work!

Thanks for your video. Quick Question:

Do you think these irons would serve a beginner well?

Absolutely. They are very forgiving and will help a beginner have some nice success early on.

I’m buying new irons this for next golf season. Before I hit some I would like to hear your thoughts on these. Nike covert 2.0. Taylor made jet speed. Titiles AP 1. I’m a mid handy cap player. My handy cap is 10. Do you suggest another set I should try.

Let’s start at the top: what irons are you playing now? Why are you replacing them? What do you hope to gain from new irons? Let me know and I can make some recommendations.

Also, I’m obliged to state the obvious: the best answer is to get fit and let the results guide your decision making.

I currently swing Ping Eye 2’s. I’m looking into getting some new irons and have swung a few. The Cobra AMP’s, Taylormade RocketBlade’s (Tour) as well as the Callaway X2’s. I really liked the TM Blades but was worried the tours were too advanced for me. I’m currently a 15 Handicap. Which style of iron would you recommend as far as thickness goes, definitely looking to advance my game but not get irons that are too difficult to hit.

Thanks -Mac

Thanks for the question. I think that any of the clubs that you listed would be fine choices for a 15 handicap. There’s no reason to be scared of words like “Tour” or “Pro” in the name – that generally just indicates that there’s a bit less offset, a little thinner top line/sole, and fractionally less forgiveness.

When you tried those different clubs, what did you like? Did you notice different ball flights? Were some results better than others? The big question you need to ask when buying new gear is, “What do I want this to do that my current gear isn’t doing?” Compared to the Eye 2’s, I expect all the new irons you mentioned will be significantly longer (stronger lofts) and more forgiving on mishits. Beyond that, it’s a material of look, feel, and getting the right shaft.

I hope that helps.

I currently play with 2009 TaylorMade Burner irons and recently lost my 9-iron so am using this as an excuse to upgrade. 33 years of age. 6 foot 1. Good shape. Typically shoot between 86-90. I have always struggled with a high ball flight and less distance due to a slightly open face, coming over the top, and some hip-sway in my back swing. Have seen improvement with lessons lately, but even with solid contact, my ball flight is still very high. 7 iron still goes about 150. I’d like to see that up to 165 or higher.

I’m on the fence of whether I go with a game-improvement club or something more advanced. The problem I have is that my local store (Roger Dunn) only allows you to test clubs into a mat that spits out all the details on the swing. I, of course, would prefer to see how the ball flies coming off the club. Regardless, my store has a 90 day no-questions return policy for full value in which you can continually swap out clubs.

The things I’ve read about the Nike VRS Covert 2.0 are intriguing. I’ve yet to hit them. Couple questions:

– What should I look for on the mat when trying irons? – Any comments regarding these clubs and my particular concerns? My focus is to gain distance and lower flight. – Any others you’d recommend?

Many thanks,

Great questions!

Am I understanding you correctly that the launch monitor/mat at your store does not give you any ball flight data, just club data? That’s very interesting.

When you say that your ball flight is high, what is that relative to? Higher than your friends or most people you play with? Higher than Tour average? Higher than optimal for distance? I don’t want that to come across rude, I’m just trying to get a clear picture. What is your average swing speed with a driver?

To answer your specific questions directly: 1) If you’re getting club numbers from the mat, I would look at the dynamic loft of your current 6I and compare it to other clubs you are interested in. Lower dynamic loft will mean lower launch and a lower ball flight. You could also look at your club path. If you’re hitting stock shafts, see if anything in your path changes when you try heavier vs. lighter stock shafts. 2) The VRS Covert 2.0 is up there among the longer irons of the year, but it might not be my top choice for bringing down ball flight. That said, you might pair the head with a different shaft and have a real weapon on your hands. 3) Other recommendations would depend on what category you want to go with. The bottom line is this: game improvement irons will make your mishits better, “advanced” or “players” irons will punish your mishits. You can still “work” the ball with GI clubs despite what the forums would have you believe. The main thing you would want to watch out for in a GI club is one that launches the ball too high. I’m really impressed by PING’s current irons, both the G30 and the i25. I play the i25 which has a surprising amount of forgiveness for a player-ish club. The G30 has a really strong ball flight despite being crazy forgiving.

Hope that helps. Feel free to let me know if you have more questions.

Thanks for the quick response. I’ll try and respond to your points in turn:

No, the monitor at my store does also give readings on ball flight data. Sorry for the mixup. I’m just not sure what I should be looking for on the readings and how to compare/contrast.

Regarding my definition of “too high.” It comes from comparing to others I play with and my instructor’s feedback. It definitely kills distance and it’s prevalent throughout my clubs. I believe it is mostly due to the swing faults I mentioned, but I am working to get those corrected. Regardless, the last club I need is one that helps get the ball in the air. My current fault is one of every four shots with irons is a bit pulled (straight path but pulled left). I have recently switched to a stronger grip, which is helping me square the face up more.

Average driver swing speed is I believe 95 mph. I am extremely fit and could certainly swing harder, but of course, as I increase my swing speed, old habits come back (see extremely high left to right ball path).

I have no allegiance to the Nike clubs here, just looking for idea. I’ll try and hit the Pings.

I probably hit a 7 iron perfectly “clean” 2 out of every 3 hits so still not sure the player club is my club. In addition, some of those are “clean,” but slightly pulled.

If you’re getting ball flight data from the mat, you’re in great shape. I’d be looking at launch angle, spin rate, and descent angle. You want to get a reasonably high launch with low spin for distance, but you don’t want your descent angle to be too flat or your shots will never hold a green. Ideally, you’d like a descent angle in the neighborhood of 45*.

Ultimately, your best chance at finding the best combination of head and shaft is by getting a professional fitting. Testing different stock clubs is a fine place to start, but you’re unlikely to find your optimal combination in a stock set.

Finally, and this may be obvious, game improvement irons cannot do much of anything about the shape of your shots. A closed face is a closed face whether that’s attached to a blade or a shovel.

Hope that helps.

Hi Matt, I’ve been playing for 4 years and score in the mid 90’s. I’m using the irons that came with the starter set I bought to learn the game but feel like the technology in a better quality iron will help me on mishits and provide some distance. I tend to launch the ball high so my distance isn’t great. I’m going to start hitting some clubs, but in your opinion how do these Nikes compare to the Mizuno JPX 825s in terms of forgiveness for a high handicapper ? Seems like the soles on the Nikes especially the long irons would be better as the 825’s don’t have a lot of bounce. Thanks.

I have a little experience with the JPX 825, but I prefer the Nike Covert 2.0. I think there’s a bit more forgiveness. If you’re concerned about hitting the ball too high and losing distance, make sure you get fit, especially for the right shaft.

Good day Matt

currently using spalding irons,shooting in the low 90’S consistently now,been playing for 5months looking for irons to provide longer straighter shots which are more forgiving.Recently purchased the Nike covert driver,really enjoying it,average driving distance 260 yards,biggest drive 290 yards.

hi max, i’m 58 yrs old and currently play the nike vr pro cavity irons. i cannot get the distance i used to(hit my 7 iron only about 135 yds) thinking of switching to the covert 2.o irons with a graphite shaft. what are your thoughts on this. im a mid handicapper

I like the Covert 2.0, but if you’re looking to regain lost distance, you really need to get a fitting to find the right head/shaft combination.

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Nike VR_S Covert Fairway Woods: Editor Review

Pros: We love the adjustability of the VR_S Covert Tour fairway woods ($249), which gives golfers five different lofts and three different face angles to choose from. That makes them the most adjustable fairway woods you can buy. The Covert Tour is lower spinning and less forgiving than Nike’s non-adjustable standard model, the VR_S Covert ($199), but both models are pretty forgiving for their sizes.

Cons: They’re not quite as long as their competitors — notably Callaway’s X Hot or TaylorMade’s RBZ Stage 2 fairway woods — because they’re not as low spinning. Some golfers who fit into the standard model will be bummed that it lacks adjustability.

Bottom Line:  The adjustability of the Covert Tour fairway woods makes them great for tinkerers — golfers who want to use their 3 woods as a second driver one day and a second-shot club the next. Most PGA Tour players have gravitated toward the standard model, which is higher spinning, more forgiving and has a softer, quieter sound. Both models come with “real deal” Mitsubishi Rayon Kurokage shafts, making them a lot of fairway wood for the money.

Nike’s VR_S Covert and Covert Tour fairway woods feature the same cavity-back technology as Nike’s VR_S Covert drivers , which allowed engineers to increase the amount of perimeter weighting to make the clubs more forgiving. They also have Nike’s NexCor steel faces, which Nike says creates longer shots across a wider area of the face.

The standard, or “Performance” model, comes in two lofts: 3 wood (15 degrees) and 5 wood (19 degrees) with a Mitsubishi Rayon’s Kurokage Black 60 shaft in regular, stiff and x-stiff flexes. Check out the specs below.

 Above: Nike Covert “Performance” 5 wood.

Covert 3 Wood (15 degrees)

• Club Head Size: 181 cubic centimeters
• Length: 43 inches
• Lie: 57 degrees
• Face angle: 1.5 degrees open
• Head weight: 214 grams
• Swing weight: D1 to D3

Covert 5 wood (19 degrees)

• Club Head Size: 160 cubic centimeters
• Length: 42 inches
• Lie: 58 degrees
• Head weight: 218 grams

The Covert Tour is also available in two models — 3 wood and 5 wood. But Nike’s FlexLoft system gives each model five different loft settings and three independent face angle settings: N or neutral, which sets up square, R or right, which opens the face 1.5 degrees and L or left, which closes the face 1.5 degrees.

Above is the Nike Covert 3 wood crown

They come stock with Mitsubishi’s Kurokage Silver 70 shafts, which are lower launching and lower spinning than the Kurokage Black shafts, and are available in regular, stiff and x-stiff flexes.

Covert 3 Wood Sole (Cavity) Photo above

Covert Tour 3 Wood (13 to 17 degrees)

• Club Head Size: 194 cubic centimeters
• Lie angle: 58 degrees
• Face angle (in neutral): 1 degree open
• Head weight: 214.5 grams
• Swing weight: D3 to D5

Above photos is the Covert Tour 3 wood Face

Covert Tour 5 wood (17 to 21 degrees)

• Club Head Size: 177 cubic centimeters
• Lie angle: 59 degrees
• Head weight: 224.5 grams

Above:  Nike Covert Tour 5 wood.

Performance

Above: The Covert Tour (left) has Nike’s FlexLoft system, giving it 15 different possible loft and face angle settings. 

According to Nike Product Line Manager Tony Dabbs, the Covert Tour is about 300 to 400 rpm lower spinning, and about 0.75 degrees lower launching than the standard version for PGA Tour players. Neither model is going to be as low spinning as  Callaway’s X Hot  or  TaylorMade’s RBZ Stage 2  fairway woods, two of the longest fairway woods that we’ve tested, but Dabbs said that was by design.

“We have issues with a lot of our tour players hitting 3 wood too far,” Dabbs said. “They’re not looking for a 330-yard 3 wood.”

Dabbs said that the faces of the Covert fairway woods are just as hot as the leaders, but that the company decided to make this version of fairway woods with a little more spin and a higher launch to give golfers more playability and control.

Click here to watch a video on why Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods play the Performance model of the Nike Covert fairway woods.

For golfers with less swing speed, or those who have trouble hitting their fairway woods high enough, the standard head will make sense. It’s smaller, has a shallower face, and comes with a higher-launching, higher spinning shaft. Players who are looking to reduce spin will favor the Covert Tour, which is larger, has a deeper face, and has a shaft that will offer a more penetrating trajectory.

Golfers who fit in-between the heads will likely be more concerned with appearance and adjustability, which could play a bigger role than launch monitor numbers.

The FlexLoft system on the Covert Tour is a game changer for golfers who have struggled to get the correct loft and face angle combination in their fairway woods. In most models, lowering the loft means opening the face angle, while raising the loft means closing the face angle. The Covert Tour allows golfers to change the face angle independently of loft, meaning that regardless how the loft is set they can still get an opened, closed or neutral face angle at address.

Keep in mind that while the primary purpose of changing the face angle of a club is to influence the starting line of a shot (opened faces start the ball more right, closed faces start the ball more left), those adjustments will also influence dynamic loft — the actual loft of the part of the club that hits the ball at impact. For example, if a club has a more opened face angle, golfers will be forced to rotate the club more closed to square the club face at impact. This will reduce dynamic loft, resulting in a lower launch and lower spin. The opposite is true of closed face angles.

The nice thing about the Covert Tour fairway woods is that unless a golfer is at the upper or lower end of the loft range, he or she can bump the loft up or down to dial in the proper amount of launch and spin for their face angle setting.

Above: The Covert fairway woods at address. Notice the bigger hosel on the Tour model (right). 

The Covert Tour fairway wood is slightly bigger in every respect than the standard model. It starts with the FlexLoft hosel, which had to be made bigger than standard hosels to accomodate the dual-axis mechanism that makes independent loft and and lie adjustments possible. The face is also taller, which will add confidence when the ball is teed up. But it could scare lower swing speed players when they try to hit the club off the ground. It also has a higher-pitched, louder sound than the standard model, which feels a little harsher on mishits.

Both clubs have the same red crown Nike Swoosh logo, but the Tour model has a black finish on the face and the sole that we think makes it look more stealthy.

The Takeaway

The Covert fairway woods aren’t longest fairway woods on the market, but they’re certainly one of the most forgiving — especially the Performance model. Better golfers who want a new fairway wood they can play straight off the rack will enjoy the Covert Tour, which has a stout stock shaft option and enough adjustability to get most golfers the results they want.

Gearheads might be tempted to do what many tour players have done — experiment with heavier, low-spin shafts in in the Performance head. That could ultimately give them the best of both worlds, meaning they could end up with a club that allows them to hit high, low-spin bombs from the tee, fairway and light rough. Of course, the Performance head doesn’t have the face angle or loft adjustability that comes with the tour head, so they better like the way the club looks at address.

Check out more photos of the Covert and Covert Tour fairway woods below, and click here to see what members are saying about the clubs in the forums. 

Click here to see what members are saying about the clubs in the forums.

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TaylorMade goes back to black with R1

GolfWRX is the world's largest and best online golf community. Expert editorial reviews, breaking golf tour and industry news, what to play, how to play and where to play. GolfWRX surrounds consumers throughout the buying, learning and enrichment process from original photographic and video content, to peer to peer advice and camaraderie, to technical how-tos, and more. As the largest online golf community we continue to protect the purity of our members opinions and the platform to voice them. We want to protect the interests of golfers by providing an unbiased platform to feel proud to contribute to for years to come. You can follow GolfWRX on Twitter @GolfWRX and on Facebook .

dr.eva steinharter

Dec 20, 2013 at 1:00 pm

is it true that nike is discontinuing ladies covert fairways-woods?

Aug 22, 2013 at 9:02 pm

Jun 10, 2013 at 10:52 pm

Great review. I’m killing the 3 wood tour. Off the deck or tee its going in the bag now. Sits perfect on the ground and Nike has done an excellent job with this years metal woods.

Jun 2, 2013 at 10:10 am

I never thought I’d own a Nike golf club. After I tried just about every 3 wood at my club this year, I liked the Nike Covert Tour the best. It might not be as long as the X-Hot or the Rocketballz but that can be attributed to the fact the shaft is an inch shorter.

Jun 7, 2013 at 4:03 pm

I agree Sam. I went to Dicks saying I would never buy a Nike club. But after hitting all the drivers it came down to the nike and the rocketballz. I Choose Nike. I liked the adjust-ability which ultimately gave me straighter drives. The Nike is registered an average of 109 club speed and the rocketballz was 111-12 for me. Oh, and they finally fixed the sound of the nike club. Its very nice.

Pingback: Nike VR_S Covert Fairway Woods: Editor Review – GolfWRX | Golf Products Reviews

May 31, 2013 at 5:49 pm

Crap clubs for the junior wannabes at the local muni. Real players learned a long time ago that Nike retail is junk.

Jun 1, 2013 at 8:04 pm

Ignorant comment Jack.

Sep 16, 2013 at 6:36 am

Jack, try telling the best player in the world that his clubs are junk.

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Although we spotted Rory McIlroy testing the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper last week during practice rounds at the Masters, he ultimately didn’t decide to use the club in competition.

It seems that will change this week at the 2024 RBC Heritage, played at the short-and-tight Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head.

When asked on Wednesday following his morning Pro-Am if he’d be using the new, nostalgic BRNR Copper this week, McIlroy said, “I think so.”

“I like it,” McIlroy told GolfWRX.com on Tuesday regarding the BRNR. “This would be a good week for it.”

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According to Adrian Rietveld, the Senior Manager of Tour at TaylorMade, the BRNR Mini Driver can help McIlroy position himself properly off the tee at the tight layout.

Here’s what Rietveld told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday:

“For someone like Rory, who’s that long at the top end of the bag, and then you put him on a course like Harbour Town, it’s tough off the tee. It’s tight into the greens, and you have to put yourself in position off the tee to have a shot into the green. It kind of reminds me of Valderrama in Spain, where you can be in the fairway and have no shot into the green.

“I’m caddying for Tommy [Fleetwood] this week, so I was walking the course last night and looking at a few things. There’s just such a small margin for error. You can be standing in the fairway at 300 yards and have a shot, but at 320 you don’t. So if you don’t hit a perfect shot, you could be stuck behind a tree. And then if you’re back at 280, it might be a really tough shot into the small greens.

“So for Rory [with the BRNR], it’s a nice course-specific golf club for him. He’s got both shots with it; he can move it right-to-left or left-to-right. And the main thing about this club has been the accuracy and the dispersion with it. I mean, it’s been amazing for Tommy.

“This was the first event Tommy used a BRNR last year, and I remember talking to him about it, and he said he couldn’t wait to play it at Augusta next year. And he just never took it out of the bag because he’s so comfortable with it, and hitting it off the deck.

“So you look at Rory, and you want to have the tools working to your advantage out here, and the driver could hand-cuff him a bit with all of the shots you’d have to manufacture.”

So, although McIlroy might not be making a permanent switch into the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper, he’s likely to switch into it this week.

His version is lofted at 13.5 degrees, and equipped with a Fujikura Ventus Black 7X shaft.

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Spotted: TaylorMade P-UDI driving iron

It seems like the RBC Heritage is full of new gear to be spotted, and you can add TaylorMade’s P-UDI utility irons to that list.

We spotted a 17-degree P-UDI 2-iron in Nick Dunlap’s bag yesterday, and now have some photos of both the 3- and 4-irons. Nick has his P-UDI 2-iron setup with a Project X HZRDUS Black 4th Gen 105g TX shaft.

From what we can tell, this new P-UDI utility iron looks to have some of the usual TaylorMade technology as we can see the Speed Slot on the sole of the club for additional face flexibility. A toe screw is usually used to close off the hollow body design that will probably be filled with a version of TaylorMade’s Speed Foam that is present in the current iron lineup. This hollow body, foam-filled design should offer additional ball speed, soft feel, and sound, as well as an optimized CG for ball flight.

“Forged” is etched into the hosel, so we can assume that either the face, body, or both are forged for a soft and responsive feel. The club looks good from behind and at address, where we can see just a little offset and a topline that I would consider medium thickness. We don’t have the full details on what is under the hood or how many loft options will be available yet.

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Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 LS (9 degrees) Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 60 TX (45 inches)

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5-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (18 degrees) Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX

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