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Nike Irons by Year Table:
| Year Released | Nike Iron Model | Club Attributes | Price / Where to Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Vapor Fly | Brought Nike’s wood-inspired NexCor variable-thickness face and lightweight RZN weighting into an iron for the first time, moving mass lower and deeper for a higher launch. A FlyBeam-reinforced chassis added ball speed on off-center hits without stiffening feel. | |
| Vapor Speed | Hollow, metalwood-style construction in the long irons built around FlyBeam technology, with lightweight RZN material filling the cavity of the short irons. Modern Muscle toe weighting centralized the CG for higher MOI while X3X grooves handled spin consistency. | ||
| Vapor Pro | Tour-oriented member of the Vapor family, carrying the same NexCor face and FlyBeam construction into a more compact, better-player shape than the Fly and Speed models. | ||
| Vapor Pro Combo | Blended the Vapor Pro’s compact scoring irons with more forgiving long-iron construction in a single set, giving better players extra help without changing the set’s overall look. | ||
| VR-S Forged Pro Combo | Forged, progressive-CG design carrying the VR-S Covert family’s speed technology into a combo set, cavity-back long irons transitioning into a more compact short-iron shape. | ||
| VR-S Covert 2.0 | Re-engineered NexCOR face and a thinner, no-weld sole for faster ball speed and a lower, deeper CG than the original Covert. Forged S20C carbon steel construction kept feel soft despite the added speed technology. | ||
| VR-S Covert Forged | Forged take on the Covert 2.0 platform, pairing the NexCOR variable-thickness face with a softer forged body for golfers wanting Covert-level speed with more traditional feel. | ||
| 2013 | VRS Irons | Cast version of Nike’s redesigned VR-S platform, applying square-geometry-derived PowerBow weighting to a wider audience than the forged models that followed. | |
| VRS Forged | Billed by Nike as its most technologically advanced forged iron to date, using PowerBow construction to move mass behind the face and the brand’s highest COR rating in a forged head for higher launch and more carry. | ||
| VR-S Covert | Introduced NexCOR variable face thickness technology to Nike’s iron lineup, borrowing the speed-focused engineering from the brand’s Covert driver and fairway wood family. | ||
| 2011 | VR Pro Cavity | Pocket-cavity long irons transitioning into a split-cavity midiron shape, forged from 1025 carbon steel with a progressive center of gravity that shifts from forgiving to workable through the set. | |
| VR Forged Pro Combo | Three-zone forged construction, pocket-cavity long irons, split-cavity mid irons, and blade short irons, letting golfers get forgiveness where they needed it and feel where they didn’t. | ||
| VR Pro Blade | Pure forged blade shape rounding out the VR Pro Combo family, built for golfers who wanted full workability in their scoring clubs while still matching the combo set’s look. | ||
| 2010 | SQ Machspeed | Applied Nike’s square driver geometry to irons for the first time, combining a thin AM355 alloy face with PowerBow weighting for a deep CG and an aerodynamically shaped head built to swing faster. | |
| 2009 | Victory Red Full Cavity | Deep full-cavity design in soft 431 stainless steel with a wide sole and thicker topline, built as the most forgiving entry in Nike’s three-tier Victory Red release. | |
| Victory Red Forged Split Cavity | Forged 1025 carbon steel split-cavity shape positioned between the Full Cavity and TW Blade, aimed at better players who still wanted some cushion on off-center strikes. | ||
| Victory Red Forged TW Blade | Muscleback blade built to Tiger Woods’ personal specs, with a CNC-milled face on forged 1025 carbon steel for full shot-shaping control and no forgiveness assist. | ||
| 2008 | SQ Sumo | Extended Nike’s square driver geometry into irons for the first time, pairing a Cryo Steel face insert in the long irons with PowerBow weighting for the highest MOI Nike had built into an iron yet. | |
| SQ Sumo2 | Follow-up to the SQ Sumo carrying the same square-geometry, PowerBow-weighted approach into a refined second-generation shape. | ||
| Slingshot 4D | Slingback design shifted low and back through the long irons and higher and forward in the short irons, using variable sole width and progressive offset to adjust ball flight club to club. | ||
| 2006 | Ignite | Deep undercut cavity and wide sole aimed squarely at mid-to-high handicappers, with generous offset built in to give golfers extra time to square the face. | |
| CCI Forged | Composite Cavity Insert construction in soft 1025 carbon steel, built with a thin topline and minimal offset for accomplished players wanting a compact, workable shape. | ||
| CCI Cast | Cast counterpart to the CCI Forged, carrying the same Composite Cavity Insert concept into a more forgiving, game-improvement-friendly head. | ||
| 2005 | Slingshot OSS | Oversized version of Nike’s Slingshot platform, stretching the Powerbow cavity-bridge design into a larger head for additional forgiveness. | |
| Pro Combo O/S | Oversized take on the Pro Combo shape with an undercut cavity in the long irons, built to bring forged feel to golfers who wanted a larger, more forgiving head than the standard Pro Combo. | ||
| 2004 | NDS (Nike Distance Series) | Cast from softer 431 stainless steel with a notch-weighting system that widened in the long irons for forgiveness and narrowed in the short irons for control, aimed at beginners and high handicappers. | |
| 2003 | Slingshot | Introduced the Powerbow, a bridge spanning the cavity, paired with a wide sole to build one of Nike’s earliest dedicated forgiveness-first iron shapes. | |
| CPR | Cavity-back game-improvement iron built around simple, easy-to-hit forgiveness, part of Nike’s early push into higher-handicap-friendly designs. | ||
| 2002 | Forged | Nike’s first iron release, a forged blade line that established the brand’s entry into club manufacturing. | |
| Forged Blade | Companion blade version rounding out Nike’s debut forged iron family, aimed at better players wanting full workability from Nike’s first clubs. | ||
| Forged Pro-Combo | Combo-set version of Nike’s debut forged irons, blending cavity-back long irons with blade-style scoring clubs in the brand’s first full iron lineup. |
Is Nike Golf Coming Back?
Nike Golf, to the surprise of many, stopped making hard goods (balls, clubs, and bags) in 2016. The timing aligned with Tiger Woods stepping away from the game due to back surgeries sidelining his swing.
At first, the move seemed temporary, until the return of the GOAT, but more was revealed as 2016 came to a close.
The inability to convince “serious golfers” that their product was worthy, some real risk taking advancements, and bleak profits ultimately forced Nike’s hand in folding up shop in golf innovation.
Nike continues to make golf apparel, and still has endorsements with some of the world’s best players like Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, Tony Finau, and Tiger. Nike does very well in the apparel market, and appears to have their piece of that pie.
With apparel sales doing so well, will Nike give clubs and balls another go? As of right now, Nike has no designs on returning to the club making game. But one can certainly hold out hope!
Nike Irons History
Nike entered the golf world nearly two decades before they made a single club. Starting with what they still make today. Apparel. Seve Ballesteros and Curtis Strange were the first golfers on the payroll with Nike.
Not until 2002 did Nike venture into the club making space… releasing the original Forged Blades. That same year Tiger Woods put a full Nike bag in play and won his first tournament with the new clubs.
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The beginning of the end with Nike golf is when their leading man, their highest paid golfer, Tiger Woods, stopped playing Nike clubs in 2013. This brought to question if Nike could compete with the big three (Callaway, TaylorMade, and Titleist).
Three years later, in 2016 Nike stopped making clubs.
Nike irons, even years after production, found themselves in the bags of some great players. Tony Finau, Brooks Koepka, and Tommy Fleetwood famously used Nike clubs beyond 2016.
Mostly because us golfers are finicky with our equipment. If something works, why change it? Nike however, couldn’t seem to get out of their own way with club manufacturing. Riding their reputation outside of golf doesn’t win the hearts, and golf bags, of the golf community.
Nike is about triumph, the big win, and continued winning. It didn’t translate into a game of misses.
Although Nike had some great clubs, such as the VR Pro Blades, or the original Forged Blades, standard Nike marketing, and big leaps that fell short, and put Nike behind the eight ball.
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The last nike irons made ended up being the Vapor Pro in 2014.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Nike exited the golf equipment business in 2016 after golf became its worst-performing category, with club, ball, and bag sales falling even with Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy on staff. The company chose to refocus fully on golf footwear and apparel rather than keep funding club R&D against tougher competition and shrinking participation.
I’m not so sure. Some of the tech holds up alright but since Nike hasn’t made a new iron since 2016, every set on the market today is used, so condition and groove wear matter more than with an active brand. It might depend on where your game is at and your goals.
The Vapor Pro, VR Pro Blade, and Victory Red Forged TW Blade stand out as the models tour pros actually played, while the VR-S Covert 2.0 and SQ Sumo lines are the most searched among everyday golfers for their forgiveness. The VRS Forged is often cited as Nike’s most complete forged iron, blending game-improvement ease with a traditional look.
Nike made both. Forged lines like the VR Pro Blade, VRS Forged, and Victory Red TW Blade target low-to-mid handicap players who want feel and shot-shaping, while cast lines like the SQ Sumo, Ignite, and NDS were built for double-digit handicappers who need maximum forgiveness.
Check the hosel or back of the clubhead for the model name stamped or printed on the iron, then cross-reference it against a release timeline like the one on this page. Nike’s naming conventions changed fairly distinctly by era (Slingshot and CCI in the 2000s, VR and VR-S through 2011-2013, Vapor in 2014), which usually narrows the year quickly.
Regripping and general service are no problem at any golf shop, since that work isn’t brand-specific. Original Nike replacement parts and factory fitting are no longer available since the brand left the business, so shaft swaps or head replacements typically go through independent clubfitters rather than Nike itself.
Yes. Tiger Woods played Nike Forged Blades during his 2008 U.S. Open win and later moved into the Vapor Pro irons, while Rory McIlroy played VR Pro Blades through his 2014 Open Championship and PGA Championship victories. Both remained with Nike’s iron lineup up until the brand’s exit from clubmaking.
Other Brands Irons By Year
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