Nike Golf VR_S Covert Driver Review

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.