Nike hybrids review
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Last year, Nike took the golf industry by storm and became the second manufacturer to launch a square driver. This year its engineers have taken the bull by the horns and developed a whole matching square range to compliment the driver.
Nike says the improvements the shape makes in MOI are significant, and claims the Nike Sumo2 hybrid is the most forgiving hybrid it has ever made. By equipping the golf club with an extremely lightweight face, extra weight has been freed up to relocate in areas that help to increase the MOI. Nike has also developed a new shaft to match this golf club’s target player, which will help to increase clubhead speed and launch shots on a higher golf ball flight.
For those of you who hate the look of a square driver, these Nike Sumo2 hybrids don’t look anything near as unusual. We are really impressed at how compact and hitable they look at address, something the experienced club golfer is likely to enjoy. We can’t say whether they work any better than our normal hybrids, as our samples could not be hit. But make sure you keep an eye on our 2008 rescue club test to see if these are worth splashing your cash on.
Nike Sumo2 Hybrid
Retail: £129 (graphite)
Lofts: 17°, 20°, 23°, 26°
Contact: 0800 056 1640
www.nikegolf.com/europe
As much as Nike would like everybody to love its square ambitions, the company is well aware that not everybody will. There’s always a hard core of golfers who take time to warm to new ideas and theories – just like Tiger is always the last player to adopt new technology to his own game. So for the more conventional golfer, let us unveil the Sumo Hybrid.
The Nike Sumo hybrid has been developed with input from Nike’s Tour players and has a Tour-inspired shape and design. It is aimed at the better player who likes to work the golf ball around the course and probably has a handicap of less than 12, instead of those seeking out-and-out forgiveness. The golf club head is nicely shaped and benefits from clean lines, a compact shape and minimum offset, which should be to the liking of those who hate the way some hybrids have huge amounts of offset.
Nike has also installed a specially designed heavier shaft, with a stiffer tip section, so harder hitters get extra control and stability.
A couple of Tour players have already been spotted testing and using the new Nike Sumo hybrids, so if this is anything to go by we reckon they should be a decent success when they hit the shops in February 2008.
