Vapor Pro iron review

If 14-time major champion Tiger Woods favours the Nike Vapor Pro irons over the traditional blades he has used for years, you’d like to think they’re a pretty decent set.

He even helped design them, alongside some guy named Rory McIlroy.

The main technological advantage with the better-player Vapor Pro iron is what Nike calls a "modern muscle" – a design  that incorporates tungsten plugs to improve the centre of gravity (CG) location of the club by moving it closer to the centre of the clubface.

TESTED: Best player irons 2015

Unlike traditional blade designs, which feature a CG closer to the hosel, Nike claims the Vapor Pro design provides improved results when the ball is struck off-centre.

Other features include a carbon steel forged construction and slightly longer blade lengths in the long irons with more bounce for added forgiveness.

According to Tiger himself, the Vapor Pro iron provides what he describes as a “heavier hit” on the ball.

“They sound and feel more solid, more balanced and even more consistent than the tungsten loaded traditional blades I have played for years,” he said.

Looks

One of the best looking irons in our "better-player" irons test 2015.

The thin topline is a thing of beauty, combined with an old-school, low-glare satin finish that looks great in the bag and behind the ball.

We also enjoyed the slightly longer blade lengths over previous Nike player irons and the straight leading edge on offer. 

Minimal offset and clean precision-machined X3X grooves add to its appeal.

Feel

During testing we were not quite as taken in the feel stakes as Tiger - we found the Vapor Pro to be a little head heavy compared to some of the other player irons we tested.  

Several bladed hits caused some vibrations in the hands, too.

Centre strikes felt nice and soft and also sounded particularly pure, however, and the stock shaft felt well balanced throughout testing.

You certainly need to be a very good ball striker to retain the consistency when it comes to feel, though.

Performance

One of the longest player irons in our player irons test, and also one of the easiest to shape both ways.

Not only were these irons providing above-average carry distance, they also generated some of the best distance control.

Off-centre might not have felt the most rewarding, but they were still getting out there.

The thin blade length also cut nicely through the turf and nipped the ball up in the air nicely.

Not the most forgiving irons you will ever play, but much of that depends on your ability to hit the ball out the tiny sweetspot.

Verdict

If you are a good ball striker, you will love these as much as Tiger Woods does. 

We think there are nicer feeling player irons on the market today, but few that rival it when it comes to looks and performance.

At around £700, the Vapor Pro looks decent value for money.