{"id":4602231,"date":"2023-05-12T05:25:43","date_gmt":"2023-05-12T05:25:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.golfspan.com\/?p=4602231"},"modified":"2023-05-12T05:29:35","modified_gmt":"2023-05-12T05:29:35","slug":"nike-drivers-by-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.golfspan.com\/nike-drivers-by-year","title":{"rendered":"Nike Drivers by Year: The Drivers That Won!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>For the mid to high-handicap golfer, Nike drivers offer everything that you could want in a club. Moreover, many PGA Tour pros have been spotted using Nike drivers, including Tiger Woods, who carried the Nike Ignite 460\u00a0and the Ignite 410, among others.<\/p>\n<p>In 2016, Nike announced that it would stop making clubs because of a lack of profit. To honor Nike\u2019s 14-year-long stint-making drivers, we\u2019re winding back the years to look at all of the models they have put out. For enthusiasts and collectors, you can still find them second-hand at the links provided.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The main <\/strong><em><strong>Nike drivers by year<\/strong><\/em><strong>\u00a0consist of:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>2016: Vapor Fly Pro<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>2016: <\/strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/click.linksynergy.com\/deeplink?id=H4Xho*hFIqQ&amp;mid=43528&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.golfavenue.com%2Fus%2Fnike-vapor-fly-driver&amp;LSNSUBSITE=LSNSUBSITE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Vapor Fly<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>2015: Volt Vapor Speed<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>2014: <\/strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/click.linksynergy.com\/deeplink?id=H4Xho*hFIqQ&amp;mid=43528&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.golfavenue.com%2Fus%2Fnike-vr-s-covert-2-0-tour-driver&amp;LSNSUBSITE=LSNSUBSITE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Covert 2.0 Tour<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>2013: VR_S Covert<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>2013: Covert<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>2011: SQ Machspeed Black Round<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>2011: <\/strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/globalgolf.pxf.io\/5gkzBL\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">VR Pro (Limited Edition)<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>2010: <\/strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/globalgolf.pxf.io\/anNDZZ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">VRS STR8-FIT Tour<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>2009: <\/strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/globalgolf.pxf.io\/AWg5Y1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">SQ Dymo<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>2006: <\/strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/globalgolf.pxf.io\/1rGzKd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">SQ Sumo<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>2004: <\/strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/globalgolf.pxf.io\/VmOdj3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Ignite 460<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>2004: Ignite 410<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>2004: <\/strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/click.linksynergy.com\/deeplink?id=H4Xho*hFIqQ&amp;mid=43528&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.golfavenue.com%2Fus%2Fnike-nds-driver&amp;LSNSUBSITE=LSNSUBSITE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">NDS<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>2002: Nike Forged Steel<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Keep reading on to learn about all of the other drivers that Nike have put out and how they perform.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h.la0obewzh2lz\"><strong>All Nike Drivers by Year<\/strong><\/h2>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\"><strong>Year<\/strong><\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\"><strong>Driver Model<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">2017<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">VPR Strike (Never released)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">2016<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">Vapor Fly Pro<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">2016<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/click.linksynergy.com\/deeplink?id=H4Xho*hFIqQ&amp;mid=43528&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.golfavenue.com%2Fus%2Fnike-vapor-fly-driver&amp;LSNSUBSITE=LSNSUBSITE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Vapor Fly<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">2015<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/click.linksynergy.com\/deeplink?id=H4Xho*hFIqQ&amp;mid=43528&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.golfavenue.com%2Fus%2Fnike-vapor-flex-driver&amp;LSNSUBSITE=LSNSUBSITE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Vapor Flex<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">2015<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">Vapor Speed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">2015<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">Vapor Pro<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">2015<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">Volt Vapor Speed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">2014<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">Covert 2.0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">2014<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/click.linksynergy.com\/deeplink?id=H4Xho*hFIqQ&amp;mid=43528&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.golfavenue.com%2Fus%2Fnike-vr-s-covert-2-0-tour-driver&amp;LSNSUBSITE=LSNSUBSITE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Covert 2.0 Tour<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">2013<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">Covert<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">2011<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">SQ Machspeed Black Square<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">2011<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">SQ Machspeed Black Round<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">2011<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/globalgolf.pxf.io\/5gkzBL\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">VR Pro (Limited Edition)<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">2010<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">SQ Machspeed STR8-FIT<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">2010<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/globalgolf.pxf.io\/anNDZZ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">VRS STR8-FIT Tour<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">2010<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">VR Tour<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">2009<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">SQ Dymo2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">2009<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/globalgolf.pxf.io\/AWg5Y1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">SQ Dymo<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">2008<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">SQ Sumo 5000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">2008<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">SQ Sumo 5900<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">2006<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/globalgolf.pxf.io\/1rGzKd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">SQ Sumo<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">2006<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">SQ Sumo2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">2006<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/globalgolf.pxf.io\/EK0AY4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Ignite 450<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">2005<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">SQ 460<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">2005<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">SQ 460 Tour<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">2004<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/globalgolf.pxf.io\/VmOdj3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Ignite 460<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">2004<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">Ignite 410<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">2004<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/click.linksynergy.com\/deeplink?id=H4Xho*hFIqQ&amp;mid=43528&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.golfavenue.com%2Fus%2Fnike-nds-driver&amp;LSNSUBSITE=LSNSUBSITE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">NDS<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">2003<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/globalgolf.pxf.io\/bakQgx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">300 Forged Steel<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">2003<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">450 Forged Titanium<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">2002<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">400 Forged Titanium<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">2002<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">350 Forged Titanium<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">2002<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">275 Forged Titanium<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">2002<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"1\" rowspan=\"1\">Nike Forged Steel<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h4 id=\"h.vifd0rrqx8hk\"><strong>Related Article: <\/strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.golfspan.com\/cleveland-drivers-by-year\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cleveland Drivers by Year: 20+ Years of History<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n<h2 id=\"h.klhfvc3sadhi\"><strong>Nike Drivers&#8217; History<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4602397\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4602397\" style=\"width: 630px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4602397 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.golfspan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Tiger_Woods_42333601034.jpg\" alt=\"Quicken Loans National 6\/27\/18 with tiger woods driving\" width=\"640\" height=\"364\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.golfspan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Tiger_Woods_42333601034.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.golfspan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Tiger_Woods_42333601034-300x171.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.golfspan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Tiger_Woods_42333601034-264x150.jpg 264w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4602397\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\">KA Sports Photos from Hanover, MD, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a>, via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Nike first entered the golf market with its line of shirts and shoes in 1984 to great success. In particular, one of their golf shoes called the \u201cTurnberry\u201d became a hotly sold product. However, it was not meant to be when it came to Nike drivers.<\/p>\n<p>After opening a research facility known as \u201cThe Oven\u201d and undertaking 14 years of making drivers from 2002 to 2016, the company announced the Vapor Fly range would be its last. They simply weren\u2019t making enough profit to justify the release of new models. This is exactly why if you look anywhere today, you can\u2019t buy new Nike golf drivers.<\/p>\n<p>Many of their models proved popular with use at the top level. However, the brand experienced significant condemnation. Phil Mickelson, for one, heaped on criticism about Nike golf drivers being inferior to rival brands. Yet this didn\u2019t stop the following players from using Nike drivers.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Tiger Woods<\/li>\n<li>Maverick McNealy<\/li>\n<li>Brooks Koepka<\/li>\n<li>Tony Finau<\/li>\n<li>Tommy Fleetwood<\/li>\n<li>Francesco Molinari<\/li>\n<li>Rory McIlroy<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>By 2009, Nike had helped pros win a total of 23 golf tournaments with their equipment. Furthermore, Tiger Woods won two PGA Majors while using Nike drivers which is a testament to their quality. Still, when you think about Nike golf drivers by year, you had some years where they pushed the limits better than others. Ultimately, they couldn\u2019t beat their competitors in this market and were forced out.<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"h.l4mns2us443q\"><strong>Related Article: <\/strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.golfspan.com\/ping-drivers-by-year\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ping Drivers by Year: 50+ Years of History<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n<h2 id=\"h.ymyrm0wht85q\"><strong>Nike Driver Golf Clubs by Year<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h3 id=\"h.j4z6a2a41cjq\"><strong>Nike Ignite Driver (2004)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<figure style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/globalgolf.pxf.io\/EK0AY4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/www.golfspan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/nike_drivers_by_year.png\" alt=\"nike drivers by year ignite\" width=\"350\" height=\"350\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<div class=\"wp-block-button aligncenter\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-background has-vivid-red-background-color no-border-radius\" href=\"https:\/\/globalgolf.pxf.io\/EK0AY4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"1674198564\"><strong>CHECK PRICE ON GLOBAL GOLF<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<p>Tiger Woods used the Nike Ignite Driver, which helped make the model famous. It earned high marks for forgiveness and accuracy on the course. Just keep in mind that if you buy the original version of this driver, it would not follow the rules of golf today. The NexTi titanium face was said to be the hottest thing ever created, and it created a springlike effect when you hit the ball.<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"h.ra5mpsnos9t7\"><strong>Related Article: <\/strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.golfspan.com\/taylormade-drivers-by-year\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TaylorMade Drivers by Year: How They Revolutionized Golf<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n<h3 id=\"h.p4y9k067rucw\"><strong>SQ 460 (2005)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The Nike SQ driver release date shows that this series was first released in 2005. SQ is short for SasQuatch. It was known as a driver with a strong performance in all of the essential areas. \u00a0Overall, it was just a great all-around package, making it so popular. It featured a distinctive yellow design that made it very easy to identify.<\/p>\n<p>The head on this model was slightly shallower and deeper than we see today. It works because this driver pulled the weight low.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.rdihso67mn11\"><strong>SQ Sumo2 \u2014 Nike Square Driver (2007)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>One of the reasons it\u2019s so sad to see Nike go is because they truly were golfing innovators. Sure, a lot of their equipment didn\u2019t quite hit the mark, but they undoubtedly furthered the sport of golf and forced competitors to develop new tech.<\/p>\n<p>This was most apparent in 2007 when the first Nike square driver was released, in fact, it was the first square driver full stop! With its odd square clubhead and glaring yellow and black design, it was very unusual. Yet it marked a key moment in golfing history.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, the high MOI of this club was not enough to appeal to buyers, and it really struggled on the sales front.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"h.yvft44v3vc4r\"><strong>Nike VR_S Covert Driver (2013)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<figure style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/click.linksynergy.com\/deeplink?id=H4Xho*hFIqQ&amp;mid=43528&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.golfavenue.com%2Fus%2Fnike-vr-s-covert-2-0-tour-driver&amp;LSNSUBSITE=LSNSUBSITE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/www.golfspan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/nike_drivers_by_year_2.png\" alt=\"nike drivers by year vr_s covert\" width=\"353\" height=\"353\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<div class=\"wp-block-button aligncenter\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-background has-vivid-red-background-color no-border-radius\" href=\"https:\/\/click.linksynergy.com\/deeplink?id=H4Xho*hFIqQ&amp;mid=43528&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.golfavenue.com%2Fus%2Fnike-vr-s-covert-2-0-tour-driver&amp;LSNSUBSITE=LSNSUBSITE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"1674198564\"><strong>CHECK PRICE ON GOLF AVENUE<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<p>They designed the VR_S line series around speed and distance. When you swing this club, it can bomb drives. Aesthetically speaking, it was one of the better-looking drivers that Nike released, and we would even consider this the best Nike driver in terms of performance. With its modern appearance and easy loft adjustability, it\u2019s no wonder it appealed to golfers at the time.<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"h.tvwn7mnaah0m\"><strong>Related Article: <\/strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.golfspan.com\/titleist-drivers-by-year\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Titleist Drivers by Year: Almost 40 Years of History<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n<h3 id=\"h.faw5vtqz6nn\"><strong>Nike Vapor Fly Driver (2016)<\/strong><\/h3>\n<figure style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/click.linksynergy.com\/deeplink?id=H4Xho*hFIqQ&amp;mid=43528&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.golfavenue.com%2Fus%2Fnike-vapor-fly-driver&amp;LSNSUBSITE=LSNSUBSITE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/www.golfspan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/nike_drivers_by_year_3.png\" alt=\"nike drivers by year vapor fly\" width=\"342\" height=\"342\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<div class=\"wp-block-button aligncenter\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-background has-vivid-red-background-color no-border-radius\" href=\"https:\/\/click.linksynergy.com\/deeplink?id=H4Xho*hFIqQ&amp;mid=43528&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.golfavenue.com%2Fus%2Fnike-vapor-fly-driver&amp;LSNSUBSITE=LSNSUBSITE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" data-lasso-id=\"1674198564\"><strong>CHECK PRICE ON GOLF AVENUE<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/click.linksynergy.com\/deeplink?id=H4Xho*hFIqQ&amp;mid=43528&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.golfavenue.com%2Fus%2Fnike-vapor-fly-driver&amp;LSNSUBSITE=LSNSUBSITE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Nike Vapor Fly driver<\/a> had three key technologies that helped it to succeed in 2016. The HyperFlight face was thinned out to minimize ball speed loss. Next, the Compression Channel was engineered to help it create a springboard effect. Finally, the lighter crown gave it a lower center of gravity that reduced spin, increased forgiveness, and produced a higher launch. This golf driver provided solid feedback which many players appreciated.<\/p>\n<p>What made it popular was that it felt light to swing, it sounded great on impact, and gave you plenty of forgiveness. The color was also an obvious improvement as it helped the driver to stand out. With that said, it wouldn\u2019t be a choice that everyone would love with its shade of blue and yellow.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h.ptxlzpv25lgm\"><strong>What Happened When Nike Left the Market?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4602605\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4602605\" style=\"width: 630px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4602605 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.golfspan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Brooks_Koepka.jpg\" alt=\"Brooks_Koepka wearing nike press conference\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.golfspan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Brooks_Koepka.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.golfspan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Brooks_Koepka-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.golfspan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Brooks_Koepka-267x150.jpg 267w, https:\/\/www.golfspan.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Brooks_Koepka-180x100.jpg 180w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4602605\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\">Joe Schilp, CC BY 2.0<\/a>, via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Nike left the market in 2016 after they had signed PGA Tour pros <a href=\"https:\/\/www.golfchannel.com\/article\/golf-central-blog\/koepka-chats-rory-tiger-signing-nike\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Brooks Koepka<\/a>\u00a0and Tony Finau. They left the club, ball, and bag market, but you can still buy their shoes, hats, and shirts.<\/p>\n<p>When Nike chose to leave the golf club market, they did so because they just weren\u2019t seeing a resounding success as they had hoped. The competition was brutal, and they couldn\u2019t keep up with some of the better players.<\/p>\n<p>Bloomberg reported in 2016 that the Nike Golf Division fell 8.2 percent. That meant they only raked in $706 million, making it the worst-performing major category for Nike. As a result, Nike would rush for the exit.<\/p>\n<p>The biggest mistake Nike made when they entered this market was resting on their prestigious laurels of being Nike. While they had a big name, they weren\u2019t innovating in this market like in others.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s overly simplistic to say that any one thing brought down their golf division. Ultimately, they made a series of missteps in marketing that failed to attract a large enough customer volume. They may have even overly relied on using Tiger Woods to sell more clubs, but because the clubs weren\u2019t as good as the others, people went elsewhere.<\/p>\n<p><strong>It\u2019d be easy to vilify Nike. But before we move on, let\u2019s take one final look at the wins that Nike achieved while in the golf market: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/tiger-woods-nike-ball-2015-2?IR=T\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Changed golf balls forever<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/globalgolf.pxf.io\/B05kVL\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Slingshot irons<\/a> were a huge hit<\/li>\n<li>Sumo2 irons marked the <a href=\"https:\/\/golf.com\/gear\/so-long-sasquatch-an-ode-to-the-greatest-driver-ever-made\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">first square driver ever<\/a><\/li>\n<li>The release of the VR_S driver was a big success<\/li>\n<li>The Machspeed Black driver had great adjustability, low launch, and spin for its time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"h.dmgzvlnzeig0\"><strong>Frequently Asked Questions<\/strong><\/h2>\n<div id=\"rank-math-rich-snippet-wrapper\"><div id=\"rank-math-faq\" class=\"rank-math-block\">\n<div class=\"rank-math-list \">\n<div id=\"faq-1\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">When Did Nike Stop Making Golf Drivers?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Nike discontinued its golf drivers in 2016 when they decided to stop making golf clubs, balls, and bags. They made this decision because their products couldn\u2019t drum up enough customer volume, making it unprofitable to continue making them.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-2\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">What Nike Driver Did Tiger Woods Use?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Tiger Woods was a prominent user of Nike equipment back in his prime. He used a Forged Titanium driver for his 2002 Masters win and an Ignite 460 for his 2005 Masters win. The following year he switched to the newer SasQuatch 460 Tour and stuck with it for several years. By 2012, he had upgraded to a VR Tour.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-3\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Why Did Nike Stop Making Clubs?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Nike stopped making clubs for a variety of reasons, but it ultimately came down to a lack of customer volume. They weren\u2019t getting the sales that they needed to be profitable. Some of the reasons for this included marketing missteps and standing too much on the merits of their previous successes.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-4\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Will There Be Nike Golf Drivers in 2023?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Unfortunately, there will be no new Nike drivers in 2023. The company stopped producing golf clubs in 2016 due to poor profit.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h4 id=\"h.fdt6ays79qwj\"><strong>Related Article: <\/strong><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.golfspan.com\/callaway-drivers-by-year\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Callaway Drivers by Year<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n<h2 id=\"h.94wzwfk9yqb7\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Hopefully, this Nike drivers by year post gives you a comprehensive view of the drivers Nike has produced during their time in the market. While they weren\u2019t the most popular, many pros liked how they performed, including Tiger Woods.<\/p>\n<p>As it stands, it\u2019s fairly difficult to get your hands on a Nike driver because they are only available pre-owned. So if you do have one and enjoy the way it plays, look after it, as it will be very difficult to replace. And for those of you who still have one in its original packaging, they can sell for quite a bit.<\/p>\n<p>In terms of the best Nike driver ever produced, we would have to side with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.golfmagic.com\/equipment\/our-favourite-nike-drivers-have-ever-been-produced\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">VR_S Covert driver<\/a>, which was one of the company\u2019s bigger success stories. While Nike didn\u2019t grab this market in the same way it did in others, they still produced some pretty decent clubs.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For the mid to high-handicap golfer, Nike drivers offer everything that you could want in a club. Moreover, many PGA Tour pros have been spotted using Nike drivers, including Tiger Woods, who carried the Nike Ignite 460\u00a0and the Ignite 410, among others. In 2016, Nike announced that it would stop making clubs because of a lack of profit. To honor Nike\u2019s 14-year-long stint-making drivers, we\u2019re winding back the years to look at all of the models they have put out. For enthusiasts and collectors, you can still find them second-hand at the links provided. The main Nike drivers by year\u00a0consist &#8230; <\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more-container\"><a title=\"Nike Drivers by Year: The Drivers That Won!\" class=\"read-more button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.golfspan.com\/nike-drivers-by-year#more-4602231\" aria-label=\"More on Nike Drivers by Year: The Drivers That Won!\">Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8036,"featured_media":4602232,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"generate_page_header":""},"categories":[10,20],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.golfspan.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4602231"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.golfspan.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.golfspan.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.golfspan.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8036"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.golfspan.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4602231"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.golfspan.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4602231\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4602714,"href":"https:\/\/www.golfspan.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4602231\/revisions\/4602714"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.golfspan.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4602232"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.golfspan.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4602231"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.golfspan.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4602231"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.golfspan.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4602231"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}