nike 450cc driver

Club:Nike 450cc driver 9.5 degree loft
Shaft:Nike graphite stiff flex
Grip:Nike

Looks:
This is a LARGE clubhead.In fact this is nearing the new maximum limit of 460cc established lately by both the R and A and USGA for legal drivers (some Manufacturers such as Integra and Bang offer clubheads up to 625cc in size!).
Despite the large head the club is so well made that one tends to forget the size issue almost completely.The head is finished in a deep blue high lustre paint which provides a nice contrast with the titanium clubface and frames the ball (which looks like a speck of dust) very well.
The club sits squarely and there is no evidence of the "toed in" (closed a couple of degrees) look that is the fashion in drivers,particulary those in higher lofts.The clubface has a broken scoreline pattern,which is distinctive but in no way exclusive.
The shaft is the Nike torsional weave shaft,in black and blue,features a 10" tip section that contains strands of metal and is designed to resist twisting on mishits.
The Nike grip,with alignment guides,is a quality finish to an extremely good looking club
Marks:(out of 10) 9


Performance:In the proper hands with the proper setup,this is a very good performer.First,extra long tees are a must to sweep the ball off the top with lift and minimal sidespin.For a 9.5 degree driver,ball flight is extremely low.
The ball simply rockets off the clubface and impact sound is quite muted in comparison to some others (Cobra SS430 U,Callaway GBB 2),but feels solid.Mishits from the heel and toe are barely noticed in terms of feedback,but struggle to get off the ground and don't achieve much in the way of distance.Best strikes go a mighty long way and get lots of run due to the low ball flight.
Fading the ball is a breeze,but it is much more difficult to conjure up a draw on demand (stiff shaft and square face mitigate against this).A good showing,but nothing mindblowing.
Marks:7

Value: Very competitive for a large lump of titanium.The Cobra SS430 U is priced around the same mark,but it is cheaper than top of the range Titleist,TaylorMade and Callaway offerings.Trade in and resale value will be reasonable as large clubheads are in vogue.
Marks:8

Verdict:
This club can be hit well and easily for superb distances if you get the proper setup.Get 1 degree more loft than usual and 1 flex softer (ie.9.5 will become 10.5 and stiff will become regular).If you tend to slice the ball then this club will only enhance this,but if you are a habitual hooker then you could do worse things than to give this club a test drive.
Marks:8


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