50 Words or Less
A well balanced game improvement iron that can help average players and also grow with improving and better golfers.
Introduction
Designing a game improvement iron is like walking a tightrope. Lean too much towards forgiveness and golfers will criticize the looks. Lean too much towards a “players” design and it will be unplayable for the 15 handicapper. With the new VRS Covert 2.0 iron, Nike has walked that tightrope deftly and the reward is an iron that can be played by virtually any golfer.
Looks
Nailing the look of the game improvement iron is the hardest part, and Nike did a fine job with the VRS Covert 2.0 iron. The top line is thick, but not overly so. The sole is wide enough to give golfers a little help, but it’s still thin enough to be playable off any lie. Perhaps the best element of this iron’s look is the offset which is very modest for a game improvement iron.
When it comes to the cavity, Nike struck a good balance between classy and eye-catching. Game improvement irons need a little flash, and the red paint in the undercut delivers that. The rest of the cavity is filled with a design that calls to mind looking through the blinds in a noir film – an image that fits the Covert name well.
Sound & Feel
The Nike VRS Covert 2.0 irons do something that not a lot of game improvement irons do: they provide excellent feedback. When struck purely, these irons have a very crisp feel, a nice tight “snap.” When you stray from center of the face, the feel dulls significantly – a clear sign that you missed. Most forgiving irons just cover up the feel of a mishit which can be a confidence booster, but it does little to help the golfer improve his ball striking. This quality feedback is a big part of why the Covert 2.0 can appeal to a wide range of players.
Performance
While I’ve talked about the VRS Covert 2.0 primarily as a game improvement iron, Nike’s main focus with these clubs is distance, so let’s start there. These clubs are very long. PluggedInGolf has tested all of the top distance irons this year and the Covert 2.0 is equal to the best of them. On average, the 6-iron is nearly two clubs longer compared to a traditional players cavity back. As with many of the better distance irons, the Covert 2.0 spreads out this distance boost so that you won’t have to add two more wedges to your bag.
What I find more impressive about the Covert 2.0 irons is the way they blend forgiveness, ease of launch, and ball control. These irons definitely have plenty of forgiveness. You can miss the center of the face by a reasonable margin and still get really good ball speed and distance. You can catch it a little thin and still get a nice, high trajectory. What makes this iron unique is that you get this forgiveness, but you also get the ability to control the ball and hit a wide variety of shots. Of course, any iron can hit fades and draws, but many game improvement irons force you to really work to do this. The Covert 2.0 makes it fairly easy which is why I could see better players gaming these.
Finally, I want to point out how fun these long irons are to hit. Long irons aren’t usually fun, even for better players, but these are. They launch high on any kind of decent contact, and the NexCor face technology gives you lots of distance, even on mishits. Even if you love your current mid and short irons, you should give serious consideration to creating a combo set with these long irons.
Conclusion
The Nike VRS Covert 2.0 iron is one of those rare clubs that could be a great fit for virtually any golfer. It has all the distance to hang with the longest irons, the forgiveness to help the average players, and plenty of the characteristics that better players want as well. Whether as a complete set or part of a combo set, the Covert 2.0 iron is worth a look.
Price and Specs
The Nike VRS Covert 2.0 irons retail for $700 for a 4-AW set. The stock shaft is the True Temper Dynalite 105.
Watch the Video
Matt Saternus
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which shaft is best for these irons? i have played w steelfiber i95 for past 7 years and really like them. I am about an 8 handicap. about 40 yrs old and swing speed around 95mph. currently play Mizuno mx 200 irons. i just bought the new nike woods – driver, 3 wood and hybrid – based in part on your recommendation but i also got fitted using Trakman with my club pro. I am looking to upgrade my irons. thanks!
James,
Thanks for the question. Here are my thoughts:
1) If your pro was able to fit you for your woods, I think the best option is to have him fit you for the iron shafts as well.
2) Failing that, I would recommend sticking with the SteelFiber if they’re still performing for you. In my opinion, if you have an iron shaft that performs well for you, you should stick with it unless you’re making a dramatic change in the type of iron you’re playing. The MX200 and Covert 2.0 are both GI irons, so I think they should both work similarly well with the Steelfiber.
Best,
Matt
Hi, great review!
I’m 23 year old and have a handicap of 28.
After playing with my first set, Wilson staff di9, I’m looking for something new.
What do you think about these clubs? Do you rate the cobra bio cells higher? And one last thing, how is the sole? I really dislike the thickness of some GI irons.
Thanks a ton !
Diego,
What is it that you’re looking for out of your new irons that you’re not getting from your Di9? That would help to determine whether or not the Covert would be better than the Bio Cell. The sole of the Covert 2.0 is an average size for GI irons.
Best,
Matt
Well, they’re a bit worn out I guess.
Is the sole of cobra thicker or compared to the di9?
I’d like some GI but would also like some more feedback when hitting it.
And I don’t quite know why I’m stuck between cobra or nike based on gear really :p
Are the Di9 more GI than bio or covert?
Thank you so much for answering.
I don’t have much experience with the Di9, but as I recall, the Cobra and Nike are both a shade thinner than the Di9. I think the Di9 might be categorized as SGI whereas the Covert and Bio Cell would be GI, but I think that’s really splitting hairs. Ultimately, if you’re looking for more feedback, you need to hit the clubs and see which one speaks to you.
Best,
Matt
Yes I understand it’s no easy question, but I appreciate you trying !
Trying them out will probably be the best way.
It’s what I was trying to get at, with the SGI/GI comparison.
Thank you very much and keep up the good work!
Hey!
Thanks for your video. Quick Question:
Do you think these irons would serve a beginner well?
Thanks!
Absolutely. They are very forgiving and will help a beginner have some nice success early on.
Best,
Matt
I’m buying new irons this for next golf season. Before I hit some I would like to hear your thoughts on these. Nike covert 2.0. Taylor made jet speed. Titiles AP 1. I’m a mid handy cap player. My handy cap is 10. Do you suggest another set I should try.
Brian,
Let’s start at the top: what irons are you playing now? Why are you replacing them? What do you hope to gain from new irons? Let me know and I can make some recommendations.
Also, I’m obliged to state the obvious: the best answer is to get fit and let the results guide your decision making.
Best,
Matt
Hi Matt,
I currently swing Ping Eye 2’s. I’m looking into getting some new irons and have swung a few. The Cobra AMP’s, Taylormade RocketBlade’s (Tour) as well as the Callaway X2’s. I really liked the TM Blades but was worried the tours were too advanced for me. I’m currently a 15 Handicap. Which style of iron would you recommend as far as thickness goes, definitely looking to advance my game but not get irons that are too difficult to hit.
Thanks -Mac
Mac,
Thanks for the question. I think that any of the clubs that you listed would be fine choices for a 15 handicap. There’s no reason to be scared of words like “Tour” or “Pro” in the name – that generally just indicates that there’s a bit less offset, a little thinner top line/sole, and fractionally less forgiveness.
When you tried those different clubs, what did you like? Did you notice different ball flights? Were some results better than others? The big question you need to ask when buying new gear is, “What do I want this to do that my current gear isn’t doing?” Compared to the Eye 2’s, I expect all the new irons you mentioned will be significantly longer (stronger lofts) and more forgiving on mishits. Beyond that, it’s a material of look, feel, and getting the right shaft.
I hope that helps.
Best,
Matt
I currently play with 2009 TaylorMade Burner irons and recently lost my 9-iron so am using this as an excuse to upgrade. 33 years of age. 6 foot 1. Good shape. Typically shoot between 86-90. I have always struggled with a high ball flight and less distance due to a slightly open face, coming over the top, and some hip-sway in my back swing. Have seen improvement with lessons lately, but even with solid contact, my ball flight is still very high. 7 iron still goes about 150. I’d like to see that up to 165 or higher.
I’m on the fence of whether I go with a game-improvement club or something more advanced. The problem I have is that my local store (Roger Dunn) only allows you to test clubs into a mat that spits out all the details on the swing. I, of course, would prefer to see how the ball flies coming off the club. Regardless, my store has a 90 day no-questions return policy for full value in which you can continually swap out clubs.
The things I’ve read about the Nike VRS Covert 2.0 are intriguing. I’ve yet to hit them. Couple questions:
– What should I look for on the mat when trying irons?
– Any comments regarding these clubs and my particular concerns? My focus is to gain distance and lower flight.
– Any others you’d recommend?
Many thanks,
Eric,
Great questions!
Am I understanding you correctly that the launch monitor/mat at your store does not give you any ball flight data, just club data? That’s very interesting.
When you say that your ball flight is high, what is that relative to? Higher than your friends or most people you play with? Higher than Tour average? Higher than optimal for distance? I don’t want that to come across rude, I’m just trying to get a clear picture. What is your average swing speed with a driver?
To answer your specific questions directly:
1) If you’re getting club numbers from the mat, I would look at the dynamic loft of your current 6I and compare it to other clubs you are interested in. Lower dynamic loft will mean lower launch and a lower ball flight. You could also look at your club path. If you’re hitting stock shafts, see if anything in your path changes when you try heavier vs. lighter stock shafts.
2) The VRS Covert 2.0 is up there among the longer irons of the year, but it might not be my top choice for bringing down ball flight. That said, you might pair the head with a different shaft and have a real weapon on your hands.
3) Other recommendations would depend on what category you want to go with. The bottom line is this: game improvement irons will make your mishits better, “advanced” or “players” irons will punish your mishits. You can still “work” the ball with GI clubs despite what the forums would have you believe. The main thing you would want to watch out for in a GI club is one that launches the ball too high. I’m really impressed by PING’s current irons, both the G30 and the i25. I play the i25 which has a surprising amount of forgiveness for a player-ish club. The G30 has a really strong ball flight despite being crazy forgiving.
Hope that helps. Feel free to let me know if you have more questions.
-Matt
Matt,
Thanks for the quick response. I’ll try and respond to your points in turn:
No, the monitor at my store does also give readings on ball flight data. Sorry for the mixup. I’m just not sure what I should be looking for on the readings and how to compare/contrast.
Regarding my definition of “too high.” It comes from comparing to others I play with and my instructor’s feedback. It definitely kills distance and it’s prevalent throughout my clubs. I believe it is mostly due to the swing faults I mentioned, but I am working to get those corrected. Regardless, the last club I need is one that helps get the ball in the air. My current fault is one of every four shots with irons is a bit pulled (straight path but pulled left). I have recently switched to a stronger grip, which is helping me square the face up more.
Average driver swing speed is I believe 95 mph. I am extremely fit and could certainly swing harder, but of course, as I increase my swing speed, old habits come back (see extremely high left to right ball path).
I have no allegiance to the Nike clubs here, just looking for idea. I’ll try and hit the Pings.
I probably hit a 7 iron perfectly “clean” 2 out of every 3 hits so still not sure the player club is my club. In addition, some of those are “clean,” but slightly pulled.
Eric,
If you’re getting ball flight data from the mat, you’re in great shape. I’d be looking at launch angle, spin rate, and descent angle. You want to get a reasonably high launch with low spin for distance, but you don’t want your descent angle to be too flat or your shots will never hold a green. Ideally, you’d like a descent angle in the neighborhood of 45*.
Ultimately, your best chance at finding the best combination of head and shaft is by getting a professional fitting. Testing different stock clubs is a fine place to start, but you’re unlikely to find your optimal combination in a stock set.
Finally, and this may be obvious, game improvement irons cannot do much of anything about the shape of your shots. A closed face is a closed face whether that’s attached to a blade or a shovel.
Hope that helps.
Best,
Matt
Hi Matt, I’ve been playing for 4 years and score in the mid 90’s. I’m using the irons that came with the starter set I bought to learn the game but feel like the technology in a better quality iron will help me on mishits and provide some distance. I tend to launch the ball high so my distance isn’t great. I’m going to start hitting some clubs, but in your opinion how do these Nikes compare to the Mizuno JPX 825s in terms of forgiveness for a high handicapper ? Seems like the soles on the Nikes especially the long irons would be better as the 825’s don’t have a lot of bounce. Thanks.
Chris,
I have a little experience with the JPX 825, but I prefer the Nike Covert 2.0. I think there’s a bit more forgiveness. If you’re concerned about hitting the ball too high and losing distance, make sure you get fit, especially for the right shaft.
Best,
Matt
Good day Matt
currently using spalding irons,shooting in the low 90’S consistently now,been playing for 5months looking for irons to provide longer straighter shots which are more forgiving.Recently purchased the Nike covert driver,really enjoying it,average driving distance 260 yards,biggest drive 290 yards.
hi max, i’m 58 yrs old and currently play the nike vr pro cavity irons. i cannot get the distance i used to(hit my 7 iron only about 135 yds) thinking of switching to the covert 2.o irons with a graphite shaft. what are your thoughts on this. im a mid handicapper
Randy,
I like the Covert 2.0, but if you’re looking to regain lost distance, you really need to get a fitting to find the right head/shaft combination.
Best,
Matt