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Easy to hit, great feel, very forgiving. Good premium option for mid-handicappers and better players.
Introduction
In terms of irons, 2014 is the year that better players get their slice of the “more distance” pie. Irons like the Nike Covert 2.0 Forged are offering big distances gains over traditional “players irons” without making sacrifices on looks and feel.
Looks
The Covert 2.0 Forged irons are quite a bit different in appearance than the regular Nike VRS Covert 2.0 irons. The most immediate difference is that the Forged version has a brushed/satin look for reduced glare as opposed to the polished chrome look of the standard VRS Forged irons. Other notable differences are that the Covert 2.0 Forged irons have less offset, a slightly thinner sole and top line, and the cavity appears a little cleaner and shallow compared to the standard VRS Covert irons. Overall, the Covert 2.0 Forged has the look of a players iron as compared to the Covert 2.0’s game improvement look.
Sound & Feel
Hitting the Nike Covert 2.0 Forged irons was one of the most intriguing experiences I have ever had hitting a golf club because of its sound and feel. At impact, the sound was a thump from the collision with the turf and a slight click from the ball. Swing after swing, the thump from the sole of the club left the biggest impression on me. It made me feel like my shots were perfectly timed and I was getting the ball, then the turf, exactly like I should be.
The Covert 2.0 Forged irons are at the top of the list as one of the best feeling clubs I’ve hit in 2014. I think this is in part because of the stock Nippon 950GH shafts (if you haven’t tried this shaft yet, it’s worth checking out), which always delivers a very crisp impact feel. Additionally, the face of the Coverts is extremely forgiving from heel to toe – even the hosel felt pure (that’s a joke, don’t worry). Sometimes a forgiving club can give a feeling that is a little too soft and unresponsive, but the Covert 2.0 Forged irons feel strong through impact and don’t leave you with that “pillowy” feeling you may come to expect out of a forgiving cavity-back iron.
Performance
As I said before, hitting the Nike Covert 2.0 Forged irons was really an interesting and eye opening experience. I knew these irons were supposed to be a little more of a distance iron, but I was actually getting about one and a half more clubs out of my long irons. Those gaps tapered down as I got to the shorter irons so the set still blended nicely into my existing wedges. It was reassuring that Nike took distance gaps into consideration and didn’t just focus on making sure the golfer could hit their Pitching Wedge 245 yards.
With the longer distances, I was seeing a lower launch than my regular clubs, but ultimately a higher ball flight. It was a very nice, rising flight that resulted in soft landings that were difficult not to be satisfied with.
Most notable in performance has to be the forgiveness. I had quite a few off-center strikes that did not suffer from significant distance loss or flight degradation. I’m not trying to tell you that if you got too far either direction on the face, that you wouldn’t see a diminished performance, but you will notice shots that would normally suffer will hold up better with the Covert 2.0 Forged irons.
Conclusion
2014 seems to be the year of irons that bridge the gap between high-handicap game improvement clubs and scratch player butter knives. The Nike VRS Covert 2.0 Forged irons offer more forgiveness and distance than golfers are used to in a set of player’s irons, but they maintain a lot of the visual appeal and performance that above average players are looking for. By combining great feel, great distance, and great forgiveness, Nike has made the VRS Covert 2.0 Forged irons pretty hard to argue with.
Price & Specs
The Nike VRS Covert 2.0 Forged Irons retail for $1,099.
The standard set is 4-AW with a stock Nippon 950GH steel shaft.
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Bill Bush
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Very very nice review, I’m a 13 handicap when I’m able to play. Living in Chicago makes getting the necessary rounds of golf in quite a challenge. I was considering a set of blades because I love the small top line of blades as well as the feedback on each swing. That said I simply don’t play enough to justify the blades so to me the Nike VRS Covert Forged Irons are a nice compromise. I just didn’t like the bulky look of the previous Nike Forged irons but these irons with good feel slim top line with the forgiveness I know I need seems to be a great fit. I just ordered a set so I’ll let you know how it goes. I should get the set in about a week.
Hi Steve, thanks for the comment! Hopefully you’ll like them. I would say these are a GREAT iron for a 13 handicap player. The topline isn’t quite as thin as my current Cobra blades, but I wouldn’t tell you the Covert’s topline is thick by any means. Did you look at them in person before ordering (or at least at our pictures of the topline)?
what about a 16-17 hcp player? I am currently playing G15’s, and my iron game is pretty solid (putting is my problem), but sometimes the G15’s just feel clunky and ‘heavy’, but am a little nervous about going to forged irons and am wondering if these are forgiving enough. Do you think they are more forgiving than i20 or i25 irons?
thanks
To be honest with you, I don’t think it will be that big of a departure. Yes, these irons are forged, but they are still a larger size. They aren’t anywhere near a blade. That said, I have a friend who was about a 10-12 handicap (maybe a 9?) and he went with a set of these. If you’re a strong iron player with a club like the G15, I really don’t think you’ll have a problem with these. Like I said, they’re still fairly bulky with a bit of offset.
Hey Bill. I currently have Taylor R7 TP’s with DG R300 shafts. Overall I’m ok with them but consistency is an issue, especially since I tend to toe my irons (I know, see a PGA pro)…I really like the look of these Covert Forged 2.0 irons and the reviews seem to fit what I’m trying to achieve by changing sticks. I’m a 14, but can shoot 82 as easily as 98 as I don’t play as much as I’d like.
Is this a reasonable trade up? I can get a set of the Nike’s with 950 GH stiff for a steal right now. Thanks in advance.
I mean, beyond fitting for the right iron, that’s a pretty tough question to answer. It ultimately comes down to what your personal value of the clubs would be and the investment you want to make. It’s flat out apples to oranges. If you don’t mind spend the money, you’re jumping quite a few years in design so that alone may make it worth it.
Are the Nike covert 2.0 forged produced by Endo forging and what is the difference in regular forging and Endo forging?
I unfortunately have no idea where Nike had their irons forged.
Endo is just a renowned forging company in the golf industry. I don’t know enough about the intricacies of the act of forging to know what makes them better than any other forging house. There are plenty of good forgers out there, like Miura.
I have been playing with MX23s for over 8 years now and I am pretty consistent with it. Will these Nike be a big challenge for me?
Allen,
The only person that can answer that question for you is you. I haven’t hit the MX23, and they’re two totally different clubs. You need to try the Nikes out to have any idea how they are going to perform for you in any sort of A-B comparison. Your experience between two clubs will be defined totally differently than someone else’s.
Best,
Bill
i just bought a set of these went out and hit them one time since i have had them and i am in love with them feel good long distance only hit on the range so not sure about stopping on the greens yet can’t wait to play a round with them currently hitting speedblades but those are in the garage now