No other name in the game carries the leverage of Nike. I know far too many people who’ll buy Nike clubs, Nike balls, Nike bags and Nike shoes for little more reason than the Nike brand itself. Hell, If Nike offered a sandwich these guys would be first in line to take a bite.

That’s great if your Nike, and it’s a difficult force to overcome if your not. While most of these loyalist are new to the game, and carry their loyalty over from other sports, I’m finding there are plenty of experienced golfers who have become so enamored with the brand that they too no longer look elsewhere.

I’m not suggesting that Nike’s products are inferior and that they’re coasting by on brand recognition and Tiger Woods. Nope, instead my point is that the full-on assault Nike has launched on the golf industry in little more than 5 years in the is nothing short of astounding. Hate them or love them, Nike is golf’s big, yellow juggernaut - and it’s not going anywhere.

2007 was a mixed year for Nike’s golf division. While I have not doubt their sales numbers looked good (when you have Tiger Woods in your corner, you’re going to do well), but the sports giant did take a bit of a PR hit early last season when they had to issue replacements for some SUMO drivers that were found to be non-conforming. If memory serves the COR was a little beyond what the USGA allows for. Nike being Nike though, they rebounded with as much force as one of those illegal SUMOs I just mentioned.

If there is any lingering doubt as to whether or not Nike is a major player on the golf equpment scene, the 2008 lineup should clear that right up. While I’ve got lots of new equipment to talk about, I’ll cut right to it and tell you what I think is the most significant news from Nike’s golf division for 2008; the new Nike 360* fitting system.

As tempted as I am to use the phrase “Nike is joining Callaway, and TaylorMade…” it might be truthier (that’s right, truthier), to say that Nike has surpassed Callaway and TaylorMade by introducing the most comprehensive club fitting system on the market today. From a driver, all the way down to a lob wedge, the new Nike 360* system will help you fill every spot in your bag. Here’s a little snippet from the press release which provides some detail on what makes the Nike system unique.

The new Nike Golf Fitting System also addresses gap yardage club-fit solutions (i.e. fairway to iron, pitching wedge to approach wedge) and provides club type logic (i.e. hybrid or iron, #3 wood or #4 wood) throughout the set. This standout technology optimizes distance, ball flight and accuracy throughout the set, leading to enhanced performance.

The Nike system can analyze your game every step of the way to help you determine if you should carry hybrids instead of irons, or perhaps an extra wedge. The 360* setup comes in 3 varieties, so how extensive of a fitting you get will vary from proshop to proshop. The differences between the 3 are beyond the scope of what I’m trying to accomplish here, so you’ll need to google “Nike 360″ for more information.

Now lets fill up my bag…

Drivers

I had two major complaints with last year’s Nike drivers. 1 - They were yellow. 2 - The sound…oh the sound. I’ve heard it described as a garbage can hitting the pavement. I’m not sure it was that pleasant. The good news is Nike listened, and has addressed the sound issue. This change in acoustics was achieved by replacing the composite crown with a titanium one. If the loud noises stop, I’m on board. The bad news is, the club is still yellow. Still, progress is good.

Last year Nike had the first square driver on store shelves, and it looks like they’ll repeat that again this year with another SUMO Saturday launch event in early February (check a proshop near you for details). The 2nd generation SUMO², the SUMO² 5900 grabs the SuperMOI concept from last year and slams it right up against USGA limits. If Nike is telling the truth, they’ve reached the limit on MOI in a golf club.

All of the engineering details from last year (SUMO Geometry, Powerbow Technology, and of course SuperMOI) are back in this year’s model. As you might expect, the SUMO² 5900 is the straightest, most accurate driver Nike has ever produced.

If you’re Tiger Woods, or just can’t wrap yourself around the idea of a square-headed driver, then the SQ SUMO 5000 will be more to your liking. You’ll have to give up some forgiveness to keep the conventional design, but for the better player, the SUMO 5000 provides legitimate workability while still managing to be a very forgiving club. The SUMO5000 has already made its way into Tiger’s bag. In case you’re wondering, he did try the SUMO² 5900, but found that he had a tendency to hit the ball too far and too straight with it. Everybody struggles, Tiger. You’re not alone.

As a bit of an aside…last year I was battling through some driver woes (sky balls, hitting it off the heal, you name it), when I picked up the SQ SUMO. After 5 minutes with the Nike rep, and the Nike club I was hitting the ball better than I had in 2 years. I didn’t end up buying the Nike driver, but I’ve got a soft spot for it because it helped my game, and saved my sanity.

If I’m buying a Nike driver, and that’s something I wouldn’t rule out, even though I’m more likely to put a ball in the woods than swing like Tiger Woods, I’m taking the SUMO 5000 over the SUMO² 5900.

Fairway Woods

Think Nike was going to let Callaway be the only one with a “Squareway” wood? Hell no. In fact Nike will beat Callaway to market with the new SQ SUMO² Fairway. Like its big brother, the SUMO² fairway features Nike PowerBow technology, which is Nike’s way of distributing discretionary weight to the far edges of the clubhead. The low center of gravity helps to get the ball airborne regardless of the lie.

The club face itself, made from Cryo Steel, features a large sweet spot for maximum distance and increased forgiveness.

No word yet on pricing, but if I were a betting man I’d say $199 with the stock Diamana Yellowboard shaft. As is almost always the case, swapping out the shaft is going to cost you some bucks.

Hybrids

Taking the “hip to be square” thing to the next level, Nike’s hybrid offerings include a SQ SUMO². Everything you’ve to this point holds true; high MOI, PowerBow, yellow…

The SUMO² has a rather larger offset so you’ll have to sacrifice workability for forgiveness, but for the mid-to-high handicapper, the SUMO² is one of the better options on the hybrid scene.

With 6 different models to choose from (17°, 20°, 23°, 26°, 30°, and 34°), you can either complement what you already have, or replace a healthy percentage of it.

For better players Nike offers a more traditionally shaped SQ SUMO Hybrid. Just like the SUMO driver, the more rounded hybrid features a minimal offset, which again means trading forgiveness for workability. There’s still plenty of MOI left in this yellow beast though, so even if you’re an average player not ready to go square, you’ll do well to take a few swings with the SQ SUMO hybrid.

Irons

Nike’s answer to the mixed hybrid set is the SQ SUMO2 irons. The 8 club set includes 4 hybrids, and 4 more traditional irons to create the highest total MOI of any iron set Nike has ever produced.

The oversized SUMO² irons feature a TPU (thermal plastic urethane) insert which provides the vibration dampening needed for guys like me, who, from time to time, struggle to find the center of the club face.

Also falling well within the boundaries of the Game Improvement category is the SQ SUMO iron. The SUMO offers the highest MOI of any traditional iron set in the Nike arsenal. Although not as large as the SUMO², the SUMOs feature the same TPU insert, wide sole, and perimeter weighting.

For Nike enthusiasts looking for more of a player’s iron, you’ll want to look at the CCI series, or for the low handicapper, the Nike forged blades. If you’re caught in the middle between the SUMO series and the CCI, Nike has also announced a Slingshot 4D series which should appeal to mid-to-high handicappers as well.

Pushed to choose, I’d look past both of the SUMO series irons, and grab a set of CCIs.

Wedges

No new wedge announcements fro Nike yet. The SV Tour Wedges are hold-overs from last season, and are considered by most to be a fine product. Unfortunately, no 64° option exists in the Nike wedge lineup.

Putters

You thought last year’s Unitized lineup was innovative? This year Nike’s has really stepped up the science in it’s putter lineup.

New to the Ignite series is what Nike calls IC putters. These “optically engineered” putters feature a paint job, that’s right a paint job, that’s supposed to help the golfer focus on what is most important. Now before you start laughing and click your back button to get the hell away from the nonsense, please, indulge me for just a bit while I explain.

As you may or may not know, Nike has an entire team devoted to optical science. It’s these guys job to figure out what athletes see, why they see it, and subsequently figure out what Nike can do to help them see things better.

They try and find answers for questions like “What does it mean when an athlete says he’s seeing the ball well”, and how can that type of thing be measured? Over the years they’ve discovered that elite golfers as well as athletes in other shooting sports a more visually sensitive.

What they’ve learned is that by creating contrast conditions that blend what’s visually disruptive into the background, while making what’s visually important stand out, they can make it much easier for the golfer to focus, and project, in the mind’s eye, the path of the putt.

Nike contends that many putters on the market today contain visual noise; glare, hot spots, and other distractions that provide the golfer with unwanted visual cues. The new IC putters feature a scientifically engineered paint scheme which is supposed to “Mute the background”. The putter heard is actually shaded green, which helps to blend it into the background. This, in turn, allows the golfer to focus solely on the alignment aid, which is shaped in such a way as to to keep the golfer’s focus on the front point. This helps the golfer focus the shot in the mind’s eye.

To some this may sound a little bit like hocus pocus marking mumbo jumbo, but I’ve been impressed enough by the Nike MaxSight contact lenses that I’m willing to take a shot on the IC concept.

With several styles to choose from, there’s bound to be an IC putter to your liking.

Balls

I’m not going to spend a lot of time on the relatively new Nike Karma. Just know that it’s a soft ball designed for golfers with slower swing speeds.

What I am excited about is yet another incarnation of the Nike One series. Both the 3-piece Black and 4-piece Platinum models are being updated for 2008. On the off chance you’re unfamiliar with the Nike One ball…the Platinum is a little softer, and generates more spin. The Black is a little more firm, and has a lower initial launch angle.

Although specs and details are limited at the moment, the rumor is that Nike has re-engineered the One ball in much the same way Callaway did their HX. With the limits of COR and MOI in club design pretty much achieved, manufacturers are looking for other places where they can squeeze out a little extra distance. I’ve got a hunch, the ball is that place.

Based on what I’ve played so far, (I haven’t hit any of the 2008 balls yet) given the choice to play any ball in the world, I’m playing the Nike One black.

Shoes

You can measure a good golf shoe by how aware you are that you’re wearing it. Here’s what I mean. If you’re walking 18, and as you turn from 17 to 18 you haven’t given a thought all day to your footwear, you’ve got a good shoe. Sure, some shoes provide more moisture protection, and some provide a little more stability in the tee box, but nothing, and I mean nothing, matters more than comfort.

Enter the Nike Air Tour 8.5. With a 2 year waterproof warranty, and the “traction at contact” sole, you don’t have to trade features for comfort. This shoe has it all.

Remember way back at the beginning of this article I talked about how some people are so enamored with Nike products they won’t look at anything else? Although I’m not that way with clubs, or even balls, but every 3 years or so, when I need a new golf shoe, I’m not looking at anything other than Nike.

The guys at Nike have been making footwear a long time, and although the reports that their first generation golf shoes left a little something to be desired, I can attest with absolute certainty that the TW series golf shoes are as comfortable a golf shoe as you’ll find.

The Air Tour 8.5s are available in black, white, and team red. $179 may sound like a lot for a shoe, but what other piece of equipment is with you on absolutely every shot?

Bags

Having exhausted a ton of energy writing about the my 2008 Nike dream bag, I don’t have it in me to walk 18, so today I’m loading up a Nike Tour Cart Bag II, and riding 18 (that’s more sweet segway action right there).

The Tour Cart II features 14 full length divider (way to go Nike!), and an external putter well. It has 12 forward facing pockets, including a fur-lined valuables pocket, and a cooler pocket. The forward facing pocket idea is no small thing. Too many bags have ill-placed pockets that are inaccessible once the bag has been tethered to the cart.

The Tour Cart II has a 9.5″ top and an ERP of $240.

Woah…it took a while to get through all that, but it’s not surprising considering just how much Nike is doing this year, not only with club design, but also with new 360* custom fitting solution, and optical research and engineering that went into the new IC putters.

This truly is a mammoth offering from the team at Nike golf.

Retail prices for many of the products discussed haven’t been announced yet, but I’d estimate the cost of my Nike dream bag at roughly $2200.

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