Rory McIlroy is making his 2015 debut at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, but he’s also debuting the new Nike Golf Engage wedges. He’s already debuted the Nike Golf Vapor irons (with Tiger Woods) as well as the Vapor driver and fairway woods which he put into during the Ryder Cup.
The name Engage comes from three important interactions between the golf club and the turf, the club face and the golf ball and the connection between the athlete and his or her equipment. With three sole grinds made from the hands of Master Craftsman Mike Taylor, the new Nike Golf Engage wedges are the newest solution to help athletes such as Rory McIlroy both score and escape adverse conditions on the course. Remember that Rory put the forward thinking VR X3X Toe Sweep wedge into play during his win at the BMW PGA Championship, the European Tour’s flagship event.
To better engage the club, ball and athlete, Nike engineers followed a similar design that is utilized in the Nike Vapor family of clubs – Modern Muscle. Modern Muscle shifts the center of gravity to promote stability and consistent turf interaction in even the worst of playing conditions. McIlroy was one of the Nike athletes who tested the new wedge design and provided valuable feedback to Taylor and the Nike club team during the product development process.
The Nike Engage wedges are available in three distince sold grinds: Dual Sole, Square Sole and Toe Sweep. The Square Sole was designed to be played with a squared-up club face while the Dual Sole offers two distinctive surfaces for a wide range of shots. The Dual Sole is inspired by grinds used by Tiger Woods and McIlroy. The second-generation Toe Sweep grind maintains its superior performance as the best wedge from the worst lie on the course while improving versatility on tight lies. The wide toe and narrow heel width allow the club to be laid open at address and stay open through impact in even the deepest of grass.
The Nike Engage wedges are precision milled with X3X grooves to deliver maximum spin on full shots. The grooves have more volume and sharper edges to deliver a more consistent shot in any condition as well as a more consistent ball flight. The precision milling process that makes the X3X grooves is offered for the first time with the Engage Wedges. Based on athlete feedback and testing, the Engage wedges will all utilize an athlete-authentic raw finish instead of chrome plating. The finish will reduce glare as well as increase surface roughness to improve spin and control.
The Nike Engage Wedges ($119.99) will be available on nike.com on April 17.
NIKE ENGAGE WEDGE SPECIFICATIONS
Square Sole (RH): 50°/11°, 52°/11°, 54°/9°, 56°/9°, 58°/9°, 60°/9°
Square Sole (LH): 52°/11°, 56°/9°
Toe Sweep (RH): 54°/9°, 56°/9°, 58°/9°, 60°/9°
Dual Sole (RH): 58°/13°, 60°/13°
Dual Sole (LH): 60°/13°
Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400
Grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet, Black
Source: Nike Inc.
