Nike 2009 SQ DYMO Driver and 3wood (round)
Using MOI to your advantage.
Last season all the talk was about MOI, but in 2009 it hasn’t had the same sort of buzz. That doesn’t mean it went away or still isn’t an important feature, but just not the hot topic anymore. The Nike DYMO series still pushes the limits of MOI with its new heads. DYMO is an acronym standing for DYnamic MOment of inertia. The DYMO series includes two different heads, the round and the square. I found the two heads moving closer to each other as the square head became a little more rounded and the round head became a little more square. I think that the MOI on these two head have to be very close because the shapes are not dramatically different.
For my testing I wanted to stay closer to the traditional so I put the round DYMO in play, initially with the stock 55 gram shaft. When I kept it on plane I hit it extremely straight with just a slight tendency to balloon. The spin numbers were just too high for my liking. I also had some swing issues due to the light, long shaft. A 55gram shaft playing to 45.75” is just too hard for me to wield. But if you can, the shaft did feel nice and had a great kick. I just hit it too high with too much spin. It is nice that Nike has .335 hosel so that a reshaft is easy for any clubmaker, the only trick is getting the right kind of ferrule adaptor. So after a few good rounds with the stock shaft I dropped in a Talamonti PD-70 at 45”. WOW! This head came to life as I now hit boring, low-spin bombs that just went straight. I was really impressed with this head once I got the right shaft in it. It still was a little loud, a slight aluminum bat sound, not ear-piercing, but the distinct sound still remains. The face angle set up dead square inspiring confidence on each swing. It is similar to the last couple SUMO models.
The matte black head again is matched with power band, now a much darker gray sliver around the back of head giving the appearance of a smaller head than the 460cc footprint. It has an alignment aid which I could do without on all of my drivers, I love a nice clean crown. The redesigned sole plate slides more weight out the corners, as it appears to have cut outs on the sole, improving MOI. The face itself is very forgiving heel to toe, but since it is not very deep vertically, it doesn't not offer much in terms of up and down forgiveness. I didn't seem to lose distance until I got far away from center. The face seemed pretty similar to past models, although I have read that the DYMO drivers now have a variable face thickness which prevents loss of ball speed, even on off center contact.
<![CDATA[<a href="http://i64.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid64.photobucket.com/albums/h171/rlheiman/100_0287.flv" target="_blank">http://i64.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid64.photobucket.com/albums/h171/rlheiman/100_0287.flv</a>]]> The new DYMO 3wood also follows the same trends of the driver. The round is closer to the square and the square is closer to the round. The introduction of the quad keel made the DYMO just about the easiest 3 wood to hit on the market. Elevating this 3 wood off the deck was a piece of cake, and cutting through some thin rough was easy too. Off the tee the DYMO 3 wood was long and straight. I had a little more difficulty hitting a low bullet with this 3 wood, but even with the higher launch angle I didn’t lose distance. The UST Axiv 70 gram shaft on this club was just a touch soft, but felt really good and stable both off the deck or on the tee. I loved the taller face on this 3-wood compared to others on the market. I know that the thin face has its benefits, but I like a little taller face so that I don't slide right under the ball, especially helpful out of some thin rough.
The grips on both the Driver and the 3wood are the new Eaton Nike Grips similar to those on the VR irons. They are unique in their feel and have kind of dual style to them. I have read a number of people who don’t care for them, but I didn’t mind them at all. They are a rubber grip, so if you don’t like that, then a regrip might be in order. But one thing I did find is that the grips seem very durable. The driver headcover protects the clubhead and shaft well, but the shaft clip can be a bit annoying out on the course. The velcro that attaches around the head really seals the headcover around this driver. The new color added to the 2009 headcovers is DYMO red. The 3-wood headcover is your standard cover with the shaft protecting sock. This is the way all headcovers should be.
I think Nike has a solid DYMO driver and fairway wood line up for 2009, but if you really want the best, I think that STR8-Fit is the way to go. The head is the same, except for the paint is glossy instead of flat. The better shaft and ability to adjust the head open to closed and adding loft up and down is worth it. As much as I think the regular glued DYMO is a great driver, the STR8-Fit offers so much more, but if the regular glued version fits your needs, no reason to spend more for the ability to adjust the head if you don't need it.
Now all we need to do is convince Nike to make the tour prototype that TW and a few others are using at 380 cc available to the public. It might not be for everyone, but there are a few traditionalists that would like a smaller headed driver. I was impressed by Nike's 2009 SQ DYMO driver and 3-wood. The use of MOI was well done and with the right shaft, this driver is long and straight. The quad keel of the 3-wood makes it simply amazing from just about any lie.
For more information:
www.nikegolf.comRyan Heiman
Independent Golf Reviews
golfdiscussions.com
