These are the clubs that Tiger Woods is expected to be carrying when he plays the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

DRIVER: Nike VR Pro (8.5°) with a Graphite Design Tour AD DI 6 shaft
FAIRWAY WOODS: Nike VR Pro Limited Editon (15°, 19°) with Mitsubishi Diaman Blue Board 103 shafts
IRONS: Nike Forged VR-S Forged (3), VR Pro Blades (4-PW) with True Temper Dynamic Gold X100shafts
WEDGES: Nike VR (56°), VR Pro (60°) with True Temper Dynamic Gold S400 shafts
PUTTER: Nike Method 001
BALL: Nike Tour D

See-Try-Buy: Learn more about Nike clubs and schedule your fitting with GolfTEC or Golfsmith.

DRIVER: Nike VR Pro (8.5°) with a Graphite Design Tour AD DI 6 shaft
FAIRWAY WOODS: Nike VR Pro Limited Editon (15°, 19°) with Mitsubishi Diaman Blue Board 103 shafts
IRONS: Nike Forged VR-S Forged (3), VR Pro Blades (4-PW) with True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 shafts
WEDGES: Nike VR (56°), VR Pro (60°) with True Temper Dynamic Gold S400 shafts
PUTTER: Nike Method 001
BALL: Nike Tour D

See-Try-Buy: Learn more about Nike clubs and schedule your fitting with GolfTEC or Golfsmith.

Related: Follow David Dusek on Twitter | Facebook | Google+

During practice rounds before the start of the Emirates Australian Open in Sydney this week, Tiger Woods was spotted using a yet-to-be released Nike VR-S Forged long iron. For several seasons, Woods has been using Nike Victory Red Blades (3-PW), occasionally adding a 2-iron and removing his Nike VR Pro 5-wood.

As you can see in the photo below, the VR-S Forged is a perimeter-weighted cavity back iron that has an undercut behind the face. It should help Woods hit the ball higher and land it on a more vertical trajectory, which should help Tiger stop the ball faster on the quick Australian greens.

Woods also appears to have switched to a new Nike VR Pro Limited 3-wood. On the greens in Sydney, Woods putted with a Nike Method 001 putter

Interestingly, when I was at Nike Golf's club-testing facility in Ft. Worth, Texas, last week, one of the club-builders told me that Tiger's specs (lofts, lie angles, shaft lengths, etc.) have not changed since the company started building clubs for him. Whether he was working with Hank Haney to flatten his swing plane, or Sean Foley to make it more vertical, he never adjusted his equipment.

You'll be able to learn much more about the Nike VR-S Forged irons soon in Golf Magazine's annual ClubTest Irons issue.

See-Try-Buy: Learn more about Nike clubs and schedule your fitting with GolfTEC or Golfsmith.

Related: Follow David Dusek on Twitter | Facebook | Google+

(Top Photo: David Cannon/Getty Images; Lower Photo: Torsten Blackwood/Getty Images)

Nike's Method and Method Core putters have all been classically shaped blades and mild-mannered midsize mallets. Those words can't be used to describe the new Method Core Drone, the first Nike putter to combine the company's unique face technologies with a high MOI (moment of inertia) design.

The Drone's radical shape is meant to help the club resist twisting on off-center hits so putts struck near the heel or the toe roll the same distance as a putt struck in the sweet spot. Repositioning weight far from the face and behind the heel and toe helps to make this possible and explains why so many high MOI putters look so unique.

With the Method Core Drone, Nike has shifted weight to the end of wing-like extensions that sprout from the face. The shape is reminiscent of last season's Nike Everclear E-33.

While the Drone doesn't look anything like other Nike Method Core putters at address, the Drone’s face features the same polymer groove technology. Inside the red aluminum face insert are a series of channels that have been partially filled with a polymer. According to Nike, the unfilled areas within the grooves grab the golf ball at impact and start it rolling forward more quickly. At the same time, the polymer softens impact and enhances feel.

Suzann Pettersen has won two events this season using a prototype of the Method Core Drone—the European Tour's Ladies Irish Open and the LPGA Tour's Safeway Classic. In Ireland Pettersen tweeted a photo of the putter and a message saying: “My new best friend from Nike. The Drone!”

Look for left- and right-handed 33", 34" and 35" Method Core Drone putters to arrive in pro shops starting Nov. 1 for $204. A right-handed 41" belly putter version will be available for $228.

See-Try-Buy: Learn more about Nike  clubs and schedule your fitting with GolfTEC or Golfsmith.

Related: Follow David Dusek on Twitter | Facebook

Lucas Glover put Nike's VR Pro Limited Edition Forged driver in his bag at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in August. Anthony Kim started using one at the PGA Championship, and Paul Casey also switched to the club late this season.

Soon you'll be able to try the club, as the VR Pro Limited Edition will begin popping up in pro shops starting Nov. 1.

Like the current version of the VR Pro driver (VR is short for Victory Red), the Limited features a red channel that goes around the sole of the club that allows the face to flex back slightly at impact. According to Nike, this broadens the sweet spot and helps maintain ball speed on off-center hits.

There are some notable differences between the VR Pro Limited and its predecessor:

1. It has an updated face. According to Robert Boyd, a long-term research manager for Nike Golf, the company used computer simulations to engineer the new NexCOR face was engineered to work more in conjunction with the channel. "Because of the shape of the head and the shape of the channel, the geometry on the back of the face has to actually change a little bit," he says. The NexCOR face is thinnest in the center and slightly thicker in the heel and toe areas.

2. It's not adjustable. Last season's VR Pro came with Nike's STR8-Fit system, which allows players to set the club into one of 32 different positions to change the face angle and loft. VR Pro Limited does not have STR8-Fit, so the shaft is glued into the hosel and can't be adjusted.

3. It's smaller. Last season's VR Pro has a 460 cc head, but the VR Pro Limited Edition, designed for better players who like to shape their tee shots, has a head that measures 430 cc. That's not a big difference, but it's enough to produce a lower ball flight and less spin.

The VR Pro Limited will be offered in 8.5-, 9.5- and 10.5-degree lofts and will come standard with a Mitsubishi Rayon 'ahina shaft for $419.

See-Try-Buy: Learn more about Nike  clubs and schedule your fitting with GolfTEC or Golfsmith.

Related: Follow David Dusek on Twitter | Facebook

Tiger Woods played his last competitive round of golf on May 12, but leg pain forced him to walk off TPC Sawgrass after just nine holes.

Woods returns to action this week, and he will walk onto the course at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio, wearing a prototype golf shoe inspired by Nike Free running shoes.

Nike's Free running shoes, which are extremely flexible and light, are designed to replicate running in bare feet but provide some protection and traction. According to a release from Nike, Tobie Hatfield, whose group developed the first Nike Free shoes in 2004, worked with Woods to create the shoe.

“I love the feel of Nike Free for training, so I asked Tobie if it was possible to bring that technology to the golf course," Woods said. "It’s exciting to see a conversation like that come to life, and I look forward to wearing them this week."

The prototype shoe is designed to let Tiger's forefoot move more freely, which Nike says should allow him to transfer more power from his swing into the ball. Small heel counters provide some extra lateral support for the follow through.

The upper is made from polyurethane coated with a stretch fabric that is used in some of Nike's basketball shoes. A portion of the shoe's heel comes from recycled Nike Air Max units that have been melted into thread and then woven into a textile material. The shoe's outsole is taken from Nike's Special Field Boot that was designed for first-responders at emergency sites.

There is no word from Nike on when, or if, Tiger's prototype shoe will be made available to the public.

See-Try-Buy: Learn more about Nike  clubs and schedule your fitting with GolfTEC or Golfsmith.

Related: Follow David Dusek on Twitter | Facebook

DRIVER: Nike SQ Sumo² (9.5°) with an Matrix F7 M2 shaft
FAIRWAY WOOD: Nike SQ II (13°) with Grafallow Epic shaft
IRONS: Nike VR Pro Combo (2-PW) with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue shafts
WEDGES: Nike VR (54°), VR Pro (59°) with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue shafts
PUTTER: Nike Method 003
BALL: Nike ONE Tour D

See-Try-Buy: Learn more about Nike  clubs and schedule your fitting with GolfTEC or Golfsmith.

Related: Follow David Dusek on Twitter | Facebook

(Photo by Mike Egerton/Landov Images)

By Woody Hochswender

To celebrate the British Open this week, Nike Golf developed a limited edition of its new Lunar Control golf shoes. The all-black shoes take their style cues from British dress shoes and briefcases, with tumbled leather and patent-leather accents. The herringbone tweed on the shoe collars is inspired by tailored suit fabrics; the lining was derived from polka-dot handkerchiefs. On the technical side, Nike's Lunar Control shoes are built to be exceptionally lightweight, utilizing the company's "flywire" saddle support design: ultra-thin nylon fibers wrap the midfoot and hold it in place. These shoes also have the Lunarlon heel cushioning system for softness and walkability.

The Lunar Control limited edition shoes, to be worn at Royal St. George's by Nike athletes Paul Casey, Stewart Cink, Lucas Glover, Justin Leonard, Francesco Molinari, and Charl Schwartzel -- go on sale in the United Kingdom, Europe, and the United States beginning July 13 (at nikestore.com, $190).

[Image courtesy of Nike]

Golf manufacturers make all kinds of products commemorating major tournaments, including unique shoes.

1. Adidas Golf’s U.S. Open shoe is a special edition of its Powerband 3.0 golf shoe ($140) in patriotic red, white and blue. Dustin Johnson, Jim Furyk and Kenny Perry are all slated to wear this footwear at Congressional this week.

  2. Nike’s limited edition U.S. Open shoe is a version of its new Lunar Control footwear, an extremely lightweight shoe with a “flywire” saddle -- high-tensile fibers embedded in the saddle to stabilize the midfoot ($190). They come with an American-flag embroidered shoe bag. Among those planning to wear them this week: Paul Casey, Lucas Glover, and Charl Schwartzel. (Click here is see a video shot inside Nike's Tour van at the U.S. Open.)

3. Puma Golf will dress Rickie Fowler on Sunday in a limited edition of his trademark orange Cell Fusion golf shoes, with multi-directional spikes or “smart quills” for added grip. Only 500 pairs are to be sold worldwide (200 in the U.S.). Cell Fusion golf shoes typically go for $180. Go to Facebook.com/PUMAGolf or twitter.com/Pumagolf for information on shoes and giveaways.

By Woody Hochswender, Contributing Writer, GOLF.com

I've played Nike clubs for the last seven years, since I was in school at Texas, so I'm very comfortable with them. That made the transition [to the pro game] easier for me. I can't see switching. If you've won with the clubs, why swtich? I know some people swich after they win, but some people are crazy.

The other thing I don't plan to do is swtich my caddie, Luis Sira. He's from Venezuela too. He came to the U.S. when he was 17 or 18 to go to school. He played baseball for a while; then someone introduced him to golf, and he started caddying. He's been on the tour for 25 years and has caddied for some good players. He worked with Esteban Toledo for six years and Jose Coceres for a couple of years. This is our second year together. It's been a great combination. We have a lot of fun.—Jhonattan Vegas  

DRIVER: Nike VR Pro (8.5°) with a nVentix Nunchuck X shaft
FAIRWAY WOODS: Nike VR Pro (15°, 19°) with a nVentix Nunchuck X shafts
IRONS: Nike VR Pro Blades (3-PW) with True Temper Dynamic Gold X shafts
WEDGES: Nike VR Forged (53°, 59°) with True Temper Dynamic Gold X shafts
PUTTER: Scotty Cameron for Titleist Studio Stainless Newport
BALL: Nike 20XI-x

SHOES: Nike Lunar Control

Venezuelan Flag
"I've had it in my bag since the first tournament of the year. My caddie and I keep it as a way of carrying around our Venezuelan roots. It's something fun to have just in case we need to use it."

Bracelet
"A handicapped kid in Argentina gave me this when I was playing in the Argentina Open in December. He told me that if I put this in my bag, I good things would happen, and I ended up winning the tournament. I've had it in my bag ever since."

Vitamin C Drink Mix
I try to drink a lot of water, and vitamin C is very important, especially when you are dealing with allergies and stuff like that. It also makes your system stronger."

Augusta National Pencil
"It's good to have a reminder of how hard I need to work to get back there."

Baseplate Compass
"I don't know what that is. My caddie uses it to take notes on the golf course during practice rounds."

See-Try-Buy: Learn more about Nike  clubs and schedule your fitting with GolfTEC or Golfsmith.

DRIVER: Nike SQ Sumo² (9.5°) with a Mitrix OZIK XCON F7M2 shaft
FAIRWAY WOODS: Nike SQ II (13°, 19°) with Grafallow Epic shafts
IRONS: Nike VR Pro Combo (3-PW) with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue shafts
WEDGES: Nike VR (54°), VR Pro (60°) with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue shafts
PUTTER: Nike Method 003
BALL: Nike ONE Tour D

See-Try-Buy: Learn more about Nike  clubs and schedule your fitting with GolfTEC or Golfsmith.

Related: Follow David Dusek on Twitter | Facebook

(Photo by Darren Carroll/SI)

DRIVER:  Nike Victory Red Tour (8.5°) with a Mitsubishi Diamana White Board 73x shaft
FAIRWAY WOODS:  Nike VR Pro (15°), SQ Sumo (19°) with Mitsubishi Diamana Blue Board 103g shafts
IRONS: Nike Victory Red Blades (3-PW) with True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 shafts
WEDGES:  Nike VR Pro (56°, 60°) with True Temper Dynamic Gold S400 shafts
PUTTER:  Nike Method 003
BALL:  Nike One Tour

See-Try-Buy: Learn more about Nike  clubs and schedule your fitting with GolfTEC or Golfsmith.

Related: Follow David Dusek on Twitter | Facebook

DRIVER: Nike VR Tour (8.5°) with a Rombax 7V05 shaft
FAIRWAY WOODS: Nike SQ Sumo (13°, 19°) with Mitsubishi Diamana Blue Board 83 shafts
IRONS: Nike VR Pro Blade (3-PW) with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue shafts
WEDGES: Nike VR Pro (54°,  60°) with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue shafts
PUTTER: Nike Method 004
BALL: Nike ONE Tour D

See-Try-Buy: Learn more about Nike  clubs and schedule your fitting with GolfTEC or Golfsmith.

Related: Follow David Dusek on Twitter | Facebook

More Masters coverage: Leaderboard | Photos | Video | Download Front9 app

(Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)

To commemorate this year's Masters, golf's leading shoemaker FootJoy is offering 150 pairs of limited edition MyJoys, beginning Monday. These special FJ Icons feature an exclusive dark green crocodile print produced for FootJoy tour players to wear in the Masters Tournament.

The leather can be ordered on all FJ Icons and FJ Professional (spikeless) styles, including the traditional saddle, the sport thin saddle, the asymmetrical, and the shield tip. Cost is regular price for FJ Icons ($275) and the limited edition shoes will be sold on a first come, first served basis starting April 4th at 8am (ET) on MyJoys.com. Consumers can order through the website or any shop that carries FootJoy products.

Also check out the FootJoy sweepstakes in which one pair of FJ Icons per tournament day (four pairs total) will be given away on FootJoy.com. The sweepstakes also commences Monday. Winners will be drawn on April 11th.

Nike's special edition Lunar Control shoe
Nike Golf has worked up a special edition of its new Lunar Control golf shoes—comfortable, stable, and very light weight—with green soles to celebrate the Masters. Nike pro likely to wear the shoes include Paul Casey, Stewart Cink, Anthony Kim, Francesco Molinari, Carl Pettersson, and Jhonattan Vegas.

Beginning on Thursday morning, April 7, a limited number of these special Masters Nike Lunar Control shoes will be available at regular price ($150) at nikestore.com. — Woody Hochswender

Anthony Kim is the defending champion at the Shell Houston Open, but he's returning with a lot of new clubs in his bag.

Last year Kim used a Nike Victory Red Tour driver, but this year he's switched to the company's updated model, the Nike Victory Red Pro. A Victory Red Pro hybrid takes the place of Kim's Nike SQ Dymo 5-wood, and he's decided to go with Pro Combo long irons this season; last year he carried Victory Red Blades. And finally, Kim has switched from Nike's ONE Tour ball to the soon-to-be-released 20XI-s.

Here's a complete list of the clubs Kim is using now.

DRIVER: Nike Victory Red Tour (8.5°) with a FujiKura Motore VC7 shaft
FAIRWAY WOOD: Nike Victory Red Pro (15°) with a UST Mamiya AXIV Core 89X shaft
HYBRID: Nike Victory Red Pro (18°) with a Matrix OZIK HM2 shaft
IRONS: Nike Victory Red Pro Combo (3-4), Victory Red Pro (5-PW) with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue shafts
WEDGES: Nike Victory Red Forged (54°), Nike Victory Red Pro (60°) with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue shafts
PUTTER: Nike Method 001
BALL: Nike 20XI-s

See-Try-Buy: Learn more about Nike  clubs and schedule your fitting with GolfTEC or Golfsmith.

Related: Follow David Dusek on Twitter | Facebook