DRIVER: Nike VR Tour (8.5°) with a Graphite Design Tour AD DI 6 shaft
FAIRWAY  WOODS: Nike  VR Pro Limited Editon (15°), SQ II (19°) with Mitsubishi Diaman Blue Board 103X   shafts
IRONS: Nike VR  Pro Blades (3-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

Photos: See unique details from the pros' bags

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

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SAN FRANCISCO – Every week on the PGA Tour, manufacturers stuff the pros' lockers with things they'll need on the course. Balls, gloves, maybe a new umbrella or a hat. But at the majors, things get kicked up a few notches.

Nike presented its staff players at the U.S. Open with a special tote bag that contained a hoodie and a new pair of Nike Free running shoes.

Each golfer's hoodie was personalized with his name on the back of the left shoulder. Three stars were added to Tiger Woods's hoodie to acknowledge his three U.S. Open wins; Lucas Glover had one star. 

Woods and Glover also had their names stitched into the tongue of their shoes.

Photos: See pros' bags at Olympic

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

(Photo by David Dusek)

Tiger Woods Nike gear (David Dusek)

DRIVER: Nike VR Tour (8.5°) with a Graphite Design Tour AD DI 6 shaft
FAIRWAY WOODS: Nike VR Pro Limited Editon (15°) with Mitsubishi Diaman Blue Board 103X  shafts
IRONS: Nike VR_S Forged (2), VR Pro Blades (3-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

Photos: See pros' bags at Olympic

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

DRIVER: Nike VR Tour (8.5°) with a Graphite Design Tour AD DI 6 shaft
FAIRWAY WOODS: Nike VR Pro Limited Editon (15°), SQ II (19°) with Mitsubishi Diaman Blue Board 103X  shafts
IRONS: VR Pro Blades (3-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

Photos: See unique details from the pros' bags

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

(Photo by David Dusek)

DRIVER: Nike VR Pro STR8-FIT (11.5°) with a Mitsubishi Fubuki Alpha shaft
FAIRWAY WOOD: TaylorMade Burner (14.5°) with a Mitsubishi Fubuki Alpa 70 X shaft
HYBRIDS:  Nike VR Pro (21°) with a UST Mamiya ATTAS 85 Hyrbid shaft
IRONS: Nike VR_S Forged (4), VR Pro Combo (5-PW) with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue shafts
WEDGES: Nike VR Pro Forged (49°, 55°, 60°) with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue shafts
PUTTER: Nike Method prototype belly putter
BALL: Nike 20XI S

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

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

(Photo by David Dusek)

In the days leading up to the Masters, with tulips blooming in a White House garden and spring bathing Washington, D.C., in sunshine, President Barack Obama, like so many other golfers, couldn't resist dusting off his clubs.

Being a gear nerd, I couldn't help spending a few moments studying the equipment the most powerful man on the planet packs in his bag, which you'll notice has an embroidered presidential seal and "44" on it.

The first thing I noticed was the number of clubs in this bag. I counted 17. If you'd like to be the person who tells the commander in chief that the Rules of Golf only allow 14 clubs, be my guest.

The president also appears to be a lover of lumber, carrying not only a TaylorMade R11 driver, but also a Nike Dymo 3-wood and what appear to be three Nike SQ Sumo² hybrids.

Nike's VR Full Cavity irons are a solid choice for a mid- to high-handicap player who is looking for distance and forgiveness. It's also interesting that Obama has two putters—a Ping Redwood Anser with a black satain finish (stamped with his name on the neck) and what appears to be an Odyssey White Ice #1 —but does not appear to be carrying a sand wedge or lob wedge.

Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson and U.S. Ryder Cup captain Davis Love gave the president golf clubs last summer along with a personal invitation to the 2012 Ryder Cup in Chicago, but none of those clubs appeared to be in his bag.

When Watson received a congratulatory call from Obama on Tuesday, he asked to play basketball with the president, not golf. Maybe Obama should see if the new Masters champ is interested in a round at Augusta National instead. We hear it sets up great for lefties who play a fade.

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

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DRIVER: Nike VR Tour (8.5°) with a Graphite Design Tour AD DI 6 shaft
FAIRWAY WOODS: Nike VR Pro Limited Editon (15°), SQ (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.

(Photo by David Dusek)

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.

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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.

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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]