VR_S Forged Irons

Components

1) Stock shaft - the Nippon N.S. Pro 950GH HT steel shaft is designed to offer a higher-than-standard trajectory and added control. The design is particularly impressive in the long irons.

2) Grip - the stock grip is the classic Nike Tour Velvet by Golf Pride. This is a grip you will see a number of tour pros using thanks to the soft feel and understated look.

Technology

3) Face design - a thin face is designed to offer a combination of added power without sacrificing feel. The X3X grooves are closer together and there are more of them to offer consistent spin in all conditions.

4) Cavity design - Nike PowerBow Technology means that weight is moved from off the face into a deep-pocket cavity to help produce a faster and higher launch and a straighter flight.

Aesthetics

5) Address view - there is a big difference between the compact address view and the depth of the cavity. You would almost think that this was a muscle-back and there is plenty of forgiveness on offer to match. This is an excellent combination for those who want a compact head, but aren't consistent enough to use a muscle-back design.

6) Shelf appeal - you can clearly see that there is added forgiveness and a wider sole than the Split Cavity design. It is clear there is plenty of technology on offer, but at the same time the high-quality finish gives an impressive overall look.

Performance

7) Flight - the shaft and head work superbly together to help produce a high flight without any loss of distance. The ball didn't balloon and flew impressive distances. There was also consistent gapping between clubs all the way up to the long irons.

8) Forgiveness - this is a fantastic all-round performer and sits right in the middle of the current irons on offer when it comes to forgiveness. Slightly missing the sweet spot will not be punished, but you won't get away with complete mishits. This should help to encourage a good strike.

9) Feel - the unusual combination of a forged face with a cavity-back produces a powerful sound and a softer feel than the non-forged VR_S iron. It is clear where you have made contact.

10) Distance control - the gaps between clubs were very consistent and the flight throughout the set was higher than average. The new face and cavity make this at least half a club longer than the split-cavity clubs they replace.