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Here I’ll be fully reviewing the Nike Vapor Fly Pro irons.
Labelled “better workability” by Nike, the Vapor Fly Pro iron is designed with a low, deep center of gravity and a flexible NexCOR face for faster ball speeds and higher launch. Many say it’s an overall better iron than its sibling, the Vapor Fly.
So, what does this model have to offer? Is it worth it? Where does it shine and where does it lack?
Read on to find out what you need to know.
Note: Unless otherwise stated, stock shafts and stock grips are used when evaluating this club. In most cases, the golf clubs reviewed on Golfstead are acquired temporarily for testing purposes and are not purchased. The review that follows is based on the personal experience and research of the author. Because everyone’s swing and body are different, results with a particular club may differ from person to person.
Quick Verdict
Rating: 4.6/5 (Great)
Classification: Better-Player (with game-improvement characteristics)
Pros
- versatile
- excellent accuracy and distance control
- light weight of shaft and high launch can really help slower swingers see good results
- very workable
- many absolutely love how it sets up behind the ball
Cons
- the black finish is not for everyone and can wear quickly
- left-handed version not available off the rack
- long iron feel is a little questionable
- ball speed forgiveness isn’t the greatest
Who is this iron best suited for?
Low-to-mid handicappers who want workability and accuracy and need a little help getting the ball airborne.
Regardless of the kind of golfer you are, the best way to figure out if the Vapor Fly Pro irons will work for you is to try them.
Best Places To Buy Online
Because of the age of the Vapor Fly Pro, and also because Nike stopped making golf clubs, it can be quite difficult to find these irons.
Right now, the best place to get Vapor Fly Pro irons at very cheap prices is definitely eBay. If you look through the listings, you should find something that you like.
What are the reviews like?
The Vapor Fly Pro iron has a very positive reception overall: an average of 5/5 on Global Golf, 5/5 on the Nike website and positive verdicts from professional golfers and other critics.
The general consensus with this model is that it can be an absolute gem for some players (often mid and low handicaps) but be not so great for others (high handicaps, etc.).
What People Like
- all-around versatility
- precise accuracy (great distance control, etc.)
- good thin/fat/slice/hook forgiveness
- slim, slender head profile
What People Don’t Like
- golfers who can’t hit in the center of the face consistently tend to struggle with the Vapor Fly Pro, which doesn’t handle heel and toe strikes too well
- the quick-wearing black finish isn’t loved by everyone
What are the features?
The Vapor Fly Pro iron is engineered with lower, deeper weighting and a flexible NexCOR face for a higher trajectory, more ball speed and more distance.
The face is reinforced with a Flybeam chassis for support, stability and more consistent ball speeds.
Modern Muscle geometry moves the center of gravity to within 1mm of the center of the face for additional stability and a pure feel.
The long irons (4 and 5) feature a hollow cavity intended to enhance forgiveness, the mid irons (6, 7, 8) have a pocket cavity with a RZN insert intended to improve stability and feel, and the short irons (9, PW) feature a muscle RZN cavity designed to improve stability and enable precise shot-making.
The professional profiles of the Vapor Fly Pro contribute to added workability.
Stock Info
The Vapor Fly Pro iron comes stock with the True Temper XP 95 steel shaft and Golf Pride Z-Grip black/blue grip. Other shafts are available through custom fitting for those not satisfied with the stock options.
Below is a table of the pre-built iron specs for anyone interested:
| Name | Loft | Length | Bounce | Lie Angle | Offset | Swing Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 17° | 40.25" | 2° | 59° | 4.3mm | D2.5 |
| 3 | 19° | 39.75" | 2° | 59° | 4.3mm | D2.5 |
| 4 | 21° | 39.25" | 3° | 60° | 4.3mm | D2.5 |
| 5 | 24° | 38.75" | 4° | 61° | 4mm | D2.5 |
| 6 | 28° | 38.25" | 5° | 62° | 3.6mm | D2.5 |
| 7 | 32° | 37.75" | 6° | 62.5° | 3.3mm | D2.5 |
| 8 | 36° | 37.25" | 7° | 63° | 2.9mm | D2.5 |
| 9 | 40° | 36.75" | 8° | 63.5° | 2.6mm | D2.5 |
| PW | 44° | 36.50" | 9° | 64° | 2.2mm | D2.5 |
| AW | 49° | 36.25" | 8.5° | 64° | 1.7mm | D2.5 |
How do the irons perform?
Distance/Distance Control
I’ll be honest: from what I’ve seen, these aren’t the longest irons by any means.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing though, and I’d even say it’s expected considering this model leans towards the better-player side and isn’t being marketed as a distance iron.
Distance is typically most important off the tee when you have a driver or wood in hand, but when it comes to irons, accuracy and a high trajectory are almost always what gives you results. After all, with irons, more distance can be achieved by simply moving down to a lower number.
With that being said, the Vapor Fly Pro irons excel in distance control among other things; numbers are easily repeatable and less-than-full shots are easy to pull off successfully. Nothing to complain about here.
Forgiveness
Forgiveness is a little above-average in terms of what you would expect from a players iron.
While off-center strikes will see a noticeable loss in distance, the Vapor Fly Pro does a good job of maintaining a high trajectory across the face and straightening out poor shots.
Still, those looking for maximum forgiveness should probably look elsewhere.
Playability/Workability
Typical ball flights with the Vapor Fly Pro are medium-high and straight, but this is highly controllable. Shots can be pretty easily shaped by competent players.
Playability is top-notch; the lighter shaft makes long irons a breeze to hit, and the sole handles all different types of lies very well.
This iron can certainly be counted on to deliver in tough situations.
What about look, sound & feel?
The Look
The completely black finish of the Vapor Fly Pro iron is fairly polarizing; most people either love it or don’t like it at all.
Just like the rest of the Vapor family, Nike kept the visuals on the back simple with a prominent blue swoosh, some labeling on the hosel and a blue-lined depression behind a Flybeam bar.
Colour aside, there’s almost no offset, the top line is reasonably thin and the sole is reasonably narrow.
All in all, it’s a sleek, compact profile that looks terrific behind the ball.
The Sound & Feel
The Vapor Fly Pro feels relatively light with the stock XP 95 shaft, making it easy for some golfers to add a bit of clubhead speed through the ball.
Feel and sound can be described as similar to a rubber mallet: a springy, muted “snap” at impact with balanced feel throughout the swing.
The hollow-cavity longer irons feel a bit hollow and “tinny” but the feel becomes progressively more solid and sharp as you move up the numbers.
Hit feedback is clear and informative, but during my testing, the feel of moderate mis-hits was a little harsher than I would have liked.
For the most part, the Vapor Fly Pro feels like a hybrid between a traditional style and game-improvement style of iron.
Where should you buy these irons online?
It was once very difficult to find prices lower than the price set by the manufacturer for these irons.
But these days, you can find some pretty amazing bargains, even for Vapor Fly Pro irons in excellent condition.
The best place to look is definitely eBay. You can often find full sets there for under $450! Have a look.
Conclusion
The Vapor Fly Pro iron is one of the top performers on the market, even years later.
When you combine flexible workability, accuracy, premium look/sound/feel and decent forgiveness in a cool-looking slender profile, you get an iron that every low or mid handicapper should try.
Even if you’re a high-handicapper or a pro, you’ll never know if the Vapor Fly Pro is just what you need until you try it.
Have any thoughts or opinions about the Vapor Fly Pro irons? Don’t hesitate to drop a comment below!
Im in the market for some new irons right now so it was great to read this review on the Nike Vapor. I dont know if i like the black finish. I have had ‘matt’ finish clubs before and they scuff up real fast, but like you say, you either love it or hate it. I have heard that the hollow shafts can resonate a tingy sound, but not sure if you can get around that now as most shafts are like that. thanks for the review
Glad you like the review James. I do generally like matte finishes myself but in the case of golf clubs it’s a little less clear cut. I pretty much just take whatever my chosen model gives me. I’m not sure what you mean by the hollow shafts; if there’s something you don’t like about the stock you can always look at custom options.
Hello Paul. You’ve stated that this is better than than the Vapor Fly. I got one question to ask. How much better is the Vapor Fly Pro in terms of performance?
Well, I actually didn’t say that it’s better than the Vapor Fly; I just said that many people feel it is, meaning some people think that the Vapor Fly Pro offers better value and offers most of what the Vapor Fly offers without the bulk. In terms of performance, the Vapor Fly Pro is quite a bit more workable and has a slimmer head, but the Vapor Fly tends to be a little longer and more forgiving. Hope this helps.
Paul, would you have any comment on how Vapor fly compares with Vapor Speed?
Are you referring to the regular Fly or the Fly Pro? Both are intended to replace the older Vapor Speed line and cover the mid to high handicap range with high launch and forgiveness. They are very similar to one another (same lofts for example) but obviously some changes/improvements have been made moving from the Speed to the Fly. Was there anything specific you wanted to know? In addition to this review, you can check out my full reviews of the other two models (Speed, Fly) to compare features if you’d like.