Equipment Review:
Nickent Golf 5DX Ironwood
by Jeffrey Reed, Editor, LondonOntarioGolf.com

We recently raved about Nickent Golf's 4DX Ironwood, one of the best performing and classiest looking hybrids on the market. Move over, 4DX: there's a new hybrid in town, and its name is, Nickent's new 5DX Ironwood.

One of the problems scarring the golf industry as of late is the release of new clubs simply for marketing purposes. Listen, we know all about the importance of trumpeting your latest and greatest gear, but in Nickent's case - in particular, the 5DX Ironwood - new really is better. Here's why.

A hybrid leader amongst professional golf tours and amongst the amateur ranks, Nickent has really created a unique, top-notch hybrid in the 5DX Ironwood. Nationwide Tour and Nickent Staff golfer, Brendan Steele, sums it up perfectly when he quips, "I thought Nickent had already created the perfect, easy-to-hit hybrid but somehow they have topped themselves." According to Nickent master designer, John Hoeflich, "This is without a doubt the longest and straightest hybrid we have ever made."

The first thing I do when a new club crosses our desk is place it at the address position. Instantly, the 5DX Ironwood felt like any shot was possible. It produced a sense of confidence from the moment I gripped it - and it quickly had a grip on me at the practice tee.

An all-stainless steel hybrid, the 5DX Ironwood is bursting with innovative design features. New geometry features wings at the back of the clubhead to optimize Centre of Gravity (CG) and increase Moment of Inertia (MOI) for maximum forgiveness. Extreme perimeter weighting, including two tungsten-polymer XW inserts, and an adjustable weight plug on the sole help this club achieve an astounding MOI of 3130 - one of the few hybrids able to surpass the magic MOI mark of 3000. In fact, while the wings may not help this club fly, the XW inserts are designed to look like the back of the Ferrari F430. They reduce vibration, too. The changeable weights can be custom fitted by the manufacturer - 2g, 4g, 6g, 8g and 10g.

I tested a #3 5DX Ironwood with an 18.5º loft and 59.5º lie. In fact, this iron replacement club features nine different loft options - one club every 1.5º from 14º to 26º. The stiff 40-in. new proprietary Fujikura shaft with special Graffiti design, mid-kick, is most certainly a powerful engine for this Ferrari of forgiving hybrids. R-Light, Regular, and Extra Stiff options are available, too. I really like the sound of the ball at impact: an advanced A-Frame face offers high COR for increased ball speed with improved sound. The high-tech face is thicker in the middle, thinner at the edges, for a more constant ball speed.

We all know by now that a hybrid is the most versatile club in the bag, and the 5DX Ironwood's cambered sole adds more ease of use with a cambered sole which will cut through ruff like a hot knife through butter. A bevelled leading edge makes this club ideal off the tee or off the fairway.

Carrying a MSRP of $199 US, the Nickent Golf 5DX Ironwood is one of the very best hybrids we have tested to-date. I can't wait to let it fly outdoors this spring.

For more information on all of Nickent Golf's offerings, visit http://nickentgolf.com.