Nike Golf takes apparel innovation to the next level, incorporating groundbreaking technology to maximise athletic performance. As one of the leading golf apparel companies, Nike Golf prides itself on innovation with the pinnacle of relentless innovation exemplified in the Tiger Woods Collection. Woods’ passion and competitive spirit fuels Nike to create the most innovative and athletic products in the sport.
Striving to make Woods’ apparel better, Kim Kenney, Design Director for Nike Golf, looked at what the distraction points have been for him throughout his career. “For Tiger, we found that the key areas of distraction were his collar and sleeves,” Kenney said. “Tiger was typically adjusting his sleeves before he addressed the ball, moving the garment’s shoulder seam back as a way to mark his golf stance. Then, after he followed through he had to adjust and pull his sleeves back to the original position.”
To solve this problem, a continuous shoulder seam was ergonomically engineered on the back side of his polo which highlights a proprioceptive point that informs Woods he is in the desired position. In efforts to reduce distraction, the shoulder seam is constructed by ultrasonic line bonding which gives the wearer a “seamless” feel against the skin.
Additionally, an articulated Kimono style back with a posture informing chassis was designed to maximise range of motion. The back of the sleeves are not traditionally sewn onto the body of the shirt, but instead, are engineered as one continuous piece along with the back body of the polo. The design reduces limitations in the area that endures the most tension in a swing – across the back.
“I consider my apparel to be as significant as the rest of my golf equipment,” said Tiger Woods. “My test sessions with the Nike apparel team led us to construct a polo that frees my swing starting at address and continuing through impact and my follow through. The new shoulder seam construction makes for no restrictions. This allows me to swing with power, and with complete confidence.”
The TW Trajectory Polo, TW Graphic Polo, TW Stripe Polo, TW Chest Stripe Polo and the TW Modern Colourblock Polo are all styles in the 2013 Spring Tiger Woods Collection built on the posture informing chassis.
The centre back seam that is commonly found in the Tiger Woods Collection is made of ultrasonic line bonding to provide shaping to the polo. This back seam allows the polo to fit perfectly when in the address position.
To keep the athlete cool, the Tiger Woods Collection features Nike’s Dri-FIT technology, which helps move moisture away from the athlete’s skin. The 2013 collection utilises a perforated collar that allows increased airflow to the neck. This perforated collar also helps reduce the overall weight in the polo to create a lighter feel for the athlete.
While the Tiger Woods Collection comprises the most innovative technology, there are bold patterns, bright colours and design detailing in every piece. The TW Trajectory Polo and the TW Graphic Polo were designed using Woods’ launch monitor numbers to create a repeated graphic of his launch angle subtly displayed on the polos.
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