The new N.S. Pro MODUS3 Tour 120 is the first new shaft to come to market since Nippon Shaft began researching the needs of top PGA touring pros over the last 16 months, according to Hiroyuki Fukuda, head of sales and marketing for Nippon Shaft. Company representatives traveled regularly with the PGA TOUR starting in July 2009, talking with players, allowing them to sample prototypes, and refining the shafts to fit their unique requirements.
"We are excited to introduce the N.S. Pro MODUS3 Tour 120, the first in a series of steel shafts designed specifically for the needs of PGA touring pros and low handicap golfers," Fukuda said. "For the last 16 months, Nippon Shaft representatives have traveled week-to-week with the PGA TOUR. During that time many of the world's elite players have provided us with valuable feedback and unique insight into their specific equipment needs. The N.S. Pro MODUS3 Tour 120 is the initial product to result from this exhaustive research and development process."
The shafts will be available to the public in mid-December through Nippon Shaft's dedicated clubfitter network Shaftology and through the custom club departments of top club manufacturers, such as Nike Golf.
A number of PGA touring pros - including former Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup team members - have been playing prototype versions of the MODUS3 shafts in PGA tournaments this year. The Tour 120 model weighs between 114 and 126 grams and comes in S, X, and Tour X flex options. Other models still in the testing phase weigh as little as 106 grams and as many as 139 grams - but all meet the requirements of top players.
The N.S. Pro MODUS3 series shafts are popular with touring pros because they offer optimal performance in the three key are:
Desired trajectory, which comes as a result of the unique shaft structure;
2. Accurate distances, thanks to the shaft's unique raw steel material and accompanying heat treatment;
3. Tight dispersion, which comes from the exacting tolerances of the highest quality level.
Nippon Shaft made its reputation in the late 1990s by developing the first high quality lightweight steel shaft. The revolutionary N.S. Pro 950GH became the industry's first sub-100 gram steel shaft, combining the stability and consistency of heavier shafts with extremely light weight. Soon, Nippon Shaft grew to be the No. 1-selling shaft in Asia, controlling 80 percent of the market, and No. 2 in North America. Along the way, Nippon Shaft recorded more than 100 pro tour victories worldwide and became the dominant shaft on the LPGA Tour.
Nippon Shaft manufactures all of its steel and graphite shafts in a state-of-the-art factory at its headquarters in Yokohama, Japan. The company's integrated production lines are strictly monitored and controlled with thorough checks conducted responsibly through the entire production process, Fukuda said. As a result, Nippon Shaft is able to control high product quality - from material selection to final testing.
"Nippon Shaft is committed to manufacturing the world's best shafts for the world's most elite players, as well as for avid amateurs and casual golfers," Fukuda said. "We are pleased and excited that the professionals who have been using our products have been performing so well."
Nippon Shaft is a privately held subsidiary of NHK Spring Co. LTD, a Japanese automobile parts manufacturer. Nippon Shaft's North American headquarters is in Schaumburg, Illinois.
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