Nippon MODUS3 Shafts Review Updated July, 2018

345_2011_nippon_vertNippon Modus3 shafts have been making subtle inroads into both amateur and professional players bags.

See which Nippon Shaft is right for you.   Book your Fitting here…

UPDATE July, 2018:   Modus Posts it 15th Tour win in 2018.

Nippon Shafts win TWO Senior Major Championships!

VJ Singh used the Modus3 Tour 105 shafts in his victory at the Constellation Senior Players Championship.  VJ is ever the tinkerer with his equipment but since going to lighter shafts in his irons, his game has improved significantly.

And, in the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open, Laura Davies ran away from the field for her first win in seven years.  Playing Nippon N.S. Pro 950 GH steel shafts in her irons, she was consistently close to the pin in every round!

UPDATE April, 2018:  Every Model of the Modus3 made a Top 5 finish February 4, 2018!  2nd Place (Tour 120X), T3 (Tour 120 TX), and T5 (Tour 130 X) at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, and 3 T5 finishers in Malaysia (Tour 105 X, Tour 125 X, and Proto X).  And, Andrew Landry played the Modus3 Tour 105X in his Ping iBlade 3-PW to claim victory at the  2018Texas Valero Open.

The Nippon History

Nippon, a Japanese shaft manufacturer, has been making high quality steel iron shafts for years.  Perhaps its most popular iron in the United States is the N.S. Pro 950 GH.  This is a roughly 95 gram shaft with a mid-high launch and mid-high spin.  This is the dominant shaft on the LPGA tour.  We have used this shaft and its lighter (N.S. Pro 850 GH) and heavier (N.S. Pro 1050 GH) companion shafts quite a bit over the years.  These shafts have been designed for golfers with medium swing speeds and smooth shaft load.  These shafts have helped most players get the ball in the air.

Several years ago, Nippon introduced their Modus3 line of steel shafts.  These shafts were tested at length on the Tours with the thought that these shafts needed to handle the higher speed golfer’s swings while maintaining a desired ball flight and spin.  The four models of the Modus line are the Modus3 TOUR105, Modus3 TOUR120, Modus3 TOUR125 and Modus3 TOUR130.  The numbers roughly correspond to their respective grams weights.  All of these shafts were designed by Nippon for a mid ball flight but each of them will give a different pattern as to how that mid flight is achieved.

In our testing, these shafts definitely have their own personality depending upon what the golfer likes for feel.  The Modus3 TOUR120 will have a little more feel of the shaft unloading at impact and is designed for a golfer with a medium tempo and a mid release.  Our testers that liked the feel of a shaft “releasing” at impact liked this shaft.

While the Modus3 TOUR105 and the Modus3 TOUR125 have very similar shaft bend profiles, these shafts really perform well for players that like the feel of a stiffer tip section.  Our testers were either drawn to the 105 or the 125 depending upon the ideal weight from their fitting recommendations.  These two shaft models give the feeling of a shaft that is an extension of their arm with solid feel at impact.  The 105 will play a little soft to its designated flex so the S will play mid R.  The 125 is much more true to designated flex.

The Modus3 TOUR130 is a completely different animal, in our opinion.  Sergio plays this shaft and gets great performance from it due to his strong swing and late release.  Our testers did not fit this profile so their results were less impressive, i.e. lower ball flight than expected because they could not load the shaft properly to get the most out of this shaft, even at their recommended fitting flex.  We have tested this shaft with some of our stronger players in the past and achieved great results.

So, bottom line is that these shafts have great quality and truly are consistently a mid ball flight, mid spin shaft.  The Modus3 TOUR 105 is a great new light weight option that will give lower launch than the N.S. Pro 1050 GH and can handle stronger players.  Be sure to test these shafts at a qualified clubfitter that offers multiple options in terms of flex, length and model.  You will certainly be able to find a Modus3 TOUR model that fits your swing.

And, if you are ready to reshaft your existing irons with these exciting shafts, you can either contact us at [email protected] or go to our online clubfitting and clubbuilding site, www.truefitclubs.com.  Specifically, check out our reshaft process here.  

See which Nippon Shaft is right for you.   Book your Fitting here…

Dan Sueltz