Nippon Shaft’s N.S. Pro 950GH and N.S. Pro 1050 Selected for New Bridgestone GC.OS and GC.MID Iron Series Will Be Available in Green Grass and Retail Outlets In September
SCHAUMBURG, Illinois (September 6, 2006) – Nippon Shaft has been selected as the stock steel shaft for Bridgestone Golf’s new Gravity Chamber iron series, which will be available this month in green grass and off-course golf retailers, company officials announced today.
Nippon Shaft’s revolutionary and highly popular N.S. Pro 950GH, which weighs just 95 grams and is constant-weighted in irons 3-through-sand wedge, will be the stock steel shaft in Bridgestone Golf’s GC.OS irons, according to Hiroyuki Fukuda, head of Nippon Shaft USA’s office, located in suburban Chicago. The 950GH will help promote a higher ball flight and increased club head speed in the GC.OS irons, Fukuda said.
Nippon Shaft’s slightly firmer N.S. Pro 1050GH iron, which weighs 105 grams, will be the stock steel shaft in Bridgestone Golf’s GC.MID irons 2-through-pitching wedge. The GC.MID will accommodate players who seek a slightly lower shot trajectory, Fukuda said. This is the first time the 1050GH has been designated as a stock shaft, he added.
"Nippon Shaft is thrilled that Bridgestone Golf has chosen to stock our products in its new Gravity Chamber iron series," Fukuda said. "Bridgestone Golf is highly respected throughout the golf industry as a very high-quality equipment manufacturer. Nippon Shaft places a very high value on its association with Bridgestone Golf."
Both the 950GH and 1050GH lightweight Nippon Shaft products give golfers the pliability and club head speed associated with graphite shafts while providing the stability and accuracy characteristic of traditional heavier-weight steel shafts (125 grams).
The Gravity Chamber iron series will be available this month in green grass and off-course golf retailers, according to Mike Moxsie, golf club marketing manager for Bridgestone Golf.
"We chose Nippon Shaft as the stock steel shaft for the Gravity Chamber series irons for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the tremendous performance they offer to our customers," Moxie said. "Nippon Shaft is steadily growing its presence in the industry and the company’s reputation for top quality product has helped cement its place in the market. We are pleased to have the opportunity to work with a company whose emphasis on technology is on par with our own."
Introduced in 1999, the N.S. Pro 950GH was the first sub-100 gram steel shaft that maintained the consistency of traditional steel shafts yet offered the higher swing speeds associated with lighter-weight graphite shafts. Today, more than 100 touring pros worldwide utilize the 950GH and other permutations of the company’s lightweight steel shafts in their irons and hybrid clubs because they deliver the combination of increased swing speed along with consistency of ball flight and direction.
"Before the N.S. Pro 950, there was not a consistently-made, sub-100-gram steel shaft on the market," Fukuda said. At the time, he said, the lightest steel shaft on the market with acceptable consistency weighed 115 grams.
In addition, all Nippon Shaft steel shafts are "constant weighted." This means that every iron in a player’s bag weighs the same whether it be a 3-iron or a pitching wedge. The irons also are available in either parallel or taper tips, which is unique in the industry.
"Constant weighting is a Nippon Shaft specialty," Fukuda said. "It doesn’t make sense to have a 3-iron that weighs more than your pitching wedge. The pros want a constant weight throughout their set for consistency. The concept not only works for pros but for higher handicappers, too."
Known for its unparalleled quality and exacting manufacturing standards, Nippon Shaft is the largest-selling golf shaft in Asia, with more than 80 percent of the market. In North America, Nippon Shaft is the second most popular – and fastest growing – lightweight steel shaft company.
Contact:
Barry Cronin
Cronin Communications, Inc.
847-698-1801
847-867-3032 (mobile)
