New N.S. Pro Modus3Tour 120 shaft can be tested in three flexes in several major OEM irons; Testing available at Demo Day at Orange County National and at the Equipment Test Center on the show floor
SCHAUMBURG, Illinois (January 20, 2011) – For the first time, someone other than a touring professional will be able to hit Nippon Shaft’s first PGA Tour-grade steel shaft.
Attendees at this month’s PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando will have the opportunity to test the new N.S. Pro MODUS3 Tour 120 at the Show’s huge Demo Day from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26 at Orange County National Golf Center. Testing also will be possible indoors during the show – Jan. 27-29 – at the Equipment Test Center at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.
“Nippon Shaft is very excited to offer PGA Show attendees the opportunity to test the new N.S. Pro MODUS3 Tour 120 steel shaft, which has been developed over the last year-and-a-half with input from members of the PGA TOUR,” said Hiro Fukuda, head of sales and marketing for Nippon Shaft. “These new shafts have been designed and manufactured to the most exacting standards in order to provide touring professionals and low handicap golfers with unrivaled performance.”
Nippon Shaft will be located at Tee Ground No. 6 on Wednesday the 26th at Orange County National. The shafts may be tested in three different flexes – Stiff, X, and TourX – in irons provided by such major OEMs as Titleist, Cobra, Ping, Nike, and Callaway, among others. In addition, Nippon Shaft will be at Booth #621 on the Show Floor.
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 18 months, according to Fukuda. 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 the players’ unique requirements. A number of players used the shafts in competition last season.
“By traveling with the PGA TOUR, Nippon Shaft gained insight into the equipment preferences of many of the world’s elite players,” Fukuda said. “The N.S. Pro MODUS3 Tour 120 is the initial product to result from this exhaustive research and development process.”
For the first time, consumers may purchase the shafts directly from major golf retailers, such as GolfSmith and The GolfWorks.
As always, the shafts are available through Shaftology – Nippon Shaft’s dedicated clubfitter network – and through the custom club departments of top club manufacturers.
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 areas:
1. 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.
Contact:
Barry Cronin
Cronin Communications, Inc.
847-698-1801 (office)
847-867-3032 (mobile)
bcronin@cronincommunications.com