Nippon Modus3 shafts have been making subtle inroads into both amateur and professional players bags.
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UPDATE October, 2020: Modus Posts its 16th Tour win in 2020.
With his first victory since the 2017 Masters, Sergio Garcia pulled ahead on the last hole for a victory at the Sanderson Farms PGA tournament. Sergio has been a long time Nippon Modus 3 Tour user.
Background - Nippon
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.
Modus 3 Line
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. The Modus3 Tour130 has a very stiff butt and mid section with a softer tip section. This allows stronger players to keep the consistency and dispersion of their iron shots tight while getting better height for perfect performance on approach shots. We have tested this shaft with some of our strongest 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 go to our online clubfitting and clubbuilding site, www.truefitclubs.com. Specifically, check out our reshaft process here.
Get a FREE online fitting now to see which Nippon shaft best fits your swing.
Dan Sueltz
