Chances are you may have been using a Nippon shaft without even realizing it, because this highly popular company builds the stock shafts for most Callaway, Cobra, Titleist, TaylorMade, and Tour Edge golf clubs. Companies such as Cleveland, Mizuno, Nike, Srixon, Bridgestone Golf, and Ping will also allow their clubs be ordered with custom Nippon shafts instead of the stock shafts they provide.
How Nippon Shaft Got Started
The company began in Japan in 1939 by selling auto springs. Twenty years later, they launched the Nippon golf shaft product line. Over the next forty years, sales skyrocketed in Japan and production was more than doubled. Today, these shafts are advertised as a sophisticated, high-end product.
In 2005, Nippon crossed over into North American markets. During that same year, the company introduced the NS Pro Steel, the most lightweight steel shaft ever to appear on the market at that time.
Currently, Nippon is the second leading brand of golf shafts in North America, and it is the top selling shaft in Asia. Many tour professionals play this shaft, and Nippon has seen many championship wins over the past few years, including the second-straight victory on the Champions Tour.
Nippon Steel & Graphite Shafts
Nippon makes both steel and graphite golf shafts, but they are best known for their steel shafts, such as the NS Pro 1150 and the NS Pro WV 115. In either case, comparing shafts on the Nippon website is like looking at a scientific chart. Nippon shows the results of their product testing by balance point, torque, kick point, as well as a plethora of measurements.
Their steel shaft have been engineered to have the pliability of graphite with the expected stability associated with steel. Additionally, each shaft has the same weight in its set, whether it’s a 3-wood or a fairway driver. Coaches and professional players prefer this build and call it “constant weighting.” Using the same weight every time helps tremendously with swing training.
The graphite shafts are recommended for a wider range of golfers, including players with higher handicaps and slow swing speeds. Each shaft is meticulously constructed for maximum distance.
Which shaft is better? Nippon says their steel shafts are best used for irons, hybrids, and fairway woods, while the graphite shafts excel when attached to large 460cc clubheads.
Buying a golf club without understanding the shaft is like buying a car without understanding the engine. The shaft is the most important part of the golf club, and lucky for us, they come in all different shapes, weights, and sizes. If you just learned to drive but ...
Light and heavy are the two words I would use to describe the elements that make this Nippon NS Pro 1150 GH Tour Iron Shaft a popular choice. This may sound contradictory, but let me explain.
Light: I would classify this shaft in the semi-lightweight steel shaft department. Nippon achieves ...
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