Why Nippon Iron Shafts (950gh, 8950, 850) are so popular on LPGA tour?

golfer55082 · May 5, 2018

And why not other steel shaft brands of similar weight and profile? Why not graphite shafts like Steelfiber i80, i95 or UST recoil? Anyone has direct knowledge on this?

Shilgy · May 5, 2018

I know this sounds sarcastic but it's not.

Because it works better for them? Most/all of these players, at the very least, get the clubs and fitment for free. So I'm quite sure they have tried the shafts you mention and find the steel to be better for their game

Argonne69 · May 5, 2018

The Nippon shafts are very high launching, while stills providing feel. With lower swing speeds they really help get the ball in the air.

I've played the 950GH shaft for years.

Rosales · May 5, 2018

Japanese influence

golfer55082 · May 5, 2018

I know this sounds sarcastic but it's not.

Because it works better for them? Most/all of these players, at the very least, get the clubs and fitment for free. So I'm quite sure they have tried the shafts you mention and find the steel to be better for their game

The real question is “why does Nippon shaft work better and provide better results for more LPGA players than other shafts mentioned above? Can we infer that Nippon will work better for the MAJORITY of us who have similar swing speed i.e. 90 - 100 mph?”

farmer · May 5, 2018

They are also very smooth, not harsh feeling at all.

Argonne69 · May 5, 2018

It's the profile of the shaft. It's good if a player has a smooth transition. A lot of the LPGA players have extremely smooth transitions. If you're very quick, it's probably not a good fit.

Quasimoto · May 6, 2018

I have 2 different series of Nippons - Pro V90 in irons, and Pro Modus in the wedges.

Best steel shafts I have ever hit..

Divot License · May 10, 2018

My wife went for an Iron fitting last year and it came down to a choice of Nippon Modus 3 or Project X shafts. Out of everything she tried steel worked best for her, ultimately she decided on the Modus 3 simply because they "felt" nicer than the Project X since numbers where near identical.

bladehunter · May 10, 2018

Japanese influence

I play Nippon myself... But this ^^ is the reason the lpga sees more use than other tours.. They also will see more JDM clubs than other tours... Much more Graphite design graphite shafts too.

Its regional , or nationalist bias ...which in my book is fine.. But that is frowned upon depending on where you are from .

lowheel · May 18, 2018

And why not other steel shaft brands of similar weight and profile? Why not graphite shafts like Steelfiber i80, i95 or UST recoil? Anyone has direct knowledge on this?

Lighter and easier to load and launch but very fragile.

jballoregon · June 10, 2018

I'm coming out of Callaway Apex and Apex Pro CF16's with Recoil 110's Stiff, into Srixion z765's with Nippon 950gh's (similar lofted heads). My driver swing speed is 96-98'ish. The Srixion's are playing in the D2 range. What I can positively say is the Srixion's with the Nippon's are launching lower. The Recoil's were much higher with the Apex combo set, and I would guess more spin. The Srixion build feels heavier, but I know its really the swing weight that is impacting that "feel" element. I was seeking less dispersion, that is why I left the Recoil family. I also LOVE the 765 sole. You really don't know how much you protect against a heavy shot until you get into the right sole / turf interaction iron head. The 765's "feel" like I can lean on them and I still get in and out of the ground with ease. I really liked the Recoils, but I think the 950's feel stiffer, heaver, but with equal ball speeds.