Nippon massively grow their shaft usage on tour

Until a few short years ago, Nippon was perceived as a shaft manufacturer for the game inprovement market, with lightweight shafts targetted towards the average golfer. However, since the introduction of the Modus line, this brand perception has been blown away. The Japanese shafts are known for their incredible consistency and feel, and their usage on tour has grown massively in 2017 including a major victory at The Masters.

The use of Nippon Shaft products increased by 42% on the men’s PGA and European tours in the 2017 season, with the company recording 27 victories worldwide.

During the 2017 season, 195 players on the PGA and European tours played steel shafts manufactured by Nippon Shaft in their irons and/or wedges, compared with 137 the season before, an increase of 58 players, according to company officials.

In addition, Nippon Shaft added a travelling tour representative to the Web.com Tour, resulting in over 40 players using the shafts on the U.S. developmental tour, up from just 10 a year earlier.

The company is the second-most used shaft brand worldwide in major tournament golf.

“As top players learn about the high quality of Nippon Shaft and test our products, more and more of them every day are switching to our brand,” said Hiro Fukuda, Sales and Marketing for the Japan-based company.

“We are very proud that the best players in the world increasingly are utilising Nippon Shaft as the way to help them get the best out of their games,” continued Fukuda.

The company recorded seven victories on the PGA TOUR in the 2016-17 season; four on the European Tour and PGA TOUR Champions, and seven on the Japan Tour.

PGA TOUR VICTORIES

Shriners Hospital for Children (Las Vegas)

Arnold Palmer Invitational

The Masters

Dean & DeLuca (Colonial)

John Deere

Wyndham

BMW

EUROPEAN TOUR VICTORIES

Omega (Dubai)

Shenzen International

Lyoness Open

Andalucia Masters

On the LPGA Tour, Nippon Shaft had another dominant year, winning more than half of the tour’s 31 events, including four women’s major titles.

The LPGA Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year also used Nippon Shaft steels shafts, as well as eleven Solheim Cup contestants.

The dominant shaft on the LPGA Tour continued to be the N.S. PRO 950GH, while some 15 players utilised the newer MODUS3 family of shafts.

Nippon Shaft currently has more than 200 players on global tours utilising steel shafts created by the Japan-based golf shaft manufacturer.

Nippon Shaft products are available globally either as stock or custom shafts in many of the world’s top iron brands. In addition, Nippon Shaft products are available through Nippon Shaft’s dedicated global club fitter network. Details of these can be found at www.nipponshaft.com.

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As an avid golfer since the age of eleven Dan lives and breathes all things golf.  With a current handicap of eleven he gets out and plays as often as his work life (and girlfriend) allows. Dan confesses to still being like a kid at Christmas when it comes to seeing the latest golf equipment. Having served as GolfPunk’s Deputy Editor, and resident golf geek for the past 13 years and working for golf's oldest brand, John Letters Dan brings to GOLF RETAILING an excellent understanding of the sector.