Nippon Modus 120 Shaft Review - Specs, Flex, Weight

Nippon Modus 120 Shaft Review – Specs, Flex, Weight

The Nippon Modus 120 shafts can be seen in the bags of PGA Tour Pros.

This has prompted a lot of amateur players to also give these shafts a try.

While Nippon isn’t exactly as well known as, say, True Temper, in the American shaft market, it’s clear that the Nippon Modus 120 has made an impact stateside.

But why? What makes these shafts so special? We wanted to find out so we fit the Nippon Modus 120 shafts on our irons and went out to the course.

Some of our testers had some experience with other Nippon shafts; but it should be noted that none of us actually use Nippon shafts on our gamers.

So this was going to be a very interesting testing session. Read on to learn what we discovered about the Nippon Modus 120 shaft.

Nippon Modus 120 Overview

The Nippon Modus 120 sort of carry on the torch from the successful NS Pro series.

The Nippon Modus 120 are the successors to the NS Pro shafts and have some of the same design elements.

For instance, the Nippon Modus 120 shafts have a softer mid section while the tip section is made to be extra rigid.

From our testing, we could feel this design feature in effect. It was especially noticeable in the short irons where we noted more control and higher MOI in the club head.

Basically, the stiff tip gives you more control over the actual club head. This also enhances feel and feedback to a moderate degree.

The softer mid section also makes these irons playable for a wide variety of players because it offers a smoother feel and proper kick whether you are an aggressive or deliberate tempo swinger.

Why is the Nippon Modus 120 So Popular?

After testing this shaft, we would have to say that the Nippon Modus 120 shafts are popular because of the effortlessly strong trajectory.

There is not a lot of superfluous spin or uncontrollable launch with these irons.

They help you produce the low, piercing trajectory that you would prefer as a lower handicap player.

But the soft midsection makes these shafts accessible to mid handicappers as well.

This feature gives these shafts a smooth feel even if you have a swing speed under 85 MPH.

How Does the Nippon Modus 120 Perform?

Our testers said more than once that these shafts feel really smooth from backswing to follow through; but especially at impact.

We attributed this to the reduced rigidity in the butts of these shafts.

As a 120 gram shaft though, you naturally lose out on shot dispersion.

Our only real gripe with these shafts was that the shot dispersion wasn’t as tight as we would have liked. Consistency suffered a little bit too.

Nippon Modus 120 Shaft Specs Table

Specs	Nippon Modus 120
Weight	120 grams
Available flexes	Extra stiff
Length	37” to 41”
Butt	.600”
Tip	.355”

What Flexes Are Available? What Swing Speeds Do They Suit?

If you are talking about the Nippon Modus 120 specifically, then your only option is extra stiff flex.

And you will need a swing speed above 95 MPH to get any kind of distance out of them.

However, the Nippon Modus series comes in lighter weights and other flexes: regular, stiff and tour extra stiff.

What Weights Are Available? What Swing Speeds Do They Suit?

Again, we tested the Nippon Modus 120 which, as the name suggests, is 120 grams.

While this isn’t the heaviest steel shaft on the market, you will still need a fast swing speed to unlock the distance potential: somewhere in the range of 95+ MPH.

Why is it So Good?

The answer to this question is surely subjective.

So for us, the Nippon Modus 120 was good because it allowed for acute short game control.

It was also producing impressive distance in the long irons for our fast swing speed testers.

Nippon Modus 120 First Impressions

Our first impression of the Nippon Modus 120 shaft was that it felt incredibly smooth when you pure the ball.

In fact, it was too smooth at times. Sometimes, mis-hits actually felt more accurate than they actually were because of the advanced variable rigidity in this shaft.

Key Features & Performance

The Nippon Modus 120 shafts have a rigid tip, softer mid section and a soft butt area.

They also feature raw steel construction and undergo an advanced heat treatment. This gives them a smooth feel and makes for low, controlled launch. Side spin is also kept low.

Nippon Modus 120 Wedges Review

The Nippon Modus 120 shafts offer the player great control and accuracy with the wedges and scoring irons. Launch and spin were a little underwhelming though.

Nippon Modus 120 Irons Review

Faster swing speed players will be able to improve their distance in the long irons with this shaft. The feedback is also fantastic as you work down to the shorter irons.

Nippon Modus 120 Driver Review

The Nippon Modus 120 will surely not feel comfortable or offer tight enough shot dispersion to be viable in the box.

Nippon Modus 120 Pros & Cons

Pros:

Raw steel construction
Very smooth feel
Very well-balanced
Great for fast swing speed players
Good for mid and low handicappers

Cons:

Not great for moderate or slow swing speed players
Spin was a little too low in the scoring irons

Nippon Modus 120 Shaft

Check Out More Reviews Here:

Who Should Buy it?

Nippon Modus 120 Shaft1

First and foremost, if you are looking for a shaft for your irons that will flatten out your trajectory and give you more distance that way, you simply must get fitted for the Nippon Modus 120 shafts.

That is by far the best thing about them besides the silky smooth feel they offer.

Better players will love the low and fast trajectory that these shafts produce almost effortlessly.

For those reasons, we would recommend the Nippon Modus 120 shaft for players with a handicap of 15 and under. They also work well for swing speeds in the 90+ MPH range.