Nippon Modus 130 Shaft Review - Specs, Flex, Weight

Nippon Modus 130 Shaft Review – Specs, Flex, Weight

When you want more accuracy in your irons, Nippon is almost a no-brainer.

Nippon is not only a common shaft on the Asian tour; the company is building a solid reputation stateside as well.

One shaft that is winning over PGA Tour pros is the Nippon Modus 130. The Nippon Modus 130 brings a very unique bend profile to a steel shaft so we were very eager to see what kind of performance we got from it. Frankly, we didn’t know what to expect especially since most of us have very limited experience with Nippon shafts. Is the Nippon Modus 130 really any good? Read on to find out!

Nippon Modus 130 Shaft Overview

The Nippon Modus 130 shafts have a pretty straightforward design: the brushed steel forms the base of the finish while a red oval contains all the lettering in the middle of the shaft.

Very much in-line with what we think of when we think of traditional steel iron shafts.

These aren’t the lightest steel shafts on the market so when we felt that there was a clear, almost bullwhip-like response from them, we were very surprised. You can feel the shaft clearly load up and there is almost a palpable tension that builds up. Upon release, you can feel that tension dissipate clearly as the energy works through the ball. I know that what I just described sounds like an unruly and unpleasant-feeling shaft; but that truly was not the case.

While the Nippon Modus 130 has a clear load/release kick in the entire midsection, it feels powerful as opposed to loose or wild. The action is controlled and the butt section remains incredibly stable. The energy moves through the midsection and is released in the tip which has a softer profile than either the butt or midsection. And even after all this action, the Nippon Modus 130 recovers very quickly and seems to resist ovalling very well. This is truly a unique-feeling steel iron shaft that again, we feel is best described simply as “powerful.”

Why is the Nippon Modus 130 So Popular?

The Nippon Modus 130 is slowly starting to gain popularity among fast swing speed players because it can keep up with an aggressive tempo without squandering swing energy.

How Does the Nippon Modus 130 Perform?

The first thing we noticed about the Nippon Modus 130 was that it shot up like a rocket.

The Nippon Modus 130 wants to send the ball up and out quickly and once in the air, it maintains a steady, even trajectory. Yes, the launch is probably a bit higher than what most scratch golfers prefer; but the strength of trajectory is hard to argue against.

When we plugged the Nippon Modus 130 into our test 7-iron, we were averaging 155.6 yards of carry after three swings. This was a major improvement for some of us. The ball hangs high in the air seemingly forever. The only caveat to that is that the descent angles weren’t as sharp as we would have liked. Once the ball reaches its apex height, the Nippon Modus 130 sends it on a gently arcing trajectory that descends gradually and in a drawn out angle.

So yes, we saw the ball roll/bounce off the green a few times. However, the soft tip section allows for ample spin so our better testers were able to counteract the rollout and stick the green. Dispersion was also moderate – not the tightest we’ve ever seen in a steel iron shaft but never veering more than 12 yards off course.

Nippon Modus 130 Shaft Specs

Specs	Nippon Modus 130
Available flexes	Regular, stiff, extra stiff
Weight	121g, 124g, 129g
Butt	.600”
Tip	.355”
Length	37” – 41”

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

Regular would be a good choice for 80-90 MPH swingers. Stiff would likely work for players in the 91-100 swing speed range and extra stiff may be suitable for 100+ MPH swingers.

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

The 121g version may suit 85-90 MPH swingers. The 124g version might work for players in the 91-95 MPH range while the 129g version may benefit 95-105 MPH swingers.

Why is it So Good?

The Nippon Modus 130 is a shaft that can handily keep up with a powerful swing and efficiently transfer energy into the ball.

It’s a distance machine for anyone with an above average swing speed.

Nippon Modus 130 First Impressions

The Nippon Modus 130 has a very unique feel right off the bat.

Even as a low-torque shaft, you can feel the activity in it much clearer than you can in steel iron shafts in the same weight class.

Key Features & Performance

The soft tip section and stiffer midsection/butt is what gives the Nippon Modus 130 the ability to produce high-arcing shots and high spin numbers. It won’t be hard for skilled players to get the stopping power they need out of this shaft.

Nippon Modus 130 Irons Review

The Nippon Modus 130 produces excellent distance in the long irons. And you get enough spin in the scoring irons to hold tricky greens.

Nippon Modus 130 Wedges Review

The Nippon Modus 130 affords amazing control in the wedges and maintains an exceptionally smooth feel through tough lies.

Nippon Modus 130 Pros & Cons

Pros:

Strong trajectory
Quick launch
Great carry distance
Responsive feel
Very powerful

Cons:

Not great for slow swing speeds

Overall Score: 96/100

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Who Should Buy it?

The best thing about this shaft is, again, power.

Your strong shots will feel stronger and your carry distance will likely be boosted. But the Nippon Modus 130 isn’t for everyone. To activate this shaft, you need an 85+ swing speed. Otherwise the “power” benefits are lost. So the Nippon Modus 130 shaft would be best for fast swingers. And in our opinion, it would be even more optimal for fast, high spin players.