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There’s plenty of cool gear within the golf world that doesn’t at all times match into Most Needed Assessments or Purchaser’s Guides. You continue to wish to know the way it performs. In our We Tried It sequence, we put gear to the check and allow you to know if it really works as marketed.
What We Tried
Your Putter Shaft Tester
Dave Wolfe– Lover of putters. Significantly, like all of the putters. It’s a factor.
We Tried It: Nippon N.S.PRO Putter Shaft
The overwhelming majority of golfers know that discovering the appropriate shaft is a key ingredient of membership becoming. It’s understood {that a} driver shaft that’s too stiff or not stiff sufficient won’t ship optimum efficiency. It’s not simply flex, both. A shaft that’s too heavy or too mild will negatively have an effect on your swing as effectively.
We all know that is true for drivers and irons however what if additionally it is true for putters?
Is it doable your putter shaft just isn’t serving to you, perhaps even working towards you? Might altering your putter shaft be the placing repair you didn’t know you wanted?
Nippon believes their new N.S.PRO putter shaft can change your gamer for the higher.
Does Your Putter Want a New Shaft?
The story of the Nippon N.S.PRO putter shaft actually boils down to 1 phrase: weight. Sure, the shaft has a good-looking and environmentally pleasant matte silver end however the story of the shaft continues to be weight.
Nippon’s method with the N.S.PRO putter shaft is straightforward, in some methods mirroring their iron shaft plan. As with their irons, Nippon N.S.PRO putter shafts can be found in numerous weights.
I can’t argue the logic behind the N.S.PRO putter shaft sequence. Throughout an iron becoming, the Nippon MODUS3 120-gram shafts had been an excellent match and the MODUS3 105-gram shafts had been positively not.
As with the full-swing golf equipment, altering the load within the putter shaft adjustments the efficiency of the putter.
If including a heavier iron shaft might enhance my iron swing, why wouldn’t including a heavier putter shaft do the identical factor?
Nippon N.S.PRO Putter Shaft: Key Options
- Three weights (120g/140g/160g)
- Uncut size of 37”
- Butt diameter 14.80mm
- Tip diameters 0.355”/9.0mm and 0.370”/9.4mm
- Luxurious silver matte end
- MSRP: $85
Putting in the Nippon N.S.PRO Putter Shaft
Presently, you may solely get the N.S.PRO putter shaft as an install-only choice at licensed Nippon shaft sellers. Search for the shafts to be out there at on-line retailers like Golfworks.com quickly.
Since I’ve just lately constructed a patchwork golf store in my storage, I made a decision I’d set up the shaft myself. For the set up, I wanted a Dremel hand device, hacksaw, grip tape and solvent, a vice, epoxy and a tape measure. Instruments prepared, I took the plunge into the DIY abyss.
For this mission, I’m putting in the N.S.PRO shaft right into a Bettinardi Queen B15. These of you who examine my go to to Bettinardi’s Studio B know this was the putter I used to be fitted for at their store.
The intention was to see how a inventory Queen B15 carried out in comparison with one shafted with the N.S.PRO 160g shaft.
General, the method was very straightforward. After neurotically measuring the shaft about 10 instances, I marked the butt finish and lower it with a Dremel slicing disc. That’s a lie. The Nippon N.S.PRO shaft laughed at my Dremel, showering me with sparks of ridicule. As soon as Mr. Hacksaw entered the equation, I used to be (finally) in a position to lower the shaft to size.
(Significantly, there’s a purpose why individuals who do that all day have energy instruments.)
From there, I hooked up the pinnacle with the world’s most odiferous epoxy. After 24 hours of curing, I put in the grip and waited a couple of extra hours.
All different options—size, grip, loft, lie—had been the identical. I did want some assist from iFitGolf.com to make sure the loft and lie values matched. That could be a machine I don’t have in my storage.
Putters constructed, it was time to roll some balls.
Testing the Nippon N.S.PRO Putter Shaft
My first impression of the Bettinardi QB15 with the Nippon N.S.PRO 160g putter shaft was that it felt heavy. Sure, my powers of statement are distinctive. Who would have guessed that including a heavier shaft would make the putter really feel heavier?
Clarifying a bit, the shaft made it really feel good heavy. Like a broadsword Conan would wield. “Balanced heavy” or maybe “heavy with function” is how I’d describe it. It didn’t simply really feel heavier.
Some putters which can be heavy don’t really feel good heavy. Do you bear in mind the Heavy Putter model? All of these putters had been heavy and few, if any, felt good heavy. Some golfers liked them however being heavy wasn’t sufficient to make the putters bestsellers. Placing with most of them was like swinging a halberd one-handed.
Taking the primary few swings with the heavy Betti was a “rattling, that’s good” expertise. The load and stability had a richer and thicker really feel than the stock-weighted putter. In line with the size, the distinction between the 2 was solely 50 grams however the heavy Betti felt far more secure throughout the swing than the inventory model.
Once I went to the course to check them, I had store staff and strangers really feel the distinction between the 2. Doesn’t everybody accost strangers with pairs of putters?
To an individual, they had been impressed with the texture of the Nippon N.S.PRO shafted putter. I child you not, one of many guys instantly acquired on his cellphone to try to purchase one for his Bettinardi. It’s as near common acceptance as I’ve ever seen in a golf product.
As such, my expectations had been very excessive once I hit the follow inexperienced, absolutely anticipating the heavy Betti to crush the inventory Betti. To check the 2, I went with a Most Needed technique, marking off five-, 10- and 20-foot distances. I then rolled units of 5 putts with every putter at every distance.
For the brief putts, I used to be stunned with the outcomes. The distinction between the 2 putters was little to none. There was zero efficiency distinction between the 2 from 5 or 10 toes. The heavier N.S.PRO shaft felt higher however the lighter inventory shaft put simply as many balls within the gap.
At 20 toes, the distinction between the 2 shafts turned extra important.
The primary batch of balls rolled from 20 toes with the heavy Betti went all over. Verify the shortage of grouping within the photograph above. In contrast to at 5 and 10 toes, the heavier putter didn’t really feel comfy and I wasn’t in a position to management distance. The longest ball and the shortest ball within the photograph had been the primary two rolled of the 5.
After the primary few putts, I acquired a greater really feel for the load, resulting in the grouping within the second photograph. What a distinction. The grouping tightened up considerably, with one going within the gap. I did gap one with the inventory QB 15 as effectively however the dispersal was not as tight.
This sample continued as I rolled extra units with each putters. Variations at 5 and 10 toes continued to be minimal however dispersal/accuracy at 20 toes was higher with the heavier Nippon N.S.PRO shaft.
My solely concern was that the putts with the heavier shaft constantly missed brief. Not by a ton however brief continues to be brief. Maybe going with the 140g model of the N.S.PRO as a substitute of the 160g would put a contact extra pop within the putt.
Nippon N.S.PRO Putter Shaft: The Takeaway
Indubitably, putting in the 160g Nippon N.S.PRO shaft modified the texture and efficiency of the putter, particularly with longer putts. Does this imply everybody ought to rush out and get one among these shafts put in of their putters?
In fact not however I can see it serving to golfers who wrestle with consistency. The additional weight actually smooths out the texture of the stroke. What I didn’t point out is that the N.S.PRO’s heavier weight doesn’t negatively influence the suggestions of the putter. You continue to know the place you might be hitting the ball on the face.
For what it’s price, the matte end seems to be nice and is completely non-reflective even in full solar.
In an ideal world, we might swap putter shafts out and in throughout a membership becoming like we do once we store for drivers. Whereas that’s by no means more likely to occur, it’s nice to see that our putter shaft selections are on the rise.
The Nippon N.S.PRO shaft provides golfers one other becoming choice for his or her putters. If yow will discover the perfect shaft weight to your stroke, you might be one step nearer to creating extra putts.
Until your placing stroke is actually dangerous, you then most likely ought to take some placing classes.
Discover out extra in regards to the Nippon N.S.PRO putter shaft at: nipponshaft.com
FAQ: Nippon N.S.PRO Putter Shaft
Will reshafting have an effect on the worth of the putter?
Hey, Resale Worth Man! I didn’t count on to see you right here right this moment. So you might be fearful that altering the shaft will have an effect on the worth of your putter? I don’t see a scenario the place including an aftermarket shaft decreases the worth of your putter except the client is on the lookout for inventory elements.
Actually although, the N.S.PRO putter shaft is one thing you add to your gamer. This isn’t for bling, it’s for making extra putts. I’d say that making extra putts provides considerably to the worth of your putter and that crypto is healthier than putters for creating wealth.
Will this Nippon N.S.PRO putter shaft make everybody putt higher?
In fact! Golf is all about having one factor repair all the pieces for everybody. Kidding apart, I can see how making the swap to this shaft could possibly be a solution for golfers who wrestle with placing tempo. The additional weight makes the putter really feel very secure and, to me, a secure placing stroke is a repeatable placing stroke. In the event you can add consistency to any a part of your golf sport you need to see enhancements in your rating.
Until, in fact, you begin hitting the ball constantly proper off the tee …
Can’t I simply add lead tape to do the identical factor?
In all probability not. In contrast to including lead tape to a membership head to alter the swing weight, the N.S.PRO shaft adjustments the general weight of the putter greater than the swing weight. Lead tape received’t work as a DIY resolution however perhaps you may attempt sand. See the query beneath.
Does including sand to the shaft accomplish the identical factor as putting in a heavier shaft?
For these of you unfamiliar with sanding a shaft, like I used to be, it’s actually easy. Pull the grip, add sand, pack the sand in tight and re-grip the putter. Clearly, you’ll wish to be sure the putter butt is well-sealed lest your bag develop into a coastal ecosystem.
Like I mentioned, this was new to me but it surely is sensible. Given the selection between a heavier metallic shaft and a shaft that would leak sand, I’d go along with the previous. That mentioned, perhaps filling your present gamer with sand will allow you to determine if switching to the N.S.PRO is the appropriate selection for you.
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