Reader Review #1
Name: David McKay
Handicap: 16
Iron Model: Cobra Forged Tec Black
Previous Iron Shaft: True Temper AMT Tour White S300
How did the Nippon NS Pro 850GH neo feel? Feel was great. I was nervous about a more active-feeling shaft, but I never felt that it negatively affected my swing. Feel on pure strikes was fantastic, but they truly shined on mishits where the feedback was strong but didn’t sting the hands.
Did you gain distance with the Nippon shafts? Total distance seemed very similar, possibly slight increase but the cold weather made it hard to compare apples to apples. Carry distance and spin we’re definitely higher.
Have you gained accuracy with the Nippon shafts? Dispersion was definitely better, especially on toe strikes and thin strikes. Multiple shots I felt a mishit and expected to come up well short, but wound up on the fringe.
Has your ball flight changed with the Nippon shafts? Yes. As a low launch, mid-spin player, I had trouble getting much height on long irons or stopping them on greens. The higher launch and spin with the Nippon shafts helped substantially with playing over obstacles and holding greens.
Additional notes: The feel and forgiveness on the Nippon NS Pro 850GH neo shafts is sensational. The lighter weight made it feel like I didn’t need to swing out of my shoes, and I think it improved my tempo. Very impressed with the shafts and I think they’re a great fit for a player with decent speed but low launch and spin.
Will the Nippon NS Pro 850GH neo be your new gamer? Yes. My biggest hesitation was a shaft feeling too “whippy” as I really enjoy the feeling of Dynamic Gold shafts, but the Nippons hold up well to a 100% swing and provided extra carry on my common mishits, which are thin and toe strikes.
Reader Review #2
Name: Robert Pearson
Handicap: 12
Iron Model: PING G425
Previous Iron Shaft: Ping AWT 2.0 R
How did the Nippon NS Pro 850GH neo feel? Wonderful. Kick just right. Feel like graphite but performs like steel. Meaning they go where you aim.
Did you gain distance with the Nippon shafts? Yes. 8 yards consistent through the 5-W.
Have you gained accuracy with the Nippon shafts? Yes. The kick is at the bottom repetitively.
Has your ball flight changed with the Nippon shafts? Yes! Much higher on normal swings but can still hit low punches under the wind.
Additional notes: Stops on the green after 1 bounce. Great graphics. Club Champion had my clubs returned in 4 days.
Will the Nippon NS Pro 850GH neo be your new gamer? YES!
Reader Review #3
Name: Martin Howard
Handicap: 3
Iron Model: Titleist AP2 718
Previous Iron Shaft: True Temper AMT White Stiff
How did the Nippon NS Pro 850GH neo feel? Light but stable at impact. Not whippy at all.
Did you gain distance with the Nippon shafts? Yes, about half a club.
Have you gained accuracy with the Nippon shafts? Very much across all irons.
Has your ball flight changed with the Nippon shafts? Yes. Flight is higher which I find desirable.
Will the Nippon NS Pro 850GH neo be your new gamer? Yes. No doubt about it.
Reader Review #4
Name: Ryan K
Handicap: 13
Iron Model: Miura CB-501
Previous Iron Shaft: MRC OTi 100 Stiff
How did the Nippon NS Pro 850GH neo feel? Smooth – as expected from a Nippon shaft. Clean and crisp – even though it is a steel shaft, it reduces unwanted vibrations very well. Effortless – it was very easy to feel the shaft load and unload.
Did you gain distance with the Nippon shafts? I definitely did not lose distance, but there were no obvious distance gains either.
Have you gained accuracy with the Nippon shafts? If I swing too aggressively with the Nippons, I hit pull hooks. However, if I swing with an 80% feel, the shots are consistent and accurate. Partial shots(3/4 and 1/2 swings) were especially good.
Has your ball flight changed with the Nippon shafts? Yes, the ball flight was higher than what I currently play. It was very easy to hit towering shots even with long irons. With short irons and PW, the flight was a little too high with my stock swing. However, I was also surprised to find that I can actually flight the ball lower if I need to.
Additional notes: These Nippons feel better than any other 80g range graphite/steel iron shaft I have tried. They are smooth and I feel a great connection with the club so as I get older they are definitely something I would consider. For now they will be in play in my backup bag for colder weather. Coming from 100g shafts, I did not expect to feel so much difference in weight, but it was very noticeable. It was not unpleasant in any way, just different. Grip end of the club is noticeably thinner than my current shafts so will need to build up the grip more.
Will the Nippon NS Pro 850GH neo be your new gamer? No they will not be my gamers yet. I will need more time to get used to them but I am willing to invest the time and effort.
Find our official Plugged In Golf review HERE
He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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2 Comments
Excellent post. I used to be checking continuously
this blog and I am impressed! Very helpful info particularly the ultimate part :) I
deal with such information a lot. I was looking for
this particular information for a very long time.
Thank you and good luck.
Installed 850 Neo shafts and played them today – sweet soft feeling shafts with high flight BUT I could alter trajectory if needed!