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Hot News! MGS Most Wanted Mallet Discontinued?!


markb

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Rumor mill is working overtime this weekend with the news that Ping has unexpectedly cancelled all back orders of its Ketsch model. It supposedly will no longer ship or sell the Ketsch. No word as to why the sudden shut down occurred.  By all indications this putter was a success for Ping. It was hard to find, harder to buy from day one.

 

I've been swinging one since it was released and it is the best putter I've ever used by a long margin. Word was from the start that Ping had a difficult time milling the aluminum faces with the full TR grooves delaying many initial orders.

 

This news is odd because the putter has been spreading among Pro's rapidly.  Inbee Park just started using one and she is NOT A Ping staffer. Mine cost $195 and now  who knows what I could get for it.?  Ka-ching!! It must have something to do with QC problems as Ping is very fussy. But I'm telling you, if you can find one on a store's shelves, HOARD It Now!

 

Anybody else have any news on this?

bag - SunMountain Synch with Ogio Synergy X4 cart
driver - :callaway-small: Optiforce 440, Paderson Kevlar Green stiff 46.5"
fwoods - :taylormade-small: Jetspeed, 3HL regular
irons - :taylormade-small:  Speedblades 3-8, 85g stiff steel, 2 up
wedges - :edilon-small: Scor 40, 45, 50, 54, 58
putter - :ping-small: Ketsch 35" slight arc, SuperStroke 2.0 mid-slim
ball - :titelist-small: ProV1x

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Have not heard this, but it seems unlikely that the milling is the issue. Tim and I saw them being milled in house when we went to PHX this spring.  I'll fire off an email...

Volvo Intorqueo

All the cool kids follow me on twitter: @GolfspyDave

If you are not a cool kid, following me on twitter will make you cool...

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Have not heard this, but it seems unlikely that the milling is the issue. Tim and I saw them being milled in house when we went to PHX this spring.  I'll fire off an email...

 

Thanks Dave. I really can't believe it. Why would they cancel a success? I've seen Ketsch's resell ABOVE MSRP.

bag - SunMountain Synch with Ogio Synergy X4 cart
driver - :callaway-small: Optiforce 440, Paderson Kevlar Green stiff 46.5"
fwoods - :taylormade-small: Jetspeed, 3HL regular
irons - :taylormade-small:  Speedblades 3-8, 85g stiff steel, 2 up
wedges - :edilon-small: Scor 40, 45, 50, 54, 58
putter - :ping-small: Ketsch 35" slight arc, SuperStroke 2.0 mid-slim
ball - :titelist-small: ProV1x

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I was just playing around with these the other day at my local Dick's.  They had a display with 5-6 in stock.  I might have to go back and pick one up before they dissapear I really liked the way it felt.  

My Bag:
Driver - 
:cobra-small:  King F6+

3 Wood -  :callaway-small: XR16
Hybrids -  :srixon-small:  ZH45
Irons -  :mizuno-small:  JPX 850 Pro

Wedges -  :callaway-small: Mac Daddy 2
Putter -   :taylormade-small: Spider Tour Red
Bag - Ogio Grom Stand

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I hope to christ your wrong about this because the ketsch is one of the few I really want to try and replace my current gamer

Driver: Titleist 907 D2 7.5* Aldila VS Proto Shaft 65 X

 

Fairway Woods: Titleist 980F 19* Pro Trajectory stock Titleist 4375 R shaft (desperately need to replace)

 

Irons: Taylormade LT2's 3-PW S300 dynamic golds

 

Sand Wedge: Vokey 56* 256 10 Oil can 8620 finish True temper shaft

 

Lob Wedge: Shark 64* wedge True temper shaft

 

Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Newport 2 blade, 303 GSS Insert, 35'' 330g 4*L 71*L

 

Ball: Pro VI

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I've still never seen one on the shelves of a store -- they don't last long enough.  But I bought a second one on ebay today.  Dave should have an explanation from Ping on Monday.

bag - SunMountain Synch with Ogio Synergy X4 cart
driver - :callaway-small: Optiforce 440, Paderson Kevlar Green stiff 46.5"
fwoods - :taylormade-small: Jetspeed, 3HL regular
irons - :taylormade-small:  Speedblades 3-8, 85g stiff steel, 2 up
wedges - :edilon-small: Scor 40, 45, 50, 54, 58
putter - :ping-small: Ketsch 35" slight arc, SuperStroke 2.0 mid-slim
ball - :titelist-small: ProV1x

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I've still never seen one on the shelves of a store -- they don't last long enough.  But I bought a second one on ebay today.  Dave should have an expkanation from Ping on Monday.

Waiting on a reply. When I know, you will know :)

Volvo Intorqueo

All the cool kids follow me on twitter: @GolfspyDave

If you are not a cool kid, following me on twitter will make you cool...

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I'm curious if it might be a conflict in regards to IP or something?  Or maybe a materials issue?

In The Bag
Driver: TaylorMade M2 (2017) w/ Project X T1100 HZRDUS Handcrafted 65x 
Strong 3 wood: Taylormade M1 15* w/ ProjectX T1100 HZRDUS handcrafted 75x
3 Hybrid: Adams PRO 18* w/ KBS Tour Hybrid S flex tipped 1/2"
4 Hybrid: Adams PRO 20* (bent to 21*) w/ KBS Tour Hybrid S flex tipped 1/2"
4-AW: TaylorMade P770 w/ Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Black Onyx S400

SW: 56* Scratch Tour Dept(CC grooves) w/ Dynamic Gold Spinner
LW: 60* Scratch Tour Department (CC grooves) w/ Dynamic Gold Spinner
XW: 64* Cally XForged Vintage w/ DG X100 8 iron tiger stepped
Putter: Nike Method Prototype 006 at 34"

Have a ton of back-ups in all categories, but there are always 14 clubs in the bag that differ depending on the course and set-up. Bomb and gouge. Yes, I'm a club gigolo.

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saw 5-6 of them at the GS in San Antonio this monring ?

Driver:   :taylormade-small: M3 Tensei CK Pro Blue
3-Metal:: :callaway-small: GBB EPIC, FujiKura Pro Green

5-Metal:  :cobra-small: F-7, FujiKura Pro

Irons:   :mizuno-small: MP-18 SC, KBS Tour 120

Wedges:  :cleveland-small:   RTX-3  52 - 56 - 60
Putter:  EVN-Roll ER-5

Ball :  :bridgestone-small: Tour B XS

Range Finder:  Busnnell Tour-X,  Garmin S20 

 

Follow me:

@Hula_Rock

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Rookieblue raises some interesting questions, but I can't see what it could possibly be. I mean, they're not copying anything. I suspect that, if true,  it has something to do with those milled grooves in aluminum faces. They are VERY sharp and easily bent. They can he warped by grains of sand stuck in the face. I just hope that it has nothing to do with a USGA legality issue. I don't want to give this putter up. But if the USGA disputes its legality for a reason I can't fathom, that would explain an abrupt cancellation of a successful product

bag - SunMountain Synch with Ogio Synergy X4 cart
driver - :callaway-small: Optiforce 440, Paderson Kevlar Green stiff 46.5"
fwoods - :taylormade-small: Jetspeed, 3HL regular
irons - :taylormade-small:  Speedblades 3-8, 85g stiff steel, 2 up
wedges - :edilon-small: Scor 40, 45, 50, 54, 58
putter - :ping-small: Ketsch 35" slight arc, SuperStroke 2.0 mid-slim
ball - :titelist-small: ProV1x

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It could just be that they're about to launch the Ketsch 2 and get in line with Odyssey's model currently?  Limited supply and high demand and line after line of the same thing with subtle changes.  Just suppositions though.

In The Bag
Driver: TaylorMade M2 (2017) w/ Project X T1100 HZRDUS Handcrafted 65x 
Strong 3 wood: Taylormade M1 15* w/ ProjectX T1100 HZRDUS handcrafted 75x
3 Hybrid: Adams PRO 18* w/ KBS Tour Hybrid S flex tipped 1/2"
4 Hybrid: Adams PRO 20* (bent to 21*) w/ KBS Tour Hybrid S flex tipped 1/2"
4-AW: TaylorMade P770 w/ Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Black Onyx S400

SW: 56* Scratch Tour Dept(CC grooves) w/ Dynamic Gold Spinner
LW: 60* Scratch Tour Department (CC grooves) w/ Dynamic Gold Spinner
XW: 64* Cally XForged Vintage w/ DG X100 8 iron tiger stepped
Putter: Nike Method Prototype 006 at 34"

Have a ton of back-ups in all categories, but there are always 14 clubs in the bag that differ depending on the course and set-up. Bomb and gouge. Yes, I'm a club gigolo.

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I will be a bit miffed if they don't honour the order I placed last week......unless they've found an issue in longevity (ping wouldn't allow a product with a flaw to be sold), but that would be a surprise.

Rest in peace long sticks - I'll remember you

 

TM Burner Superfast 2.0 TP Regular

TM RBZ Stage 2 Fairway 14.5 stiff

Adams Blue Hybrid No. 3 stiff

Adams Super xtdHybrid 21.5 Stiff

 

Ping G30 4 and 5 Iron - Regular CFS Shaft

Ping i25 6 - PW Regular CFS Shaft

TM Y Groove Gap Wedge

Cleveland CG10 Sand Wedge

 

PingTR Piper Putter, adjustable shaft, SuperStroke Fatso

 

Titleist StaDry Cart Bag

 

Motocaddy S3 Pro Trolley

 

Foot Joy City, Adidas Boost Boa and Adidas Superstar shoes

 

Pro V1x in the summer, Titleist Velocity in the winter.

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I just called Ping and asked a CS rep  with whom I've dealt in the past. He stuck to the party line, "The Ketsch has reached the end of its successful product life cycle and is discontinued as of today. All back orders will be cancelled."

 

This isn't the full story, of course. How can a successful Ping putter, home of the 35 year old Anser, last from April to July of one year?  Maybe it's a failure from their perspective? But with unfilled back orders that are money in the bank? And if a Ketsch 2 is planned you don't alienate potential customers by canning their orders. You do what everyone else does, you discount existing stock, just prior to releasing the new one.

 

In any event, he confirmed it was not a USGA legality issue and he said that his first thought when he got the memo on Friday, was "Man, the prices are going to shoot up."

 

 I have another theory.  I think this may be a sign of industry wide belt tightening and retrenching on the heels of the Dick's Disaster. When the ship is in grave danger, the cannons get tossed overboard, that kind of mentality. We need to keep our eyes open for the other cannons from other sources.  If this theory is true we should start to hear that the mannies are trimming product lines and laying off staff in quiet ways.

 

westy:  Longevity could be an issue. I can foresee soft aluminum faces getting dinged and returned to Ping from grumpy customers. But I am literally the only person on any blog who has ever even mentioned the issue. No one else is complaining about it that I can hear.

bag - SunMountain Synch with Ogio Synergy X4 cart
driver - :callaway-small: Optiforce 440, Paderson Kevlar Green stiff 46.5"
fwoods - :taylormade-small: Jetspeed, 3HL regular
irons - :taylormade-small:  Speedblades 3-8, 85g stiff steel, 2 up
wedges - :edilon-small: Scor 40, 45, 50, 54, 58
putter - :ping-small: Ketsch 35" slight arc, SuperStroke 2.0 mid-slim
ball - :titelist-small: ProV1x

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Oh well I'll expect to get a call from Ping UK.....Senita TR instead then or Nome TR.

 

Strange strange times.

Rest in peace long sticks - I'll remember you

 

TM Burner Superfast 2.0 TP Regular

TM RBZ Stage 2 Fairway 14.5 stiff

Adams Blue Hybrid No. 3 stiff

Adams Super xtdHybrid 21.5 Stiff

 

Ping G30 4 and 5 Iron - Regular CFS Shaft

Ping i25 6 - PW Regular CFS Shaft

TM Y Groove Gap Wedge

Cleveland CG10 Sand Wedge

 

PingTR Piper Putter, adjustable shaft, SuperStroke Fatso

 

Titleist StaDry Cart Bag

 

Motocaddy S3 Pro Trolley

 

Foot Joy City, Adidas Boost Boa and Adidas Superstar shoes

 

Pro V1x in the summer, Titleist Velocity in the winter.

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Thats an interesting opinon Mark.  Keep a product line lean and mean and trim from the fringes.  If you look at what car companies do, its the same thing.  When times are good numerous models to choose from, in tough times you stick with the bread and butter.  

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 I have another theory.  I think this may be a sign of industry wide belt tightening and retrenching on the heels of the Dick's Disaster. When the ship is in grave danger, the cannons get tossed overboard, that kind of mentality. We need to keep our eyes open for the other cannons from other sources.  If this theory is true we should start to hear that the mannies are trimming product lines and laying off staff in quiet ways.

 

Still waiting on a reply…

Anyway, it's interesting to think that a putter milled at the Ping HQ could be a fiscal liability. If anything, they could bump the price $20 and still sell more.

Volvo Intorqueo

All the cool kids follow me on twitter: @GolfspyDave

If you are not a cool kid, following me on twitter will make you cool...

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Still waiting on a reply…

Anyway, it's interesting to think that a putter milled at the Ping HQ could be a fiscal liability. If anything, they could bump the price $20 and still sell more.

I agree with you.   If the milling was just proving costly and they were not making enough margin per putter, they'd just bump the price.   Easy to do.  It was only priced at $199 for the regular model anyway.   That's not exactly gouging anybody.   The CB version was the one everyone wanted.

 

If the problem is one of QC returns of dinged up putter faces with bent grooves that Ping is not willing to tolerate having out loose on the market, then a shut-down of the product line is understandable.   Nothing they can do to fix or prevent that issue without redoing the whole head in steel and that changes everything from weight to molds to machining.  Might as well kill the putter.  Think about it.   If all your propaganda with TR is focused on how the variable depth of the grooves irons out inconsistencies in roll, what happens if the variable depth grooves lose their precisely varied depths through a ding?

 

Thing is, I never heard of anyone complaining about this issue, but as soon as I got mine I feared it.   I baby it like I've never done with another club.

bag - SunMountain Synch with Ogio Synergy X4 cart
driver - :callaway-small: Optiforce 440, Paderson Kevlar Green stiff 46.5"
fwoods - :taylormade-small: Jetspeed, 3HL regular
irons - :taylormade-small:  Speedblades 3-8, 85g stiff steel, 2 up
wedges - :edilon-small: Scor 40, 45, 50, 54, 58
putter - :ping-small: Ketsch 35" slight arc, SuperStroke 2.0 mid-slim
ball - :titelist-small: ProV1x

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QC issue is an interesting possibility. Though my two Ketschs' grooves and color are still going strong.

Why two? Straight & Slight Arc models, naturally :)

Volvo Intorqueo

All the cool kids follow me on twitter: @GolfspyDave

If you are not a cool kid, following me on twitter will make you cool...

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I really hope this is'nt the case. If it is I'm going to have to get down and get fitted real quick and hopefully an order will make it through. Otherwise I'll be going the Karstan Answer 2 or the Daytona 12 I guess

Driver: Titleist 907 D2 7.5* Aldila VS Proto Shaft 65 X

 

Fairway Woods: Titleist 980F 19* Pro Trajectory stock Titleist 4375 R shaft (desperately need to replace)

 

Irons: Taylormade LT2's 3-PW S300 dynamic golds

 

Sand Wedge: Vokey 56* 256 10 Oil can 8620 finish True temper shaft

 

Lob Wedge: Shark 64* wedge True temper shaft

 

Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Newport 2 blade, 303 GSS Insert, 35'' 330g 4*L 71*L

 

Ball: Pro VI

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Quick non-update/update:

 

Spoke with PING yesterday for a little bit.  We were working on a fun project that actually had to do with the Ketsch putter.  So I asked about the putter possibly being discontinued, did not get a no or a yes.  I got a, lets talk about that in a couple days when I get back in the office.

 

Doesn't sound good, but will not speculate on the final answer until I hear back.  

#TruthDigest
 

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The plot thickens!

 

 As long as it isn't deemed illegal, I'll be happy. The fewer Ketschs I have to face, the bigger my advantage will be.

bag - SunMountain Synch with Ogio Synergy X4 cart
driver - :callaway-small: Optiforce 440, Paderson Kevlar Green stiff 46.5"
fwoods - :taylormade-small: Jetspeed, 3HL regular
irons - :taylormade-small:  Speedblades 3-8, 85g stiff steel, 2 up
wedges - :edilon-small: Scor 40, 45, 50, 54, 58
putter - :ping-small: Ketsch 35" slight arc, SuperStroke 2.0 mid-slim
ball - :titelist-small: ProV1x

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That's another theorized explanation I've heard -- that all this is just a fake "run on the bank" to create hype.

bag - SunMountain Synch with Ogio Synergy X4 cart
driver - :callaway-small: Optiforce 440, Paderson Kevlar Green stiff 46.5"
fwoods - :taylormade-small: Jetspeed, 3HL regular
irons - :taylormade-small:  Speedblades 3-8, 85g stiff steel, 2 up
wedges - :edilon-small: Scor 40, 45, 50, 54, 58
putter - :ping-small: Ketsch 35" slight arc, SuperStroke 2.0 mid-slim
ball - :titelist-small: ProV1x

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If we were talking Taylor made or callaway I might buy that theory.....mind you who knows these days.

Rest in peace long sticks - I'll remember you

 

TM Burner Superfast 2.0 TP Regular

TM RBZ Stage 2 Fairway 14.5 stiff

Adams Blue Hybrid No. 3 stiff

Adams Super xtdHybrid 21.5 Stiff

 

Ping G30 4 and 5 Iron - Regular CFS Shaft

Ping i25 6 - PW Regular CFS Shaft

TM Y Groove Gap Wedge

Cleveland CG10 Sand Wedge

 

PingTR Piper Putter, adjustable shaft, SuperStroke Fatso

 

Titleist StaDry Cart Bag

 

Motocaddy S3 Pro Trolley

 

Foot Joy City, Adidas Boost Boa and Adidas Superstar shoes

 

Pro V1x in the summer, Titleist Velocity in the winter.

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And no one really knows...Ping is dodging the question...kinda spooky, isn't it?

 

One thing I'm sure of.   IT'S GREAT PUTTER.  Played nine yesterday with 4 birdies and a 10 foot par save.    Had four bogies, of which two were three putts, downhill from 80+ feet due to overcooked approaches.   Not the Ketsch's fault.

bag - SunMountain Synch with Ogio Synergy X4 cart
driver - :callaway-small: Optiforce 440, Paderson Kevlar Green stiff 46.5"
fwoods - :taylormade-small: Jetspeed, 3HL regular
irons - :taylormade-small:  Speedblades 3-8, 85g stiff steel, 2 up
wedges - :edilon-small: Scor 40, 45, 50, 54, 58
putter - :ping-small: Ketsch 35" slight arc, SuperStroke 2.0 mid-slim
ball - :titelist-small: ProV1x

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Whatever Ping is doing, it's kinda working....I want one now...

 

 

LOL Thats why I pulled the trigger when I went back to see if it was still there.  It is in the bag for this weekend's play.  Will go early to get a good warmup session with it on a real green before we tee off.  Ive never used a CB before, so it should be interesting.

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