How its made: Ping Irons

[SargeDesign]

This isn't a new video, and it may have already been posted here some time ago...I just thought it was cool. Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OGr1-z79Bg&feature=related

[mudfish]

I love that show... I never knew they did one for golf clubs... very cool to see the process though...

[reg]

Nice post, looking at that video compared to the mizuno forged process video I think forging looks easier.

 

I've also got more respect for the amount we are charged for a set of clubs

[Shambles]

I'm rather disappointed that the badge turns out to be weighted. Ping used to make club heads so well that a set matched and had no need for weighting except as an end user does for himself. I'm not a fan of the gaudy colors so I'd rather there was no badge involved.

 

 

Shambles

[SargeDesign]

I'm rather disappointed that the badge turns out to be weighted. Ping used to make club heads so well that a set matched and had no need for weighting except as an end user does for himself. I'm not a fan of the gaudy colors so I'd rather there was no badge involved.

 

 

Shambles

 

You have to consider they showed the making of the G-series irons...which are mostly played by those who need to improve their game and not by PGA pros. Their S-series irons are not made the same way and do not have weighted badges, but rather rely on precision tungsten weights.

[golfluvzme]

I love seeing processes like that. It really opens a guy's eyes to what is involved, for sure. Very cool and a little sad that all of that work used to be done here in Phoenix, but now a large portion of it has been out-sourced to overseas foundries. Karsten built a very high quality company, using all USA labor and materials. His sons have changed methods, but still try to put out a quality piece of golf equipment and are doing an OK job of it.

Great video, THANKS!

LaMont in AZ

[xxio]

I'm rather disappointed that the badge turns out to be weighted. Ping used to make club heads so well that a set matched and had no need for weighting except as an end user does for himself. I'm not a fan of the gaudy colors so I'd rather there was no badge involved.

 

 

Shambles

 

 

AFAIK the irons are still undergoing quality control by Ping. Unless the company itself has changed its policies there should be no issue as to weighting tolerances.

 

 

 

I for one find that the badges are a very technologically sound idea from a design and aesthetic standpoint.

 

Karsten Solhiem was one who followed the design principle that adhered to lighter swingweights. The older Ping irons would swingweight around C9-D0 even with 115-120 gram steel shafts. My older Ping ISI BeNis (black dots) with DGS300 shafts were D0. My wife's Eye2s before I reshafted them were C9 with stock steel and are now C5 with 85 gram graphite shafts. The heads were/are light.

 

Lead tape is an eyesore and may fall off after time. Tipweights if a lot tend to change feel of the shaft and if indeed too heavy may move Cog by a few mm.

 

Having the ability to fine tune swingweight with the badges allow end users to order a set to the specs they want. A "true custom fit" if you may.

 

Any weight added also goes to the ideal location, right behind the sweetspot.

 

It maybe difficult to tinker with after market but like 99.99% of OEMs that offer proper and comprehensive fittings, there should not be many if any aftermarket adjustments.

 

 

 

I agree the colors are an acquired taste especially in the 10 series but paint remover is always an option. I dislike the green on my Raptutre v2 but the way I hit it makes it liveable.

[jamo]

Great video. I was a little surprised to hear that they make a wax mold for each club. I don't know much about metal casting at all (and don't pretend to) but I always thought they just had huge metal casts that they poured the hot metal into, and I thought they were sort of multi use casts. But apparently I was mistaken.

 

I also didn't know about the emblems being different weights. How would they do that for forged clubs like Mizunos which don't have little emblems? Or is weight difference not an issue with forged clubs?

 

In the end, I was hoping to see a little more about the waffles....

[Shambles]

You have to consider they showed the making of the G-series irons...which are mostly played by those who need to improve their game and not by PGA pros. Their S-series irons are not made the same way and do not have weighted badges, but rather rely on precision tungsten weights.

 

That business with the pro clubs strikes me as the reverse of practical need. Amateurs like myself do not have the strength nor the swing speed to get the ball high up in the same way as the pro. I would need a lower center of gravity and a bit more bounce for that, probably with a slightly more rounded and thicker leading edge. That weighted badge brings the center of gravity up a bit and is certainly contrary to my needs as a poor golfer. The pro, on the other hand, can make use of the higher COG for playability purposes in shaping shots and his need is more towards lowering the ball flight as he already gets plenty of height.

 

I realize that the popular idea these days is to get low fliers, but there is a balance needed there. When a club leans towards a low flier, a weak golfer like myself would need to adjust his ball position and swing approach to recover some of that height and thereby regain some of his lost carry. A strong golfer with a high swing speed will probably have more than enough go forward in his swing to never even notice any distance loss if any were lost, and might more likely benefit with a distance gain as he is not spending energy on excess height and has more for the go forward.

 

If I had this set I would probably remove the badges and redistribute the weight with lead tape to suit my personal need in a club. Easier would be to look for a club that already suited my need. I've long liked Ping but rather regret that they no longer do their own forging. In house control was one of the reasons I felt I could rely on Ping quality.

 

 

Shambles

[xxio]

Shambles,

 

Actually the CTPs are there for a purpose aside from just weighting. The newer clubhead designs have made the balls go pretty high that is why the need for stronger lofts as well. The CTPs help make the clubhead more forgiving. I doubt Ping would put hard to hit designs on their GI clubs. They would not be in the club business for long if they did.

 

You may want to read up on the design on the Ping home page.

 

http://www.ping.com/clubs/ironsdetail.aspx?id=6968

 

 

Just curious. What were the last Pings you tried with any longetivity? I know you are very fond of your Eye 2s but those are almost 20 year old irons. G15s? G10s? G5s? Did you get fit? Maybe you had them with the wrong shafts?

 

I know you currently game Fourteen TC1000s and after a change to KBS shafts are very happy with them. I have tried TC1000s and have compared them to my TB1000s and forgiveness and trajectory were almost the same that is why I stayed with the better looking TB1000s.

 

IMHO TC1000s are harder to elevate than any of Pings offerings of the last 5 years. I can only of compare 7 irons because the Ping fitting cart in the shop only has 7irons and only goes back as far as the G10 7iron but I did game an i5 for a while so I can make comments on that.

 

I'm trying to figure out why you say you would not have the ability to elevate these Ping irons with CTPs yet game TC1000s? I would say in shafts that the current AWT shafts help elevate/have slightly more spin than the standard KB shafts. I would guess you have the KB 90s though, I have not tried those.

 

I have always felt Ping as one of the few golf OEMs on the cutting edge of design from an engineering standpoint because of Kartsen's legacy. From using those ugly wings on the Zings, to the CTPs starting with the i3s, to the using of vibration dampening rubbers on the back of the S series to appeal to the feel of better players. Ping is not afraid to mix it up.

 

 

As for "forging" in house. There is only one current forging in the Ping line up. I don't know where the foundry that does the forging is. It is a "form forged club" so it is probably not Endo and definitely not Miura. However it is primarily a JDM market product so the quality is good you know it will not succeed in that market. I have tried the 7iron demo extensively and it as very very well made product. If it were 15-20% cheaper I would probably buy a set.

 

If you were trying to discuss the manufacturing process of most Ping clubs which is casting, I have talked to several people who are in the manufacturing business. Most of the better casting houses/plants are now in China.

 

The quality will always depend on how much you want to pay for the end product. I don't know how much Ping pays. I will say my Ping Tour W wedges which are supposedly made in China are very good wedges. In fact the quality and consistency of the grooves are better than some Vokeys and Nike VR wedges that I have seen and compared to up close in the shop.

 

Forgive my long post I would rather give a product a chance-actually try it out or even read about the design before I knock it based on looks.