Cutting Edge - Ping Launches Two
New Lines of Iron for 2000
(continued)

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GT: The plastic insert, or medallion, in the rear cavity is now an established feature in many modern sets of irons. What is its function in both new Ping lines?

The colourful rear medallion concels a custom tuning port for fine swingweight adjustments.	JS: We call ours a Custom Tuning Port and it's where we control subtle changes in weight. We choose different thickness of thermoplastic insert according to what custom fitting specification we want. With this we can make the clubs heavier even though they may be shorter; lighter even though they're longer. We can custom-fit anyone but, with this component
being only about a quarter of the weight of the stainless steel it displaces, we can still maintain the high level of perimeter weighting we want. Also, as a company, we wanted to establish even tighter swingweight tolerances and by using this system we can reduce those variations by some 50 per cent.

GT: Does your colour-coded lie system still apply with these new lines?

JS: Yes. Even though there is less dynamic 'toe drop' during the swing than with the ISI, we've compensated for that. If you play a blue dot, you should still play a blue dot with the new clubs. We've always said that performance is very much in the fitting - golfers need the right lie and the right shaft.

GT: As far as your shafts are concerned, I note that Ping doesn't make an issue of the concept of 'frequency matching' as a way of achieving consistent flex across the set?

JS: We do stress consistency, but the important thing is to have tight tolerances of head, grip and shaft weights. The golf club is an integrated system and these three elements must work together. A slightly heavier head weight will throw out the benefits of frequency matching which can be achieved in a number of ways. True Temper [the shaft manufacturer] showed that you can even get a perfectly frequency matched set of irons by mixing up steel, graphite, titanium and even hickory shafts of different weights!

GT: How is the i3 blade going down on tour?

JS: Mark James was very impressed with them and had them in his bag even before the Ryder Cup, and he's been a long-standing Eye2 player for many years. Mark Calccavecchia, Jeff Maggert, Billy Mayfair are converts. Lee Westwood is still experimenting with both models - he may prefer the O-Size it's perhaps nearer to the Zing2s he's used to.

GT: A few years ago Ping moved from the pool system of remunerationg winners to a small stable of permanently contracted players such as Lee Westwood? In hindsight was this the right move?

JS: We worked out that whereas the number of players associated with Ping has been cut from around 60 to the nine or 10 permanently contracted players, we have actually increased our TV exposure. Those players, like Lee, have been very successful for us.

GT: How do you like the blades, personally, John?

JS: I'm a 15-handicapper and on my second round with the set of blades at the Old Course at St Andrews I shot 80 . That was special for me although as I was only one-over after 10 holes. But then I had the best putting round of my life!

GT: How is Karsten these days?

JS: He is 88 years old now and he has Parkinson's Disease. But he still has moments when he is very lucid. These are difficult times for him - but happy times too. He celebrated his 63rd wedding anniversary recently and he also went to collect the Ford Achievement Award. Tim Finchem [the US PGA Tour commissioner] made a speech that evening thanking Karsten for "making golf so much more enjoyable to the average golfer". That was very special.

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Ping i3 Blade and i3 O-size: RRPŁ765 (nine irons, steel shafts; JZ or ZZ-65 with Cushion insert). RRPŁ990 with graphite shafts (350 Graphite series).
Available in mens and ladies irons: 1-9, with a choice of four new wedges (47, 52, 56 and 60-degrees) all in right- and left-handed.
Contact: PING Europe Ltd: Tel: 01427 619224