Ping Golf Clubs

by Gregg A. Johnson ~ Last Updated:

For over forty years, the Ping Company has been manufacturing golf equipment that is both innovative and practical for both the casual and professional golfer. Since 1959, Ping Golf has been dedicated to one idea: innovation and design can produce a set of golf clubs that maximize the enjoyment of the game for all.

Karsten Solheim invented his 1-A putter, manufactured in his garage. He named it Ping for the sound it makes when it hits the ball. Thus, a company was born. Solheim was frustrated with his putting game as the putters of the era didn't give him what he felt he needed in his short game. Once the 1-A putter hit the general market, they became so popular, Solheim quit his job at General Electric and began Ping Golf.

Solheim decided not to stop at putters and developed a set of irons dubbed "69" which he considered to be a good golf score. Solheim continued to experiment with the effects of good heel-toe weighting in his irons and also milled a cavity into the steel back of the irons for added forgiveness. Ping golf was growing by leaps and bound in the golf industry.

In 1966, Ping golf experienced possibly the greatest even of their company's history. Solheim had an idea for a new putter. After he finalized the design - originally sketched on the dust cover of a 78 rpm record, he needed a name for the club. His wife suggested "answer" since it would give golfers an answer to their putting problems. It was shortened to "Anser" to fit on the club itself.

The Ping Anser would go on to be the most influential putter in golf while setting the standard for what is considered to be the conventional putter. It has racked up 500 professional golf wins making it the "winningest" putter in golf history. The Anser had a cavity back low center of gravity that provided superior feel for golfers of all abilities.

Ping golf faced a major obstacle at the end of 1966 as the USGA outlawed all Ping putters other than the Answer for tournament and handicapped play. This decision was made because the USGA felt the other Ping models had a special bend in the shaft under the grip that was thought to give players a special advantage in the putting stroke.

Of course, Ping survived and went on to become a premier manufacturer of golf equipment that is widely used on the professional tours as well as by amateurs all over the world. Ping golf has proven to be one of the powerhouses when it comes to golf equipment and it will probably remain so for a long time.

Ping Golf In The News


 Apple licensed Ping name from Ping Golf - Pocket-lint.com

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 23:11:00 GMT

If you play golf, chances are you've heard of the name Ping before and that's because the company has been making golf clubs since 1959, so you were probably surprised to hear that Apple had launched a new service on ...


 Grand Canyon University hires director of golf - AZCentral.com

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 05:59:00 GMT

Grand Canyon University has named Paul Purtzer as its new director of golf. With this role ... John Solheim , the son of Ping founder Karsten Solheim , began a tradition when he became president in 1995 of awarding a ...


 Twenga: Visits for Ping golf clubs up by 427% after Oosthuizen wins Open - PR-USA.net

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 10:09:00 GMT

Searches for Ping golf clubs rose dramatically after Louis Oosthuizen (winner) and Lee Westwood (runner-up), who both use Ping clubs, dominated the 2010 British Open in July. Twenga, the next-generation shopping ...


 Ping continues its expensive gold putter tradition - YAHOO!

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:56:00 GMT

When you win a golf tournament, you get all kinds of perks -- big ol' checks, exemptions, invitations to future tournaments, half-off on all items at the club gift shop -- but one of the finest is the Ping tradition ...


 Ping iTunes (not to be confused with Ping Eye2) - Golf Digest Magazine

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:25:00 GMT

Apple is launching a new social network for music that it is calling Ping, which is built into its iTunes platform. Ping, of course, is a golf equipment company and the name is trademarked by its parent, Karsten ...