PING custom fit – out with the old, in with the new

Okay, I admit it, I don’t like change, in fact if I’m being completely honest I hate it. I don’t know why it’s just not something I’m completely comfortable with. When I played football I played with the same boots every season for about six years when all my team mates had shiny new ones, I would trot out in the old favourites. I’ve had the same phone for about five years, I can get an upgrade any day now but I just haven’t ‘got around to it yet’.

So when it comes to golf clubs I’m no different. I’m like any other golfer though, I cherish them, I look after them, they’re always cleaned after a round and I tend not to slam them back in the bag after a bad shot in case it damages them (maybe not like any golfer then). You won’t be surprised to hear then I’ve had the same irons for some 10+ years, but I don’t really consider this out of the norm. Handed down from my Dad and customised for me, my old and trusted PING ZING’s (released around the early 90’s) have been there for me through thick and thin, sure I’ve had bad rounds but I’m not one of those golfers to blame my equipment.

I’m the same with the other clubs in my bag too until recently. For years I had the same driver, 3-wood and putter but I’m lucky enough through Golfshake to try various new clubs that are hitting the market. Slowly but surely a new driver went it, followed by a new 3-wood and putter and over the past six months or so I’ve been able to hit and test various irons that have been released. I think we all agree that technology in the game is just a huge part now and if you don’t embrace it then you get left behind.

I’m certain no technophobe so when the opportunity arose to replace my irons - I didn’t hesitate, after all it can only improve my game right? I’ve had custom fittings before and I’ve been to PING headquarters a few times so I kind of know what I’m expecting. A warm and friendly welcome that is emphasised by PING’s family orientated background is what I’m greeted with, and on a cold and frosty Lincolnshire morning that warmth is taken even more to heart than usual. I know where to go, down the stairs to the famed European home for PING and through to their state-of-the-art fitting centre.

The fitting

There’s more club heads, shafts, grips and ready-made clubs than you can imagine, PING heaven for a fan like myself, I take my Dad along who has played PING since the day he started playing (getting the family feel again). A comment from a Golfshake member embodies that same feeling when he read our take on the G30 driver fitting we had recently, if you want to be fully looked after when trying out new clubs then you won’t go far wrong than to head to Gainsborough.

I’m greeted by Ed James, fully qualified PGA professional and throughout my time with Ed I’m taken aback by his knowledge not just on the equipment itself but how the numbers that I produce over the fitting will affect his decisions on what to recommend. Yes it’s his job but he answers all of my questions thoroughly and goes on to tell me in more detail about the 40 or so different shafts we could try, the different club options we’ll have by the end of testing, the lie and loft of each PING colour code and what my numbers mean through Trackman and on PING’s purpose built fitting software nFlight – Being thorough doesn’t really cover it and whichever PING technician you have fitting you, everyone is highly skilled and experienced.

We start though with a chat about my game whilst I’m warming the hands with a coffee. He asks about my handicap, how many times I play, what my ideal shot shape is and also what my misses or big miss is with my irons. Once that and a few warm up shots are out of the way the testing can being. Ed wants to see a few shots with my PING ZING’s - this is all about comparison and what he will have to work with when recommending different options. Don’t forget a custom fit is all about improving your game whether that be by extra distance or more consistency you should walk out of a custom fit feeling like what you’ve been recommended will improve your golf game.

You also need to be honest with your fitter and give true feedback; this will help both of you when it comes to the next recommendation. If one option doesn’t feel right or doesn’t look right to you at address then say, the fitting expert with you won’t mind if you say so.

PING Colour Codes

During our discussion at the start I say to Ed that I have been looking and reading very much on the i25’s. I love the way they look and a few shots I’ve had previous all felt really good, so he’s happy to go straight in with them. He measure’s me up against the PING colour code wall to get my height and also measurements from my wrist to the floor to gauge possibly shaft length.

The colour codes are the lie angles on the club head which can be changed to fit golfers of all sizes, swing tendencies and ball flight preferences. There are 12 colour codes – ranging from Maroon (extremely upright) to Gold (extremely flat).

My measurements point to Yellow which is 1.5’ upright at impact. My ZING’s are a Red dot but Ed assures me this is no reason to panic as a lot could have changed in 10 years. So with the first i25 in hand a black mat is laid down to hit off. Impact tape is added to the sole of the club to assess the impact position from the mat. My first few shots indicate I’m hitting more toward the heel of the club indicating I need to be flatter at impact something which my original Red dot -0.75 flat would be. To gauge consistency Ed gets me to hit more shots just to be sure. After changing to a Red dot and having applied more tape the results show a more central impact.

So that’s my make and colour code sorted it’s now a case of matching which shaft is going to be the perfect fit for me. I start with CFS regular standard shaft and my numbers (on average over a series of six shots) are okay in terms of distance with more carry than my ZING numbers but the bend in my shot is -7 compared to -5. Add this into more club head speed I create with the i25’s and my shot dispersion is quite wide. I said to Ed at the start that my aim with my new irons is to be more consistent as my Golfshake GIR stats last year are not as high as I want them to be, so not being consistent is not an option.

Eureka Moment

We move onto the CFS stiff shaft and after the first few shots I’m not comfortable. I feel I’m having to work a lot hard to get a good shot away even though my numbers (-2 bend) say I hit straighter but Ed say’s this is okay. It’s a strange feeling that my numbers say this should be perfect and my dispersion is as small as it’s going to get over the whole fitting but swinging the club I gauge something isn’t right pretty quickly, a stiff shaft is the way forward for me but just not this type.

We move onto the Z-Z65 stiff shaft and suddenly everything is alright in the world again, never have I felt more comfortable with a seven-iron in my hand. The shot shape is lovely and the feeling off the club face is pure. I’m actually down two yards carry from my ZING’s but my spin rate is 5601rpm, just below the average which means my shot trajectory looks great. Everything is consistent, from ball and club head speed, launch degree angle to total yards carry. It feels good.

Ed calms me down from my excited child moment and suggests we try one more – T.T DG S300 stiff shaft. It again feels nice, it doesn’t feel it but he tells me it’s 20g heavier which surprises me. I’m longer on carry and my ball speed is good but shot shape has gone to -9. It’s between the two but in my head I’ve already decided. I go back to the Z-Z65 shaft and continue to hit more shots with information still being gathered by the nFlight.

A final chat with Ed and it’s sorted. He runs through my final numbers on screen and why the choice we’ve made is the correct one. The consistency I have with the Z-Z65 is unbelievable and I can’t wait to get them out on the course. A final chat with Ed confirms my club options and I opt out of having a 3-iron as I don’t use the one I have in the bag now.

I could have stayed and hit balls all day but my time on the range was over but it was a great experience of which I would recommend to all Golfshake readers. The service you receive from PING is second to none and the even more impressive feat is the speed in which everything happens. I had my fitting on Monday morning and by Wednesday morning I was taking delivery of my brand new custom built i25’s. Time now to get rid of the ZING’s!

Bookings

• 60 minute appointment - this is tailored for golfers looking for an individual Iron, metal wood or putter fitting. £20
• 90 minute appointment – this is tailored for golfers looking for multiple product offerings, as well as a complete 14-club fitting experience. £30

For more information or to book your PING fitting you can visit your local PING stockist or by simply clicking on www.PING.com or http://www.gainsboroughgc.co.uk/pingfittings/

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