The Ping Golf Factory

After We Ko Pa, we headed back into Phoenix for a special tour of the Ping Golf factory.

We were given access into areas not seen by the general public.

First up was the putting lab.  This is where tour players come to get their putter custom fit.  

Putter fitting is one of the most under rated elements in our game, and our group gained a great appreciation of the elements that are involved.

After the putter fitting, we moved into the enso lab.  This lab uses 700 frames per second cameras to record golf swing movement patterns.  It is used to collect data relating to changes of certain variables with a club, and how that can then relate to performance.

The information gained by using the infrared systems in the enso lab, allows Ping designers to continually improve the design of new equipment.

We then moved over to the Ping WRX range, a 380 yard (now Bubba proofed) range with an indoor tee that is made of real turf.  Here they have the famous Ping man robot.  Karsten Solheim, Ping's founder, designed the Ping man to replicate a golf swing as realistically as possible, including a hinging wrist.  It is a key part of product testing and development.

This is the famous Gold putter vault.  Every time a ping putter is used to win on tour, a replice of that putter is created, and gold plated, and then comes here to the vault.

2955 putters are housed in the vault, and it is secured with multi layer passwords.  It is very impressive when opened and the gleam strikes you.

If you wish to take a putter out of the rack, a cotton glove must be worn to help protect the gold.  The putter in my hands is the one for Ian Baker - Finch's 1991 Open Championship win at Royal Birkdale. One of the best putting displays I have ever seen.

A big thanks to the Ping team for giving us access to the facility, and to Bill Tardif for showing us around today.

We now leave Arizona, and make our way to California.  San Francisco to be exact.  Our first stop there, the brilliant California Golf Club.