Ping Archives - Golf Digest Middle East

Take a look at Team Europe’s Solheim Cup uniform

Matt Smith — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 08:43:48 +0000

The Solheim Cup Team Europe shirts. Ping

With the Solheim Cup looming large next month, Ping has revealed the official 2023 uniforms to be worn by Team Europe.

The traditional blue and yellow of Europe dominate the apparel, with a nod to host nation Spain, with a hint of red and yellow on show.

The first day official uniform pays tribute to Spain, hosting the event for the first time, with several products featuring a ‘Euro Stripe’ print made from a combination of red and yellow, from the Spanish flag, and European blue.

Day two’s design features a knitted tape detail. The white vest sees the addition of a subtle Spanish coloured stripe to the back of the neck, as well as the team Europe Shield of Stars print to the back.

To finish the week, the European flag takes centre stage with the design influence for the final day of competition. Traditional European stars feature along the front and back of the polo, with the skirt sporting a star stripe detail to the side.

PING desvela el uniforme oficial del Equipo Europeo para cada día de la Solheim Cup 2023 en Finca Cortesín, y lo pone ya a la venta online ?? https://t.co/pQbJel1jxI pic.twitter.com/bJ1brPXOeQ

— MyGolfWay (@MyGolfWay) August 24, 2023

Ping’s Global Creative Director, Fiona Reilly, said: “It has been a privilege designing Team Europe’s apparel collection for the 2023 Solheim Cup. Our goal was to provide Team Europe with unique, clean and contemporary designs that pay tribute to the host nation of the tournament.

“Comfort and freedom of movement is of paramount importance for the athletes and, to ensure this, all of the garments are engineered from our performance Sensor technology fabrics, to ensure the team is well equipped throughout the week.

“We’re also pleased to be able to offer supporters the chance to proudly wear the colours of Europe, both from their local golf course or from the host venue, Finca Cortesin, during the event itself.”

The post Take a look at Team Europe’s Solheim Cup uniform appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

If you want a Ping limited-edition run of gold-plated PLD Ltd Anser Patent 55 series putters, you better be quick

Golf Digest Middle East — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 11:29:49 +0000

By Mike Stachura
When Ping commemorated the 55th anniversary of the patent for its legendary Anser putter with limited-edition milled versions in aluminium bronze, stainless steel and copper at three different drops earlier this year, the average time it took for any of those runs to sell out was approximately 180 seconds.

Now, the company is set to launch on December 12 its most selective version in the PLD Ltd Anser Patent 55 series at $990 a pop, a gold-plated model emblematic of the gold putters awarded to players who win tour events and majors and housed in a vault at company headquarters in Phoenix. With just 55 available, expect it to be much easier to acquire tickets to another upcoming Arizona event, Super Bowl LVII, than it will be to secure one of these putters.

The Ping Gold Putter Vault houses more than 3,200 winning putters, and that includes more than 700 victories by the iconic Anser, which debuted in 1966.

“I can’t think of a better way to complete this wonderful celebration of the Anser putter and its game-changing patent,” said John A Solheim, Ping’s executive chairman who custom-built the very first Anser putters in the family garage as a teenager and called the Ping Vault “arguably the most valuable collection of putters in the world.”

He added: “It’s a great source of pride for us, and golfers who have a chance to visit the Vault stand in amazement as they soak in its place in history. The Anser putter occupies the most space by far in the Vault, so it’s only natural we’d offer a gold-plated version to complete the PLD Limited collection.”

While the original Anser putters were cast, these models are CNC-milled from a solid block of stainless steel with the gold plating, hand-crafted and serialised.

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Ping’s John A Solheim to receive PGA of America’s Distinguished Service Award

Matt Smith — Tue, 01 Nov 2022 07:47:18 +0000

By E Michael Johnson
When you are bestowed an award previously given to three US Presidents, along with Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Lee Trevino, you’re in select company. That’s the elite group John A Solheim, executive chairman of Ping, will join on November 2 when he receives the PGA of America’s Distinguished Service Award. The honour celebrates those “who display leadership and humanitarian qualities, including integrity, sportsmanship and enthusiasm for the game of golf”.

“I’m very appreciative to receive such a prestigious honour from the PGA of America,” said Solheim. “I’ve been blessed to spend my entire career in the golf industry. It’s allowed us to continue building a family business, which is very enjoyable for me to now guide our strong third generation in their leadership positions and still allow me to do what I enjoy most, design and develop future products.”

The son of company founder and PGA of America Hall of Famer Karsten Solheim, John began working for his father as a teenager in 1959. “When we started, I drilled the holes in the putters where the shaft went,” Solheim told Family Business Magazine. “My brother Allan was putting the grips on. It was fun.”

Well, perhaps not all fun. John Solheim is now president of Ping, was not being paid to work for his dad in their Scottsdale, Arizona, garage (after moving from California’s Redwood City). When a grocery store opened not far from their house, John applied for a job as a bag boy. His father got wind of it and John started getting paid — with a caveat: If John wanted help from his friends, it came out of his pay!

Getting such an early — and earnest — start in the golf club business helped allow John to become a superior innovator in his own right, with his name attached to more than 170 US patents covering golf clubs and bags. Fond for keeping modelling clay in his desk in case an idea struck him, his designs and ideas helped propel and maintain Ping as one of the preeminent brands in golf. Perhaps one of his more intriguing contributions was the JAS putter, which was one of the first putters to feature tungsten inserts, commonplace now in flat sticks.

“John Solheim set an industry standard for how a golf company should run, and his love and dedication for creating the highest quality products has elevated the bar for all equipment manufacturers,” said PGA President Jim Richerson. “But what is truly admirable about John, and what speaks to his character, is his commitment to growing golf through youth participation and helping physically challenged adults, children and military veterans discover a love for the game.”

In fact, Ping is heavily involved in the area of fitting equipment to adaptive golfers, no matter their physical challenges and has advanced that area by integrating those efforts into physical rehabilitation for wounded and disabled veterans. In addition, the company has sponsored more than 50 American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) tournaments and created thousands of playing opportunities for juniors. In 2002, Solheim personally created the Ping Junior Solheim Cup for girls ages 12-18, modelled after the Solheim Cup, which was founded by Solheim’s parents in 1990.

In many ways, Ping became a modern golf equipment company under Solheim’s leadership (he took over running the company in 1995), hiring the company’s first advertising agency and making metalwoods every bit as much a focus as the company’s legendary iron business. There’s also a more recent collaboration with two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson to raise funds for Phoenix Children’s Hospital, leading to the development of the Bubba Watson and Ping Golf Motion Analysis Lab. State-of-the-art equipment is used to measure real 3D motion, force and muscular activity to develop personalised care plans for children with orthopaedic and neurological conditions, among many other significant initiatives that bear his fingerprints.

“To lead today requires unbelievable research in every category, and I promise we won’t stop,” said Solheim. “Much of our success is directly related to our relationships with the PGA professionals who have represented and helped promote our products for more than 60 years. Early on, my father, Karsten, recognized that the PGA’s role and expertise would have a big influence in custom fitting our clubs to help golfers play better, and enjoy the game more. To be recognized by the PGA is especially meaningful and one of the biggest highlights of my career.”

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WATCH: Inside the Hot List — Our testers reveal their preferred clubs

Golf Digest Middle East — Wed, 25 May 2022 09:27:07 +0000

Our broad range of Hot List player testers reveal the clubs that worked best for them. Find the player who fits your game

By Mike Stachura and E Michael Johnson
What do real golfers like you think about the latest clubs? That’s why our panel of players is such a key part of our process. Together, they provide input that helps the Hot List judges determine the leading clubs in Performance and Look/Sound/Feel, two of our four Hot List criteria which together account for 65 percent of a club’s score.

But we know you want as much specific advice as you can get about what club is exactly right for you. So why not see which of our players matches best to your game and see what they were thinking. What follows are some of the top choices in each of our full swing categories from each player on our panel, choices that are informed by data from the Rapsodo MLM and GCQuad launch monitors. Certainly, you’ll see a lot of repeats as you go through these lists (that’s why those products tended to do well on the Hot List overall), but consider this another piece of information as you continue the search for the right club for you. Of course, we firmly believe that search needs the wisdom of a good clubfitter to finish the process, too. Each player’s basic data is listed below, along with their individual lists and accompanying swing videos from the Rapsodo MLM app.

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Jason Guss

Age: 45; Handicap: 0; Driver swing speed: 101; Driver distance: 260; 7-iron swing speed: 80; 7-iron distance: 162\
TOP CLUBS (in alphabetical order)’
DRIVERS: Callaway Rogue ST Max LS; Cobra LTDx LS; Ping G425 Max | FAIRWAY WOODS: Callaway Rogue ST LS; Ping G425 LST; TaylorMade Stealth Plus | HYBRIDS: Cobra King Tec: Cobra LTDx; Wilson D9 | PLAYERS IRONS: Henry-Griffitts TS+; PXG 0311T; Srixon ZX7 | PLAYERS DISTANCE IRONS: Cobra King Forged Tec; Mizuno Mizuno Pro 225; Proto-Concept CO5 | GAME IMPROVEMENT IRONS: Cobra King Forged Tec X; Cobra LTDx; XXIO X

Molly Braid

Age: 34; Handicap: 0; Driver swing speed: 86; Driver distance: 215; 7-iron swing speed: 72; 7-iron distance: 135
TOP CLUBS (in alphabetical order)
DRIVERS: Callaway Rogue ST Max; Cobra LTDx Max; Titleist TSi2 | FAIRWAY WOODS: Ping G425 Max; PXG 0341XF; Titleist TSi2 | HYBRIDS: Cobra Air-X; PXG 0317XF; Titleist TSi2 | PLAYERS IRONS: Srixon ZX7; Proto-Concept C03; Titleist T100 | PLAYERS DISTANCE IRONS: Mizuno JPX921 Hot Metal Pro; PXG 0311P; Srixon ZX5 | GAME IMPROVEMENT IRONS: Callaway Rogue ST Max; Ping G425; Titleist T300

Ricky Brown

Age: 43; Handicap: +4; Driver swing speed: 108; Driver distance: 270; 7-iron swing speed: 88; 7-iron distance: 170
TOP CLUBS (in alphabetical order)
DRIVERS: Callaway Rogue ST Max LS; TaylorMade Stealth Plus; Titleist TSi3 | FAIRWAY WOODS: Cobra LTDx; Ping G425 LST; Titleist TSi3 | HYBRIDS: Callaway Epic Super; TaylorMade Stealth Plus; Titleist TSi3; PLAYERS IRONS: Callaway Apex Pro; PXG 0311 T; Titleist T100 | PLAYERS DISTANCE IRONS: Mizuno Mizuno Pro 225; Titleist T100•S; Titleist T200 | GAME IMPROVEMENT IRONS: Cleveland Launcher XL; Cobra Forged Tec X; PXG 0311 XP

Larry McCoy

Age: 57; Handicap: 6; Driver swing speed: 97; Driver distance: 245; 7-iron swing speed: 80; 7-iron distance: 156
TOP CLUBS (in alphabetical order)
DRIVERS: Mizuno ST-Z 220; Ping G425 LST; Titleist TSi3 | FAIRWAY WOODS: Mizuno ST-Z; Ping G425 Max; TaylorMade Stealth Plus | HYBRIDS: Titleist TSi3; Cobra Air-X; Mizuno CLK | PLAYERS IRONS: Cobra King Tour; TaylorMade P7•MC; Titleist T100 | PLAYERS DISTANCE IRONS: PXG 0311 P Gen 4; TaylorMade P•770; TaylorMade P•790 | GAME IMPROVEMENT IRONS: Callaway Apex DCB; TaylorMade Stealth; Titleist T300

Paul Ianniello

Age: 60; Handicap: 5; Driver swing speed: 92; Driver distance: 220; 7-iron swing speed: 80; 7-iron distance: 162
TOP CLUBS (in alphabetical order)
DRIVERS: PXG 0811 X; TaylorMade Stealth Plus; Titleist TSi3 | FAIRWAY WOODS: TaylorMade Stealth; TaylorMade Stealth Plus; Titleist TSi2 | HYBRIDS: Cobra Air-X; Ping G425; PXG 0317X | PLAYERS IRONS: Callaway Apex TCB; Srixon ZX7: Proto-Concept C03 | PLAYERS DISTANCE IRONS: Proto-Concept CO5; TaylorMade P•790; Titleist T200 | GAME IMPROVEMENT IRONS: PXG 0311 XP; TaylorMade Stealth; Titleist T300

Sean Harper

Age: 50; Handicap: 8; Driver swing speed: 89; Driver distance: 225; 7-iron swing speed: 79; 7-iron distance: 152
TOP CLUBS (in alphabetical order)
DRIVERS: Ping G425 Max; PXG 0811XF; Srixon ZX5 | FAIRWAY WOODS: Ping G425; TaylorMade Stealth Plus; Titleist TSi2 | HYBRIDS: Callaway Apex; Ping G425 Max; Titleist TSi3 | PLAYERS IRONS: Cobra King Tour; Mizuno JPX921 Tour; PXG 0311T | PLAYERS DISTANCE IRONS: Callaway Apex; Mizuno JPX921 Forged; TaylorMade P790 | GAME IMPROVEMENT IRONS: Callaway Apex DCB; TaylorMade Stealth; Titleist T300

Ryan Kroll

Age: 46; Handicap: 8; Driver swing speed: 98; Driver distance: 235; 7-iron swing speed: 79; 7-iron distance: 155
TOP CLUBS (in alphabetical order)
DRIVERS: Callaway Rogue ST Max; Ping G425 Max; Titleist TSi2 | FAIRWAY WOODS: Callaway Rogue ST Max; Cobra LTDx; Mizuno ST-Z | HYBRIDS: Mizuno CLK; PXG 0317X; Titleist TSi3 | PLAYERS IRONS: Proto-Concept CO3; Titleist T100; Wilson Staff Model CB | PLAYERS DISTANCE IRONS: Callaway Apex; Mizuno JPX921 Forged; Srixon ZX5 | GAME IMPROVEMENT IRONS: Mizuno JPX921 Hot Metal; TaylorMade Stealth; Titleist T300

Tom Allen

Age: 57; Handicap: 6; Driver swing speed: 95; Driver distance: 245; 7-iron swing speed: 80; 7-iron distance: 155
TOP CLUBS (in alphabetical order)
DRIVERS: Callaway Rogue ST Max; Titleist TSi2; Ping G425 Max | FAIRWAY WOODS: PXG 0341X; Srixon ZX; TaylorMade Stealth | HYBRIDS: Callaway Rogue ST Max; Mizuno CLK; Ping G425 | PLAYERS IRONS: Mizuno JPX921 Tour; PXG 0311T; Titleist T100 | PLAYERS DISTANCE IRONS: Callaway Apex; Ping i525; TaylorMade P790 | GAME IMPROVEMENT IRONS: Ping G425; TaylorMade Stealth; Titleist T300

Alejandra Bedoya

Age: 23; Handicap: 5; Driver swing speed: 90; Driver distance: 225; 7-iron swing speed: 75; 7-iron distance: 146
TOP CLUBS (in alphabetical order)
DRIVERS: Cobra LTDx; Ping G425 Max; TaylorMade Stealth | FAIRWAY WOODS: Callaway Rogue ST Max; PXG 0341XF; TaylorMade Stealth Plus | HYBRIDS: PXG 0317X: Mizuno CLK; Cobra Air-X | PLAYERS IRONS: Mizuno Mizuno Pro 223; PXG 0311T Gen 4; TaylorMade P•7MC | PLAYERS DISTANCE IRONS: Mizuno Mizuno Pro 225; PXG 0311 P Gen 4; Titleist T200 | GAME IMPROVEMENT IRONS: PXG 0311 XP Gen4; Srixon ZX4; Titleist T300

Anand Mudaliar

Age: 39; Handicap: 9; Driver swing speed: 105; Driver distance: 265; 7-iron swing speed: 84; 7-iron distance: 164
TOP CLUBS (in alphabetical order)
DRIVERS: Callaway Rogue ST Max; PXG 0811XT; XXIO X | FAIRWAY WOODS: Callaway Rogue ST Max; Ping G425 Max; Titleist TSi2 | HYBRIDS: Callaway Apex; PXG 0317X; Tour Edge Hot Launch C522 | PLAYERS DISTANCE IRONS: Callaway Rogue ST Pro; Proto-Concept C05; PXG 0311 P Gen 4 | GAME IMPROVEMENT IRONS: Cobra LTDx; Srixon ZX4; Titleist T300 | SUPER GAME IMPROVEMENT IRONS: Cobra T-Rail; XXIO 12; Wilson Launch Pad

Peter Lee

Age: 54: Handicap: 9: Driver swing speed: 97; Driver distance: 245; 7-iron swing speed: 80; 7-iron distance: 156
TOP CLUBS (in alphabetical order)
DRIVERS: Callaway Rogue ST Max; Ping G425 Max; PXG 0811 XF | FAIRWAY WOODS: Mizuno ST-X; Ping G425 Max; TaylorMade Stealth | HYBRIDS: Callaway Rogue ST Pro; Cobra LTDx; Ping G425 | PLAYERS DISTANCE IRONS: Callaway Apex; Ping i525; PXG 0311P | GAME IMPROVEMENT IRONS: Callaway Apex DCB; Callaway Rogue ST Max: Mizuno JPX921 Hot Metal | SUPER GAME IMPROVEMENT IRONS: Callaway Rogue ST Max OS; PXG 0211Z; Titleist T400

Gary Abbott

Age: 34; Handicap: 15; Driver swing speed: 98; Driver distance: 235; 7-iron swing speed: 81; 7-iron distance: 153
TOP CLUBS (in alphabetical order)
DRIVERS: Ping G425 Max; TaylorMade Stealth; Titleist TSi3 | FAIRWAY WOODS: Cobra LTDx Max; TaylorMade Stealth; TaylorMade Stealth Plus | HYBRIDS: Ping G425; TaylorMade Stealth; Titleist TSi2 | PLAYERS DISTANCE IRONS: Callaway Apex; TaylorMade P790; Titleist T200 | GAME IMPROVEMENT IRONS: Callaway Rogue ST Max: Ping G425: TaylorMade Stealth | SUPER GAME IMPROVEMENT IRONS: Callaway Rogue ST Max OS; Cleveland Launcher XL Halo; Titleist T400

Dan Lupo

Age: 29; Handicap: 14; Driver swing speed: 97; Driver distance: 225; 7-iron swing speed: 87; 7-iron distance: 160
TOP CLUBS (in alphabetical order)
DRIVERS: Ping G425 Max; PXG 0811XF; Titleist TSi3 | FAIRWAY WOODS: Callaway; Rogue ST Max; Cobra LTDx; TaylorMade Stealth | HYBRIDS: Cobra King Tec; TaylorMade Stealth; Titleist TSi1 | PLAYERS DISTANCE IRONS: Cobra King Forged Tec; PXG 0311P Gen 4; TaylorMade P•790 | GAME IMPROVEMENT IRONS: PXG 0311XP Gen 4; TaylorMade Stealth; Titleist T300 | SUPER GAME IMPROVEMENT IRONS: Callaway Rogue ST Max OS; Titleist T400; XXIO 12

Alex Reinhart

Age: 37; Handicap: 12; Driver swing speed: 102; Driver distance: 248; 7-iron swing speed: 82; 7-iron distance: 160
TOP CLUBS (in alphabetical order)
DRIVERS: Callaway Rogue ST Max; Ping G425 LST; TaylorMade Stealth | FAIRWAY WOODS: Callaway Rogue ST Max; Cleveland Launcher XL Halo; Titleist TSi3 | HYBRIDS: Cobra LTDx; Mizuno CLK; TaylorMade Stealth Plus | PLAYERS DISTANCE IRONS: Cobra King Forged Tec; Ping i525; Titleist T200 | GAME IMPROVEMENT IRONS: PXG 0311 XP Gen4; Cleveland Launcher XL; Mizuno JPX921 Hot Metal | SUPER GAME IMPROVEMENT IRONS: Callaway Rogue ST Max OS; PXG 0211 Z; XXIO Prime

Wei Mao

Age: 51; Handicap: 15; Driver swing speed: 90; Driver distance: 220; 7-iron swing speed: 78; 7-iron distance: 145
TOP CLUBS (in alphabetical order)
DRIVERS: Callaway Rogue ST Max; Titleist TSi2; TaylorMade Stealth | FAIRWAY WOODS: Callaway Rogue ST Max D; Srixon ZX; Tour Edge Exotics E722 | HYBRIDS: Ping G425; Srixon ZX; Tour Edge Exotics E722 | PLAYERS DISTANCE IRONS: Callaway Apex; Ping i525; Proto-Concept C05 | GAME IMPROVEMENT IRONS: Callaway Apex DCB; XXIO X; TaylorMade Stealth | SUPER GAME IMPROVEMENT IRONS: Callaway Rogue ST Max OS; PXG 0211 Z; Titleist T400

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The post WATCH: Inside the Hot List — Our testers reveal their preferred clubs appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The clubs Stewart Cink used to win the 2020 Safeway Open

Golf Digest Middle East — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 02:06:20 +0000

Jed Jacobsohn

By E. Michael Johnson
When Stewart Cink won the 2009 Open Championship, along with being remembered for Tom Watson’s amazing run at the title at age 59, it also marked Cink’s first major championship. Unfortunately for Cink, it also was his last PGA Tour victory until he captured the 2020-21 season-opening Safeway Open in Napa, Calif.

Cink shot back-to-back rounds of 65 to hold off Harry Higgs and a plethora of others for his first PGA Tour win in 4,074 days.

On the front nine Cink converted four short birdie putts before rolling in a 20-footer on No. 11. Despite being 47 years old, Cink was able to average 315.6 yards off the tee and took a lot of pressure off by hitting 61 of 72 greens in regulation for an 84.72 percent clip.

Cink’s driver is Ping’s G410 LST, the company’s low-spinning version of its G410 driver family. Cink also uses Ping’s i210 irons with the interesting configuration of the set running all the way to his gap wedge, something common to everyday golfers but rarely seen on the PGA Tour. In another nod to the everyman, Cink also carries a 20.5-degree Ping G410 7-wood to go with a 13.5-degree G410 3-wood.

It’s unclear whether Cink hit the 3-wood or the 7-wood into the 72nd hole from 254 yards out (although judging by the height of the shot, it would be difficult to elevate a 13.5-degree club that much), but it helped deliver a crucial shot in deciding the tournament in setting up a finishing birdie—even if it was a long time coming.

What Stewart Cink had in the bag at the 2020 Safeway Open:

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Driver: Ping G410 LST (Graphite Design Tour AD XC), 10.5 degrees
3-wood: Ping G410, 13.5 degrees
7-wood: Ping G410, 20.5 degrees
Irons (4-iron through gap wedge): Ping i210
Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM8 (58, 60 degrees)
Putter: Ping Vault 2.0 Ketsch

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120,000 fakes seized in largest golf counterfeit raid ever

Golf Digest Middle East — Sun, 23 Aug 2020 00:04:54 +0000

By Mike Stachura
For those who think the counterfeit business in golf clubs has dried up and gone dark, guess again. A raid in China just turned up 120,000 phony golf products, the largest counterfeit golf equipment seizure in history.

The raid was the result of the joint efforts of the U.S. Golf Manufacturers Anti-Counterfeiting Working Group and 100 local Shanghai police officers, who raided 10 facilities at the same time operating in the online equipment business. Products included clubs and clubheads, shafts, grips and bags.

“We are thrilled that Chinese police were willing to take serious action against online counterfeits even during the pandemic,” said Kristin Strojan, legal counsel, trademark and brand protection at TaylorMade. “Counterfeiters have been taking advantage of the current situation, and counterfeit listings have become more rampant on the internet. We never stopped watching them even during these challenging times and continue to work with authorities worldwide to target online counterfeit sellers aggressively. This raid action sends a very strong message to the market that the Golf Group has zero-tolerance for counterfeit products and will continue to monitor the marketplace, both online and offline, to maintain the integrity of the game.”

The Shanghai raid involved operators that primarily distribute products to online retailers, all of whom do the majority of their business outside the U.S. During the raid 15 people were detained and later arrested. According to a press release, “The entire network, from the manufacturer of the club heads, shaft and grip suppliers, to owners of assembling workshops, shipping center and online chatting rooms, was rooted out completely.”

According to officials with the Working Group, the counterfeit sales were coming from the Chinese online site Taobao, the world’s largest e-commerce site that is a consumer-to-consumer site much like ebay. The sellers were named “prettyspor” and “buddygolf.” The products, representing the brands Titleist, TaylorMade, PXG, Ping, Callaway, and XXIO, would have shipped directly from China.

According to the Working Group, more than two million golf counterfeits are produced each year. Across all industries, it’s estimated the total value of counterfeit products globally is expected to reach $1.8 trillion by the end of this year.

A general rule of thumb for consumers wary of purchasing a counterfeit piece of golf equipment is to make sure the purchase is from an authorized retailer. The Working Group also cautions against consumers making purchases from online vendors based in China that they are unfamiliar with.

The Working Group is made up of six of the largest golf manufacturers in the world, including Acushnet (the parent of Titleist and FootJoy), Callaway (including Odyssey), SRI (Cleveland, Srixon and XXIO), Ping, PXG and TaylorMade.

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Ping G710 irons deliver pleasing sound in a built-for-speed package

Golf Digest Middle East — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 08:18:28 +0000

By E. Michael Johnson
Ping’s G710 irons continue a hollow-body iron path the company embarked on in 2016 with the introduction of its Crossover iron and followed with the G700. Its latest entry into that category, however, is being touted by the company as its “longest, most forgiving iron to date.”

Like its predecessor, the G710 irons use a maraging steel face insert. That’s surrounded by a 431 stainless-steel body. The maraging steel face provides metalwood-like face flex that launches the ball higher, allowing for slightly stronger lofts for more distance without sacrificing the shot-stopping ability that comes with height on iron shots.

Tungsten weights in the toe and heel provide higher stability on off-centre (up to five per cent more moment of inertia compared to G700) hits to help mitigate the loss of ball speed on such shots, helping golfers have a tighter dispersion pattern. A wide sole makes it easier to get through the ground when taking more turf than desired.

The big differences in the G710 from the G700 (aside from a stealth black finish for the clubhead), however, are more nuanced. The company received feedback that the sound could be improved, and it set out to accomplish that without sacrificing the distance gain.

“We wanted to try and keep out a couple of unwanted frequencies,” said Dr. Paul Wood, Ping’s VP of engineering. “There were minimally invasive things we could do to achieve that without compromising the benefits of a hollow body golf club. It really came down to what could we do with the least amount of weight added?”

The answer turned out to be one they were familiar with. “The best solution turned out to be the use of hot melt, which we often use in drivers,” said Wood. “It’s a polymer that you can melt and place where you want and can get rid of a frequency in the club. A thin layer of that behind the face helped us get rid of undesirable frequencies that we were able to identify through modal analysis and our player testing showed the sound of the G710 was much preferred over that of the G700.”

Another leap forward is employing Arccos Caddie smart grips and a free trial of the Arccos Caddie app, something suggested by company president John K. Solheim after some first-hand experience with the product.

“I personally started using Arccos more than a year ago and have seen significant improvement across my entire game,” Solheim said. “It helps me during a round with club selection, and I really enjoy analyzing all the data after the round to uncover areas to help me play better.”

Each iron is built with an embedded sensor in the grip to automatically record and analyze every shot taken during a round when paired with the Arccos Caddie app. Golfers receive a 90-day free trial of the app and extra sensors to use on other clubs when purchasing six or more irons.

Another move to help golfers play better with the Ping G710 irons is the addition of a new ultra-lightweight shaft option for those needing to increase swing speed and height on their shots. The Alta Distanza Black 40 graphite shaft is a feathery 43-gram iron shaft with a more flexible tip section to help bring higher trajectories and more swing speed.

The G700 irons are available in 4-iron through sand wedge in 10 colour codes (lie angle) at $175 per club in steel (Ping AWT 2.0) and $190 per club in graphite (Alta CB Red). Several no-upcharge shafts are also available, including the True Temper Dynamic Gold, Dynamic Gold 105, Dynamic Gold 120, Project X LZ, True Temper XP95, Nippon NS Pro Modus 105 and KBS Tour in steel and UST Recoil in graphite. A “Power Spec” option featuring lofts that are a degree-and-a-half stronger on the long and mid-irons to two degrees stronger on the short irons also is available. The G710 irons can be pre-ordered immediately.

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Sergio Garcia is playing well and living up to his reputation for never a dull moment

Golf Digest Middle East — Sat, 18 Jan 2020 07:16:08 +0000

Garcia tees off on the 5th hole during Day 2 of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Abu Dhabi Golf Club on January 17, 2020.(Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

By John Huggan
ABU DHABI — As ever when the matter at hand happens to be the professional life and times of the ever-volatile Sergio Garcia, there is a lot going on. First though, the good news. Eight days after his 40th birthday—“I’m closer to 60 than I am to 20” he joked—and in an event where he has never finished outside the top 20 in six previous appearances, the Spaniard is on eight-under 136 halfway through the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

Tied with Haotong Li and Renato Paratore, Garcia is two shots behind the 36-hole leader, Italy’s Francesco Laporta, who topped the Challenge Tour rankings last year. Rafa Cabrera-Bello and Matt Fitzpatrick are nine under, with Lee Westwood, Louis Oosthuizen and Patrick Cantlay among those two shots further back. World No. 1 Brooks Koepka is three-under 141 after following up an encouraging first round back from injury on Thursday with a disappointing 75 on Friday

Garcia’s second-round 69, four birdies, one bogey, was shot with 14 new clubs in his bag. Free to choose the make-up of his set following his split from Callaway, the former Masters champion is currently a free agent able to employ a mixture of manufacturers.

“Unfortunately I wasn’t comfortable enough with the Callaway ball, and they needed me to play it,” he explained. “So we decided to part ways. Nicely, though. There were no bad feelings from either side, which was great. I’m playing whatever feels best for me or fits me best. That’s where we are, and that’s what I was working on over the Christmas break.”

It wasn’t the easiest of decisions though. Suddenly able to pick from an array of goodies rather than use what he is being paid to play, Garcia took some time to find exactly what he wanted.

“Feel is important, but for me a club has to look good,” he said. “If it doesn’t look good, I’m not going to be able to play it, even if it’s the best club in the world. Then, when I try it and when I test it, I have to see good numbers. It’s as simple as that.”

Specifically and at least for the moment, Garcia’s fairway woods are TaylorMades. The others, including driver and putter, are all made by Ping. The ball in play is a Titleist.

“I’m sure I will try a couple of different things along the way,” Garcia said. “But I’m pretty happy with what I have at the moment. I doubt I will change the irons. They feel really good, as do the fairway woods. Just about the only thing I might look at is the driver, just to see if I can find a few more yards. I’m comfortable with it right now though.”

Another pleasing aspect of what is Garcia’s seventh visit to this event was the pace of play. Along with just about everyone else in the 132-strong field, he noticed a positive difference.

“People seem to be a bit more aware,” he said. “We were actually on the clock just after the turn, but we caught up quickly. Overall though, it did feel a bit quicker.”

That brief chat with a rules official is hardly Garcia’s first brush with the laws of the game, of course. In two weeks, he will return to the Saudi International, where last year he indulged in a famously extended tantrum. First there was a wild, club-swinging episode in a greenside bunker. Then, more seriously, a number of putting surfaces were damaged.

As a result, Garcia was disqualified from the event, a punishment many of his fellow players on the European Tour felt was inadequate. Because his behavior had a directly negative impact on the other competitors, the prevailing mood favored a longer suspension rather than a one-event DQ.

So it is that Garcia will soon be making a controversial return to the European Tour’s most controversial event, in a land hardly renowned for its adherence to basic human rights. Not surprisingly, Garcia has been making strenuous efforts to make belated amends.

“I feel terrible about what happened last year,” Garcia said earlier this week. “Obviously there were some outside things that got me to that point. But I want to go back. I want to show my respect to them.

“The easy thing would have been for me to hide and never go back there,” he continued. “But I love the people there, and I love the guys, all the people we met and the Sheikh and everyone that takes care of us during the tournament. They are amazing people, and they wanted me to go back. So that was an easy decision, and I’m excited to go back there. I want to show myself, show the true Sergio, and show them my respect and try to play the best that I can. And hopefully have a great tournament.”

Which he is halfway to doing this week on the other side of the Persian Gulf. What the weekend holds is anyone’s guess. But one thing is for sure. Life with Sergio is never dull.

The post Sergio Garcia is playing well and living up to his reputation for never a dull moment appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Sergio’s equipment shift reaps instant reward

Kent Gray — Thu, 16 Jan 2020 17:32:44 +0000

David Cannon/Getty Images
Garcia plays his second shot on the 14th hole during the first round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Abu Dhabi Golf Club on January 16, 2020,

By Kent Gray
New year, new clubs, same old Sergio Garcia.

A five-under 67 sees the former Masters champion in a six-way tie for fifth heading into Friday’s second round at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship presented by EGA.

The 40-year-old enjoys his position on the first page of the leaderboard with, among others, fellow former Dubai Desert Classic winners Rafa Cabrera Bello and Haotong Li. It seems he’s just as comfortable with his new Ping driver, Blueprint irons, Glide 3.0 wedges and an Anser-style putter.

Garcia caused the first big equipment stir of 2020 when it emerged he had parted company with Callaway on the eve of this week’s $7 million Rolex Series event. He’d signed a deal to play Callaway woods, irons and wedges, the company’s Chrome Soft balls and an Odyssey putter in 2018 after a 15 year stint with TaylorMade; interestingly he was spotted with a TaylorMade SiM fairway metal yesterday.

He insisted there was no animosity over the Callaway split.

“Unfortunately I wasn’t comfortable enough with the [Chrome Soft] golf ball, and they needed me to play it. You know, we decided to kind of part ways. Nicely, though, so there was no bad feelings from any part or any side which was great,” Garcia said.

“I’m fairly comfortable. I had some good practice sessions throughout Christmas and New Years. It’s just a matter of kind of getting a bit more used to it [the new equipment] as the year goes on, but for the most part, you know, it feels quite good and I’m happy the way it went today.”

Why not after a round only marred by a bogey on the 9th, his final hole after starting on the 10th.

?Documents
└? Great Escapes
└? @TheSergioGarcia
└ This folder is full#ADGolfChamps #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/tADYeSAtBl

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) January 16, 2020

“Obviously I would love to par the last but unfortunately that didn’t happen, just a little unfortunate on the last that that pitch bounced on that pitch mark and just died. Other than that, I felt like I played pretty solid. Hit a good amount of shots, good, solid shots, a couple here and there that I didn’t quite commit as well as I should have.”

After winning the Desert Classic in 2017 before going on to claim the green jacket, Garcia clearly has desert pedigree. He wasn’t getting ahead of himself on Thursday but is happy to get the new year off to a fast start.

“I can’t put my hand on it or I can’t tell you exactly why, but I’ve always enjoyed the desert. It feels like you can hit different kind of shots. Usually I’m fairly good in the wind, and usually it gets a little breezy here, so that kind of helps my game a little bit.”

The post Sergio’s equipment shift reaps instant reward appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Sergio Garcia spotted with Ping clubs; Callaway confirms split with former Masters champ

Golf Digest Middle East — Wed, 15 Jan 2020 06:31:00 +0000

Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

By Joel Beall
Sergio Garcia is making his 2020 debut this week at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. And he will be doing so with new sticks in tow.

The post Sergio Garcia spotted with Ping clubs; Callaway confirms split with former Masters champ appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.