Equipment guide: Ping reviewed following 50th birthday

Golf Monthly’s March issue reflects on the fascinating story of Ping’s 50 years in the golf industry, from Karsten Solheim’s early 1A putter right through to today’s successful G10 range.

To celebrate Ping’s golden anniversary, we have reviewed some its products. Like a fine wine, Ping’s drivers have got better with age, from G2, through G5 and into the Ping G10. According to Datatech, the G10 was the best-selling driver from January to November 2008. A real eye-catcher with its orange sole, the G10 is still a favourite.

Gallery: Karsten Solheim and 50 years of Ping

In terms of irons, the Ping Eye 2s were believed to be the best-selling iron model of all-time, staying in Ping’s range for over a decade, and can still be supplied today in certain circumstances. These are the irons that really set the tone for the majority of models we see on the shelves today. Now, you can select from Ping G10 irons, Ping Rapture V2 irons, Ping i10 irons, Ping S57 irons and Ping Rhapsody irons.

However, it’s not just the Ping drivers and irons that have enjoyed such success, and it is easy to forget that Solheim’s early work focused on putters. The Anser putter is quite simply the king of putters. The Ping Karsten Anser putter, the Ping iWi Anser putter and Ping Redwood Anser putter are all household names.  

It’s hard to imagine that it all started in 1959 from a garage workshop in Karsten Solheim’s Redwood City home in California.

Read more about 50 years of Ping in Golf Monthly’s March 2009 issue

Where next?

Equipment reviews; Ping G5 driver; Ping G10 driver Gallery: Ping's 50th birthday Latest equipment: TaylorMade R9 driver and fairway wood