Ping club weight, it never occured to me...

[lcfd42]

I have played my G10s for quite a while now, and never thought about how much the clubs actually weigh compared to other clubs. (I know GI clubs are always a little heavier, but my goodness!) These things are absolutely slug weight. No wonder they get the ball up and contact well, the things can't help it. It never quite occured to me as to why I could not acheive the yardage I way used to getting from my irons, now I know. This would probably explaing why ping delofts their clubs an extra degree compared to others (for compensation of lost SS).
I am by no means trashing the Ping clubs, as they do what they advertise and I enjoy playing them. I am just talking about what they weigh. That would also explain why my bag is so heavy.

[Shanks A Million]

Ping makes all of their clubs from very hard, heavy 17-4 steel. 17-4 is a very hard, very durable stainless steel. This is one reason Ping clubs from 30 years ago are still around, they are very hard wearing. Most companies make their fairway woods from 17-4, but almost none cast their irons or wedges from it anymore. In fact, when irons were first cast, 17-4 was the metal of choice, but people quickly declared their dissatisfaction for 17-4. As a result, club makers switched to 431 stainless steel, a softer alloy. Today, even softer stainless alloys are becoming more widely used.

Ping can still use 17-4 for, in my mind, two reasons. 1. They heat treat them to make them softer, and 2. They make cavity back clubs. When stainless first came out, companies still made blades. Cavities often feel much softer on mishits, so the hardness of the steel would have been less noticeable. If you've ever hit a cast blade, you'll remember it. There is no more solid feeling club when hit on center, but no worse feeling than one hit thin.

[James_Black]

Ping makes all of their clubs from very hard, heavy 17-4 steel. 17-4 is a very hard, very durable stainless steel. This is one reason Ping clubs from 30 years ago are still around, they are

I've got a cast blade.

Nicest thing ever to hit off the centre but if you don't it'll break your hand I never really noticed much of a weight difference between ping and other GI clubs.

[WUTiger]

This would probably explaing why ping delofts their clubs an extra degree compared to others (for compensation of lost SS).

Originally, Ping delofted their irons a little because the perimeter weighting popped the ball up in the air more than traditional irons. Ping did this to prevent distance loss from ballooning. (Search

RalphMaltby.com for details). But, golf's marketing guys saw this, and pushed for even more delofting, so that people could hit their 7i 175 yds. and impress their foursome. Some delofting was helpful, but later delofting was marketing hype (and it created spot for GW between old PW and SW lofts).

[Shanks A Million]

Originally, Ping delofted their irons a little because the perimeter weighting popped the ball up in the air more than traditional irons. Ping did this to prevent distance loss from ballooning. (Search

Amen. Delofting is way out of hand.

[wolverine_man]

Amen. Delofting is way out of hand.

You're telling me! One of my favorite iron sets are my Mizuno MP-14s and which have a 50* PW. My Macs have a 48* PW. They're putting like 45* PWs in clubs these days! That used to be a nine iron!