Ping Zing I have went retro

[ely4145]

With long thought on this I went back in time and purchased a all most new set of ping zings. Last year I friend of mine had a old PZ pitching wedge in his bag. I pick it up hit it it felt unlike any thing I every hit I love it. Is it insane to go back in time to try improving my game by the look and feel of this old set of club.

[MPM1960]

The Ping Zings are great clubs ... probably the most forgiving of all the Ping irons, although they got a bum rap because of their looks and the problem some had with the shafts breaking a few inches above the hosel (the original KT steel shafts couldn't handle the toe-down effect during the swing, hence the modified KT-M that are seen in many of the sets today).  If you compare the Zings to today's offerings, you'll find them to be solid feeling and very forgiving, but not as long as today's irons (companies have strengthened the lofts on many of today's irons over the years, which accounts for the difference in length).  I've got copper Zings with the Aldila 101 graphite shafts as my back-up set, and enjoy these irons very very much.

Good luck with your Zings,

Mike

MPM1960

[clearwaterms]

I believe that confidence is as big a part of this game as any piece of technology.  What I mean by that is that the set of iron heads you have the most confidence in is likely going to give you the best shots.

[David in FL]

The only club uglier than the Ping Zings were the Cleveland VAS..... :~(

[LBlack14]

The only club uglier than the Ping Zings were the Cleveland VAS..... :~(

But fine irons none the less and have a US Open Title. :-P

[David in FL]

But fine irons none the less and have a US Open Title. :-P

Yep. But by God, they're ugly! :-D

[LBlack14]

Yep. But by God, they're ugly! :-D

But play even better. :-D

[Clambake]

Originally Posted by LBlack14

But play even better.

If you're saying that they play better than they look, that isn't really saying much!

[Ernest Jones]

Originally Posted by LBlack14

But fine irons none the less and have a US Open Title.

You know the old expression, "looks like someone beat up on her with an ugly stick."? Well, those are the ugly sticks.

[RynoHanley]

Used PingZings up until a couple years ago and the only reason I switched is because they were custom fit to my grandfather who is much shorter than I am. Great clubs.

[guywoof]

I've done the same thing, just because I like retro golf stuff. Got a set of ping zing berylliums and hit them better than most irons I've hit. I also like the old callaway big berthas. Great feel. I've found, at least for myself, that the irons don't really make much difference in my scoring, but that all have a different feel to them.

[dbuck]

The only club uglier than the Ping Zings were the Cleveland VAS.....

True.

For some reason I like the utilitarian, industrial look of the Zings. I have a PING ZING 5 iron and ZING 2 Wedge in one of my bags. I will hit the 5 iron anywhere from 145-165 and especially from crappy lies. The wedge is about an 80 yard 3/4 no brainer and the lie doesn't matter. That wedge is the epitome of "shovel". It could be mistaken for a garden implement.

[painter33]

But I have gone retro... hitting MP 30s, retraced my clubs, first to Zing 2 irons (skipped right over the Zings) and now back to Eye 2s. I'm going to put graphite in one set but haven't decided which one.  Pro on the Zing 2s is that they have stronger lofts, but the Eye 2s are more workable (more like the Mizzys).  What to do, so many choices? The only consolation is that I'm doing the work and can change them as often as I like.

[Mac62]

But I have gone retro... hitting MP 30s, retraced my clubs, first to Zing 2 irons (skipped right over the Zings) and now back to Eye 2s....

A friend of mine is still playing his Eye 2s that he bought back in nineteen eighty-whatever.  He still loves them and has no desire to upgrade.  I always liked the look of the Zings/Eye 2s, they were the clubs that first made me want to buy Pings (and I finally did, 25 years later when I bought my K15s).  His Eye 2s are about an inch and a half too short for me, but I can't resist hitting them any time we play together.  It's amazing that they're still great clubs 33 years after they came out.

[guywoof]

I'm getting more retro than might be rational. Inherited two old Wilson sets.....Sam Snead blue ridge, and Arnold Palmer Autograph. More rusty than a Tiger Woods chip shot. Actually the same exact irons with different names. Sold mostly in hardware stores, etc. Maybe from the fifties. The worst shafts EVER put in any golf clubs. They have to be hit exactly right or it's a bad feel. Thinking about reshafting the least rusty set with a good steel shaft but will talk to a dealer about it. The crazy thing is, bouncing around with these old clubs has not bothered my scoring. In fact my handicap is dropping. Worst round I shot this year was with graphite shafted, modern big berthas. But this is making golf way more fun. .....Remember the Portland Mavericks.

[Tee2Trees]

One design detail about the Zing2 I haven't seen elsewhere is the high-bounce sole.  This makes them extremely forgiving on the fat miss.  People say a wide sole helps with fat shots but they are wrong.  A wide sole merely helps with THIN shots because of the low CG.  The high-bounce angle of the Zing2 sole combined with the narrow center section pushes the dirt down before the face reaches the ball, helping retain distance on the chunked shot.  Callaway touts their "U-grind" sole "designed with feedback from Phil Mickelson" as being a novel invention, but of course it's just another Karsten Solheim design that can be found in the Zing series.  Notice you will never, ever see a PGA pro playing cavity-back or GI wedges...unless they are Pings of course!

[Tee2Trees]

I'm getting more retro than might be rational. Inherited two old Wilson sets.....Sam Snead blue ridge, and Arnold Palmer Autograph. More rusty than a Tiger Woods chip shot. Actually the same exact irons with different names. Sold mostly in hardware stores, etc. Maybe from the fifties. The worst shafts EVER put in any golf clubs. They have to be hit exactly right or it's a bad feel. Thinking about reshafting the least rusty set with a good steel shaft but will talk to a dealer about it. The crazy thing is, bouncing around with these old clubs has not bothered my scoring. In fact my handicap is dropping. Worst round I shot this year was with graphite shafted, modern big berthas. But this is making golf way more fun. .....Remember the Portland Mavericks.

Don't do it.  Golf is expensive and life is short.  Even though it's "fun" to shoot bogey golf with goodwill antiques, you are honing your skills with inferior tools and you will have more difficulty taking the next step when the time comes.  Save those Sneads for warm-ups at the driving range.

[guywoof]

You are, of course, absolutely right. But I don't have the same mindset about golf. I just think of it as a game that's fun. I play with old friends, on old public courses, and have a great time trying out different shots, clubs, etc. Belonged to a private club once and never saw more unhappy golfers, all with the newest equipment money could buy. Nothing wrong with that, just not for me.