What to buy? Ping purple dot or orange dot?

[rickwinger]

Based on my fitment specs I'm almost on the line between a Ping purple dot (1.5* flat) or a Ping orange dot (2.25* flat), with the chart telling me (based on my height) that I'm just a smidgen towards orange.

How it looks on paper and how it works in life is a long running career joke for me...

I tend to hit the ball straight or with a slight fade when hitting the longer irons.

Until this year I have played only occasionally, but with some work and schedule changes in the making I anticipate being able to play at least weekly starting this summer. Also, I'm age 58 and after 35 years of playing with stiff shafts I'm going to buy a regular flex.

The time, age, and flex issues aside any thoughts on where to settle on the "which dot/lie angle" question would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Rick

[Dave2512]

Did you use the on-line fitting tool or were you fit in person? I ask because I did the on-line thing and came up with white dot. I played them for about 3-4 months on blind faith before trying a some standard lie irons on a whim and the difference was huge. I went from slicing nearly every shot to almost none at all the first day I made the switch. I've been fit twice, once at a big box store and once with a club maker using Trackman. Neither came up with upright for me like Ping's on-line tool did. But I trusted it because at one time I was using blue dot and I had a Ping rep fit me for those. But that was many years ago.

However I was newly back to golf in the white dot era and by the end of it I had made a lot of improvement. I have no doubt swing changes were made, even if inadvertently. By the time I started seeing instructors the slice problem had subsided. I'm not sure exactly how Ping comes up with their on-line determinations but I know one of the questions is usual ball flight. For me that was likely a flaw not a fitting issue.

[colnago1331]

While the online fitting chart is a great starting point it's by no means a substitute for a dynamic fitting. At the very least you'll want to go to a store and hit balls off of a lie board with lie tape on the sole of the iron. And you can do that for free. Sure, it'll take a little bit of time, but it will be well worth it. Of course, a full-on fitting would be even better but that usually costs something.....

[hacker101]

When I used the on line just for kicks i was standard black. After three fitting from three different fitters i am in yellow. I am 50 and 5'8" but due to the more upright stance this was where i am. i was catching the toe and over compensating so the ball would not head right.  Now I have not doubt that the more I play, they will need to be adjusted in the next months to come. I am finding that I am catching the heel a bit but my ball flight is good most of the time and the right shots are gone. But the beauty of Ping you can send them back for adjustment. They change the color and re-register under the new adjustment.

[rickwinger]

Thanks, and I'm glad you raised that question. The answer to how I was fitted and came up with the specs is "both."

Several years ago I was fitted by a pro who used measurements and video analysis of my swing and he came up with standard length shafts and 2* flat lie. Then sometime last year I went through the Ping online hoops and it came up with the smidgen over the line towards Orange recommendation.

I've got several sets of clubs laying about - an old set (early 70's) of Hogan Apex blades that I bought while in college, a set of early '90's Pete Bridges cavity back irons that I bought off of a mad local golfer who was swearing off the sport, and the i/3's I'm playing with now.

The guy I got the Bridges clubs from was almost exactly my height and had had the clubs made for him. Those were the clubs I was playing with most often when I was fitted by the pro and he did some measuring on them and said "stay with what you have."

That said, while the Bridges' clubs fit me better when I'm hitting the ball cleanly the i/3's feel better. The i/3's are black dots and the short irons do work better for me than the long irons. I have considered just sending them to Ping to be reworked but they are pretty old and the metal may not take kindly to being bent.

Anyway, the Ping lie angles do not perfectly fit the summary by the pro, but as men grow older they also grow shorter. So I'm just trying to look ahead.

Hmm. I may have just answered my own question...

[rickwinger]

Whoops! Several other posted while I was typing.

Thanks to all for the feedback.

[rickwinger]

Ebay is my friend. Found a set of garage queen Eye2 orange dots for an outstanding price.

And I'm going to sell this other stuff.

Best to all -

[dsc123]

I was fitted for green dots.  I just did the online fitting and it also said green.  But I would not recommend spending hundreds of dollars on clubs and hundreds of hours playing without getting a real fitting.

[rickwinger]

Thanks again to all for the feedback.

Re, this:

Originally Posted by dsc123

I was fitted for green dots.  I just did the online fitting and it also said green.  But I would not recommend spending hundreds of dollars on clubs and hundreds of hours playing without getting a real fitting.

The Ping online tools squared with what the pro told me after the tape measure, yard stick, video analysis, and "stand back and look and grunt" session several years ago. I'll work with the orange dots for a while and if they need tweaking I'll have them adjusted and keep working on it.

For me, golf has always presented an exercise of part trade-craft, part artistry, and part inexact science.