Ping PLD Custom Program

[Humble]

13 minutes ago, WarEagleGolf said:

Question on black carbon, does that finish also season? 

 

And separately can it be removed and get to raw carbon/lighter grey rather than black?  Is that even a thing? 

 

I'm new to carbon putters so trying to learn/read about it a bit more prior to fitting.  

 

 

I was told the black finish on carbon is the most resilient. 

[tsecor]

On 8/3/2022 at 3:02 PM, towncryer said:

 

Totally reasonable. If you balk at $1290 for a putter, nothing is going to change your mind.

 

I agree a million percent on your take on fitting. I work part-time (summers) at a golf shop and fit customers and see a lot of people get fit. To a certain extent, it's snake oil. The kinds of people who come in for custom fit clubs can't answer any questions about their games (what do you struggle with, what's your miss, what trajectory do you hit your current irons and what would you like to see a new iron do for you, etc...). A lot them answer, "I don't know! That's why I'm here!" or they come in and ask to get for the clubs that would be best for them...and then can't put together five decent swings out of 30. So yes, for a lot of people, fitting really probably just should be length and flex...and if they have a repeatable swing, lie angle, too.

 

I'm a putting nerd and love the idea of Ping's PLD fitting process. I'm very excited to hear what the fitter says about my tendencies, what kinds of things different spec tweaks can do to help with consistency, etc... I love working on my putting stroke and getting better. So for me? Worth it. 

very good take.....great post.  

[tsecor]

On 8/3/2022 at 3:02 PM, ChristopherMcDonald said:

Worth is very much a relative term. Luckily, Ping has OTR options for peanuts for folks like you who don't believe putters (or clubs in general) should command a high dollar. There are LOTS like you and that's not a bad thing.

However, premium markets exist and always will:

 

A Circle T will roll the ball to the hole just the same as an OTR Scotty 
A Hive Release will roll the ball to the hole just the same as an OTR Bettinardi
The list goes on

 

I guess all in all my point is that we've got endless options at a wide array of price points for every golfer. Options are always a good thing. 

definitely agree.....and truth be told, if i had $$$ flowing out of my ears that was pure "fun money" id probably be buying solid gold camerons for $25K.....lol

[tsecor]

On 8/4/2022 at 9:08 AM, dmwilson09 said:

You are comparing apples to oranges. Mills custom putter's is a very small business with very little overhead compared to Ping, one of the largest golf supplier/manufactures in the world. And Ping has decided to basically have their tour staff build one off custom putters in their spare time through this PLD program. On top of that, they send you equipment to record your stroke or you can go to their state of the art putting facility as apart of the PLD Program. Put things into perspective and I think the cost is justified.  

its all good....Mills has 50 years of experience and craftsmanship built in and probably could charge $1200...but he doesnt......and the products are amazing quality and works of art in some cases......im not interested in "overhead" costs being passed on to me as a consumer as a justification for price, but like i said, to each his own. I get it.......and we know PING is quality stuff so its all good at the end of the day.

[Motoboss]

6 hours ago, WarEagleGolf said:

Question on black carbon, does that finish also season? 

 

And separately can it be removed and get to raw carbon/lighter grey rather than black?  Is that even a thing? 

 

I'm new to carbon putters so trying to learn/read about it a bit more prior to fitting.  

 

 

Alex said all the Carbon finishes will age/patina so coating maintenance is required. I prefer no maintenance 🙂  The in-house hand applied finishes can be stripped, brushed down or left to deteriorate but the “coatings” (pretty sure the matte black, copper etc.) won’t deteriorate or fade (or barely).
Think a stain -vs- a sealer coat.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 5, 2022 by Motoboss

[WarEagleGolf]

1 hour ago, Motoboss said:

Alex said all the Carbon finishes will age/patina so coating maintenance is required. I prefer no maintenance 🙂  The in-house hand applied finishes can be stripped, brushed down or left to deteriorate but the “coatings” (pretty sure the matte black, copper etc.) won’t deteriorate or fade (or barely).
Think a stain -vs- a sealer coat.

 

 

 

 

Thanks.   Trying to keep options open but, as a true Wrx'er, I just have to overanalyze and start designing a putter I haven't even been guided to get as of yet...

[Motoboss]

40 minutes ago, WarEagleGolf said:

Thanks.   Trying to keep options open but, as a true Wrx'er, I just have to overanalyze and start designing a putter I haven't even been guided to get as of yet...

Better to be ready than not. I was not totally prepared for my build and still emailing with changes. I spent several sleepless nights going over the design build and still failed at some of the choices. It happens.
Good thing there is several weeks between ordering and completion.

 

Truthfully without this thread there is very little available in depth information about the process and options unless you speak to a fitter.

 

Make a list of questions and all possible options you may want. It’ll help.

[gJp6]

Had my virtual fitting with Alex this week. He was awesome and really took the time to go over everything in detail with me. Settled on an Anser 5D in patina finish. If the price doesn’t scare you off, the process is amazing and was a lot of fun. 

[Humble]

4 hours ago, gJp6 said:

Had my virtual fitting with Alex this week. He was awesome and really took the time to go over everything in detail with me. Settled on an Anser 5D in patina finish. If the price doesn’t scare you off, the process is amazing and was a lot of fun. 

Anser 2d? 

[gJp6]

No, they had a 5D(long neck)  prototype. Not sure how many they have. It was a perfect fit for me eye and stroke 

Edited August 7, 2022 by gJp6

[Humble]

3 minutes ago, gJp6 said:

No, they had a 5D(long neck)  prototype. Not sure how many they have. It was a perfect fit for me eye and stroke 

That’s awesome. Love that they continue to come out with more and more possibilities.

 

So it’s the 2d head with a long neck?

[gJp6]

It is more rounded and more similar to an Anser head than an Anser 2

[Humble]

Very cool . During my fitting I also saw what they called the “anser 30”. It’s an anser head with a long neck that gives about 30deg of toe hang.

[MattM97]

With all these new prototypes they should have a list on the site. Seems like a new one weekly which isnt bad. 

[towncryer]

I'm excited to see what Alex thinks would work for me and glad to know there are some options I don't know about...and finishes that aren't listed on the PLD Custom website! Oyster on stainless is calling my name!!!

 

Tuesday can't come soon enough.

[Unteachable]

4 hours ago, gJp6 said:

No, they had a 5D(long neck)  prototype. Not sure how many they have. It was a perfect fit for me eye and stroke 

 

3 hours ago, MattM97 said:

With all these new prototypes they should have a list on the site. Seems like a new one weekly which isnt bad. 

This gives me a little hope- I think i would want an anser XD if possible-  Didn't think they made it in wide but maybe so

I guess a kushin double bend would be similar

Edited August 7, 2022 by Unteachable

[gJp6]

Alex did a great job of listening to what fit my eye and then finding a head that met that need and the need of my stroke. It’s very detailed oriented and you never feel rushed. 

[Motoboss]

1 hour ago, gJp6 said:

Alex did a great job of listening to what fit my eye and then finding a head that met that need and the need of my stroke. It’s very detailed oriented and you never feel rushed. 

Yeah we went an hour thirty five minutes and never realized it until we said our goodbyes. He’s there for what it takes, which is very cool.

[JourdanM]

15 hours ago, Motoboss said:

Yeah we went an hour thirty five minutes and never realized it until we said our goodbyes. He’s there for what it takes, which is very cool.

He's absolutely the best. Made this process really special. 

[dwboston]

It has arrived!  Super thrilled with it - looks and feels awesome.  It's 100* here today so only have a chance to roll it inside.  Will get it out on the course this week.

 

Edited August 8, 2022 by dwboston

[MattM97]

35 minutes ago, dwboston said:

It has arrived!  Super thrilled with it - looks and feels awesome.  It's 100* here today so only have a chance to roll it inside.  Will get it out on the course this week.

 

 

That's nice, really nice. Despite all the delays with yours was it worth it? 

[dwboston]

1 hour ago, MattM97 said:

 

That's nice, really nice. Despite all the delays with yours was it worth it? 

 

I think so.  I've rolled a bunch on my PuttOut mat, and it puts a really nice roll on the ball and feels great. 

 

The medium face milling is perfect - just the right balance of feedback and feel.  I like the subtle tri-sole as well.  

 

This has more offset than I'm used to - a little more offset was one of the recommendations from the fitting. I've always had half-shaft offset flownecks because they just look "right" to me.  The full-shaft offset flowneck is much easier for me to line up square to the line than a plumber's neck. They did a great job with this putter.

 

I went with a little more head weight (355g vs. 350) as well since I went with a midsize PP58 grip.  It feels perfect.

Edited August 8, 2022 by dwboston

[Unteachable]

6 hours ago, dwboston said:

It has arrived!  Super thrilled with it - looks and feels awesome.  It's 100* here today so only have a chance to roll it inside.  Will get it out on the course this week.

 

The finish and the color looks fantastic.  Can you compare the medium mill to any other putters you own/tried.  I thought the retail pld with the deep mill was too mushy soft.

currently have a scotty phantom x that feels much better.  curious where the ping falls on feel

[dwboston]

1 hour ago, Unteachable said:

The finish and the color looks fantastic.  Can you compare the medium mill to any other putters you own/tried.  I thought the retail pld with the deep mill was too mushy soft.

currently have a scotty phantom x that feels much better.  curious where the ping falls on feel

 

I've had customs from Byron with fine, deep and tuna mills, Bettinardis with FIT faces, and Lajosi putters with fine and medium mills and TeCu inserts.  I'd say the closest are a Byron tuna milling and a Lajosi medium milling, though the PLD feels better to me, less clicky/more solid.  The Bettinardis were too soft.  The Lajosi TeCu inserts are nice though.

 

I've rolled dozens of putts with it today indoors on a PuttOut mat, using the 2022 AVX (my regular ball). With the AVX, it feels like Miura irons feel - not soft, but dense/solid.  Maybe the tungsten plugs in the PLD contribute to that solid feel?  I rolled a few with a Pro V1 as well - it felt a little more clicky with the Pro V1.  This is all subjective.

 

 

Edited August 9, 2022 by dwboston

[Motoboss]

On 8/7/2022 at 1:44 PM, MattM97 said:

With all these new prototypes they should have a list on the site. Seems like a new one weekly which isnt bad. 

 
I have heard the Anser 4J may become the Anser 4K (Karsten?) for the production model.

[MattM97]

51 minutes ago, Motoboss said:

 
I have heard the Anser 4J may become the Anser 4K (Karsten?) for the production model.

 

I'm all for the 4J head being an option. I think they should have all the models and hosel options on the site for people being fit to help narrow down their options sooner.

[Motoboss]

14 minutes ago, MattM97 said:

 

I'm all for the 4J head being an option. I think they should have all the models and hosel options on the site for people being fit to help narrow down their options sooner.

Trying to get my 4J engraved before they change the model name 😉 

[WarEagleGolf]

Kit comes tomorrow....call next week.   Going to get a prototype ansertyne 4KD2F7....niner.

[towncryer]

…and ordered!

 

The zoom was awesome. Alex was great to talk to/work with. In the end, I’m ordering the same putter that I play now with a little more length, 10g heavier, and a half degree flat. 
 

Anser

35.5” 

69.5 lie / 3 loft

350g

stainless with oyster finish

top rail dot

light milling

steel stepped shaft

PP58 Misdized cord grip

my initials on right bumper

 

 

He did offer a prototype head without the three lines under PING, and I jumped at it. Very cool.

 

It was a data nerds dream and I hope the next 4-6 weeks goes fast!

[So_Cal]

4 minutes ago, towncryer said:

…and ordered!

 

The zoom was awesome. Alex was great to talk to/work with. In the end, I’m ordering the same putter that I play now with a little more length, 10g heavier, and a half degree flat. 
 

Anser

35.5” 

69.5 lie / 3 loft

350g

stainless with oyster finish

top rail dot

light milling

steel stepped shaft

PP58 Misdized cord grip

my initials on right bumper

 

 

He did offer a prototype head without the three lines under PING, and I jumped at it. Very cool.

 

It was a data nerds dream and I hope the next 4-6 weeks goes fast!

Congrats man.  Anyone know if the stepped shaft is a YSC?