New Ping putters

Ping used the Premiere Golf 2001 trade show in Marbella this week for the European launch of five new putters and Golfmagic was there to check them out.

Ping new PENGYO putter.

All are crafted from aerospace quality stainless steel with a satin finish, have been designed as part of Ping engineers' quest to revolutionise putting and will all be available in Europein the New Year. They can be custom fitted for length, lie, loft and grip type.

The new PENGYO putters, appropriately named after the Mandarin Chinese word for ‘friend’, include a continuous curve on the flange and a sight line on the top of the clubhead to line up your putts. Too many putters have ‘too much going on’ as you look down on the ball but these look pleasing to the eye and instill confidence.

Says Ping’s engineering guru John Solheim:"The radius of the curve that sweeps from the heel to the toe of the PENGYO is designed to keep the centre of gravity low for better roll and a purer strike from slightly off-centre hits."

The Ping PENGYO will sell at £80 and the Isopur model, the PENGYO i2, milled in the face and with a soft responsive feel will sell at £110.

Golfers who prefer subtle and accurate sight lines will want to try the new Ping VSLputter with ridges which cast shadows onto the flange, creating a visual sight line, making alignmnent incredibly easy.

Cost will be £80 but you’ll pay an extra £30 for the VSL i2. Standard length for the PENGYO and VSL models is 34 inches.

For those wanting to try out a mid-length putter, where the shaft jams into your chest or tummy, the Ping lil'b, is a shorter version of the broomhandle Ping B90, introduced in 1991.

Shorter by seven inches (41 inches), it has a slightly smaller head than the original and features a shaft with a small double bend and the ability to change lie angles and cost is £100.

All five putters will be available in right and left-hand models.