Introduces junior custom-fitting app
PHOENIX — Engineered with the score-lowering technologies of its adult line and inspired by its on-going commitment to introduce more juniors to the game, PING announced today the next generation of its custom-fit, custom-built Prodi G junior clubs.
The new Prodi G clubs are available for custom fitting and pre-order at authorized PING golf shops around the world and on ping.com beginning today.
Along with performance improvements throughout the set, the company is introducing WebFit Junior, a web app that recommends club specifications and set makeup based on the answers to a few questions about the junior player.
“Focusing on the needs of junior golfers and utilizing the technology of our adult product lines, we’ve advanced the performance of the new Prodi G family to deliver more distance while launching the ball higher to help ensure juniors experience consistently good shots and have fun on the course,” said John K. Solheim, PING CEO & President.
“We’ve also expanded the build range of the entire set, allowing us to better fit a wider height range of players using the new junior fitting app. With junior golf growing at a very high rate, we’re excited to bring all this to parents who want to get their kids started with a premium, high-performance set of clubs, custom fit and custom built just for them.”
The custom-engineered set is comprised of 10 clubs and two putter options: a 15⁰ titanium driver, 22⁰ fairway wood, 28⁰hybrid, perimeter-weighted irons (6-9, PW), specialty wedges (54⁰ S & 58⁰ H) and tour-proven putter models (Anser and Tyne H). The lightweight clubs can be ordered in any combination. Two sizes of the Hoofer Prodi G carry bags (34″, 4.3 lbs. and 30″, 4 lbs.) can be purchased separately.
The proven technologies applied to the new Prodi G include thinner, more flexible faces to increase ball speed in the metal woods, and irons engineered with lower CGs for more distance and higher launch. The iron’s custom tuning port allows for precise swing weighting during the custom-building process.
Two lightweight graphite shafts are optimized for length, weight and balance to match junior swing speeds. The two putter options offer a traditional blade or more contemporary mallet style.
To help parents find the ideal combination of clubs for their junior golfers, PING’s Fitting Science team developed WebFit Junior, a web app that recommends club specifications and set makeup based on the answers to a few questions about the player. The process takes less than two minutes to complete.
The junior golfer’s skill level, age, height, wrist-to-floor and average driver distance are factored into the recommendations. Among the outputs from the data is a gapping-analysis feature that allows users to experiment with the set makeup by adding or removing clubs to see the effect on distance gaps.
“WebFit Junior is an amazing app and full of very useful features, whether the junior golfer is just getting started or is already advancing as a competitive player,” said Solheim. “It’s consistent with our commitment to providing golfers of all ages and abilities with the latest fitting technologies to help lower their scores. The gapping-analysis tool is great for parents looking to optimize a set for their young golfers.
“It gives them the ability to experiment with different options as they determine the best set makeup for their junior. The app also includes a Yardage Report, a printable resource detailing approximate distances by club for use on the course to help in club selection.”
The company also announced the continuation of its popular “Get Golf Growing” program, an industry-first junior golf equipment initiative that offers custom-fit and custom-built junior clubs that include a one-time, no-cost adjustment to sets of five clubs or more. The program helps address an all-too-common occurrence that results in a lot of junior golfers playing clubs not suited to their games.
“One of the biggest barriers parents of junior golfers face is investing in a set of clubs that their kids will outgrow in a short time,” Solheim said. “Our ‘Get Golf Growing’ program is designed to be an affordable way to get juniors into high-performance, custom-fit clubs while bringing more boys and girls to the sport.
“The Prodi G clubs grow with the golfer. It’s basically two sets for the cost of one. We believe if juniors are exposed to better equipment, they’ll enjoy golf more, which will continue to grow the game as they fall in love with golf and play it for a lifetime.”
To be eligible for the “Get Golf Growing” program, five or more clubs must be purchased in one transaction. Allowable adjustments are re-shafting, lengthening, re-weighting and re-gripping.
