Ping - iPing Cradle

New iPING putter app targets consistency for improved putting

The iPING app is a free download from the App Store™ for the iPhone® 4 and the smaller iPod touch® (4th gen).

The iPING app works in conjunction with a PING cradle, which holds the mobile device and clips onto the putter shaft just below the grip.

Cradles are available for either the iPhone 4 or iPod touch (4th gen) due to the different sizes of the devices.

 “Innovation takes many forms,” said John A. Solheim, PING Chairman & CEO. “The iPING app allows you to analyze your putting stroke more closely than ever.

It works like a launch monitor for putters by measuring key aspects of your stroke to improve your consistency. Besides that, it’s a lot of fun to use and has several other features.”

 The iPING app analyzes and displays your consistency onscreen using three criteria: stroke type (determined by how much the putter face rotates during the forward stroke); impact angle (the putter's face angle at impact, relative to address); and tempo (a measure of the duration of the backswing relative to the forward swing).

 The app works by computing consistency over a series of five putts where your stroke type, impact angle and tempo are measured, displayed and stored for every putt in that session. Your consistency scores are averaged over time to build a Putting Handicap (PHcp). As you improve your consistency, you’ll see your PHcp come down.

 The iPING Fit feature matches you with the PING putter models that fit your stroke type. Matching your putter to your stroke type is the key to greater consistency and lower scores. That’s why we’ve classified every current PING model by its face angle and corresponding stroke type, an approach to putter fitting we call Fit for Stroke™.

 “We’ve done thousands of hours of player testing that show when a golfer’s putter balance matches their stroke type, their consistency goes way up, and they make a lot more putts,” Solheim said. “As many times as we use our putter during a round, Fit for Stroke offers great potential to shoot lower scores.”

 You can access iPING Fit via the launch screen or the “More” tab on the iPING app’s home screen. The first step is to hit a series of five putts. After the session, the app displays a shaft label color-coded by stroke type: blue for straight strokes, green for slight arcs, and red for strong arcs.

 Once you know your stroke type and corresponding shaft label, tapping the “Recommend Putter” tab brings up a list of every current PING putter model that matches your stroke type. You simply scroll through the list to find the models that appeal to you.

 “Our intention is that iPING Fit and Fit for Stroke will revolutionize putter fitting the same way that our PING Color Code Chart changed club fitting nearly 40 years ago,” Solheim said. “The goal is to make the process easier and faster, with measurably better results for golfers.”