Nina Caldwell
Ping, Inc. (stylized as PING) is an American sports equipment manufacturing company based in Phoenix, Arizona. It was founded by Karsten Solheim, a former engineer at the General Electric company. Solheim founded the company in 1959, initially operating out of his garage in Redwood City, California, where he began making putters. In 1967, he established the Karsten Manufacturing Corporation (KMC), the maker of the Ping brand of golf clubs, and moved the business to a factory in Phoenix, Arizona. Today, Ping has established itself as one of the top-selling golf club manufacturers, known for its innovative and revolutionary contributions to golf equipment technology. The company remains a family-owned business, with Solheim's youngest son, John, taking over as President and CEO after Solheim's death in 2000.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Company Name | Ping, Inc. (stylized as PING) |
| Founder | Karsten Solheim |
| Year Founded | 1959 |
| Headquarters | Phoenix, Arizona |
| Industry | Golf equipment manufacturing |
| Products | Golf clubs, golf bags |
| Parent Company | Karsten Manufacturing Corporation (KMC) |
| Endorsement Deals | Tony Finau, Viktor Hovland, Louis Oosthuizen, Sahith Theegala, Bubba Watson, Lee Westwood |
| Notable Innovations | PING 1A putter, Anser putter, K1 stainless cast steel iron set |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Ping's history
Ping, Inc. (stylized as PING) is an American sports equipment manufacturing company based in Phoenix, Arizona. It was founded by Karsten Solheim, a Norwegian golf club designer and businessman who was formerly an engineer at the General Electric company.
Solheim founded Ping in 1959, starting out by making putters in his garage in Redwood City, California. The name "Ping" came from the distinctive "ping" sound that the clubhead made when striking the ball. By the end of 1960, Solheim had six designs and had made over 2,000 putters in his garage. In 1961, he and his family moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where the company would be permanently based. That same year, Solheim invented his first set of irons, which he named "69", reflecting a good round of golf.
In 1966, Solheim sketched a design for a new putter on the dust cover of a 78 RPM record. His wife, Louise, suggested the name "Answer" for the new putter, which was then shortened to "Anser" to enable trademarking. In 1967, Solheim resigned from General Electric to focus on developing the Ping company, and he moved his business from his garage to a factory, establishing Karsten Manufacturing Corporation (KMC), the maker of the Ping brand of clubs. The patent for the Ping Anser putter was granted in 1967, and in 1969, a major championship was first won using a Ping putter.
Ping has since become a top-selling golf club manufacturer, known for its commitment to engineering excellence, custom fitting, and quality manufacturing. The company has maintained endorsement deals with many professional golfers, including Tony Finau, Viktor Hovland, and Bubba Watson. Ping is also recognised for its contributions to golf equipment technology, pioneering industry-changing innovations such as investment casting, which enabled precise control over weight distribution in club heads.
Golfing at May River, Bluffton, SC: A Nature Lover's Paradise
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The Solheim family
Ping Golf, or PING, is an American sports equipment manufacturing company based in Phoenix, Arizona. It was founded by Norwegian golf club designer and businessman Karsten Solheim, who was born in Bergen, Norway, in 1911. The Solheim family emigrated to the United States in 1913 and settled in Seattle, Washington. Karsten Solheim founded Karsten Manufacturing, the maker of the PING brand of golf clubs, in 1959, operating out of his garage in Redwood City, California.
Karsten Solheim's innovative product designs revolutionised the sport, making golf easier and more fun for players at all levels. He applied scientific principles to golf club design, which was previously based on trial and error, and his first product was a putter that made a distinctive pinging sound when it struck the ball. The name "PING" was inspired by this sound. Karsten's sons, including CEO John Solheim, honed a successful business model that set industry standards. John K. Solheim, the current president of Ping, has continued the family legacy, overseeing the company's expansion into new markets such as Japan.
Wind's Impact on Golf: Strategies for Success
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Putter designs
Ping, Inc. (stylized as PING) is an American sports equipment manufacturing company based in Phoenix, Arizona. The company was founded by Karsten Solheim, an engineer at the General Electric company. Solheim founded Ping in 1959, starting with making putters in his garage in Redwood City, California. The name "PING" came from the sound that Solheim heard as the metal struck the ball.
Solheim's first putter design was the 1-A model, but it wasn't until the toe and heel-weighted Anser putter was released in 1966 that Ping gained widespread recognition. The Anser putter was so successful that it became the winningest putter head in golf history. The success of the Anser putter was due to Solheim's innovative approach to design, applying scientific principles to golf club design, which had previously been based largely on trial and error. Solheim's engineering background allowed him to transfer much of the weight of the club head to the perimeter, creating a more balanced and stable putter.
Over the years, Ping has continued to innovate and improve its putter designs, releasing new models and customization options. In 2024, Ping launched five new PLD putter designs: the Anser, Anser 2D, Oslo 3, DS72, and Ally Blue 4. These putters feature Ping's Putting Lab Design (PLD), offering golfers the ability to customize their putters with different alignment aids, graphics, and colour options. The PLD putters are milled from forged stainless steel, ensuring precision and performance.
Ping's latest putter family, introduced in 2025, includes the PLD Milled and the multi-material 2024 models. The PLD Milled putters are 100% CNC Milled, resulting in a premium and precise product. The multi-material 2024 models, on the other hand, offer golfers a combination of different materials and designs to suit their preferences.
Ping's putter designs have had a significant impact on the golf industry, with many modern putters being based on the shapes and profiles perfected by Solheim over 60 years ago. The company's commitment to performance, innovation, and customization has made it a trusted brand among professional and amateur golfers alike.
Golf MOI: Understanding the Basics of Moment of Inertia
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Manufacturing process
Ping, Inc. (stylized as PING) is an American sports equipment manufacturing company based in Phoenix, Arizona. It was founded by Karsten Solheim, an engineer at the General Electric company. Solheim started making putters in his garage in Redwood City, California, in 1959, out of frustration with the equipment available at the time. He applied scientific principles to golf club design, which was previously largely based on trial and error.
Solheim's innovative approach led to the creation of the "PING 1A" putter. Instead of attaching the shaft at the heel of the blade, he attached it in the centre, transferring much of the weight of the club head to the perimeter. By the end of 1960, Solheim had six designs and had made over 2,000 putters in his garage. In 1961, he moved to Phoenix, Arizona, and continued to create putters and experiment with iron designs, such as the effects of heel-toe weighting.
In 1966, Solheim sketched the design for a new putter on the dust cover of a 78 RPM record. His wife, Louise, suggested the name "Answer" for the putter, which was then shortened to "Anser" for trademark reasons. This putter faced a major obstacle at the end of 1966 when the USGA, golf's governing body, outlawed all PING putters other than the Anser for tournament and handicap play. However, this decision was overturned when Julius Boros won the PGA Tour's Phoenix Open using the Anser putter in 1967.
Later that year, Solheim resigned from General Electric, moved his business to a factory, and established the Karsten Manufacturing Corporation (KMC), makers of the Ping brand of clubs. The patent for the PING Anser putter was granted on March 21, 1967, and the first major championship win using a PING putter came in 1969 at the Masters. Ping introduced irons based on the principle of perimeter weighting, which quickly became successful and set industry standards.
Ping's manufacturing process has been described as putting a strong emphasis on function over form. This engineering-driven approach has led to innovations in golf club design, such as the perimeter weighting in irons. Today, Ping maintains endorsement deals with many professional golfers and is considered a top equipment manufacturer.
The Future of Golf: New League Explained
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Marketing and popularity
Ping, Inc. (stylized as PING) is an American sports equipment manufacturing company that was founded by Karsten Solheim, an engineer at the General Electric company. Solheim started making putters in his garage in Redwood City, California, in 1959. The name "PING" came from the sound that Solheim heard when the metal struck the ball.
Ping is one of the most recognised names in golf equipment today, with a product line that includes clubs, clothing, gloves, and bags. The company has maintained endorsement deals with many professional golfers playing on leading tours, including Tony Finau, Viktor Hovland, Louis Oosthuizen, Sahith Theegala, Bubba Watson, and Lee Westwood. Ping's innovations like perimeter weighting, heat-treated clubheads, and colour coding of lie and loft are now considered standard and are used by manufacturers throughout the golf industry.
Ping's marketing strategy has focused on driving more traffic to its website and growing its audience online, showcasing the PING brand and its wide range of products. The company has worked with the Williams marketing team to increase brand visibility and organic performance through SEO, and has also explored PPC advertising as a new channel to reach underserved audiences such as women golfers looking for quality clothing. Ping's first Google Ads campaigns in April 2023 showed a significant increase in return on advertising spend (ROAS) and a decrease in average cost per action (CPA) within the first two months.
Ping's popularity can also be attributed to its early successes, with the first PGA Tour victory using a PING club coming in 1962 at the Cajun Classic Open Invitational by John Barnum. The Golf World Cup of 1965 further boosted sales of the garage-made PING putters as many top players used them during the televised event in Japan. In 1969, Ping introduced irons based on the principle of perimeter weighting, which were quickly successful, and this innovation became an industry standard.
Despite its success, Ping has faced obstacles, such as in 1966 when the USGA, golf's governing body for rules and equipment, outlawed all PING putters other than the Anser for tournament and handicap play. However, the company persevered, and in 1969, the first major championship was won using a PING putter at the Masters.
How to Avoid a Pull in Golf
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Ping, Inc. (stylized as PING) is owned by the Solheim family. Karsten Solheim founded Karsten Manufacturing Corporation (KMC), the maker of the Ping brand of golf clubs, and his son John K. Solheim is the current President and CEO.
Ping Golf was founded in 1959 by Karsten Solheim, a General Electric engineer.
Ping Golf manufactures golf equipment, including golf clubs and golf bags.
