Ava Romero
Ping Golf, also known as Ping, Inc. (stylized as PING), is an American sports equipment manufacturing company based in Phoenix, Arizona. It was founded in 1959 by Karsten Solheim, a Norwegian-born American engineer and inventor with a passion for golf. Solheim's contributions to golf club innovation reflect his love for the game, and his innovations in perimeter weighting and investment casting are recognized as key developments in the history of golf. The company's first product was the PING 1A putter, which was invented by Solheim in his garage and released in 1959.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year founded | 1959 |
| Founder | Karsten Solheim |
| Founder's profession | Golf club designer, businessman, engineer, inventor |
| Founder's nationality | Norwegian-American |
| Headquarters | Phoenix, Arizona |
| Founder's date of death | February 2000 |
| Founder's cause of death | Parkinson's disease |
| Founder's age at death | 88 |
| Current owner | John K. Solheim (son of Karsten Solheim) |
| Company type | Family-owned business |
| Company focus | Golf equipment, clothing, bags, headwear, gloves, and on-course gear |
| Notable innovations | PING 1A putter, Anser putter, K1 stainless cast steel iron set, irons with perimeter weighting, colour-code fitting system |
| Awards and recognition | "E" award from President Reagan in 1988, World Golf Hall of Fame member, ME Hall of Fame recipient from the University of Washington's mechanical engineering department |
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What You'll Learn
Karsten Solheim founded Ping in 1959
Solheim's passion for golf and drive to innovate in equipment technology have been pivotal to Ping's success and reputation as a leading name in the golf industry. The company has continued to introduce cutting-edge technologies and advancements, remaining true to its family-owned roots.
Ping's innovations became industry standards, and the company was the first to offer factory fitting and high-quality cast clubs using investment casting. Solheim's contributions to golf club innovation reflect his commitment to and love for the game of golf. He was also instrumental in establishing the Solheim Cup, a biennial tournament between the best women golfers from the US and Europe, first played in 1990.
Ping's headquarters are now in Phoenix, Arizona, and the company has established itself as one of the top-selling club manufacturers in golf, with a range of equipment including drivers, putters, irons, and golf bags.
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The Ping 1A putter was the company's first product
Ping, Inc. (stylized as PING) is an American sports equipment manufacturing company based in Phoenix, Arizona. It was founded by Karsten Solheim, a golf club designer and businessman, in 1959. Solheim was born in Bergen, Norway, and moved with his family to Seattle, Washington, as a toddler. He founded Karsten Manufacturing, a golf club maker better known by the name of PING.
Solheim started making putters in his garage in Redwood City, California, in 1959. He resigned from his job at General Electric in 1967 to develop the PING company. The Ping 1A putter was the company's first product. Solheim invented the Ping 1A putter in 1959. Instead of attaching the shaft at the heel of the blade, he attached it in the center. He applied scientific principles to golf club design, which had previously been based largely on trial and error, transferring much of the weight of the club head to the perimeter.
The Ping 1A putter was a revolutionary design that changed the way putters were made. Solheim hollowed out the centre of the putter and cut two slots in the bottom of the putter head. This redistributed the weight in the putter head away from the centre and towards the heel and toe areas. This gave the 1A a technological advantage over other putters on the market, as it twisted less if you struck the ball away from the sweet spot. In other words, it had a larger sweet spot. The resounding ping sound that the ball made off the face of the 1A putter gave Solheim the name for his company.
The Ping 1A putter was a success and brought Solheim fame and fortune. It was the springboard for the Ping corporation, which has become a family-run powerhouse in golf. The company has sold over $300 million worth of golf products per year and is one of the game's most iconic brands. The Ping 1A putters are still being produced, mainly as a demonstration of the company's heritage rather than as a commercial product.
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The name 'Ping' came from the sound of the metal striking the ball
Karsten Solheim, the founder of Ping, was an engineer with a passion for golf. In 1954, at the age of 42, he took up golf and quickly became frustrated with the equipment of the era, particularly the putters available. He soon began designing his own putters in his garage in Redwood City, California, applying scientific principles to golf club design, which had previously been based largely on trial and error. He transferred much of the weight of the club head to the perimeter, attaching the shaft in the centre of the blade rather than at the heel.
Solheim's innovative designs and attention to detail resulted in the creation of iconic putters that generated a distinctive 'ping' sound when striking the ball. This sound, which was likened to the 440 pitch used in tuning pianos, became known as "the Ping sound". Popular musician-golfer Murray Arnold noted this unique sound in 1960, and by the end of that year, Solheim had intentionally muffled the "ping" and created over 2,000 putters.
The name "Ping" was thus born from the sound of the metal putters striking the ball, and it has since become synonymous with quality craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology in the world of golf. In 1961, Solheim moved from California to Phoenix, Arizona, where he continued to create his putters in his garage, even after departing from his job at General Electric. It was in this year that he invented his first set of irons, which he named "69", reflecting what he considered to be a good round of golf.
Solheim's commitment to innovation and quality transformed the way golf is played, and Ping has become a trusted and leading brand in the industry. The company's legacy of innovation and focus on helping players perform at their best have solidified its position as a leader in the golf equipment market.
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Ping's innovations became industry standards
Ping, Inc. (stylized as PING) is an American sports equipment manufacturing company founded by Karsten Solheim and based in Phoenix, Arizona. Solheim, an engineer at the General Electric company, started making putters in his garage in Redwood City, California, in 1959. Frustrated with the equipment available at the time, he invented a new putter known as the "PING 1A". Solheim's innovative design involved attaching the shaft in the centre of the blade rather than at the heel, transferring much of the weight of the club head to the perimeter. This scientific approach to golf club design, a field previously dominated by trial and error, soon became an industry standard.
Solheim's next innovation came in 1961 when he invented his first set of irons, which he named "69", reflecting his view that this was a good round of golf. He continued to experiment with heel-toe weighting in his irons and milled a cavity into the steel back of the irons for added forgiveness.
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, reflecting its ability to solve vexing problems in putting. The name was later shortened to "Anser" to facilitate trademarking and fit the club better. The Anser putter gained widespread acceptance when Julius Boros won the PGA Tour's Phoenix Open in early 1967, using the club.
In 1969, Ping introduced irons based on the same principle of perimeter weighting, which quickly became successful. This innovation, along with the use of investment casting, is recognised as a key moment in golf history. Ping was the first manufacturer to offer high-quality cast clubs using investment casting, which reduced costs and allowed better quality control for high-tech features. This innovation also set the stage for manufactured fitting and factory fitting, with a variety of clubheads in different lies and offsets.
Karsten Solheim's contributions to golf extended beyond his equipment innovations. He was the driving force behind the creation of the Solheim Cup, a biennial tournament between teams of women professionals from Europe and the United States, modelled after the men's Ryder Cup.
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Ping remains a family-owned business
Karsten Solheim founded Ping in 1959, and it remains a family-owned business to this day. Solheim was an engineer and inventor with a passion for golf. He was born in Norway but moved to the US as a toddler, settling in Seattle, Washington.
Solheim's interest in golf began when he was 42 and living in upstate New York. He took up the game with colleagues from General Electric (GE), where he worked as an engineer. Frustrated with his putting, he decided to design a new putter. Using sugar cubes and popsicle sticks, he came up with a design that attached the shaft in the centre of the blade rather than at the heel, transferring much of the weight of the club head to the perimeter. This design, known as the "Ping 1A", was the first of many innovations by Solheim that would transform golf equipment design.
In 1961, Solheim and his wife Louise moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where the company would find its permanent home. Despite increasing sales of the Ping putter, Solheim continued to make his clubs in his garage. He also invented his first set of irons, which he named "69", reflecting a good score in golf.
Solheim's commitment to innovation and quality has been instrumental in the company's success. Ping was the first manufacturer to offer high-quality cast clubs using investment casting, which reduced costs and allowed better quality control. The company was also the first to offer factory fitting, providing a variety of clubheads in different lies and offsets.
In 1967, Solheim resigned from GE and moved his business from his garage to a factory, establishing Karsten Manufacturing Corporation (KMC), the maker of the Ping brand of clubs. The company continued to thrive under Solheim's leadership, with the Anser putter becoming one of the most successful and imitated designs in golf history.
Solheim developed Parkinson's disease and, in 1995, handed over his company to his youngest son, John K. Solheim, who is the current Chairman and CEO. The Solheim family's dedication to pushing boundaries in golf club design and technology has been a driving force behind Ping's success. The company has continued to introduce cutting-edge technologies and advancements, solidifying its reputation as a leading name in the golf industry.
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Frequently asked questions
Ping Golf was founded in 1959 by Karsten Solheim.
Ping Golf was founded by Karsten Solheim, a Norwegian-born American engineer and inventor with a passion for golf.
The name "Ping" came from the sound that Solheim heard as the metal struck the ball.
