The genesis of PING putters was Solheim learning to play golf in his 30’s in the 1950s with blade irons and a Acushnet “Bulleye” brass putter which has so much toe bias it tries to twist in the hand open going back and closed going forward. MB Blades do the same thing. With his engineering background he realized the solution was to take mass out of the toe and move it to the heel increasing the momentum of inertia-resistance to twisting. His first putter design, a mallet style called the 1A was prototyped with two tounge depressors separated by two sugar cubes on the ends with shaft in the middle. The Anser is designed with the same high-MOI concept but actually optimized for the inside-square-inside putting stroke used in the 1960s. I have six different Anser designs found in thrifts from the 1960s onwards which all hang at a 40° - 45° angle. The cause and effect is - assuming arced putting stroke - is the heel-toe balance will match the golfer’s arc and automatically keep the face square to that arc with ball placed were the tangent to the arc points at the target. His High-MOI PING EYE irons marketed between 1962 and the release of the EYE2 twenty years later do the same. I have sets of both. What happens when an Anser is used with a modern straight stroke? It will have toe bias relative to the swing line and try to twist a bit in hand but not nearly as much as Bullseye - had several of those too, and a backyard green to experiment with on 😊 A ‘face balanced’ mallet is the better choice for a straight putting stroke with a anchored mallet so easy to putt with the USGA banned anchoring. Another bit of putter trivia is that when the PRO VI was introduced putting accuracy stats from ten feet and in decreased because it reacted to putts much differently than the Balata balls because of the hard mantle layer under the thin urethane cover. That problem was solved by putting polymer inserts on the putter face. Conclusion? Technically speaking with todays balls and a straight putting stroke a face balance mallet with a polymer inserts would be a starting good baseline to evaluate other styles from for comparison. In theory it should be easiest to put straight with it but there are many differences in personal putting styles YMMV. I had been using a Ping PAL (a Tom Watson favorite) for many years but recently switched to an early 2000s Anser ‘Response’ model which has a less toe bias than the PAL.
i have that same og ping in the bag, have had it for 50 yrs of playing, l have tried so many putters over the years but always go back to this one. I like the lighter feel of it especially on very fast greens. I found it caddying in 1969 at the Country Club in Brookline , was in the bushes off the 18th green. guess it didnt work for someone that day hahahaah. just had a new ping grip put on it
I'm young and just got into golf, I have some old clubs and a cheap starter set. I'm going to get this because its so cheap and better than the starter top flight one i have.
Great test I think the Ping Anser design is Brilliant👍 ( can’t think of another design that hasn’t changed in 50years plus) all the other manufacturers have copied the design, from grip to head shape still the best design👍, I’m surprised the new Anser didn’t perform better in your test, I’m pretty sure my Anser 2 Cadence would feel better than the Original (and Perform better) Thanks Dickey
I have both of these and the biggest difference BY FAR is the weight of the heads. The original one is only like 305g, 50ish grams lighter than modern putter heads. I managed to get about 27g of lead tape onto the bottom of the OG and that makes it feel much closer to a modern putter.
Um, in the test he showed that the original was slightly better than the modern day..........why alter the original to perform like the crappy one ? I mean if I had a ping eye two 2 iron that i hit down the middle 9/10 and a Titleist t200 2 iron that I hit 7/10 fairways the same distance, why would I tweek the ping eye 2 to play like the T200 ?
I have an original anser which I used to love. At the time it was the most expensive club in my set. I’ve had about 10 putters since but I might take it out for a run thanks to your video.
Interesting that the original putter is still holding its own. Maybe the testing should have alternated putter and hit a white ball for one putter and a yellow ball for the other?
I have 9 or 10 putters,ping/odessey/taylormade/yes.my favs are 1966 ping AYD and ping zing 2.these old ping putters are still very usable.i love buying old dirty ping putters clean them with dremel then polish,my ayd looks like a bar of gold.must mention yes putters I have 3 and these are so good,it's madness paying £300 for scottie cameron I think those yes putters are just as good,absolutely superb putters.
Stop saying retro. I'm 62 and use the 30 year anniversary Anser from the 90s with an original Ping grip. Made over 150 feet of putts in 9 holes one day. My 15 years of caddying at a small course in Augusta, Georgia may play into my green reading ability and touch.
Hi Joe, I think it is time you ditched the toe up putter for a pld anser. I love an anser putter, but I use a 32" putter and ping putters don't generally have removable weights, so at that length, I have to cover the sole in lead tape. I would love a pld anser with adjustable weights.
I still have an Anser from around 1969. I find the head is too light for me now and I prefer my Scotty. Still looks great though. Might dig it out for another trip down memory lane!
I picked one up today for £50, really nice new ping grip and had about a dozen putts and it felt so good, head in nice shape but gonna polish it up, classic design 😀
The genesis of PING putters was Solheim learning to play golf in his 30’s in the 1950s with blade irons and a Acushnet “Bulleye” brass putter which has so much toe bias it tries to twist in the hand open going back and closed going forward. MB Blades do the same thing. With his engineering background he realized the solution was to take mass out of the toe and move it to the heel increasing the momentum of inertia-resistance to twisting.
His first putter design, a mallet style called the 1A was prototyped with two tounge depressors separated by two sugar cubes on the ends with shaft in the middle. The Anser is designed with the same high-MOI concept but actually optimized for the inside-square-inside putting stroke used in the 1960s.
I have six different Anser designs found in thrifts from the 1960s onwards which all hang at a 40° - 45° angle. The cause and effect is - assuming arced putting stroke - is the heel-toe balance will match the golfer’s arc and automatically keep the face square to that arc with ball placed were the tangent to the arc points at the target. His High-MOI PING EYE irons marketed between 1962 and the release of the EYE2 twenty years later do the same. I have sets of both.
What happens when an Anser is used with a modern straight stroke? It will have toe bias relative to the swing line and try to twist a bit in hand but not nearly as much as Bullseye - had several of those too, and a backyard green to experiment with on 😊 A ‘face balanced’ mallet is the better choice for a straight putting stroke with a anchored mallet so easy to putt with the USGA banned anchoring.
Another bit of putter trivia is that when the PRO VI was introduced putting accuracy stats from ten feet and in decreased because it reacted to putts much differently than the Balata balls because of the hard mantle layer under the thin urethane cover. That problem was solved by putting polymer inserts on the putter face.
Conclusion? Technically speaking with todays balls and a straight putting stroke a face balance mallet with a polymer inserts would be a starting good baseline to evaluate other styles from for comparison. In theory it should be easiest to put straight with it but there are many differences in personal putting styles YMMV.
I had been using a Ping PAL (a Tom Watson favorite) for many years but recently switched to an early 2000s Anser ‘Response’ model which has a less toe bias than the PAL.
So what you're saying is. "Its not the putter, but the person putting" that makes the difference.
I refuse to believe I'm the reason I putt so poorly, I need another new putter!🤪
Still loving my Ping Pal 2, that my brother found for me for 6$ aud in a thrift store.
i have that same og ping in the bag, have had it for 50 yrs of playing, l have tried so many putters over the years but always go back to this one. I like the lighter feel of it especially on very fast greens. I found it caddying in 1969 at the Country Club in Brookline , was in the bushes off the 18th green. guess it didnt work for someone that day hahahaah. just had a new ping grip put on it
I'm young and just got into golf, I have some old clubs and a cheap starter set. I'm going to get this because its so cheap and better than the starter top flight one i have.
Great test I think the Ping Anser design is Brilliant👍 ( can’t think of another design that hasn’t changed in 50years plus) all the other manufacturers have copied the design, from grip to head shape still the best design👍, I’m surprised the new Anser didn’t perform better in your test, I’m pretty sure my Anser 2 Cadence would feel better than the Original (and Perform better) Thanks Dickey
I have both of these and the biggest difference BY FAR is the weight of the heads. The original one is only like 305g, 50ish grams lighter than modern putter heads. I managed to get about 27g of lead tape onto the bottom of the OG and that makes it feel much closer to a modern putter.
Um, in the test he showed that the original was slightly better than the modern day..........why alter the original to perform like the crappy one ? I mean if I had a ping eye two 2 iron that i hit down the middle 9/10 and a Titleist t200 2 iron that I hit 7/10 fairways the same distance, why would I tweek the ping eye 2 to play like the T200 ?
thanks for this useful information; especially for people who prefer lighter putters:myself
So in otherwords, the putter hasnt changed in all that time.
So dont buy the new modern ones, buy ansers at second hand shops and save heaps of money
All the technology throughout the bag and the putter is still the only club where technique really is everything
I have an original anser which I used to love. At the time it was the most expensive club in my set. I’ve had about 10 putters since but I might take it out for a run thanks to your video.
I've been gaming a Pal 2 BeCu, the firmer metal putters still play well, especially with a soft ball and slow spring & fall greens
I got the 66 scottsdale that supposed to cost 1500 dollars
I found a ping putter it’s being cleaned in coke and it will be in my bad a 1960’s ping putter
£419 Vs £68? - a no brainer!
Not expensive enough…only £419! Need a Bettinardi!
Interesting that the original putter is still holding its own. Maybe the testing should have alternated putter and hit a white ball for one putter and a yellow ball for the other?
I love a lighter putter
I have 9 or 10 putters,ping/odessey/taylormade/yes.my favs are 1966 ping AYD and ping zing 2.these old ping putters are still very usable.i love buying old dirty ping putters clean them with dremel then polish,my ayd looks like a bar of gold.must mention yes putters I have 3 and these are so good,it's madness paying £300 for scottie cameron I think those yes putters are just as good,absolutely superb putters.
Stop saying retro. I'm 62 and use the 30 year anniversary Anser from the 90s with an original Ping grip. Made over 150 feet of putts in 9 holes one day. My 15 years of caddying at a small course in Augusta, Georgia may play into my green reading ability and touch.
Hi Joe, I think it is time you ditched the toe up putter for a pld anser. I love an anser putter, but I use a 32" putter and ping putters don't generally have removable weights, so at that length, I have to cover the sole in lead tape. I would love a pld anser with adjustable weights.
I still have an Anser from around 1969. I find the head is too light for me now and I prefer my Scotty. Still looks great though. Might dig it out for another trip down memory lane!
1966 anser in the bag and a ping sigma anser and find the orignal anser head heavier
I picked one up today for £50, really nice new ping grip and had about a dozen putts and it felt so good, head in nice shape but gonna polish it up, classic design 😀
Nice vid. I think the weathered look with a smooth leather grip would be a very calming and enjoyable putting experience.
Great video. I'd love more old version new comparisons. For example I have a f9 driver and would love to see it compared to modern ones.
Great review very interesting I think it shows that it really is the user skill rather than the equipment.
Answer... HELL YES!