What Do the Color Dots on Ping Golf Irons Mean?

When manufacturing their sets of irons, Ping stamps the irons with colored dots, which has left many golfers confused about the dots' significance. The dots do not indicate a particular style of club, as any line of irons is available in every color, but instead represent the angle of the club heads to the standard shaft angle.

Overview

When manufacturing their sets of irons, Ping stamps the irons with colored dots, which has left many golfers confused about the dots' significance. The dots do not indicate a particular style of club, as any line of irons is available in every color, but instead represent the angle of the club heads to the standard shaft angle.

Measurements

There are two important measurements that must be taken in order to determine the ideal color for the irons you purchase. The first measurement is the height of the golfer, and the second is the distance from the ground to the player's wrists when he is standing naturally. A player with longer arms relative to his height will need a shaft that extends out from the club at an angle closer to the ground than a player of the same height with relatively short arms. The measurements are compared with the Ping color chart, which a pro shop selling the clubs should carry, to find the ideal color.

Ping Colors

The base for the Ping color chart is the black dot. The hosels of these clubs leave the club at Ping's standard angle. The wrists of golfers with shorter arms are naturally farther from the ground, requiring hosels that are more upright. The blue dot hosels are 0.75 of a degree more upright than black, followed by yellow, green, white, silver and maroon, with an additional 0.75 degree more upright at each level, culminating in the maroon clubs being 4.5 degrees more upright. The clubs with a flatter hosel angle follow the same 0.75 degree increments, starting with red, and progressing to purple, orange, brown and gold, which are 3.75 degrees flatter than black.

Result of Improper Fit

Selecting a set of irons with a colored dot that does not match your ideal color increases the likelihood of errant shots. A set of clubs that is too upright is likely to cause a player to come around too much on the ball. When this happens, the player is more likely to pull or hook the ball. Conversely, the same player with hosels that are too flat is likely to fall victim to pushes and slices.