What Is the Difference in the Dots on Ping Irons?

The PING Color Coding System debuted in 1972 to help golfers buy clubs that fit. PING founder Karsten Solheim developed his system after having success fitting professional golfers, according to the company's website. The system helps club fitters match club shaft lengths and lie angles to a golfer's height and swing.

The lie angle is the relationship between the sole of the club and the shaft, measured in degrees. Using clubs with proper lies is important for solid contact and the correct ball flight. PING puts a colored dot on each club so you can identify the setup of each club.

Custom Fitting

All Ping irons are custom fitted. When a golf shop sells a set of Ping irons, the sales person interviews and measures the player to determine the best specifications.

For ordering on the Internet, golfers answer interview questions and take their own measurements to complete the fitting. This process ensures that the clubs have the correct dimensions, including length and lie angles.

System Range

The color coding system includes 12 colors, representing lie angles that are spaced 0.75 degrees apart. Each color code represents how upright or flat the lie angle of the club head will be on your custom clubs. Colors range from maroon, which is 4.5 degrees upright, to black, which is neutral, to gold, which is 3.75 degrees flat.

What does the PING red dot mean?

Red dots refer to the 0.75 degree of the club's hosel angle. A hosel is the connection between the shaft and club head. Think of the hosel as a socket in the head of a golf club where the shaft is inserted. If you find a red dot, it is considered a flat setup.

Importance

The lie angle is important because the club's sole should sit flat at address, and the proper lie angle depends on the height and swing of a particular golfer. If a club is set up too upright, shots might start more to the left than desired because the heel of the club could strike first and turn the head over. Clubs that are too flat tend to send the ball right because ground impact closer to the toe could open the club face.

Upright Setup Colors

For upright setups, maroon is the extreme, at 4-1/2 degrees upright from neutral. From there, silver is upright by 3-3/4 degrees, white by 3 degrees, green by 2-1/4 degrees, yellow by 1-1/2 degrees and blue by 0.75 degrees.

Neutral Color

Black is the color for a neutral setup and signifies a standard lie approximately in the middle of the range of available choices. Do not believe that standard is fine for you until you have met with a club-fitter familiar with PING clubs. Even if you are of average height, your posture and normal ball position could mean you should use irons with a nonstandard setup.

Flat Setup Colors

Gold represents the flattest setup at 3-3/4 degrees from neutral. From there, brown is flat by 3 degrees, orange by 2-1/4 degrees, purple by 1-1/2 degrees and red by 0.75 degrees.

Adjustments

If you buy a set of used PING irons that need adjusting, the lie angle can be bent to proper position. Club-fitters interviewed say PING irons are often shipped back to PING for adjustment because the iron's material is hard to bend. PING will re-color the dot to indicate the new setup.