Wyndham Clark's New Ping Putter Deal is Paying Off

On the PGA TOUR, where endorsement contracts can be lucrative, the trend for most equipment companies is to sign players to exclusive deals that include top-to-bottom sets with some built-in wiggle room for a few spots, like putters, fairway woods, or wedges.

For example, if you want to be a Ping player under contract, you (allegedly) have to use a Ping putter and the driver. The lone exception to this was when Tony Finau came to Ping and was given time to transition into a Ping putter from his previous Piretti.

This is why the recent announcement of Ping signing Wyndham Clark to an exclusive putter deal for his use of a Scottsdale TEC putter is so unique for the company, which tends to be conservative in its player acquisitions.

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"Wyndham comes into the U.S. Open this week as one of the hottest players in the world. He’s been using the Scottsdale TEC Ally Blue Onset model since the Houston Open and has steadily climbed in the world rankings since then on the strength of a win and third-place finish in his last three tournaments," PING CEO & President John K. Solheim said. "We’re excited he’s having such tremendous success with the new model and benefiting from the Eye Q alignment technology and the onset design."

(Title Image From GolfWRX.com)

Scottsdale TEC - Technology

Eye Q Alignment Technology

To better help golfers get their eyes in the right position before the stroke, Ping engineers used Tobii eyetracking glasses to better understand how they could create alignment cues on the putters.

The end result are high-contrasting alignment lines and dots that are inline with the Quite Eye visual performance philosophy, they elongate the final gaze on the ball before striking the putt.

By placing a dot at the end of the long line it helps to focus the eyes on a singular spot.

“Our researchers and scientists look for inspiration outside of golf," Solheim said. "Quiet Eye has been used extensively in other sports requiring precise movements to help athletes improve focus just before action. Whether it’s shooting a free throw in basketball or serving a tennis ball, many top athletes train using this technique. With the Scottsdale TEC line and Eye Q Technology, we’re providing golfers with an immediate solution to improve their putting.”

RELATED: PING Gets Your Aim Right With Scottsdale TEC Putters

Distinctly NOT Zero Torque

Although at first glance you might assume the the Scottsdale TEC Ally Blue and Ketsch models are low / zero-torque, they're not. But they do offer an onset look.

With onset putters gaining in popularity, this type of design helps appeal to golfers looking for an additional alignment aid, while also utilizing Ping's multi-material engineering to provide added forgiveness and feel.

Why No Zero-Torque?

Ping's design philosophy believes that the player should "pull" the center of gravity towards the target to maximize stability and forgiveness. This theory was something PING founder Karsten Solheim believed in very strongly.

The analogy Karsten would often use is that of a wheelbarrow and demonstrate that it's easiler to pull a wheelbarrow over a curb (because you are pulling the mass), rather than try and push the mass over.

From Wyndham

"Since switching to the PING Scottsdale TEC Ally Blue Onset putter in April, I’ve seen significant improvement in my putting," Clark said. "The white finish first got my attention and when I started rolling putts with it, it set up easily, and gave me immediate confidence. I’d never used a putter with onset before, so it was a new look for me that really matches my eye. The onset combined with the top-rail dot simplifies alignment."

The Specs

Clark’s custom Scottsdale TEC Ally Blue putter is 38 inches and gripped with a Superstroke Zenergy 3.0 grip. It has a head weight of approximately 400 grams with a 20 degree lie angle and 3 degrees of loft.

The switch has been paying off and Wyndham (as of publication) holds a 4-shot lead near the halfway point of the U.S. Open.

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