The PING fitting charts have gained tons of popularity over the years as fitting processes evolved. Not long ago, buying a set of golf clubs involved visiting your local golf shop and purchasing a set right off of the floor; all golf clubs were made to the same standards, and the biggest choices to make were regular or stiff flex shafts and if you should go with steel or graphite.

Today, every company offers some form of fitting process to ensure the golf clubs you get are a perfect match for you and your golf swing. PING Golf is the innovator of club fitting, so we thought we’d dive into the PING iron fitting charts and how the process helps find the right PING golf clubs for you. After all, PING irons are packed with the latest technologies and deserve to be at the top of your list.

How the PING Fitting Process Started

PING Golf was the first company to take club fitting seriously. In the 1960s, founder Karsten Solheim realized he could help Tour professionals by calibrating their equipment to fit their particular build and golf swing. Many of these players went on to play extremely well or even emerge victorious at the next week’s event.

With that early success, Solheim went on to develop the famous PING color dot chart, which designated a particular color code for irons at a certain lie angle; this simple system has evolved over the years to the complete PING fitting process used today.

Step 1: The PING Fitting Interview

The interview covers many significant aspects of your game, including your current handicap, how far your 7 iron travels and your current and desired ball flight; this helps PING Golf fitters narrow down the endless iron set combinations available to you. The fitter then inspects your current golf bag and takes your likes and dislikes into account.

Step 2: Finding the Right Model with the PING Club Fitting Chart

After the interview is completed, the fitter recommends a PING model. There are three types of models, as noted with the PING size chart above:

Each golf club model provides varying degrees of workability, forgiveness and trajectory; finding the correct combination of these factors leads you toward the optimal iron model and a lower score.

Step 3: Measuring Static Fit with the PING Color Dot Chart

Once the model is decided upon, you undergo a static fitting, which is ultimately measured with the renowned PING color dot chart; fitters use a combination of your height and the standard PING wrist-to-floor measurement.

From this information, the PING dot chart will recommend a length and lie angle as a starting point for your fitting; these two steps are critical in narrowing the number of options and getting the PING fitting process started in the right direction.

Step 4: Choosing the Right Shaft Flex for You

PING Golf has a comprehensive fitting chart for shaft selection time. The chart, shown above, recommends shaft flex based on your 7 iron distance and the different shot trajectories from each of the available shaft options.

Again, this provides a fantastic starting point for the fitter. You can read more about how to choose the right golf shaft for you.

Now that the static fitting is complete, the fitter requests a dynamic swing test to fine-tune your options. After all, every golfer sets up and swings differently, so these variations have to be taken into account when finding the perfect match.

Step 5: Calculating the Ideal Lie Angle

Determining the lie angle of a golf club shows where the club head hits at impact. Heel-side impact causes shots to go left for the right-handed golfer. The opposite is true for toe-side impact.

For the test, the PING fitter places impact tape on the sole of the golf club. You hit some golf balls sitting on a hard plate, making sure to hit the plate like you would the turf. The fitter then adjusts the color code until the impact mark is centered.

Step 6: Gaining Consistency Through Shaft Length

Refining the golf shaft length is easier thanks to the static fitting completed earlier. The goal is to determine the shaft length that provides the most consistent contact in the center of the clubface.

The fitter places impact tape on the clubface and has you hit several shots with the established shaft length determined by the static fitting. Based on the results, you may need to adjust your golf shaft length before proceeding.

Step 7: Filling the Gaps in Your Golf Bag

The penultimate step is deciding the best combination and set configuration. The set makeup is determined by looking at the distance gaps between golf clubs.

For example, if you hit your 4 iron nearly as far as your 3 iron, replacing the 3 iron with a 3 hybrid gives you a better distance gap between clubs. This well-rounded approach will give you the accuracy you need in high-pressure situations.

Step 8: Choosing Golf Grips with the PING Grip Size Chart

Finally, it is time to decide on your ideal golf grip and size, which can be determined by using the PING grip chart above.

Fitters cross-reference the overall length of your hand with the length of your longest finger; the result is your ultimate golf grip size. The grip type will be primarily driven by your preference in feel and firmness.

PING Fitting Process Summary

How’s that for a comprehensive look at the PING fitting process for irons? It may sound tedious, but it’s well worth it for the results. The benefits of properly fitted golf clubs will bring you much more confidence and success on the golf course.

If you’re interested in a PING fitting and want to do some additional research, check out GlobalGolf’s USelect^® iron selector tool; our staff of PGA Professionals generate recommendations for you based on a brief quiz about your game. You can also explore the latest golf irons by handicap. Knowledge is power when it comes to improving your game.