There is an art to all of this: launching your load-bearing product to the global tours. After months/years of testing, trying, learning, and executing, it all comes down to that first reaction from your tour staff.
Just because it’s new and shiny doesn’t mean it’s going in the bag right away. That’s true for some players, but in many cases, the prep work is so targeted and the product so good that leaving it out might put you at a disadvantage, or you’re just a player with crippling FOMO.
This week in Cabo and Abu Dhabi, the Ping Tour team hit the practice tees with the brand new Ping G450 line of Drivers and fairways (and a Mini). It’s way too early for tech talk or any of that; that’ll come at the top of the year. But from where I sit, it is quite fun to see the conversion rate Ping achieved this week. That’s typically the marker for a Tour Launch, much like sales: its leads vs. closings. The trick is turning all of the leads into Glen Garry leads.
Make no mistake, this process is not easy. Keep in mind these players are playing for their livelihoods, and you’re up against bias toward one product, past success (i.e., the security blanket: think the Scottie Scheffler QI10 saga), and some players who just don’t want to test on a tournament range. These Tour reps (across all brands) are so good at this stuff that when it’s time to push play, they consider every detail — yes, even the emotional ones. It’s high science.
It goes across the pond too. Ping staffer Tyrrell Hatton is sitting T2 (-17) in Abu Dhabi, just behind his pal Jon Rahm, with the new woods in play.
- Driver: G450 LST (9° @ 9.5° Small Plus), 45.5″, Diamana TB 60TX (Tip 1/2″), D3 swingweight, 5g Heel
- Fairway (7W): G450 MAX (21° @ 19.25° Big Minus), 40.5″, Diamana TB 80TX (Tip 3″), D1 swingweight,Neutral weight
In terms of success out of the gate, look at what the converts have done with 36 holes past them at the World Wide Technology Championship. Some of these are non-staffers like Denny McCarthy, Harry Hall, Zach Bauchou and Will Gordon.
Here are all the setups in Cabo:
Denny McCarthy (T4 | -11)
- Fairway (7W): G450 MAX (21° @ 19° Big Minus), 41″, Mitsubishi 1K White 80TX
2. Zachary Bauchou (T6 | -10)
- Driver: G450 LST 10.5° @ 9.9° Dot, CG Shifter Toe
3. Austin Eckroat (T6 | -10)
- Driver: G450 LST (9° @ 8.75° Standard), 45.5″, Graphite Design GP 6X (Tip 1″), D3+ swingweight, 20g CG Shifter Neutral
- Fairway (3W): G450 MAX (15° @ 14.5° Small Minus), 42″, Graphite Design DI 8X (Tip 1.5″), D2 swingweight
- Fairway (7W): G450 MAX (21° @ 19° Big Minus), 40″, Graphite Design DI 9X (Tip 2″), D2 swingweight
4. Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (T6 | -10)
- Driver: G450 LST (10.5° @ 8.6° Flat Minus), 45.25″, Mitsubishi 1K White 60TX (Tip 0°), D4 swingweight, 20g CG Shifter in Fade
- Fairway (3W): G450 MAX (15° @ 14° Flat Minus), 42.5″, Mitsubishi 1K White 70TX (Tip 1″), D3 swingweight
- Fairway (5W): G450 MAX (19° @ 17.5° Flat Minus), 41.25″, Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80TX (Tip 1.5″), D3 swingweight
