Leaderboard: Playoff continues at Torrey Pines

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In 2018, Ping launched its line of Sigma 2 putters that offer a way to change length with the turn of a dial. The feature allows for golfers to adjust length between 32 and 36 inches, helping golfers find the right length for their individual needs. The system is USGA legal, and according to Ping’s VP of Engineering Paul Wood, it helps solve a problem that plagues the majority of golfers. The extensive line of Sigma 2 putters, which includes 10 different head models, also have two-layered face inserts for a soft yet responsive feel, and they have TR (True Roll) face technology designed for a better roll. Click here for the full technology story of Ping’s Sigma 2 putters.  Recently, we asked Dr. Paul Wood, Ping’s VP of Engineering, a number of questions about how the length-adjustability feature works, how golfers can benefit from it, how to find a putter head that’s right for a particular stroke, and how the TR Face insert helps the ball roll better. Enjoy the full Q&A below! PGATOUR.COM: How many golfers are currently using the wrong length putter for their stroke and body makeup? Dr. Paul Wood: We estimate that it could be as high as 80% from our testing. We know that the vast majority of people are not currently getting a putter fitting and in our testing, no more than one single length of putter was best for more than 20% of people. What it’s hard to know is how many people are buying shorter or longer putters off-the-shelf and finding the best length for them in that fashion.  Was the length-adjustability feature on the Sigma2 putters a difficult mechanism to develop? How long did the process take before reaching a system that works? This feature was years in the making. This is our second adjustable length device. The first took around 2 years to research, test, design and bring to market and then we started work on making improvements for this second-generation feature; that took more like 3 years to get through research, testing, design and development. It’s a significant challenge because it hits all of our major engineering groups. We used our knowledge of high-strength plastics to design the plastic pieces to be light but also withstand the forces needed in the device. We used a lot of mechanical engineering time to research and design the mechanism because we needed it to be precise but also work with a range of grips and be as unobtrusive to the golfer as possible. We also had significant research and development to figure out the optimal way to build the putters. We build all of these shafts here in Phoenix and made some major investments in our assembly equipment to do so, including laser markings on the shaft. Is Ping the first company to ever put this system into the market? I believe so, although I can’t discount the possibility of a smaller golf brand having done something. Our system is unique as far as we know. How does length-adjustability benefit golfers?  The two main benefits will be seen in improved distance control and perhaps altering (hopefully fixing) a miss tendency. How does a golfer know what putter length to use? Is there a way golfers can self-fit, or is it a comfort thing?  We have touted the benefits of a golfer simply adjusting the putter to a comfortable length. This is the simplest way to use the feature and is very effective. In our testing, golfers experienced between 10 and 20% distance control improvements simply by adjusting to a length they were comfortable with. We are also aware that it gives golfers a chance to experiment – simply add an inch of length and see how the results change (or vice versa). We have some philosophies on helping a golfer adjust to a good length (such as getting the eyes somewhere in the region between over the ball to just inside the ball) that we work with our fitting accounts to promote. Does changing the length effect swing weight or feel of the club head, and if so, what adjustments should golfers make?  Yes, keeping all things equal, adding length will increase swing weight and shortening will reduce it. This is actually how most putter builds are already in the market. The same head weight is often used for different lengths. Over a relatively small range of length adjustments the effects will be somewhat minor. Over the full range of our adjustability the effects will add up to a big change. If a golfer wants to change the head weight, we have that ability through our Vault 2.0 putters, or through special custom orders. What happens if a golfer needs to regrip the putter?  They can go ahead and do that. The feature is compatible with most grips on the market. The Sigma 2 line features a wide array of head models, including the Fetch that helps to retrieve the golf ball from the hole. How can a golfer determine which head is right for them without testing each model?  This is a very under-served area in the industry right now. Most putter fittings have tended to focus on loft and lie angle without paying much attention to the most important part which is the head model itself. We have two main philosophies. The first is our fit for stroke, whereby all the models are categorized as either face balanced (suiting a straight back straight through stroke or someone fighting a push miss), mid-hang (suiting a slight arc stroke, a good middle ground for many players) or toe down (suiting a strong arc stroke or someone fighting a pull miss). Each putter is marked according to stroke type and we have some of each in the line. The second is we encourage golfers to think about their primary aiming mechanism. Most players haven’t really thought about it. We see 4 main groups of golfers: those who use a very traditional clean top rail and maybe a small line or dot, those who use ball-width alignment lines to frame the ball, those who like to see long and plentiful alignment features, or those who look for an alignment aid (or line) that goes right up to the ball. Once most people think about that for a minute or two, it helps narrow down the choices considerably. How does the TR Face insert design work, and what does it do?  This is one of our marquee performance technologies. Typically companies focus on increasing the Moment of Inertia of the putter. Our company was founded on this principle. The reason to do this is to minimize twisting, and therefore energy loss on off-center hits. However, there is always some energy loss on off-center hits, which is felt by a drop in ball speed, as well as some angular changes. The TR technology employs a patented variable depth groove that serves to minimize the differences in ball speed from heel, across the center of the face, to the toe. In our testing, heel, center and toe hits roll very close to the same distance. This leaves you the golfer to focus on making the roll you want, knowing that the club is doing everything it can do give you the deft touch on the green.

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THE OVERVIEW Charles Howell III was finally rewarded for his hard work. His victory at The RSM Classic was his first win in more than a decade and just his third in more than 500 starts on TOUR. He will start 2019 as the FedExCup leader. He won at Sea Island and finished fifth in the CIMB Classic. Those finishes alone wouldn’t be enough for him to hold the top spot, though. Proving that every point matters, it’s the four points he earned for his 61st-place finish at THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES that prove to be his advantage over Xander Schauffele, who won the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions. Howell’s persistence made him a popular winner. He has had a successful career according to multiple metrics – he has never lost his card in nearly two decades as a pro and earned more than $36 million on the course – but he will be the first to admit that his resume is short on victories. Just two players needed more TOUR starts to win for the third time. Even though Howell’s love for the game is often unrequited, it’s his passion for improvement that keeps the one-time phenom grinding away. “I always go back to, ‘OK, how do I improve, how do I get better, what do I need to work on?’â€� he said. “That’s the part I really, really enjoy.â€� Howell has an analytical mind, illustrated by the fact that he recently was investigating the discrepancies between his two launch monitors. He says he would work in finance if golf wasn’t his way to make a living. “I love (golf) because it’s all on you. It’s all on the player,â€� he said after his win. “What I hate about it is that you can work and work and work and get absolutely no results from that.â€� The hard work paid off in the final event of 2018. — By Sean Martin Click here to see who else made the Top 30 list. BY THE NUMBERS FEDEXCUP UPDATE Current 2018-19 position: 1st Playoff appearances: 12 TOUR Championship appearances: 2 Best FedExCup result: 18th in 2007, the first year of the FedExCup Playoffs. SHOTLINK FUN FACT Current FedExCup points leader Charles Howell III will try to continue the trend of points leaders after the fall events. Since the start of the wraparound season, each of the five previous points leaders after the fall have advanced to the TOUR Championship. INSIDER INSIGHTS PGATOUR.COM’s Insiders offer their expert views on what to expect from Charles Howell III in 2019. TOUR INSIDER: Leave it to Howell to have not one, but two, swing coaches. He works with California-based Dana Dahlquist as well as former TOUR winner Grant Waite, who lives closer to Howell’s home in the Orlando area. Playing with Waite at Isleworth has helped Howell focus on his score instead of his swing mechanics. Dahlquist has quieted the transition in Howell’s swing, teaching him to keep his arms passive as his body turns more during the downswing. — By Sean Martin FANTASY INSIDER: No doubt Howell was one of the best stories of the first eight events for having ended his drought at The RSM Classic, but he hasn’t fallen short of success in our world throughout his career. While the absence of a victory in the mainstream yields questions over time, because of consistently strong performances amid a busy schedule season after season, he’s retained cornerstone status in all formats. The win was a bonus, but it’s more of a reminder that he’s not slowing down as his 40th birthday approaches in June. — By Rob Bolton EQUIPMENT INSIDER: Known as a gearhead among gearheads, Howell’s recent win was all-too-fitting. Rumors began swirling about a big switch for CH3 after being spotted using Titleist metalwoods at the CIMB Classic. Then, the former PXG staffer sent the equipment world into a frenzy when he showed up to The 2018 RSM Classic with a bag full of new Titleist equipment — sans announcement from Titleist or Charles — and a TaylorMade putter. He won in his first week with the new arsenal. His winning bag consisted of a Titleist TS3 driver (10.5 degrees) with a Mitsubishi Tensei AV Blue 65TX shaft, TS2 fairway woods (15 and 21 degrees), a combo set of 718 T-MB, AP2 and CB irons, Vokey SM7 wedges, a TaylorMade Spider Tour Red putter, and a Titleist Pro V1 prototype golf ball. With a new Titleist staff bag and Titleist hat at the event, it’s obvious CH3 will be a Titleist staffer in 2019, we’re just awaiting the official announcement. It was a nice start for his new (assumed) deal. — By Andrew Tursky STYLE INSIDER: Howell is consistently one of the best dressed players on TOUR. Early in his career, he sported fashion-forward outfits, but recently he settled into timeless kits that turn heads for all the right reasons. The keys to his sartorial success are clean and well-balanced looks. The fit of his clothes falls into that perfect not-too-tight-not-too-loose range. While he doesn’t shy away from adding pops of bright colors, he always keeps them grounded with cool neutrals. — By Greg Monteforte

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