PING Proving Grounds

PING Proving Grounds

The PING Proving Grounds podcast dives into PING's celebrated history and immeasurable contributions to golf equipment, custom fitting and the game of golf in general. Broadcaster Shane Bacon and Marty Jertson, PING's Vice President of Fitting and Performance and professional golfer, discuss what happens behind the scenes at the PING Proving Grounds where data-driven research helps a team of scientists and engineers develop products and fitting tools to help golfers play their best. From the gold putter vault to PING Man and everything in between, tune in to hear more about what goes on at the PING Proving Grounds. Want to watch the podcast? Go to https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLerJdr1xhGiUKMPq3_uhO3HeIGE98CgTy

Episodes

July 22, 2026 41 mins

In a special 100th episode, Shane and Marty welcome friend of the PING brand, and two-time Hall of Famer, Charles Barkley to the Proving Grounds podcast. From rebuilding his infamous golf swing under the tutelage of Stan Utley, to stories from his time on the ‘92 U.S. Olympic "Dream Team" with Michael Jordan, the Chuckster holds court in this milestone episode.

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It’s the most important club in the bag, which makes the fitting process even more critical. In this episode, Shane and Marty take an in-depth look at the driver fitting process, exploring the G440 lineup and the technologies and data available to fitters and golfers to help find the right combination of distance and forgiveness off the tee.

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July 1, 2026 38 mins

Shane and Marty are joined by Sal Syed, CEO & Co-founder of Arccos, on the pod for an episode on PING’s partnership with Arccos, golf’s #1 game tracking platform. They discuss how the company has evolved from early prototypes to millions of shots tracked and insights that are helping golfers play better.

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June 25, 2026 24 mins

Shane and Marty are joined on the pod by last week's U.S. Open champion, Wyndham Clark. They discuss all things Shinnecock, including sleeping on the lead, insights on crucial shots, and all the details of his winning Scottsdale TEC Ally Blue Onset putter.

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June 4, 2026 31 mins

Shane and Marty are joined at the Proving Grounds by Golf Digest Top 50 golf teacher and PING Brand Ambassador, Erika Larkin. They discuss how she got into the game, her teaching philosophies and how her partnership with PING came to be.

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May 14, 2026 32 mins

In this episode of the PING Proving Grounds podcast, Shane and Marty catch up on their tournament golf and take time to answer questions submitted by listeners. They touch on elements of equipment design and offer insights that golfers can take to their next fitting to help them build out their bag. 

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Shane and Marty are joined at the PING Proving Grounds by Stacey Pauwels, PING Vice President and granddaughter of PING Founder Karsten Solheim. They dive into the impact of Karsten’s wife, Louise Solheim, PING’s longstanding commitment to women’s golf, and the new G Le4 family.

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Shane and Marty are joined by Fredrik Tuxen, CTO and co-founder of Trackman, to discuss the technology that has impacted every facet of the golf industry from equipment research and development, to the fitting environment and golf instruction. They cover the creation of Trackman, how it’s used at the PING Proving Grounds, and the future of the technology.

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April 15, 2026 28 mins

Dr. Erik Henrikson, PING Director of Golf Science, joins Shane and Marty at the PING Proving Grounds to discuss the G740 irons, the newest PING iron in the super-game-improvement category. They cover the new sole design, material innovations that have led to improvements in the sound, feel, and performance of the iron, and the new AWT 3.0 shaft.

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Shane is joined on the PING Tour Truck just outside the gates of Augusta National by 18-year-old amateur, Mason Howell, as he prepares to make his Masters debut. Along with his swing instructor, Bill Connally, they discuss Mason's tournament prep, staying in the Crow's Nest, equipment changes for the week, and what it's like missing a week of school to play in the Masters.

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April 2, 2026 26 mins

Shane and Marty are joined by Tony Serrano, PING Principal Design Engineer, to review the new Scottsdale TEC putter line. They discuss the research behind Eye-Q, a new Scottsdale TEC alignment technology, PING’s philosophy as it applies to the Onset models, and the other multi-material mallets in the lineup.

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March 19, 2026 26 mins

Travis Milleman, PING Senior Design Engineering Manager, joins Shane and Marty at the PING Proving Grounds for a discussion on the new i540 irons. They dive into the technologies that were used in the design and construction of the player-distance model, what type of player it’s suited for, and how it delivers more on-course performance in speed, stopping power, sound, and feel. 

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February 25, 2026 32 mins

Shane and Marty are joined on the PING Tour Truck by Daniel Berger, a recent addition to the PING roster on the PGA Tour. They discuss his transition to PING equipment, his golf journey and the keys to his game, and what life looks like off the golf course.

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February 4, 2026 29 mins

Viktor Hovland and his caddie, Shay Knight, join Shane Bacon inside the new PING Tour Truck at TPC Scottsdale to discuss the upcoming WM Phoenix Open, recent swing changes Viktor has been working on, his interest in philosophy, and Viktor and Shay's player-caddie relationship.

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January 30, 2026 39 mins

Senior Design Engineer, Jacob Clarke, joins Shane and Marty at the PING Proving Grounds to review the s259 wedge lineup. They cover the six grind options, the refinements that were made to the sole designs, and how Tour feedback plays a role in the research and development process. They also dive into the importance of wedge fitting and gapping.

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January 21, 2026 23 mins

Shane and Marty are joined at the PING Proving Grounds by Ryan Stokke, PING Director of Product Design, to go behind the design of the G440 K driver. They dive into the design and development process, the innovations that contribute to PING's straightest and most forgiving model to date, and why MOI matters for all swing speeds.

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December 19, 2025 23 mins

Shane and Marty are joined at PING HQ by John Oldenburg, Director of Shaft Development, to dive into the world of graphite shafts. They discuss PING's approach to shaft design, the new PING Shaft Lab, and how the new space will be used to elevate PING's holistic approach to club design.

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Shane and Marty are joined by Alex Kump, PING Soft Goods Design & Development Director, for a gear-focused discussion on golf bags, headwear and accessories, all of which are designed by his team at PING HQ. They dive into the origins of the iconic L8 and Hoofer golf bags, the R&D behind the new PING Reserve carry bag, and headwear insights from his team's partnership with our PING pros.

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October 29, 2025 24 mins

Shane and Marty discuss how to determine the best clubs between your driver and longest iron. They compare all of the equipment options, identify the fitting tools golfers can utilize to gap the top-end of their bag, and review PGA Tour trends at that end of the bag.

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October 15, 2025 30 mins

Shane and Marty discuss alternative style putting and the fitting tools available to help golfers find a putter that’s best for their setup and stroke. They dive even deeper into long putters and one of the newest options available in the PLD family, the PLD Oslo L.

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Mark as Played

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