Why Is Ping Anser Forged Irons A Good Choice?

The new Anser, a forged multi-material iron, is designed to raise Ping's profile among avid single-digit handicappers in Japan, Korea and other Asian markets.

Of course, Ping expects its share of converts in the States, too. The U.S. version, for the record, has an identical head design as the Asian model, the same shaft length, a 1-degree weaker loft per club, and the Project X shaft. As expected, the clubhead materials and overall design package contribute to a softer, quieter impact sensation. The ping anser forged irons clubface is thick behind the hitting area, similar to a muscleback blade, while a "support bar" (just below the oval "custom tuning port") connects the face to the back flange.

To make forged irons, a piece of metal is heated and then hammered or pressed into shape. "We've been talking about making a forged iron for while," Rollins said. "But for our guys, it's kind of funny. Once we put chrome on a cast club, people thought it was forged.

"They are only available in Japan right now," Rollins said. "They might release it in the United States later, but I don't know." He explained that in the Japanese market, irons need to be forged in order to be perceived as high quality. Irons that are not forged simply don't sell well.

After Karsten Solheim founded Ping in 1959 and began producing putters, he decided two years later to add irons. Solheim's initial iron, the 69, was introduced in 1961. He bought forged iron heads from cheap golf clubs - a small California golf club manufacturer that later would be purchased by Titleist - and milled two small cavities in the back.

While not a super game-improvement iron, the Anser irons feature plenty of perimeter weighting and tungsten in the sole to help players get the ball into the air more easily. The PING badge on the back of the club is a weight that can be changed as part of the fitting process.

Thus the Anser iron was born. It was never conceived as a pro-only iron, but rather as a crossover iron that could appeal to all segments of the golf population. That being said, Daniel Chopra and Ted Purdy quickly put it in play at their first opportunity.