Brief Review: Ping Anser Forged Irons

In 1967, Ping received a patent for its breakthrough Anser putter. It's also the last time that the company sold ping anser forged irons. 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 forged "8620 carbon steel" clubface is thick behind the hitting area, similar to a muscleback blade, while a "support bar" connects the face to the back flange. A heavy tungsten-nickel sole serves many functions, too: It dampens vibration more so than less-dense metals, shifts the club's center of gravity more rearward and boosts overall forgiveness.

The forgiveness bit ties into a hollow cavity (behind the lower portion of the face) that redistributes 30 grams away from the face. The Anser has forgiveness qualities that are similar to the i15's, but the Anser looks cleaner, feels noticeably smoother, produces more spin on short irons and flies slightly lower in the long irons.

To make anser 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.

Pat needed a little more time to get into the winner's circle. She joined the LPGA Tour in 1974 and her first win -- not to mention six runner-up finishes -- came in 1976. "It took me a little bit longer, but Keegan has been wanting this for a very long time,'' she said. "It's been his dream to be a PGA TOUR player and walk alongside Phil Mickelson and Freddie Couples.''

Pat watched her nephew play junior golf. She watched him take on his favorite course -- Bethpage Black -- in college and was downright impressed. She watched him win on the Hooters Tour and display a consistency.

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.