PING G5i putter inserts....

[parkinni]

....how well do they hold up over time?

I was (tentatively) considering the PING G5i Craz-E or UG-LE as replacement putters, and wanted to know how hard-wearing the latest G5i polyurethane face inserts and alignment aids were?

If you clean them regularly, do they still stay new looking? Or can they get beat up pretty easily? I've only ever seen one used, and that was a G2i Craz-E. It looked like the inserts were really dirty/stained, and parts of the blue pieces had actually rubbed/flaked off.

To all of you G2i/G5i owners: how well do they actually wear?

Thanks - Nige

[lidomkj]

I have seen some second hand putters that look great/almost new and others that look like someone was chopping down trees with them.

 

I think if you keep the headcover on when you are not using it during the round and do not use any chemicals to clean them, they hold up pretty good. Same with Odyssey putters. They can get dinged up pretty easily banging around without a headcover.

[parkinni]

Yeah, I guess it's the same as anything else. If you look after your clubs, then you'll get many years of use out of them. If you treat them like sh*t, or have a temper, then they're not going to fare so well.

 

As a spin-off query, what's the story on the G5i Craz-E and UG-LE putters? Are they any good? I didn't putt with them for too long, but I liked the weighting and stability through the ball when I tried them. It seemed really easy to hold the line and direction of my putts, with the heel-shafted Craz-E being just as solid as the centre-shafted UG-LE.

 

Any feedback?

[abewley]

they are both just over 360grams.. the craze is super nice..

[dfung]

I've had an Ug-LE for about 5 weeks now (I think I bought it the day after it hit the store here). I have been using a Bettinardi/Hogan Big Ben for the past year, also center-shaft and high MOI and White Hot 2-ball Blade before that. I like to try everything out in the store, no matter how stupid it looks! I never cared much for the Craz-E, but those giant DOC 17 putters are really nice, no matter how humiliating it looks...

 

So, I just decided to give the Ug-LE a try. It's really massive, super stable for my swing with a very nice insert feel. It felt more precise and direct in the store's carpet green than the Big Ben. They had it in stock in the size I like (33"), so I went for it.

 

I've only played one round with it in fairly crummy conditions, but have spent some quality time with it on the practice green. The stability is really there, the distance control and feel are good too.

 

But... I've had some second thoughts about it too. There are a couple of issues that don't show up in the store but were significant for me on the course. First, I don't really like the way the neck joins the "blade" part of putter. I guess it's in the right place, but there's a sort of a fillet (I don't think it's a weld, but part of the casting) where they join which doesn't seem to line up exactly perpendicularly to face. Because the topline of the blade part is so narrow, the neck is right up to the face and this is very visible (on the Big Ben, the shaft comes in 3/4" behind the face, so you don't really see this. When you're putting on a flat carpet green in the store, you don't think about this, but when you're on the green and factoring break and slope, the alignment isn't as certain as it could be. There's a long white sightline on the Ug-LE body but the seam on the neck doesn't sit on that line.

 

The other problem was a pretty serious one for me. There are too many sharp edges on the bottom of the putter and I found that it was easy to dig or hang up anytime I was off the green. This is a non-issue with most putters, including Big Ben or Odyssey. The leading edge of the blade part is way too square and the leading edge of the "wings" at the back are sharp as well. I think this is something Ping needs to think about.

 

There are a few cosmetic things as well. It comes with a very nice headcover, but it had a magnetic closure. This was fine on something like a DOC which is made of aluminum, but the Ug-LE is stainless steel, and it's hard to get the cover on without it hanging up. Ping also did an incredibly sloppy job on the shaft band, too - it's not even close to straight, and this seems to be a problem with a lot of new Ping putters (where did the quality go?).

 

For now, I'm probably going back to the Big Ben and I'll revisit this when conditions here in No. Cal are a little drier.

[parkinni]

dfung: Thanks for such an honest and detailed posting. I'm glad that the Ug-Le plays so well for you, and also glad that you shared your thoughts on the downside(s) too.

 

Last weekend, I spent 10 minutes or so happily putting with one on the indoor green in the pro shop of the course I was playing at, and never noticed the casting radius that you mentioned. However, after reading your comments, I went straight to TGW. com and looked at the Ug-Le pics on the product tour section for PING's G5i putters. Sure enough, right there on the bird's eye view pic, is the feature you talked about. The seam that the neck makes going into the head creates a shorter horizontal line that is distinctly offset from the main white alignment line that is on the insert in the rear body of the club. I guess it's subjective just how much that would affect the alignment for each player, but it's definitely there and could mess with your aim. Fantastic observation, dfung!

 

The other "fault" that you note is just about the worst thing that can happen when you're putting. Noboby likes to swing the short stick only to have the bottom of the putter catch the ground and flub your shot. To hear that the Ug-Le has sharp edges that can catch on the longer fringe grass around the green, or further out when you're Texas-wedging it, is not good. If I were you, I'd be dropping The Karstens a line or two about this putter. IMO, PING has such good customer service you might find yourself with a new free putter!?

 

Aside from the magnetic headcover, which I've not looked at, the last thing that you touch upon is something that I've noticed on the G2/G5 line: Quality Control...or lack of it. When I bought my ISI irons back in 1998, the fit and finish of those clubs was truly awesome. They were my first ever set of PINGs, and the heads were like fine sculpture. Recently I've seriously been considering a move back to one of the G2/G5/i5 models, yet when I examine the back of the heads on the G5/i5 irons, the bottom "corners" right beside the tuning port is often rough and "bumpy", like either the casting wasn't done properly or the grey finish material was oversprayed in these areas. I'm a Mech. Engineer by trade, and know that PING's castings can be smooth all over (they use the lost-wax investment casting method of manufacture like they always have, and none of their prior irons exhibit this problem) so it must be the application of the new finish, IMHO. It doesn't look good, and I've read more than a few reports here about moisture collecting and rust spots developing in these locations. I could live with this on a $150 Wal-Mart set, but not when you're being asked to stump up $100 PER CLUB.

 

Also, a friend of mine bought a brand new set of G2's a while back, and even though they had all of the factory labels and stickers on them, 4 of the clubs had their grips grossly misaligned. I'm not talking a few degrees out either, some were almost a quarter-turn off! It was made worse by the fact that the PING grips had reminder ribs on the back, so it made the clubs completely unplayable. He contacted PING and they offered to regrip them, but he would have been without clubs for a week or two, so he got his local pro shop to do it for him. Not good at all, PING!

 

All of this aside, I think I'm now leaning more towards the Craz-E putter. I'll put it up against my V-Daddy in the next week or two (maybe I should wait for the new 2-Ball to come out first?) and see how it does. Sorry for the long-winded reply, and thanks for the very informative feedback.

[Husky18]

Here's a tip...WRX the putter. Ensure's your specs

[The Big Pinch]

I have a G5 craze center shaft in my bag now, kicked out my faithful 2-ball. Craze is the best out at this time.

[cmarkmyers]

I bought an Ug-le earlier this year and have been very happy with it. The reason I went with it was because to me the shaft and neck did not distract from the putting line at all. So after reading this I broke it out to take a look about this so-called mis-aligned join. Sure enough, it is there. But I never noticed it before and it won't bother me in the future. Still, I can see it troubleing some people.

 

And it is true that the edges could be considered sharp by some people.

 

But none of this bothers me (yet). I have been putting better than ever with it (still poorly, of course) and I don't have any issues with the quality (the shop ordered it from Ping with a 33 1/2 inch shaft for me. Perfectly straight).

 

The only thing I don't like is the magnetic head cover which is a pain to put on. I don't think I will ever be able to put it on one handed. And while the putter doesn't really look big to me, with the cover on it is freakin' huge.

[parkinni]

I have a G5 craze center shaft in my bag now, kicked out my faithful 2-ball. Craze is the best out at this time.

How would you compare the feel between the two? I've hit my bud's 2-Ball CS White Hot, and while it didn't really feel different to my Voodoo, it certainly put a better roll on the ball. It just seemed to track to the hole and always looked like it had one more revolution left in it, if that makes any sense? Would that be due to the insert? How does the G5i feel? It's coming up short on the distance putts/lagging that bring on the 3-putts for me!

[parkinni]

I bought an Ug-le earlier this year and have been very happy with it. The reason I went with it was because to me the shaft and neck did not distract from the putting line at all. So after reading this I broke it out to take a look about this so-called mis-aligned join. Sure enough, it is there. But I never noticed it before and it won't bother me in the future. Still, I can see it troubleing some people.

 

And it is true that the edges could be considered sharp by some people.

 

But none of this bothers me (yet). I have been putting better than ever with it (still poorly, of course) and I don't have any issues with the quality (the shop ordered it from Ping with a 33 1/2 inch shaft for me. Perfectly straight).

 

The only thing I don't like is the magnetic head cover which is a pain to put on. I don't think I will ever be able to put it on one handed. And while the putter doesn't really look big to me, with the cover on it is freakin' huge.

Yeah...I'm pretty sure I could live with the visible neck seam too. Also, the size never bothered me either. When I was trying it out, all I seemed to see was the front flange and I wasn't really aware of the rear outrigger.

 

Once again, and maybe it's the extra weight compared to most other putters, but I was really struck by the balance and solidity of these two clubs. I have a bit of a tendency to let the Voodoo "wander" as I take it back, but the PINGs just let me rock my shoulders more and I felt like I made a more compact and controlled stroke.

 

My current stick is centre-shafted, but I was very impressed with the heel-mounted Craz-E. The more I hear, the more I feel a trip to the store coming on!

[parkinni]

they are both just over 360grams.. the craze is super nice..

Did you have one in the bag for a while there, abewley? How did it play? :drinks:

[The Big Pinch]

Nice soft feel at impact, about the same as the 2 ball. G5 gets the ball rolling even better than the 2 ball. Alignment is easier. I always grab putters after I spend some time on the range just to try them. When I found the craze I spent quite a bit of time with it before I made the switch.

[parkinni]

Nice soft feel at impact, about the same as the 2 ball. G5 gets the ball rolling even better than the 2 ball. Alignment is easier. I always grab putters after I spend some time on the range just to try them. When I found the craze I spent quite a bit of time with it before I made the switch.

Thanks, EZ. You said earlier that you got the G5i Craz-E with a center shaft: did you have the same in your 2-Ball, or did you move from a heel-mounted Odyssey? Also, are you comparing the White Hot insert to the G5i, or the White Steel?

 

Whatever, I'm going to have to spend some time trying out the Craz-E. I really feel like I need something that rolls the ball better than my current Voodoo.

[crew_138]

I agree the inserts feel great but on lags you can get out of rythem trying to hit the long one's. I also love the grips they are the best one's I have ever tried in my opinion.

[ccfgc]

I have an i5 Craz-E Center Shafted putter. It is the BEST putter I have ever had. The inserts hold up great. Buy it new and you can get the magnetic putter cover. You could use it until you die.

 

Around here is Colorado in the winter they put alot of sand the greens. With all that sand on the greens I haven't noticed ANY wear on the insert.

 

Get fitted if you are going to buy. A ping fitting is key. I have more confidence than ever and I am holing more putts. My advice . . . DO IT!

 

Paul

ccfgc

[parkinni]

I agree the inserts feel great but on lags you can get out of rhythm trying to hit the long one's. I also love the grips they are the best one's I have ever tried in my opinion.

What is it that affects your rhythm/feel on the longer putts, crew? That's the one weak area that I'm trying to correct with a new short stick. BTW, I have to agree that the G5i grips are the best: feels very tactile...like you have the club Velcro'd into your hands or something!?

 

I have an i5 Craz-E Center Shafted putter. It is the BEST putter I have ever had. The inserts hold up great. Buy it new and you can get the magnetic putter cover. You could use it until you die.

 

Around here is Colorado in the winter they put alot of sand the greens. With all that sand on the greens I haven't noticed ANY wear on the insert.

 

Get fitted if you are going to buy. A ping fitting is key. I have more confidence than ever and I am holing more putts. My advice . . . DO IT!

 

Paul

ccfgc

Thanks for the recommendation on the hardiness of the insert (that's my original question answered now!), and the advice on the PING fitting. There's an authorized outdoor PING fitter 45 minutes away from me that I recently postponed an iron fitting with due to taking some lessons (going through grip/address changes right now). I'm definitely going back to see him before the Summer, so would I be best served doing the irons and putter together? I know that the iron fitting was going to cost me $50 (redeemed on purchase), but would he charge for the putter fitting if I did it before I was ready for new irons?

[crew_138]

I think it just takes some finesse, definately something to get used to. I found for me with a solid putter on short putts without an insert I would hit a little jerky because of me trying to swing so gently. The G5 took care of that I can swing more freely. On the other hand I like the non insert putts for the long one's for more feel/feedback, with the G5 feel is dampened quite a bit on the long ones get jerky there trying to get the speed.

[parkinni]

In-ter-est-ing! I think I see what you mean, though. Sounds like I just need to try them out. Thanks!

[The Big Pinch]

I went from heel shaft 2-ball to center shaft. Center shaft seems best for my straight back straight thru motion.

[parkinni]

I went from heel shaft 2-ball to center shaft. Center shaft seems best for my straight back straight thru motion.

Was that the White Hot, or the White Steel insert 2-Ball you used to play, EZ?

[The Big Pinch]

White hot

[parkinni]

Went to the store today and tried everything I could lay my hands on. After a while, I'd narrowed things down to the GRife 2-Bar Mallet, PING Craz-E and TM Rossa Monza Corza. When I started randomly switching between short, long and medium length putts, it became obvious that the PING Craz-E was the easiest one for me on distance control and direction. The roll that I was getting with it was exactly what I was looking for, and I hardly left anything short of the hole. Grouping was always close, and the roll was very true to the line I hit it on.

 

When I put the standard heel shaft model up against the centre shaft variant, I just seemed to release the putter better with the heel shaft style. So, I got the funky magnetic headcover (different?) and walked out the door. I'll report back on how this thing does out on the course.

 

Thanks to everyone here who helped me get this far.

[Konklifer]

This is getting Craz-E! I tried the UG-LE today and was loving it. Good weight, great feel and roll and good distance control. I've been putter crazy lately so I don't want to make another impulse buy but this thing has potential.

[parkinni]

Yeah, the Ug-Le is nice. Good set-up, weight and balance too. It has the same great feel as the other G5i models, but I plumped for the Craz-E as it seemed to free up my putting stroke a little more. Good luck if you decide to pick one up (you know you want to!?)

[parkinni]

I had my first outing with the PING Craz-E putter at Cheraw State Park GC in SC last Saturday. The greens were a little slower than I've been playing lately - I think they had quite a bit of rain the night before and couldn't/didn't cut them in the morning - but the course was in excellent condition overall (it always is!). Played 36 holes and had a total of 13 one-putts combined for the two rounds. I shot an 84 (my better 18) in the afternoon, which included 8 one-putts, and 2 three-putts out of 30 putts total. Had a couple of birdies and would have gone lower had I not done a 'Tin Cup' (times three) that left me with a snowman on #13. Ah, well!

 

Overall, I was REALLY impressed with the Craz-e. My distance control was very good, and I was able to put a much better roll on the ball than I ever did with my Voodoo Daddy. In fact, I saved par a couple of times when my putts looked like they'd be just short of the hole, but squeaked out an extra roll and dropped in the cup. Politely pissed off my playing partners with my performance on/around the greens all day - which was a nice bonus

 

This was also my first time putting with an alignment mark on my golf balls. I bought one of those $5 half-round plastic cups with the slot in it and a Sharpie, and marked a line on all of my golf balls. Prior to putting, I'd make my read and line the mark up on the ball with my intended direction/line. Having done this for 36 holes, I definitely think that it made a positive difference, and I'll be keeping the same method for subsequent rounds.

 

So, in closing, I think that the new putter was a very good move for me - a change is as good as a rest - and this, combined with the new alignment technique I was using, made for a good putting experience.

 

Thanks for the help of everyone here, and I'll post a proper Craz-E review in the relevant forum when I get the chance.

[cmarkmyers]

My Ug-le did me right the other day when I was able to trust my line and commit. Like you I am now using the same type of ball marker to draw a putting line. But there were a few times on short putts where I elected not line my ball up (bad idea) and other times where after lining it up I didn't like the line (felt it was aiming a bit left) and adjusted my putt (yet another bad idea).

 

But back to the Craz-e... I was out with a friend the other day trying to get him to buy a new putter and was more and more impressed with the Craz-e. If I had to do it all over again I have no idea if I would go with the Craz-e or the Ug-le. I thought for sure the Ug, with it's long white line, would help me align better. But for some reason that half circle on the Craz-e works great.

[parkinni]

Yeah, the thing that got the ball rolling for me (no pun intended) was that I hit 8-iron to 10 feet on the very first hole of the day, lined up my ball mark, and calmly stroked it in for a birdie. This did my confidence a world of good, and set me up for the rest of the day. After that, I started paying more attention to what I wanted/needed to do on the greens, and never really looked back. Had my driver been working*, I'm sure I could have broken 80 (it would be good to do that again ), but as it was I know that my course management and short game/putting got me round Saturday.

 

Glad you're enjoying the Ug-Le, cmark. After I bought my Craz-E, I went back to the store the next weekend and tried everything else again (I've got to stop doing that!), and still thought that the PING was the right putter for me. Apart from the new G5i insert putting a good roll on the ball, the balance of the Craz-E and Ug-Le is rock solid. Like I said before, the only reason that I went with the Craz-e is that the heel-side shaft lets me release the putter more and hold my line - something that I now know was not happening all that often with my Voodoo.

 

I can't say enough good things about these new PINGs - even the price is reasonable, too - so if you (or your friend) fancy a change, I'd wholeheartedly say....GO FOR IT!!!

 

 

* at the end of last year, I was driving the ball OK but my irons were pretty inconsistent. Like any good wife (or one that's just tired of hearing me complaining?!) she got me 3 lessons at the Country Club of SC for Xmas. I had my first session a month ago, and was told that my left-hand grip was too weak (I'll agree with that) and that I was playing the ball too far back in my stance (I tend to play everything just to the right of center). The pro changed my left-hand grip to textbook 'V' to my right shoulder, then set me up with the ball about halfway between center and my left heel. Pushing my hands a little forward at address then creates more of a straight line with my left arm and the iron shaft to the ball, and allows me to release through the shot better.

 

I only hit my 7-iron during the lesson, but the results were great! The stronger grip all but eliminated any overswing that I had before, and the set-up made me turn back and forth through the ball, instead of swaying (something that has plagued me in the past). Even though the grip made me think that I was going to hook everything, I found that it was easy to release down the line I was aiming on, and I've never hit so many 7-irons that consistently before! I even picked up a yard or two to boot!

 

After figuring out that I needed to pull the ball back a tad for my wedges, my direction and distance control with my irons has become very consistent. The only downside to all of this is that my driver game has all but disappeared! The normal shot for me now is a low (smothered?) draw. I don't seem to get through the ball like I used to, and if it wasn't for the run I'm getting I'd be fairly short off the tee. Still, it's p*ssing me off 'cos I know I'd be threatening to break 80 almost every time out if this part of my game was good. I guess that I just need to find the right ball position, and practice with this club until it becomes routine.

 

Sorry for the rant, but it never seems like you can have all of your cylinders firing at the same time with golf. Maybe life would be too boring if that happened week in, week out......but I'd like to find out! :crazy: