Ping Eye 2 woods

[stockers72]

Lofts?

Does anyone know what the lofts were for the Eye 2 woods, especially the 5 wood?

[professor_doom]

They were probably lofted somewhat weaker than their modern equivalents.

I can't find any info on the Eye2 woods, but Ping's website lists the lofts for the zing laminate woods as:

#3 = 16.5
#4 = 19
#5 = 22
#6 = 25
#7 = 29

(source: http://community.pinggolf.com/community/index.cfm?page=knowledge_display&knowledge_id=327 )

I seem to recall reading somewhere that the driver was around 11* or 11.5*.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Eye2 woods have very similar lofts to the Zing woods. If anything, I would think the Eye2 woods would have more loft, since the Zing irons had significantly stronger lofts than the original Eye2 irons. I've played with them, and they definitely have more loft than modern clubs with the same numbers.

You could probably contact Ping and get it straight from the horse's mouth.

[stockers72]

Thanks Prof Doom, makes sense as i occasionally still hit my eye 2 5 wood and it appears to go about as far as my G5 9 wood.
I got the 5 wood for Christmas back around 87 and it was the only wood I used for years... I wonder why I even bother with other woods, I was much better then! Bag consisted of: Ping eye 2 5 wood, Daiwa try-power irons and a ping zing putter = better golfer!

[Shallowface]

[quote name='professor_doom' timestamp='1288749884' post='2771289']
They were probably lofted somewhat weaker than their modern equivalents.

I can't find any info on the Eye2 woods, but Ping's website lists the lofts for the zing laminate woods as:

#3 = 16.5
#4 = 19
#5 = 22
#6 = 25
#7 = 29

(source: http://community.pinggolf.com/community/index.cfm?page=knowledge_display&knowledge_id=327 )

I seem to recall reading somewhere that the driver was around 11* or 11.5*.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Eye2 woods have very similar lofts to the Zing woods. If anything, I would think the Eye2 woods would have more loft, since the Zing irons had significantly stronger lofts than the original Eye2 irons. I've played with them, and they definitely have more loft than modern clubs with the same numbers.

You could probably contact Ping and get it straight from the horse's mouth.
[/quote]

I believe these lofts are correct for the Eye2s as well as the Zings.

The Eye2 model had several different lofted drivers. Working from memory here, I think the lofts were 10.5, 12, 13.5 and 15 respectively for color codes green, black, red and orange. The dot in the middle of the eye was where the color changed. The Zing woods were the same specs, with the number 1 on the sole of the club being where the color changed.

But I agree it is best to check with Ping to be absolutely sure. They are very good about responding to such requests.

[Shallowface]

[quote name='stockers72' timestamp='1288750690' post='2771306']
Thanks Prof Doom, makes sense as i occasionally still hit my eye 2 5 wood and it appears to go about as far as my G5 9 wood.
I got the 5 wood for Christmas back around 87 and it was the only wood I used for years... I wonder why I even bother with other woods, I was much better then! Bag consisted of: Ping eye 2 5 wood, Daiwa try-power irons and a ping zing putter = better golfer!
[/quote]

The swingweights on Ping woods tend to be on the light side (approx C8), so one time I picked up a used Eye2 5 wood and extended it to 43 inches. That was my go to fairway wood for years, providing the forgiveness of the extra loft with, for me anyway, the distance of a 3 wood.

It was an extreme version of what Spalding used to do with their "half woods." They sold a lot of those where the 2 1/2 had a 3 wood loft and a 2 wood length, and so on for the 3 1/2 and the 4 1/2. I remember a piece in a 1970s era Golf Digest where they did a WITB with Al Geiberger and he carried a driver, 3 1/2 wood and three wedges. This was years before Tom Kite popularized the 60 degree, although they didn't give the lofts of Al's three wedges so I don't know that the most lofted one was 60 degrees.

[professor_doom]

There must be something to those old Ping woods--they're the only wooden clubs you still see in people's bags. One old guy I played with said he has a garage packed to bursting with clubs and has yet to find fairway woods as balanced as the eye2's he had in his bag. Back in '05 or '06, I had a high school match against a guy who consistently outdrove me (and I was one of the longest guys on my team), bagging what must have been his father's old woods. 1, 3, and 4. I was playing a Nicklaus AirBear titanium driver (which itself is probably considered a classic now) with this bright orange graphite shaft that everyone called "the light saber." I'm pretty sure they were either Zing or ISI Tour woods. Steel shafts and this to-die-for blonde finish. I'm pretty sure that's what started my fascination with classic clubs.

Funny thing is that when I finally bought a set of Eye2 woods in a thrift store (black, sadly, not the lovely blonde finish I so envied), I found I couldn't hit them well at all. Even on the driver, I'd either blow up or hook every shot. The light swingweight Shallowface pointed out might have something to do with it, and 12* is way more loft than my other drivers--9* with titanium and 10* with persimmon seem to be the magic numbers for me. The shaft wasn't to my liking either--the lower half especially isn't nearly as stiff as I'd like. Talk about disappointment.

I'm kind of surprised that the dot color refers to loft with the woods, since it denotes lie with the irons. Then again, I guess lie doesn't matter as much with woods. I'm also surprised that they should offer lofts as ridiculous as 15*, although I guess that (in combination with the light, soft shaft) would be great for seniors.

[Shallowface]

The orange dot was mostly a ladies model, although since all of the Ping Woods of that time, including the ladies models, had stiff steel shafts a lot of guys used the red and orange dots for strong fairway woods. Just put in a shaft extender and you get the length you want plus increasing the swingweight to a more comfortable level.

I've never seen this for myself, and perhaps one of our refinishing experts could chime in here, but someone told me that the Ping Woods were hollowed out under the soleplate, thus creating a perimeter weighted laminated wood. Love to know if this is true or not.

Karsten didn't introduce a metal wood until, I believe, the mid 1990s, and the ISI Tour laminated woods were sold up until around 2001. Karsten was on record as saying he didn't believe the early metal woods were any better, or maybe not even as good, as his laminated models. I would agree with that, although it no doubt cost the company some sales as the metals gained in popularity.

[professor_doom]

The ISI Tour, the final iteration of Ping's laminated woods, were definitely hollowed out under the sole; they even had a plastic window to let you see that. It wouldn't surprise me to find out the earlier models were as well, since they were huge compared to other wooden clubs and probably couldn't have been as light as they were without cutting some wood out.

I would say ol' Karsten was correct in his assessment of early metalwoods That's probably why you still saw wooden clubs, including Pings, on tour until '98 or '99.

[tagnut69]

I still use a set of Eye 2 woods and Zing woods along with my 2 sets of eye2 irons

[chrisbellaire]

If anyone is interested, I've got a set of Ping Eye2 fairway woods For Sale, Cheap, in the For Sale Forum. Should be on page 3 right now.

[super20dan]

still have a bunch of these too-mostly karsten 1- 2 modles. could hit the 3 and 5 well but never the driver.

[Joe9977]

Eye 2, 3-wood still in bag. Nothing better. I'm very long with it. Can take full rips, very straight for me. Great inventions.

[doctordwaynewilliams]

I just sold a set of Ping Eye 2 woods. I loved hitting them. Replaced them with the Ping Zing blonde woods.

[doctordwaynewilliams]

[baloo]

I just sold a set of Ping Eye 2 woods. I loved hitting them. Replaced them with the Ping Zing blonde woods.

 

Beautiful clubs. Which set do you prefer? Is either more fade biased?

[doctordwaynewilliams]

I just sold a set of Ping Eye 2 woods. I loved hitting them. Replaced them with the Ping Zing blonde woods.

 

Beautiful clubs. Which set do you prefer? Is either more fade biased?

 

I hit both straight as an arrow. They feel very similar. I just prefer the look of the blondes. I have different shafts in the two sets though. My blondes have DG S300 shafts and the Eye 2s had ZZ Lite shafts.

[Joe9977]

Any difference between ZZ Lite and S300? I use ZZ Lite.

[disco111]

What ball do you guys play when hitting "wood" woods?............

[scomac2002]

What ball do you guys play when hitting "wood" woods?............

 

I'm currently using Callaway Supersoft. I also like Lady Pinnacle Gold.

[baloo]

What ball do you guys play when hitting "wood" woods?............

 

I use the z star currently

[TimV]

What ball do you guys play when hitting "wood" woods?............

 

I believe your best bet is to stay with a low compression ball. I use Wilson Duo myself.

[Maxwell]

I was recently asked to refinish a set(1,3,5 & 7) of 1988 - 91 Men's R/H Ping Eye 2 woods and noticed they had serial or registration numbers on each of the sole plates. The driver had the letter " B " followed by 6 numbers stamped on the sole plate. The other 3 woods had 5 or 6 numbers only stamped on each of the sole plates. Does anyone have an idea what the numbers represent ? Does anyone know a web site I can go to help me decipher their meaning?

 

Blair

Canada

[SteveNZ]

I was recently asked to refinish a set(1,3,5 & 7) of 1988 - 91 Men's R/H Ping Eye 2 woods and noticed they had serial or registration numbers on each of the sole plates. The driver had the letter " B " followed by 6 numbers stamped on the sole plate. The other 3 woods had 5 or 6 numbers only stamped on each of the sole plates. Does anyone have an idea what the numbers represent ? Does anyone know a web site I can go to help me decipher their meaning?

 

Blair

Canada

 

PING customer service should be able to help. Think you just need to go to the 'Contact Us' section on their site. Just email them with the serial numbers that you have.