PING Proving Grounds

PING

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.

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20 episodes
Updated July 22

Episodes20

Newest first

July 22 · 41 min
Episode 100: Charles Barkley
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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
July 10 · 38 min
Episode 99: Driver Fitting
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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
July 1 · 38 min
Episode 98: Arccos (Feat. Sal Syed)
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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 25 · 24 min
Episode 97: Wyndham Clark
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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 4 · 31 min
Episode 96: Erika Larkin
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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 14 · 32 min
Episode 95: Your Questions Answered
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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 6 · 37 min
Episode 94: PING’s Commitment to Women’s Golf
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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
April 28 · 51 min
Episode 93: Trackman (Feat. Fredrik Tuxen)
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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
April 15 · 28 min
Episode 92: G740 Irons
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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
April 8 · 19 min
Episode 91: Mason Howell at the Masters
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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
April 2 · 26 min
Episode 90: Scottsdale TEC Putters
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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
March 19 · 26 min
Episode 89: i540 Irons
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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
February 25 · 32 min
Episode 88: Daniel Berger
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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
February 4 · 29 min
Episode 87: Viktor Hovland & Shay Knight
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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
January 30 · 39 min
Episode 86: s259 Wedges
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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
January 21 · 23 min
Episode 85: G440 K Driver
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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 19, 2025 · 23 min
Episode 84: Shaft Development
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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 3, 2025 · 29 min
Episode 83: Soft Goods Design & Development
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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 29, 2025 · 24 min
Episode 82: Top-End Fitting
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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 15, 2025 · 30 min
Episode 81: Alternative Style Putters
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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

PING Proving Grounds

Episode 100: Charles Barkley

Episode 99: Driver Fitting

Episode 98: Arccos (Feat. Sal Syed)

Episode 97: Wyndham Clark

Episode 96: Erika Larkin

Episode 95: Your Questions Answered

Episode 94: PING’s Commitment to Women’s Golf

Episode 93: Trackman (Feat. Fredrik Tuxen)

Episode 92: G740 Irons

Episode 91: Mason Howell at the Masters

Episode 90: Scottsdale TEC Putters

Episode 89: i540 Irons

Episode 88: Daniel Berger

Episode 87: Viktor Hovland & Shay Knight

Episode 86: s259 Wedges

Episode 85: G440 K Driver

Episode 84: Shaft Development

Episode 83: Soft Goods Design & Development

Episode 82: Top-End Fitting

Episode 81: Alternative Style Putters