This 55-Year Old Putter Went Up Against Today's £400 Equivalent. Here's What Happened...
Joe Ferguson rewinds the clock to test the putter that changed the course of history and see if it still performs to a high level
In the third instalment of our Retro Review series, we revisit possibly the most iconic putter of all time – the Ping Anser. Designed by Ping founder Karsten Solheim in 1966, just about every putter produced since has featured at least one element of the Anser, so we wanted to put it up against a modern-day equivalent to see if it could still compete.
WATCH: Joe Ferguson compares the original Ping Anser putter against the recent PLD Anser from long and short range
Original launch date: 1966
Original RRP: $175 approx
Price we paid: £67.99 from GolfClubs4Cash
Who used it on tour? Gene Littler and 1969 Masters Champion George Archer were the first adopters, with countless others following suit.
What was the tech?
The Anser was the first of a kind, featuring an offset hosel that provided a clean view of the face. The cavity-back design also featured a low centre of gravity and lines parallel to the face to help with alignment. The Anser has gone on to become the most successful putter in golf history, with more than 500 tour wins, including 19 men’s Major Championships.
How did it perform?
To see how well the original Ping Anser had stood the test of time we pitted it against the current iteration, the Ping Anser PLD putter. Both were 34in long and results were certainly surprising. While difficult to provide a really accurate, scientific test with a putter due to the associated variables in this part of the game, we started at the PGA Tour ‘50% make’ range of 8ft. From here, the original Anser made nine out of ten, which was hugely impressive. The PLD version also performed admirably with seven out of ten so this was a reasonable victory for the old-timer!
We then headed back to 80ft for a challenging putt up and over a tier, hitting six putts with each and adding up the total footage from the hole to find a winner. Incredibly, it was a dead heat with both coming in at 24 feet.
In terms of the unquantifiables, we felt the PLD had a slightly more subdued and sophisticated feel and sound, although the original Anser’s higher pitch was quite refreshing. Dimensions and head shapes were basically identical, but we preferred the PLD’s slightly crisper lines.
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Conclusion
As ever, this was a nice, nostalgic experience but the main reason for these comparisons is to see if older clubs still have merit. The answer was a resounding yes. From a pure test point of view, the old Anser was as good as, if not better than, the modern-day PLD. From a looks and feel perspective, the PLD is undoubtedly a more refined product. But with a £67.99 price tag, the original Anser could still do a great job on the greens with a new grip fitted.
Joe has worked in the golf industry for nearly 20 years in a variety of roles. After a successful amateur career being involved in England squads at every age group, Joe completed his PGA degree qualification in 2014 as one of the top ten graduates in his training year and subsequently went on to become Head PGA Professional at Ryder Cup venue The Celtic Manor Resort. Equipment has always been a huge passion of Joe’s, and during his time at Celtic Manor, he headed up the National Fitting Centres for both Titleist and Taylormade. He’s excited to bring his knowledge of hardware to Golf Monthly in the form of equipment reviews and buying advice.
Joe lives in North Devon and still plays sporadically on the PGA West region circuit. His best round in recent years came earlier in 2023 where he managed a 9 under par 63 at Trevose GC in a Devon & Cornwall PGA Tournament.
Joe's current What's In The Bag?
Driver: Ping G430 Max 10K 9 degree - Fujikura Ventus Red 6X 45.75"
Fairway wood: TaylorMade Qi10 Tour - Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro White shaft 70TX 43.25"
Irons: Callaway Apex CB 24' 3-11 - Project X LS 6.5 shafts
Wedges: PXG Sugar Daddy 54 and 60 degree - Project X LS 6.0 shafts
Putter: Odyssey Toe Up #9
Ball: TaylorMade 2024 TP5x
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