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Is PXG the new Ping?

SuperStroke
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Hanging at the 19th hole this afternoon and the topic came up.

A former Ping diehard has been showing up with more and more Pxg stuff in his bag. When asked about this, he said "All the good engineers at Ping are over at Pxg now, so might as well buy something that sounds and feels better with the same performance" He went on to say that it is even cheaper with the veterans discount so he could "Afford" the latest and greatest that Ping would have put out if they had excess money to tweak looks and feel.

I have no dog in this fight, but it made me think. Is this the truth? Is it better to follow the engineers you like instead of a company name? Like following your favorite QB to a new NFL team instead of being team specific? I do not even know who these people are, but I need education on the subject before I can add my 2 cents, so all I did was sit and listen. Is there merit to what he is saying, or a guy that is just try to justify his purchases?
 
Personally, I like to think I'm brand agnostic. I've owned different brands, and while I have tried clubs wanting to like them, I bought better performing clubs of another brand. It's probably mental, but I've played clubs I liked and when I tried the next generation, they didn't work as well for me. My current bag setup tells me I have a Ping bias, but I really like every one of their clubs I have.

I think the cast of engineers may be part of the story, but not all. PXG may have different aesthetic, material, and cost constraints than Ping and that has to affect the final product because the engineers have to work within those constraints. Your playing partner may be right, but sometimes, "believing is seeing."
 
PXG wishes it was the new ping. They seem to be reinventing themselves to a certain degree but they are not respected like ping.. not yet.
 
i like PXG but i wouldn't say they're the new anything...
 
Have yet to give them a try. They keep lowering their prices, I will cave in eventually.
 
i’d say they are the new PXG. Being priced arrogantly high relative to their product didn’t appear to work. Now price points are coming down. People will try it and we’ll see.
Ping pioneered via research and sweat equity. They didn’t try to buy their way in. They couldn’t.
Different strokes!
 
Influenced by I’d say yes, but the new no.
 
I would say no but they’re doing a very good job breaking into the market. I have hit a few PXG clubs and owned 2. I have yet to hit one I didn’t like.
 
I came in early - 2016 - when the irons were touted but the hybrids were the best clubs and the woods were crap.

They've rounded out, evolved, and Parsons appears to have made millionaires out of some of the former Ping engineers.

But Ping has upped its game with the G425 fwy and hybrids, and the i59s seem pretty darn good.

PXG is Parsons. They are different. Just another OEM but they try to be maverick's. They even have a PXG Store near Plano/Frisco. Parsons is daring and doesn't need to answer to anyone. Interesting ride.

Don't know if I'll hit another PXG club. We have so many other options.
 
They look similar to Ping irons. The veterans discount is an awesome idea and I know Callaway does it too.

I think they have a long way to go to be Ping.
 
I play a mix of PXG irons and right now they work. I'm not over the moon with them but they work. Feel good and go far. I don't think they're at PING's level as there is a respect and even acceptance level within golf. If I play with someone who plays PING, it's a standard convo. When asked about my setup, I always seem to have to qualify it by stating that I didn't pay the stupid prices for them that they normally charge. They have a ways to go to be on the same level as PING in regards to respect and acceptance. There is a strong probability that they won't be in the bag next year.
 
jmix18 said:
I play a mix of PXG irons and right now they work. I'm not over the moon with them but they work. Feel good and go far. I don't think they're at PING's level as there is a respect and even acceptance level within golf. If I play with someone who plays PING, it's a standard convo. When asked about my setup, I always seem to have to qualify it by stating that I didn't pay the stupid prices for them that they normally charge. They have a ways to go to be on the same level as PING in regards to respect and acceptance. There is a strong probability that they won't be in the bag next year.
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I was curious on what your take would be on this.
Are you saying Callaway Apex Pros are going to be there? 😂
 
Definitely not the new Ping but they are growing. The top instructor at my private club was a huge Callaway disciple for over 20 years and just switched to PXG a year ago. We now have at least 35 members with PXG irons and almost that many with their drivers/woods. One of my buddies just picked up a set a few weeks ago and I hit a few shots during our last round with them and they look and feel great. (Not as great as my Srixon irons;)).

I’m surprised at how many Callaway diehards made the jump to PXG at our club and if they repeat this at hundreds of other clubs across the country they will grow quickly. As a company there is other evidence that they are thriving as a company as they opened a retail store in the mall a few miles from my house and rumor has it a 2nd store is coming soon to the east suburbs of the Twin Cities. I was a skeptic that they could even survive in a small niche but now it appears they may have the product and marketing to become a lasting brand. Here’s an article discussing their growth.

For the 2nd Time, PXG Appears on the Inc. 5000 List of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies

"Inc. magazine revealed that PXG - Parsons Xtreme Golf is No. 2,851 on its annual Inc. 5000 list, the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. The list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the American economy’s most dynamic...
www.pxg.com www.pxg.com
 
tahoebum said:
As a company there is other evidence that they are thriving as a company as they opened a retail store in the mall a few miles from my house and rumor has it a 2nd store is coming soon to the east suburbs of the Twin Cities. I was a skeptic that they could even survive in a small niche but now it appears they may have the product and marketing to become a lasting brand. Here’s an article discussing their growth.
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That article is using some interesting statistics, but I will leave it at that. The retail store model had little choice, since they were removed from just about all retail stores due to a myriad of reasons, but one of which is lack of sales (shown by Datatech)
 
MattyD-MPLS said:
I was curious on what your take would be on this.
Are you saying Callaway Apex Pros are going to be there? 😂
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TBH - I regret getting rid of my CF16's last year as I was hitting them really well and was confident with them. I've learned that I'm really big with feel and look at address and I really liked what they looked like and loved the feel of those 16's. My PXG's are just missing something. I probably fell into the trap of getting fit, seeing the results last fall, and then the real excitement of new sticks. I've moved some TE's into the rotation as well but again it's a feel/look thing for me.. 🤷‍♂️ So - some real possibility to add a different lineup for the '22 golf season.
 
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PXG doesn’t even know what the hell PXG is anymore.
 
tahoebum said:
The top instructor at my private club was a huge Callaway disciple for over 20 years and just switched to PXG a year ago. ....I’m surprised at how many Callaway diehards made the jump to PXG at our club and if they repeat this at hundreds of other clubs across the country they will grow quickly.
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I wonder how much of it is due to the "top instructor" making the change versus it's what's best for the individual player? That's how I fell into checking out the sauce - my daughter's instructor (Fessler) plays PXGs and had good things to say about them... I went and got fit and then pulled the trigger - much due to the good things Fess had to say about them. If I were to do this all over again - I'm heading to Club Champion this winter to get an unbiased and correct fitting.
 
Jman said:
PXG doesn’t even know what the hell PXG is anymore.
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I very much agree with this. Their branding is all over the place right now. Ping has years upon years of solid performance and a track record they can rely on. Everyone knows what they’re going to get with Ping. PXG has no idea if they want to be an exclusive niche brand, a jack of all trades, or at this point - a master of none.
 
I think PXG is what Parsons wants them to be on any particular day.
 
I still haven’t held or swung a PXG club.
 
Puttmaster said:
I still haven’t held or swung a PXG club.
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So much great equipment out there, you're not missing much. I can't try everything. I usually look at Callaway, Mizuno, Ping and read reviews to see if anything else is interesting.

As to PXG, I think Parsons PO'd all of the exclusive clubmakers that were on board in 2015, then he PO's customers with poor build before they corrected some of it, then he PO'd retail/lack of sales ... so he just does what he does best - goes his own way in his mercurial style.

When my instructor was fitting P Reed, Parsons was interested in and then raving about TPT Shafts, and they will hopefully become an upcharge shaft in the near future for other OEMs. He has no idea if Bob is still using them. Bob may be one of those guys that like to try everything - He runs at his pace and no one else's.
 
Karsten with his castings, Ely with bore-through, Adams with metal woods........all heretics! Now Parsons goes Ka-Boom. I'm sure MacGregor, Spalding, Hogan snarked at them all and predicted their demise. Me, I now play PXG (0311P Gen 2) irons and added the Gen 4 driver this year. Moved on from iE1 and G30, like I moved on from Cally, like I moved on from.......

Point is, it's too soon make the call on PXG. Parson is a disruptor in a field on traditionalist. I hope his model succeeds. Like I hope the next heretic disrupts this industry. Golfers tend to rely on the opinions of players with skill beyond their own. Hit 'em, like 'em, play 'em until you find the one you like better.

I'll get back on my porch now.

J
 
juanfabuloso said:
Karsten with his castings, Ely with bore-through, Adams with metal woods........all heretics! Now Parsons goes Ka-Boom. I'm sure MacGregor, Spalding, Hogan snarked at them all and predicted their demise. Me, I now play PXG (0311P Gen 2) irons and added the Gen 4 driver this year. Moved on from iE1 and G30, like I moved on from Cally, like I moved on from.......

Point is, it's too soon make the call on PXG. Parson is a disruptor in a field on traditionalist. I hope his model succeeds. Like I hope the next heretic disrupts this industry. Golfers tend to rely on the opinions of players with skill beyond their own. Hit 'em, like 'em, play 'em until you find the one you like better.

I'll get back on my porch now.

J
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What technology did PXG bring that made them a disrupter to the likes of those other examples?
 
I’m in Maui and happened to be at Kaanapali hitting some balls before a round tomorrow. PXG rep there setting up a demo day. You would have thought he was Parsons himself. A bit arrogant.
 
PXG aka Bob knows how to stir things up. Not sure about them.
 
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