FIRST LOOK: Ping’s new Heppler putters, featuring nine different models

Ping’s new family of Heppler putters — with nine models in total — provide golfers who prefer a firm feel a variety of options. Golfers who want a soft feel with a face insert can look to Ping’s Sigma 2 series, but the Heppler family provides a different sensation.

To produce that firmer feel, the new Heppler putters are machined with a solid-face construction. The blade putters in the series are made from all steel, while the mid-mallets and mallets use a multi-material design to increase MOI (moment of intertia) for better forgiveness. Some of the faces in the family are made from steel, while others are made from aluminum; the face material varies by model because of the overall design differences in each putter.

“With the Heppler series, we’re providing golfers a firmer-feeling putter in highly forgiving models to ensure a choice that fits their stroke and eye,” said Ping president John K. Solheim, in a press release. “We’ve chosen a very precise manufacturing process that’s significantly advanced our ability to create high-MOI mid-mallets and mallets by combining aerospace-grade aluminum with steel.”

The lightweight aluminum material used throughout the Heppler series is pressure-casted, and it combines with steel in order to create highly forgiving designs made with precision, according to Ping.

“The advantage of pressure casting is we can achieve highly precise design details while allowing our engineers much greater freedom to position weight where it benefits the putter’s performance the most,” Solheim said. “As a result, we improved the performance of existing models and developed two entirely new designs.”

The Heppler putter series consists of blades (Anser 2, ZB3), mid-mallets (Piper C, Piper Armlock) and mallets (Tyne 3, Fetch, Ketsch, Floki, Tomcat 14), each of which use a copper-and-black contrasting finish to help with alignment. They also feature Ping’s familiar adjustable-length system that allows golfers to easily change length from 32-to-36 inches, helping players find their correct fit. Various grip options are available, as well, including the standard PP59, the midsize PP60, the heavier PP61, and the larger and rounded PP62.

The new putter family is named after the late Rick Heppler, who started with Ping in 1966 and was hired by John A. Solheim to help build putters in the family garage. He passed away in a motorcycle accident in 2013.

“Rick was part of the Ping family for almost 50 years,” Solheim said. “He was a dear friend who contributed greatly to our success in all that he did. Naming this putter series after him is a tribute to his dedication to our company and its employees.”

Below are photos and information about each of the new Heppler putters.

From Ping: “Bearing the same heel-toe weighting that helped make the original Anser 2 so popular, the Heppler version also shares the original’s angled heel ballast. The all-steel Heppler Anser 2 stands apart with color blocking that creates its own eye-pleasing alignment assistance.”

• Material: Steel
• Head Weight: 350 grams
• Stroke Type: Slight Arc
• Price: $245

From Ping: “A larger section of the cavity was carved out and the heel-toe ballasts are larger than those in the ZB 2 to achieve a high MOI in this strong-arc blade. The alignment dot is a product of our research showing this cue makes aiming easier for strong-arc players.”

• Material: Steel
• Head Weight: 355 grams
• Stroke Type: Strong Arc
• Price: $245

From Ping: “Players who prefer center-shafted putters will find the Piper C gives them a performance edge. Relative to other center-shafted models, the CG (center of gravity) is lower, and MOI is higher because of steel heel and toe weights integrated with the aluminum body. “

• Material: Aluminum/Steel face
• Head Weight: 365 grams
• Stroke Type: Straight
• Price: $245

From Ping: “At address, the ratio of aluminum to steel appears to be 50/50; in fact, steel accounts for 2/3 of the weight, created by a thick back flange, resulting in a lower, much deeper CG and a higher MOI.”

• Material: Aluminum face/Steel
• Head Weight: 360 grams
• Stroke Type: Slight Arc
• Price: $270

From Ping: “To elevate MOI over the Sigma 2 Fetch, which has steel bordering the center cutout, designers used aluminum, then steel in the heel-toe ballasting for increasing forgiveness. The color contrasting helps golfers focus on the alignment lines, causing the holed-out section to fade and not be the primary focus.”

• Material: Aluminum/Steel face
• Head Weight: 365 grams
• Stroke Type: Straight
• Price: $270

From Ping: “Its sole is steel, which also wraps the perimeter, a big reason this half-steel, half-aluminum Ketsch nearly doubles the MOI of the Ping Vault 2.0 Ketsch. Like all the Heppler mallets, it effectively utilizes multi-material construction, and is the only putter in the family with three alignment lines, which frame the ball.”

• Material: Aluminum face/Steel
• Head Weight: 370 grams
• Stroke Type: Slight Arc or Straight
• Price: $270

From Ping: “The strong-arc mallet is enjoying popularity, and the Floki expands a player’s fitting options while boasting the second-highest MOI in the Heppler line, owing to its 2/3 steel, 1/3 aluminum construction. Significant steel around the perimeter prevents twisting and its copper color contrasted against the black aluminum is designed to inspire confidence.”

• Material: Aluminum face/Steel
• Head Weight: 365 grams
• Stroke Type: Strong Arc
• Price: $270

From Ping: “Airport runway lights inspired the alignment dots in the highest-MOI model in the Heppler family. The dots get closer together front to back to simulate motion, help with eye tracking, and frame the ball. The back ballasts are cored out and steel filled in this half-steel, half-aluminum putter.”

• Material: Aluminum face/Steel
• Head Weight: 370 grams
• Stroke Type: Slight Arc or Straight
• Price: $270

From Ping: “A mid-mallet is the predominant putter style among armlock players for its desirable head shape, and this Piper relies on the same low-CG, high-MOI, heel-toe weighted Piper C head. The difference is a double-bend shaft (standard length is 41.5 inches) and it attaches heel-side as opposed to the center. It comes with a 21-inch grip, and the standard loft is 6 degrees.”

• Material: Aluminum/Steel face
• Standard length: 41.5 inches (Non-adjustable, custom lengths available)
• Head Weight: 355 grams
• Stroke Type: Slight Arc or Straight
• Price: $270