without castings IN A WORLD


Would Golf Be More Frustrating? Until the second half of the 20th century, golf club design was


limited greatly by production processes. Forged steel irons stuck to a blade-like design, which off ered a consistent if unforgiving hit. But in the 1960s, advancements in casting and alloys, along with radical designs from an amateur player, led to the development and prolifer- ation of cast steel and titanium alloy clubs. Karsten Solheim, a mechanical engineer familiar with in- vestment casting from Redwood City, Calif., fi rst designed a putter that moved weight toward the blade’s edges and connected the shaft to its center instead of the heel. With that putter’s success in 1969, Solheim designed an entire line of irons cast with deeply set back cavities, which wasn’t possible via forging at the time. By moving weight from the center of the club to the toe and heel, the new “Ping” irons provided millions of golfers a larger sweet spot and a more forgiving hit. T e investment casting process pro- vided manufacturers a level of consistency from club to club and set to set. In just over a decade, Ping captured more than a third of the market and remains one of the best-selling brands of all time. 


Sept/Oct 2013 | METAL CASTING DESIGN & PURCHASING | 13


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