I love the classical Ping style. The shaft is attached near the heel which I have been told suits the shape of my putting stroke. It has a beautiful sound to it, you can really hear when I hit the sweet spot (or not!). Feels great to pick up and looks great at address. Not sure why but it seems to add a touch of draw on the really long putts which works great for me as I often leave those ones short. It replaced a Taylormade Rossa Daytona 1 and so far I think it is better for me, especially on long putts.
The original Ping Kushin blade putters made in Redwood City, Scotsdale, and in Phoenix where the forerunner to the Anser model. They accentuated heel/toe balance by employing a floating face (sound slot), so the actual striking area of the putter was only attached to the rest of the head at the heel and toe. The later Kushin (and Cushin) models did not have the slot cut in the sole behind the face. The original castings did not have good graphics in the cavity; the casting was improved and the letters much more legible in the later (and current) models. The Kushin is shorter from heel to toe than the Cushin; the Cushin model might be said to be mid-sized, but not over-sized. I like the Kushin because it frames the ball (the width of the "fins" on the flange are correct for my taste) a little better than the Cushin or Anser. I can use the flange as additional sighting lines. While all three models hang toe-down, the Kushin is closer to face balanced, which I prefer. (Some later Anser models have an extended hosel to allow them to become face balanced.) I like a muted, heavy sound when striking a putt, and the later Kushins without the sound slot have less of a "ping" or "ting" sound than the originals (which gave the company its name). Sound translates to the human body as "feel", so I encourage you to decide if you want a lively, loud sound or a deeper, softer strike on the golf ball. Both the original sound slot and newer no-slot models are superb putters. The manganese bronze wears well, and forms a nice patina. Note that the Kushin did NOT come in beryllium copper. Both the Cushin and Anser did. All the early and mid-age creations tended to come on the light swingweight side, as only recently has Ping (and other manufacturers) gone to heavier head weights and shorter lengths. (The average putter length on the current PGA Tour, some pretty tall guys, is only 33.5".) The old 35" standard, when trimmed down an inch or so, swings too light. The Kushin, by virtue of its no hosel design, easily allows lead or tungston to be ram-rodded down the shaft to the clubhead. Generally about 35-grams of weight will bring a shorter putter up to a D0 to D6 swingweight, and the weight on the heel side further helps to face balance the clubhead. The sweet spot is more to the exact center of the club face. Also, the bend in the steel shaft allows for easy adjustment of loft and lie. In my opinion, if you like a blade-type, no-frills putter with the manganese bronze "feel", and is readily "customized" to your exact preferences for swingweight, lie, loft, and length, then no finer design than the Kushin has been invented by Ping or any other manufacturer.Read full review
I went through a center-shaft putter phase and my game went ugly quick. I was using an Aserta Eclipse and an Adams Spec 03. Both of which are nice putters, but I couldn't make them work for me. I was 3 putting almost ever hole, I was having a hard time with direction and speed control. So I went looking. I didn't want to spend $100+ on a new putter but wanted something better than average. I went to a local sports resale shop and found several old Pings: the Kushin, Anser, O-blade, and A-blade. I hit all of them in the store with a Titleist Pro V1 ball. All of the putters but the Kushin felt toe heavy and I wasn't getting a good response from the others like I was from the Kushin. It also has an amazing tone. What a great sound, I know I have hit a good putt when I hear that wonderful tone. I love the weight, feel, and response I get from this putter. Like Scotch, a putter is one's own taste. If you happen to come across one of these, grab it and hit it; maybe it will fit your game.Read full review
Hello Golfers - From someone who grew up caddying and playing golf as a kid in the 60's, I saw and tried putting with many putters. The Country Club members always had the latest equipment, and I noticed what the "good" golfers were playing. The feel and uniqueness the Pings' had gave you confidence when putting. I'm a bogey golfer but have always used some generation Ping and have bought and given many as gifts knowing that it puts a high quality club in any golfer's bag. This one is also a gift to a great friend who is taking up the game. Besides it being a "Ping" it is a left-handed model which he needed and was having trouble finding LH clubs. So....a classic hard-to-find LH Ping at a very reasonable price? No-brainer. Thank you. As a kid I would have had to carry a lot of bags and mow a lot of lawns to afford one of these beauties.Read full review
Of the older Ping putters my favorite is the Kushin. All Kushin models are not the same. Some have the shaft entering at an angle and others enter it vertically. The ones that enter vertically have a "Z" shaft which I prefer. Now days Ping probably does not have the "Z" shaft in stock. The weight of the head can also vary. If you look at the heel of the head it will either have an oval shape, circular shape, or a shape that mirrors the toe. It has been my experience that oval shape is the lightest, the circular more heavy, and mirror shaped the most heavy. The alloys used in the head can vary a small amout. All of the Scottsdale putters that I have seen do not have a circle R after the Ping and before the Kushin to denote a registered trade mark. For dating purposes, very, very early Phoenix (zip 85029) models do not have the circle R either. For the very early Phoenix models the printing on the backside of the head is less distinct.Read full review