PHOENIX – The PING Proving Grounds, a new podcast created to provide golfers behind-the-scenes insights into the company’s approach to designing the highest-performing equipment available, debuts tomorrow, PING CEO & President John K. Solheim announced today.
Hosted by golf broadcaster and journalist Shane Bacon and Marty Jertson, PING’s Vice President of Fitting & Performance, the podcast takes a deep dive into PING’s celebrated history and immeasurable contributions to golf equipment, custom fitting, and the game of golf in general. The pair will examine everything from golf club development to the tools, technologies and data that continue to improve the custom-fitting landscape. They’ll bring on expert guests, including PING tour professionals and brand ambassadors, to examine a variety of golf science and performance topics that are relatable to everyday golfers of all skill levels.
The PING Proving Grounds podcast is available on all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio or wherever golfers get their podcasts.
“As a competitive player, Shane brings instant credibility to any conversation whether he’s talking tour, equipment technology, club fitting or the history of the sport,” Solheim said. “His success as a broadcaster provides an energy and enthusiasm that will greatly help us share the PING story with a wider and younger audience. Marty’s expertise on all things PING is very broad and he has a unique ability to explain technical things in a simple way so you don’t have to be an engineer to understand the benefit he’s conveying. His experience playing major championships also gives him insights listeners will find fascinating.
“We’re excited to pair the two of them together on the podcast as we continue to educate golfers on what goes on behind the scenes at the PING Proving Grounds and how that leads to helping golfers play better and enjoy the game more.”
Bacon, who attended the University of Arizona, works for all the major television networks, providing announcing duties at all four major championships. He also hosts Get A Grip, a weekly podcast he founded three years ago that covers golf from every angle. Late last year, he authored a children’s golf book, The Golfer’s Zoo, which was inspired by his two young children’s curiosity about golf.
“PING is highly respected throughout the industry for engineering and manufacturing the highest- performing equipment in the game to help golfers play better,” said Bacon, who earlier this week became a PING Brand Ambassador. “They are a true engineering company that has a culture that would be the envy of any business, not just in golf. The talent, loyalty and passion of their employees is remarkable. You can feel it when you step on the campus that’s home to the PING Proving Grounds. Most would agree PING has the most compelling and inspiring brand story in the game. I look forward to partnering with Marty and sharing that story with golfers around the world.”
Jertson, a 20-year employee of PING, brings a combination of engineering and fitting expertise along with insight as a competitive golfer to the show, having played in six major championships. A graduate of the Colorado School of Mines in 2002, he earned his mechanical engineering degree while competing on the golf team. The father of two began his career as an intern at PING following a brief try on the mini-tour circuit. He quickly advanced his career to director of product design before taking on his current role heading up the company’s efforts to further its leadership position in custom fitting through the development of data-driven fitting tools and applications.
“I’m really excited to partner with Shane on the PING Proving Grounds podcast,” said Jertson, a PGA of America member who’s competed in five PGA Championships and one U.S Open. “We have so many cool stories to share about what goes on inside the PING Proving Grounds, where our team designs and develops PING’s newest products and fitting technologies. We’ll explain the science behind golf-equipment performance and separate fact from fiction with the goal of helping golfers make the right decisions when choosing the equipment best suited for maximizing their games. We’re going to do it in a fun, simple and informative way.”
For additional information, contact Pete Samuels (602) 687-5487.
PING and PING Proving Grounds are trademarks of Karsten Manufacturing Corporation.
