Ping JZ steel shaft

Equipment
#1

My friend’s kid ( not really a kid in his mid 20’s) just picked up golf after schooling and landed on a decent job position.
He bought a set of resale, Ping Zing2 irons for a starter’s set. Nice set except for the seller did not mention the 7 iron was re-shafted.
The original OEM shafts were Ping JZ steel in S flex. The re-shaft was a TT Lite with no shaft bands, felt a bit softer.
After searching for a replacement shaft for the Ping JZ steel, there was none available. Hate to tell him to purchase a used 7 iron ( $30+shipping and tax) just to use the shaft.

any idea where would be a good place to look for one? Or would it be better off for him to save up some money and replace the shafts for the whole set?

Thanks.

#2

Ping profiles of that time, from this 2007 GolfWRX post:

JZ (Regular & Stiff): Weight: 109.8g ®, 115.1g (S) Torque: 1.9 ® 1.7 (S) Description: A mid weight steel shaft that plays a little softer than the Z-Z65 and ZZ-Lite. A very common shaft in Zing, Zing 2, and ISI irons. Ball Flight: Due to the mid flex point of this shaft it is designed to hit the ball between the CS-Lite and the Z-Z65. (NOT available for new orders)

So, I’m reading that as, mid-kick, and fairly high ball flight. Though not as high maybe as TT lite in what may be R-flex.

More info from another post:

The Golfworks OEM shaft replacement guide shows the CS Lite as being manufactured by TT, weight is 94g for R and 107g for S - that’s probably trimmed weight. Didn’t see you mention what flex you have, but based on the weights its definitely not a TT Lite. Sounds like you’ve got if figured out, do the shaft swap or if you are committed to the irons then pay and have Ping do it. Golfworks replacement recommendation is a 3B3H for R and 4B3H for S, so something like a KBS Tour 90 or Nippon 1050GH would probably do the trick. But both are over $25 just for the shaft, so may as well have Ping do it.

I think I may actually have these in my old i3+s. FWIW, I think they feel softer than an S in TT DG, though I’ve not tried TT lite.

You could always ask Ping. Their CS is quite good, IME.

#3

Thank J. , for reaching out.
Yes, we had done the similar research and my suggestion to the young man was to play this set as it is until he reached a point of needing up grade.
If he will stay with this set of Zing2 for years to come then, he could get a set of new shafts, and I’ll swap the shafts for him. Also told him to consider boring out the hosel to 0.370 from 0.355 which will open up a lot more choices at a lower price point.
Easier to customize for his height ( at 6’3"). We’ll see the progression of his golf game before taking the appropriate action. At this point, he has just got over the rubber tee, transitioned to the hitting off the mat, not quite efficient with his 5 iron yet. We’ll wait until he is okay with the 3&4 before we go into equipment talk for upgrade. He is pretty good for someone who had never touched a golf club before June this year.
Working on his wedge and putting together with the 5 iron right now.
He should be okay for par 3 and executive type of golf course in a month or so. I told him as a weekend warrior, he should be expecting getting on the regular golf course by next Spring. Don’t want him to waste his resources on the green fee and cause any possible frustration on the golf course for anyone else and himself right now.
I think, we might have another new golfer for life in the future.
We’ll keep on searching in case we could find a reasonable priced replacement for the OEM shaft.
BTW, Ping has no left over JZ steel inventory. not for more than a decade.

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#4

Thank you for the compliment.

As a former mat learner, I cannot emphasize enough the necessity to get your pupil off those and to learn hitting off grass. Yes, mats are very useful.

However, they profoundly (IME) impede learning low point control, release, and compression. They give the pupil an artificially high opinion of their control of all the above, which leads to disappointment when actually playing. My 2 cents.

I’d hold off on anything permanent like boring out hosels, until I’d scoured all of the remaindermen (and places like ebay and GolfWRX’s B/S/T forum) for shafts which fit those hosels. Again, just my opinion. My i3+s are 'aight, but PZ2s have actual value.

#5

I had explained the difference between hitting off the mat and the actual turf to him during the first few meetings. As I always do.
Unfortunately, there are no grass tee available within a few hundred miles radius from here. Low maintenance artificial turf is the way all of the driving range and even the high end golf courses implement.
He is not ready to pay $300 for green fee to hit off the grass practice range before teeing off.
His purchase of the Zing2 was at a decent price and we’ll discuss whether he wish to rim out the hosel to accept the 0.370 tip. It is an option and no pain in doing this. Resale value should not be much different except the information should be disclosed when and if he is ready to resale it.
He’ll probably get a fitted set of golf clubs when he is ready to stay with the game for long term. The cost of equipment is high but pales comparing to the green fees plus the associated cost that we spend annually.

Golf is not a cheap habit. If he has a budget, he can pick up hiking, biking, or something else.

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#6

If he were my son, I’d have him leave the driver and odd irons home and play with a 3w and the even irons on the nearest and cheapest municipal course. Practice chipping and putting for 30 minutes and then play nine holes and go home. Repeat as often as possible. Overthinking, overdrilling, and obsessing about fine details can come much later.

This is a game, so let him enjoy it, solving golf problems on a golf course with his own native intelligence. Once he has some fun and develops his own skills–of course you can play with him, if you can resist the over-teaching moments–he will learn to love the game. No beginner can distinguish between a soft and a stiff shaft, just as no beginner can tell a Topflite from a Pro V-1.

The best thing he could do is find a senior golfer and a short par 3 course and set up some 3-club matches. The old guy can show him by example more than any high-paid instructor. Let him play!

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#7

This was the way we learned the game when we were kids.
He is a friend of one of my kids. We’re still practicing hands on the grip as a natural instinct. We plan to get on some par3 or executive golf courses next season. Right now, he’ll be throwing money away.
I also guide him to a local golf course which has practice green and bunker/chipping green.
He is very up-beat about absorbing all he can with the game. Only I warned him not to watch too many YouTube videos before he had a good grip on the fundamentals.
He is a leftie, and I directed him to watch the videos of Bob Charles more than Phil Mickelson. Phil is a natural swinger, and his golf swing is not easily copied by a beginner. Bob Charles’ golf swing is timeless.

#8

When I was in my 30s (it’s foggy, don’t judge me) I took my new, on-sale, clubs to a local par 3 and got put on the first tee with an old guy (maybe 75, as I am now) who was equipped with a 7i and a putter. He waxed my ass. He had two pieces of advice–play, don’t machine-gun balls with that big driver on the range, and follow the ball with your putter as if you can stick it in the hole. Then he left.

It sounds like he’s on a sensible track–Charles is a far better model than Mickelson. I have finally achieved a bogey index, so I can play for fun. And consider cutting his set in half and suggesting he carry his clubs. Few people need a 5 degree gap (most can’t distinguish twice that) and golf is meant to be walked. The saddest thing I see is 30-somethings riding in carts–their beer coolers are bigger than their bags! Keep him old school.

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#9

I had played a lot of golf with the elderly golfers when I first started playing this game.
Owing to the nature of my job back then, I’ll have a few weekdays off to golf. Most the golfers during the weekdays back then were retirees. While golfing with the elderly, I helped spotting their tee shots and they in term taught me the rules and the etiquette of the game. No internet back then, the story telling while we were waiting on the tee box were a major feed for my knowledge of this game. Green fees were $10, however, we could get a full cart load of groceries for less than $50 back then.
That’s where I got the advice of golf with half the bag; utilizing the even numbers of clubs in one day and the odd numbers of clubs for the next.
This young man is not to the point of exercising all these wonderful variations at this point. I will guide him when he is ready.

#10

Of all the wise choices bestowed on us by the elderly ( still can’t think of myself that way), reducing the bag to 6 or 7 clubs is probably the most important. Engaging his brain will make him a better golfer and bring more enjoyment. I wish him well.

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#11

I’m in agreement of that. Using less than a full bag of golf clubs really makes a golfer grow in skill and golf course management. Looking back at all the great golfers in history, most of them started playing this game with just one golf club. Bobby Jones, Sam Snead, Severiano Ballesteros… to name a few in more recent years.
I started carrying half a bag of golf club after reading about how Jack Nicklaus prepared for his tournaments. He would intentionally hit an iron off the tee to leave a longer approach shut to the green for practice of the up coming tournament. Ben Hogan did the similar practice of leaving some golf clubs behind because he thought about every shot he’ll need to play that particular golf course the next day.
However, that will be sometime down the road.
For a weekend golfer, normally will take 3-4 years before we could even consider these fun options.
As for the replacement Ping JZ shaft, He had decided he will change out the whole set of shafts in the future. With his progression in this game from June to now, I’d say in 2-3 years of time when re-shafting will actually make a difference to his game.
Then, again, he may very well be looking at a new set of golf clubs in the future.

#12

We’ll have to agree to disagree. The old ‘starter set’ was always marketed for the beginner–3w, odd irons, wedge, putter. I still think that’s what he needs to use right now. Waiting on the re-shaft is smart; new clubs down the road make sense. And a fitting!! Don’t let him buy new clubs without the consultation of a qualified clubfitter! Buying off the rack is just wasting money without a fitting.

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#13

Don’t really have much to add, except that the top of the bag needs to be a driver, not a 3W. Drivers are bigger, more forgiving, and will get the player closer for their second shot vs the 3W.

They make the game easier. Which is the point. Get a higher-loft (10.5, adjusted 1 or so higher), shorter version than the near 46" versions few can hit consistently, learn the correct tee height and setup and turn them loose. They’ll hit just as many fairways as they will with the 3W. Plus, they may catch one flush, crush it, and get that hook set in them that’ll keep them coming back.

Take the money they’re saving by starting with a quality, smaller used set, and get them a lot of lessons and tee times.

EDIT: Oh, and I completely agree about walking v. riding. Even in the heat/humidity.

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#14

Thanks.

I’ll help as long as he is receptible to advice. I can help him select the shafts if he wanted to go the route of re-shaft.
As for a custom fitting. It’ll be throwing money out of a car window on freeway if he is not to the stage of needing these services.
A common mistake for the new golfers is believing the fitting of the equipment is like a magic bullet for a better golf game.
Fitting will make a difference for the golfers looking for the slightest edge to improve. Those who already has the ability to advance the golf balls and just needing a little extra refinement for their tools.
A newbie like this young man should improve on his basic skill first.
When He expressed interest of getting into golf to me this year, I put together a 6 iron with eyeballing his physiques + his involvement in other sports. A 6 iron with 1/2" extension and built up medium sized grip. Starting with a D-2 then settled with D-0.
He told me he still love that 6 iron.
I’m willing to help those who seek me out for advice with the game. In a very small way, to pay back all those whom had helped me when I was new in this game.
This young man probably will stay with the game. He likes to pick my brains when he was visiting or when we meet up on the driving range. He likes to read and research on any topic with golf; he is not the typical weekend hacker, and most of all, he wants to get better, also willing to practice and pay the dues to be better.

#15

Personally, I agree with you that learning how to use the driver will make this game much easier.
The driver along with the putter were the weakest part of my game in the first 3-5 years.
I had spent hours and buckets of range balls on the putter and the driver. Now they are the stronger part of my game.
Practice the smart way is the only way to get better. The difference between an amateur and someone who could turn professional is how fast they can get there.
It only took me close to 40 years to be comfortable with this game. In the beginning, I just want to get better, then to a point where I really enjoyed this game.
To play with someone a lot better than you and to travel to play some other more difficult golf courses than your home course will also help to improve one’s golf game.

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#16

See? You’ve already fitted him, making length and swingweight adjustments. If he’s 6’3" he might need a lie adjustment as well, but I’d defer to a qualified clubfitter for that adjustment.

I recently had a Trackman session with the club pro. We used a fitting cart and arrived at 2 degrees upright and an inch longer. I had him build 4-5-8-P clubs, with jumbo grips. Actually, Callaway built them, but they work very nicely. I’m not as tall as he is, but I have short legs, short arms, and a long torso. Fitting isn’t a luxury, but it is a necessity.

I wish him well!

#17

Not a scientific fitting of course. The resale Ping irons he bought, after my suggestion is white dot ( 3 degrees up-right?). He is good for now until he get a bit farther down the journey with grooved in fundamentals.
Right now it’ll be a waste of money.

#18

Never met a clubfitter who charged for a fitting if you bought clubs.

#19

Well, he is a smart Youngman who can figure out the simple math. I don’t worry for him to find all options when it comes to time for a fitting/purchase.
There is nothing for free under the sun. Except for the love from parents to their children.

#20

Most clubfitters contribute the cost of the fitting–fewer complaints mean more profits! Hope you’re keeping that young man on the course; we had a lovely 9 this morning–45 degrees and dry!