There is a lot of cool gear in the golf world that doesn’t always fit into Most Wanted Tests or Buyer’s Guides. You still want to know how it performs. In our We Tried It series, we put gear to the test and let you know if it works as advertised.
What We Tried
PING PLD MIlled Plus Custom Putter Designer
Your Putter Designer
Dave Wolfe– Lover of putters. Seriously, like all of the putters. It’s a thing.
We Tried It: PING PLD Milled Plus Custom Putter Designer
Are you a fan of the PING PLD Milled putter line but can’t quite find the exact putter that you want at retail? You could try the PING PLD Custom program. Through that program, PING will build you a 100 percent custom putter. That program also includes a remote or in-person fitting and build consultation with a PING professional.
Buyer beware: the PING PLD Custom program will set you back $1,490.
That price tag makes the PLD MIlled Custom program a non-option for many. The good news is that PING has a new PLD Milled Plus program as a less expensive option for customizing a PLD putter.
The customization options for the PLD Milled Plus putter program are not as extensive as those in the PLD Custom program but the price is about $1,000 cheaper.
The new PLD Milled Plus program simplifies the customization process, allowing you to design your putter from your phone or computer.
Today, we are going to explore the options available to you through the PLD Milled Plus program and see if the putter that arrived on my doorstep looked like the one shown on my computer screen.
PING PLD Milled Plus Options
Once you fire up the interface, you’ll quickly see there are thousands of ways to build a custom PING PLD Milled Plus putter.
In terms of head shapes, there are five to choose from. Blade players can select the iconic Anser or the larger profile Anser 2D. The other three available heads—the DS72, Oslo 3, and Ally Blue 4—are mallets.
The PING “New Putter” line has more head choices but there should be a PLD Milled Plus head that works for most players. Center-shafters are out of luck but lefties have the same options as righties this time. PING loves the left-handers, too.
Except for the Ally Blue 4, each head can be configured with one of six alignment schemes ranging from no lines or dots to combinations of sight lines and dots on both the top line and in the cavity.
The Ally Blue 4 only comes with the single body-length sight line.
The alignment customization option will likely be the one that motivates many people to purchase a PLD Milled Plus putter. If you want a sight line on the top edge of your putter, this program is the only way that you will get what you want.
After making your alignment choice, the other options will be mainly cosmetic. You can select the paint fill colors for your putter. They can all match or be a combination of colors. It is up to you.
You can even select the paint color for the grip. I don’t remember another custom putter designer giving you this option.
Dave’s PING PLD Milled Plus Build
For my build, I went with the Anser head. I know, it’s a lackluster choice. The Ally Blue 4 was a close second as I really like the roll of that putter. In the end, I went with the Anser primarily so I could see how the PLD Milled Plus Anser compared to my PLD Custom Anser.
I mixed up my usual custom recipe a bit this time around. You’ll find no purple on this putter at all.
(That probably means that I have been replaced by an android or something.)
Though I once preferred my putters naked, I’ve become a “cavity line aimer” in recent years. Not totally sure how that happened, but here we are. In spite of this, I went with a top alignment line. Since it is one of the unusual options with the PLD Milled Plus program, I wanted to see how it would look and influence my targeting.
From there, I added a big Pingman laser engraving to the bottom to see what that would look like, and painted everything yellow.
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You’ll Still Need To Go To Your Local Shop.
An interesting thing about the PING PLD Milled Plus program is that you can’t order the putter directly from PING after you build it on the computer. When you finish designing your putter, you will download a PDF with your putter’s specs that you then take to your local store.
At the store, you will determine the other physical characteristics of your putter such as length, lie and loft.
Though it seems annoying at first that you just can’t complete your order online, I think that the need to take your PDF to the local shop has merit.
First, a golf pro at the shop can make sure your putter specs are correct. If you are investing $550 in a custom putter, it should be built to fit your game.
The second thing I like about the need to go to a shop is that it keeps the shop in the purchase loop. Golf shop sales are not what they once were, now that more and more golf products are being sold directly to consumers
PING has always valued their retail accounts and the work that PING-certified club fitters do for their customers. It makes sense to me that PING would include these valuable partners in the custom process.
The Finished Product
Surprising not a soul, the PING PLD Milled Plus Anser that arrived at my door was a beauty. The computer renderings gave me an idea of what to expect but the in-hand putter surpassed my expectations.
Thankfully, this is a common occurrence these days, not only with PING, but other custom club interfaces as well. We consumers are truly benefiting from advances in computer technology and its associated manufacturing.
The top line was milled way deeper than I expected. In retrospect, I suppose I just expected it to be painted on. One could argue that the PLD Milled Plus program is more of a personalization program than a true custom putter program, and I’d not disagree. Most of the options are cosmetic.
Still, the putter was physically altered when the milled top line was added. You are getting something more than a paint job for the $100 that you pay above the cost of the off-the-rack PLD Milled version.
The design options are not infinite but I still feel like this PLD Milled Plus Anser is unique. It has non-stock alignment, custom colors and a big Pingman on the bottom.
The painted grip is my favorite custom aspect. It is a simple customization but it is an option unique to this program. It makes me wish that PING would offer painted grips for sale separately.
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Comparing the PING PLD Plus to the PLD Custom Program
It’s probably not fair to compare the PING PLD Custom program to the PLD MIlled Plus program. The PLD Custom program includes a fitting session, consultation with a PING master fitter and a vast number of customization options.
The PING PLD Custom putter you build will truly be one of a kind.
That said, the PING PLD Milled Plus program has enough options to give you a putter that is built to your needs. Perhaps it is not as fancy as the PLD Custom but you’ll also save a grand if you go the PLD Milled Plus route.
It’s worth noting that if you are not interested in customizing the aesthetics and alignment, you can always order a stock PLD Milled putter built to your loft, lie and length specifications.
Final Thoughts on the PING PLD Milled Plus
The PING PLD Milled Plus program gives golfers a glitch-free way to order a putter that has a little something more than what you would find in a retail shop.
As I said, you won’t see the same number of custom options as PING’s more comprehensive PLD Custom program but there are enough things you can customize to make the putter something that fits your fancy.
The price of a PLD Milled Plus putter is $585 but I see the price as $100. Why? Because if you know you are going to buy a new PING PLD putter for $485, you have already decided to spend that money.
The question then becomes, “Should you spend the extra $100 to customize that putter through the PLD MIlled Plus program?” If you are happy with the stock colors and alignment, keep that $100 in your pocket.
If you want a putter with a top dot, top line, or both, spending the extra money allows that to be possible. Engrave some dancing Pingmen or a few dollar signs on the bottom of the putter while you are at it and the putter in your bag will be uniquely yours.
Build you own custom PING PLD Milled Plus putter at: PING.com
FAQ: PING PLD Milled Plus Custom Putter Designer
Why can’t you just complete the order online?
Mostly because there is no ‘Buy Now” button on the page. As I mentioned, I think PING went this route to keep their authorized retail accounts in the loop. This benefits both the retail shop and the consumer.
Are there any non-stock finish options?
Sadly no. If you want custom finishes, you’ll need to upgrade to the PLD Custom program.
How will you know how to have it built in terms of loft, lie and length?
PING has some charts that can give you an idea based upon how tall you are and how far it is from your wrist to the floor but you’ll probably want to see an actual fitter to make sure your build specifications are what you need.
Is this a one-and-done program for 2024 or will it update when the PLD Milled models update each release cycle?
I’m not sure. It could just keep growing like PING’s new retail putter models have done or we could see something different next year.
The post We Tried It: PING PLD Milled Plus Custom Putter Designer appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
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