Wyndham Clark won the US Open this summer with a new Ping putter, the Scottsdale TEC Ally Blue Onset, and it was meaningful for a couple of reasons.
The first reason is because earlier in the summer, Clark had become the first person to sign a putter-only deal with Ping, as he was so impressed with the performance.
The other is that it came as a surprise to find out that this was the first time a men’s major had been won with a Ping putter since Bubba Watson in 2014. If you’d said back then that Bubba’s win would be the last for Ping for 12 years, that would have been a huge shock. They have such a long history of success in the game’s biggest events.
A big part of that gap comes down to TaylorMade and Scotty Cameron’s dominance in the category, especially TaylorMade’s Spider and the move to mallets. Ping, you’d associate more with an Anser-style blade, so in a way they’ve been caught off guard, ironically, given forgiveness is exactly what they’re known for. So this feels like their answer to that. It’s good to see. The Spider needs the challenge.
Who Is It Aimed At?
The Ally Blue is a pretty eye-catching putter, so it’s aimed at somebody who’s not afraid to try something that looks a bit different, or who’s lost a bit of confidence with their current putter and wants something that will feel and look different. It’s also aimed at anyone who struggles with consistency across the board in their putting.
There’s an alignment side to that too, although it’s not quite as simple as it sounds. When you actually read into it, it’s less about alignment in the traditional sense and more about where your eyes focus and settle. I’m exactly the kind of golfer who struggles to pick a point, home in on it, and go back and through with the putter. So whatever that particular struggle is, this feels aimed at simplifying that.
The Tech
TEC stands for Tour Elevated Concepts, and the whole line is built around Eye Q, Ping’s new alignment technology developed using eye-tracking research.
It comes from a concept called Quiet Eye, which is seen in other sports like basketball free throws and tennis serves. This is about how long a player’s gaze settles on the target just before they act.
Ping’s engineers used eye-tracking glasses to test which alignment designs actually extended that and this produced a focal dot combined with a long alignment line on the top rail, designed to help settle and centre your gaze right before you stroke the putt.
The Ally Blue Onset also uses what Ping call an onset shaft position, as opposed to a true zero torque design. It places the shaft near the centre line of the head, behind the top rail and just ahead of the centre of gravity, giving you a full view of the ball at address and pulling the CG through the stroke rather than pushing it.
The face itself uses a one-piece Pebax insert rather than a milled face, which Ping say delivers a softer, more responsive feel and better distance control. The body is a lightweight aluminium construction with a stainless steel sole plate, positioning weight low and around the perimeter for forgiveness.
Looks
The white finish is eye-catching, and I think that’s exactly why it caught so much attention when Clark won with it on TV. When you actually get it in your hands, the first thing that struck me was how much smaller it is than I expected. I think that’s the white colour playing tricks on you, because in the flesh it’s a lot more compact than a Spider, or the latest Spider Tour X that Rory’s been using.
I don’t usually like white putters. I like something simple and normal-looking, without big design features, the kind of putter that just looks like a putter. So I was surprised by how much I liked it behind the ball. The insert is surprisingly small too, quite short compared to something like a TaylorMade putter, where the insert tends to run the full length of the face.
The head cover is genuinely nice quality. My only real concern is durability.
We haven’t tested this long term, but I’d be a little worried about the white finish marking up or chipping over time, particularly on the sole. Straight out of the wrapper, we found a small mark where the shaft had gone in.
I’ll be honest, I think the name is a bit ridiculous. Ping Scottsdale TEC Ally Blue Onset doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, and I think that alone will hamper its sales on a global scale.
Feel
There’s no click to it at all. It felt soft off the face, but with a little pop, and it got rolling quickly. I really like the feel.
It’s not milled, but I don’t think it needs to be. The Pebax insert still gives you feeling that the ball is clinging to the turf and rolling forwards quickly, something that you would usually get from a milled face.
Performance
What I liked, compared to some zero torque putters, is that it didn’t feel too alien. It looks like something out of Star Wars, like Ping have done a Stormtrooper edition putter, so you’re half expecting it to feel unfamiliar or take time to get used to. It didn’t.
I liked the weighting in the head. You can go straight back and through like you’d expect from a mallet, but it doesn’t take all the manoeuvrability out of the face either, and I liked the balance that struck between forgiveness and feel. It felt genuinely forgiving across different parts of my stroke, which is exactly what a lot of amateurs would benefit from.
Overall, this isn’t a putter I’d normally even consider using, and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. At £375, that’s a lot of money, and around £75 more than a Spider, which will likely hurt its sales since it’s going to get compared directly. That said, it’s cheaper than most true zero torque options on the market, so it sits in a sensible middle ground, even if £375 for a putter still feels like a lot to say out loud.
I’d be surprised if we don’t see more players adopting these gradually over the next few years, rather than it happening overnight. The market’s dominated by a handful of other brands right now, so it’ll likely be a slow burner. But performance-wise, I think Ping are on to something here.
Verdict
Would I use it? With more use, yes, I think I would. It’s probably the sort of putter I should be using more, if I’m honest.
Looks-wise, I’d probably still say no, but that’s more my own ego talking than anything to do with the putter itself. Performance-wise, I enjoyed hitting a lot of putts with it, and it gave me real confidence over the ball, which is all you can really ask for.
If I’m being completely honest, the colour and finish, rather than the shape or looks generally, is what would put me off using one day to day. I just wouldn’t want a white putter. I’d be forever cleaning it.
I’d be surprised if Ping don’t release this in other finishes down the line, maybe a black head with a white line rather than the other way round, though there may be a good reason they haven’t, since the white background does help the alignment line stand out more clearly.
Would I Use It?
Yes, although I do have some reservations about that white finish.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the Ping Scottsdale TEC Ally Blue Onset cost?
It has an RRP of £375.
What is Eye Q Technology?
Eye Q is Ping’s alignment technology, developed using eye-tracking research around a concept called Quiet Eye, which measures how long and how steadily a player’s gaze settles on the ball before the stroke. It uses a focal dot and a long alignment line to help golfers settle and centre their gaze at address.
What does “Onset” mean on a Ping putter?
Onset refers to the shaft position on certain Scottsdale TEC models, including the Ally Blue Onset, which places the shaft near the centre line of the head, behind the top rail and ahead of the centre of gravity. This gives a full view of the ball at address and pulls the CG through the stroke, rather than the way a true zero torque putter is designed.
Is the Ally Blue Onset a zero torque putter?
Not technically, though it’s built along similar lines. Ping describe it as an onset design, which is a low-torque rather than zero torque setup, aimed at delivering some of the same stability benefits while preserving a bit more of the dynamic feel of a traditional stroke.
What putter did Wyndham Clark use to win the 2026 US Open?
Clark used the Ping Scottsdale TEC Ally Blue Onset, having switched from an Odyssey Versa Jailbird-style putter earlier in the year.
