How to Measure Wrist to Floor for Golf Ping

Getting the right Ping golf clubs starts with a simple but vital measurement: your wrist-to-floor. This single number is the cornerstone of Ping’s renowned Color Code system, a revolutionary approach to club fitting that ensures your irons are built for your body. This guide will walk you through exactly why this measurement is so important, how to do it accurately at home, and what to do with the result to find your perfect Ping setup.

Why Your Wrist-to-Floor Measurement Matters for Ping

In golf, consistency is everything. You can have a great swing, but if your equipment is fighting your natural tendencies, you'll be constantly making small, subconscious adjustments that lead to inconsistent shots. The wrist-to-floor measurement, when paired with your overall height, is Ping's primary method for determining the proper lie angle for your irons.

So, what exactly is lie angle? It's the angle formed between the club's shaft and the sole (the bottom ground-contact part) of the club head when you’re in your address position. Think of it as how the club "sits" on the ground.

An ideal lie angle allows the center of the club's sole to be perfectly flat on the ground at the moment of impact. This squares the clubface to your target line, promoting a straight ball flight. When the lie angle is wrong for your body and swing, it directly affects where the ball goes, regardless of how well you swing.

The Consequences of a Poor Lie Angle

• Too Upright: If your club's lie angle is too upright for you, the heel of the club will dig into the ground at impact, forcing the toe to point upward. This causes the clubface to close relative to your swing path, sending the ball left of your target (for a right-handed golfer). You might feel like you're pulling every shot, even when it feels like a good swing.
• Too Flat: Conversely, if the lie angle is too flat, the toe of the club will dig into the ground, ausing the heel to rise. This forces the clubface to remain open relative to your swing path, and you'll see your shots consistently fan out to the right of your target.

This is where Ping’s Color Code system comes in. The colored dot on the hosel of every Ping iron isn't just for decoration, it signifies a specific lie angle. By getting an accurate wrist-to-floor measurement, you're taking the first and most critical step toward finding the color dot that will help you hit the ball straighter, more often.

Gather Your Tools: What You'll Need

Getting a professional-level measurement at home is easier than you think, but preparation is important for accuracy. You don't need any fancy equipment, just a few common household items and a helper. Trying to do this alone will almost always lead to an incorrect number.

• A Metal Measuring Tape: A standard, retractable metal measuring tape is best. A soft tailor's tape can stretch or sag, leading to inaccuracies.
• A Friend or Helper: This is a non-negotiable. It's nearly impossible to measure yourself accurately, as the act of bending down to read the tape will change your posture and the measurement itself.
• Your Golf Shoes: Always measure while wearing the shoes you play golf in. The extra height from the soles, even if it’s just an inch, can significantly alter the outcome and your lie angle recommendation. Don't measure in dress shoes, running shoes, or bare feet.
• A Hard, Level Surface: Stand on a solid floor like tile, wood, or concrete. Measuring on a plush carpet will cause you to sink in, distorting the reading.
• A Pencil and Paper: To write down the measurement once you have it. Don't rely on memory!

The Step-by-Step Guide: How to Get an Accurate Measurement

With your tools and helper ready, follow these steps precisely. The goal is to capture your natural posture and arm hang, so relax and try not to overthink it.

Step 1: Get in Your Normal Golf Posture

First, put on your golf shoes. Stand on the hard floor with your feet about shoulder-width apart, just as you would on the course. Stand up straight but maintain a relaxed posture. Don't puff your chest out and stand at military attention, but also avoid slouching. Your goal is to replicate the posture you naturally hold when addressing a golf ball. Let your shoulders relax and fall into a comfortable position.

Step 2: Let Your Arms Hang Freely

This is perhaps the most important part. Let both of your arms hang naturally at your sides. Do not tense up or try to force them into a specific position. The muscles in your shoulders, arms, and hands should be completely relaxed. Your fingers should be extended downwards, not curled into a fist or held rigid. Your helper can gently check to make sure your arms are hanging freely and not being held stiffly against your body.

Step 3: Identify the Measurement Point

Your helper needs to identify the correct spot to measure to. For a right-handed golfer, you’ll be measuring the left arm (and vice versa for lefties). Have your a look at the inside of your wrist - you'll see a few creases. The correct measurement point is the most dominant, topmost crease where your hand hinges with your forearm. It's the main line that appears when you flex your hand up and down. This specific point provides the most consistent and reliable data for the Ping fitting system.

Step 4: Take and Verify the Measurement

Now, have your helper run the metal measuring tape from the floor straight up to that prominent wrist crease. It is very important that they keep the measuring tape perfectly vertical and taut. If the tape is held at an angle, even a slight one, the reading will be wrong.

Once you have a reading, don't stop there. Relax, shake your arms out, reset your posture, and take the measurement a second time. Then do it a third time. It's normal to have slight variations, perhaps by a quarter of an inch. If you get three readings like 34", 34.25", and 34", it’s safe to go with 34". Taking multiple readings protects against a single bad measurement and gives you confidence in your final number.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Trying to Measure Yourself: We've said it a few times, but it is the most common error. Leaning to read the tape will always give you a shorter, incorrect measurement.
• Incorrect Posture: Standing too tall or slouching too much will change where your wrist hangs in space. Stand naturally.
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• Not Wearing Golf Shoes: Forgetting your shoes essentially makes you shorter for the measurement, which can incorrectly suggest a flatter lie angle.
• Bending Your arm or Wrist: The arm must be straight and the wrist relaxed. Any bend will shorten the distance and throw off the result.
• Measuring on Carpet: Soft surfaces compress under your weight and will flaw the measurement every time. Use a hard floor.

Now What? Using Your Measurement with the Ping Color Chart

You’ve done the hard part! You now have the two critical pieces of static data that Ping uses for its initial fitting:1. Your height (in your golf shoes).2. Your wrist-to-floor measurement.

Now, you can use these to find your starting point on the Ping Color Code Chart. You can find the latest version of this chart by searching online for "Ping Color Code Chart." It's a simple grid.

Typically, one axis of the chart represents height, and the other represents the wrist-to-floor measurement. You find your height on one side, your wrist-to-floor on the other, and see where they intersect. That intersection will land you on one of Ping's famous colored dots.

For example: Let's imagine a golfer who is 5’11” tall and has a wrist-to-floor measurement of 34.5 inches. On the chart, they would trace from their height and their measurement to find their recommended dot. In this case, their intersection might fall on the Blue Dot.

A Quick Look at the Ping Colored Dots

While the chart gives you the specific answer, here’s a general idea of what the colors mean, moving away from standard in either direction:

• Black Dot: Standard lie angle. This is the baseline.
• Blue Dot: 0.75 degrees upright from standard. (Good for our 5'11" golfer with slightly shorter arms).
• Green Dot: 1.5 degrees upright.
• White Dot: 2.25 degrees upright.
• Red Dot: 0.75 degrees flat from standard. (Good for a shorter golfer or someone with longer arms for their height).
• Orange Dot: 1.5 degrees flat.

This is just a small sample, Ping's system is incredibly comprehensive, covering a wide range of body types. Finding your color is a huge step. This static fitting is often remarkably accurate and gets most golfers into a set that is vastly better for them than standard off-the-rack clubs. For the ultimate fine-tuning, you can visit a professional fitter who will conduct a dynamic fitting, placing impact tape on your clubface and analyzing your ball flight to confirm that your static color is performing perfectly for your unique swing.

Final Thoughts

Nailing your wrist-to-floor measurement is the first and most important step in finding Ping clubs that fit your body and your swing. By following these steps, you have a reliable piece of data you can use to match your setup to the correct lie angle, giving you a massive head start on hitting straighter, more consistent shots from the very first swing.

While building the right bag is fundamental, we know better golf is also about making smarter decisions on the course. That’s why we created Caddie AI. Once you have those perfectly fitted clubs, our app acts as your personal coach and strategist, helping you decide how to use them. Whether you're standing over a tricky lie and questioning how it might affect your shot, trying to pick the right club for an approach into the wind, or need a smart strategy for a new course, just ask. We provide the instant diagnostic advice and on-course guidance to help you play smarter and with more confidence. Visit us at Caddie AI to see how we’re making golf simpler.