What Is the Warranty on Ping Golf Clubs?

Breaking or damaging a favorite golf club is a sinking feeling, but understanding Ping's warranty can make the situation much less stressful. This guide breaks down exactly what Ping's warranty covers, what it doesn't, and the step-by-step process to follow if you need to make a claim, so you can get back on the course with confidence.

What Exactly Is the Ping Golf Club Warranty?

Ping has one of the most respected warranty policies in the golf industry, which is a big reason why so many golfers are loyal to the brand. In short, PING offers a lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship. However, it's important to understand what that actually means in practice.

Here’s the general breakdown:

• Lifetime Guarantee on Defects: Ping stands by its manufacturing. If a club fails due to a flaw in the materials (like a crack in the crown of a driver that wasn't caused by an impact) or an error in workmanship (like a clubhead that comes loose from its shaft), Ping will typically repair or replace it, regardless of how old it is. This is the cornerstone of their policy.
• Two-Year Warranty on Most Other Issues: For issues that aren't clear-cut manufacturing defects but fall outside of normal wear, Ping generally offers a two-year warranty from the original date of purchase. This can cover a wider range of potential problems.
• Exclusions: The warranty does not cover damage caused by abuse, misuse, alterations a player makes themselves, or standard wear and tear from playing the game. This is a big one to remember. Dents on the top of your driver from a sky ball, scratches on the sole from playing sandy courses, or a shaft snapped over your knee in frustration are not manufacturing defects.

The spirit of the policy is to protect you, the customer, from a product that wasn't made to their high standards. It is not designed to be an insurance policy against accidents or the natural aging process of golf equipment.

Is My Issue Covered? Common Warranty Examples

This is where most of the confusion happens. Let's look at some real-world situations to give you a clearer idea of what is likely covered versus what isn’t.

Examples of Problems Likely Covered by Warranty:

• Clubhead Detachment: Your driver or iron head flies off the shaft during a normal swing. This almost always points to an issue with the epoxy (glue) or the assembly process at the factory. This represents a workmanship defect and is a textbook warranty claim.
• Rattling Inside the Head: You hear a small, annoying rattle inside your driver, fairway wood, or hybrid head. This is often a tiny piece of epoxy that broke loose during assembly. While it doesn't affect performance, it's a manufacturing flaw, and Ping is fantastic about fixing this.
• Face Caving or Cracking: You notice a crack or a depression on the face of your club, and you know you haven't hit anything other than a golf ball. This suggests a material failure in the steel or titanium, and it is a classic case for a warranty evaluation.
• Loose or Detached Medallions/Badges: The decorative badge or weight in the cavity of your iron comes loose or falls off. This is a workmanship issue with the adhesive used and should be covered.
• A Broken Shaft at the Hosel: If a shaft breaks right where it enters the clubhead for no apparent reason, it could be a defect in the shaft itself or an issue with the installation. Ping will evaluate it to determine the cause. If it broke in the middle from a bad swing, that’s another story.
• Ferrule Creeping: The small plastic ring (the ferrule) that covers the joint between the hosel and the shaft starts sliding up. This is a minor, cosmetic issue, but it's an assembly problem that an authorized retailer can usually fix quickly, often covered by Ping.

Examples of Problems Likely *NOT* Covered by Warranty:

• Dents or Scratches on the Crown: Sky marks or pop-up marks on the topline or crown of your driver are caused by hitting the ball too high on the face. This is user error, not a defect. Similarly, hitting a tree, a rock, or even the ground too hard can cause dents that won't be covered.
• Normal Wear and Tear: This includes scuffs on the sole and face from regular play, wearing down of the grooves over hundreds of rounds, paint chipping from clubs rattling in your bag, and grip wear. Golf clubs are tools, and they show their use over time.
• A Shaft Deliberately Broken or Snapped in Anger: While it happens to the best of us, snapping a club out of frustration falls under the "abuse" category. Warranty departments can tell how a graphite shaft has snapped, and these cases are not covered.
• Rust on Wedges or Putters: Some wedges (often referred to as “Raw”) and carbon steel putters are designed to rust over time to reduce glare and, some say, increase spin. This rusting is an intentional feature, not a defect.
• DIY Adjustments or Repairs: If you try to re-shaft a club yourself, adjust the lie angle with a vise, or use a blowtorch to remove a head, any resulting damage will not be covered. Any alterations should be done by an authorized club-fitter.

The Step-by-Step Process for a Ping Warranty Claim

So you have an issue that you believe is a genuine manufacturing defect. What do you do now? Ping has a very specific process, and following it is important for a smooth experience. A common mistake is trying to contact Ping's customer service directly.

IMPORTANT: You must go through an authorized Ping retailer to initiate a warranty claim. Ping does not handle claims directly from the public.

Step 1: Locate an Authorized Ping Retailer

This can be the golf shop where you originally bought the club, but it doesn’t have to be. Any official Ping account holder (like a pro shop at a local course or a major golf retail store) can help you. They have the direct line to Ping's warranty and repair department.

Step 2: Take the Damaged Club to the Retailer

Bring the entire club with you, even if it's in multiple pieces. Don't just bring the head that flew off. The technicians at Ping need to see the entire club to properly assess the failure. It is also helpful to have your proof of purchase, although for obvious manufacturing defects on newer clubs, it's not always required.

Step 3: Explain the Situation Clearly and Honestly

Let the professional at the shop know what happened. "I was on the seventh hole, made a normal swing, and the head flew off." Just tell the story. The shop professional will inspect the club and then contact their Ping representative to get a Return Authorization (RA) number, which is necessary to send the club to Ping.

Step 4: The Retailer Manages the Process

From here, the retailer handles pretty much everything. They will box up the club and ship it to Ping's repair facility in Phoenix, Arizona. They are your point of contact. They will be the ones to receive updates from Ping and relay them back to you.

Step 5: The Evaluation and Resolution

Once Ping receives the club, their team of experts will examine it to determine the cause of the failure.

• If Covered: They will either repair your club to like-new condition or, if it’s not repairable, they will replace it. If the exact model is no longer made, they will often send the newest equivalent model as a replacement.
• If Not Covered: If they determine the damage was from misuse or is normal wear, they will inform the retailer. They will often provide you with a quote for a non-warranty repair, which is usually quite reasonable. You can then decide if you want to pay for the repair or have the club shipped back to you.

The typical turnaround time from when you drop the club off at the shop to when you get it back can be anywhere from two to four weeks, depending on the shipping times and the complexity of the repair.

What About Custom, Used, or Older Ping Clubs?

The Ping warranty process is very consistent, even for clubs with special circumstances.

• Custom Fit Clubs: If your clubs were custom ordered from Ping (with a specific lie angle, length, or shaft), that information is tied to the club's serial number. The warranty fully applies. Ping’s quality control on custom builds is exceptional, but if something is wrong - like they built it to the wrong spec - they will fix it.
• Aftermarket Shafts: If you had a custom shaft installed by an authorized Fitter and purchased through them, it should be covered by the same policy. If you installed a shaft you bought online yourself in your garage, the shaft and any damage from the installation will not be covered by Ping.
• Used or Older Clubs: This is where Ping's lifetime defect guarantee shines. If you have a set of 15-year-old Ping Eye 2 irons and a head falls off, take them to a retailer. Ping is known for honoring their workmanship and will often repair it for free or for a very small fee. While they might not be able to find the exact same shaft from that era, they will do their best to find a comparable replacement to get your club back in play.

Final Thoughts

Ping's warranty is truly one of the best in golf, built on a reputation for taking care of the player. The process is straightforward: work through an authorized retailer, be honest about the issue, and let them handle the communication with Ping. It protects you from genuine manufacturing flaws for the life of the product.

Of course, the best way to deal with a broken club is to avoid the situations that cause damage in the first place. When I am facing a tricky shot, like a ball sitting on a tree root or deep in a plugged lie in a bunker, the risk of damaging a club goes way up. In those moments, I'll use Caddie AI to get an objective opinion. I can snap a photo, and the app gives me a smart, simple strategy, often advising a safe punch-out instead of a risky hero shot that could end with a broken wedge.