When it comes to reviewing junior clubs I am probably 40 years too late, so in order to review the Ping Prodi G junior set I enlisted the help of 8 year old Alastair and you can see our video review further down this page.
However we all know who will be paying for the set, so as a father I can comment on the make up of the set and why it you should consider it for your golfing child.
The Prodi G has been designed for junior golfers aged 7 to 13 who are between 4 foot 7 inches and 5 foot 2 tall. Send your measurements into Ping and they will send you the set all made up to the correct height.
However what makes the Prodi G set unique is that as long as you buy 5 clubs, Ping will re-shaft, lengthen and re-weight the heads once for free as your child grows up.
There are plenty of clubs to choose from that all come with special Prodi G grpahite shafts, as we can see by going through the set.
Ping Prodi G Junior Driver
If you are familiar with the Ping G400 Max driver then you will probably do a double take at the Prodi G driver.
And you would be right too, as it is the same 460cc head volume in a slightly more drawn back shape and a fixed hosel.
It is also made of titanium using a Ti 811 body and Ti 6-4 face and comes with 15° of loft and I guarantee you that adults will want to give it a go as much as juniors.
Ping drivers are renowned for being very forgiving and the Prodi G is no different with one of the highest MOIs in the junior sector from a light head that will enable your child to really get the ball out there.
Ping Prodi G Junior Fairway
The fairway resembles the G400 version too with Turbulators on the 17-4 stainless steel head and 22° of loft to make it easy to hit from the fairway.
Ping Prodi G Junior Hybrid
The hybrid follows the same make up as the fairway and this was one of Alastair's favourites. With 27° of loft it is easy to get up from the fairway and light rough and I can see most beginners starting with this for longer shots as it is more forgiving than longer irons.
Ping Prodi G Junior Irons
Ping has always been renowned for great irons and the Prodi G look similar to the successful Ping G30 irons.
With a cavity back design and medium width sole they blend forgiveness and playability in a medium sized head from 6-iron down to PW.
Ping Prodi G Junior Wedge
Together with the driver, the wedge is the other club in the set that will cause a second look.
Based on the excellent Ping Glide 2.0 Wedge the Prodi G version comes in 52° and 56° and is one of the best junior wedges I have seen.
Chipping is a fundamental part of the game that is hard to get right and most people struggle because they don't have a good enough wedge in their beginner set.
Whilst you may rightly start off your child using a putter, 8-iron or hybrid from off the green, eventually they will need to hit chips higher and get out of sand and the Prodi G wedge will help them develop those short game skills quicker as it is specifically designed and weighted to do that job.
Ping Prodi G Voss Junior Putter
Surprisingly it is not the Anser but the Voss head that gets the nod for the Prodi G putter. It is still the classic heel/toe weighted style but with a slightly squarer look and a head that is 10% lighter at 320g and a 29.5 inch shaft as standard.
The cavity on the back is the width of a golf ball to help with alignment and like the wedge is a high quality product to help juniors develop those short game skills quicker.
Ping Hoofer Prodi G Junior Golf Bag
There are two versions of the bag depending on the height of the child and the one shown here is the smaller version for those under 5 foot tall. Weighing just 1.4kg, it has a big pocket on the side, and two pockets on the top.
It comes with a 4-way divider, double strap and a rainhood, which is a nice touch.
Ping Prodi G Junior Set
Overall this is a high quality set and Ping have put a lot of thought into what junior golfers need and the fact that they will offer the re-adjustment as they grow older so they can stay with the same heads will help their development.
It will also help your wallet as the full monty set of everything plus the bag is just over an RRP of £1000, but you are effectively getting two sets for that with the one time free adjustment.
Better value for beginners is the option of driver, fairway, hybrid, 6, 8, PW, SW and putter with the bag for just over £700. Fathers will like this too and this should be a worthwhile investment to get your junior golfing prodigy on the way to playing great golf.