By Russ Ryden, Fit2Score, A Dallas Fort Worth Club Fitter & Builder
The Highlands Performance Golf Center, Carrollton Texas 
Golf Digest Certified America’s 100 Best Club Fitter

PING first introduced the original AWT (Ascending Weight Technology) steel shafts in 2007, rolling them out as the stock steel shaft option for the PING G10 and i10 iron series. The original AWT shafts were co-developed with Nippon marking a shift for PING in shaft suppliers.The AWT design philosophy utilizes ascending weight, meaning the shafts get progressively lighter in the long irons (to increase clubhead speed and launch height) and heavier in the short irons (to maximize control and accuracy). PING has iterated on this technology over several generations. The third generation AWT 3.0 was introduced in 2025 for the G440 irons.

Distribution of the Ping AWT, made by Nippon, is available only in Ping irons. My set of review shafts came for pullout sold on EBay. I have only measured the S flex model but knowing the quality of Nippon products, the profile is very likely to represent other stiffnesses.