Click on each picture for larger image Turbulators From Ping: To generate faster clubhead speed and ball velocity for longer drives, turbulators were engineered onto the crown of the 460cc head. Proven in wind-tunnel testing to reduce aerodynamic drag and create efficient airflow, the added speed from the turbulators provides measurable distance gains for all skill levels.
At address, they create a captured appearance with the ball and assist with alignment and inspiration. The first and likely most notable design element of the Ping G30 are the turbulators, which sit on the crown of the driver. Ping notes the added design element reduces the ‘drag forces’ through the contact area of the swing, which can help to increase club head speed. While the swing speed of the Ping did not out perform a variety of other drivers side by side, the turbulators did a tremendous job aligning to the ball on setup.
Not only did the head frame the ball extremely well, it was quite clear where the ball was located at address in relation to the club head. A fair commentary would suggest the turbulators are ‘extreme’ or ‘non-traditional’ in design, and it is not unfair to make that claim, however over the course of testing, not only did they stop being obtrusive to the eye thanks to the matte black finish, they became extremely beneficial for squaring the ball to the target and clubface. Hotter Face Material From Ping: A new high-strength, lightweight T9S titanium face is thinner and hotter to optimize face deflection for faster ball speeds and longer drives. It is very exciting to see companies introduce lighter weight technology, as it adds to the flexibility of moving weight to more beneficial places on the head, not to mention producing greater technology potential in each area of the club head. In this case, while it’s nearly impossible to translate face contact and release with the naked eye, the performance of the G30 rivaled a majority, if not all drivers on the market in terms of total carry distance. While very subjective, the ball did appear to ‘jump’ off the G30 on well struck drives. Discussion of sound and launch will come shortly, however it is worth acknowledging that what appeared to be ‘flush’ contact was consistently at or better than expected results.
Low-Back CG From Ping: Weight savings from thinning the face are allocated to help position the CG lower and farther back than any PING driver to date, ensuring high launch and optimized spin with a high MOI for extreme forgiveness. When one considers the elongated profile of the G30 from the face to the back section of the driver head, it comes at little surprise that they were afforded the ability to drive the CG lower and away from the face. It is with this design that very notable forgiveness was provided, especially on shots lower and towards the heel. While extreme scenarios of inaccuracy (nearly to the crown high on the face) produced notable distance losses, a majority of the mediocre swings imparted on the G30 generated more than ideal results. This includes both distance and accuracy off target line. While this design structure suggests a ‘high’ launch profile, testing confirmed that launch can be tamed based on the adjustability of the head along with shaft selection. Testing all but proved there are optimal low to low/mid solutions to the G30 stock setup.
5-Setting Adjustability From Ping: To optimize the performance of your driver and maximize carry distance and roll out, you can fine-tune launch angle and spin by adding or subtracting up to 1 degree of loft prior to your round. Settings are standard, +0.6°, +1°, -0.6°, or -1°. The G30 showed markedly different results between the two loft extremes provided by the trajectory tuning+ technology adapter: the 8 degree setting for lower, more penetrating ball flight, all the way up to the high launching 10 degree setting. With five adjustments possible between two degrees of driver face loft, users have the freedom to get exactly what they are looking for in launch characteristics. Overall Impressions While there were many considerations during the G30 testing, a few of the more common questions will be addressed in the following paragraphs.
How To Adjust Ping G30 Sf Tec Driver
To begin with a very popular question, the sound of the G30 is quite unique. It’s not overly obnoxious or traditional in response, but rather something quite its own. The T9S face, along with the depth of the head produce a higher pitched, yet muted sound. It’s not to suggest it would take a long time to dial in the sound of the G30, however it does provide itself something unique beyond looks. Forgiveness is very subjective, however testing would suggest the G30 is extremely easy to hit on the center or near the center of the face, and as such promote consistently straight drives. Contact low and well inside towards the heel did not show a great deal of distance reduction, and a similar result was experienced with contact slightly higher than center and towards the toe.
With the CG built back into the head and lower, Ping claims a reduction of the overall gear effect and testing provided that to be quite true. For greater depth on face forgiveness and distance variances on contact, consider on the THP Forums. While forgiveness is incredibly beneficial with a driver, distance plays a major role on relevance and the G30 proved to be exceptional in that regard. Testing confirmed carry distances well within expectations, with some situations actually overachieving.
With reasonably firm fairways it’s quite likely the G30 will roll out nicely, however in this case a majority of the testing was completed on soft fairways, which did not produce additional rollout. Based on carry and launch conditions, it’s realistic to expect some rollout with the G30 on the optimal setting. Early stages of testing did prove interesting when moving to the G30 from a more traditional driver headshape. Between the turbulators, matte black finish, and longer (from face to back) head design, it did take two or three outings to familiarize with the profile.
With that in mind, golfers have the ability to define what they believe to be the ‘norm’ based on what they game, and it would not take long to get comfortable with this head shape. With regards to the matte black finish, it is an excellent look. Zero sun glare is a major benefit, although it can be a small source of frustration for anyone attempting to golf in the morning dew, as water changes the finish to a dark black. Anyone carrying a towel with them can quickly wipe down the driver for a return to standard coloration within a handful of seconds. Experiences can vary with the Ping G30 driver depending on the shaft incorporated with the head, however the Tour 65 stiff shaft came as advertised – low-mid in flight. The launch angle can easily change based on the head adjustability, however in optimal settings the low-mid flight was achieved more often than not. This shaft plays at 45.25 inches in the G30 head, unlike the stock TFC 419D which plays at 45.75 inches.
After a great deal of time spent with the G30, testing confirmed Ping’s claims of being a solid performance driver without the loss of forgiveness. With a large sweet spot, alignment aiding top line, and impressive face construction, the Ping G30 rivals most stock options available today. Thanks to a variety of stock shaft options available, it is realistic to believe the G30 can perform for a variety of golfers. For more information on the Ping G30 driver, visit. Great job Dan. Been looking forward to this review.
We obviously have different swings, but I didnt find that I had any higher launch than I usually do but thats more of the product of my swing and struggling to get the ball higher. I didnt tinker with the settings so maybe I just needed to loft it up a little bit.
The one thing I did notice is how the ball absolutely explodes off the face. In hand, the club is much much nicer than in pictures. The flat black is really sharp and the turbulators really arent an issue in terms of looks. Do not, repeat NOT purchase this club if you are a beginning or novice golfer. The misleading reports on how forgiving this club is are simply that misleading.
If you are Bubba Watson, or a very good golfer looking for a tweak, then this club would possibly be forgiving. Being a 2 year golfer, I had to work through problems with my Callaway driver which I ultimately did to hit straight.
I spent the money on a G30 thinking it would be a logical next step. BOY was I WRONG. This club took my worst problems and timed them by 10! This club is JUNK for any type of golfer that is less than professional.
I am stuck with it now and will find a way to use it just because of the excessive price, but DO NOT make the same mistake with this horrible club that I did!
Bubba Long.and I’m talking about more than just this story As we’ve told you countless times, we are #Datacratic. We’ll share some of the marketing angle with you, but ultimately we believe in the data and not much else. Of course, when the MyGolfSpy owner (Golfspy X) starts hitting balls over the huge fence with the PING built specifically to contain Bubba Watson’s monster drives, data or no data, we quickly get to thinking that PING might have something special.
Then again, not everybody can hit it as far as X and Bubba. So take it for the great story that it is and move on. While we’ll eventually get around to discussing things like forgiveness, playability, and all-around solid performance; the hallmarks of the G-series, the cutting to the chase of it dictates that we start with the most prominent feature of the new lineup. Turbulators Turbu-what? Turbulators and lest there’s a chance you forget, PING has embossed the word on the damn crown. Subtle guysreally subtle.
One of the obstacles that absolutely every club designer struggles with is that a golf club head, particularly a driver head, is simply not aerodynamic by design. You’ve got this giant mostly-flat face that transitions rather harshly to the crown. As far as moving through air and space as efficiently as possible are concerned, it’s less than ideal. It basically sucks. In terms of pure aerodynamics, a smaller face with a more gradual, elongated, transition to the crown is a much more efficient design. Unfortunately, that type of design doesn’t work particularly well for hitting golf balls (especially when you care as much about MOI as PING does), which makes it less than practical considering the intended purpose.
That’s where the Turbulators come in. In the most basic of terms, Turbulators are a means to improve the overall aerodynamics of the clubhead without compromising on the intended purpose of the design (to hit golf balls long and straight), or substantially reducing head volume and, as a consequence, dramatically lowering MOI. Here’s the really odd part, PING’s Turbulators actually increase drag. You’d think that would actually slow the clubhead down, right? You’d be wrong. Through the use of computational fluid dynamics (smoke tests and whatnot), PING’s engineers figured out that they could use precisely placed Turbulators to make the air stick (or flow closer) to the clubhead for a longer period of time. Effectively what the Turbulators do is reduce the wake produced by the clubhead, which actually reduces the drag coefficient.
Despite that initial increase in drag, the existence of Turbulators results in a net gain in clubhead speed for a majority of golfers. Let me dumb it down for the guys like me: Turbulators allow to move through the air like a smaller-faced driver while still maintaining the low/rear CG placement that’s imperative to G-series design. It’s all really scientific stuff. By way of comparison, to get the same speed gains by changing the size of the driver head, (assuming the same shape), PING would have needed to shrink the G25 down to 362cc, and thereby reduce the MOI by 34%. Nobody wants that. Not even TaylorMade (I kidI kid) The Downside of Aerodynamic Improvements Let’s make one thing impossibly clear.
Aerodynamics matter. It’s one of a few very obvious ways that golf companies can increase distance within the confines of the USGA’s tidy little box.
If, through design, you can speed up the clubhead (make the golfer swing faster), you’re going to increase ball speed as well, and folks, more ball speed equals more distance. That’s pretty simple. Anybody want to argue that one? The downside of aerodynamic gains is that they are exponential in nature. What that means is that guys who already swing fast will see more substantial gains than guys with average to below average swing speed. For example, in PING’s own testing,. Unfortunately for the everyday crowd, the guys who saw the biggest gains (2 or more MPH) were guys who already generate between 112 and 120 MPH of clubhead speed.
For higher swing speed guys, that translates to upwards of 6 yards or so over the G25. The rich keep getting richer.
You average guysthe 85-90MPH crowd, realistically, any gains you see will be comparatively minimal. We’re talking about.5MPH or less of new-found clubhead speed on average, which translates to barely a yard in total distance gained. Bummer, right? It is what it is, and PING isn’t going to tell you otherwise. A Mass Problem As we’ve already mentioned, one of the primary goals of PING’s G Series designs is to move the center of gravity as low and as far back as possible.
Placing additional mass by way of Turbulators (approximately.5 grams) high and forward basically runs contrary to PING’s design goals. To offset the additional high/forward mass, PING is using a new alloy to construct the G30’s face. T9S (9% aluminium) has a lighter density than the G25’s face material, and a stronger strength to weight ratio. The new face material, along with Ti-811 body and crown construction, not only allowed PING to maintain the low/rear CG placement of the G25, they were actually able to move it slightly lower and slight farther back.
The end result is a 1% improvement in toe/heel MOI and a 2% improvement in top/bottom MOI. That might not sound like much, but when you consider that the G25 was already the most forgiving driver on the market (based on MOI), it’s scary impressive that PING was able to squeeze a bit. As a quick aside for those of you who, like me, haven’t been much of a fan of the sound produced by G-series drivers, the new material also produces a deeper, less poppy (less crap-like) sound. “Our goal was not to make the most aerodynamic driver ever. The goal was to make the best driver ever” – Marty Jertson, Senior Design Engineer, PING VS. The G25 Driver The G25 was damn good.
Between the MOI bump and the potential boost in clubhead speed, PING is claiming that they’ve been able to squeeze a little more distance and a little more forgiveness over what was already a pretty good driver. The G30 should square up a bit better, and that squaring should effectively reduce spin by about 150RPM.
We did some preliminary testing with the G30 side by side vs. Before you look at the data, here are some pertinent notes:. To account for the differences in loft between the two models, and 8.5° G25 head was set at 9° and tested against a 9° G30. Stock shafts in X-flex were used for both models. To collect our data, we used a Foresight GC2 Launch Monitor which requires a license for the desktop/simulator software in order to extrapolate roll and total distance.
We don’t currently own the software, so reported distances are carry-only. Foresight GC2 does not provide a swing speed measurement without the accessory HMT unit, which was not available to us during testing.
In testing we saw an average increase in ball speed of 1MPH with the G30. With the differences in launch angle and spin rate, carry yardages were a push, but the numbers also suggest that with roll factored,. We also saw slightly better dispersion and yards offline numbers with the new model. Also worth a mention, using standard deviations in ball speed between the two clubs as the defining factor, /consistent than the G25.
The preliminary results suggest a driver that improves on the previous generation, but probably doesn’t warrant an immediate upgrade, unless of course demo/fitting sessions reveal that you’re among the group that benefits significantly from those Turbulators. Improved Adjustability PING has been the subject of some consternation by golfers who feel like their implementation of adjustability is a bitshall we say, lacking. Previous incarnations allowed the golfer to adjust loft or face angle (depending on how you look at it) by only half a degree in either direction (1° of total adjustability).
That’s significantly less thanwelleveryone else in the industry. The new hosel allows for a full one degree of adjustment in either direction (with a.6° option in the middle, if you prefer something more akin to the original). For those keeping score at home, that’s 2° of total adjustability.
PING’s no compromise approach meant that the hosel improvements had to be made without increasing mass. Not only was PING able to get to 2° without adding mass, PING’s adjustable hosels add zero additional mass compared with their more traditional glued offerings. I don’t believe any other OEM can make that claim. Straight Flight Technology Is Back Despite its age, the K15 (a dinosaur by modern standards) remains popular with PING fitters seeking to help golfers mitigate a slice. While maybe nobody is going to come right out and say it, the is the effective replacement of the K15, albeit within one of PING’s signature lines. The idea is to offer a club that offers significant slice correction without any attaching any stigma to the club.
The G30 SF Tec doesn’t have DRAW stamped anywhere on it (it does say Turbulators), and there’s no offset either. The shape is slightly non-conventional, and that will certainly turn some off of the SF Tec (myself included), but hell, if it corrects your ball flight, isn’t that all any of us should worry about? Like the K15 the G30 SFT sits closed (PING uses the phrase rocks closed) – though not as much (2° vs. 5° in the K15), and offers a heel-biased CG placement and is designed to deliver the club face slightly closed to the path at impact. The sum total of the design features results in up to 12.5 yards of shot correction. For the guy who habitually slices, the G30 SF Tec will help you hit the ball straight. For the guy who already hits the ball straight the SF Tec model should allow you to hit the much-coveted draw, provided the obviously closed face (and that unconventional shape) isn’t too off-putting.
Custom Tuning Ports (CTP) While you won’t find them retail any time soon (or ever, probably), PING offers CTP weights ranging from 4g to 17.5g which offer the ability to dial in your target swingweight with basically any aftermarket shaft, cut to any reasonable length. Unfortunately, if you want to make any changes, you’ll have to send your driver back to PING and have them make the changes for you. For better or worse, that’s just how they roll in the PHX. Custom Tuning Ports are available for all clubs (drivers, fairways, and hybrids) in the G30 metalwoods lineup. High Balance Point Shafts One of the features of the G30 series that most golfers will probably overlook is the inclusion of PING-designed High Balance Point shafts.
As the name suggests, PING was able to shift the balance point of the G30 stock shafts higher, toward the grip (effectively counterbalancing the shaft). They were also able to reduce the overall weight of the shaft, which allowed for an increase in overall head weight without impacting swingweight. Any aftermarket stuff that shifts the scale can be handled with those Custom Tuning Ports we just covered. As some of you may already know, a heavier head has greater inertia and creates a more efficient transfer of energy than a lighter one.
That’s a recipe for both distance and forgiveness, which is what most of us say we want from our driver. High Balance Point Shafts are part of every club in the G30 metalwood lineup.
G30 Driver Specifications G30 Driver Stock Shaft Specifications Weight is calculated assuming a 45.25″ finished length G30 Driver Tour Shaft Specifications.The ($30 upcharge) Shaft is designed by PING. It has lower torque than the stock shaft and has a stiffer tip to promote a lower trajectory. Finally, it offers what PING describes as a “Tour” look and feel (including a PVD finish). Pricing and Availability will be hit retail sometime in late July or early August. MSRP for the driver is $385.
As previously noted, a Tour shaft is available for a $30 upcharge. Wrapping it All Up Although the gains aren’t earth-shattering, we’re inclined to saddle the G30 driver with early favorite status for our 2015 Most Wanted Driver Test. The fairway will be a serious contender as well.
That said, I wouldn’t necessarily run out and replace your G25, but it’s certainly worth finding out if the Turbulators give you a boost (nobody at PING is suggesting they’ll work for everyone). If they don’t, your G25 is still a pretty damn awesome club. From my perspective, the improvements to sound and feel alone place the G30 significantly ahead of the G25. That’s purely an issue of personal taste. Quite frankly,.
Performance notwithstanding, it’s actually the first I’ve even kinda liked. Given the exceptional performance we save from the G25 lineup, it’s not enough for the G30 series to be good. It has to be great. That’s the tradition, that’s expectation, and not surprisingly, that’s exactly what PING has delivered. We are unquestionably impressed. If there’s any issue for PING as far as the G30 series is concerned it’s this: With the subtle design refinements, performance gains, the Turbulators (which technically fall under performance gains), and the new Tour Series shafts (designed to perform like high-end aftermarket shafts), the lines between the G-series and i-series have blurred slightly. If you’re the kind of guy (a guy like me) who has previously (and habitually) thumbed your nose at PING’s G-series, the G30 should provide more than enough incentive to get over yourself.
Tony is the Editor of MyGolfSpy where his job is to bring fresh and innovative content to the site. In addition to his editorial responsibilities, he was instrumental in developing MyGolfSpy's data-driven testing methodologies and continues to sift through our data to find the insights that can help improve your game. Tony believes that golfers deserve to know what's real and what's not, and that means MyGolfSpy's equipment coverage must extend beyond the so-called facts as dictated by the same companies that created them. Most of all Tony believes in performance over hype and #PowerToThePlayer. I had the I20 driver, but struggled with accuracy.
After several other drivers, i decided to try the G30 to see if it was as easy to hit as advertised. I was struggling with my swing the first round, so i could not draw a conclusion- Hit 11 drivers- mostly in fairway but short high cuts. Second outing i hit my Big Bertha 2014 and G30 alternating- G30 was straighter, bit noticeable shorter (10-15 yards at least). Then on the first tee of the 3rd round i hit my 25th ball with the G30 and. The shaft snapped in two!!! NOT at the hosel, but about 6 inches below the grip!
How does a brand new driver shaft snap like that! Ball went 230 down the middle.
Took it back to pro shop, they called PING, who said “we are not going to cover that under warranty”!!!!! I hit 25 balls, never dropped it never hit it on anything, no abuse at all. I called PING myself (with my blood boiling) and they relented arranged for a replacement shaft. But just how good are the shafts i now wonder?
IT was TFC 419 regular shaft- the PING shaft. I have NEVER seen a shaft break there from hitting a ball in my 30 years of golfing! RpTucker, i’ll tell you that the tour shaft on the g30 sold me. My numbers were way better with tour shaft, in fact i almost hit the 17/1700 magic numbers with it.
If i remember right my spin numbers were 1772 avg and lauch angle 16.8. Plus its only a difference of $349 vs $379 at golfsmith. To me that money is well worth it. So after being fitted the perfect fit was a 9.5 head with the tour shaft 65 in stiff.
Great combination. After hitting the 915, Cobra, R15 and Callaways overwhelming amount to hit, the G30 beat them all by a lot with the exception of the 915D which was not far behind. I just traded my g25 off the rack driver for off the rack g30. I got fitted for the g25 at golf galaxy and suggested the off the rack reg flex.
It took me about a month to get g25 tuned in. Now with g30 I can already see a big difference in distance and I’ve only played with it twice. I think in about a month I’ll be hitting long consistently.
The only complaint I have is the g30 doesn’t show the ball mark on the club face as clear as the g25 Buy one and out drive your buddies but don’t let them try it. I love Ping but i’m kind of sadden by this release. If i could swing as fast as Bubba i would be all over this, 6yds is awesome gain.
But i only swing between 98-102mph which sounds like it will translate to an awesome 1yd ? I’m definitely going to give them a try but i think the companies that are experimenting with loft and spin rates are going to have bigger gains. I do like the look and im always a sucker for blue. I like g30 irons gray and blue look too but it sounds like those are much different either.
Why make a club that only 1% of all golfers will truly benefit. There are very few people that can swing at the 110+. AWOL I don’t have to tell you this.
Looking back at old MGS test from previous year product and other sites reviewing old vs new. A yd or 2 is really all you ever get if you are going from a properly fit equipment to properly fit equipment. Look at this as a forthright and honest approach to that reality. Better to go in knowing what gain if any you might expect rather than encouraging false preception. Well done Ping for that. The other point I would like to make, and i’m not the first to make it, is that ping probably isn’t looking to get g25 users to convert with this club. I mean not as their main target.
When you tip trim you are effectively increasing the stiffness of the flex. Metal guitar gods 4 torrent. I imagine because its their tour shaft they want to have a little stiffer feel to handle the higher swing speeds. I think i cant remember exactly every inched tipped is 1/2 flex stiffer. So a stiff flex would essentially be a S+ the measurement between S and XS. That could help stabilize the head and make it wobble less when coming through impact. Overall length most likely will be the same they will just cut less off the butt to keep it in spec. Any master club fitter correct me if im wrong.
Each year as I get older and fatter my swing speed decreases like most golfers. Moving to the forward tees is not a great solution as most courses are designed to play from the back tees and us old guys wind up hitting into narrow fairways or bunkers designed to catch the big boys.
Golf club design seems to have reached diminished returns so what’s left? I suggest the USGA allow ball makers to do whatever they want to make balls fly farther. Perhaps balls have reached the end of their potential as well but if not why not let them do it. If the USGA wants to limit the pro’s and not have to modify the great old courses any more than they have already just make the new “Non-conforming” stuff in obvious colors or markings.
Personally I’d love a ball that would get my 95mph swing back to 280 off the tee. Most courses are more fun to play from the back tees where golf course architects factor in doglegs, traps and water and Sunday pin positions. Equipment and balls should fall into two categories; USGA events and anything goes. Golfers will choose based on ego, taste, and ability. You really misunderstand the point of forward tees. If you’re not hitting the ball 280-300, you should move up tees to have the same intended landing area as the back tees for a long hitter.
What’s the difference between an illegal ball flying 280 from the tips and a legal ball flying 260 from the tees 20 yards up? I hit the ball about 290, so i play from the back tees. If i move up at all, the landing areas disappear and i have to hit 3wood or hybrid.
But my dad plays 2 sets of tees up, and we hit the ball to the same intended landing area. No course is “intended” to be played from a particular set of tees — it’s intended to be played from all sets of tees, depending on level of skill and swing speed.
Cmj- You may very well play at a course that is laid out with tees perfectly spaced for various abilities. Most courses however are not. In the last month I have traveled and played various tracks that have multiple tee boxes on the same teeing area with a scant 5 yard spacing and others with truly well thought out distances between the blacks and yellows. Your point is well taken however. While in Florida this winter our group played a very nice course and the 4 of us all hit the ball different distances with driver. I agreed to play from the old guy’s tees but found all sorts of trouble left and right as the fairways narrowed where my ball landed. My brother suggested I hit 2-irons or 3-woods but I said I didn’t fly to Florida in the winter to “lay up”.
Like most guys I like hitting my driver. A second issue is one most people overlook and that is the pain in the ass to have potentially 4 guys each hitting from a different tee. After 18 slow holes of that it gets old.
A third factor is once you are in the fairway from approximately the same distance the old guy hits a 4-iron while the young guy hits a 9-iron. Nothing wrong with that as that’s the price of aging. However, consider what a cool equalizer it would be if the old guy played a lively ball that somehow technology makes it travel equal distance of the young guy? Further, imagine how this would impact women playing the game or young kids? Most guys acknowledge it’s not as much fun playing with the gals and trust me they feel the same way. Jack Nicklaus invented “Caymen Golf” some years ago in a reverse engineering sort of way. In Caymen he had developed a rather short but every bit as nice golf course.
It was I believe in the Caymen Islands. He then had women play regular pro shop balls but had the men play a “dead” ball that only traveled 2/3’s the distance. Viola, men and women landed in the same place and played reasonably the same irons in. The concept died a short life but gave you pause to think if the game could be better if balls could be built that equalized distance. Golf has become a reflection of life itself where everyone is trying to find a more competitive way to beat their opponent. It is harder to get better with skill so we just try to hit it longer.
I think golf would prosper more if we color coded balls that could fly different distances. If a junior ball was bubble gum colored and a woman’s ball was mauve and a senior ball was yellow or gray and a tour ball stayed white, everyone could play the game from the same reasonable place. Kids play smaller balls in basketball and soccer and nobody argues with that. Why not let them hit balls that go further?
Since 2008 when manufacturers could start creating adjustable golf clubs, it has become an increasingly common feature on a number of golf clubs right through the bag. What Is Golf Club Adjustability For? Some think it is to change the set up of the club depending on conditions, which can be done.
However the real benefit is as a one time fitting tool so the golfer can make small adjustments to the club to customise it to their swing in a way that was not possible before. The benefits of custom fitting are well known and with manufacturers actively promoting the importance of fit when buying a new club, adjustability allows the golfer, either alone of as part of a custom fitting process, to fine tune the club for maximum performance. Adjustable Hosels One of the most common adjustable features in drivers, fairway woods and hybrids is the hosel allowing users to change loft and/or lie. The loft of the club is very important as it is the angle of the face when it arrives at the ball and that is a primary factor impacting the launch conditions of the ball.
Being able to adjust the loft allows golfers to achieve launch angles and spin rates that are suited well to the way that they deliver the club. When you adjust a hosel to increase loft, you are actually closing the face fractionally. Conversely when you reduce loft you are open the face slightly. Some clubs counter this visual change by allowing you to also change the face angle by using balance points on the sole.
As you change the loft and the face angle, you will also change the lie unless there is a separate setting to alter the lie independently of loft. Loft changes the ball flight vertically and lie changes the ball flight horizontally. If you increase the lie angle up, then this should create a fade and if you reduce it down then it should create a draw. It is therefore very important to be professionally fitted for an adjustable hosel club so that you get the right combination of loft and lie for your swing. How Do Adjustable Hosels Work?
Most loft and lie adjustments are located in the hosel and are made by releasing a screw that connects the shaft to the club head and moving the clubhead to a new, pre-determined setting. Technically the hosel on the shaft is inserted into the shaft receptor on the head which is slightly off centre so that the various options on the hosel shaft will give the desired adjustment to the head when it is tightened. Does Adjustability Affect Other Performance Factors? Fairway woods and drivers with adjustable hosels tend to have a higher centre of gravity due to the extra mass of the bigger hosel. Designers can do things to counter this, for example by sloping the crown downwards or by adding discretionary weighting on the sole. However having any form of adjustability lessens the amount of weighting you can use elsewhere on the club to influence the. Adjustable Or Moveable Weights The other key method to allow golfers to adjust the set up of their golf club is the use of moveable weights.
The ability to move these weights either left to right or up and down has an impact on the centre of gravity of the club which in turn directly impacts on with a bias towards a left/right or low/high ball flight. Adjustable Putters Prior to the rule change in 2008 to allow adjustable clubs, putters were already permitted to have moveable weights in the head.
A common method is by offering a series of weights that can be screwed into the sole of the putter to allow the golfer to adjust to different speed of greens. More recently putters are being designed with adjustable weights in the grip end of the club which impact the balance of the putter.
This counterbalance effect increases the Moment of Inertia of the putter to create less twisting on off centre hits and increases the number of centre face strikes. Another adjustable feature recently introduced to the market is the option of an adjustable telescopic shaft that gives the golfer the ability to change the length of the putter by 7 inches. Again there is a trade off between the weight of the adjustability system and the benefit of a customised shaft, so it is important to try these features out.
If there were a Tropicana bikini contest for drivers it is doubtful that PING G25 driver would ever get to wear the victory sash or even crack the top 5. Yet, somehow PING drivers have been a steady contender in everyone’s “hot list” and a staple in golf bags for what seems like forever. Sure Bubba Watson swings a PING driver and is no doubt a flashy ambassador, but the brand as a whole still wears a one-piece bathing suit. So does this mean the marketing folks at PING should be set out to pasture and replaced with a bunch of wizbang spiffed up go getters? I say no and I actually believe that PING has never set their sights on the sexy award. If you think about golf clubs as girls, they can be divided into two groups: those you date and those you marry.
What if PING is the marrying type? You know the one that does NOT make your life a soap opera, the one that does NOT break your heart, the one that does NOT stand you up, and the one that is NOT a potential train wreck every time you see her. Instead, what if PING is your steady, your life long companion, the one you know and trust, the one that has your back. What if being the girl you marry is what PING is going for?
Stay with me. I have had many PING clubs in my bag over the years and currently still carry a PING G10 five wood because it is the safest most consistent club I own. At 185 yards, I feel like I can land it on a dime and it gets me out of so many jams I am going to be hard-pressed to ever replace it.
So, while it has been years since I had a PING driver in my bag, I was pretty darn sure I was going to enjoy reviewing it. My PING G25 driver review started like buying any other PING club – the online fitting. While probably not as good as an in person fitting with a Pro, the online version does a good job of recommending the right shaft and loft. In my case, I am always right between a stiff and regular shaft as my swing speed is about 94 mph. For what it is worth, I ended up with the regular shaft 10.5 loft driver. The club itself is not fancy but I would classify it as distinguished. Matte black with a simple alignment aid on the top and a shiny bottom that features only the branded PING G25.
Worth noting is that even after 20 or so rounds, the bottom of the club has shown very little wear, which is very refreshing compared to many drivers we review that look 2 years old after a month of play. As with most PING clubs, the first thing that comes to mind is forgiveness. While PING has definitely earned their reputation for forgiving with clubs like the, they also make darn good player clubs like the.
With that said, the G25 driver is more on the forgiving side. That is not to say a player cannot benefit from the G25 driver.
I am a 9.5 handicap and hit the ball straight but not particularly far. My average drive is about 225 with 265 being my outside range. I have reviewed about 5 drivers this year and the PING G25 driver is as long as any of them and longer than most. Regardless of the distance, the reason the PING has remained in my bag for so long is that it just goes straight all the time.
Even with mis-hits I am not wildly far off. The large clubhead gives you a tons of room for mistakes, but when you catch it just right it is a bomber. Again, not super sexy but when I am hitting 12 fairways and never playing out of the woods, I am all in. I also don’t want to give the impression that the G25 is ugly, because it is far from that. It is just that you don’t have any extra glamour. It is your basic step up and smash it driver.
Your working class bigstick. Under the hood, the PING G25 driver does offer a touch of adjustability. You can change the loft by plus or minus a half degree which will make a 1% adjustment to the face angle. Per usual, I don’t mess with the setting, but that’s just me.
As I mentioned, the PING website takes you through a basic fitting which in part will spit out a recommended shaft. The shaft that came with my driver and was used for this review was the TFC189 which is weighted toward the butt end of the club in order to partially offset the heavier club head. I am a self-admitted dope when it comes to shafts, but I am convinced that the shafts PING uses are well matched to the club (plus they look super cool). Hey what about the PING G30 Driver? Yep, the PING G30 driver has just come out which means the G25 driver is now an older model. Unlike many companies, PING does not roll out multiple versions of a club each year (which, by the way, I believe is a business model that is proving to be counterproductive for both consumers and companies). My guess would be that it will be the PING release cycle that becomes more normal as we enter into 2015.
But, my point is, that even though the G25 is now one generation old, it is still a rock solid choice for the majority of golfers. Anyone who plays to a 10-30 handicap is a perfect candidate for the PING G25 (and likely a bunch of single digit handicappers as well).
At every level, PING nails it. The sound is great, the looks are fine, the adjustably is sufficient, the forgiveness is welcomed and the distance is plenty respectable. Get it, you get the whole ball of wax. Maybe you miss out on one “wow” factor, but you don’t get burned by a glaring deficiency. So for all those married guys out there, when you go shopping for your next driver, think about your wife (I assume you love her). Think about why you are still married (besides the huge inheritaence from her dad). Yea, it is the stability, the dependability, the no surprises that keeps you together.
Sure you might miss the wild nights in Vegas with that girl in the short dress, but in the end it just meant trouble. Meet PING: the girl you can marry. Learn more on the.
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