The Golf Life LockerRoom
It looks like something Batman would bag in stunning matt black. Turbulate and Innovate Forget Gotham City, Pings new G30 will blow you away his season we’ve seen new-face technology, low spin, high launch head design, adjustable hosels and now Ping are introducing air diffusing wings on their new range of G30 woods. There are two driver models plus a fairway wood, hybrid and irons to
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complete the G30 family line up. The first thing to note was the striking good looks and finish to the crown of the head; it looks like something Batman would bag in stunning matt black. The front edge of the crown has what looks like a row of directional fins. Ping call it Turbulator Technology.
These strategically placed fins are designed to reduce “aerodynamic drag” on the head; to make the head go quicker and have a stabilising effect at impact, which in theory will make drives go longer and straighter. This is present on both drivers, as well as the fairway wood but not on the hybrid.
G30 Fairway Woods (RRP €265) The G30 fairway wood range comes packed with the same technology as the driver with adjustable hosel for loft variations as well as the aerodynamic drag reducing turbulators. There is also a new steel face, making off centre hits easier to keep straight. There are three loft offerings, a 3 wood at 14.5 degrees, 5 wood at 18 degrees and a 7 wood at 21 degrees but, like the driver, all are adjustable. They look good and feel very solid off the face with a strong and true ball flight. These are a solid contender for the low to mid handicapper who wants solid feel and great ball flight.
G30 Hybrids (RRP €220) By the time you get to the range’s hybrid clubs the adjustable hosel has gone, so too have the turbulators. There are five lofts available, 17, 19, 22, 26 and 30 degrees. With the head design centred on getting the ball into the air, even the 17 degrees launches high with ease and has a great solid sound and feel. It’s nice to see a very square face at address. ‘The Golf Stig’ loved the 17 degrees so much he bagged it at the weekend! A club certainly to be given a try as they are probably the best G series hybrid club that Ping has produced, very easy to use and looks great.
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G30 Drivers (RRP €375) Two driver offerings: the G30 and the G30 SF Tec. The G30 is available in 9 and 10.5 degree lofts with the G30 SF Tec available in 10 and 12 degree. The difference? The G30 is a traditional square faced, centre weight driver while the SF Tec (Straight Flight Technology) is designed as a more draw bias driver by moving the weight closer to the heel. Like most drivers these days there is an adjustable loft hosel (Trajectory Tuning + Technology in Ping terminology). The loft can be varied between plus and minus one degree, at 6/10ths of a degree variant. This is an updated tip from the G25 driver and now has five loft settings (+1 degree, +0.6, Standard, -0.6 and -1). A big weight port at the back of the head in the low position should create a high launch angle with very good accuracy due to a high MOI. Today’s drivers need to be hit a lot more “on the up”. I wouldn’t be scared of a little loft on this head,
especially if you’ve had a G series Ping driver in the past. For the ball bashers and high speed guys, the Tour S and X shafts feel great and work wonders with the new normal G30 head in 9 degrees and work great together to keep the ball flight flat and with low spin. If you want a little more flight on the ball and suffer with a slight left to right hit then look at the SF Tec head in the 10 or 12 degrees. It’s a different product than previous models so fitting is recommended.
DEREK MURRAY, Ireland’s leading golf club technician and clubmaker, offers consultation on the correct golf club for golfers of all abilities from his base Fore Golf in Killeen Castle, Dunsany, Co Meath, and also for the world’s top players on The European Tour. He is the 2010 GCA World Clubmaker of the Year. www.foregolf.ie
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