The G30 driver was one of the best, if not the best, driver of 2015. With their distinctive turbulator technology, the G30 really stood out and performed well for a wide range of golfers. Following this success, Ping has recently introduced their latest G-series collection of golf clubs for 2016 including a new driver, fairway woods, hybrids, irons and a “crossover” iron.
Inspired by an approach called biomimicry, PING engineers analyzed the dragonfly’s intricate wing pattern to design ultra-thin crown sections for extreme CG and maximized MOI for the new G driver. Dragonfly Technology, Vortec Technology, turbulators and a strong T9S face allowed Ping to create their longest, most forgiving driver ever. Like the popular G30, Ping’s new series consists of three models — the G, G LS Tec and G SF Tec — that come with loft adjustability (+/- 1°) and a high balance point shaft.
The ridges on the crown are combined with a more rounded transition from the face to crown plus indentations a long the back of the head, to reduce drag by 37% compared with G30. The result is faster swing speeds and up to four yards more carry. The new crown is 8 grams lighter and allows extra mass to be placed low and rearward for an increased MOI. Compared to the G, the LS Tec spins 350 rpm less, while SF Tec has up to 9 yards of fade correction. The standard and LS Tec heads are available in 9° and 10.5° lofts while the SF Tec comes in 10° and 12° lofts.
With the new G fairway woods, getting the ball in the air is easy with their lower lead edge, which gets the club under the ball so impact occurs higher on the face. This basically positions the effective hitting area 12% higher than the previous G30 model thus, making them easier to launch in the air. Ping also created the thinnest crown ever in their fairway woods, which allows for a low-back CG to ensure high launch, low spin and extreme forgiveness.
In addition to the crown, added ballspeed and distance comes from a thinner, variable thickness face as well as a unique sole design that supports the flexing of the face more efficiently. An adjustable hosel allows for loft adjustments with five different settings. The G fairway wood family also includes an SF Tec model with more weight closer to the heel for players who struggle with slicing and a Stretch model with 13-degrees of loft for players looking for a driver alternative off the tee or just maximum distance from the fairway. Although turbulator technology is still present in the new G fairway wood, it doesn’t look like Dragonfly Technology has been utilized.
As Lee Westwood demonstrates in the video above, the new G hybrids produce faster ball speeds and high launch with low spin for longer carries. Similar to the fairway woods, the G hybrids feature a very thin crown that helps position the CG in a low and deep part of the clubhead for more MOI and forgiveness on off center hits. Ping’s innovative tiered internal sole helps activate face flexing to power the ball off the face faster for greater distance. The G hybrids are available in 17°, 19°, 22°, 26°, and 30° models, making them easy to integrate into any iron set.
With the new G series comes a “new club category” that PING claims they have created – the Crossover. This new club category is designed to offer the speed and forgiveness of a hybrid with the control and workability of an iron. It does remind us a lot of the “driving irons” that we see some players use, but Ping engineers will argue that point – this will probably be more forgiving and easier to hit than those driving irons.
The unique design of the G Crossover is aimed at players who want the forgiveness of a traditional hybrid with the control of a game improvement iron. Like the G hybrids the Crossover features an internal sole design that helps the strong, thin clubface flex more at impact for improved ballspeed and distance while significant heel-toe weighting contribute to higher MOI and forgiveness. 18°, 21°, and 24° models are available in choice of steel or graphite shafts.
The new G irons are a slimmed down take on a modern Ping game-improvement iron, with a thinner topline and sole than the previous G30. The biggest change, however, is the addition of a new “COR-Eye,” technology that activates the sole, top line, and face to create four times the amount of face flex as the previous model, resulting in significantly more ballspeed and distance. This gain in ball speed and shot height generates more carry distance and a steeper landing angle.
A new alloy was also used to construct the clubface and is approximately 40% stronger than traditional alloy, allowing designers to save weight, which has been moved to the perimeter of the clubhead for a higher MOI and forgiveness. This new allow is a specialized heat treatment that creates Hyper 17-4 stainless steel. In addition, the new custom tuning port is connected to the sole, further helping to lower the CG for improved launch angles. The new G irons are available in 4-9, PW, UW, SW, and LW with Ping AWT 2.0 steel shafts or Ping CFS graphite.
Source: PING Golf
