Since the PGA Show in January, I’d been hearing a lot about a certain line of PING clubs – the G30 Line to be specific. I decided to go to their website, where I was promptly greeted with a short video from their Brand Ambassador, Bubba Watson. He was demonstrating the G30 driver on a launch monitor, so I gave it a listen.
Within the first few seconds, he said that his clubhead speed was up 2 mph because of the turbulators. Not knowing a turbulator from a defibrillator, I decided to watch a little more. I ended up watching – and replaying – the rest of the video, and then I spent some time on the website learning more about Straight Flight Technology, turbulators and other words and terms that were foreign to me.
Without question, the G30 line is all about speed. After all, gain clubhead speed and you gain extra yards. The turbulators – which resemble the facial markings of the Star Trek Borg Queen – are engineered onto the crown of the 460 cc head. They help to reduce aerodynamic drag and create better airflow thus generating greater clubhead speed.
Driver – The turbulators in the crown of the 460cc head improve aerodynamics by reducing drag forces through the impact zone, leading to faster clubhead speed and ball velocity, resulting in longer drives in the fairway. Turbulators can also assist with aim and alignment.
The new T9S face material is thin, strong, and lightweight, which optimizes face deflection for even higher ball speeds and longer drives. 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.
Something else of note; the center of gravity (CG) on the new G30 driver is lower and farther back than on any other PING model. Translation: a lot more forgiveness, more energy transfer and an optimal launch angle.
Combine that with the TFC 419D shaft – which places the balance point of the shaft much closer to the grip end, allowing for a slightly heavier head, The result is more energy, momentum and inertia, which explains the longer tee shots – and better accuracy.
With Trajectory Tuning+ Technology, you can fine-tune launch conditions using five settings and adding or subtracting 1° of loft. The adjustable hosel has the same mass and outer diameter as PING’s fixed hosels, providing the benefits of adjustability with no sacrifice in performance.
Fairway Woods – Faster ball speeds and greater distance come from a larger face made of Carpenter 475 steel which is 44% stronger than 17-4 stainless steel. By creating a thin but strong hitting surface, face deflection is maximized, which in turn increases ball speed and generates distance with control. The taller clubface allows for additional bending and elevates the vertical MOI. Speed-enhancing turbulators in the crown of the club help with aim and inspire confidence.
Five settings offer the ability to add or subtract 1 degree of loft for fine-tuned trajectory. This adjustable hosel has the same mass and outer diameter as PING’s fixed hosels and provides the benefits of adjustability without sacrificing performance.
A lower and deeper CG in the G30 3-wood aid in launching the ball higher with a piercing spin. The CG progresses more forward and lower in the 5- and 7-woods to keep launch angle and spin uniquely optimized for distance and control in each clubhead.
Hybrids The new G30 wedges were designed to deliver faster ball speeds and longer distance, while at the same time creating higher shot heights. This produces softer-landing shots into the greens which allow you to attack pins from longer distances.
If this was their overall objective, I must say…it worked! The special heat-treatment process used results in a thinner and stronger face, which increases ball velocity. The internal weighting creates a higher MOI while at the same time, substantial heel-toe weighting elevates the MOI for extreme forgiveness. Weight in the low sole creates a low-back CG for consistent impact and high launch.
Progressive CG locations and offsets ensure efficient gapping and trajectories that maximize distance. In the lower-lofted hybrids, the CG is farther back to promote high launch. A lower, more forward CG through the mid and higher-lofted hybrids reduces spin.
G30 Irons – Distance control and consistency are provided by a Custom Tuning Port (CTP) that sits very low and supports the thin, 17-4 stainless steel face. Progressive lengths and lofts combined with the thin face optimize launch angles and generate greater ball speeds, thus ensuring maximum distance and control.
The Custom Tuning Port (CTP) and an undercut cavity contribute to a solid feel, and a low-back CG launches the ball high and straight. A soft elastomer cavity badge further contributes to exceptional feel and sound in the highly forgiving, perimeter-weighted design.
Slightly longer clubhead lengths help to increase MOI for greater forgiveness and accuracy, most noticeably in the 4 through 7 iron. A progressive offset generates higher ball flights in the longer irons and penetrating, controlled trajectories with the scoring clubs.
A new sole design promotes solid contact with consistent trajectories, helping the club glide through the turf, even on imperfect swings. The bounce was increased and balanced with a softer lead edge and steeper trailing edge to improve versatility for all angles of attack.
The G30 irons will improve your scoring through distance with control, accuracy, and a high launch that allows you to stick your approach shots and bring consistency to your iron play.
Glide Wedge are engineered from the hands down (i.e. from the grip to sole) which helps to increase spin and consistency from any distance. The new Dyla-wedge grip is longer, encouraging players to grip down for trajectory control. Grip-down markings at 1 3/8-inch intervals guide hand placement, and a softer, tapering profile improves feel when utilizing the lower grip-down markings.
A new CFS shaft which optimizes weight, flex and balance and a moisture-repelling 431 stainless steel is used to fabricate the head. There are three different sole options with the Glide wedges – Standard Sole (SS), Wide Sole (WS) and Thin Sole (you guessed it, TS). These options allow you to be fit for your attack angle and most common turf conditions. Standard soles are best for a moderate attack angle and divot depth. Thin soles are a good fit if you have a shallow attack angle and divot depth. Wide soles are optimal if you have a steep attack angle and take deep divots.
Also new to the wedges are the loft-optimized grooves. In lofts 47 – 54˚, grooves have a 16° sidewall to maximize groove volume for enhanced performance on full shots. In the 56° through 60° lofts, a 24° sidewall and tighter radius increases spin on short approaches and chip shots for added precision around the green. These features, as well as a little added bounce combine to deliver PING’s most versatile and consistent line of wedges to date.
Cadence TR Putter Cadence TR models advance putter fitting by utilizing different-weight face inserts to fit golfers for their stroke tempo and feel preference. Traditional-weight inserts (blue in color) typically fit mid-to-faster tempos and can improve lag putting. Heavy inserts (black) match slower strokes and can lead to better results on shorter putts. Next-generation True-Roll Technology grooves vary in width and depth to provide unmatched ball-speed consistency and accuracy on putts of any length.
Traditional-weight heads feature an aluminum insert (blue in color), typically a good fit for mid-to-faster stroke tempos, and offer help with lag putting. Heavy versions (black) have a stainless steel insert that adds approximately 25 grams, a good fit for slower-tempo strokes, and can improve results on shorter putts.
Weight differentiation in the high-MOI Ketsch model is achieved with different 17-4 stainless steel sole plates that vary in thickness. The putter head and TR grooves are precision milled at PING. A contrasting sight line ensures easy alignment.
Traditional-weight putters are identified by a blue PP58 Midsize grip. Heavy putters have a black PP58 Midsize grip. Both grips weigh the same.
The Anser 2 CB features a 50-gram weight inside the shaft and a 17-inch grip with reference lines to guide hand position and optimize the benefits of counter-balancing. Adjustable-length shafts are available in all Cadence TR putters, making the length adjustable from 31.00 – 38.00 inches