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Flipping through the photo gallery on SI.com for today's practice round at the Open, I found some interesting photos of PING staff players.  For one, looks like Lee Westwood is using a G10 driver:

http://www.golf.com/golf/gallery/article/0,28242,2082674-1,00.html

Moreover, looks like Louie Oosthuizen has a PING Rapture driver in his bag:

http://www.golf.com/golf/gallery/article/0,28242,2082674-12,00.html

Now that the G20 series is out, LW and LO are both using drivers from more than two series ago.  I find it interesting that they would still be gaming drivers that are so old, and that PING has since "updated."  Seems like quite the condemnation of the "advancements" made by PING in the G15 and G20 series, right?  Sure, they might be favorite or "old reliable" drivers, but wouldn't you think that PING would have made enough improvements in the last 3-4 years to make LW and LO want to change to an updated model?

What do you think?

Full disclosure:  I have a G5, so am obviously in the market for an upgrade.  But these photos make me wonder if it isn't smarted to but a lightly used G10 or G15 instead of plopping down $300 for a new G20 (since LW and LO don't seem to think that the G15/G20s are any better than the previous lines).

In my Titleist stand bag:
Ping G5 10.5* Adila NV S
Titleist F2 15.5* VooDoo FW-S
TaylorMade Burner Rescue Hybrid '07 19* 65-S
Mizuno MP52 4-5 irons, Project X 5.5, 1* upright (4i bent to 23*)Mizuno MP57 6-PW, Project X 5.5, 1* uprightMaltby GW 53*; Titleist Vokey SW 58-12; Cougar LW 64*Zebra...

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First of all, that looks like a Rapture V2 (not an original Rapture) that Louie is using.  Second of all, having owned G10 and G15 drivers, and currently owning and playing an original Rapture and K15 drivers, they are all oustanding in their own right, such that I can't see playing one over the other being a "condemnation" of any of them.  And the Rapture V2, the only one I haven't owned, gets raves as well.  They're all outstanding, but the pros can get attached to certain equipment just like the rest of us, and not want to move onto the latest and greatest (much to the OEM's chagrin I suppose).

That said, I find your post a bit funny, as I was perusing Ping's facebook page earlier today, and almost all of their pictures from practice rounds at the Open prominently featured G20 headcovers in the pros bags, intimating that many of them were playing the new G20 woods.  Now, that may be true for some of them, but apparently not for all.

Equipment:
Ping K15 Driver (10.5º) - Diamana BB R flex; Ping G15 4 Wood (TFC R flex); Ping G15 20* Hybrid (TFC R flex); Ping G15 23* and 27* Hybrids (AWT R flex steel); Ping G15 Irons 6-GW (AWT R flex steel); Ping I-Wedge 54* Wedge; CG14 BP 58* Wedge; Odyssey Black Series Tour Designs #9 Putter

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Remember that G-Mac won the US open with a 5-year old driver. Many pros hang on to clubs for years once they've found something they trust.  Take a look at how many V-Steel fairways you see in players bags who aren't on a full-club endorsement.

This isn't to say that improvements in 'modern' clubs are trivial, but that for many accomplished players moving away from a club they know well is a gamble.

In the Bag: TaylorMade R11 TP - TaylorMade R7 TP TS - Cleveland Halo - TM TP 2009 3-PW - Vokey SM 52 - Vokey SM 60 - Rife Barbados CS - ProV1x 


On the Computer:  Analyzr Pro 
 

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Ping's current crop of drivers and irons simply haven't changed much in a while. When they find a driver they like (whether that be the G5 or the i15), they stick with it because the newer ones offer very little other than a learning curve.

In my bag:

Driver: Titleist TSi3 | 15º 3-Wood: Ping G410 | 17º 2-Hybrid: Ping G410 | 19º 3-Iron: TaylorMade GAPR Lo |4-PW Irons: Nike VR Pro Combo | 54º SW, 60º LW: Titleist Vokey SM8 | Putter: Odyssey Toulon Las Vegas H7

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Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Whatever tournament Lucas Glover won this year, he did it with a SQ driver from 2006.  I used to play the same one before buying a burner.  It was a first generation SQ tour.  This isn't just Ping.

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Awards, Achievements, and Accolades



Originally Posted by jeffrey r

That said, I find your post a bit funny, as I was perusing Ping's facebook page earlier today, and almost all of their pictures from practice rounds at the Open prominently featured G20 headcovers in the pros bags, intimating that many of them were playing the new G20 woods.  Now, that may be true for some of them, but apparently not for all.



Trusting that the wood matches the headcover in a pro's bag is akin to trusting a politician to fulfill thier campain promises...

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Originally Posted by shades9323

Trusting that the wood matches the headcover in a pro's bag is akin to trusting a politician to fulfill thier campain promises...


I'm going with this. Just because there are a ton of Ping G20 head covers, doesn't mean there are a ton of Ping G20 drivers.

Bryan A
"Your desire to change must be greater than your desire to stay the same"

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G20's are FUGLY.

They now have an even WIDER sole.....terrible IMO

:tmade: SLDR X-Stiff 12.5°
:nike:VRS Covert 3 Wood Stiff
:nike:VRS Covert 3 Hybrid Stiff
:nike:VR Pro Combo CB 4 - PW Stiff 2° Flat
:cleveland:588RTX CB 50.10 GW
:cleveland:588RTX CB 54.10 SW
:nike:VR V-Rev 60.8 LW
:nike:Method 002 Putter

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Originally Posted by Kieran123

G20's are FUGLY.

They now have an even WIDER sole.....terrible IMO



Try fitting those fuggos into a compact carry bag - not gonna happen. Somebody gonna get hurt real bad!

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Mizuno MP600 driver, Cleveland '09 Launcher 3-wood, Callaway FTiz 18 degree hybrid, Cleveland TA1 3-9, Scratch SS8620 47, 53, 58, Cleveland Classic 2 mid-mallet, Bridgestone B330S, Sun Mountain four5.

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:tmade: SLDR X-Stiff 12.5°
:nike:VRS Covert 3 Wood Stiff
:nike:VRS Covert 3 Hybrid Stiff
:nike:VR Pro Combo CB 4 - PW Stiff 2° Flat
:cleveland:588RTX CB 50.10 GW
:cleveland:588RTX CB 54.10 SW
:nike:VR V-Rev 60.8 LW
:nike:Method 002 Putter

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Originally Posted by Kieran123

G20's are FUGLY.

They now have an even WIDER sole.....terrible IMO

I agree but i saw 3 guys in a row at the john deere classic with Ping G15 irons in the bag and they were sponsored by Taylormade and other brands besides Ping. Was a little surprised by it because the soles are so wide at the same time tho there were tons of guys with blades.

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Yeah this happens quite often, Tiger used the original SQ for a good 3 years.

Age:19

What's in my bag?
Driver- Taylormade TP Burner 2.0 5 wood- Launcher (4-GW)- Jpx Pro 800 SW- X Forged LW- 588 X Wedge- Tp-Z Putter- Unitized Tiempo

 

"Hard work beats talent"-Tim Tebow

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We have to come to the realization that wide soles vs narrow soles, cavity back vs blade, topline etc. is all just personal preference, and often just visual preference.  Pros can play equally well with either, and they can work the ball with either.  I prefer blades or narrow sole thin topline player's cavities, but sometimes my wrist and thumb injuries dictate that I'll go with cavity backs.  I'm a 6-7 and can switch no problem, for these guys it's really nothing at all.

Addressing the OP's question, the advances every year in golf equipment are not completely illusory, but they are driven largely by marketing and the desire for top dollar.  Good for them, they should try and sell as many $400 drivers as they can.  But I've hit all the major drivers from the last 7-8 years, and again, it's largely just personal preference.  If I hit the 909 or 910 noticeably better than my 907 I might switch, but I'd be lying to myself if I said I did.

Originally Posted by motteler621

I agree but i saw 3 guys in a row at the john deere classic with Ping G15 irons in the bag and they were sponsored by Taylormade and other brands besides Ping. Was a little surprised by it because the soles are so wide at the same time tho there were tons of guys with blades.



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I agree, but why wouldn't they be?  It's their big GI club.  I15/I20s are smaller, and S56 irons are similar to a blade.

Originally Posted by Kieran123

G20's are FUGLY.

They now have an even WIDER sole.....terrible IMO



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Originally Posted by max power

We have to come to the realization that wide soles vs narrow soles, cavity back vs blade, topline etc. is all just personal preference, and often just visual preference.  Pros can play equally well with either, and they can work the ball with either.  I prefer blades or narrow sole thin topline player's cavities, but sometimes my wrist and thumb injuries dictate that I'll go with cavity backs.  I'm a 6-7 and can switch no problem, for these guys it's really nothing at all.

Addressing the OP's question, the advances every year in golf equipment are not completely illusory, but they are driven largely by marketing and the desire for top dollar.  Good for them, they should try and sell as many $400 drivers as they can.  But I've hit all the major drivers from the last 7-8 years, and again, it's largely just personal preference.  If I hit the 909 or 910 noticeably better than my 907 I might switch, but I'd be lying to myself if I said I did.



yea not to mention it was the last day and those players were like 12 under par so its working for them. Ive read you can hit like a foot behind the ball with the G15's and the ball still goes, Those pros I saw with them seemed like they were just trying to get better any way they could which is probably why they have them in the bag, They make bad swings too, it just costs them 1,000's of dollars when this happens,

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Not quite. But, if they feel they get better performance from a GI shovel, that's what the guys will play. A lot of folks chuckle at certain players playing GI irons, or having a bag full of hybrids. But the PGA tour, especially for 'average' guys, isn't like other pro sports. You only make what you win at tournaments. For those guys, if it's a choice between vanity and staying on tour, they'll choose to stay on tour. I'd rather pay my mortgage than play blades.

Originally Posted by motteler621

yea not to mention it was the last day and those players were like 12 under par so its working for them. Ive read you can hit like a foot behind the ball with the G15's and the ball still goes

Current Gear Setup: Driver: TM R9 460, 9.5, Stiff - 3W: TM R9, 15, stiff - Hybrid: Adams Idea Pro Black, 18, stiff - Irons: Callaway X Forged 09, 3-PW, PX 5.5 - SW: Callaway X Series Jaws, 54.14 - LW: Callaway X Series Jaws, 60.12 - Putter: PING Redwood Anser, 33in.

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As far as the original premise of the thread goes...I'd say that there's a higher percentage of guys with 'dated' equipment in their bags than guys that don't. Many if not most of the old school equipment contracts (that tied a guy to a certain product and lead to many horror stories with guys having to play irons they couldn't hit or work or score with at all) don't really exist anymore. Steve Stricker comes to mind. Here's a guy sponsored by Titleist, a fine equipment manufacturer, and I don't think he plays their current line of anything except for wedges if you can really count those.

Current Gear Setup: Driver: TM R9 460, 9.5, Stiff - 3W: TM R9, 15, stiff - Hybrid: Adams Idea Pro Black, 18, stiff - Irons: Callaway X Forged 09, 3-PW, PX 5.5 - SW: Callaway X Series Jaws, 54.14 - LW: Callaway X Series Jaws, 60.12 - Putter: PING Redwood Anser, 33in.

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