When one thinks of the golf manufacturers out there on the cutting edge of innovation, companies like TaylorMade and Callaway spring to mind. It seems that these companies always have some new technology that promises to add distance and increase forgiveness and some time later similar technologies are adopted by the rest of the golfing world. However, one of the original innovators in the golf world is PING, and they are doing it again with their new G30 line of drivers, woods, hybrids and irons. According to PING, they were able to achieve significant distance gains with the new clubs without sacrificing performance in any other key area such as forgiveness.
The new G30 driver comes in two different models, standard and SF Tec (straight flight technology). There is a lot new with these clubs, but without a doubt, the first thing that any golfer will notice is the Turbulator Technology. The turbulators, found on the crown of the 460cc titanium driver, serve a few different purposes. To start, they help to reduce aerodynamic drag which leads to increased clubhead velocity and longer drives. According to PING, they also aid in alignment and setup.
The Turbulators aren’t the only new thing however, as the face of the driver is also constructed using a new material. The new TS9 face is thinner, hotter, and lighter than ever before. The weight saved from the face (4 grams) has been reallocated low and back allowing for a higher launch with optimal spin and high MOI. The slicers among us may wish to look at the driver with the SF Tec head, as that model helps to promote shots with a right to left pattern. Using the Trajectory Tuning+ Technology found on the hosel, golfers can add or subtract up to one degree to find their preferred trajectory.
Like the driver, the fairway woods feature both the Turbulators and a redesigned face. The face on the woods is constructed from Carpenter 475 steel which is 44% stronger than the 17-4 stainless steel often found in clubs. The stronger steel allows for the creation of a thinner face which saves weight that is then reallocated to optimize the clubs CG to give high launching shots and a high MOI. The trajectory can be fine tuned by adding or subtracting up to one degree via the Trajectory Tuning+ Technology.
No rock was left unturned in the design of the new G30 irons. The new clubs feature progressive lengths and lofts as well as a thin face made from 17-4 stainless steel to create increased ball speeds. The irons also feature a undercut cavity designate, helping to lower the clubs CG and aiding in a higher launch with more forgiveness and a soft elastomer badge in the cavity enhances feel and sound. Special attention was paid to the sole of the club where a softer lead-edge radius was created as well as precisely calculated additions to the bounce profile to create a club that moves through the turf easily. The progressive offsite of the club help to generate higher ball flights in the long irons and penetrating, controlled flights in the shorter irons.
With the hybrids, PING wanted to create a club that gave more distance but with a higher trajectory and more stopping power to help golfers attack more pins. The face is constructed with heat treated 17-4 stainless steel which maximizes face deflection and increases ball speeds for the added distance. The club also as weight low in the sole for the low-back CG leading to the higher launch. Weighting in the heel and toe of the club increases the MOI leading for an extremely forgiving hybrid. Between the different hybrids, there is a progression of CG locations and amount of offset to ensure proper gapping between clubs.
The driver, woods, and hybrids all feature a high-balance-point TFC shaft (419D, 419F, 419H respectively) that feature a CG closer to the grip end, giving the clubs a simultaneous increase in energy, momentum and inertia for longer and straighter shots.
Costs for the new clubs are as follows: Driver – $350, Fairway woods – $250, Hybrids – $220, Irons (4-PW) – $780 or $700 (graphite or steel).
For more discussion of the G30 line of clubs, check out http://thesandtrap.com/t/75537/ping-introduces-g30-series-driver-fairway-hybrid-and-irons, or for information about the Sand Trap’s visit to the PING headquarters and hands on testing of the G30 line go to http://thesandtrap.com/t/75739/the-sand-trap-visits-ping-g30-turbulator-testing-factory-pics.