PING G Driver Review - Plugged In Golf (2024)

onFebruary 16, 2016

50 Words or Less

The PING G driver is fasterthan the G30 and has a bit more forgiveness. Once again, PING has the best driver in golf.

Introduction

For the last 18 months, PING’s G30 driver has been dominant. It’s been adored by players of all skill levels, and the sales numbers have been crazy. The G30 has represented as much as 40% of the driver sales for the country’s best club fitters – the guys who sell purely basedon what works the best. Improving on G30 looked to be impossible, but the engineers at PING have done just that with the new G driver.

Looks

There’s a lothappening on the crown of the PING G driver. First, it has the Turbulators which we first saw on the G30. What’s new is the Dragonfly Technology. The structure of the crown is designed to mirror a dragonfly’s wings. The benefit is that the crown is strong but lighter and thinner than ever. While this all creates a fairly busy crown, the features are easy ignore because they are a uniform matte black.

In general,the G driver will look very familiar to those that played the G30. It has a large footprint but isn’t overly big in any particular dimension. The combination of large size and expertly-crafted shape will allow the G driver to appeal to players at all levels.

Sound & Feel

Overall,the new PING G driver feels very similar to the G30. If you hit them on different days, you might not notice much a difference – both have a medium volume, slightly bass-y “crack.” When hit them head-to-head, however, you will notice that the G is slightly quieter and thus feels a bit softer.

Just as with the G30, the G driver issubstantially counter balanced through the stock Alta shaft. The purpose of counterbalancing is to keep the swing weight reasonable while making the head heavier. This is important to keep in mind if you plan on swapping out the stock shaft.

Performance

I’ve gamed the G30 driver since the moment it was released, so I have a very solid basis for comparison with the new G driver. While it’s not a revolutionary jump forward, the new PING G driver is better than the G30 in every way.

First, it’s faster. Based on my testing and conversations with the fitters at Club Champion, PING’s new Vortec Technology works. Combined with the Turbulators, players can expect to gain measurable amounts of club head speed with the G driver.

The new G driver is also more forgiving thanks to Dragonfly Technology. By shaving eight grams from the crown, PING has raised the MOI to make the G driver more stable on off-center hits. Again, it’s not a huge difference – the G30 was already extremely forgiving – but it is better. And when you combine more speed andmore forgiveness with high launch and low spin, you have the best driver in golf.

Conclusion

As I bestow the honor of “best driver in golf” on yet another PING driver, I’m left to wonder what’s next. The G driver was inspired by dragonflies and 18-wheelers. What will inspire the next upgrade in speed and forgiveness?

PING G Driver_0135

PING G Driver_0137

PING G Driver_0138

PING G Driver_0139

PING G Driver_0140

PING G Driver_0141

PING G Driver_0142

PING G Driver_0143

PING G Driver_0145

PING G Driver_0147

PING G Driver_0151

PING G Driver_0157

PING G Driver_0161

PING G Driver_0162

PING G Driver_0167

PING G Driver_0169

PING G Driver_0172

PING G Driver_0173

PING G Driver_0196

PING G Driver_0198

PING

Previous Next

Author
Recent Posts

Matt Saternus

Editor In Chief at Plugged In Golf

Matt has worked in nearly every job in the golf industry from club fitting to instruction to writing and speaking.

He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.

Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.

29 Comments

John Pock
February 16, 2016 at 9:57 am ·Reply

Hi Matt,
Another great review, I have been testing the G Series too. I have been struggling with the counterbalanced shaft. Are you using the ALTA shaft or are using some other shaft?
Thanks, John
- Matt Saternus
  February 16, 2016 at 10:22 am ·Reply
  
  John,
  Yes, I tested with the Alta shaft. I always try to post numbers with the stock shaft since that’s still how most people buy and play their clubs.
  Best,
  Matt
Robert Morris
February 16, 2016 at 4:19 pm ·Reply

If the Ping G Driver is that much superior to the G30 that I spent a lot of money on last year then I will wait until next year’s Ping G driver and try that one as it should be that much better than this year’s G driver. When are golf companies going to figure out that people hate spending top dollars on drivers one year and be told the following year that their driver is inferior?
- Matt Saternus
  February 16, 2016 at 7:02 pm ·Reply
  
  Robert,
  Serious question: what would you have the golf companies do?
  A couple things need to be made clear:
  1) The G is not vastly superior to the G30. There are no huge gains left to make in drivers because of the USGA limits. The G is better, but the G30 is not exactly obsolete.
  2) The G30 was “new” for 18 months. PING has the second longest product life cycles in golf.
  Best,
  Matt
  - Adam
    February 17, 2016 at 7:01 am ·Reply
    
    Ha! I don’t think the big golf equipment companies (or any business for that matter) lose sleep because the consumer isn’t happy about spending money…
    And I wouldn’t see progress as a bad thing. just because a new version of my car is .2 M/PG better on gas than my model from 2 years ago, doesn’t mean I’m not happy with my current ride and excited that the improvements will be there in the future when I need to replace it.
- Keef
  June 1, 2016 at 8:30 am ·Reply
  
  The G driver is a tad better but not much better than G30. If you had the G20 or G25 driver you may want to consider upgrading but honestly several gold lessons will help your swing more than a new club. The G30 is a serious club that can help improve your game.
Dave Malone
February 16, 2016 at 9:13 pm ·Reply

Thanks for the great review!
I think your reviews are the best on the internet!!
Looking forward to your reviews on the G irons fairway woods, hybrids, and crossovers!
Keep up the great work!
Dave
John
February 16, 2016 at 10:36 pm ·Reply

Matt-
I recently went through a full bag fitting at Club Champion. Surprise, Surprise, my best numbers came with the G30 (My fitting was 2 days before the G release.) I am assuming that going with the G over the G30 is a reasonable jump and could expect similar (hopefully superior) performance.
The big question, though, is with the shaft. I am a novice in the detail and minutia of shafts, etc. I was fit to a Fuji Speeder Evolution 661. From what I have been able to find, thus far, this shaft option isn’t available with the G series unless getting built at CC or buying the shaft separately and having it installed. I have not been able to determine if the Speeder Evolution 661 II will be an option.Through some research, it seems that the Aldila Rogue Black 70 is a very similar shaft in terms of specs (and easier on the wallet.) Is it reasonable to think that those 2 shafts will perform similarly or am I making an inaccurate assumption? Any other shafts I should consider? Any input or thoughts you have are greatly appreciated! Thanks!
- Matt Saternus
  February 17, 2016 at 11:39 am ·Reply
  
  See Also
  Ping G Crossover Review
  
  John,
  I would recommend going with the shaft you were fit for. Specs are not consistent across manufacturers, so I would not trust that.
  Best,
  Matt
- Matt Saternus
  February 17, 2016 at 11:40 am ·Reply
  
  John,
  I would recommend going with the shaft you were fit for. Shaft specs are not consistent across manufacturers, so I would never recommend fitting based on those numbers.
  Best,
  Matt
Jon
February 18, 2016 at 10:45 am ·Reply

Keep hearing about this whole series…I will have to check this out.
My question, or topic, is on driver forgiveness. Every article/review I read talks about off-center hits, but what about us that miss slightly below, or hit the sweet spot but it’s OB right if your path is even slightly off (ATE at 100mph SS)? My understanding is that 10mm off CoC equals 31 yards offline at 250 yards, so you get the idea.
I have a Callaway Optiforce with a Diamana Blue S+ shaft I love, but the draw bias makes no difference. Also have a Cleveland Classic 290 with a Fujikura 765 Speeder I also love, but at 9°, again, it’s gone if I miss, harsh price for the 300+ fairway I just hit down the pipe.
If I were to find “forgiveness” that addresses, money would be no option.
- Matt Saternus
  February 18, 2016 at 1:49 pm ·Reply
  
  Jon,
  I’m not sure I understand your question or what you’re trying to get at. Missing the sweet spot definitely has an effect on accuracy because of gear effect ( https://pluggedingolf.com/ball-flight-laws-5-gear-effect/ ), but the amount that it matters will vary from one club to another. More stable heads (higher MOI) help not only ball speed on mishits, but also accuracy on mishits.
  Best,
  Matt
Lou Glaza
February 18, 2016 at 12:01 pm ·Reply

I just tried the Ping G and loved how the ball came off the face. As soon as I went on the monitor it was 20 yards less than the new Cobra F 6 plus. Ping felt and sounded great but fm did not perform
to my expectations. Cobra is making some really great products.
- Matt Saternus
  February 18, 2016 at 1:44 pm ·Reply
  
  Lou,
  That’s hard to believe, but it’s exactly why we always preach that you must be fit for your clubs!
  Best,
  Matt
Jon
February 18, 2016 at 8:39 pm ·Reply

I apologize for any confusion. Yes, no doubt on gear effect. I guess I’m wondering if certain construction characteristics or shape affect misses. For example, I had trouble with the older, wider Callaways (RAZR X, etc.), much better with Adams, Cleveland, with taller/deeper face (that look like this Ping driver). I have an XL 3wood that drifts offline and charges major yardage for mishits, but that’s about it. My Callaway Xtreme, though, that ball is gone.
- Matt Saternus
  February 19, 2016 at 4:53 pm ·Reply
  
  Jon,
  The construction can certainly play a role in ball flight, gear effect, etc. There’s also the issue of how the club looks to you and how that impacts your performance.
  Best,
  Matt
Svein
March 9, 2016 at 10:42 am ·Reply

Great review. Will a counterbalanced shaft still operate as intended if the shaft is cut down to say 44,5″ ? A lot of golfers find 45,75″ to be too much and prefer shorter shaft for more control.
Thanks
- Matt Saternus
  March 9, 2016 at 1:57 pm ·Reply
  
  Svein,
  That’s a bit of a complicated question. Counter balancing is putting weight into the butt of the shaft to reduce swing weight. Cutting off that heavier section could cause the SW to go up, BUT when you cut down a shaft, you’re doing a lot to drop the swing weight due to the shorter length. It might all balance out at the same SW or it might end up lighter or heavier, depending on the severity of the counter balancing.
  Clear as mud? :)
  Best,
  Matt
Svein
March 10, 2016 at 1:58 am ·Reply

Thanks Matt.
Learned some about counterbalance at least.
Mike Payne
May 17, 2016 at 7:16 pm ·Reply

I have the G 30 10.5 driver with the ping tour reg shaft, I was fit last year and am always between reg. and stiff at 95mph swing speeds
and 8.1 index. I really would like more distance (240yds). On my course I’ve hit the XR 16 with the red speeder shaft in stiff and have picked up some distance. I did not consider the G for more distance, how do you compare it to the G30? Thanks
- Matt Saternus
  May 17, 2016 at 7:48 pm ·Reply
  
  Mike,
  I’m hitting the G a bit farther. I’d recommend a fitting to see if it can outperform your G30 or the Callaway you mentioned.
  Best,
  Matt
Johnny
August 7, 2016 at 2:38 pm ·Reply

Matt
Currently have used G30 since it first came out. Plan on testing G LS. Curious, will the stock shaft in my G30 also fit in the G for comparison purposes?
Thank you
John
- Matt Saternus
  August 7, 2016 at 7:55 pm ·Reply
  
  Johnny,
  Yes, the adapter works for both heads.
  Best,
  Matt
Robert
November 1, 2016 at 10:12 pm ·Reply

Hi Matt
I’m currently a high handicapper using a Titleist 913D2 Driver.
Based on your opinion would you go with the G Driver/ Callaway Big Bertha / Callaway XR
THANKS
- Matt Saternus
  November 2, 2016 at 6:43 pm ·Reply
  
  Robert,
  I would go with the one that produced the best results for me in a fitting.
  Best,
  Matt
Scott
November 30, 2016 at 11:58 am ·Reply

After reading your article and some of the above posts, I have a further question about the stock Alta shaft and the counter balance in it. I recently won a G driver in a tournament and like the way that the club looks at address, hooker that hates a closed face. I have been using a Kuro Kage Black X-flex in an older Adams LS that I really love, so much so that I have purchased several to plug into future drivers. If I put one of these into the G how much will the lack of counter balance affect the “feel” i.e. making the club head heavy? I know feel is very individual, but since this club head was engineered and weighted with a counter balance shaft in mind, will this switch be too detrimental to even attempt? With a 105-108 swing speed and a left miss, I am afraid that the stock S Alta isn’t stiff enough to work for me.
Thanks.
- Matt Saternus
  November 30, 2016 at 4:28 pm ·Reply
  
  Scott,
  The counter balancing in the Alta gets the G into a “normal” swing weight at 45.75″. You can use a non-counter balanced shaft at a shorter length to get a similar SW.
  Best,
  Matt