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Ping G20 Driver Editor Review

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Editor Review by: dlygrisse

Tested-Ping G20
10.5 loft
R flex TFC 169D shaft
Ping ID8 grip

Distance and accuracy are optimized by an external weight that optimizes the center of gravity position to generate high launch and low spin. The G20’s large, variable-thickness face generates faster ball speeds and increases MOI for maximum forgiveness

The 460cc clubhead is made fromTi 8-1-1, a lighter, lower-density alloy. Ti 8-1-1’s high strength-to-weight ratio allows for additional weight to be strategically placed for increasing the MOI on both the vertical and horizontal axes. Weight savings from varying wall thicknesses in the crown and body are positioned to optimize performance and durability.

Pros: Great looking club head that sits very square at address, muted dark grey color with a confidence inspiring head size that offers a fairly large “foot print”, with a high launch and low spin all at reasonable price for a new to the market club.


Cons:
Ping still does not offer adjust-ability in their drivers and woods, if you want a highly workable club this may not be the choice for you. I also question whether or not the average golfer needs a 45.75″ driver.


Bottom Line:
This is a really solid modern driver that will appeal to a wide variety of players, if you want forgiveness, high launch and plenty of distance just find the right shaft and loft and I think you will have a hard time finding a better club.

______________________________________________________

Tester Review:

Look: When the box arrived I couldn’t wait to get to the range to give it a test drive, I can usually tell within two to three swing whether I am going to like a driver or not, and this did not disappoint. I will say I have been a Ping fan for many years and generally like their stuff, however I am quick to dismiss equipment from anyone if it doesn’t fit my game.

The first thing I noticed was that it set dead square, the dark grey head color really appealed to me and the crescent moon alignment aid was a nice change from the full moon on many previous Ping drivers. The shaft is a little busy looking, bright red and gray colors with the Ping logo watermarked in the paint scheme, not something that really distracts me…overall a really good looking club that comes with a nice looking headcover to boot. The one thing you notice when looking at the sole is the large weight pad hanging off the back edge of the club, this is not noticeable at address and definitely adds to the high launch you receive from this club.

The head shape is a very classic modern look (if there is such a thing) with a very symmetrical shape that has no weird angles or shapes going on. It does have a much larger footprint than the Ping G10 I used to play, however the face depth is a little deeper than some clubs of this nature, like the Callaway Diablo Octane I have been playing. Overall I have no complaints about the look, it is the kind of club that appeals to me when shopping for a new driver.

Performance/Playability: If you want a club that launches high and flies straight then this might be the ticket, I noticed immediately the ball seemed to jump off the face and really get up in the air. At first I was concerned it was going too high and I was losing distance and getting no roll, but I soon figured out this club offers the proverbial high launch low spin type of shot that most golfer aspire to obtain.

The one thing I had to adjust to was the fact the ball didn’t curve much at all. I am used to aiming at the right side of the fairway and drawing the ball back to the middle, I soon found that for my stock drive if I aimed to the right the ball took off right and just stayed there. My first few drives on the course ended up on the right edge of the fairway or a few yards into the rough.

My first round on the course I played at time when the course was mostly empty and I could play several balls a hole, I hit several really long drives (for me) and some that were about average for me, overall I was happy with the distance, BUT the moment I knew I had a winner was on a long par 5 playing into a pretty stiff breeze and I hit a high bomb dead into the wind that hit an up slope that I usually have a hard time hitting when there is no wind, in my mind I 1/2 expected the ball to back up when it hit the ground, however the ball bounded forward about 15 yards. Not a career drive but a really solid one into the wind and a little extra roll with a high launch.

The club is forgiving as expected, shots low on the face still get adequate carry and heel and toe hits still get decent distance and dispersion, quite frankly I haven’t played too many 460 cc drivers that aren’t forgiving and this one sure doesn’t disappoint.

Workability-this is not the most workable club ever, as I said it likes to fly straight and high…..I know Bubba Watson can bend it with this club but I’m not Bubba….:rolleyes: Personally for most players I feel this is a good thing, and if you have the ability to curve it both ways you can certainly do so, you just might have to pay a little extra attention to making sure you get the face opened or closed the appropriate amount. My misses tended to be straight pushes and pulls, but mostly pushes since I tend to aim right and try to draw it back to the middle.

Feel: The initial sound off the clubhead is a little tinny, not a loud clank like some of the square drivers or a few from Cobra that actually hurt my ears but definitely not muted. Solid hits feel…well solid and miss hits feel as expected…you know you mishit it but the distance is still good as with most modern clubs. The shaft has a high balance point which I assume helps compensate for the slightly heavier head on this club, it had a different feel than most drivers I have used recently, it took me a few swings to get used to the feel, but once I got acclimated it gave me the feeling of easy power.

Bottom Line: This club is going in my bag, I am not even considering bringing my old driver to the course, high launch, straight flight….what’s not to like, plus it looks really stylish in my black Ping 4-Under sitting alongside my I15’s. In all seriousness the only reason I could think of not to give this club a look is if they just don’t have a shaft available that you like, you just have to have a white clubhead or you just have to have an adjustable club. Grab the G20, get fitted and head to the course….in my humble opinion you will NOT be disappointed.

Click here to see more photos and read the discussion in the forums… http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/527977-golfwrx-review-ping-g20-driver/

Here is a great video from Ping that describes the technical facts behind this driver-

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19 Comments

19 Comments

  1. Marc

    Nov 19, 2013 at 8:28 pm

    This is My Driver!!!
    I spent most of last winter hitting
    all sorts of Drivers
    Then All the Big Names were Ready
    To launch New Drivers for Spring 2013
    I Was looking forward to hitting
    The New Ping G25
    I went to a Demo Day & Really had a blast
    Ping Cobra Cleveland Nike Callaway and so on
    The Ping and Cobra were the best for me
    The Pro there suggested I try the G20 9.5 stiff
    I had my heart set on the G25
    Within a Few Swings I knew this was the Club for me
    Most of the time I Really do hit them long and straight!
    250-270 these are big numbers for me
    a bit high in launch but I’m working on that
    It has a really great sound as well
    & we All like to hear that
    I cant say enough good things about the Ping G20
    Give it a try

  2. trew10

    Oct 1, 2013 at 11:55 pm

    me and my buddy hit the course and out of no were he brought up that he had a spare driver if I wanted to use to play this round, my guess was I was going to like it and he would try to sell it to me so I told him no thanks, I usually average a little less that 200 yards on my drives since I tend fade my ball, so after a few holes I said what the heck let me try it, and oh boy was I surprised I was straight down the middle and almost 240 yards I thought it was a lucky shot but sure enough hole after hole I was hitting the longest straightest drives ever. so long story short I bought the club and now I own a ping G20 and couldn’t be happier.

  3. Rich

    Jun 18, 2013 at 8:19 am

    I purchased the G20 driver (10.5, reg flex) last year to complement my set of G20 irons and I must say, I have not been disappointed. As a fairly high (21) handicapper, my inconsistency is my main problem. Sometimes I drive the ball fairly well but play my irons poorly, or sometimes I have a shocker off the tee but I strike my irons pure (or as pure as I can, anyway!).

    Recently though I’ve really been putting the hours in at the range, refining my swing and I’ve started to see the benefit. Up until last week, I’d been focusing mainly on my irons (particularly the scoring clubs) because they seemed to be the clubs that I was having the most difficulty with. The other day however, I took the G20 driver out for a hit and all I can say is “WOW!!!” (I won’t say what I actually exclaimed at the time as there may be kids on here!). I have never hit my driver that far and that was just at the range with 75-80% balls!

    I went out to my course last night after work just to play the back nine and my first tee shot (admittedly with a slight following breeze and a kind bounce) ended up 297 yards from where I was standing! For the first time ever on the tenth, my second shot was a 3/4 sand wedge, where normally I’d be taking an 8 or 9 iron at the very least. Playing back down the 11th into the breeze, the distance wasn’t quite so far, but still around the 260 yard mark. Later on in the round, I hit another drive 276 yards! I’m not a big hitter by any means, so I’m amazed to be generating those kinds of distances. This is a great club.

    Like the reviewer above, the only real issues I had were with my alignment. If I was aiming right, then the ball would go straight and end up off to the right of the fairway. Aiming straight down the middle helps and as long as you give it a nice swing, the club does the rest for you. You can almost feel how ‘neutral’ the ball is as it takes off from the clubface. The noise it makes on a good hit is sublime too – maybe a bit loud for some people, but for me it makes a really satisfying ‘CRACK’, just to let that ball know exactly what you think of it. 🙂

    Now, I’m not suggesting that this club is the best out there, or that I wouldn’t get similar results with any other driver, but it just seems to me to be so….EASY to hit! I couldnt even count the number of times I chuckled to myself as I walked the course yesterday. If anyone had heard me they’d have had me locked up in a secure unit!

  4. Phil Allen

    May 6, 2013 at 1:00 am

    I don’t really know what my spin numbers are but I heard a lot of great things about this driver and took a chance. I play in Okinawa Japan where the fairways are very narrow so you need something very forgiving. Let me tell you this is that driver! Consistent drives ranging 280-290. I have the 9.5 w/ Tour-stiff shaft. I play Titleist clubs but I couldn’t deny this one is definitely more consistent then my 913 D2.

  5. Ollie

    Apr 18, 2013 at 11:54 pm

    I was looking for a driver in the $200 range and Dick’s had the G20 for just that. I want straight to the driving range and I was very happy with the results. The guys I play with are going to be shocked with my drives this Saturday. I was always the shortest driver in the group but things have changed! Gonna win some skins this weekend 😉

  6. AlexK

    Apr 14, 2013 at 9:42 pm

    I tried just about all the drivers within ‘my’ price range but was not happy with any of them until I tried the G20. From get go it felt solid and I liked how I could sense where the head was through my backswing. This gave me confidence.

    I ended up with 10.5 loft with a stiff shaft and although I was initially concerned about having too much loft (coming from a 9deg driver), I’ve found the extra loft has not only made the club more forgiving, I am getting the same if not more distance.

    I have to agree with the guys comments above, this thing is just dead straight. It seems to have killed my natural draw but I don’t mind. The high straight shots I’m getting are spectacular. (That said, by opening and closing the club face I have managed to fade and draw when really needed.)

  7. Telliott

    Mar 8, 2013 at 4:38 pm

    I just picked up a G20, 10.5 S-tour shaft for $199 @ Dicks. Last year I bought g15 irons and absolutely love them. This year is driver time. I really thought I would be walking out with a TM or Cobra, but after hitting the G20, DAMN!!!!!! The numbers do not lie! Lower spin #’s, 10-12 degree takeoff and a high, straight ball flight. Cannot wait until the snow is gone her is No. IL so I can get out and hit this monster!!!

  8. John Hood

    Feb 10, 2013 at 10:14 pm

    I`d like to know the total club weight of the Ping G20

  9. rahrah

    Jan 14, 2013 at 9:42 pm

    I recently bought this club at a local golf store, clearance sale!!! 9.5 stiff flex with the tour shaft. At first I was worried about hitting with a tour shaft, but the salesman who is used to seeing my swing and etc, convinced me its the one. I took it to the range, after about 50 balls, it clicked!!! I began bombing it long and straight, longer than my RBZ!!! I usually have a high ball flight, this did the trick and brought it down a bit. Now i”m hitting a nice mid trajectory ball and getting more distance. Love it!!

  10. Jim

    Nov 18, 2012 at 8:03 pm

    After an exhaustive search for a new driver, and test driving everything from Callaway to Cobra to TM I found the Ping G20 to be the best available. I picked up my new 9.5 tour stiff last weekend and its terrific. Launches high, straight and long – runs out great which is what I was looking for to get some more distance. Plus it looks great. Highly recommend this club – how can you argue with long and ridiculously straight.

  11. killerbgolfer

    Nov 11, 2012 at 9:32 pm

    Just got my G20 8.5 with the PING tour shaft. It performed just as good as the Anser model on the computer at PUETZ. (plus I saved 150 on the price). Filthy long.

  12. Painter33

    Oct 30, 2012 at 12:45 pm

    One does not “hit the ball further”, but one can hit the ball “farther”. Think: FARther for physical distance and FURther for figurative or symbolic distance. “He further stated that he had hit his ball straight”, and “He was looking for his ball farther ahead than he really hit it”.

    I wish they would have included the sound of the club hitting the ball. I’m still hitting a G2 (why ruin success?) and looking for an upgrade. This may be the one.

  13. Chris Devine

    Oct 23, 2012 at 8:41 am

    Just replaced my 6 yr old Mizuno with the G20 in 10.5 (R) and I am lovin it, everything about long and straight is true, plus, a decent launch angle. A nice looking, well handling neutral driver that feels great. With a driver like this, any poor performance off the tee is down to your swing. Thanks Ping.

  14. johnny

    Sep 1, 2012 at 2:25 pm

    An absolute winner , stiff shaft with 9.5 loft , easier I swing the longer and straighter it goes. No false hype with this club , a howitzer !

  15. Andrew

    Jul 14, 2012 at 3:25 pm

    Yup it’s all true, this is a big, forgiving, rocket launcher.

  16. Karah Sanford

    Jun 25, 2012 at 8:52 am

    I Just got the @bubbawatson Ping Pink G20 driver and I’m loving it :):):) !!!

    http://pic.twitter.com/HVaPbkGP https://twitter.com/karahsanford/status/216666279388528641/photo/1/large?tw_p=twt

  17. Alex

    Apr 19, 2012 at 3:33 pm

    I hit a few balls with a G20 today. Boy, this thing can hit it steady long. I’ve been using an old G2 for over 8 years that I love, but this G20 stick is something really serious distancewise. I gained average 15 yards with this driver. Definitely, It’s going to be in my bag for a long time

  18. Jon Silverberg

    Feb 26, 2012 at 8:02 pm

    I was fit on a launch monitor at a Golf Galaxy 10 days ago, and this club was the longest for me (by 9 yards), with a change in my specs: this is the first time I’ve played a Sr shaft, and such a high degree of loft (12 degrees)…I’ve taken it out 3 times since I bought it (this season in the northeast should be called Winter-Spring), and I’m very pleased…high, long, straight…

  19. Will

    Feb 10, 2012 at 10:15 am

    I got a Ping G20 in 10.5° with the Tour X Stiff shaft late last year. It is the most consistently long and straight driver I’ve ever had. It hits high missiles. The ball jumps off the face and up into the stratosphere so fast and just goes for miles. The only problem with that is if it is really windy, especially a cross wind, you will need to adjust your aim accordingly. I can’t wait to play it this spring and summer when it isn’t so windy here in Georgia. I seriously tried 95% of all the drivers out there last year and the year before and this was by far the best and most consistent driver for me. I’m quite pleased.

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Driver Reviews

GolfWRX Spotlight: Tour Edge Exotics C721 driver

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Tour Edge’s Exotics line of high-end golf clubs has been known for excellent fairway wood and hybrid performance over the years. The Chicago-based company has been consistently putting out high-quality products, and golfers are really taking notice. The new line of C721 drivers, fairway woods, and hybrids take yet another big leap forward from last year’s EXS line. 

The new C721 driver takes a lot of technology from the 2020 EXS line and further refines and expands on it. I know it is a little cliche when companies say every model is their best ever, but Tour Edge is 100 percent right this time.

When unboxing the C721 the first thing I noticed was the much-improved looks and shape over the previous Tour Edge drivers. The biggest change to my eye is the added bulge, giving a more rounded and softened topline.

The overall shape of the C721 is slightly stretched from front to back, giving it just a hint of a triangular look. The Ridgeback is a titanium spine flanked by two carbon fiber wings that add stability and forgiveness to the head, but they can also work together and an additional aiming device to ensure you are lined up down the center of the fairway. 

Getting the C721 out on the course is where you really start to appreciate all the technology that went into this driver. Well-struck shots are very long, very boring, and will hang with anything out on the market today. Center contact is rewarded with a long and very low spin shot that is just fun to hit.

The sound and feel are very solid, you can really feel the ball compress on the face as it leaves at high speed. The sound is more of a muted crack and much quieter than I anticipated. If you practice on an enclosed range your ears will thank you for your choice in drivers. Shots hit away from the center of the face retain a lot of ball speed and stay online really well.

My miss is low on the heel and those misses stayed in the air fairly well and went a good ways. Shots hit down on the heel or higher on the toe side still stay online really well due to the Ridgeback spine and rear weight. The C721 is just slightly higher than mid-launch for me, but the low spinning head never allowed my shots to balloon or rise even into the wind. I do wish the face was just a touch deeper as I had to play with my tee height in order to find the optimal setup. The better players will enjoy the neutral weighting and there seems to be very minimal draw built into the driver.

Overall, the Tour Edge Exotics C721 driver is a great club that will probably be overlooked by too many golfers. If you are looking for added distance, a lot of forgiveness and want to keep some money in your pocket, then you should seriously take a look at Tour Edge.

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Driver Reviews

Review: Ping’s G400 and G400 LST Drivers

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I still remember the first time I hit Ping’s G30 driver. It was July 2014, and I was at Ping’s HQ in Phoenix. Super low-spin drivers were all the rage at the time. With their forward center of gravity, they were helping golfers optimize their launch conditions beyond their wildest dreams: crazy high launch, ridiculously low spin. Many in the business, including myself, had one of these drivers and spent many launch monitor sessions trying to figure out how to get more distance from these high knuckleballs. The bad news was that forward-CG drivers, by nature, were really unforgiving. Bad shots were really short and crooked.

Before I knew the G30 was a big deal, Marty Jertson, Ping’s Director of Product Development, explained to me his vision for the perfect driver inside a conference room at Ping Headquarters. In his eyes, the perfect driver didn’t have the low, forward center of gravity (CG) that was being touted at the time. Its CG was located as low and as rearward in the driver head as possible, which he said would offer the best of both worlds: optimized launch conditions on good shots, as well as the best possible forgiveness on bad shots.

Building the perfect driver was a long way off (and still is), but Jertson was excited where Ping had landed with the G30. When it was released, the driver was a powerful testament to his vision. Its rear-CG design created great distance on good and bad shots, and it was also a very straight driver. The G30 sold incredibly well and, as a result, the industry mostly shifted away from forward-CG drivers.

It’s been nearly three years since the release of the G30, and Ping has just made another counterintuitive driver release. The company shrunk the size of its new G400 drivers in a climate where full-size drivers have become the norm. Granted, it’s only 15 cubic centimeters smaller, but it’s noticeable at address. Compared to the Ping G drivers they replace (which replaced the G30), the G400’s look like they cut carbs.

Despite their slimmer frames, however, the G400 drivers are actually more forgiving than the G drivers (which were even more forgiving than the G30). That’s why Ping representatives say smaller is actually better in the G400’s case. The drivers have the lowest, most rearward CG of any Ping drivers ever, and their smaller size is said to improve their aerodynamics so golfers can swing them fractionally faster. The other big change is a new face material made of T9S+ titanium, which is thinner and more flexible to help golfers generate more ball speed.

Ping_G400_LST_2

For this review, I wanted to put the G400 and G400 LST to the test against the G and the G LST drivers that they replace, so I took them to the Launch Pad at Carl’s Golfland in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. I hit five shots with each driver on Trackman IV, and to ensure as much of an apples-to-apples comparison as possible, I tested each driver head with the same shaft. Each driver head was adjusted to the same loft, or as close as possible.

Note: The G, G LST, and G400 drivers I tested were 10.5-degree heads adjusted to 9.5 degrees. The G400 LST had a loft of 10 degrees, and it was adjusted to 9.4 degrees.

The Test

PingG400_2017

In my personal driver tests, I don’t usually see a huge uptick in distance or accuracy when comparing the latest drivers to the most recent models from the same manufacturer. Improvements generally come in the form of improved head shaping, a better feel, or enhanced adjustability. That’s why I was surprised to see such a big change in my launch conditions and dispersion with the G400 drivers.

G400 Test Results: With the G400, I launched my drives an average of 1.6-degrees higher than I did with the G while dropping spin an average of 416 rpm. That led to a significant improvement in distance. With my swing speed and ball speed staying about the same, I added an average of 7.2 yards more carry distance and 8.7 yards more total distance.

G400 LST Test Results: First, a note about the G400 LST. It has a CG that’s slightly lower and more forward than the standard G400 driver to help golfers reduce spin. Like the G30 LST and G LST, it’s still very much a rear-CG driver, but its design helps high-speed golfers who can consistently find the center of the club face maximize distance without highjacking forgiveness. When I test Ping drivers, the LST is generally the model that creates the best performance, and the G400 LST was no exception. I saw an average of a 1.2-degree higher launch angle with all other things staying about the same when I compared it to the G LST. The result was an average of 6.6 yards more carry distance and 3.1 yards more total distance. It was the longest and straightest driver I hit in the test.

Note: Ping also sells a G400 SFT (Straight Flight Technology) driver, which has added draw bias. To learn more about it, click through to tech story on the G400, G400 LST and G400 SFT drivers. 

Dispersion

G400_Dispertion

One way to explain the improved launch conditions is that I hit the G400 drivers more consistently. As you can see in the Trackman dispersion chart, I hit the G400 and G400 LST drivers straighter on average than the G and G LST. Is that its slightly enhanced forgiveness shining through? Maybe, maybe not.

To me, the changes Ping made to the look and feel of the driver were just as important as the performance difference I saw on Trackman. I’ve always preferred smaller driver heads, or at least 460-cubic-centimeter drivers that appear smaller than their size. For that reason, I felt more confident with the G400 drivers in my hands. I didn’t mind that I didn’t see any added swing speed or ball speed from the smaller driver head. I was sold on the looks alone.

I also preferred the sound of the G400 drivers to the G drivers. There was definitely much more of a “thwack” than a “ping” at impact, which made the G400’s feel more powerful. Looks and feel are subjective, of course, but to me the improvement was night and day. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that my fondness for the looks and feel of the G400 was at least a contributing factor to my improved performance in the test, if not the most important factor. When I like the way a club look at address, I tend to hit it better, and I know I’m not alone.

I do want readers to keep in mind that this was a one-person test and I hit a limited amount of balls. Yes, it’s a great indication that the G400 driver can be measurably better than a G driver, but it’s not a guarantee.

I also want to address the weaknesses of the G400 drivers. While they’re few, they could push golfers into another driver model in a fitting. Unlike Callaway’s GBB EpicTaylorMade’s M1 or Titleist’s 917 drivers, the G400’s don’t have CG adjustability. That means there’s no way to fine tune ball flight outside of a shaft or loft adjustment. A bigger deal for some golfers might be the G400 crowns. Despite their smaller size, there’s still a lot to look at address, as was the case with the G drivers.

Ping_G400_LST_4

Aerodynamic features on the front of the crowns, “Turbulators,” have been thickened for the G400 release. There’s also Ping’s “DragonFly Technology,” a geometry on the back of the driver crowns that helps push CG lower and more rearward in the driver heads. I personally think the G400 crowns give the drivers an old-school, muscle car-like look, but there’s no question they won’t fly with all golfers.

Whatever your thoughts about what’s on top of the G400 drivers, there’s no question that what’s under the hood can offer something the G and G30 drivers did not. Maybe you’ll like the smaller head. Maybe you’ll prefer the quieter sound. Maybe the improved forgiveness will show up on a launch monitor or on the course. Or maybe you’ll just flat out rip a G400 farther and straighter down the middle like I did.

If that last bit happens, try not to second-guess it.

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Driver Reviews

Members Choice: The Best Driver of 2017

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What determines the best driver on the market; is it the opinion of professional club fitters, professional golfers or testing results from a group of amateurs?

At GolfWRX, we believe all three sources can lead golfers to an answer. Being a website founded by passionate golfers with a mission to serve passionate golfers, though, we place a special emphasis on the opinions of our GolfWRX Members — the most knowledgeable group of golfers on the planet. No other group of golfers in the world tests golf clubs as frequently or as extensively as GolfWRX Members. So who better to poll to get an initial indication of the best performing drivers so far in 2017?

So we asked them, “What’s the best driver of 2017?” They voted for the three drivers they felt most worthy of the title and provided feedback about their selections in our special forum thread. You can see the results below (as of the first three weeks of voting), as well as quotes we pulled from GolfWRX Members about the drivers from our forum.

Remember that our polls will remain open for voting throughout the year, and we’re going to keep an eye on the percentages as more and more golfers have an opportunity to test these drivers. We’re also working on another Best Driver list, which will evaluate clubs in another important way. Stay tuned!

Keep in mind that there’s no single driver on the market that is the absolute best option for every golfer: that’s why nearly every manufacturer makes at least two different models. As this list indicates, however, some drivers are working better than others this year. Happy Testing!

Note: Forum posts were minimally edited for grammar, style, spelling and clarity.

Cobra King LTD Black (3.00 percent of votes)

3f7f45629f386b15ed7bbbaa529e0826

  • The General: All-black LTD is really clean looking. I’m about to cover up the orange on my LTD with lead tape. Orange is played out
  • mh7vwLove my LTD, but wish the black finish (or even this gray) didn’t have that subtle checkering you see in some like. Prefer plain black.
  • dbleagI am a fan of the black/orange combo. The performance and sound of the LTD is very appealing to me. I also like that the standard length is 45 inches. For me, that helps it be super-accurate. With the low-spin design, I hit it longest of the current offerings and can’t remember the last time I missed a fairway. Straight, solid, low spin and nice.
Further Reading

Mizuno JPX-900 (3.20 percent)

Mizuno_JPX_900_Driver

  • johnnythundersJPX goes straight. Best real-deal shaft and is long and very adjustable.
  • KT35That blue head looks awesome sitting on the ground. I hit balls off the toe and heel and didn’t see the big drop off in distance like the previous models.
  • nmortonThe JPX-900 is definitely more forgiving compared to the JPX-850, and sounds much better. Though they did sacrifice a bit by going with a little larger profile, but it’s easy to get used to. The graphics are so so, but this driver performs. I’m really digging the Evo II (shaft).
  • jay65I can see that Mizuno is really making a decent effort with its drivers/fairways in terms of tech and aesthetics, and they compliment the new JPX-900 line of irons really well, but if they’re going to make any inroads they really have to address this issue of their custom shafts options. It’s rubbish.
  • bok006The JPX-900, after being properly adjusted by the fitter, gave me an extra 20 yards just like that. My swing speed suggested I was borderline S to X (flex), but the fitter said unless I was fighting a hook I should stick with the S.
  • bubbagump: …the JPX-900, when properly fit, is just as long on a consistent basis than all the new models I tried in real life situations. It looks great, sounds solid and just knows the way to keep the ball in play.  
  • ChazbI’m 69 years old, have a swing speed of 91 mph and played nine with the JPX-900 this morning. It was in the 40s with a brisk wind hit it around 220 to 230 yards. It was a fairway finder, has great feel and is one of the easiest to control drivers I have ever hit. I can’t wait ’til it is warmer and can dial it in more. So far I have the two weights all the way forward for a lower flight and the other set with a draw bias with 10.5 degrees of loft. This driver is the real deal; it may not be the longest or the shortest, but it is a fairway finder which IMO makes it a winner.
Further Reading

Ping G (3.80 percent)

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  • Wesquire: Ping G is the most forgiving so it wins.
  • bopper53: Ping G hands down. Great distance and the most forgiving.
  • Dannydubbbs: The Ping G series is just too forgiving. The distance is comparable between most models, but Ping always seems to win out with forgiveness.
  • Bruin BearThe Ping G is going to be overlooked because it’s looked at as “game improvement,” but this driver is a beast. I liked the LS, but it requires a faster swing to get results and in the cold outdoors I just don’t have that all the time. I think the G is the perfect blend of performance and forgiveness.
  • cmrl1986Only reason I switched from the Ping G25 was that the G felt less harsh off the face. Same distance just about.
Further Reading

Cobra King F7+ (3.90 percent)

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  • EntourageLife: Ball really flies off face. Driver head controls spin well. Not one drive “ballooned” and trajectory was high and best of all… very easy to work ball right to left for a confident draw.
  • GollieThe F7+ is another great offering from Cobra… I didn’t get the “MAN, this is gonna take my LTD out of the bag” feeling, but it has very good sound, feel and performance.
  • J13F7+ is a great offering from Cobra and IMO is in the top-3 drivers this year. Epic is the standout for me numbers wise, then M series and F7+ are right behind it. Love the Agera (shaft) in there!!! Such a great shaft; I can’t seem to get mine out of the bag.
  • Golfer from MOHit both Cobras lefty and as a lefty the LTD is the shizzle. Last year it was the LTD and Big Bertha down to the absolute wire… the F7+ is more workable than the LTD, but not longer and a little worse on mishits.
  • BoognishI took a few swings with the F7+ at Golf Galaxy yesterday. 9.5 degrees with heaviest weight forward. The stock shaft is actually the same model I play in my GBB (albeit in smoked black instead of yellow). Ball flight and distance were similar to my GBB with good consistent sub-3000 backspin. Sound was OK, feel was harder than the GBB.
  • thechief16Just from the range (no LM), I didn’t see a noticeable performance improvement with the F7+ over the original King LTD. And I like the look and sound/feel of the LTD better.
Further Reading

Ping G LS Tec (4.90 percent)

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  • drvrwdgeI played the G LS with the Ping Tour 65X (shaft) tipped an inch for about a year. Just put the HZRDUS Yellow 75 6.5 tipped an inch and never thought it was possible, but it’s longer and straighter. Best driver shaft combo I’ve ever hit. You can feel that HZRDUS throughout the entire swing. Really gives you a solid connected feel.
  • Mtngolfer1: I am not sure that I would consider this a 2017 Driver, but my vote went to the Ping G LS Tec. The fact that my G is still holding its own against the latest 2017 releases has me very excited to see what Ping will release later this year.
  • 3woodvt: Fairway finder and plenty long.
  • pitchinwedgeI’ve found the LS to be nearly as fade biased as the M family. I get pretty good results with the LS by making a conscious effort to make more of an in-to-out swing. Any lapse in concentration and everything goes right. The M’s require even more effort, which is the reason I stayed with the LS instead.
  • 3 Jack ParAfter an up and down year with the G LS, I’ve actually recently gone back to my G30 LS head. I only have a couple of rounds as a sample so far, so I can’t really draw a conclusion about whether one or the other is better, but with the same shaft it seems like my G30 head might be a little longer. Honestly, the performance differences are pretty minimal if you really compare the two generations.
Further Reading

Titleist 917D3 (5.30 percent)

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  • GavaThe 917D3 is in my bag now, and I’ve found it incredibly long with a recently purchased Graphite Design Tour AD MJ 7TX shaft. Feel and accuracy has been a real improvement as well.
  • Togatown22I find my 917D3 to be just as forgiving as my 915D2 was, and man do I prefer looking down at the head shape and color versus the 915. Very confidence inspiring.
  • NIxhex524I would definitely give the D3 a whirl. I feel like Titleist has made great strides at making the smaller head way more hittable for us ams.
  • KPH808So in conclusion, I was hitting the ball about 9 yards further on average and 3-4 mph faster ball speeds with the 917D3 vs. the 915 D4. The biggest thing for me was the forgiveness between the two; the 917D3 was more forgiving on mishits.
  • brushieThe 917D3 head feels soft like the 910 and sounds great. I never had an issue with the 915 sound; it wasn’t great, but it didn’t bother me too much. This is much better, though. The 917D3 head shape is perfect to my eye as well. The area where the 917 shines is forgiveness. 

Further Reading

TaylorMade M1 440 (5.35 percent)

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  • Tigermatt31: The M1 440 is best driver I’ve had ever.
  • TollBros: The M1 440 is definitely lower spin than the M1 460 or M2 from last year. Launch angle isn’t really any lower, but spin is lower for sure.
  • specimania: This year’s 440 is more forgiving.
  • MCozYes, this 440 is more forgiving, and yet it also appears to be more workable than both of the previous M1 and M2s.
  • nitramTo save you a bunch of reading and crunching numbers, I quickly concluded there was a little more forgiveness and exactly +0.4 mph ball speed with the 440. By forgiveness I simply mean this: A 1.48 smash 440 will give you the same ball speed and distance as a 1.49/1.50 430. But if you get a 1.50 from both there is no measurable gain. Side-to-side dispersion was better by 4.7 feet with the 440. Workability was a wash between them, although the 430 seems a bit more fade biased whereas I’ll describe the 440 as a scosche more neutral.
  • tj24: I hit the M1 440 with my Aldila RIP at an 80-gram X-flex. For me, the spin numbers were around 1700 rpm which is probably to low for my swing. I did, however, like the shape of the head and I felt like I could easily work the ball both ways.
  • halfsumoI really think they nailed it with the shape of this 440 head. Nice pear shape, no weird bulges or ridges that you have to get used to.
Further Reading

Titleist 917D2 (6.65 percent)

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  • tsletten: Love the sound of the 917D2.
  • bladehunter: No doubt the 917D2 is an accurate, forgiving driver that doesn’t look as big as it is and sounds fantastic.
  • JStangMaybe it’s just me, but I find the face to be more shallow (top to bottom) with the 917D2 than other drivers that I’ve tried lately.
  • LuckyLowbrowI was actually spinning it too low with the D4. Going up to the D2 normalized my spin rate, but led to such an improvement in consistency across the face.

Further Reading

TaylorMade M1 460 2017 (11.81 percent)

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  • Ereim: I ended up going with the M1 460. It gave me a slightly tighter dispersion, and I liked looking down at it slightly more.
  • jdenham15: The 2017 TaylorMade M1 is a great driver, but I tend to miss wide right and struggled to turn it over.
  • ZBigStick: The M1 460 gave me the best results. Was able to increase launch without much added spin with the (T-Track) weight. Feel is good and felt forgiving; dispersion results backing that up.
  • BillMurrayGolfingThe face is hot, receptive, thin and makes a nice sound. I like that.
  • JStangSound and feel were both fantastic. I couldn’t ask for much more in the sound and feel department than what this club offers. Plenty of feedback was provided based on impact as I would expect. I could easily tell where I missed based on feel.
  • tnordJust as another tester found, moving the weight back and forward absolutely does impact how the club sounds. I’m much more a fan of the weight back.
  • chickenpotpieMoving the slider to the draw position made the feel of the driver a little harsher. Feel was much much smoother with that weight in the middle. I didn’t see any such changes with the front/rear slider.
Further Reading

TaylorMade M2 2017 (11.86 percent)

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  • ZBigStickI liked the feel of the new M2 but seemed to get better results and numbers with the new M1. Could be the extra 5 grams of head weight?
    It was dynamite with the GD TP-6 (shaft)!
  • erock9174On Trackman it didn’t put up the most ball speed, but counting all shots the M2 had the longest average distance.
  • gripandripThe M2 seems to have a little bit of a fade bias for me. And the head is HUGE. Maybe it’s a mental thing to be able to turnover a head that large.
  • Bomber_11M2 has very big shoes to fill, as the 2016 M2 was arguably one of the best drivers of the last 3-4 years.
  • LONG&STR8It’s hard to ignore the sound of the new M2. That may be TaylorMade’s biggest fail with that driver, as the sound and feel was one of the best things about the first version that I’ll have in the bag until something better comes along.
  • Z1ggy16The new M2 was terrible for me, not sure why. Unsure if it was the shaft I used but it spun up like a monster and ball speeds weren’t any better than previous M2.
  • Peanut191I don’t really think that the new M2 was much of a step backward, probably more that it doesn’t seem like a big step forward compared to last year’s model. I was hitting my 2016 M2 against a 2017 M2 indoors (which usually amplifies the louder, more obnoxious sound) and I didn’t notice that much of a difference in sound. It could have been that I might have just happened to get a hold of a head that was more muted than normal with the new one, but I just didn’t notice much difference. Performance wise, I could tell that the 2017 was slightly more forgiving than the 2016 model, but I was basically getting the same ball speed and spin numbers, so I didn’t see the need to upgrade.
  • gioguy21: Played 54 holes this weekend. The M2 was as reliable as it could get. I hit 11/12 fairways Friday, 10/12 Saturday and 5/9 or so yesterday (windy). Controllable, just wants to go straight. The sound no longer bothers me. I think it’s when hitting indoors or in range bays that it gets unbearably loud. Makes a different sound when hit on the screws I’ve found, similar to last years M2/M1 with less high-pitched ring. The forgiveness is very obvious, as I hit a couple that were close to center of the face but either high or little out toward the toe that flew similar trajectory and distance to how a well struck shot would react. I think where this driver really shines is the ability to either tee it high and hit it with higher trajectory or the ability to hit it lower with a low tee (3/4 of the ball under the crown) and hit laser beams that don’t move left or right.
  • G-BoneFrom what I’ve seen on Trackman, 2017 M1 was a big jump from 2016; however, 2016 M2 was so good, 2017 is a minor jump.
Further Reading

Callaway GBB Epic (14.91 percent)

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  • HDTVMAN: I hit both the Callaway Big Bertha Fusion and Epic with a 44.5-inch UST Recoil F3 shaft and the results were very close. From customer testing, it appears the Epic is longer for those with higher (95+) swing speeds. I have also seen that 44.25-44.5-inch lengths promote tighter dispersion with customers, no loss of distance and better over-all drives.
  • mbbrewer: Tried them all and for me Epic was the one. Fastest ball speed, lowest spin and tightest dispersion.
  • Ereim: Epic felt great, looked great and the numbers were basically 99.9 percent optimized for my swing.
  • johnnylongballz72There is Epic and there is the M series… then there is everyone else. The votes here show it, the PGA Tour use shows it and launch monitors everywhere show it.
  • misplacedtexan83: GBB Epic/Sub Zero pushed the envelop in design and materials to produce increased ball speed and gains. For once a driver did what a company said it would do.
Further Reading

Callaway GBB Epic Sub Zero (16.91 percent)

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  • jdenham15: I tested the Epic Sub Zero and Epic against my 2016 TaylorMade M1 and the ball speed was 5 mph higher on average, which gave me about 10 yards more carry disstance. That was great, but the part that sold me was the forgiveness. I love my Epic Sub Zero. I feel like it’s easier to turn over and I can work it both ways.
  • Z1ggy16Sub Zero was hands down the best, including my gaming M1 (yeah, not even top-3) due to the combination of lower spin, good forgiveness and feel and looks.
  • jimhaire: I had a 2016 M2 and went with the Epic Sub Zero. The look at address suited my eye and the feel off the face was better for me. And the club went straight.
  • Sef: I have tested a lot of these drivers and for me the Epic Sub Zero was so much better than everything else. I wish I could just apply all three votes to it.
Further Reading

Members Choice 2017

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