Equipment

First Look: Ping’s new G Driver

Published

8 years ago

Jan 4, 2016

Update (Jan. 5, 9:30 a.m.) Photos of Bubba’s driver, as well as an all-black Ping G driver provided by Ping.

Update (Jan 4, 10:30 a.m.) Three new Ping drivers have been added to the USGA’s List of Conforming Driver Heads. The G30 drivers were available in the same three models (Standard, LS Tec and SF Tec). LS Tec denotes Ping’s “Low Spin Technology,” while SF Tec stands for “Straight Flight Technology,” which encourages a draw bias.

Ping G (9, 10.5 degrees)

Ping G LS Tec (9, 10.5 degrees)

Ping G SF Tec (10, 12)

GolfWRXers have been talking about the follow-up to Ping’s G30 driver since September. Thanks to Bubba Watson’s video from Kapalua, we now know its name and a little bit about what it looks like.

The new driver, called G, has a pattern on its crown that appears to be weight-reducing “Dragonfly” technology that leaked in our forum.

Photo posted in our forum by _AM_

#GDriver #Stance pic.twitter.com/a7bV9nH2eR

— bubba watson (@bubbawatson) January 4, 2016

Other things to notice about Bubba’s new big stick, which we’re assuming he’ll use in this week’s Hyundai Tournament of Champions based on his excitement about it, is that it carries over the Turbulators from the G30 design. As evidenced from the rear weight port, the G driver also appears to continue Ping’s rear-CG design.

The pink-and-black color scheme… that’s likely a Bubba thing. Expect the G driver to be mostly black, like previous Ping drivers, when we get our first official photos of the retail version.

Check back soon. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

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39 Comments

Glenn kirk

Feb 16, 2016 at 3:32 am

Ping are the bomb

Reply Report comment
M-Herd4

Jan 23, 2016 at 9:47 am

From my own personal experience you benefit more from a properly fitted premium shaft than some new radical clubhead design.

Reply Report comment
Slowhand

Jan 8, 2016 at 1:47 pm

I really enjoy Ping drivers but I was a long time TM driver buyer until a club fitting showed I hit the G30 LS more accurate with consistent distance than any other driver. I’ve used it now for almost a year and can’t see changing. Sure, all these drivers have to conform to the same standards but there are ways to push the envelope and I”m glad they do, else we’d probably be hitting persimmon right about now. If you swing the club 130mph you might see some increase due to less wind resistance but the average golfer I doubt you see much of anything, but I can feel a big difference in old drivers I kept that are 10 years old and today’s drivers, especially in the forgiveness arena.
But for me its more about having fun, getting something new and talking smack too. I mean if we all conformed and liked the exact same thing it would be pretty boring. And most of us are not gullible and actually don’t fall for all the hype, but then again some are naive and take the bait. To each his own, as long as they feel confident in their choice.

Reply Report comment
Wind tunnel approved?!?

Jan 7, 2016 at 7:47 pm

Ideas are running low? I guess from a marketing standpoint as those have mentioned technology is maxed, unless you stand behind claims of 15 yards further every 6 months, I should be driving the ball a 1/4 mile at that rate, so do what Nike did with jumpman (airjordan)….start re-releasing retros’s from the first pair of Jordan’s in odd colors and charge double, we see eye2’s, maybe zings next? Ha….then I’ll get sucked into a Sunday “retro-bag”…(hickory would be too hipster for my taste:)

Reply Report comment
Milo

Jan 7, 2016 at 12:36 am

I hope they come out with the pink, I would buy it in a heartbeat.

Reply Report comment
KK

Jan 6, 2016 at 8:07 pm

Hmm, more forgiving, aerodynamic and hopefully lower spin. Can’t wait.

Reply Report comment
Mark

Jan 6, 2016 at 12:09 pm

No low or high loft versions at launch? I like the simple look of my G25. These new heads with even more ridges will be even more decisive among potential buyers. And Bubba. Drop the whole Pink thing and leave it to Paula.

Reply Report comment
maatchka

Jan 6, 2016 at 9:39 am

yuck!!

Reply Report comment
Chris Keena

Jan 6, 2016 at 6:11 am

Typo Schmypo. GLENN, FROM THE MAIL ROOM!

Reply Report comment
SB

Jan 6, 2016 at 12:31 am

Darth Vador’s driver!

Reply Report comment
- fp
  
  Jan 6, 2016 at 12:13 pm
  
  No, that’s Emo Kylo Ren to you
  
  Reply Report comment
Jeff*

Jan 5, 2016 at 10:53 pm

I love the graphics on the crown. Perfect, that’s the line you swing on to cut it, that’s the line to draw it . I might draw those lines on my driver, that’s great.

Reply Report comment
- fp
  
  Jan 6, 2016 at 12:13 pm
  
  No Jeff, that’s not what they are for. lmao
  
  Reply Report comment
Mike Hannigan

Jan 5, 2016 at 4:54 pm

To all the NIKEGOLF haters complaining about their choice of red, vapor or photo blue…you can stop now.

Reply Report comment
Chuck

Jan 5, 2016 at 3:21 pm

Another interesting release by Ping. A great, innovative company for a whole generation now.

But honestly, if I were Ping, I think I’d find another way to introduce it other than showing Bubba’s personalized one-off pink paint job. Only one chance to make a first impression and all that…

Reply Report comment
jc

Jan 5, 2016 at 12:21 pm

is there ever going to be a time when the designers say “Wow, that is the best we can ever do. We don’t need to make any more new models because we have reached the limit of what we can design. Now it is up to the golfer to actually learn to play better”.

meanwhile over at taylormade, they are going to add a new decal to the head and proclaim it addes another 30 yards to the model that came out last month.

Reply Report comment
- SS
  
  Jan 5, 2016 at 1:48 pm
  
  Agreed. It’s all marketing after a certain point. Business dies if they don’t reinvent the wheel.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Dave
    
    Jan 5, 2016 at 11:21 pm
    
    Agreed. Like fashion, club design is a wheel. Can’t wait til eye 2 comes back…irons that is, wedges already done.
    
    Reply Report comment
    - KCCO
      
      Jan 7, 2016 at 7:32 pm
      
      It will soon be like the Jordan shoe game…..recycle everything from the first airjordan release, charge double, seems to work….i.e. Eye2….ha…..ill take some zings for shitz and gigz
      
      Reply Report comment
David

Jan 5, 2016 at 1:38 am

Let’s not forget when Bubba did that exact shot on the same hole in a tournament!!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8owVDXOk6H4

Reply Report comment
Dj

Jan 4, 2016 at 6:00 pm

Can’t get over the look and shape of ping drivers but always hear good things. I’m sure this will sell well

Reply Report comment
Emb

Jan 4, 2016 at 5:09 pm

Sweet Jesus those socks! Makes the driver look gorgeous next to those monstrosities

Reply Report comment
- Leon
  
  Jan 5, 2016 at 11:19 am
  
  The same feeling. I even didn’t notice that he was swinging a club
  
  Reply Report comment
B Wizzle

Jan 4, 2016 at 4:20 pm

Your welcome

Reply Report comment
G G

Jan 4, 2016 at 1:39 pm

Yo G!

You’re so OG.

Reply Report comment
RH

Jan 4, 2016 at 12:48 pm

These Bubba videos with him trying to be funny are so cringe worthy.

Reply Report comment
Reeves

Jan 4, 2016 at 12:41 pm

when we get our first official photos of the retail version…most important line in story, did anyone thinl they were buying the same head Bubba is????

Reply Report comment
Mark Bainbridge

Jan 4, 2016 at 11:52 am

“Thanks for pointing out our typo!”?

Forgive for being blunt but the article has only your name against it. It is your typo and yours alone.

Reply Report comment
- Zak Kozuchowski
  
  Jan 4, 2016 at 12:12 pm
  
  That’s fair, Mark.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Max
  
  Jan 4, 2016 at 2:19 pm
  
  Why so serious?
  
  Reply Report comment
- Matt
  
  Jan 4, 2016 at 11:54 pm
  
  @Mark. Don’t you mean, “forgive ME for being blunt…”? Please proof read your own comments.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Mat
    
    Jan 5, 2016 at 2:20 am
    
    Pot, meet kettle.
    
    Reply Report comment
MTB

Jan 4, 2016 at 11:44 am

Zak –
Do you think that bimatrix shaft is really the best fit for him? That has to be just a personal preference thing, right? There has to be something better out there he could be using…do you think he’s just ignoring the launch monitors at PING?

Reply Report comment
- Zak Kozuchowski
  
  Jan 4, 2016 at 11:45 am
  
  Because Bubba’s driver shots are so variable, he’s rarely “optimized.” But when he does hit a high draw, his Trackman numbers are basically perfect from what I’ve been told and what I’ve seen.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - MTB
    
    Jan 4, 2016 at 11:53 am
    
    Thanks for the reply! Crazy. I’m sure a lot has been updated since they first came out, but I just always think of them as peers to the Taylormade Bubble and Carbite Putters and The Perfect Club! Ha.
    
    Reply Report comment
Mat

Jan 4, 2016 at 11:11 am

Minor thing, but the SFTec will be 10 and 12, not 10.5 – if it’s the same.

Reply Report comment
- Zak Kozuchowski
  
  Jan 4, 2016 at 11:19 am
  
  Thanks for pointing that out, Mat. The USGA Conforming Club List has approved the G SF Tec driver approved in 10 and 12 degrees.
  
  Reply Report comment
ph00ny

Jan 4, 2016 at 10:25 am

Hyundai not hyundia

Reply Report comment
- Zak Kozuchowski
  
  Jan 4, 2016 at 10:36 am
  
  Thanks for pointing out our typo!
  
  Reply Report comment

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Equipment

A shocking Backstryke putter appearance + 7 interesting gear photos from the Zurich Classic

Published

8 hours ago

Apr 25, 2024

Andrew Tursky

Welcome to New Orleans, where TPC Louisiana plays host to the 2024 Zurich Classic. In between breakfast beignets and nightly Creole feasts, PGA Tour players are also competing in the unique two-man format at the Zurich this week.

Although the vibes in Nawlins are a bit lighter-fare than the recent back-to-back competitions the Masters and the RBC Heritage signature event), the gear news was no less serious this week.

We spotted some recent changes from Rory McIlroy, a very rare Odyssey Backstryke putter, dove into the bag of legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and spotted Patrick Cantlay continuing to test new equipment.

Get your beads out and crack your crawfish, because it’s time for an equipment rundown from The Big Easy (meaning New Orleans, of course, not Ernie Els).

See all of our photos from the Zurich Classic here

Rory’s on-and-off lob wedge

Since the end of 2023, Rory McIlroy has had an on-again, off-again relationship with a Titleist Vokey K-Grind lob wedge. In his last start, it was on, and the wedge is back in the bag again this week. We got a great look at the complicated grind that McIlroy uses.

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A full look into McIlroy’s bag above also shows that he switched out of the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper that he used at the RBC Heritage, and he’s back into the Qi10 core 3-wood. As we discussed last week, McIlroy will likely keep the BRNR around as a course-specific club, trading it in and out for the 3-wood.

See Rory McIlroy’s full 2024 WITB from the Zurich here

Turning Back the clock

Unless Tommy Gainey is in the field, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see Odyssey’s Backstryke technology make an appearance on the PGA Tour.

But then, when you least expect it, Russ Cochran shows up.

For more than a decade – since the 2013 Sony Open in Hawai’i – Cochran has been stuck on 599 PGA Tour starts. This week will be his 600th.

Cochran is in the field at the Zurich this week playing alongside Eric Cole, whose regular caddie is Reed Cochran, Russ’s son.

The Backstryke putter was first released back in 2010, and its unique design helps shift the axis point of the putter closer to the CG of the head. And, the putter is getting a nod this week at the Zurich Classic, thanks to Cochran’s 600th career PGA Tour start.

The putter is certainly awesome, but don’t forget to check out Cochran’s full WITB from this week.

Drew Brees with a Super Bowl winning Scotty Cameron putter

Drew Brees, a legendary retired quarterback for the hometown New Orleans Saints, made an appearance at the Zurich’s Wednesday Pro-Am, playing alongside Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer, and current Saints QB Derek Carr.

Brees’ bag included a TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus driver, a BRNR Mini 13.5-degree, a Stealth 5-wood, a mixed set of P-790 and P-760 irons, Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges, and a custom Scotty Cameron “New Orleans Saints” putter, which Scotty made for Brees following his Super Bowl MVP-winning performance in 2010.

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It should also be noted that Brees has his Venmo QR code as a bag tag.

If you’re gambling with Brees on the course, just know that not having cash won’t work as an excuse.

Brilliant.

See Drew Brees’ full WITB from the Zurich here

Stricker’s unrecognizable putter

Steve Stricker has made numerous upgrades to his bag recently, including a new TSR3 driver and T100 irons, but his longtime Odyssey White Hot No. 2 putter is still going strong. It’s the most recognizable unrecognizable putter ever.

Here’s a better look at Stricker’s flatstick, which he started using back in 2007.

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Patrick Cantlay has opened the equipment-switching floodgates

Over on the PGA Tour’s Equipment Report this week, we covered Cantlay’s recent switch into Ping Blueprint S irons, and a Titleist TSR2 driver.

Cantlay hadn’t switched irons for about seven years, so the iron switch he made at The 2024 Masters came as a shock to the norm. He simply isn’t one to change gear very often, so anytime Cantlay makes a switch, it’s news.

It seems the floodgates of equipment testing have opened up a bit for Cantlay, who was also spotted testing a custom Scotty Cameron blade putter on Tuesday this week. By Wednesday, Cantlay was back practicing with his familiar Scotty Cameron T5 Proto mallet, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on going forward.

Daniel Berger’s custom Jailbird site lines

Berger, who’s currently using Odyssey’s Ai-One Mini Jailbird mallet putter, has a unique 3-dot, 2-line alignment on the crown of his navy-white-navy-white mallet putter. Looking down at the putter, it’s easy to see why this alignment system would help; it just seems impossible to set up to the ball off-center, or misaligned to the target.

Also, for anyone worried, you can rest easy. Yes, he’s still playing the 2013 TaylorMade TP MC irons, which we highlighted in our recent “Modern Classics: Old vs. New” video testing series.

FitzMagic teams back up

Brothers Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick are teaming up once again at the Zurich this year, and Bettinardi Golf hooked them up with some festive “FitzMagic” headcovers to match this week.

See what else is in Alex Fitzpatrick’s WITB here

And, with that, we say goodbye to the Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week, including 30 unique photo galleries full of equipment photos.

We’ll see you next week in Texas for the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson!

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