Ping is a golfing company known for its many high-quality, excellent drivers. It has a reputation for making consistently incredible drivers and is often widely considered to be in the top 5 best drivers of the year every year they are released. Here we will review one of the best releases by them, Ping G20 Driver review.
Despite this, Ping has a relatively low profile in the golfing world. Initially, this seems to be without reason, as Ping has made dozens of widely beloved and lauded drivers and other clubs, which hundreds of thousands have bought and use daily. So then, why do they only have a relatively small but devoted fanbase, while other, bigger companies have far more penetration in the market?
There are many reasons for this. In a sport as old as golf, the market can become a bit crowded, and it can be difficult to break in when the biggest companies are close to a century old. Another reason is that Ping focuses on the performance of the driver more than how it looks, which can sometimes result in drivers who don’t look the best.
However, Ping has tried to rectify all of this with the G20, a driver which will likely tick all of the boxes of qualities that the average golfer is looking for in a driver.
There are some standard specifications here, like the 460cc head, which is elongated and has a big sweet spot to make hitting shots easier, and the external weight, which can be used to adjust the loft of the ball at its launch angle.
What most golfers will be interested in, however, is that Ping is one of the few companies that routinely and consistently makes adjustments to its drivers to increase forgiveness and usability. Ping drivers will best suit beginners, although intermediates and experts can still use them.
One of the best qualities of the Ping G20 is that it is built with beginners in mind as so is very easy to use, much more so than competing drivers. It has a large, 460cc head which features a large sweet spot and a wide, elongated face to increase surface area and make connecting with shots easier.
The body is lightweight and well designed with durable materials. This means that swing speeds will increase on average since swinging with this driver is so easy. Combine this with the fact that forgiveness is high along with ball speed and distance, and you have a winner in terms of usability.
Forgiveness
As previously stated, Ping has focused on making the G20 easy to use for beginners in the hopes that beginners will pick this driver over its competitors.
The clubface has been designed to reduce ball spin as much as possible. This results in the ball moving in a straight line rather than curving left or right after every swing. As a result, ball distance is increased. This driver will immediately boost your numbers when it comes to ball distance.
The face also increases ball speed. Average ball speed is high, especially for beginners, which boosts ball distance.
The large face and big sweet spot results in fewer mishits. The little mishits you’ll have are far less penalizing thanks to the low ball spin, and the included external weight ensures that the ball goes flying and travels as far as possible.
Design
Ping has a reputation for making drivers that don’t look the best, and, unfortunately, this driver is no exception.
The paint job is tacky, with a strange shade of off-white covering the face. The shape of the face is unconventional, and you may not like it, depending on your tastes. Besides that, the rest of the design is quite good.
The body is made using a titanium alloy with a low density but is very strong. This results in high durability, so the G20 is resistant to wear and tear and a low weight which facilitates performance and swing speeds.
Ultimately, Ping is a brand that focuses on performance before all else. If you’re someone who cares a lot about the look of a driver, you likely wouldn’t have been considering a Ping driver in the first place.
Sound and feel
The sound and feel a driver produces are always important. The experience you have with a driver doesn’t begin when you first use it on a golf ball; instead, it begins the minute you look at it and pick it up with your hand.
The low density of the material and the high durability result in a driver that has an overall premium feeling to it. The G20 is a driver that inspires confidence, so you likely won’t be worrying about its condition while you’re using it.
The G20 produces a satisfying “whack” sound that is more muted than some high-end drivers, but it does the trick. Overall, the sound and feel of the G20 are excellent and can go toe to toe with any other driver on the market.
Value for money
Considering the relatively low asking price and the value you get from this club, the G20 is an excellent deal. It is lightweight, durable, and, most importantly, easy to use. It appeals particularly to beginners and high handicap players who want a driver that will boost their performance significantly with little effort.
Thanks to its durability, it can be used for years after its initial purchase. Thanks to its high performance, many experienced golfers will use this driver daily.
It also packs multiple features that can mostly be seen in more expensive drivers. On the whole, it offers excellent value for money.
Alternatives
Callaway Epic Flash Sub Zero Driver
A great option for all the budget-minded golfers out there is the Callaway Epic Flash Sub Zero. Callaway has manufactured this driver, one of the world’s most popular and beloved manufacturers of sporting goods.
Callaway released this driver in response to a few years’ decrease in their market share. This release paid off as the Sub Zero quickly became one of the highest-selling drivers of 2019, the year of its release, and one of the best-selling drivers of all time.
The Epic Flash Sub Zero’s popularity is for a good reason. It packs tons of features for a low price, which has decreased even more due to its age. This is presented in a sleek, good-looking package with very high forgiveness and is easy to use.
The clubface has a special “flash face,” which was prepared by Callaway, especially for this driver. The flash face has been designed by an AI that went through hundreds of thousands of different design ideas and tested them all only to decide that the design used in the finished version is the best possible design that could’ve possibly been made within the legal limits.
The face is designed to increase ball speed, which it does. The ball flies off the face of the club with little effort, and it sails for longer than you would expect, thanks to the low ball spin. The low ball spin is another factor in the low forgiveness of the driver.
This driver can be used by beginners or players of any level but has enough complexity to support the player up through the intermediate and advanced stages of golf.
Titleist TS3 Driver
The Titleist TS3 is a high-class driver made by the historic brand Titleist. Titleist is one of the most famous and beloved brands in golf history, and for a good reason. They’ve been manufacturing clubs and golf goods for almost a century.
The TS3 is the successor to the underwhelming 917 driver, which convinced many that Titleist was outdated and falling behind the curve due to its mediocrity. In response, Titleist made this driver, which chucks all conventions out the window to produce a quality driver the Titleist way.
The TS3 features an unusually flat face that does decrease forgiveness, but most beginners can easily use it with just a bit of practice. It also has a clubface that has been designed to increase ball speed and distance as much as possible.
The TS3 allows you to hit the ball at very high speeds to go very far. Sending the ball flying is easier than in most competing drivers, thanks to the large sweet spot and forward center of gravity present in the face of the TS3.
There is also an adjustable weight present in the face, which can be used to adjust the weight and draw biases of the driver. This will be very helpful to advanced users who want a greater degree of adjustability and versatility in their drivers.
Overall, this is a driver for slightly more advanced users, though beginners will still have a very good time with it.
Conclusion
The Ping G20 is one of the best drivers available and maybe the best drivers beginners can buy in 2022. It combines a low cost with excellent value for money, high performance, high forgiveness, and excellent durability.
This driver can be strongly recommended to all players except those who are very particular about how their drivers look.