Ping has started somewhat of a resurgence with the new G2 driver. The Ping irons are always great and they sell really well for us but I have had more people come in looking for the G2 driver than any other Ping club I can remember.
Ping has really simplified their club line over the last year and it has made it much easier for the consumer to understand and appreciate. The G2 is the first Ping driver since the TiSi to make such a mark in the industry.
The G2 driver is about as “maxed-out” a driver as you can find. It has a 460 cc head, the largest allowed under USGA and R&A rules. It has a C.O.R. of .830, also the highest allowed in tournament play. The G2 is a deep-faced low-spinning driver that offers the best of both worlds; distance and forgiveness. Ping has designed a precision milled face that is robotically plasma welded to the body. What this means is an increased energy transfer right up to the allowable limit and across a very wide area on the face. Ping has also utilized their now familiar crescent-moon alignment system giving golfers a great visual at address. The driver is available with the Ping TFC 100D graphite shaft as well as the Aldila NV and Grafalloy Blue ProLaunch 65 at no additional charge. Ping also has a smaller, higher-lofted version of the driver available for women and men with slower swing speeds.
The G2 driver has gotten great reviews from my customers since it was first introduced last fall. It has a nice square set-up at address, something lacking in most of these big drivers, and looks great even with the unusual crescent painted on top. Ping has managed to build a long and incredibly forgiving driver here and it appeals to a wide variety of golfers. The shaft options are great with most higher handicap players using the TFC, mid handicap players using the ProLaunch and low handicap players using the NV shaft.
The only negative comment I have heard about this driver is the price. The Ping is substantially higher than the new Callaway Big Bertha 454 driver and the Cobra SZ 460. The performance of this driver however is tough to beat.
Overall Rating – 90%
Target Handicap: any level
Ball Flight: mid-high
Lofts: 7, 8.5, 10, 11.5, and 15.5
Shafts: Ping TFC 100D Ladies, Ladies Soft-Regular, Soft-Regular, Regular, Stiff, and X-Stiff
Aldila NV and Grafalloy Pro Launch available in Regular, Stiff, and X-Stiff