Ping G30 driver v. Ping G25 driver

Golf Monthly technical editor Paul O'Hagan looks at the differences between the Ping G25 and Ping G30 drivers

The Ping G30 driver has undergone a number of changes, but how does it compare with the G25 driver? Paul O’Hagan tests both models to find out...

The Ping G30 launch is a particularly interesting one for me. Editing the equipment pages of Golf Monthly has meant that I have tested almost every driver that has been launched in the last seven years. I have been using the G25 driver since the first day it was launched in January 2013. I have found models that offer around five yards of added yardage out of the middle of the club but for consistency, forgiveness and overall performance I’ve found nothing to rival the G25.

With this in mind I was intrigued to see what the G30 driver would have to offer. Visually the head is a familiar Ping G shape, slightly more rounded than the G25 driver, so not as long from the top edge to the back of the crown, which gives it a shape that is reminiscent of the Ping G20. The turbulators on the crown are the obvious visual change to what was previously a very clean looking head at address. Surprisingly this change isn’t distracting at all. Instead it makes it clear where the face is pointing when over the ball.

Claims that the turbulators will increase swing speed and therefore ball speed were undoubtedly proven to be true during my testing. Carry distance through the air was consistently around 5 yards longer than with my G25. Most impressively this has been achieved without sacrificing any forgiveness whatsoever. My bad shot is, and always has been, a slice. The obvious choice of G30 driver head would therefore be the heel weighted SF Tec offering, designed to help reduce a cut. I had concerns that, as with other heel weight biased drivers that I’ve tried, that this would bring an unwanted hook or pull into my game. From past experience this is disastrous if, like me, you set up to every drive expecting to hit a fade. My concerns were unnecessary as the SF Tec head helped to reduce the left to right flight, again adding distance, but still allowed me to hit a controlled fade.

The added adjustability of five loft settings instead of three will prove most beneficial when being fitted. The Ping custom fitting process is already impressive but the ability to add or takeaway up to a full degree of loft will allow the expert fitters to dial in the setup that is just right.

While new driver models often offer slight tweaks to the previous design the G30 driver offered me obvious distance gains without having to sacrifice any of the already impressive forgiveness.  These gains were clear during on course testing, even before a launch monitor backed up the gains. The ability to select a head and wide range of loft and stock shaft combinations means that the Ping G30 driver could prove an excellent option for many.

Click here to see Paul's G30 driver review

Click here to see the Ping G30 range product directory