Comparing the Ping G against the Ping G30

The Ping G30 is a great driver, long and forgiving. Ping generally don't launch a new driver unless it's better then their old one. The launch of the new G driver sparked some curiosity to see how it would improve upon the G30.

We got 4 players to test the two drivers. Each hit 12 drives with both clubs and we used Trackman to record the results. Each player used used a shaft suitable to them and used the same shaft in the G and the G30, this way we could measure how much difference there was between the heads only. With one player we had a different model G to G30 as he wanted to see speed differences only with the other three players the same model G and G30 was used to make a direct comparison between the two heads. Titleist Pro V1 balls were used in the testing.

The tests were done over a couple of days with a slight breeze against and temperatures were down around 7-8 degrees Celsius on all the days, leading to shorter distances then expected given club head/ball speed


The results we wanted to compare were Club Head Speed, Ball Speed, Carry Distance, Overall Distance, Lateral Distance from Target, Launch Angle and Spin Rate.

Results

	Carry (Yards)	Overall (Yards)	Club Head Speed/MPH	Ball Speed MPH	Side Distance Feet	Launch Angle	Spin Rate RPM
Player-A G	188.1	203.3	91.7	129.6	18.18	12.0	3000
G30	185.1	203.3	89.9	127.9	15.45	11.7	3000
Player B G	255.3	278.0	116.1	164.7	66.5	9.6	2257
G30	255.8	280.5	114.9	166.7	74.2	10.3	2270
Player C G	230.8	250.8	102.2	151.1	44.5	11.9	2636
G30	225.4	244.4	101.7	149.7	36.08	10.5	2865

Player A used a 10.5 degree G and G30 with a Diamana S+ Blue 62 S Shaft.
Player B used a 9 Degree G LS Tec and G30 LS Tec with a Diamana 'Ahina 70 X Shaft.
Player C used a G LS Tec and G30 LS Tec set to 9.6 degrees with a Diamana Kai'li 70 S Shaft

	Carry (Yards)	Overall (Yards)	Club Head Speed/MPH	Ball Speed MPH	Side Distance Feet	Launch Angle	Spin Rate RPM
Player-D G	269	288.2	113	165.1	61.75	11.7	2735
G30	263.1	278.5	110	164.1	51.9	12.1	3019

Player D used a 9 Degree G LS Tec and a 9 Degree G30 set to 9.6 with a Diamana Kai'li 70 X shaft

Analysis

 

Club head speed was higher in the G then the G30 for all players between 0.5 and 3 mph faster. Ball speed was faster for 3 out of 4 players, higher ball speed combined with optimal launch conditions is what leads to longer distance. Carry distances were longer for 3 out of 4 with gains of 3 to 6 yards with player B's carries almost identical. Overall distance was longer for 2 out of 4 players too with gains of 6-10 yards with the G30 being longer for player B by 2.5 and Player A's being identical.

Accuracy was down in the G over the G30. The G30 was 15-20% more accurate then the G. Spin rates were similar for players A and B, with player C's spin rates lower in the G. Player D had two slightly different heads meaning the spins can't be compared directly. 

Interestingly player A's spin rates were an average of 3000 rpm in both drivers, an unusual sight seeing such a round number.

The other interesting result was player B's ball speeds being higher with the G30 over the G despite having a lower swing speed with the G30. I'm not too sure why that was, taking 12 shots with each normally gives a much clearer picture then if just 2 or 3 shots were taken and maybe player B was just finding the centre of the club head more with the G30

Conclusion

 

It would seem that Ping have delivered a better driver in the G then the G30, the 'Vortec' technology in the head has delivered more club head speed. More club head speed should lead to more ball speed and more distance as a result.

Other tests have shown that the G seems to spin more then the G30, this wasn't apparent in this test, however the G delivered more height for all players. If you're going from the G30 to the G it would be best to alter the specifications of the G. Spending some time on a launch monitor such as Trackman fine tuning the flight would be well worth doing.

E.G. Player A lowered the loft on his G after the test to bring down the flight and gain a little more run.

Should you jump from the G30 to the G? 

The answer is maybe, more speed but perhaps a trade off in accuracy, your best bet is to test both.

If you're in the market for a new driver should you look at the G?

Definitely, Ping are a great club maker and rarely make a bad one, the G is one of their best.


Comments and questions are always welcome.

Comparing the Taylor Made M1 Driver to the R15 Driver

Taylor Made just launched their new M1 driver in the last couple of weeks.

Taylor Made are calling it their longest driver. We tested the driver recently to see how it compared to last years R15. Is the M1 their longest driver yet? How much better is it then the R15? These are the questions we were looking to answer.

We used 3 players and had them hit 10 shots with each driver. The results were recorded on a Trackman 111 launch monitor. Each player used used a shaft suitable to them and used the same shaft in the M1 and the R15, this way we could measure how much difference there was between the heads only. The Mizuno MP S ball was used for all shots hit.

The results we wanted to compare were Club Head Speed, Ball Speed, Carry Distance, Overall Distance, Lateral Distance from Target, Launch Angle and Spin Rate

Conditions were very good on the day for testing around 15 degrees C and a slight breeze against.

Results

	Carry (Yards)	Overall (Yards)	Club Head Speed MPH	Ball Speed MPH	Side Distance Feet	Launch Angle	Spin Rate RPM
Player A M1	226.9	247.9	101.8	149.4	49.69	10.4	2282
R15	231.5	249.5	103.6	150.6	40.31	10.7	2670
Player B M1	239.9	262.9	107.2	155.7	25.83	11.5	2349
R15	241.7	262.5	108	156	26.82	11	2465
Player C M1	245.3	266.9	108.6	160.8	56.54	11.9	2374
R15	249	266	108	161.3	58.97	11.9	2524

Player A used a 9.5 degree M1 and R15 with a Diamana Kai'li 70 S Shaft

Player B used a M1 and R15 set to 10 degrees with a Diamana 'Ahina 60 X Shaft

Player C used a 9.5 degree M1 and R15 with a UST Attas 7 X Shaft.

Analysis

We can see that the results of both drivers are very similar for all players.

For Player A The R15 had longer carry by 4.6 yards, overall distance by 1.6 yards, higher club head and ball speed, 1.8 & 1.2 mph, better dispersion 9.38 feet closer, launch angles quite similar just 0.3 degrees apart. The M1 had lower spin - 388 rpm lower.

For Player B The R15 had longer carry by 1.8 yards, higher club head and ball speed 0.8 & 0.3 mph. The M1 had more overall distance by 0.4 yards, better dispersion 0.99 feet closer and lower spin 166 rpm less. The M1 had a slightly higher launch angle by 0.5 degrees

For Player C The R15 had longer carry by 3.7 yards and higher ball speed by 0.5 mph. The M1 had longer overall distance by 0.9 yards, higher club head speed by 0.6 mph, better dispersion by 2.33 feet and lower spin by 150 rpm. The launch angles were identical 11.9 degrees.

Things to note the M1 has lower spin for all three players. It also has a very attractive sound when hit. The R15 has longer carry and higher ball speed for all three players.

Conclusion

Is the M1 the longest driver? The answer is yes for some and no for others. In our test for 2 players it was 0.4 and 0.9 yards longer or around 1 foot and 3 feet longer, longer yes but not by much. For one player it was 1.6 yards shorter.  

Should you rush out and buy the M1 immediately? Definitely not, in this test the R15 is better for player A and for players B&C there's negligible difference between the two and not worth the difference in price.

I would say the most important thing when considering buying this driver is to test it and get fitted for it. If your current driver suits you it's unlikely that the M1 will give you a significant boost.

Comments and questions are always welcome.