Ping G15 Driver - She Bangs!

When you walk into a party you will see many people all dressed up to kill. All wanted to look good and attract attention. Some may even be looking for a life partner. Someone attractive, forgiving and can go the distance. Some like folks that are more traditional others like them looking hot and loud screaming like a siren. You then scan around taking in data all around and suddenly you get fixated to a certain person that charms you. This is just the first impression. Well, when you get close and hear how he or she speaks you may have other ideas. It is often said that light travels faster than sound that's why people often appear bright until they speak. Former England soccer manager Sven Goran Eirksson was reported to have an affair with a staff called Faria Alam. He should have known with a name that sounded like Fire Alarm.

Then amid the crowd, something may catch your attention, there's this hot lady smack right in the middle leading everyone onto the dance floor. You watch as she sashays and make her moves. Wow! She bangs! This is like how we choose a golf club like a driver. Some people choose by instincts, some choose by hearsay and others on looks. You have to go deeper by studying, observing a wide range of emotions and how she performs in different situation.

Ricky Martin - She Bangs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ihtX86JzmA&feature=search
Ping G15 driver

Those of you who has played Ping drivers or any Ping clubs before will know immediately what I meant. The G15 series was launched late last year as one of the usual suspects and immediately made their impressions. The question is if Ping had already made the G10 such a good driver, can they really make the G15 even better? If you already have a good driver, do you need the G15? If you are playing G10 do you need the G15. No point if it were only slightly better right? Despite several top magazines picking it as a top driver or best driver and Golf Digest giving it the only club as the "Editor's Choice" after selecting from so many other top guns. Do you need this? I shall give you the answer if you have some patience. If you want distance, please go the distance.

What Ping said:

Anyone who had tried the G10 knows how good it is and can it be made better? What did Ping said of the G15: "A maximum forgiveness driver that delivers distance and accuracy. It has a 460cc Titanium head that is longer from front to back and features Ping patented ultra-thin crown technology. Weight saved from the thin crown are positioned as an external sole weight to increase CG for higher trajectory and lower spin as it is placed lower and further from the face. A larger face is designed to provide consistency across the entire hitting surface. The new Ping designed shaft has a high balance point to allow a five-gram increase in the head mass (without increasing swing weight or overall weight) which result in higher ball speed and increased MOI. This is how it looks at first glance.

What Top Golf Magazines' Reviews Said

WowGolf: One of the most forgiving drivers, always seems to live up to the tremendous hype, it is changing the way most drivers are designed, it is one of the best drivers a golfer can buy. Performed as advertised - long, straight and forgiving.

Golf Digest: The external sole weight increase off-centre hit stability. Hidden boost to MOI comes from a lighter shaft that shifts the balance point to the grip to allow for a heavier head with unchanged swing weight, theory: More mass delivered to the ball at the same speed. Testers' comment: "Like a big porterhouse steak. It's in front and you are salivating because it's so meaty and satisfying, there's no way you are sending it back...understated, has crisp sound and ball flight that doesn't balloon. Very stout and strong at address". In a world full of overstated cases, Ping makes things that we want to use because they work and Ping fits you better than anyone. "Gold Medal" Performance Rating: ***** (5 stars) plus Category Leader/Editor's Choice. Look/Sound/Feel: 4.5 stars.

Golf Magazine: Elongated face with more rear weight translates to 15% higher MOI than the G10, has a 0.75 degree higher launch and a 1 mph faster ball speed on centre-hits (6 more yards in carry), 2 mph more ball speed on off-centre hits (10 more yards). Testers' comments: All round strong performer, near the top of its class in all categories. Fine blend of distance and accuracy with low, boring trajectory. Stable head through impact zone leads to powerful, lively feel. The ball jumps off the face. Responsive feedback regardless of impact location. Maintains distance despite your swing flaws with lots of directional help. Low spin club, many find it among the longest tested.

golfing Magazine: Tester Comment - This driver exceeded my expectations. This one is a keeper. It is long and straight, easily 20 yards longer. One of the best drivers I tested.

National Club Golfer: Awarded No.1 Gold Medal. We could not find a better driver that offers a better all round package. It is one of the most forgiving and features a wonderful head shape that launches the ball on a high, towering trajectory. It offers excellent distance too and the head really gives you confidence at address. What we love most about the G15 is that it offers just as much appeal to the better player as it does the high handicapper. Though extremely easy to hit, still looks the part to the accomplished player. The G15 is the best all round driver on the market. Tester: It sounds brilliant at impact and is very reassuring to look at. Is very powerful and gave a great flight. Really easy to use.

The Engineering

Ping engineers utilise finite element analysis and the latest design software to develop in a virtual world to ensure the highest level of performance. Factors like CG, MOI, crown structure and face thickness are carefully studied to design longer, straighter and more consistent shots. Even the club acoustics are analysed to ensure a powerful sound and feel.

Club Head

Some drivers today are triangular or square in shape. Ping keeps theirs traditional which I like. The G15 is traditional and yet has an update modern look with the back pulling further away for deeper CG.

A 7% larger club face and a club head which is longer from front to back. The ultra-thin crown saved weight which is repositioned to the back to make the centre of gravity further and deeper. It has a heavier head in relation to the shaft such that the balance point in the shaft is now nearer to the grip and more mass from the head to deliver greater impact and more power into the ball. Elongated face with more rear weight translates to 15% more MOI than the G10. Some golfers might find the higher lofts a boon like a 12 degrees. This is usually the case because many golfers are playing lofts that are too low and not suitable for their swing speed.

I opt for the usual suspect of 10.5 degrees. The club head weighs 204g and comes in a lie angle of 58 degrees. A distinct change to your typical Ping driver which previously sport a faded reverse crescent moon as an indicator where to hit your ball has been replaced with two bended triangular arrows like a mouse cursor. Some may prefer the older version for its subtlety but this one in red is very clear over the dark colour crown. Maybe this will make it appear as easy as clicking on a computer mouse. Swing weight is maintained at at D3.

Shaft

American specs comes in Ping's TFC 149D (55g with torque at 5.8 degree) or Aldila Serrano 60 57g with torque at 4.0 degree) Regular shaft. I have been used to playing American specs for all my clubs and this time I am opting for a Japanese or Asian spec. It comes in Ping's TFC 300D shaft which has a torque of 6.2 degree and weighs 52g Regular.

The length of the club is at 45.75 inches, a rather common standard length these days. If I am not wrong the shaft was specially designed for Ping by top Japanese shaft maker Graphite Design who also makes the shaft for their irons. Drivers are getting lighter especially in the shaft and some weighs in at only 45g with extended shaft to 46 inches or 46.25 inches. I thought this makes them look and feel like those skinny models on cat walk suffering from bulimia.

Longer shafts in theory gives more distance but in practice is more difficult to hit but in a world that sells distance, size and length they even sell you pills to enlarge your organs. Let me tell you the truth that whenever you hit longer, you pay back on accuracy. That is the balance point. Previously Tour Pros' average length of a driver is only 44.5 inches. Today it may be not more than 45 inches because they know something has to give. Longer and lighter shaft will be most suitable for golfers with slower swing speed and it will give you more distance.

Grip

This time I really like the Ping grip. Traction from the material used is good and the design of grooves provides a solid grip that should not slip and the lines on it works fine as indicators where to place your fingers. The small arrows allow you to adjust your thumb placement too.

Club Head Cover

Firstly, black with red is always a smart colour combination in my book. The Crown of the club head is black with red indicators for aiming. The shaft is red with black grip and finally the head cover too has the same combo. The material, colours used, design and user-friendliness is clearly a notch better than the previous G10. You can unsheath it quite easily and yet it doesn't slip off on its own. I dislike magnets and especially velcro which may look classy at first but not after prolong usage. Imagine you are focusing on teeing off then you hear some one tearing their velcro head cover apart and you will send your shot to the watery grave.

Range Test

I want to be honest to say that I hit the ball a lot better on the course than at a range simply because I just hated to tee off from a thick rubbery tee. Testing a club on the range does not guarantee that it is suitable or you may like it. It will take awhile and some getting used to. It is just a rough gauge of how it feels in your hands and how straight it goes. Distance is subjective because range balls suck anyway unless you have a clear idea what distance you hit on the range with your other drivers. The best way to really have a good feel of a club is to ask your friend if they are kind enough to allow you to try theirs while on the course but make sure you do it only when you are ahead of time with nobody behind close by and make sure you do not hit a sky ball impacting with the top of the club head causing a dent or permanent scratch scar. In this case you may already have bought the club - from your friend.

On The Course

I knew and heard of people who bought a driver and sold it off very quickly because they didn't play it as well as their current or other drivers. I knew at least two persons who bought the G15 and sold it off for the same reason. A few friends who used to follow my recommendations including the G15 were giving me exiting news about the G15 driver as they have tried it while playing with their friends'. Their excitement seems real and valid when I saw the ecstasy written on their faces. They were drooling. I have to investigate.

You must understand that I am coming from the back of playing previously with the Ping G10 and the TaylorMade R9 460. The former was a top driver of two years ago and the latter was rated a five-star performer together with the G15. Therefore, my expectation was high. Unfortunately, my first two rounds were not impressive. I hit far less good shots than before and mostly not to my usual distance. The best shots were about the same distance and there was a tendency to fade too much. I began asking how can these folks claimed that it is so good? Maybe it is just not suitable for me and that a fool and his money is soon parted. Hang on a minute.

Then I consoled myself and put it into play a third time. Oh boy am I glad! I caught the excitement bug. I supposed I am more used to how it feels in my hands. Like some others, I had thought that you can't better the G10 and as the TaylorMade R9 460 was so easy to use, long, straight and forgiving with a nice feel you may have to go to the moon to find something better.

For my height and size, I give good value bang for the buck. I have and like to hit it long. G15 is giving me another 10-20m more so my good old shots of 220-230m shall become 230-250m. There were a couple of 350m par 4s where I teed off and left with 100-110m. Impressive! Not with me but with the driver. Any poorer results were down to me and my swing. It is long and straight all day bro!

Impressive!

Now I know why Golf Digest though having rated both the R9 460 and Ping G15 equally on performance of five stars put the Ping G15 down as the "Editor's Choice". They tested so many drivers and just to be listed is in itself an accolade and to have made it to Gold even better and among the Gold, you get 5-stars you are the best of the best.

If you are looking for a brand new driver or to replace an old one or in need of upgrading or that your interest in golf is sagging due to a driver problem or simply to keep up with the rest. It is time to get excited! I highly and strongly recommend that you try out the Ping G15, don't miss it by getting a driver without trying it. You may live to regret it.

I have three witnesses with me and if you wish to be a witness too, put me in your flight for a demo. Power in your hands bro! I thank the folks are Ping - the family, engineers, designers and all for continuously rolling out wonderful clubs which hide our flaws. Playing with Ping clubs are like singing Karaoke. We really have terrible voices but when you sing Karaoke, the system makes you sound many times better than you really are and you start to believe you can actually sing. It is the same with the beer whether while golfing or doing Karaoke. You can't drink all day if you don't start in the morning. Tell you the truth , I can't contain the excitement!