Ping G30 Fairway Wood

Golf clubs release by models are just like cars. First, they give you the standard saloon car, they also give you a smaller version, a larger luxury sedan, a two-door sports coupe, a MPV and then SUV. A car for you every need and lifestyle. Because each brand has its own DNA and styling, each car model that rolls out too have their signature badges, grilles, slanted eye LED lights, unique A and C columns. The different models could even look alike at the bonnet or its contours.

Golf clubs come in the same way. First, they release the driver, then the fairway wood, followed by the hybrids at the same time and very soon the irons. Wedges and putters too but wedges and putters are usually given a different model name. While I changed the Ping driver from the G30 to the G, I have maintained the G30 hybrid and fairway woods.

Again, just like cars, not every latest or upgraded newest versions are the best or would be the one you like. It also depends on where the improvements lie. In golf, based on our own skill sets, some little improvements may not even help us that much unless we are talking about a quantum leap and even the best clubs can't help us if we lose our rhythm and tempo and could not muster your usual decent swing.

Among all your golf clubs, the most difficult to hit and master is the driver simply because it is the longest club (at 45.75 inches) in the bag plus it has the lowest loft (at 10.5 degrees). Next comes the fairway wood (at 43 inches with a loft of 15 degrees). In fact, many of us could hit a fairway wood off a tee better than a driver and possibly longer for some folks because of the higher loft and shorter length than a driver but then hitting of off the deck on a fairway without a tee is a totally different story. Some folks have swing planes more suitable for woods but may struggle with their irons and versa as you will be playing iron swings and to suddenly pick up your woods and hit it may be asking for too much and that is why not many have mastered or have the dare to swing with a fairway wood and hope for a good result from 200 m or more with some obstacles in front or by the sides.

Golf like other sports or generally in life is about confidence. Confidence to try, to go for it, to be mentally strong. Playing fairway woods is like how you play from the bunkers. - confidence. Some fairway woods are constructed thinner and more playable from the fairway but others are built with bigger heads which are superb for teeing off just like a mini driver. In fact, some call theirs a mini driver.

Ping G30

The G30 was launched at the end of 2014. By the time it came here, it may have been February 2015. These days, clubs need to do everything - enhance forgiveness, increase distance, be able to be easier to play from the fairway as well as be a monster for tee off. G30 has a 44% stronger 475 Carpenter steel face insert with same thickness across the face to increase ball speed. The use of Carpenter steel allowed them to make the face thinner but also maintained the strength. 

When hit on the screws, it produces a lower sound which some might prefer while others may prefer more zings. As you can see from above, there are Turbulators on the crown like its driver brother to reduce air flow and resistance in motion. Only thing is the smaller head of a 3 wood will probably not increase that much speed as that of a driver.

G30 comes with adjustable hosel where Ping's standard in tuning is plus or minus 0.6 degree or 1 degree. Here it means my 14.5 degrees could be tuned to a higher loft if required to 15.1 degrees or 15.5 degrees. Conversely, you could lower the loft to 13.9 or 13.5 degrees if you have the stomach and skills for it. Ping has made the G30 more forgiving such that they have actually lowered the loft at 15 degrees of a standard 3-wood to the G30's 14.5 degrees.

This club allows you to play fades or draws if you have the skill sets for it and produce a consistent flight with a mid-high trajectory and it is also quite forgiving on imperfect shots meaning that it still goes a certain distance and direction and not punish you to death. It is light and well balanced due to Ping's high balance point shaft where you could still feel the club head in the swing. As in all of Ping's products, it is very stable. 

Some folks and even golf writers dubbed the G30 as the best all round driver in golf. So is this a replica in a smaller head? It is a versatile fairway wood. I also like the matte finish - no bling bling.

Guess I am going to keep this in the bag and explore further by setting it up with a lower loft, etc. The truth is on several occasions I have managed to put the ball on the green on a par five with a second or third shot from 200-210m. Impressive! So it could get better.

The TFC 419F shaft is Ping's own. It is a counter-weighted shaft that moves the shaft's CG higher up and further away from the head. This is supposed to help in speed and MOI for better distance. 

This is a well-rounded, balance and stable club. It is competent enough in distance against the rest of the offerings. This is another weapon Batman himself would use. Top marks for performance, innovation and also look, sound and feel.

Golf as in life, play as it lies.

Chant after me - I wanna play more golf in 2018, I wanna play more golf in 2018, I wanna play more golf in 2018!!!