Ping G30 Fairway Wood and Hybrid Player Staff Review
02 Mar 2015
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High launch and workability are the strengths for Ping's G30 woods and hybrids.
by Alan Alsheimer, Jr. - AmateurGolf.com Player
Staff
To improve upon its wildly successful G25 line,
Ping knew that adjustability had to make its
way into the fairway woods and they delivered.
Each of the loft offerings on the G30 fairway
woods come with a +1/-1 adjustability to
increase or decrease loft as needed.
With the growing demand for
performance from the tee, Ping also listened.
They delivered a faster, hotter face that
improves ball speeds across impact zones
allowing you to minimize distance loss and gain
directional control through spin reduction. At
address, you will notice those Turbulators,
famous for the part they play in the G30 driver,
have made their way into the fairway lineup.
Although actual testing for increased club head
speed has proven inconclusive in regards to
fairway woods (unlike the G30 driver), Ping
elected to keep the fins on the top of the
beautiful matte black crown to help frame the
ball at address. And it does this better than any
wood I have used in the past.
I took my 14.5 fairway wood down a full
degree to 13.5 and found the flight and down
range trajectory I was looking for. Additionally,
let me say how long and forgiving this club is.
The majority of my fairway wood play comes
from the tee box and there is nothing more
comfortable than knowing you have a reliable
fairway finder in your hands when the driver
isn’t an option. On top of that, it flies off the
deck like a champ. I hit countless balls off the
grass in a fairway lie and found the carry to be
very consistent across most of the impact zone.
 |
The G30
fairway features a hotter, more forgiving
Carpenter 475 face to generate even more
distance. |
The G30 fairway also provides directional
relief on mishits as the reduction in spin creates
what seems more like pushes or pulls, and not
misses that spin too much offline. From the tee
or the fairway, if you are considering a new
fairway wood this season, the G30 should be on
your short list of clubs you MUST try.
Ping G30 Hybrid
It’s well said that sometimes the greatest
surprises in life come when you aren’t looking.
That defines the G30 hybrid for me. Ping
continues along its theme of a faster face down
into its hybrids and unlike the G30 driver and
fairway, the hybrid doesn’t feature the
performance enhancing Turbulators on the
crown. In fact, the smaller head size and
beautiful matte black finish almost define
perfection.
I wasn’t necessarily looking for a hybrid,
but based upon my testing (you can see from
my Profile what’s now in my bag), the G30 did
something no other hybrid I have tried
accomplished. I use a 17-degree hybrid as a 2-
iron replacement. Let me start by saying I can
do anything I want with this club. Flight it
down, balloon it high with low spin, and shape
shots in both directions. And while it is the
longest hybrid I have hit to date, it does one
thing no other hybrid has done - produced zero
draw bias. In fact, this hybrid plays so neutral
that if you were to watch ball flight alone you
would think it was a 5-wood in your hands.
 |
The
compact head shape of the Ping G30 hybrid
benefits from a high MOI design. |
I have long said I would rather play a 41-
inch, 17-degree hybrid over a 42.5 inch 18 or
19-degree 5-wood. The problem was finding
one that didn’t automatically hook the ball.
While the G30 line doesn’t offer adjustability in
the hybrids, they do produce a 17, 19, 21 and
23-degree version allowing you to choose the
iron replacement you wish and fill yardage gaps
accordingly. The low profile head, neutral bias
and forgiveness packed into a compact head
makes for one of the most surprising finds a
better player could search for. While the G30
line is traditionally targeted for mid to high
handicappers, based on the spin
characteristics, forgiveness, workability and
shot creation, I can see this hybrid finding its
way into consideration by any better player
looking for a combination of neutral
performance that no other hybrid has offered to
date.