Equipment
First Look: Ping’s new G Driver
Update (Jan. 5, 9:30 a.m.) Photos of Bubba’s driver, as well as an all-black Ping G driver provided by Ping.
Update (Jan 4, 10:30 a.m.) Three new Ping drivers have been added to the USGA’s List of Conforming Driver Heads. The G30 drivers were available in the same three models (Standard, LS Tec and SF Tec). LS Tec denotes Ping’s “Low Spin Technology,” while SF Tec stands for “Straight Flight Technology,” which encourages a draw bias.
Ping G (9, 10.5 degrees)
Ping G LS Tec (9, 10.5 degrees)
Ping G SF Tec (10, 12)
GolfWRXers have been talking about the follow-up to Ping’s G30 driver since September. Thanks to Bubba Watson’s video from Kapalua, we now know its name and a little bit about what it looks like.
The new driver, called G, has a pattern on its crown that appears to be weight-reducing “Dragonfly” technology that leaked in our forum.
Photo posted in our forum by _AM_
#GDriver #Stance pic.twitter.com/a7bV9nH2eR
— bubba watson (@bubbawatson) January 4, 2016
Other things to notice about Bubba’s new big stick, which we’re assuming he’ll use in this week’s Hyundai Tournament of Champions based on his excitement about it, is that it carries over the Turbulators from the G30 design. As evidenced from the rear weight port, the G driver also appears to continue Ping’s rear-CG design.
The pink-and-black color scheme… that’s likely a Bubba thing. Expect the G driver to be mostly black, like previous Ping drivers, when we get our first official photos of the retail version.
Check back soon. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
This week, we have our Tour Photographer, Greg Moore, on the ground at the OccuNet Classic at Tascosa Golf Club in Amarillo, Texas, for the 14th event of the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour season. With that, we see some great things in the Lead Tape Report as we roll into Amarillo.
Joel Thelen
Monday Qualifier, Joel Thelen is in the field this week. He has played on the Korn Ferry Tour for a full season in 2023, and he is back in action this week. A couple of clubs caught my eye this week in his bag.
First off: His trusted Titleist 816 H2 hybrid. This club came out in October of 2015, and it still remains strong in the bag. Also, take a look at this Odyssey White Hot OG 7, putting a capital S in the 7S model. This custom neck has some impressive lean for an arm-lock-style putter. The bottom of the putter is covered in tape for optimal weighting.
Mitchell Meissner
Taking a look at Mitchell Meissner’s bag this week, we have some great lead tape coverage. Top to bottom working from fairway metals, irons, and wedges. We can see on the short irons and wedges that there is tape at the base of the grip, adding a little counterbalance. Along with that, some tape on the short irons and wedges as well. Moving to his putter, he rolls the Odyssey 7 Bird putter. Meissner putts left-handed and strikes the ball right-handed.
Bud Cauley had >14 clubs in his bag when photographed prior to the Memorial Tournament.
Driver: Titleist GTS2 (8 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: Titleist GTS3 (15 degrees, B1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei 1K Pro Red 70 TX
7-wood: Titleist GTS3 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei 1K Pro Red 80 TX
Irons: Titleist U505 (3), Titleist 620 MB (4-9)
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 8 X, True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 (48-10F, 52-12F, 56-14F), WedgeWorks (60-K*)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putters: Scotty Cameron Tour Prototype, Scotty Cameron GOLO 6.3 Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Align
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
In our forums, one user has offered up a prompt for the true sickos, inviting fellow forum members to share every set of irons they’ve ever owned. As to be expected, this is a lengthy forum topic.
@Lamosteve began:
Can you name every set of irons you’ve owned? Here’s mine
Spalding Dots
Spalding Eclipse
Ram Lazer FX
Lynx Parallax
Mizuno EZ Comp
Ben Hogans
Cleveland CG Red
Taylor Made R9s
PING i20
PING iE1
Taylor Made M6
Our members in the forum have been offering up their own collections. Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- macedan: “Started with a hand-me-down Golden Bear set from my brother when I was in high school, never really played more than once a year or got into the game until about summer of 2017. First purchased a set of Cleveland CG4’s (I actually really miss this set sometimes, soft & not terribly large for a GI iron), moved into Nike Vapor Fly’s by the end of the year. Those lasted until spring of 18 when I decided I wanted new, so I traded them in for TM Rbladez. Honestly, although I liked the Rbladez, poor decision on my part, I think this was really about the only time so far that after a week or two I was kicking myself for not staying with what I had. Rbladez stayed with me until late last summer when I switched to P790’s and (knock on wood) I am hoping this will be my longest lasting set.”
- JimmyC59: “MacGregor Jack Nicklaus Triple Crown. Palmer The Standard. Still play these.”
- jgrzask: “Tommy Armour 845u
Mizuno MP-32
Mizuno MP-33 (2 sets)
Bridgestone J33cb – still own
Srixon i-302 (2 sets) – still own
Tourstage X-Blades – still own
Mizuno Hot Metal – still own
Nike Forged Blades – still own
Titleist 714 AP1 – still own
Cobra Forged SS – still own”
Justin Rose WITB 2026 (April): Full WITB breakdown with new McLaren irons
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Best irons 2026: Best irons overall, most forgiving irons, and more
Bud Cauley WITB 2026 (June)
Bud Cauley had >14 clubs in his bag when photographed prior to the Memorial Tournament. Driver: Titleist GTS2 (8 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura...
Hannah Green WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Titleist GTS3 (10 degrees, D4 SureFit setting) Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Diamana RB 53 S 3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees,...
Asterisk Talley WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D (9 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 S 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (16.5 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue...
Brianna Do WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond (9 degrees) Shaft: KBS PGW 3-wood: Callaway Elyte Titanium (15 degrees) Shaft: KBS PGW 5-wood:...
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Glenn kirk
Feb 16, 2016 at 3:32 am
Ping are the bomb
M-Herd4
Jan 23, 2016 at 9:47 am
From my own personal experience you benefit more from a properly fitted premium shaft than some new radical clubhead design.
Slowhand
Jan 8, 2016 at 1:47 pm
I really enjoy Ping drivers but I was a long time TM driver buyer until a club fitting showed I hit the G30 LS more accurate with consistent distance than any other driver. I’ve used it now for almost a year and can’t see changing. Sure, all these drivers have to conform to the same standards but there are ways to push the envelope and I”m glad they do, else we’d probably be hitting persimmon right about now. If you swing the club 130mph you might see some increase due to less wind resistance but the average golfer I doubt you see much of anything, but I can feel a big difference in old drivers I kept that are 10 years old and today’s drivers, especially in the forgiveness arena.
But for me its more about having fun, getting something new and talking smack too. I mean if we all conformed and liked the exact same thing it would be pretty boring. And most of us are not gullible and actually don’t fall for all the hype, but then again some are naive and take the bait. To each his own, as long as they feel confident in their choice.
Wind tunnel approved?!?
Jan 7, 2016 at 7:47 pm
Ideas are running low? I guess from a marketing standpoint as those have mentioned technology is maxed, unless you stand behind claims of 15 yards further every 6 months, I should be driving the ball a 1/4 mile at that rate, so do what Nike did with jumpman (airjordan)….start re-releasing retros’s from the first pair of Jordan’s in odd colors and charge double, we see eye2’s, maybe zings next? Ha….then I’ll get sucked into a Sunday “retro-bag”…(hickory would be too hipster for my taste:)
Milo
Jan 7, 2016 at 12:36 am
I hope they come out with the pink, I would buy it in a heartbeat.
KK
Jan 6, 2016 at 8:07 pm
Hmm, more forgiving, aerodynamic and hopefully lower spin. Can’t wait.
Mark
Jan 6, 2016 at 12:09 pm
No low or high loft versions at launch? I like the simple look of my G25. These new heads with even more ridges will be even more decisive among potential buyers. And Bubba. Drop the whole Pink thing and leave it to Paula.
maatchka
Jan 6, 2016 at 9:39 am
yuck!!
Chris Keena
Jan 6, 2016 at 6:11 am
Typo Schmypo. GLENN, FROM THE MAIL ROOM!
SB
Jan 6, 2016 at 12:31 am
Darth Vador’s driver!
fp
Jan 6, 2016 at 12:13 pm
No, that’s Emo Kylo Ren to you
Jeff*
Jan 5, 2016 at 10:53 pm
I love the graphics on the crown. Perfect, that’s the line you swing on to cut it, that’s the line to draw it . I might draw those lines on my driver, that’s great.
fp
Jan 6, 2016 at 12:13 pm
No Jeff, that’s not what they are for. lmao
Mike Hannigan
Jan 5, 2016 at 4:54 pm
To all the NIKEGOLF haters complaining about their choice of red, vapor or photo blue…you can stop now.
Chuck
Jan 5, 2016 at 3:21 pm
Another interesting release by Ping. A great, innovative company for a whole generation now.
But honestly, if I were Ping, I think I’d find another way to introduce it other than showing Bubba’s personalized one-off pink paint job. Only one chance to make a first impression and all that…
jc
Jan 5, 2016 at 12:21 pm
is there ever going to be a time when the designers say “Wow, that is the best we can ever do. We don’t need to make any more new models because we have reached the limit of what we can design. Now it is up to the golfer to actually learn to play better”.
meanwhile over at taylormade, they are going to add a new decal to the head and proclaim it addes another 30 yards to the model that came out last month.
SS
Jan 5, 2016 at 1:48 pm
Agreed. It’s all marketing after a certain point. Business dies if they don’t reinvent the wheel.
Dave
Jan 5, 2016 at 11:21 pm
Agreed. Like fashion, club design is a wheel. Can’t wait til eye 2 comes back…irons that is, wedges already done.
KCCO
Jan 7, 2016 at 7:32 pm
It will soon be like the Jordan shoe game…..recycle everything from the first airjordan release, charge double, seems to work….i.e. Eye2….ha…..ill take some zings for shitz and gigz
David
Jan 5, 2016 at 1:38 am
Let’s not forget when Bubba did that exact shot on the same hole in a tournament!!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8owVDXOk6H4
Dj
Jan 4, 2016 at 6:00 pm
Can’t get over the look and shape of ping drivers but always hear good things. I’m sure this will sell well
Emb
Jan 4, 2016 at 5:09 pm
Sweet Jesus those socks! Makes the driver look gorgeous next to those monstrosities
Leon
Jan 5, 2016 at 11:19 am
The same feeling. I even didn’t notice that he was swinging a club
B Wizzle
Jan 4, 2016 at 4:20 pm
Your welcome
G G
Jan 4, 2016 at 1:39 pm
Yo G!
You’re so OG.
RH
Jan 4, 2016 at 12:48 pm
These Bubba videos with him trying to be funny are so cringe worthy.
Reeves
Jan 4, 2016 at 12:41 pm
when we get our first official photos of the retail version…most important line in story, did anyone thinl they were buying the same head Bubba is????
Mark Bainbridge
Jan 4, 2016 at 11:52 am
“Thanks for pointing out our typo!”?
Forgive for being blunt but the article has only your name against it. It is your typo and yours alone.
Zak Kozuchowski
Jan 4, 2016 at 12:12 pm
That’s fair, Mark.
Max
Jan 4, 2016 at 2:19 pm
Why so serious?
Matt
Jan 4, 2016 at 11:54 pm
@Mark. Don’t you mean, “forgive ME for being blunt…”? Please proof read your own comments.
Mat
Jan 5, 2016 at 2:20 am
Pot, meet kettle.
MTB
Jan 4, 2016 at 11:44 am
Zak –
Do you think that bimatrix shaft is really the best fit for him? That has to be just a personal preference thing, right? There has to be something better out there he could be using…do you think he’s just ignoring the launch monitors at PING?
Zak Kozuchowski
Jan 4, 2016 at 11:45 am
Because Bubba’s driver shots are so variable, he’s rarely “optimized.” But when he does hit a high draw, his Trackman numbers are basically perfect from what I’ve been told and what I’ve seen.
MTB
Jan 4, 2016 at 11:53 am
Thanks for the reply! Crazy. I’m sure a lot has been updated since they first came out, but I just always think of them as peers to the Taylormade Bubble and Carbite Putters and The Perfect Club! Ha.
Mat
Jan 4, 2016 at 11:11 am
Minor thing, but the SFTec will be 10 and 12, not 10.5 – if it’s the same.
Zak Kozuchowski
Jan 4, 2016 at 11:19 am
Thanks for pointing that out, Mat. The USGA Conforming Club List has approved the G SF Tec driver approved in 10 and 12 degrees.
ph00ny
Jan 4, 2016 at 10:25 am
Hyundai not hyundia
Zak Kozuchowski
Jan 4, 2016 at 10:36 am
Thanks for pointing out our typo!