By Leonard Finkel
Drawing inspiration from sources as diverse as dragonfly wings and 18-wheelers, PING launched its new G series including drivers and irons. The new products are all custom fit and built to precise specifications.
The design process is different, as they gather information from diverse worlds and test rigorously to make sure products deliver meaningful results. The process leads to breakthroughs like Dragonfly Technology and Vortec Technology, found in the G drivers. They’ve also created a specialized heat-treatment process and COR-Eye Technology to make the G irons longer, higher-launching and more forgiving, a combination that’s difficult to achieve.
A close-up photograph of a dragonfly was the inspiration for the primary innovation in these drivers. Inspired by biomimicry, an approach to innovation that emulates nature’s time-tested patterns, they created Dragonfly Technology. A complex exoskeleton yields PING’s thinnest (0.43 mm) and lightest crown to date, saving eight grams while creating an intricate yet stable structure. The weight savings helped move the center of gravity lower and deeper than any previous PING driver, increasing dynamic loft and elevating MOI significantly for maximizing distance and forgiveness.
Researchers also studied the base flaps that minimize large-scale vortex shedding behind 18-wheel semis and integrated what they discovered into their G drivers. Vortec Technology on the back of the club and turbulators on the crown contribute to reducing drag 37% in the impact zone, producing greater club head speed and ball velocity for measurable distance gains at all swing speeds.
The variable-thickness face has a high strength-to-weight ratio, allowing for a thinner face to increase ball speed. Golfers can optimize launch conditions prior to a round by adjusting loft up to +/– 1º with five settings utilizing a lightweight, aerodynamically efficient and high-strength aluminum hosel sleeve.
The G SF Tec driver is custom-engineered with weight closer to the heel to produce a right-to-left shot shape (for right-handed golfers). The G LS Tec driver features a CG that is extremely low (slightly forward of the standard G driver), for the player who desires low, stable spin with forgiveness.
The G iron utilizes revolutionary COR-Eye Technology, which activates the sole, face and top rail in flexing for consistently faster ball speeds across the hotter face. The entire set is heat treated using a specialized process that creates Hyper 17-4 alloy, which is 40% stronger than traditional 17-4 stainless steel. Metallurgical advancements combined with COR-Eye Technology provide four times the face flexing with improved stability.
Weight saved from the face is allocated to the low toe and perimeter, creating a higher MOI for extreme forgiveness. Connecting the Custom Tuning Port to the sole creates a deeper CG that helps elevate the launch angle while increasing MOI. The result is added distance and a higher peak trajectory for better stopping power on the greens. At address, the iron’s refined look is created by a thin top rail, satin-blast finish and appropriate offset. An enlarged multi-material damping badge joined to the cavity works with COR-Eye Technology to provide exceptional sound and feel
Leonard Finkel is the author of The Secrets to the Game of Golf & Life and former editor in chief of Golf Journeys Magazine. His work has been featured in almost 200 publications including Golf Magazine, Golf Digest, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Golf Illustrated, Golf Tips and Player Magazine. He has written more than a dozen cover stories for Golf Today Magazine. He has written extensively about golf and travel and has added poker to his writing repertoire. Finkel also works as a marketing and public relations consultant. His specialty niche is writing advertorial copy. Prior to his career in golf, Finkel owned a chain of retail stores and a consulting and import company based in Asia. He attended the University of Utah.