PING’s G20 line of golf clubs has garnered quite a bit of attention in the short time since its release. PING has always been a brand that attracts a loyal fan-base like few companies can, but much of this interest has been from people that are not long-time users of their products. So far, THP has reviewed the G20 driver and irons, with both receiving very positive feedback. Today I’m going to talk about the G20 line of fairway woods.
G20™ – Getting the ball airborne and adding yards is easy with the low-deep CG in the 17-4 stainless steel G20s, creating optimal spin and high launch. Perimeter weighting and a large face increase the MOI for improved accuracy. The larger profile G20s generate fast ball speeds for maintaining distance, even on mis-hits, for ensuring long, straight results.
I tested the 16.5° 4 wood for this review, which is complimented by three other loft options – 15°(3W), 18°(5W), and 21°(7W). The head on the G20 is fairly large in appearance at 164cc, but much of that is since it is a fairly flat and shallow fairway wood. The crown is a metal flaked gray finish with a large alignment aid and the bottom is an extremely shiny chrome finish with black and red accents. In all, the G20 fairway wood is one of the more attractive offerings I’ve seen from PING. If I could change one thing it would be the size of the alignment aid, but it’s a pretty minor issue for me.
Ballflight
External weighting locates the CG low and back to produce high launch and optimal spin for long, straight results. You can optimize your ball flight by choosing either the higher-launching TFC 169F shaft or the TFC 169F Tour version for a lower trajectory.
I did find the G20 to be a reliably straight club for my swing, though it didn’t deliver quite as high of a ball flight as I get from my current fairway wood. One key thing PING mentions and that I’d like to reiterate is that the right shaft option can really be the big difference maker here. Make time to take advantage of a fitting and you should be able the get the ball flying right where you want it.
I found that I had a hard time missing to the right with the G20. I almost had to force the issue, though missing right isn’t really common for me these days. My directional miss was mostly to the left, but for the most part this was a club that wanted to stay straight for me.
Stock TFC Shaft Options
Speaking of shafts, the G20 fairway wood comes standard with the TFC 169F, which is slightly changed from the G15 series.
Designed for the G20 line, TFC 169F features higher launch, low spin, and a livelier, responsive feel with a softer tip for increasing dynamic launch.
While I didn’t absolutely love this shaft for my swing, I found it to be a pretty nice compliment to the G20 fairway wood. As I mentioned before, take the time to get a shaft fitting when you’re shopping for a new club. You’ll be happy you did. As for the TFC 169F, I found it to be pretty true to flex and it’s decorated nicely. I was really impressed with the red graphic portion up towards the grip. It was surprisingly attractive to my eye.
The TFC 169F shaft is offered in 5 different weight and flex options.
Forgiveness
The large, 17-4 stainless steel head and variable thickness face increase the MOI to maintain high ball speeds that are consistent across the hitting surface. This enables you to hit the ball high and straight, even on mis-hits.
I found this to be a pretty true statement from my experience with the G20. Not necessarily on those swings that produce side-spin as much as those in which I just missed the sweet spot. I had more than a few shots on the course where I was a bit worried about the results, only to find myself in the fairway without much distance loss. I found that missing high on the face caused the least desirable results for me.
I felt the feel of the G20 was pretty responsive in that I was well aware when I hit a clean shot. The sound of well struck shots was a bit muted with a nice, high-pitched ‘ping’. I really enjoyed the sound and found myself wanting to hear it over and over.
Final Thoughts
The G20 fairway wood is yet another very solid offering from the folks at PING. The forgiveness and straight ball flight are probably my two favorite things about the club. Fairway woods are a club that I can be hot or cold with and it’s nice to have a little help to fall back on if I need it. The ball flight wasn’t quite as high as I would have liked, but as I said, a proper fitting shaft could make that an easy reality. The G20 is definitely a fairway wood I’d put on the ‘must-try’ list if you are in the market. For more info on the G20 line of clubs, as well as some of the custom fitting options that are available, you can head over to www.PING.com. As always, thanks for reading and best of luck out on the course this year.
Ryan H.
