3 things to know about PING's new driver
There's been plenty of excitement around this year's new drivers - and rightly so! The PING G430 10k Max has us excited but here are three things you need to know before trying…
Equipment
What's your mix?
There’s a big gap between your driver and your approach irons, so which clubs do you use to get close to the green if you’re still a long way out?
Some players prefer to play with fairway woods, while some use utility irons and others swear by hybrids. There’s no right answer as each of these kinds of clubs nicely fills the gap between your driver and scoring irons.
By-and-large, hitting woods and hybrids off the deck will help you pack a punch and they’re easy to make good connection with the ball with, but longer irons provide that much-sought-after length and accuracy.
We’re seeing a modern trend of tour players opting for smaller fairway woods like 7-woods to help bridge the distance between the fairway and the green.
So, while there are different options open to you, what are the benefits of lining your golf bag with fairway woods?
Why use a fairway wood?
We all know that golf is a very challenging game, and as we’ve already hinted at, fairway woods will help give you a better connection with the ball when you’re hitting straight off the fairway rather than teeing off. The soles on fairway woods have been meticulously designed to power through the short grass, allowing you to translate that momentum into distance on your strikes.
When you play with a fairway wood, your strikes will simply glide across the top of turf and will have the power to give you both a higher ball flight, and a better landing on the green.
PING’s G430 Max fairway wood has a tungsten sole weight that brings the overall weight down. Having a low centre of gravity gives you a higher launch on your shot that’ll give you greater overall distance.
While it can be tempting to reach for an iron simply because you’re hitting off the fairway, there are potentially more benefits to hitting a fairway wood. If you tend to suffer from either a fade or slide when hitting the ball, fairway woods will give you a higher launch on your strikes, and have better shot-correction tech built into the larger clubhead.
Why use a hybrid?
You may be inclined to fill this gap between your clubs with a hybrid, and they’re an excellent choice if you do. Hybrids won’t give you as much power on your strikes when compared to fairway woods, but they’re very maneuverable to swing and will help you punch though the turf if your shot has landed in a poor area.
PING makes excellent hybrids, and they’re the perfect club to help you out of a scrape. The G430 hybrid has a variable role radius design on the face that makes the surface area flex better when impacting the golf ball. This ensures you’ll have a reliable performance whether you’re striking off the fairway or out of the rough.
Why use a utility iron?
Some golfers prefer to play with utility irons when they find themselves a good distance from the hole. A huge benefit of adding long irons to the bag is your set up to the ball and swing are similar to your scoring irons, allowing you to retain a consistent sense of feel when striking the ball from the fairway to the putting surface.
PING’s iCrossover iron is a truly remarkable bit of kit. This long iron has a maraging steel face that offers both excellent distance and an improved stopping power. With a refined, tour-inspired shape, this club looks as good as the results it gives you.
PING G430 fairway woods
The latest fairway woods from PING, the G430 range, don’t just look fantastic. There’s a lot of tech that’s been packed into the clubhead to give you a trouble-free time on the golf course.
As we’ve already mentioned, the G430 Max fairway wood gives you plenty of height on your shots. The club features PING’s composite Carbonfly Wrap that marries the crown to the sole, the result of which is greater consistency and accuracy.
If you’re a consistent golfer and you like to shape your shots exactly how you like, the G430 LST fairway wood will be right up your street. This club features a weight-saving 8-layer composite crown, and the center of gravity being positioned close to the force line promotes a longer carry. This is an excellent wood for an adept player.
Many golfers suffer from slicing the ball to the right, and it can be demoralizing always searching for your ball in the rough. The G430 SFT (Straight Flight Technology) has a right-to-left correction bias to help keep your shots nicely on the fairway.
These fantastic PING fairway woods are available right now in the pro shop. If you pop by the shop, we’d be more than happy to book you in for a custom fitting.
