Have Ping fallen behind in woods?

[Curls]

There are some who would say that at our level it makes very little difference what modern day driver you use, but to me it seems like the 917, M1/2 and now possibly Epic have created a gap between themselves and the rest of the market. Is that fair to say?! Clearly the shaft is important to get right but the heads of these woods seems to be technologically a level up from everyone else.

So my question is, have Ping fallen behind? Traditionally their woods were a benchmark for forgiveness for the average joe, im sure it won't be long before they bring out a new one but to me it seems the G is now a step behind. Anyone expertise/experience to debunk this opinion (based largely on hearsay and conjecture - which are types of evidence)

 

[Pin-seeker]

There are some who would say that at our level it makes very little difference what modern day driver you use, but to me it seems like the 917, M1/2 and now possibly Epic have created a gap between themselves and the rest of the market. Is that fair to say?! Clearly the shaft is important to get right but the heads of these woods seems to be technologically a level up from everyone else.

So my question is, have Ping fallen behind? Traditionally their woods were a benchmark for forgiveness for the average joe, im sure it won't be long before they bring out a new one but to me it seems the G is now a step behind. Anyone expertise/experience to debunk this opinion (based largely on hearsay and conjecture - which are types of evidence)

The latest Ping offerings seem to do pretty well in the head to head reviews from Shiels & co on YouTube.

 

[Imurg]

When you put the Pings up against the 917/M1/M2/Epic they look quite plain and unexciting....
The others have bells and whistles and stuff and the Pings have............Turbulators.....
That's not to say that the Pings are better, worse or the same - they just don't seem to have the same Oooh factor....

 

[xcore]

Ping don't stick on crap like "jail break tech" etc

 

[Pin-seeker]

When you put the Pings up against the 917/M1/M2/Epic they look quite plain and unexciting....
The others have bells and whistles and stuff and the Pings have............Turbulators.....
That's not to say that the Pings are better, worse or the same - they just don't seem to have the same Oooh factor....

Don't you find that some of the more "exciting" looking drivers just look a bit tacky?

Also most of the newer drivers soon look pretty battered.

 

[Imurg]

Ping don't stick on crap like "jail break tech" etc

Just Turbulatorthings and Dragonflies.......😝

 

[Pin-seeker]

Just Turbulatorthings and Dragonflies.......😝

😂😂😂

 

[ruff-driver]

Ping don't stick on crap like "jail break tech" etc

Turdulators?

 

[Pin-seeker]

This is just ridiculous.

 

[LanDog]

I've read that the 917 is behind the Callaway and TM offerings this year. I'd imagine Ping are too since they work off a different product cycle to TM and Callaway

 

[Oddsocks]

Complete disagree with the title. Ping is the most popular driver at ours across all hc's

 

[ger147]

From a forgiveness point of view, Ping is still right up there. From a pure distance point of view for longer hitters, the lower spinning Callaway and TM heads are likely to be a touch longer.

Ultimately, all modern drivers are right at the cutting edge of what's allowed within the regulations so it all comes down to personal preference and getting the correct shaft and loft on your driver of choice to optimise its performance for you.

 

[Bazz]

Trust me, the Ping G is ultra forgiving. It manages to keep a few of mine on the fairway

 

[Qwerty]

Adjustability yes, performance certainly not.

 

[Crow]

I just see all the weights and stuff on the bottom of the newer drivers as mud traps, they're not going to make much difference to your average Joe/Jo public golfer apart from having to clean the crap out.

That might be because I live in the clay belts of the midlands.

 

[fundy]

I just see all the weights and stuff on the bottom of the newer drivers as mud traps, they're not going to make much difference to your average Joe/Jo public golfer apart from having to clean the crap out.

That might be because I live in the clay belts of the midlands.

or try not hitting the ground with the driver?

 

[clubchamp98]

The aim of most manufacturers now is to make one driver that will suit all players
But once it's set for you all the technology is redundant until you sell it.
this shows in the pricing of the new drivers it's going up again.
if you have a driver with draw / fade balance and all the other bells and whistles you can get .
If you have them all on neutral because you are a good player then the price is going to put you off.

 

[Curls]

Interesting responses, like I say for me Ping have traditionally been among the more forgiving brands and my G15 is still getting me away with murder. But it sounds like many would agree the M1 and possibly Epic are longer and does that sell better than forgiveness? I guess it comes down to whether people think your best good hit is more important than your good bad ones. I'd rather be on the fairway more often but find myself lured like a moth to the flame of these recent offerings. Who doesn't want additional yards?! But would you really know if it was a better club until you'd had it in play for months of competitive play. The eternal dilemma...

 

[Tashyboy]

View attachment 21627

This is just ridiculous.

If I played with that I would have to get the Polish car cleaners to give it a six quid once over to clean it every time.
PS love my Ping and would not buy another TM if every other club maker went bust. I would sooner play with Dunlop.

 

[ger147]

Interesting responses, like I say for me Ping have traditionally been among the more forgiving brands and my G15 is still getting me away with murder. But it sounds like many would agree the M1 and possibly Epic are longer and does that sell better than forgiveness? I guess it comes down to whether people think your best good hit is more important than your good bad ones. I'd rather be on the fairway more often but find myself lured like a moth to the flame of these recent offerings. Who doesn't want additional yards?! But would you really know if it was a better club until you'd had it in play for months of competitive play. The eternal dilemma...

The Epic is no longer than the GBB it replaces despite all the tech.

The only head to head video I've seen on YouTube, the old GBB is longer than the new Epic...