Ping G20 series: All in the family

• By Global Golf Post
• Sep 19, 2011 3:53 PM ET

The new G20 series from Ping represents an entire family of golf clubs from the Arizona equipment maker. And that family includes fairway woods and hybrids.

The G20 fairway woods combine external weighting in the sole with a low CG (center of gravity) to help golfers launch their golf balls higher, but with lower spin, for longer, straighter shots. In addition, a larger and deeper clubhead made of 17-4 stainless steel is designed to bolster ball speeds (and distance) while improving forgiveness through improved MOI (moment of inertia).

“We’ve tried to make this fairway really easy to hit in the air, and through the air,” says Ping director of engineering Brad Schweigert, adding that longtime Ping staff professional Miguel Angel Jimenez likes these new clubs so much he switched to them after keeping another Ping model in his bag for more than eight years.

The G20 fairway is available in 3, 4, 5 and 7 woods, and has a pair of stock shaft options: the higher trajectory TFC 169F and the TFC 169 Tour, which launches lower.

As for the hybrids, weight is re-distributed to the sole in these sticks to increase forgiveness, and an offset hosel is designed to produce a higher launch, lower spin and a straighter, more boring flight. The heads are also made of 17-4 stainless steel and have a shorter heel-to-toe length than the G15 hybrids, in part to help players better deal with a wide variety of turf conditions, but without sacrificing forgiveness, says Schweigert.

The G20s also feature a flatter lie angle than the previous generation and a softer crown shape for an improved appearance at address as well as additional bounce and camber to ensure a smooth transition through the grass even when the ball is sitting down.

The G20 hybrids come in five lofts - 17, 20, 23, 27 and 31 - and golfers can choose from two stock graphite shafts: the TFC 169H (in L, Soft R, R, S and X flexes) and the TFC 169H Tour (in R, S and X flexes).