Ping K15 vs. Ping G30 SF Tec Driver Comparison

garywrice · July 10, 2015

Ping G30 vs. Ping K15 Driver TrackMan Comparison

Ever since the Ping G30 driver has come out, I have wanted to try it out against my trusty Ping K15. It has the same SF Tec (Standard Flight Technology) features as the K15 but with turbolaters!!

The primary factor in the SF Tec is that more weight has been put in the heel of the to help avoid slicing and a straighter ball flight. My K15 has been a great driver as I have reported before (http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/955395-lightweight-golf-shafts-for-the-senior-or-slower-swing-speed-golfer/). I went through a variety of shafts and settled on the lightweight Miyazaki B Asha 3R with the K15 head. Also, the shaft was shortened to 44".

So, to compare the G30 against the K15, I had another Miyazaki shaft outfitted with the Ping G30 adapter. Also, I purchased a Grafalloy ProLaunch Blue 45 regular flex shaft to use as well (shortened to 44" as well). It was a favorite of mine prior to finding the Miyazaki.

Also, I had a regular flex and standard length (45") Ping TFC 419 shaft to compare as well. Here are the results from the TrackMan fitting on July 8, 2015. These are averages of 5 to 6 drives with each head and shaft.

Club Spin ClubSpd LnchAngle BallSpeed AttAngle Smash Yds

G30/Miyzki 2137 80.2 13.1 119 -4.2 1.48 202

K15/Miyzki 1972 80.7 11.3 123.4 -4.5 1.53 211

G30/Grffloy 2048 80.3 11.3 120.9 -4.2 1.51 208

G30/TFC419 2300 81.4 14.4 117.7 -4.2 1.45 201

As I reviewed these figures, there were a couple of concerns that jumped out at me regarding their accuracy. First, the Smash factor averaged above 1.50. Secondly, the spin on my K15 was significantly lower than any other TrackMan testing in the past (800-900). Of course my attack angle is still in the negative numbers. This fitter was not as concerned because he said "several pro players are in the negative numbers. Bubba Watson is -7"! He felt with my swing speed, I was getting as much as I could from the driver and my dispersion was very good.

However, afterwards, I decided to write to TrackMan, Tom Wishon and the pro fitter about my concerns. Here are there comments:

Tom Wishon: "Depending on how much downward your A of A is, your best launch angle should be in the area between 11 and 12 degs. Spin numbers can be suspect even with TrackMan when hitting range balls so I would not put too much credence in the spin numbers. Proof in the pudding is what does your ball flight look like outdoors when you do achieve an 11-12 launch angle. If the shot is not too high, if it is not a curving upward upshoot type flight shape, then you are fine. Another key output of TrackMan that is beneficial for driver fitting is the Angle of Descent. As long as it is not higher than 38* and not lower than 30* with the 11-12 launch angle, then you know you are getting the most from a combination of carry plus roll after landing.

While Trackman claims a +/-1 mph on both the ball speed and the clubhead speed, it can make an error here and there on either one or both of these. Technically any smash factor above 1.50 means that either, 1) the club speed and or ball speed have been read wrong, 2) the driver has a COR higher than the limit in the rules. Since most companies try very hard to not produce driver heads with higher than an 0.830 COR, it would seen the smash readings over 1.5 are an error in picking up the ball speed and or the club speed. But anything in the close proximity to 1.5 on a TrackMan after repeated hits means the driver head itself is about as optimized as it can be for COR. "

TrackMan: "In our software we have a tool called the "Optimizer" that will give you the feedback on every shot how optimized the numbers are based on your club speed and attack angle. You can also get the optimal values for your averages using this feature. Please ask your fitter the optimal numbers for your swing type based on our Optimizer.

The smash factor can go beyond 1.5 if you hit it slightly on the toe. We always measure the club speed in the centre of the club, and as the toe rotates faster then the centre, the ball speed will in relation to the speed of the centre of the club, be higher than 1.5."

Pro Fitter: "Smash factors can go above 1.5 and spin rate could be affected by many factors. They are anomalies. As far as the balls are concerned Trackman was set for lol muted flight balls and it takes that into consideration when the ball is struck. That's why we hit more than 1 ball. Good luck hope it's going well. "

Conclusion: Ultimately, I am staying with my Ping K15. With the Miyazaki B Asha shaft, it has been the best driver I have ever used and it seems that, despite the similar technology, the new Ping G30 cannot beat it in my hands.

Upper Michigan · July 11, 2015

Something seems off with your spin numbers. If your spin numbers were truly 1972 rpm at 80 mph your golf ball would have a hard time staying in the air. I think it would want to knuckle and fall out of the air. Also negative angle of attack historically puts more spin on the ball. Especially since you commented that typically you see 800-900 more rpm's from other fittings. I would estimate that if your ball flight is stable then 2800-3000 rpm's is likely what your true spin numbers are. And for your swing speed, 3,000 rpm's is pretty much the sweet spot.

erock9174 · July 12, 2015

Gary
After digesting this for a couple of days now I'm wondering if the numbers were skewed because of the range balls. Not sure the quality of balls he was using but some balls are limited flight. Also ive seen some pretty beat up range balls with hardly any dimples left that may cause very low spin numbers. I'm surprised that he invested in a trackman but is not using real balls. Next time I'd buy a couple dozen of the cheapest balls Walmart had and use those on your recorded shots. Just to throw out the possibility of bunk balls

Guia · July 12, 2015

I started playing the G30 SF with standard TFC stiff shaft a couple of months ago. I find it very straight and longer than my Callaway TA. I think the best driver I have played out of the last 5. One in my group still plays the K15 with the standard Ping reg. shaft. We are close to the same swing speed and launch. His goes just as far and straight as my G30.

Conclusion is that the K15 was ahead of its time.

Oldnavycdr · July 21, 2015

Gary, how (if you did) reweight your drivers after cutting down the shafts? Do you know your final swing weight?

garywrice · July 22, 2015

[quote name='Oldnavycdr' timestamp='1437482473' post='11991204']
Gary, how (if you did) reweight your drivers after cutting down the shafts? Do you know your final swing weight?
[/quote]

I had the K15 weighed after a while (mostly out of curiosity) and it was a C9. Also, I have the lightweight Golf Pride grip on it too (25 grams). I am sure that several golfers would not like it that light. But at this Average Joe site, we might have some that are in the same situation as me. All I know, is that it works for me. Thanks for your interest.