It’s a common goal of equipment makers: produce a game-improvement club that helps recreational players score better but also looks and performs well enough to be coveted by tour professionals and elite amateurs alike. And while it may be an elusive end for many golf companies, Ping officials say they have found a way to make it work with their new G20 iron line.
“This is an outstanding club for us, a successor to our very successful G15 line, and we have tried to really enhance the feel of this iteration while improving its distance and distance control,” explains Brad Schweigert, director of engineering for the Scottsdale, Ariz.,-based company.
One way of doing that was thinning out the clubface of the G20 by 10 percent to bolster ball speeds. Another was moving more weight to the perimeter so the 17-4 stainless steel heads with the deep, multi-cavity design are more forgiving. At the same time, the clubmaker added a multi-material CTP badge, made of aluminum with soft elastomer heel and toe sections, to dampen vibration and create a more stable, solid feel.
Schweigert says that the G20s, which are starting to be played on tour by Ping’s staff professionals, also brings something new to the party with a proprietary stock shaft made of steel called CFS (Control, Feel, Stability). According to the engineering director, that shaft optimizes feel, trajectories and distance gaps for greater consistency – and comes in Soft R, R, S and X flexes. Clubs in this line are also available with a stock graphite shaft, the TFC 169i, designed to encourage a higher launch and offered in L, Soft R, R and S flexes.
The G20s are sold individually and available in 3-9, PW, UW, SW and LW.
