Want a Lower Spinning PING G30? Done.

Written by: Tony Covey

PING has just announced a new member of the G30 family.

Meet the G30 LS Tec.

Would this have been from any other company in golf we’d probably be hearing some bold statements about more yards…how it’s longer and faster than what was released just a few months ago, and how it’s most definitely the ideal driver for anyone who wants more distance, but alas, that’s not how PING rolls.

Instead, we’re going to have to rely on technical details to help us get to the bottom of why the G30 LS Tec exists.

To the naked eye – and as far as the lion’s share of the technology goes – there’s not much that separates the G30 LS Tec from the G30 or the G30 SF Tec.

• Turbulators – check.
• T9s face – check.
• Adjustable hosel (loft/face angle) – check.
• Matte black finish (the LS Tec also has a matte finish on the sole) – check.

“The G30 LS Tec”, says PING’s Marty Jertson, “completes the circle”.

The LS Tec isn’t a ditch your G30 (or G30 SF Tec) because this one is newer and better. Instead, the LS Tec is positioned as a complimentary model for those who find that the other two members of the G30 family spin a bit too much.

And since I just mentioned it, family ties are important. In every respect the G30 LS Tec is a blood member of the G30 family. The LS Tec is 460cc. The LS Tec has Turbulators. The LS Tec is 100% G-Series, and not much of i-anything at all (except for the spin part, which we’ll talk about in just a bit).

So let’s take just a moment to clear up any possibility of confusion right now; while recent discounts and the apparent end-of-lifing might suggest otherwise, the new LS Tec is not a direct replacement for PING’s i25.

So How is It Different?

Left to right: G30 SF Tec, G30 (standard), G30 LS Tec

While the LS Tec is pure G30, there are some distinctions between it and the other two models in the G30 driver family. Let’s sort those out.

The LS Tec has a reduced surface area. While, as previously mentioned, the G30 LS Tec is still 460cc, PING has refined the actual footprint of the driver. This is most notable when you focus on the trailing edge of the crown where PING smoothed things out just a bit.

While the golfer will likely see only the slightest of differences between models, this is significant for two reasons.

Firstly, when the face of the club is open (from the top of the swing to roughly halfway down), surface area is part of the drag equation. Less drag means more speed. PING’s calling it a .25 MPH improvement over the standard G30, which, when all other factors are equal, works out to about ¾ of a yard.

DITCH YOUR G30 NOW!

I kid…3/4 of 1 yard is definitely not any sort of reason for you to trade in your regular G30 (or SF Tec).

Secondly, the change to the trailing edge design, along with some internal mass adjustments allowed PING Engineers to nudge the center of gravity location forward. And a gentle nudge is really all we’re talking about here. The LS Tec still offers what anyone in the industry would characterize as a low/back CG placement.

Left to Right: G30 LS Tec, G30, G30 SF Tec

This isn’t PING’s answer to the TaylorMade R15, the Cobra FLY-Z+, or Callaway’s 815 Alpha Double Black Diamond. The G30 LS Tec most certainly isn’t an Anser driver replacement either. Like I said earlier, it’s not even an i25 replacement.

In reality, the change is CG movement is only 0.015″ (PING moved the CG horizontally, neither higher nor lower). While not a huge difference numerically, the change is significant enough to help create a higher launch to spin ratio (basically the G30 LS will spin less at equivalent loft).

You’ll note that in that last sentence I said help create.

There’s actually another piece of the equation. Similar to what we saw from Bridgestone last week, PING has added a surface texture the face of the G30 LS Tec. Unlike Bridgestone’s design, there aren’t any true grooves to speak of, but there is some added grit (probably not noticeable in photos), which at driver loft, PING says helps to further reduce spin.

Those dots aren’t part of the new face design. This LS Tec has been prepped for Most Wanted Testing with the Foresight GC2 Launch Monitor with HMT.
The sum total of all of these differences is a driver that spins up to 400 RPM less on average than the standard G30 (comparison based on the tour model shaft ). Perhaps more significant, while the G30 LS Tec is less forgiving that the standard and SF Tec models (MOI is 6% lower), the LS Tec offers greater spin stability, particularly on mis-hits above the center of the face.

Though it runs a bit contrary to the notion of a low spin driver; your signature miss…the high toe knuckleball, will actually retain more spin, and therefore stay in the air longer than it would with the other drivers in the G30 family.

Who Is the G30 LS Tec For?

When you consider that the G30 is already a reasonably low spin driver (considering CG location and MOI), and the SF Tec serves the shot shape correction crowd, you may find yourself wondering exactly who the G30 LS Tec is for.

According to Jertson, the LS Tec is designed for the tail of the bell curve. While there are seldom any absolutes in club fitting, it will generally be best suited for the guy with a minus angle of attack; golfers who hit down on the ball with their drivers.

If you’re looking for a market breakdown, Jertson estimates that roughly 40% of the market will be best served by the standard model. Another 40% fit into the SF Tec, while the remaining 20% should be LS Tec guys.

What we’re talking about is really a semi-niche driver within the larger G30 family.

For those looking for a comprehensive performance breakdown, the G30, G30 SF Tec, and G30 LS Tec will all be included in MyGolfSpy’s 2015 Most Wanted Driver test.

Pricing, Specs, and Availability

The PING G30 LS Tec is availble in lofts of 9° & 10.5°, and features the same adjustable hosel as other G30 drivers. At the standard length of 45.75″, the swing weight is D3.

The stock shaft is the PING TFC 418D (Soft R, R, S, X). Tour 65 and 80 Shafts (standard length 45.25″) are available in R, S, and X flex for a $30 upchage.

Retail price for the G30 LS Tech, which ships to dealers in February, is $385.