Ping G15 or G20 Hybrid Users

Solutions Etcetera · February 22, 2012

a question about the 17°

Hey there!

Switched to G20 irons this year and love them. Also snagged the 23° hybrid and am lovin' that as well. Am considering skipping the 20° and snagging the 17° to replace both my 19° R7 and the 4 wood.

I'm concerned about such a low lofted hybrid not being as easy to hit as the 23°.

What say you?

Thanx.

hacker101 · February 22, 2012

Never hit the 17 G15 but I do have the 20*. Like it some days but I hit it pretty high. I hit the G20 at an outdoor demo day and loved them. Granted, I was swinging pretty well that day. I could not hit the 17 degree bad. The tee at the range was a good 100 feet above the landing area and with the dormant grass, it was hard to see where the ball was landing in relation to the 3 wood and 20 degree hybrid.

Robert Brown · February 22, 2012

I have the G15 in the bag & love it...have the G20 and like it too, but not as much...the G15 is more upright which fits me best. On the 17 degree, I find that if you are a high ball hitter, it is a good club. If you are not, I would stay away from it...I am a low launch 6 hdcp and use driver, 4 wood, 7 wood, 23* hybrid, 5 iron down...If it is a windy day, I will take the 7 wood out & put in a 20* hybrid. It really depends on how you flight the ball...hope you find what you need!

Solutions Etcetera · February 22, 2012

I wasn't sure I'd like the G20 all that much as I hit my larger TM hybrids pretty well. My tendency with the woods off the deck is to thin it. I don't know what it is about the G20, but it just looks and feels more like an iron so (maybe just mentally) I am more comfortable going down after it. I also love the turf interaction out of the rough… again it just seems easier to go down after it where as I have more of a sweeping action with the woods and larger hybrids.

BTW Robert, aren't the G20's bendable for lie… they have that little hosel notch just like the irons.

Robert Brown · February 23, 2012

Yes on the G20 hybrid being bendable...I ordered mine more upright but it is still a little flatter than the G15....I like them both but the G15 is better for my swing...If I did not need a more upright lie, I would use the G20...it is a little more turf friendly....I like you like the G15,G20 hybrids because they play like a forgiving long iron, not a smaller fairway wood...

ramsey_steve · February 23, 2012

[quote name='Robert Brown' timestamp='1329954152' post='4353589']
I have the G15 in the bag & love it...have the G20 and like it too, but not as much...the G15 is more upright which fits me best. On the 17 degree, I find that if you are a high ball hitter, it is a good club. If you are not, I would stay away from it...I am a low launch 6 hdcp and use driver, 4 wood, 7 wood, 23* hybrid, 5 iron down...If it is a windy day, I will take the 7 wood out & put in a 20* hybrid. It really depends on how you flight the ball...hope you find what you need!
[/quote]

Excellent points. I am a low ball hitter, and hit the 23 and 20 degree hybrids well, but my trajectory with the 20 suggested to me I'd have problems keeping the ball airborne long enough with the 17. I'm sure I get better results with a 4 or 5 wood.

It's a mystery to me why Ping made the G15 hybrids so upright.. The 4 iron equivalent 23 degree hybrid has a lie angle of 62.25 degs with a 39.5" shaft versus the actual G15 black dot 4 iron's 60 deg lie with a 38.25" shaft. By my crude estimation (using Ping's fitting chart) this equates to around 4 degs upright, apparently suitable for someone 6'7" - 6'9". For anyone playing the irons in a flat lie angle this is a huge problem, and Ping themselves won't bend the G15 hybrids more than about 1 degree. However other club makers will if you indemnify them for possible breakages.. I had mine bent around 2.5 degs flat, for instance.

Robert Brown · February 23, 2012

I understand your points...very good. I think you hit on why Ping made the G20 with a flatter lie....my irons are 3* upright so the hybrid being that upright is a good fit for me...I expect that most golfers would not want a club that upright....hope you get what you need....Bob

Lobber · February 23, 2012

I have 3 rounds on the I20 17 hybrid. EASY to hit and get in the air. Long and forgiving. Also great off the tee. Take the plunge! Make sure you get the right flex shaft as the TFC stock plays stout. Good luck.

Bama · February 23, 2012

I have the G15s in a 17 and 20. Love them. Super easy to hit - tee or turf. They go long and high for me. I am a picker and highball hitter. I also play a white dot in the irons.

I bought the 17 first, and I liked it so much that I got the 20. The 20 has replaced my 3 iron, which I never thought would happen.

bwhitish · February 24, 2012

I got a 20 degree 3 hybrid g15 when I got my irons. My fitter cut it down 1/2 inch. My Irons are black dot -1/4 inch. What did taking the 1/2 inch off the hybrid do to the lie angle? I hit it pretty good but my misses go left.

Golfdoctor · February 24, 2012

[quote name='bwhitish' timestamp='1330069399' post='4365137']
I got a 20 degree 3 hybrid g15 when I got my irons. My fitter cut it down 1/2 inch. My Irons are black dot -1/4 inch. What did taking the 1/2 inch off the hybrid do to the lie angle? I hit it pretty good but my misses go left.
[/quote]

If the lie was standard (black) to start with, it would be Red now. For every 1/2" inch you cut it down, the lie change's one degree.

ramsey_steve · February 24, 2012

[quote name='bwhitish' timestamp='1330069399' post='4365137']
I got a 20 degree 3 hybrid g15 when I got my irons. My fitter cut it down 1/2 inch. My Irons are black dot -1/4 inch. What did taking the 1/2 inch off the hybrid do to the lie angle? I hit it pretty good but my misses go left.
[/quote]

I would guess taking 1/2" off the shaft probably changed the lie angle by around 0.5-1 degree.

Shots go left for a variety of reasons, usually more to do with swing flaws than misfit equipment, but having said that the G series hybrids are a bit draw biased, and obviously if they're overly upright they'll tend to want to go left for that reason also. IMHO the weighting has more influence on their leftward tendency than the lie angle, but mentally that toe up attitude at address may convince you otherwise.

I own both the G15 and G20 20 and 23 hybrids, and have had them all bent about 2.5 degs flatter than their respective 'standard' lie angles. The G20's are therefore somewhat closer to the right lie angle for me, although they're still a bit more upright than my irons. Despite the G15's being more toe up at address I still hit them as well as the G20's, and my misses go left with both (which I actually don't mind).

bwhitish · February 24, 2012

Thanks for the great answers guys! I do think my hitting the ball left is a swing flaw. Need to take a lesson. Really glad I havent really had a slice problem in a couple of years.

orangebang · February 25, 2012

[quote name='bwhitish' timestamp='1330092478' post='4365781']
Thanks for the great answers guys! I do think my hitting the ball left is a swing flaw. Need to take a lesson. Really glad I havent really had a slice problem in a couple of years.
[/quote]
Is your miss a dead left, kind of like a block is dead right?

Or does it hook left?

If the ball isn't moving, and it's a straight shot left, your clubface is square with an OTT swing. That's my most common miss. Happens when I freeze up and think too much.