Ping i20 Driver Review

By David Dusek, Golf.com
January 18, 2012

Hidden underneath a black, matte finish that looks like it was taken off a stealth fighter, the Ping i20 driver, the company's newest offering for better-players, is made using three different materials.

The body is cast from a titanium alloy that has been infused with aluminum to make it lighter. Ping engineers shifted the weight saved by blending the aluminum and titanium together and moved it into two tungsten pads located in the back sections of the sole.

Marty Jertson, Ping Golf's Senior Design Engineer, says moving the weight to those spots helps to improve the clubs moment of inertia and make it more resistant to twisting on off-center hits. Those weight pads also shift more of the head's overall weight away from the face, which helps to create a higher initial launch angle. Ping also says that the club produces less spin than its predecessor, the i15.

While the i20 offers a 460-cc head, Jertson says that the club is more aerodynamic than the i15, which should mean more power for golfers off the tee.

"With the same amount of energy, the same amount of input, you are able to get more velocity from the club head," Jertson says. That clubhead velocity should translate directly into more ball speed and longer shots.

While the i20 is not adjustable like many drivers on the market today, golfers who like to maneuver the ball around the course should appreciate its neutral weighting and square face at address. Whether you prefer to hit a draw or a fade, the clubhead won't fight you.

As you might expect in a driver designed for big hitters, the i20 is only available in three lofts—8.5°, 9.5° and 10.5°. It comes standard with either a low-spinning Ping TFC 707D shaft or a Project X Black shaft and costs $385.

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