My favorite club: PING G30 LST driver

By Drew Mahowald -- 2nd Swing Staff Writer

Golf is quickly becoming a game about power and distance rather than precision and accuracy. Players are hitting the ball longer and golf courses are creating additional tee boxes to provide an adequate challenge to the longest hitters.

This has generated a greater level of excitement each year for new driver releases. Every major brand in the golf industry is investing heavily in their drivers because, as Phil Mickelson would say, golfers want to hit bombs.

What many golfers don’t realize is that several manufacturers have models from the past that perform just as well as new models. TaylorMade, for example, has the 2016 M2 and the SLDR 460 models that are highly regarded and still widely played by pros and amateurs alike.

For me, the driver of choice for nearly six years has been the PING G30 LST.

Entering my freshman season of college golf in the fall of 2014, I was struggling with high spin with my driver. I decided to give the G30 LST a try and immediately I found myself hitting a more controllable trajectory. Plus, my distance increased because my ball wasn’t ballooning into the air.

Since then, I have considered upgrading my driver several times. I’ve had the chance to test nearly every model that has been released since I put the G30 LST in the bag. 

And yet, I’ve stuck with the G30 LST. I will admit that my decision to stick with the G30 LST could be psychological. The matte black design on the crown with visible Turbulator Technology has provided a confidence-inspiring look at address all these years. No other design has caught my attention in that respect like the G30 LST.

But of course, performance is also required to keep a club in the bag for so long. The G30 LST’s thin T9s titanium clubface produces ball speeds that, in my testing, have kept up with the latest models. Additionally, I am still impressed by the forgiveness on mis-hits, especially on my common toe miss.

The G30 LST is definitely behind the times in terms of adjustability, but its loft sleeve does allow for upright and flat settings that I have played with over the years.

Each spring, I find myself testing and researching new driver models with the goal of purchasing a new one to ultimately lower my scores. 

And each spring, I come to the conclusion that the G30 LST is the best fit for me.

I encourage golfers to check out the wide selection of used clubs at 2ndswing.com, including the PING G30 LST drivers. 

With the help of our award-winning fitting staff, you can get top performance without paying top dollar for a brand new release.