PING G20 Driver Review: Is It Still Worth Buying?

The PING G20 is a 2011 driver you can only buy used now, and it still hits it high and straight. But it's not adjustable, and a bad used one can cost you more than a good newer driver, so here's exactly how I'd buy it.

So here's the deal with the G20. PING released it back in 2011, and it was one of the longest drivers of its day, with a reputation for flying straight. Bubba Watson won the 2012 Masters with a G20 in the bag, with a custom Grafalloy shaft in it.

Now it's a used-only club. That's actually the whole appeal, because you're getting a 460 cc PING head for a lot less than a new driver. The catch is you're buying one specific club with its own history, not a model off a shelf. So I'll walk you through what it does, what it can't do, and exactly what I'd check before I paid for one.

• Released: 2011. It's discontinued, so it's used market only.
• Used price: on October 12, 2026, 2nd Swing had used PING G20 drivers listed at $151.99 and $189.99.
• Head: 460 cc titanium, built low and deep to launch high and stay stable.
• Not adjustable: the hosel is fixed and bonded. The G25 in 2013 was PING's first adjustable G-series driver.
• Best fit: a golfer who wants a straight, high ball flight on a budget and can check the exact club before buying.

The PING G20 driver has a 460 cc titanium head, a fixed hosel, four lofts from 8.5 to 12 degrees, and an original 45.75-inch length.

Prices checked October 12, 2026.

This video isn't a G20 test, and the G20 isn't in it. It's my top 10 drivers from 2024, so you can see the newer drivers I'd compare a used G20 against, including the PING G430 Max 10K.

This is why people still buy it. The G20 is a stable head that wants to hit the ball high and straight.

PING put an external weight low in the back of the sole to push the center of gravity low and deep. That's the recipe for a higher launch and a head that doesn't twist as much when you miss the center. And for its time, it held its distance really well on shots low on the face, off the heel, and off the toe.

So if you're a golfer who hits it all over the face, that's the good news. Your misses stay more playable than they would with a player's driver.

But here's the thing. Forgiving doesn't mean it fixes your swing. It won't turn your slice into a fade, and it won't square the face for you. Your face angle at impact still comes from you. What it does is keep a decent strike from getting punished too much.

The other side of that stability is shot shaping. The G20 doesn't love to curve. It'd rather go straight, and when it misses, it tends to push or pull rather than hit a big draw or fade. If you're the kind of player who likes to work the ball both ways on command, this isn't your head. If you just want the ball in the fairway, that's exactly what you want.

And yes, that Bubba Watson fact is real, but don't read too much into it. His G20 had a custom shaft built for his swing. The stock shaft in the used one you're looking at is a totally different story.

This is the one that catches people. The PING G20 is not adjustable. There's no sleeve, no loft settings, nothing to twist with a wrench.

The shaft is bonded into the hosel with epoxy. So whatever loft, face angle, and shaft that club has when you buy it, that's what you're playing. PING didn't add adjustability to the G-series until the G25 came out in 2013.

That also means you can't grab a modern PING adapter shaft and click it into a G20 head. It won't work. If you want a different shaft, a club builder has to heat and pull the old one, fit a shaft with a compatible .350-inch tip, set the length and swing weight, and put a new grip on it. That's a real repair job, and it costs real money.

Now, the stock shaft isn't junk. The TFC 169D came in five flexes, from L all the way to X, and 45 to 62 grams. It was built to match the head. But here's the problem with a used club. You don't know if that shaft is original, if it's been cut down, or if it's been swapped out for something else.

So the loft and the shaft have to be right before you buy. With a G20, you can't fix it later with a wrench.

Let's talk money, because this is where the G20 either makes sense or it doesn't.

On October 12, 2026, 2nd Swing had used PING G20 drivers listed at $151.99 and $189.99, and the loft, shaft, length, and grade change from one listing to the next. That's a lot of driver for the money, as long as it's the right one.

But the low price disappears fast if the club needs work. A fresh grip adds money to the price. Pay for a reshaft and you're adding a lot more. A cheap G20 that needs a grip and a professional reshaft can end up being a worse deal than a newer used driver that's already built right for you.

Then there's length. The original build was 45.75 inches, which is long. A longer club can help with speed, but it's also harder to hit in the center. If you already struggle to find the middle of the face, that length can cost you more than it gives you. And a lot of used G20s have been cut down or extended since, so measure it.

What about a newer driver? Will it go farther? Maybe, but there's no fixed number. Anybody promising you six or ten more yards just for buying newer is guessing. Where a modern head really helps is on your misses, keeping more speed and pulling your dispersion in. If your G20 already fits you, a new driver might not add much at all on a center hit. The only way to know is to hit both with the same ball on a launch monitor. If you want to see how far PING's own heads have come since, my PING G430 driver review is a good place to start.

If I were buying one, this is exactly what I'd check.

1. Check the loft. It came in 8.5, 9.5, 10.5, and 12 degrees, so the 12-degree G20 is the highest loft you'll find. Buy the loft you'd actually play, because you can't change it later.
2. Confirm the shaft. Is it the stock TFC 169D, and what flex? If it's something else, ask what it is and who installed it.
3. Measure the length. Don't assume it's still 45.75 inches.
4. Look at the face and crown. Check for cracks, dents, and damage where the face meets the crown, and on the sole.
5. Check the hosel and ferrule. Nothing should move, and the ferrule shouldn't be loose or spinning.
6. Listen to it. A rattle or a weird sound on a used driver is a red flag.
7. Check the grip. A worn, slick grip is money you have to add to the price.
8. Get a return policy. Buy from a seller who'll take it back if it doesn't fit.

Where do you find one? The used market. I'd look at 2nd Swing, Callaway Pre-Owned, eBay, and your local golf shop. Stock comes and goes, so compare condition and return terms, not just the price tag.

It's a 15-year-old club, and you can't fix the fit with a wrench.

The fixed hosel is the big one. If the loft or face angle isn't right for you, you're paying a club builder to change the shaft, and you still can't change the loft the way you can on a modern driver. Add the long original length and the unknown history of most used shafts, and buying one without checking it first is a gamble.

The sound and feel aren't for everybody, either. Some golfers love it, some don't. It's worth hitting one before you buy if you can.

And don't count on a warranty. PING doesn't publish a fixed two-year warranty for a club like this. It looks at defects case by case, and repairs on a club somebody else has altered can cost extra or get turned down. If something's wrong with a specific G20, ask PING or an authorized PING retailer about that exact club.

The PING G20 is for budget golfers who want a straight, forgiving driver and can check the club before they buy.

Buy it if:

• You want a forgiving, high-launching driver without paying new-driver money.
• You're a beginner, a high handicapper, or a returning golfer building a cheap bag.
• You just want to hit it straight and don't care about shaping shots.
• You can check the loft, shaft, length, and condition, or return it if it doesn't fit.

Skip it if:

• You want to adjust loft or swap shafts at the range.
• The club needs a new grip and a reshaft, and the total gets close to a newer used driver.
• You like to work the ball both ways on purpose.

If you'd rather go newer, my best golf drivers guide covers what I'd buy today, and my Cleveland Launcher XL 2 driver review is where I'd look for a newer forgiving head that doesn't cost flagship money.

The PING G20 is still a good cheap driver if you buy the right one. Find one at a fair used price with the right loft, a shaft that fits, and no damage, and you've got a stable, high-launching driver for a fraction of the price of a new one. If it needs a grip and a reshaft, walk away and put that money toward a newer used driver.