The PING G20 was a $330 driver back in 2011, and a used one now runs about $75 to $140. If you find one with the right loft, shaft and length, it’s still a stable, forgiving driver for very little money.
Is the PING G20 Driver worth buying?
Here’s why people still search for this driver. It was PING’s big forgiving driver for 2011, a 460 cc titanium head built to launch high and stay stable. And Bubba Watson won the 2012 Masters with a G20 in the bag.
But that was 2011. You can’t buy a G20 new anymore, and most of the ones out there have years of somebody else’s golf on them. So the question isn’t whether the G20 was good. It was. It’s whether the one you’re about to buy is a good deal for your swing, and that’s what I’m going to help you figure out.
Quick Overview
- It’s a 460 cc titanium driver that PING released in 2011 for $330.
- It came in 8.5, 9.5, 10.5 and 12 degrees, with the PING TFC 169D shaft from L flex all the way to X.
- There’s no adjustable hosel. The G25 in 2013 was PING’s first adjustable G-series driver.
- A typical used G20 runs about $75 to $140, and loft, shaft, hand and condition all move the price.
- Bubba Watson won the 2012 Masters with a G20 driver, built with a Grafalloy Bi-Matrix shaft.
PING G20 Driver Specs
These are the original numbers. A used G20 can have a different shaft, length or grip, so measure the actual club before you trust this table.
| Specification | PING G20 Driver |
|---|---|
| Model year | 2011 |
| Head volume | 460 cc |
| Head construction | Ti 8-1-1 titanium body |
| Lofts | 8.5, 9.5, 10.5 and 12 degrees |
| Hosel | Fixed and bonded, no loft or face-angle sleeve |
| Stock shaft | PING TFC 169D graphite (a Tour version also showed up) |
| Stock flexes | L, SR, R, S and X |
| Stock shaft weights | 45 to 62 grams, depending on flex |
| Shaft tip and butt | .350 in tip, .600 in butt |
| Original length | 45.75 inches |
| Original MSRP | $330 |
| Used price | About $75 to $140 for an ordinary complete club |
| Status | Discontinued, used only |
PING Built the G20 to Fly High and Straight, and That’s the Whole Point
PING built the G20 to be stable. It moved the weight low and back with an external weight on the sole, and the idea was a high launch without a ton of spin. For a lot of golfers, that’s exactly what a driver should do.
Here’s why that matters on your bad swings. A head with the weight pushed low and back doesn’t twist as much when you catch it out on the toe or in toward the heel. That helps it hold onto ball speed on a miss. It won’t make every miss go straight, but it takes some of the sting out of the ones that aren’t.
So what does that mean for you? If you mostly want the ball in the fairway and you don’t try to curve it on purpose, the G20 is built for you. It’s not going to fix your swing. A slice is still a slice, because the face angle at impact still comes from you. But it’s a stable head.
And don’t read Bubba Watson’s 2012 Masters win as a reason to buy the stock club. His G20 had a Grafalloy Bi-Matrix shaft, not the TFC 169D you’ll find in most used ones.
There’s No Adjustable Hosel, So You’re Buying the Exact Club in Front of You
This is the part you need to know before you shop. The G20 doesn’t adjust. The hosel is fixed and bonded, so you can’t change the loft or the face angle. PING didn’t put an adjustable hosel on a G-series driver until the G25 came out in 2013.
That also means you can’t buy a new PING adapter shaft and click it into a G20. It’s not going to fit. If you want a different shaft in this head, a club builder has to heat the hosel, pull the old shaft and put in one with a .350-inch tip, then get the length, swing weight and grip right.
So here’s how I’d shop it. Pick the loft first. Then find the shaft and flex you actually want, already in the club. The stock TFC 169D came in five flexes, from ladies all the way up to extra stiff, so there are plenty of used G20s out there with a decent shaft already in them. If you’re not sure what flex you need, here’s my guide on how to determine golf shaft flex.
A Good Fit Matters More Than the Year on the Sole
Here’s something I learned on my own driver. When I got fitted for the PXG Gen 6, I showed up with my PING G430 at 10.5 degrees. And I’d picked the G430 after testing all the other drivers that year, so I wasn’t walking in with a bad club.
The fitter still said my G430 was built very heavy for a driver. So he built the new one a little shorter, with less weight in the head. My club head speed went up almost 3 mph, my spin came down by about 550 rpm, and my dispersion got a lot tighter. You can watch the whole thing in my driver fitting video.
Now, that was a new driver, not a G20. But the lesson carries straight over. When you actually get fitted for a club with the data, it works. The right length, weight and shaft can matter more than how new the head is.
That’s why a G20 can still compete. A G20 that’s built right for you can beat a newer driver that isn’t. But it also cuts the other way. The original G20 was 45.75 inches long, and that’s long for a lot of golfers to hit in the center. Measure the club before you buy, because plenty of used ones have been cut down or extended since 2011.
Around $100, the Math Works
The G20 listed at $330. Grab a clean one for $90 and you’re paying about 73 percent less than the original sticker. That’s a lot of driver for the money.
But the price on the listing isn’t the whole price. If the grip is shot, add $15. If the shaft is wrong for you, now you’re paying a club builder to pull it and put in a new one. And once a new shaft and the labor get close to the price of another used G20, you’re usually better off just buying a different G20.
So here’s my rule. If the G20 you’re looking at has the right loft, a shaft that fits you and a grip you can play with, buy it. But if it needs a new grip and a new shaft, a newer $160 driver that’s already built right is probably the better buy. And if you want to tune loft at the range, skip the G20 and look at a newer PING with an adjustable hosel, like the PING G430.
What I Don’t Love
It’s a 15-year-old driver, and that’s the catch. The grip is aging, the epoxy is aging, and you usually don’t know what the last owner did to it. Check the face and crown for cracks or dents, give the head a twist to make sure the hosel isn’t loose, and listen for any weird rattle or sound. And buy from somebody who takes returns.
Don’t count on a warranty either. PING says it stands behind its workmanship and looks at defects case by case, but it doesn’t publish a fixed warranty term. And if somebody else already reshafted or altered the club, that can make a repair cost more or rule it out. Ask PING or a PING dealer about the exact club before you count on any coverage.
It’s also not a shot-shaper’s driver. The same stability that helps you on a miss makes it harder to curve the ball on purpose. If you like to work the ball both ways off the tee, I’d look somewhere else.
Who It’s For
Buy it if:
- You want a forgiving driver that flies high and straight, and you’re not going to spend new-driver money on one.
- You’re getting back into golf or putting together a cheap set.
- You can check the loft, shaft, length and grip before you pay, or the seller takes returns.
- You’ve already hit a G20 and you know it works for you.
Skip it if:
- You want to adjust the loft or swap in a modern PING adapter shaft.
- You like to shape your drives and hit draws and fades on purpose.
- The G20 you found needs a grip and a reshaft. At that point, a newer driver that’s already built right is the better buy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the PING G20 driver adjustable?
No. The G20 has a fixed, bonded hosel, so the loft and face angle are set for good, and modern PING adapter shafts won’t fit it. The first adjustable G-series driver was the G25 in 2013.
What year did the PING G20 driver come out?
- PING released the G20 in 2011 at $330, and it came in 8.5, 9.5, 10.5 and 12 degrees. It’s been discontinued for years, so every one you find now is used.
Is the PING G20 driver forgiving?
Yes, for a driver from its era. PING put the weight low and back so the head stays stable when you miss the center, and that helps it hold onto ball speed. It’s not going to fix a slice, though.
What shaft is in the PING G20 driver?
The stock shaft is the PING TFC 169D graphite, in L, SR, R, S and X, from 45 to 62 grams. A lot of used G20s have a different shaft in them now, so check the label. A new shaft has to be glued in by a club builder with a .350-inch tip.
How much is a used PING G20 driver worth?
A typical complete G20 runs about $75 to $140. Loft, shaft, hand, condition and the seller all move that number. Around $100 with the right shaft and a good grip is a fair deal. Add the cost of a grip or a reshaft before you compare it with a newer driver.
Final Thoughts: PING G20 Driver Review
Here’s where I land. If you find a G20 in your loft, with a shaft that suits your swing and a decent grip, for around $100, buy it and go play. It’s still a forgiving, straight driver. But if it’s going to need work before you can play it, or you want to tune the loft, spend a little more on a newer driver that’s already built for you.
About the author
Paul Liberatore
Paul Liberatore is the founder of Golfers Authority and a former four-year golf gear contributor to Sports Illustrated. He tests golf equipment hands-on to help golfers make better buying decisions.