Welcome to GOLF.com’s ClubTest Proving Ground, where Managing Equipment Editor Jonathan Wall and Senior Equipment Editor Ryan Barath — along with a cast of GOLF writers and editors — put the latest designs and groundbreaking technology in the equipment space to the test on the range and the course.
For 2024 ClubTest, we paired members of our staff with the latest gear from manufacturers to give you, the potential club buyer, real insights from real golfers and their firsthand experience testing new clubs.
***
TESTER: Jessica Marksbury, Senior Editor | 9.3 HCP
GOAL: Identify the specs that will help eliminate inconsistency and build my confidence, especially for mid-length approaches, and hopefully, gain some yards.
THE LOWDOWN: In 2015, I reached what I now recognize as the peak of my post-collegiate golf life: I qualified for the U.S. Women’s Mid-Am. It was an awesome experience, even though I didn’t play my best at the tournament, but in retrospect, I can see now that everything changed after that. I became a mom the next year and had my second child in 2020. Golf took up official residence on the back burner, and as a result, my handicap index began a slow climb.
Fast-forward to the present day, and my once low-single-digit number has tripled. But I promise I’m not salty about it! Instead, I’m actively embracing a new phase of my golf life: non-competitive, pure-enjoyment golf. My rounds these days are usually nine holes, from the forward tees, playing alongside my mom or husband, and recently, my young daughter, who’s finally ready to play! And there are occasional outings or media rounds, which I always look forward to. But having fun is the first priority.
But just because I’m sporting a newly chilled-out vibe doesn’t mean my standards have completely tanked! I still want to make solid contact, I still want to hit it (relatively) far and sink putts. And my current gamers were leaving a bit to be desired in that respect: my once-trusty driver has been plaguing me with surprise snap-hooks, and my mid-length approach game has been woefully inconsistent, inclusive of duffs, skulls and tops.
With all that in mind, my club-fitting goal was simple: I wanted a set with consistent yardage-gapping, and I wanted the feel of crisp contact, reliable distance, and ideally, tight dispersion too.
FITTING PROCESS: I headed to PING’s headquarters, conveniently located less than a half-hour from my Phoenix home, and connected with my fitter, Ryan Carr, at PING’s expansive grass range. As I warmed up with my current gamers, I explained to Ryan what I was looking for. Last year, I was fit into gear based on specs alone, and the driver shaft I had been using often felt a bit too whippy. Sometimes I would hit a good shot, though, so I usually just chalked up the bad misses to my own error. That was something I was hoping to fix.
I also emphasized that regular practice is not something I have the bandwidth to take on these days, so I was really hoping for some equipment that could provide some immediate improvement. Real talk: My clubspeed is in the low 80s with the driver, so I needed all the help I could get!
Ryan listened and watched attentively and made quick business of getting me set up with PING’s G Le3s, which are specifically designed for women, so they’re lightweight and easy to swing. In fact, they seemed custom-engineered for my wishes, with a lower, more forward center of gravity to give you added distance, and an emphasis on ease of launch.
PING Women’s G Le3 Irons
$849.99
View Product
We worked through the bag from top to bottom: driver, fairway woods, irons. Each time, Ryan set me up with the perfect combo on the first try. I joked that this must be an easy fitting for him, but even when we tinkered with the specs for fun, it turned out that Ryan’s first instincts were always correct. Ultimately, I ended up with Lite shafts, a half-inch shorter than standard.
The grand finale was a putter fitting, which I had never done before. I’ve had a PING Isopur in the bag for literally 20+ years. My putting has always been so-so, hot and cold, so I’ve never really considered changing. But what Ryan showed me with PING’s putter fitting was how I could find a new putter that suited my tendencies and stroke pattern. That was eye-opening, to say the least.
My Fitted Gear
Driver: Wow, what a revelation it was to hit the G Le3. The driver is my favorite club in the bag, and even on bad ballstriking days, I could usually find the fairway off the tee. But lately, my driving had tanked along with my scores. I needed help.
The G Le3 was an immediate solution. From the very first swing, I was blown away by the soaring trajectory and straight ball flight. My snap-hook misses turned into softer draws, and other mis-hits traveled nearly as far as solid shots. And I’m sort of burying the lede here, because all of that consistent contact resulted in a whopping 25-yard gain in distance off the tee. Wait, WHAT?! Yes! Hallelujah!
PING Women’s G Le3 Driver
$499.99
View Product
Fairway woods/hybrids: Before experiencing my tee-it-forward epiphany, my fairway woods and hybrids saw a lot of action. I needed them on pretty much every hole, and they can be admittedly hard clubs to hit.
Even so, with a swing that is naturally pretty flat, I’ve always favored my hybrids and fairway woods over my longer irons. But based on the Trackman data we compiled during the fitting, Ryan showed me that my distance gaps weren’t very significant at the top end, so I ended up going with the G Le3 5-wood, 7-wood and 6-hybrid — no 3-wood, which is fine by me!
Irons: I have been singing the praises of the G Le3s lightweight-ness, but I’ll admit, when I first put them in my hands, they felt heavier than my current gamers. But lo and behold, that weight was beautifully distributed during the swing, and felt supremely balanced at impact. I also couldn’t believe the improvement in my dispersion. I literally went from an elliptical shape — stretching basically from one side of the fairway to the other — to a tight circle. For a gal who avoids bunkers like the plague, that’s a hugely impactful development for my game.
Irons have always been historically difficult clubs for me. I don’t take much of a divot and have always gotten by as a bit of a sweeper. But the G Le3 irons gave me a soaring and satisfying ball flight from the very first swing. They were a joy to hit, and I ordered them all the way up to a 7-iron, inclusive of three wedges: sand, pitch and gap.
PING Women’s G Le3 Louise Putter
$229.99
View Product
Putter: My trusty Isopur has been a staple in my bag since high school. Through good and bad days on the green, I never thought to putt with anything else. But when Ryan showed me the G Le3’s Louise, the mid-mallet shape was very appealing to me, and when I took a few strokes, I was impressed by how easy it felt to aim, and the crisp feel at contact too. Ryan also assured me that it was specifically weighted to be the right choice for my stroke style. Sold!
The Results
My PING fitting not only resulted in more carry distance with every club, but also radically improved my dispersion on solid shots and mis-hits alike. You can’t ask for much more from a fitting, and, thanks to a new boost of confidence, with these clubs, maybe additional competitive events can be in my future after all.
Want to overhaul your bag for 2024? Find a fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.