Ping look set to make a foray into the mini driver market with a new ‘Prototype’ appearing on the USGA conforming list. Here’s what we know so far.
Ping are known for producing some of the best drivers in golf, and now they appear to be following the likes of Callaway, TaylorMade, PXG and Cobra in entering the rapidly-growing mini driver market with Today’s Golfer’s eagle-eyed gear team spotting the new ‘Prototype’ on the USGA conforming list on Monday.
Mini drivers continue to gain traction as golfers search for a more control-oriented option off the tee without giving up distance. Positioned between a full-size driver and a 3-wood, they typically offer a smaller head than a 460cc driver, slightly higher lofts, and shorter shafts that promote more consistent contact.
The result is a club built for players who want a dependable fairway-finder, or simply prefer a more compact, confidence-inspiring look at address.
There’s limited info about Ping’s move into the mini driver market at this stage, but we do know that Ping will be carrying ‘Spinsistency’ technology (a face engineered to normalize spin rates, particularly on low-face strikes) over into the model. Instead of letting those misses balloon up in the air with excess spin and fall out of the sky, Spinsistency subtly alters face curvature in key areas so contact low on the face launches with more predictable spin and ball speed.
In a mini driver, a club that’s likely to be leaned on in high-pressure tee shots, that approach makes perfect sense. It neatly reinforces Ping’s long-standing design ethos: forgiveness achieved through consistency.
The model put forward for USGA approval has 13º loft and both right and left-handed models have been submitted. There’s adjustable weighting to change the flight bias, and an adjustable hosel, which we’d assume will allow for loft tweaks.
So what’s different about this mini driver? For now, it appears the release will be limited to tour players only, mirroring the current status of Srixon’s ZXi LS mini.
Its appearance on the conforming list suggests we should start seeing it appear in tour bags over the next few weeks. And if Ping’s first crack at a mini driver finds success on tour, there’s every chance we could see a version for amateur golfers in the future.