Just like we did yesterday with Adams, were going to give a lot of praise to Ping for keeping things simple. Ping remains steady and consistent, producing updated models annually, however; you’re not going to see them releasing an abundance of new equipment just because they can.

Instead, what we you can count on are evolutionary products, which in additional to delighting Ping loyalists, deserve a look from anyone in the market for some new gear.

While I haven’t seen a fit cart from Ping that features interchangeable shafts (like Callaway and TaylorMade), their static fitting techniques still rule the industry, and, at least at my local proshop, are used as part of EVERY iron fitting, regardless of whether or not you happen to be buying a set of Ping clubs.

Drivers

Last year we made no secret of the fact that we hated, despised, loathed, what ever you want to call it, the neon green paint job on the Rapture series of clubs. Thankfully, this year the color scheme is more of a burnt orange, which we find much more appealing.

The new Ping driver, in fact the new just about everything, is the G10 series. For the first time Ping is offering a driver with a draw bias. Like other companies, Ping achieves this, in part, by placing additional weight in the heal of the club head. Ping, however, takes things a step beyond by moving the hosel slightly forward which further helps to square the club at impact.

Both the draw and standard models were born from what Ping calls Finite Element Analysis (FEA). The translation is that Ping engineers ran their design through a Cray Supercomputer and came up with a crown, face, and sole interaction that maximizes energy transfer to the ball, which results in…you guessed it; increased ball speed and greater distance (Ping claims up to 10 additional yards).

The stock shaft this year is the Ping TFC (Tip Flex Control – isn’t this fun), which achieves optimum launch conditions by varying the weight and flex throughout the shaft.

The G10 is available in lofts of 7.5°, 9.0°, 10.5°, 12°, and 13.5° versions in the standard. The same is true for the draw version with the exception of the 7.5° degree model, which is not offered.

The G10 driver retails for $350. I’m putting the standard model in my bag.

Fairway Woods

Matching the G10 driver almost line for line is the G10 fairway wood. The big design feature here is what Ping calls a “skirt-less” design, which means the face intersects directly with the sole. Golf club or no golf club, I’m a big fan of skirt-less anything so… They’re also repositioning discretionary weight low in the clubface. As you can probably guess, the result is a low center of gravity, and a higher launch angle.

As with the G10 driver, the TFC shaft is standard, but the Grafalloy ProLauch red, and the Proforce V2 high-launch are both options.

Early reviews of G10 fairway are overwhelmingly positive, so I highly recommend trying one out.

The G10 fairway retails for $255.

Hybrids

The G10 lineup continues with the new G10 hybrid. Of all the 2008 Ping clubs, this is the one we find most intriguing. The trend with both hybrids and fairway woods is to make the clubs bigger, to more closely match the 460cc size of the modern driver.

Ping however, has chosen to go with a more compact design for the G10. I find that a more compact head gives a hybrid a more iron-like appearance – and I like that. I’m sure there are plenty of people who feel more confident standing over a super-sized mallet, I just don’t happen to be one of them.

The G10 has internal weight pad, placed parallel to the ground, which is used to achieve that low center of gravity we hear so much about. The crown of the club is sloped in a manner reminiscent of last year’s Cleveland HiBore hybrid. I came close, really close to putting the HiBore in my bag last year, so you can bet I’ll spend some quality time with the G10 at demo days in April.

The G10 is available in 6 lofts designed to replace a 1-iron right down to a 6-iron. They all feature a tapered sole with a bounce angle that increases as the clubs get shorter.

The G10 Hybrid retails for $175.

Irons
It’s been the Ping way to release at least 2 new iron sets each year. 2008 is no different with new offerings in both the super game-improvement, and game-improvement categories. As of yet, I haven’t heard any news on a blade-style iron for low handicappers.

The new offering for high-handicappers is the G10. This oversized iron features a redesigned tuning port which helps to stabilize the hitting area over the entire clubface. This of course means consistent ball velocity, even on mishits. For those of you who like a big-faced iron, take a long look at the G10 irons.

For mid-range players, Ping is offering up the i10 iron. The i10 features a smaller head, more blade-like in appearance (although it’s still a cavity back). The i10 with it’s minimal offset and thin top rail is definitely more of a players club. That’s not to say there isn’t some forgiveness built in. Discretionary weight has been placed in the toe of the club face, which give the i10 a high MOI relative to blade length.

If you’re looking for something to compare the i10s to, they read like a competitor to the Callaway X-20 Tours (which I love).

Both the G10 and i10 irons retail for $107.50 per club (steel) and $135 per club (graphite).

Wedges

New for 08 is the Tour-W Wedge. The new wedge (available in either Black Nickel or a Brushed Silver finish) has a traditional tear-drop shape, and features a tungsten weighted tuning port. The insert helps keep the weight low and forward, which in turn promotes proper club head rotation.

The Tour-W is available in lofts from 47° to 60° (Where’s the 64° guys?) with multiple bounce options.

Retail price is $109

Putters

To the best of my knowledge, no other manufacturer has hopped on the custom putter fitting train like Ping. While most proshops will do a basic fitting, only Ping seems to take putter fitting as seriously as it does every other club in the bag.

While there are quite a few new offerings in Ping’s 2008 lineup, it’s the 2 new models in the i-series that I’m most interested in. The 1/2 Craze-E looks like a not-quite-a-blade-not-quite-a-mallet styled offering. While the 1/2-Moon is pure blade.

Both feature a 2-piece insert that provides a firm, solid response, while still maintaining a soft fee.

I like the look of the new 1/2 moon, so for $119 I’ll go ahead and throw it in my bag. And speaking of bags…

Bags

Ping is one of the manufacturers (like Cleveland and Callaway) who’s really stepping up their efforts on the bag front. It seems everyone is realizing a bag can be more than just a semi-convenient way to carry your clubs. One look at the new Pioneer cart bag and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

The Pioneer features a 14-way divider, with 6 full-length sections, and an exterior putter well. The bag also features a cooler pocket with space for up to 2 water bottles. Finally, there’s a molded, and lined storage area for your sunglasses.

The Pioneer is available in 5 different color combos. I’m really digging the White/Crimson/Silver myself.

The one criticism I have for this bag is the divider system. Guys, 6 full-lengths sections kind a feels like you mailed it in at the end. Full length dividers make a difference, and although, for the purpose of this exercise I’m choosing this bag, in reality it’s enough of an issue for me that I’d look elsewhere.

For those in the market for a stand bag, the Ping Latitude with it’s detachable ball pocket (for use as a shag bag) is a good option.

The Ping Pioneer retails for $169, the Latitude for $189

In my estimation, 2008 looks much better than 2007 for Ping. Granted, most of my misgivings about last year had to do with paint color instead of performance, but as I’ve said, esthetics matter. This year, there’s plenty of Ping gear that I’ll want to at least try out.

The total estimated cost of my Ping bag (including the bag itself) is $2293.50