Polarizing Products: PING Turbulators

If you’ve ever picked up a PING driver, you’ve definitely noticed them. Those raised ridges along the crown, known as “turbulators”, have been a signature design feature since the G30 driver in 2014. PING claims they improve aerodynamics, increase clubhead speed and ultimately help golfers squeeze out a little extra distance. But not everyone is convinced. Even if they are, from a pure aesthetic aspect for many golfers, they are an instant turn-off. Are turbulators a true technological advantage or just a polarizing design choice that does more for branding than for performance?

Let’s break it down and see where golfers land on this debate.

The science behind the turbulators

PING says turbulators help reduce drag, allowing the clubhead to move faster through the air. By disrupting airflow over the crown, they create a smoother passage which could lead to increased swing speed without extra effort. For a period of time, nearly every company was featuring some sort of crown ridge to fit this narrative but only PING has stuck by it through the years.

Turbulators sound great on paper but do golfers actually feel the difference? If you swapped between a PING driver and one without turbulators, would you gain clubhead speed? Or is this the kind of thing that makes sense in a wind tunnel but not necessarily on the course?

The fans

When PING introduced turbulators with the G30 driver, they committed to the concept in a way no other brand has. While other manufacturers have experimented with ridges and shapes on the crowns of their drivers , PING has included turbulators on every driver release for the past decade.

And the results speak for themselves. PING drivers consistently perform well in MyGolfSpy’s Most Wanted Testing, often ranking among the most forgiving and stable options year after year. Could that success be linked to the aerodynamic benefits of turbulators? If they didn’t help, would PING still be using them 10 years later? Or is this just a case of sticking with a recognizable design?

The less talked-about side to turbulators is how they can help with alignment. It is simple but the way they are placed helps not only with the aerodynamic story but also helps golfers frame the club properly at address for more consistent results. If you are like me, you may even like the look of turbulators. Do you like them? Or find comfort in having them to help with alignment on your drives?

The skeptics

Some golfers aren’t convinced turbulators actually impact performance. If they were a total game-changer, wouldn’t we see other OEMs continuing to follow PING’s lead? Instead, most brands focus on weight distribution, face technology and other ways to increase clubhead speed.

Once again, we must talk about the visual factor as, for many golfers, the fact turbulators are included on the driver is a non-starter. They say turbulators are distracting, ugly and just not appealing to look at in any way, regardless of performance.

Are you in this camp? Do you need a driver that has a cleaner look at address? Have you tried a PING driver with turbulators and not seen the swing speed increase?

Where do you stand?

PING clearly believes in turbulators and plenty of golfers swear by them. But are they a real performance booster or just a way to make PING drivers stand out? Would you choose a driver because of its aerodynamic design or do other factors matter more?

Now it’s time for you to weigh in. Have you noticed a difference when gaming a PING driver or do you think aerodynamics in drivers is a little overblown? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let’s get the debate going.