PING Golf has always made some of the most forgiving equipment on the market. Their goal in recent years have been to make a driver to help you hit more fairways, but one that doesn’t spin too much and limits distance. To be honest, they’re not clubs that we can say we have been too familiar or intrigued with over the past years (aside from our PING Anser putter), however, the G425 has definitely caught out attention for 2021. The new PING G425 driver is supposed to be 14% more forgiving than previous PING drivers and offers three versions for golfers of all levels – the G425 MAX, G425 LST and G425 SFT.
The previous PING G410 was considered the industry standard when it came to forgiveness in drivers. With the G425, they’ve improved this by increasing the MOI by adding a 26-gram movable tungsten weight, which is offset by weight savings in the driver’s crown. You’re going to find many of the same features you’ve found in past PING drivers too. Turbulators, designed to reduce drag, are part of this line, as is the T9S+ forged face. Finally, an internal rib structure in the body offers a solid feel and incredible sound.
G425 MAX
The G425 MAX is the standard model for the masses. To achieve the new performance levels, PING engineers combined key technologies from the G400 Max and G410 Plus. The resulting increase in MOI in the 460cc head comes mainly from a 26-gram tungsten movable weight, which is made possible by weight savings attributed to advancements in the driver’s dragonfly crown technology. The weight can be positioned at distinctive settings over a smaller area than G410 Plus/LST to help shift the center of gravity lower and farther back without sacrificing performance elsewhere in the design. The CG-shifting weight can be secured in one of three settings — neutral, draw or fade — to influence forgiveness and shot shape for maximum performance. The average MOI increase is 14% across the three weight positions compared to the G410 Plus, with three combinations of weight position and loft exceeding a combined MOI of 10,000 (gm-cm²).
G425 LST
The G425 LST is the low-spin option of the driver (LST being Low Spin Technology). It has a pear-shaped head that is 445cc, compared to the 460cc of the G425 MAX. Because of the smaller head, the LST model delivers a reduction of 200 rpm of spin, and assuming you launch the ball correctly, that means more distance. The driver offers a reduction of 500 to 700 rpm in spin.
G425 SFT
The G425 SFT is the anti-slice driver of this line of equipment. For those golfers who cut across the ball, resulting in an open clubface and a slice, SFT is a game changer. PING uses 23-grams of tungsten to shift the weight closer to the heel, and use a lighter swing weight to keep your shots flying straighter.
Fairway Woods and Hybrids
The G425 fairway woods and hybrids again both employ deep perimeter weighting for higher stability, as well as three models for three golfer categories in fairway woods and a wide array of lofts. But something completely new is the face design, which of course is aimed at building more consistent performance top to bottom.
In both the fairway woods and hybrids, the key changes are its structure and its shaping. First, the face, made of a high-strength maraging steel, now wraps around the crown and sole to improve ball speed all across the face. There’s also a new variable curvature of the face. Rather than a consistent curve, the lower part of the face actually reduces loft twice as much as past models. The idea is to combat the excessive spin and ball speed drop-off typically seen from impacts low on the face. Typically on a fairway wood and hybrid, the face curvature would change the loft for impacts above center by a little over a degree and reduce loft low on the face by the same amount. By varying that curvature, the loft low on the face on the G425 fairway woods and hybrids is twice as low for shots below center. Wood said the two elements produce independent and combined effects.
Source: PING Golf
