Ping are renown for producing some of the finest clubs your money can buy. Here are our pick of the best Ping drivers for 2023
Ping drivers are used by some of the best golfers in the world, and for a good reason.
Staffers include Tony Finau, Harris English, Cameron Champ and Corey Conners – all of whom are already gaming Ping’s latest G430 models.
Ping’s new roster of market-leading drivers includes the Ping G430 SFT, Ping G430 LST and Ping G430 Max, each with their own unique characteristics that will suit every golfer’s needs.
In case you haven’t read up on Ping’s latest innovations, we’ve got everything you need to know about the Ping G430 drivers and why they might just be the brand’s best line-up yet.
Below we take a look at the best Ping drivers for beginners, best Ping drivers for distance, best Ping drivers for high handicappers and best Ping drivers for mid handicappers to come to a conclusion of what are the best Ping drivers ever made.
Best Ping Drivers 2023
Ping G430 SFT driver
The Ping G430 SFT driver looks great behind the ball. It doesn’t sit closed like the draw-biased drivers of old, and the lime green touches make it look really smart.
As soon as you pick up the G430 SFT, you almost sigh with relief as its profile is much bigger than a lot of the other brands’ new drivers this year. The Ping has a shallow face and an elongated head, which makes it feel massive and that the sweet spot is huge.
Ping loyalists are going to really enjoy the Ping G430 range in 2023 with the SFT model being a big part of that. With nearly all golfers slicing the ball, reaching for the SFT will make a lot of sense for players now that Ping have built a draw-biased driver that is so powerful.
Pros:
- Sounds brilliant
- Consistent flight from all strike locations
- Draw features really work
Cons:
- It will not suit a player who already draws the ball
- RELATED: Read our full Ping G430 SFT driver review
Ping G430 LST driver
The LST is slightly small that the other two models in the range, a 440cc head vs 460cc, and this helps generate more speed than I have previously managed with Ping drivers. It is bringing Ping closer to other brands in terms of aerodynamics and out and out speed whist retaining their still untouchable forgiveness.
They are just so consistent. There are about 500rpm between my lowest and highest spinners which, considering I am an inconsistent human, is mighty impressive. My mishit tends to be thin, and Ping reduces loft lower on the face to help ball speeds for strikes off the bottom. I think this is helping me.
Pros:
- Serious ball speeds
- Faster than other Ping drivers
- Consistent spin rates
Cons:
- I have to give it back
- RELATED: Read our full Ping G430 LST driver review
Ping G430 Max driver
I always love the consistency of Ping drivers but sometimes feel the bigger shaping means I don’t get as much club head speed or carry distance as I would like. So I was keen to see if this would change with in the new G430 model.
Initial shots felt like they were going further from the same club head speed, which is always a good sign. My average carry distance was 233.4 yards, which is the distance I would want to see from my driver, and my longest shots were getting out at just under 240 yards.
In terms of ease of use, this felt exceptionally easy to launch and get down the fairway even with the 9° club head I tested.
Pros:
- Excellent carry distances
- Really consistent data
- Forgiving on off centre strikes
Cons:
- Bigger club head than some other brands
- RELATED: Read our full Ping G430 Max driver review
Ping G425 Max driver
I always love the consistency of Ping drivers, but sometimes feel the bigger shaping means I don’t get as much club head speed or carry distance as I would like. So I was keen to see if this would change with in the new G430 model.
Initial shots felt like they were going further from the same club head speed, which is always a good sign. My average carry distance was 233.4 yards, which is the distance I would want to see from my driver, and my longest shots were getting out at just under 240 yards.
In terms of ease of use, this felt exceptionally easy to launch and get down the fairway even with the 9° club head I tested.
Pros:
- Excellent carry distances
- Really consistent data
- Forgiving on off centre strikes
Cons:
- Bigger club head than some other brands
- RELATED: Read our full Ping G430 Max driver review
The Best Ping Drivers 2023
How do we test drivers?
At National Club Golfer we are passionate about producing accurate and thorough reviews and make sure our testing process is rigorous so we get a good understanding of how each club performs.
Each driver is hit with TP5 golf balls to allow us to collect launch monitor data with our in-house TrackMan and Flightscope. After this it is time to head out onto the golf course and test the clubs in practice and competition play. We do this across a variety of golf clubs in our base of Yorkshire.
What is important when buying a new driver?
When buying a new driver it is important to know what you want from that club to help you improve.
Most people are looking for more distance, each driver model is optimised for different things. Depending on your swing and your impact conditions, you may not actually hit the model that is advertised as the longest, the furthest. So if you want more distance it is always worth giving different models a hit before you make a decision.
For most golfers, especially high handicappers, something that is more forgiving is going to yield the best performance. Most forgiving golf drivers have a slightly bigger club head with perimeter weighting for high MOI. They also have a center of gravity that is further back to help players get more height on their shots.
Do you want something that is draw bias? There are so many models out there to help with slice correction, it would be silly not to take a look if you see your ball disappearing into the right trees too often. A closed face and draw bias weighting can get you hitting straighter shots in no time at all.
Don’t forget about the shaft either. Getting the correct shaft can help dial in your spin, launch angle and can also give you some extra distance. Having a club fitting or trying different options with your local pro can really improve the performance of your new driver.
FAQ’s
What is the latest Ping driver?
The G430 line from Ping includes all their latest driver models. There are three options available, the G430 Max is the most forgiving model, and has the highest MOI. The G430 SFT is a draw-bias offering aimed at higher handicappers who are looking to tame a slice. Finally, the G430 LST is Callaway’s low-spin offering for high-swing speed players.
What’s different in the latest Ping drivers?
Ping are back for 2023 with the replacement to their popular G425 range, the G430, a line-up that includes three drivers, two fairway woods, a hybrid, and a set of game improvement irons.
The big new change in the Ping drivers comes from the acoustics. People were very hit and miss about if they liked the G425 sound so Ping did a lot of work on improving this in their latest driver models.
They increased the curvature and stiffness of the golf club’s crown, skirt and sole to improve the club’s natural frequency. They also positioned ribs inside the club head to change vibrations that affect the sound off the face.
The face is forged and has variable face thickness to deliver more face flexing and more consistent ball speeds across the face. The G430 clubface is 6% thinner than we saw in the G425 to help drive up ball speeds. It is also 0.1″ shallower.
The club face of the drivers features a variable roll radius which delivers less loft lower on the face. This delivers more ball speed on low strikes and also allows for more consistent spin and carry distances.
What Ping drivers do the pros use?
Ping’s Tour players use a wide variety of their driver offerings. The G430 LST is already one of the favourites on the PGA and DP World Tour which isn’t surprising given the club head speed of these players. It was first used by Keegan Bradley back in October 2022 on his way to winning the ZOZO Championship.
Some players opt for a club with more forgiveness, Stewart Cink is currently gaming the Ping G430 Max driver
Ping’s new models have already taken Ping staffers by storm. As a result, Cameron Champ, Austin Cook, Corey Conners, Tony Finau and Harris English are amongst the names who are currently gaming the brand’s newest models.
More info: Ping Website
