PING G425 Metals Review

by Joe Dier, Club Fitter

G425 Drivers

What can I say about the new PING G425 drivers other than the fact that they are some of the best drivers PING has ever produced. I know that may be a bold statement, but after testing all three models and seeing how they perform compared to last year’s G410 lineup, it is clear that these drivers will be top performers in 2021.

The G425 lineup offers three different heads for 2021: MAX, LST and SFT.

MAX: PING expanded on the moveable weight track that they first featured in last year’s G410 line by making the track shorter and putting a heavier weight, from 17g to 26g. This makes the club more stable effectively making it a straighter driver. The position of the heavier weight does really affect the ball flight, it will promote a draw when in the heel and be more fade biased when in the toe. This will be offered in 9*, 10.5* and 12*.

LST: The LST stands for “Low Spin Technology”. It spins less due to the fact that the head is 445 CC which should flatten the trajectory and lower the launch. In the LST, they kept the 17g weight, but that weight in the shorter track does make this driver more forgiving, by keeping the center of gravity (CG) further back in the head. In testing, we saw that this head spun almost 400 RPMs less than the MAX and SFT models. This will be offered in 9* and 10.5*.

SFT: The SFT stands for “Straight Flight Technology”. This head is for someone who primarily misses the ball to the right. This head will help combat that by having a fixed 23g weight in the heel, which is heavier than the original 12g weight offered in the G410. They will only be offered in 10.5*

Other key technologies in the G425 lineup include:

Precision Forged Face: A proprietary high-strength, precision-machined T9S+ forged face maximizes flexing to deliver fast ball speeds and more distance.

Internal Dragonfly: With Dragonfly technology, weight savings from the Ti 8-1-1 ultra-thin crown are redistributed within the head and back weight to increase MOI and optimize the CG for more distance and forgiveness.

Fast Design: Refined crown turbulators reduce aerodynamic drag for increased swing speed and ball velocity.

Internal Ribbing: PING engineers developed an internal rib structure in the Ti 8-1-1 body, reinforcing key sections of the head to improve acoustics for a solid, pleasing sound and better feel.

Data

The stock shafts offered in the G425 line are the PING Alta CB Slate, the PING Tour, the Aldila white 70g shaft, the Tensei 55g and 65g shaft and the PING Alta Distanza.

During testing, I used a 10.5 degree loft with the same Tensei Orange stiff 65g shaft and neutral weighting in all three heads. The results show that all three heads perform as they are supposed to. The LST spun about 400 rpms less than the others and because of this it had higher ball speeds and increased distance. The MAX was definitely straighter without sacrificing much distance and the SFT, while not being as fast, did what it was supposed to do which is go left. The SFT model will be a good option for “slicers” of the golf ball.

Like I stated above, this line of woods will be a must try for every golfer looking for an upgrade. The MAX is one of the straightest drivers to date, the LST is one of the lowest spinning models and the SFT will go left.

G425 Fairways

The 2021 PING G425 fairways, like the drivers, are going to be incredibly good. They offer plenty of forgiveness but better speed than past models. This model is extremely easy to hit because of its flat, shallow head. Typically, this will be good for a player that struggles with contact, especially with someone who may hit behind that ball.

Like the driver, the fairway woods will offer three different heads: MAX, LST and SFT.

MAX: The G425 MAX head is the more versatile head that will appeal to more players. It has a tungsten weight that will provide more MOI, or “moment of inertia” which makes the head more forgiving. It also has a steel face wrap that makes the face thinner that increases flexing for higher ball speeds. This head will be offered in a 3, 5, 7 and 9 wood.

LST: The LST model or “low spin technology” will be more appealing to the better player. This head is slightly smaller than the Max head, which shifts the CG forward. By doing this it lowers the spin rate, gets higher ball speed but does lose forgiveness. This head will only be offered in a 3 wood.

SFT: The SFT or “straight flight technology” will be the most forgiving and appeal more to someone who hits the ball right or has an issue getting the ball in the air. The CG is moved more toward the heel which will create more of a right to left ball flight. This head is also slightly weaker lofted than the others which will help get that ball in the air. This head is offered in 3, 5 and 7 wood.

Some of the technology used:

Spinsistency™: A complex face curvature modifies the roll profile, mainly low on the face where loft decreases, to bring more consistent spin performance and increase ball speed for added distance.

Facewrap™: The thin, high-strength maraging steel face wraps into the crown and sole to increase flexing for faster speeds that result in greater distance and high-launching shots.

Alignment Guide: On the crown, a new 3-dot alignment feature (large dot in the middle) offers alignment guidance and inspires confidence at address.

Tungsten Weighting: A tungsten sole weight strategically positioned in each club increases the MOI in the stainless-steel head for added forgiveness.

Data

While I only tested the MAX fairway, I have seen similar results for all three models during club fittings. The MAX head was forgiving but with a good launch and lower spin rate that made for straight and long shots. This club will be good for coming into a par 5 or teeing off as well. The LST was excellent as well, good ball speed, slightly lower launch but solid distance numbers. This club, for me, would be better for tee shots rather than an approach shot into a par 5. Finally, the SFT does exactly what it is supposed to do. It goes high in the air and it wants to go left, this club will be great for someone who struggles getting the ball in the air and misses it right.

With the versatility of the G425 line, I believe PING metals will have an excellent 2021. They truly offer a club for every type of golfer out there.