PING G430 Driver Comparison: Max vs LST vs SFT

For those who have followed PING’s club launches for awhile, the new G430 driver models won’t shock you.  The new line features three models that have been in PING’s lineup for awhile now: the G430 Max, G430 LST and G430 SFT.  Each one of these models is amazing in it’s own right, but we know how hard it can be to find the exact driver to fit your swing.  We’re obviously biased, but our first recommendation is always going to be getting custom fit.  However, if you just want to learn a little more about the sweet new drivers PING has on the market and which one might interest you most, you’ve come to the right place my friend!

First things first, what makes the G430 drivers different than previous models?  Even though there is only a slight name change, there are some significant differences between the new G430 and the older G425 drivers:

• Performance – The PING G425 Driver was at the top of every performance list for good reason.  It is a long, fast and forgiving driver with head options that fit any golfer – from pros to beginners.  That makes the distance gains of up to 7 yards even more impressive.
• Improved Sound – One of the very few (and very minor) knocks on the G425 drivers was that the sound at impact was not all that great compared to other drivers on the market.  PING engineers made the (correct) decision that performance outweighed acoustics and the G425 sound took a backseat.  With the G430, PING has dramatically improved it’s sound modeling capabilities, giving this new driver a significantly improved sound and feel.
• Faster Speed – When it comes to drivers, speed and distance have a direct correlation and PING made some big strides with the face design on the new G430.  Without getting too technical, the driver face is thinner than on the G425 and PING has made some changes to the variable face thickness pattern, which changes the way the face actually flexes.  The face height is also slightly smaller, which makes for a smoother path through the swing.  All that to say, the G430 is a sleeker, faster driver than it’s predecessor.
• Spinsistency – Say that three times fast – we dare you!  Even though spinsistency is a completely made up word, the science behind it is no joke.  The G430 drivers are the first in PING’s history to utilize spinsistency technology and the results speak for themselves.  In a nutshell, PING has made significant data-backed changes to reduce spin variation at different impact points on the driver head.  With more consistent spin, you have more consistent distance.  Spinsistency – Spin + Consistency.  Get it?
• Color Design – PING stuck with the matte black finish on the head, which most golfers love, but the new G430 drivers have a much lighter and playful look with some pops of yellow.  One of the reasons yellow was chosen is that psychologically, yellow is associated with joy, happiness and optimism.  Isn’t that sweet?

Now that you’re up to speed on the difference between the G430 and G425 drivers, you’ll want to read up on which of the three drivers is right for you.  All three drivers utilize the latest and greatest club technology on the market, but each is engineered to maximize performance in different areas and for different golfers.

First things first – here’s what’s new in all three G430 models:

Optimized T9s+ Titanium Face

A shallower, variable-thickness face is thinner for generating faster ball speed for PING’s biggest distance gains to date.

Sound Engineering

A new internal rib structure and increased curvature of the crown, skirt and sole fine-tunes clubhead frequencies to produce a more desirable sound and impact experience.

Spinsistency

Contributing to the added ball speed is a variable roll radius that improves performance across the face by reducing spin, resulting in faster speeds that generate consistently long drives.

CG Shifters

All three G430 models offer adjustable weights to influence shot shape between Draw, Neutral and Fade settings.  The weight does vary slightly from model to model, but more on that later.

Adjustable Loft & Lie

To customize ball flight, Trajectory Tuning 2.0 utilizes a lightweight, aerodynamic hosel sleeve that provides eight positions, adjusting for loft (+/- 1.5 degrees) and lie (up to 3 degrees flatter than standard.)

Forgiving Heads

Each of the G430 models are engineered to ensure added distance and forgiveness for a variety of skill levels.

PING has obviously upped their game with the technology in all the G430 drivers and each one of these drivers has the distance, forgiveness and workability to improve any golfer’s game.  However, there are a few key differences between the models.  Here’s the skinny on what makes the Max different from the LST and the LST different from the SFT:

G430 Max

The most forgiving G430.  Fits the widest range of golfers.

• Head Size – 460cc
• Loft Options – 9, 10.5, 12 Degrees
• CG Shifter Options – 25 gram tungsten backweight | +/- 8 yards between draw, neutral & fade

G430 LST

Smaller lower spin, lower trajectory head.  Best fit for golfers with higher swing speeds.

• Head Size – 440cc
• Loft Options – 9, 10.5 Degrees
• CG Shifter Options – 22 gram tungsten backweight | +/- 7 yards between draw, neutral & fade
• Carbonfly Wrap – Available only in the G430 LST model, PING’s Carbonfly Wrap covers the crown and wraps into the heel and toe sections of the skirt to save weight and lower the center of gravity for more ball speed and MOI

G430 SFT

Designed to produce right-to-left shot correction for golfers who regularly slice the ball

• Head Size – 460cc
• Loft Options – 10.5 Degrees
• CG Shifter Options – 22 gram tungsten backweight | +/- 20 yards between draw & draw+

If you are ready to check out the incredible new PING G430 Drivers (or fairways, hybrids and irons), stop by any of our 10 award-winning golf stores and talk to one of our club experts.  As always, we recommend getting custom fit for any new clubs - 98% of golfers see improvement in their game and loved the experience! 

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