Ping’s highly anticipated G440 lineup of drivers are finally here. With three new heads to choose from the G440 Max, G440 LST and G440 SFT all designed to address the needs of different players, but they share key technologies and offer upgrades over their G430 predecessors.
Before we get into the detail though this driver has shelf appeal. The bodies of PING G440 drivers are crisp charcoal gray with blue and chrome detailing. For me, these are the best looking Ping drivers in a number of years.
Right, lets get stuck in. Lowering the center of gravity (CG) has been a hot-button topic in the metal woods space and Ping is no exception. With the new G440 drivers, designers have created the lowest CG ever in a Ping driver thanks to the CarbonFly Wrap in the crown of all three 2025 driver models. CarbonFly Wrap was present in only the G430 LST driver in the last generation.
CG was also lowered through the use of a new internal technology called Free Hosel, which freed up 5g of weight in the high heel section of the driver. Ping basically stripped away a lot of the material on the heel side of the head to free up the heel side of the face to be more flexible, save mass and put it in areas they really need for performance. That saved about five or six grams of weight just in the heel.
That mass was then reallocated to the back weight of the driver, and each gram that can be saved to put in the back weight translates to a higher percentage MOI, more forgiveness. With the reallocation of that mass, the G440 MAX 9-degree head reaches 9500 combined MOI, almost as much as the popular G430 MAX 10k driver. This gives a very different performance between this years G440 MAX and last years G430 MAX with the focus more on speed with the G440 MAX and stability with the G430 MAX 10k.
Ping G440 also has a shallower face to help lower the CG even more and make the face thinner and more flexible. With the lower CG, Ping G440 drivers launch higher than their predecessors, meaning a player gets more launch out of the same loft, or go down in loft to get more speed if they are already in an optimal launch window.
One big change to be conscious of for this generation is shaft length. The standard length of G440 drivers with Ping’s ALTA CB Blue stock shaft will be 46″, thats a quarter-inch longer than previously. For stock aftermarket shafts, the length also increases a quarter-inch to 45.5″. To help accommodate the change in length, the head weights were dropped from 206 grams to 203 grams to compensate for swing weight.
The combination of longer and lighter build helps players swing it faster, while the additional forgiveness of the G440 design helps you keep it in the fairway.
“Our decision to go longer in length is backed by discoveries made here at the Ping Proving Grounds, inspired by the game-changing forgiveness of Ping drivers,” Ping CEO and president John K. Solheim said. “We know that longer-length clubs allow most golfers to swing faster, so we began measuring the effect of a 46-inch shaft during our fittings. The data revealed that most golfers improved their performance, leading to higher-launching, longer drives with tight dispersion.”
One criticism of Ping with previous generations of product was sound. Engineers have really improved this over the last few generations first going from G425 to G430, and now again with the new G440 line, they all sound so different and you will notice a serious difference, G440 just sounds powerful through the ball.
Three models for three different players
Ping’s three different heads in the G440 line are designed with three different players in mind. “One of the key design themes throughout the G440 driver family is optimization,” Solheim said. “That includes everything from the head size and shape to ensuring each model fits a specific player profile. Our team took a measured approach to ensure each model provides a fitting solution for every golfer.”
All of the models feature Ping’s eight-setting Trajectory Tuning 2.0 hosel that offers ±1.5-degrees loft adjustment and lie up to 3 degrees flat from standard. Previously, only the G430 LST driver featured a carbon fibre crown, but now all three G440 drivers come with Ping’s CarbonFly Wrap. This carbon fibre crown extends around the top of the club and into the toe and heel areas. Carbon fibre weighs less than titanium, which lowers the centre of gravity further and frees up more weight that Ping engineers shifted to other areas of the clubhead.
As in previous releases, G440 MAX is the most forgiving model, but also is aimed at fitting the greatest number of players, from a Tour pro to a weekend warrior. It features the CarbonFly Wrap crown for the first time and a 29-gram adjustable back weight that can be placed in three different positions to dial in horizontal CG location.
The G440 LST (Low Spin Technology) comes in a slightly smaller package (450 cc) and is a Tour-inspired model for high-speed players seeking to lower spin. Like the MAX, the LST also features the three-position adjustable back weight to adjust horizontal CG location.
Finally, the G440 SFT (Straight Fit Technology) is a draw bias model and has two positions for the adjustable 23-gram back weight: draw and draw+. New in the G440 SFT is a 9-degree loft option, as Ping research has shown many new, athletic golfers with plenty of speed to create the launch conditions necessary for a 9-degree head, but need the slice correction technology of the SFT, which previously was only offered in a 10.5-degree option.
Both the MAX and SFT drivers will be available in a G440 HL (High Launch) configuration with lighter head weights, shafts and grips for golfers who need help generating speed.
All three G440 drivers are available for preorder starting today and will arrive at retail on January 30th. All three models will have an RRP of €685 for any of the vast shaft offering Ping have as stock.
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