Ping G425 Driver Review: The complete package

The highly anticipated Ping G425 driver headlines a range that also features fairway woods, hybrids, irons and crossovers, and it's set to make a storm in the golf industry.

In the G425 driver series, the primary model is named Max, as it elevates the moment of inertia (MOI) to Ping's highest level to date and provides golfers with maximum forgiveness.

Joining the G425 Max are the LST (Low Spin Technology) and SFT (Straight Flight Technology) to best match a golfer’s swing and launch conditions.

GolfMagic's equipment editor Alex Lodge put the Ping G425 to the test.

All you need to know: Best Golf Drivers

WATCH OUR PING G425 DRIVER REVIEW:

Ping G425 driver - Key Features

• 26g tungsten movable weight: can be positioned at distinctive settings to help shift the centre of gravity lower and farther back, resulting in increased MOI
• CG-shifting weight: can be secured in one of three settings: neutral, draw or fade - to influence forgiveness and shot shape for maximum performance

Player Level

Which Ping G425 driver is right for you?

Here's a helpful table to help you decide which of the new Ping G425 drivers are best suited to your game: 

Ping G425 driver - Looks and Feel

In terms of looks, Ping has really upped its game with the design of the G425. It looks modern, clean and mean. A winning combination.

The black and silver look, along with the matte finish gives the Ping G425 Max driver an impressive and smart vibe. They look like tour drivers and the look instils confidence.

When Alex took the Ping G425 Max driver to the driving range, it was very, very loud. The sound echoed around the range which is very pleasing.

The noise is different to many other drivers that Alex has tested. The internal rib structure enhances both the sound and feel when you connect with your golf ball.

Ping G425 driver - Performance and Forgiveness

For golfers who commonly miss their tee shots to the right, the 460cc SFT version (10.5º loft) is engineered with draw bias to help bring shots back online and into the fairway.

It features a fixed 23-gram tungsten back weight that shifts the CG closer to the heel to promote a right-to-left shot bend of approximately 25 yards compared to the G425 Max model. A lighter swing weight (D1) also helps influence the ball flight correction.

To help contribute to increases in swing speed and ball speed, all three models share proven Ping driver innovations, including turbulators for reduced aerodynamic drag and the proprietary T9S+, forged face to accelerate face flexing for more distance.

An internal rib structure in the Ti-8-1-1 body improves acoustics for a solid and pleasing sound. Each model also features the lightweight, 8-position hosel for loft (+-1.5º) and lie (up to 3º flatter) adjustments to further dial in ball flight.

Should you buy the Ping G425 driver?

After testing both the Max and LST models, we were blown away with every aspect of the G425 driver.

The G425 Max model will slot perfectly into the bag of most amateur golfers, thanks to its high level of forgiveness, meaning that even those shots caught off-centre will still travel, while the ball speeds and spin rates remained consistent throughout the face.

Ping has clearly placed a premium on forgiveness with this driver and the adjustability available allows golfers to tailor the club to suit their desired shot shape, something that we found worked brilliantly.

Adjustability is an important feature in the modern-day driver, but we've seen in previous years that certain drivers can lose distance and performance when you start playing around with the weights, so it was fantastic to see how well the G425 performed no matter where the weights were placed.

If we were to use one word to summarise the Ping G425 driver, the word 'complete' springs to mind. It really does feel like the complete package. 

It's everything you want out of your big stick. Distance, aesthetics, forgiveness, adjustability, it's got the lot. The most impressive PING driver we have ever tested.