Equipment

GolfWRX Spotted: 2021 Ping G425 driver on USGA Conforming List

Published

4 years ago

Aug 24, 2020

The new 2021 Ping G425 driver is here! (Or at least can be seen on the USGA and R&A conforming drivers list)

After much speculation, we now have official confirmation, thanks to the USGA and R&A conforming driver lists, that the Ping G425 drivers exist and with some similar models to fall in line including the LST (Low Spin technology), MAX, and SFT (Straight Flight Technology) for late 2020 into 2021.

We have reached out to Ping and have no official comment yet from the Phoenix-based equipment company, but based on the images and our knowledge of previous models, we can draw some conclusions based on the visual elements and markings.

Ping G425 (speculated) technology

Although we can only see the sole of the new drivers there are some design points that allow us to make strong assumptions on the new products.

Ping G425 MAX

Across the equipment industry, the “MAX” name has become synonymous with drivers designed for maximum MOI, and it looks like the new Ping G425 MAX is going to do just that. Similar to the previous G410 Plus, the sole appears very flat, which allows engineers to place as much weight as possible low in the head, and the shape is elongated to push more mass away from the face to produce very high MOI numbers.

The one interesting thing to note is that unlike the G410 Plus, the movable weight along the back of the head seems to have a smaller overall distance from the fade to draw setting. This could mean a couple of things.

Through fittings and testing Ping realized that it didn’t need such extreme settings on the driver to help control ball flight direction. Or…
The new weight in the back of the head is heavier than the previous G410 weight which would allow for the same adjustability within a smaller area of movement and result in higher MOI because it is positioned farther back and away from the face.

If I had to put down money on a guess, I feel it’s a combination of the two, which is why the driver looks the way it does.

So far the available lofts being shown are 9°, 10.5°, and 12° in both Right and Left-handed.

The last piece of speculation based on what we know so far is that the MAX name will be permanently replacing the “Plus” model from Ping in this release. This puts Ping more in line with other OEM’s from a naming and model perspective by offering 3 very distinct versions: MAX for maximum forgiveness, SFT for fade correction, and LST as the lowest spin option.

Ping G425 SFT – Straight Flight Technology

This is the most obvious driver to understand. The SFT models from Ping have always been designed to help golfers who struggle with a fade miss and the Ping G425 looks to continue that tradition.

Like the MAX, the sole of the G425 SFT appears very flat and elongated to allow engineers to place as much weight as possible back and low in the head. The other thing to note is that there is a single tungsten weight placed in the heel to aid in closing the face and create a draw bias within the head. When comparing visually with the G410, the weight on the G425 SFT looks to be pushed slightly out of the head to help boost that draw bias.

If we know anything about Ping there is probably even more going on under the hood to help golfers eliminate a big miss.

So far the only available loft being shown is 10.5° in both Right and Left-handed.

Ping G425 LST – Low Spin Technology

This is the driver that is going to cause perked up ears from those looking to help lower spin and dial in launch conditions—the G425 LST.

Since this driver is the one designed to help lower spin, the most noticeable visual telltale sign is the shorter front to back length—as it is well known within the driver design space, a low and more forward center of gravity helps reduce spin and shortening this length is one of the quickest ways to do it.

We should note, Ping doesn’t like to sacrifice forgiveness in the name of lower spin, so to see how they are able to locate the CG on the new G425 while also keeping spin as low if not lower than the previous G410 will be very interesting.

The new Ping G425 LST looks to have the side weight track in the back of the head with the same travel length from side to side as the MAX model. This moveable weight was a big change for Ping but with the success of the previous line and its expanded ability to better help golfers dial in dispersion, it’s no surprise it’s sticking around and being improved upon.

So far the available lofts being shown are 9° and 10.5° in both Right and Left-handed.

Conclusion

This is going to be a very interesting release from Ping, and although we have no official information yet, there has been some speculation that the driver is to be released in Australia and around that region before it makes its way to North America. The speculation makes some sense considering the recent crunch to global supply changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and as we move into fall in North America, the southern hemisphere is turning to spring—prime golf season.

To see what other golfers are saying about the speculated Ping G425 drivers, check out the GolfWRX Forums and join the discussion: GolfWRX Forums – Ping G425 Driver

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Whats in the Bag

Kevin Streelman WITB 2024 (April)

Published

3 hours ago

Apr 29, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

Kevin Streelman what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic.

Driver: Titleist TSR3 (10 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 6 X

3-wood: Titleist TSR3 (15 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 8 X

Check out more in-hand photos of Kevin Streelman’s clubs here.

5-wood: Ping G (17.5 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 10 X

Irons: Wilson Staff Model CB (4-9)
Shafts: Project X 6.5

Check out more in-hand photos of Kevin Streelman’s clubs here.

Wedges: Wilson Staff Model (48-08, 54-08), Titleist Vokey Design WedgeWorks (58-L @59)
Shafts: Project X 6.5 (48), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (54, 58)

Putter: Scotty Cameron TourType SSS TG6

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Check out more in-hand photos of Kevin Streelman’s clubs here.

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Equipment

Choose Your Driver: Which 2012 driver was your favorite?

Published

4 hours ago

Apr 29, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

The year was 2012. Gangnam Style ruled supreme, its infectious beats and ludicrous horse-riding dance moves hypnotizing us with their stupidity. Everyone was talking about the Mayan calendar, convinced that the end of days was near. Superheroes soared on the silver screen, with the Avengers assembling in epic fashion. Katniss Everdeen survived The Hunger Games. And the memes! The memes abounded. Grumpy Cat triumphed. We kept calm and carried on.

In much the same way that automotive enthusiasts love classic cars, we at GolfWRX love taking a backward glance at some of the iconic designs of years past. Heck, we love taking iconic designs to the tee box in the present!

In that spirit, GolfWRX has been running a series inspired by arguably the greatest fighting game franchise of all time: Mortal Kombat. It’s not “choose your fighter” but rather “choose your driver.”

Check out some of the standout combatants of 2012 below.

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Nike VRS

Often harshly critiqued during its years releasing golf equipment (right, Phil Mickelson?), Nike’s tenure in the club-and-ball business gets a gloss of nostalgic varnish, with many of its iron and putter designs continuing to attract admirers. Among the company’s driver offerings, the 2012 VRS — or VR_S, if you will — drew high marks for its shaping and toned-down appearance. The multi-thickness, NexCOR face was no joke either.

Check out our coverage from 2012 here.

Callaway RAZR Fit

Callaway’s first foray into moveable weight technology (married with its OptiFit hosel) did not disappoint. With a carbon fiber crown, aerodynamic attention to detail, and variable and hyperbolic face technologies, this club foreshadowed the tech-loaded, “story in every surface” Callaway drivers of the present, AI-informed design age.

Check out our coverage from 2012 here.

Cleveland Classic 310

Truly a design that came out of left field. Cleveland said, “Give me a persimmon driver, but make it titanium…in 460cc.” Our 2012 reviewer, JokerUsn wrote, “I don’t need to elaborate on all the aesthetics of this club. You’ve seen tons of pics. You’ve all probably seen a bunch in the store and held them up close and gotten drool on them. From a playing perspective, the color is not distracting. It’s dark enough to stay unobtrusive in bright sunlight…Even my playing partners, who aren’t into clubs at all…commented on it saying it looks cool.” Long live!

Check out our coverage from 2012 here.

Titleist 910

While there’s no disputing Titleist’s “Titleist Speed” era of drivers perform better than its 2010s offerings, sentimentality abounds, and there was something classically Titleist about these clubs, right down to the alignment aid, and the look is somewhere between 983 times and the present TS age. Representing a resurgence after a disappointing stretch of offerings (907, 909), The 910D2 was a fairly broadly appealing driver with its classic look at address and classic Titleist face shape.

Check out our coverage from 2012 here.

TaylorMade RocketBallz

The white crown. The name. You either loved ‘em or you hated ‘em. TaylorMade’s 2012 offering from its RocketBallz Period boasted speed-enhancing aerodynamics and an Inverted Cone Technology in the club’s titanium face. Technology aside, it’s impossible to overstate what a departure from the norm a white-headed driver was in the world of golf equipment.

Check out our coverage from 2012 here.

Ping i20

Long a quietly assertive player in the driver space, Ping’s i20 was more broadly appealing than the G20, despite being a lower-launch, lower-spin club. Ping drivers didn’t always have looks that golfer’s considered traditional or classic, but the i20 driver bucked that trend. Combining the classic look with Ping’s engineering created a driver that better players really gravitated toward. The i20 offered players lower launch and lower spin for more penetrating ball flight while the rear 20g tungsten weights kept the head stable. Sound and feel were great also, being one of the more muted driver sounds Ping had created up to that time.

Check out our coverage from 2012 here.

GolfWRXers, let us know in the comments who “your fighter” is and why!

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Equipment

Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (4/29/24): Krank Formula Fire driver with AutoFlex SF505 shaft

Published

8 hours ago

Apr 29, 2024

Gianni Magliocco

At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for a Krank Formula fire driver with AutoFlex SF505 shaft.

From the seller: (@well01): “Krank formula fire 10.5 degree with AUtoflex SF505. $560 shipped.”

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: Krank Formula Fire driver with AutoFlex SF505 shaft

This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules