This brand new model is the most consistent driver I've ever hit

My review explains how the super-forgiving Ping G440 Max driver helped me hit straighter drives and shoot lower scores.

In 2025, the spotlight shifts to the Ping G440 family. Can Ping continue to elevate their already high standards with the G440 Max becoming one of the best golf drivers of the year? The legacy of these clubs dates back over two decades, with Ping’s tried-and-true ‘G’ format dating back to the G2 series in 2004. After all, if it’s not broken, why fix it?

Ping is one of the few brands that doesn’t follow the annual driver launch cycle, but they broke with tradition in 2024 by introducing the G430 Max 10k. The driver received universal acclaim, collecting numerous awards, and will remain in the lineup for 2025, even as other G430 models are phased out.

Rather than spending months on a new name or flashy redesign, Ping has honed in on refining what made the G430 such a hit. After attending the G440 media reveal at Ping’s headquarters in Scottsdale late last year, it was clear that the engineering team’s philosophy is continual improvement, not reinvention. The Ping G440 family is essentially a polished evolution of the G430’s success.

The Ping G440 driver family consists of three models, each designed for different types of players. The Ping G440 Max will be the most popular, delivering the highest level of forgiveness, while the Ping G440 LST is geared towards players with faster swing speeds, offering lower spin. The Ping G440 SFT targets golfers struggling with a slice, with features designed to encourage a draw. But here we’re focusing on just one, the Ping G440 Max Driver.

The Ping G440 family also includes fairway woods, hybrids, and irons, all available for more in-depth exploration via the links below.

• Everything you need to know about Ping G440 fairway woods
• Everything you need to know about Ping G440 hybrids
• Everything you need to know about Ping G440 irons

Ping’s new G440 driver line aims to redefine performance, blending cutting-edge technology with the brand’s signature forgiveness. Key innovations, such as the deepest center of gravity (CG) ever in a Ping driver and a redesigned, shallower, and thinner face, deliver enhanced energy transfer, stability, and playability, ensuring exceptional results on every swing.

But let’s dive into my full Ping G440 Max driver review and find out why I think this will challenge for not only the best driver honors but the longest driver and most forgiving driver prizes in 2025. 

Looks, Sound, and Feedback: 4/5

I absolutely love the look of the Ping G440 Max driver. Everything I didn’t like about the Ping G430 has been addressed, and the result is a much cleaner, more appealing design. If Ping had asked me to design their next driver, this is probably how I would have approached it. The clean matte finish of the CarbonFly wrap is sleek, and the removal of graphics from the top and bottom of the club significantly boosts its shelf appeal and look behind the ball.

At first glance, some golfers might see a resemblance to the Ping G or G30, thanks to the blue colorway on the sole. However, gone are the scale-like accents from the crown, leaving behind a much more streamlined look. While I was never fully sold on the Turbulators as a concept or aesthetic, they’ve become a signature of Ping’s design over the years, and I must admit, they’ve grown on me.

The 460cc Max head mirrors the design of most clubs on the market today and is similar to what we’ve seen from Ping over the past decade. The Ping G440 Max, however, has an inviting shape that’s hard to overlook.

The top line is clean and sits flush at address, which I really appreciate. It doesn’t look open or closed when set behind the ball, giving a sense of confidence at address. It may sound trivial, but there’s just something about the way it looks that makes it feel hittable and makes me think the ball will go straight.

The contrast between the black carbon crown and the Turbulators makes alignment a breeze, and nothing stands out as distracting to the eye. The design just works.

In terms of sound, the Ping G440 Max offers consistency across the face, no matter where you make contact. It’s not as loud as the Ping G425 Max, but it has a more subdued tone compared to the Ping G430. That said, it still sounds and feels powerful.

The club itself feels solid and sturdy in hand, instilling confidence. It gives the sense that you can really go after your tee shot without hesitation.

Distance and Spin: 4/5

Every year, the focus in driver design is on forgiveness, speed, and distance, and going into testing with an open mind is always the best approach. Manufacturers make plenty of promises, but the real question is: can they deliver? With the G440 Max, Ping certainly delivers on those promises.

The club features a hotter, thinner face and a lower CG, which theoretically should result in more distance and a straighter ball flight. After testing, I can confidently say that I was thoroughly impressed with the results. The club lived up to its potential, and I had no trouble getting the ball airborne. Even with the 9-degree head, the ball launched with ease, which is always a good sign.

For me, it wasn’t just about the distance; it was the combination of launch, ball flight, and overall performance. I can honestly say I was blown away by how well the Ping G440 Max performed across the board. I’ve been gaming the Titleist GT3 and have been very pleased with its performance, so comparing the two was interesting. While it’s difficult to say which driver I prefer right now, since both are at the peak of modern performance, one thing that stood out with the Ping G440 Max was the penetrating height it produced. The ball flight had a powerful trajectory that impressed me right off the bat.

What truly caught my attention, though, was the ball speed. The Ping G440 Max generates a noticeable pop off the face, something that sets it apart from other drivers I’ve tested in recent years. It’s a real game-changer in terms of speed, and I could feel the difference on every swing. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Max model becomes a top contender in our 2025 testing, emerging as one of the longest and most forgiving drivers on the market. The combination of distance and forgiveness is a compelling feature that could make it a standout in its class.

Forgiveness/Control: 5/5

This is where I really noticed a significant difference with the Ping G440 Max. This year, Ping has managed to combine speed with an impressive level of forgiveness, and it’s clear that this is where they’ve always excelled in the driver category. The best way to sum it up is that Ping has avoided putting all their focus on one feature and instead created a product that suits a wide range of golfers. It’s about balance – providing forgiveness without sacrificing performance.

Year after year, brands strive to justify their incremental improvements in distance or control, but with the G440 Max, Ping keeps things straightforward and effective. Thanks to a 10-gram weight reduction, they’ve been able to lower and reposition the CG, producing exceptional results. The Ping G440 Max offers less loft than its predecessors, but it maintains similar launch properties, which is an impressive feat.

Ping’s commitment to advancing technology is evident in every model, and the Ping G440 Max is no exception. A standout innovation is their “Spinsistency” technology, which optimizes the clubface design, grooves, and materials to deliver consistent spin performance across the entire face. consistency minimizes spin drop-off on off-center strikes, ensuring that the ball flight, control, and accuracy remain reliable and predictable, regardless of where the ball makes contact with the face.

The G440 Max is as forgiving as the Ping G430 10k, but it offers the added benefit of speed that competes with other top drivers on the market. At the launch event in Scottsdale, we played at Grayhawk Golf Club, an unforgiving test of golf, and I rarely needed to pull out the driver. I had trouble finding a patch of green grass, which is unusual for me.

I struggled with a slight draw/pull, but after Cory Bacon, the chief designer of the G440 drivers, adjusted my driver to the fade-bias setting, I couldn’t help but find the fairway more consistently. Even when my shots weren’t perfect, I had difficulty losing the ball left or right. The adjustments made a noticeable difference, and I could feel the added control.

Since returning from the trip, I’ve noticed that even when I’ve mishit the driver, the ball flight has been much more neutral, rather than having an exaggerated shape. On a few shots where I caught it off the toe, I expected a significant loss in direction and distance. Instead, the ball turned over slightly but remained remarkably straight and playable. While the distance wasn’t as strong on those mishits, the forgiveness allowed me to stay in play, which is a huge advantage.

When struck in the sweet spot, the Ping G440 Max is as good as anything else on the market. However, I believe it’s the performance on mishits where this driver will truly win over players. The forgiveness is exceptional, and it offers a level of control that makes a noticeable difference in your game.

Tech/Components: 5/5

For golfers seeking height, distance, and speed, the Ping G440 Max is the driver to consider. It features a confidence-inspiring shape that’s highly versatile and able to deliver a variety of performance benefits. This model is likely to be the most popular in the Ping G440 family, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few tour players add it to their bag as well.

One of the standout features of the Ping G440 Max is the extensive adjustability, making it easier for both you and a fitter to dial in the perfect loft and settings. The lightweight, redesigned loft sleeve is equipped with an 8-position hosel, allowing adjustments for loft (±1.5°) and lie (up to 3° flatter than standard). This versatility helps fine-tune the ball flight for optimal results, offering golfers more control over their launch conditions.

The club’s face has been both thinned and made hotter, which contributed to a noticeable improvement in my ball speed, particularly in terms of consistency across the entire face, especially in the high heel region, which is often a trouble spot for me. The free hosel design is another key innovation, as it removes weight from the hosel and reallocates it to push mass lower, giving the Ping G440 its deepest center of gravity ever in a Ping driver. By aligning the CG closer to the force line, this design not only enhances forgiveness but also improves performance on heel strikes – something I’ve struggled with in the past. This is an area where previous models, like the Ping G430 Max and G425 Max, didn’t quite meet expectations.

While the MOI (Moment of Inertia) is slightly lower than the G430 10k, Ping has found ways to save weight, particularly through the CarbonFly Wrap crown and the free hosel design. These innovations help lower the CG, ensuring forgiveness on off-center strikes while also contributing to a more muted, pleasant sound at impact.

Additionally, the Ping G440 Max model features a new 29-gram back weight that can be adjusted into draw, fade, or neutral positions. This adjustability influences shot shape and trajectory, allowing golfers to tailor their driver setup to their preferences for maximum control and performance. Like I previously mentioned, this is no gimmick and does help. I was struggling with a slight pull, and this helped massively. It for sure isn’t no slice or hook corrector, but if you want to hit the ball a few yards tighter on a hole, then this will help.

Overall: 18/20

The Ping G440 Max driver impresses across the board. Its clean, modern design, featuring a matte CarbonFly Wrap finish and minimal graphics, creates a streamlined look that inspires confidence at address. The sound is powerful yet refined, delivering consistent feedback across the face. With a thinner, hotter face and a lower center of gravity, the Ping G440 Max excels in distance and launch, offering a penetrating trajectory and impressive ball speed.

Its standout forgiveness and control make it a game-changer, with Ping’s Spinsistency technology ensuring consistent spin and accuracy even on off-center strikes. The club’s adjustability, including an 8-position hosel and a 29-gram back weight for draw, fade, or neutral settings, allows golfers to fine-tune their setup for optimal performance. Whether you’re seeking speed, distance, or control, the Ping G440 Max combines cutting-edge innovation with exceptional playability, making it a top contender for golfers of all skill levels.

Price $650 / £575

Launched January 14, 2025 | On sale Jan 30, 2025

Lofts 9º, 10.5º, 12.5º

Stock shafts Ping Alta CB (counter-balanced) Blue 55 (SR, R, S); Ping Alta Quick 35/45 (HL build only)

Optional stock shafts Ping Tour 2.0 Chrome 65 (R, S, X); PING Tour 2.0 Black 65 (S, X); Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Black 65 (S, X); PRJX Denali Red 50 (5.5, 6.0); PRJX Denali Red 60 (5.5, 6.0, 6.5); PRJX Denali Red 70 (6.0, 6.5)

Stock grips Golf Pride 360 Tour Velvet in six sizes (Blue -1/16”; Red -1/32”; Aqua -1/64”; White-Std, Gold +1/32”; Orange +1/16”)