Reviews normally finish with the verdict. I’m starting with mine: go and try this driver, or one of its sibling models, now! This driver, for me, is significantly better than anything else I’ve tested this year. Now let’s go back to the start. Words Dan Owen, Golf News, Equipment Editor
PING has become known for creating drivers that are incredibly easy to hit. I had great results using the G430 10K last year.
I could hit it anywhere on the face and get good results. Spin wasn’t overly high, and it felt good. But it wasn’t perfect. The head was oversized and looked very busy, with all the recesses on the crown, and it didn’t have any moveable weights. The G440 LST solves every one of those issues.
The compact head (450cc) looks much more manageable behind the ball. Other than the turbulators, the crown is now smooth with a two-tone finish.
Older PING drivers could be a bit clangy, but these new carbon crown models feel so solid and balanced. And while it’s not the lowest-spinning low spin driver, the spin is very consistent, so drives are highly repeatable.
On the launch monitor, there are other drivers I might be able to hit five, even ten yards further. But I’ve never hit a driver that consistently puts me in the fairway like the G440 LST does.
I’m not playing good golf currently. I’ve got no real feel for my swing. Despite that, the majority of my drives are down the centre of the fairway.
I’ve made a couple of really bad strikes out of the toe recently, and in the past, that would often result in a duck hook. With PING’s Spinsistency design built into the toe, those hooks turn into mostly straight drives. I really have to be trying to hit the ball hard to miss the fairway by any distance.
I know there isn’t one driver for every player. And while this is the best-looking PING driver in years, there are better- looking drivers on the market. But none of them help me hit fairways as well as the G440 LST.
Price £575 | Ping.com