Ping’s G440 LST is arguably the most fascinating offering in the 2025 driver lineup. Why? Because it does something rarely seen by low-spin drivers — it blends distance, speed and a level of forgiveness that’s max forgiveness-esque.
Before we even tested G440 LST on the Golf Laboratories swing robot, we knew it had the potential to be something special. Testing to measure each driver’s MOI properties revealed the LST was more forgiving than all but six models we analyzed and in the same ballpark as Callaway’s standard Elyte and Cobra’s DS-Adapt Max-K — two drivers we assumed would be kind to off-center shots.
This testing made us stand up and take notice because, similar to the data we captured on Callaway’s Elyte Triple Diamond, we’re now seeing low-spin drivers that don’t harshly penalize a heel or toe miss in the name of more speed and distance.
The spin rate chart confirms G440 LST is shedding 200 RPMs and returning to the lower spins we saw with G425 LST. But the largest concentration of the 54 shots the robot recorded is now winding up around 2,500 to 3,100 RPMs, and even more of the mishits are in what we’d deem to be a playable range.
More consistent spins are generally tied to consistent carry numbers. Looking at the carry visuals, you’ll notice there isn’t a single mishit below 205 yards. The same can’t be said for G430 and G425. Both drivers had misses that went 10 yards shorter on the same strike locations.
So we’re seeing improved performance on the bad shots and more speed on the top end, more in line with what we saw with G425, with some slight improvements. Ball speeds tick up as well with additional shots recorded between 138 and 141 mph. So if you were wondering whether G440 LST sacrificed speed for forgiveness — now you have your answer.
Dispersions have improved as well from G430, which had a noticeable left bias on the robot. Now we’re seeing a larger concentration of shots sit on or slightly right of the center line, making this one appealing for a straight ball hitter or someone who likes to play a fade.
If you need one more reason to pay attention to G440 LST, just look at the carry distance drop off on a high toe miss: 1.8 yards. As in the robot saw distance in relation to a center strike lose less than 2 yards. No driver had a better carry delta on this common miss.
It’s just another reminder that G440 LST isn’t your average low-spin driver.
It’s a new breed of low-spin drivers that lives in a world where it possesses all of the best attributes. We feel confident saying G440 LST has all the hallmarks of a unicorn driver.
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
