Upgrade to G400 Max from G400 SFT??

[mpetruzz]

I've been gaming the Ping G400 SFT this season and honestly have been hitting it farther/straighter than I've ever hit my driver. BUT, since I have an addiction to having the latest and greatest I'm looking at the Ping G400 Max. From reviews it looks like it would be pretty much the same distance etc. but offer a bit more forgiveness.

 

Guess I'm hesitant to make a switch since I'm grooving so well with my current setup.

 

Just trying to get some opinions to see if I should make the switch and would like to hear from anyone who has and if you felt it was worth it.

[Kenny Lee Puckett]

"never f#@k with a winning streak" ~ Crash Davis

[BlackM00Nlight]

Don’t change what works

[tobiasjd]

Never change again.

[mpetruzz]

Thanks for the responses so far. I'm starting to see a trend here haha.

 

My gut is telling me don't bother with the Max and too stick with what's working right now.

[mpetruzz]

I wanted to post a quick update. I found a Max on Craigslist and picked it up for $250, new condition and only hit a few times. Went to the driving range and used it in my league last night.

 

All i can say is Wow the hype is real. Didn't really see a distance increase, but there were a few that ended up 240 on the fairway that had no right to be there. I only missed one fairway and that was because I swung like John Daly haha.

[lil'mike]

I wanted to post a quick update. I found a Max on Craigslist and picked it up for $250, new condition and only hit a few times. Went to the driving range and used it in my league last night.

 

All i can say is Wow the hype is real. Didn't really see a distance increase, but there were a few that ended up 240 on the fairway that had no right to be there. I only missed one fairway and that was because I swung like John Daly haha.

 

So if you didn't see any increase in distance and you already hit the SFT one just fine, what benefit is that club giving you? Sounds like you just spend $250 on a club you didn't need! I true GolfWRX'er! :)

[I'_rather_be_golfing]

F’it man, if you want it. Then just get it. You can always turn it around a resell it if it doesn’t work out.

[gvogel]

I wanted to post a quick update. I found a Max on Craigslist and picked it up for $250, new condition and only hit a few times. Went to the driving range and used it in my league last night.

 

All i can say is Wow the hype is real. Didn't really see a distance increase, but there were a few that ended up 240 on the fairway that had no right to be there. I only missed one fairway and that was because I swung like John Daly haha.

 

Nice.

 

So now you have two drivers that work really well. Tell us in September which one is working out.

 

I am doing the same thing with a Ping G25 and a Ping G400 (standard head).

[golfgirlrobin]

Posing the question to posting an update on the purchase in under 24 hours. Nicely done, even by Wrx’er standards.

[Walter]

I wanted to post a quick update. I found a Max on Craigslist and picked it up for $250, new condition and only hit a few times. Went to the driving range and used it in my league last night.

 

All i can say is Wow the hype is real. Didn't really see a distance increase, but there were a few that ended up 240 on the fairway that had no right to be there. I only missed one fairway and that was because I swung like John Daly haha.

 

WoW 250 Sweet deal I Would say !!

[widow-maker]

For a lot of players, the G400 Max may be a downgrade, not an upgrade from one of their other 3 models. Your ball speed, spin, and forgiveness are different for everyone. It's not a one size fits all proposition.

[tgoodspe1991]

If you're hitting your driver better than ever and are happy with your setup, then why change? If your goal of this game is to shoot lower scores then get even more comfortable with your current driver and find more fairways.

 

If your goal of the game is just to tinker and play with new things, then buy the new driver.

[lil'mike]

I like my SFT alot and only missed one fairway today with it and that one was just out. No penalty drives (big fades or no fade but playing left side, lol). Very happy with the short grass I am not playing from most of the time! :)

[RodC]

I wanted to post a quick update. I found a Max on Craigslist and picked it up for $250, new condition and only hit a few times. Went to the driving range and used it in my league last night.

 

All i can say is Wow the hype is real. Didn't really see a distance increase, but there were a few that ended up 240 on the fairway that had no right to be there. I only missed one fairway and that was because I swung like John Daly haha.

 

CAN you please update on how is it going with the Max?

I have the g400 std. but impressed on the max comments. Even Rick Shiels has it as No. 1

 

PS does anyone know is if it uses the same adapter as G400 std?

[mpetruzz]

I wanted to post a quick update. I found a Max on Craigslist and picked it up for $250, new condition and only hit a few times. Went to the driving range and used it in my league last night.

 

All i can say is Wow the hype is real. Didn't really see a distance increase, but there were a few that ended up 240 on the fairway that had no right to be there. I only missed one fairway and that was because I swung like John Daly haha.

 

CAN you please update on how is it going with the Max?

I have the g400 std. but impressed on the max comments. Even Rick Shiels has it as No. 1

 

PS does anyone know is if it uses the same adapter as G400 std?

 

I've played about 4 rounds of 18 with it. Now these are my results, I know that everyone's swing is different etc. Distance wise it's about the same, if I absolutely nail it on the screws it may be a bit longer than my G400 SFT. But where I'm seeing a difference is when my swing isn't perfect. Don't get me wrong the G400 is amazing, however I feel like this is giving me just a bit more. Plus with the face being larger I feel like I can go after it a bit more which is helping with my confidence.

 

I usually am around 240-250 and I've easily hit some 270+. But full disclosure, that's when I absolutely catch it perfect and it probably would have gone the same with the G400.

 

I do like the feel and sound a bit more on the G400 sft, but after a few rounds I'm used to the Max. You can't go wrong either way!!!

[kiwii]

Scientifically, it should be hard for a player to go from a G4SFT to G4Max and hit the ball the same straightness.

 

Reason: G4SFT is heel weighted ( promotes closure of face) + smaller head (easier to close face) and i believe slightly closed at address VS G4Max= bigger head (harder to close face) + not heel weighted (doesn't promote face closure).

 

So there must be some other factors at play. Also I believe that the G4max is a retrograde. Ping has always pushed bigger head sizes and bigger look at address to promote confidence. This is true from G20 to G series. They shocked everybody by suddenly promoting smaller headsize I think they lost lots of true ping fans. So they contradicted all their claims of the benefits of smaller head by releasing the Max which I think out sells the Standard g models. Can you really trust all the claims the company is making?

[jeffrey r]

Can you really trust all the claims the company is making?

 

I don't think many of us care much about claims from Ping or any other brand. All of the brands make claims, each claim more of a stretch than the last one. The proof is in the pudding. The G400 Max is a uniquely special driver IMHO. Any sort of decent swing generally produces a very nice drive. It wants to go straight. It avoids big misses left or right. The praise from its owners goes beyond the usual glowing reports that we get here on WRX--there is something a bit different about the G400 Max reports. A bit more revolutionary than evolutionary.

 

As an aside, I own the G400 SFT as well. Although I have not had extensive time to test them head-to-head, I prefer the Max. Once you put aside any weighting bias of the SFT (which did not cause me to hit the ball any straighter than with the Max), the Max surpasses it for me in general performance and forgiveness. YMMV.

[youraway2]

I thought the G-30 was the best driver I ever played, until I put the G-400 Max in the bag. Huge difference. Yes it sounds much better, but I now keep the ball in play, hard to hit it way off line unless your doing something really wrong, gained yardage, and lower scores have resulted.

 

Biggest news for this driver, I shot my age! I'm 73-years old, hit my old driver about 190, then changed, out there now about 210-220, big difference. Now, 72 is in sight.

[Dueller]

My miss with the driver is a huge right slice when my timing is off. I thought it was a gamble buying a Max head over the others without a fitting, thinking id be better suited to a SFT. I'm glad to say my gamble thus far has paid off. Even with the stock shaft, I feel like I can put it anywhere on the face and still get a good result. The marketing is true with this one. It feels so stable through the strike it gives you that extra confidence you have the most forgiving driver in your hands when you address the ball. Looking forward to testing the woods vs my Cobra's and see where Ping goes next with the Max idea.

[Orange Hog]

I switched from the SFT to the Max and I'm regretting it. The SFT produced mid/high launch with low spin bombs and the Max seems to be spinning too much. I've actually lost distance with the Max. Not really seeing much difference in forgiveness per se. Ping crushed it with the G400 all around but I think there is a "right shoe" for everyone and for me I think it's the SFT.

[Emerich]

SFT to G400 Max is NOT an upgrade - it is a different club for a different user. On the monitor my dispersion with the G400 and G400 Max was way more than with the G400 SFT and provided no additional (net) distance.

[Fairways to Heaven]

G400 Max is not an upgate just a different option in the line-up. I would not change if the set up works for you.

[9woodfan]

I still can't get off the G30 SF Tec... Butt trimmed to 44.5" and heavier aftermarket weight added. It's been amazing for years. My friends have M2s and Rogues and (insert modern driver here) but the G30 holds its own with no issues at all.

Tempted by the 400 and 410 line... but this just works and it makes me feel safe! :smiley:

[SubaruWRX]

> @"Fairways to Heaven" said:

> G400 Max is not an upgate just a different option in the line-up. I would not change if the set up works for you.

 

Curious as to what the OP ended up bagging since he made this post about a year ago?