Ping G425 closer than we think? (In hand Pics Pg. 16)

[Deuce78]

4 minutes ago, DFS PFD said:

Hot melt is not extra weight? Care to elaborate on that one? 

I dont mean hotmelt is weightless! 🤣👍 Haha.  I mean the make up the discretionary weight in a driver can be liquid (hotmelt) and metal (sole weights) but it has to equal your playing headweight. If you play at D5 swingweight, and your stock driver is D2, you can add about 6 grams of hotmelt to get to D5 (location inside head makes a difference).  If your driver is D5 and you want to add 6 grams of hotmelt, you need to reduce the sole weight by 6 grams,  if you just add hotmelt YOUR swingweight will be too heavy at D8.  So I'm saying that people aren't just randomly adding weight to their fit drivers.  Its calculated and deliberate...if that doesnt help let me know.

 

 

[Socrates]

There are a few that would like to get a slightly different SW and hotmelt would be helpful. 

 

The rest have found a new buzzword and have been convinced that altering the sound by a couple of decibels will change their life.  All without even hitting a single shot.

[BlkNGld]

1 hour ago, Homerun2Birdie said:

Not a Ping hater by any stretch of the imagination, nor do I hate any OEM hater for that matter. Love them all. Think they all produce and innovate in their own ways and I appreciate the substantial variety I’m afforded because of this.

 

But I just find it so interesting that Ping has some how garnered this reputation of never putting something out that’s not way better than a previous model. “No marketing machine for them, only good ole family run biz with products that are increasingly better year over year.” That’s all you hear.  And that’s not to say the majority of their releases don’t fall in this category... but then again I am having a hard time thinking of a major OEM who’s releases don’t also fall into this category as it relates to performance. And keep in mind looks are subjective, numbers are not. 

 

I am super curious to see the uproar or lack thereof if/when the 425 and 410 are essentially the same product. Again that’s not to say the 425 isn’t an excellent driver because by all accounts it is and will be one of the best. But then again, so was the 410. Early sings (BEING TAKEN HUGE HEAPING GRAINS OF SALT) just don’t scream “innovation and technological leap forward” or “Ping’s done it again”. It actually screams the same thing everyone crushes TM and Callaway for, “rehash or rebrand of last years highly successful model with a promise of even more performance gains”. This is everything the M1/M2 first gen to M1/M2 second gen was. 

 

And for all those who will smoke me for this post, I am man enough to come back on this same thread, quote this very comment, eat crow and admit my misgivings if after I hit the 425 at a fitter it is demonstrably better than my 410. 

 

I'd say that the approaches differ in a couple of ways.

 

1) First is in the marketing.   Is Ping going to say its products are improvements?   Sure.   But they're not one to put out outlandish claims that suggest improvements in a specific isolated case are applicable to everyone, or that some new era in performance has been created that's not readily verified.

 

2) For the most part, if you want to get a significant boost in one area of performance it's going to come at the expense of another area.   Whether or not the tradeoff is worth it is player dependent.   Ping tends to not have revolutionary improvements, but they rarely take a step back in (non subjective) areas.      

[Homerun2Birdie]

11 minutes ago, BlkNGld said:

 

I'd say that the approaches differ in a couple of ways.

 

1) First is in the marketing.   Is Ping going to say its products are improvements?   Sure.   But they're not one to put out outlandish claims that suggest improvements in a specific isolated case are applicable to everyone, or that some new era in performance has been created that's not readily verified.

 

2) For the most part, if you want to get a significant boost in one area of performance it's going to come at the expense of another area.   Whether or not the tradeoff is worth it is player dependent.   Ping tends to not have revolutionary improvements, but they rarely take a step back in (non subjective) areas.      

I guess this is exactly what I’m talking about. Maybe I’m not old enough to have all the TM and Cally releases stored in my mind. But from the M1 on what have been the “outlandish claims”. This just feels like a case of being unfairly tagged something due to a comment you made 20 years ago when you were a freshman in high school haha. Do TM and Cally have punchier more in your face advertisements/marketing campaigns, 100%. I doubt theres a sole on earth who’d argue that. In recent memory are their claims any different than that of Ping, or any other OEM. I really do not think so. 

 

And I am not in disagreement with your second point. And it is part of what delineates Ping from competitors in their space. I guess I just bristle at this fictional notion that Ping is the hero or beacon of truth in this industry while TM and Cally are these deceptive money grubbing villains haha. It just feels like there is this overly skewed sentiment in either direction. Perhaps just a microcosm of the times we are in.

[ASN21]

1 hour ago, elwhippy said:

Please explain this obsession with hotmelt? This club isn't on sale and people are saying it needs weight added. I thought Ping heads were heavier than the others so you must be skewing the swing weight and many years of Ping engineering experience. 

Sounds is terrible on these drivers (at least IMO) so it helps there the most.

[Steelhead]

10 minutes ago, ASN21 said:

Sounds is terrible on these drivers (at least IMO) so it helps there the most.

Hmmmm...IMHO, I have been demoing the G425 Max 9* all week and compared to my G400 Max, I find it's noise pleasing. Although not as quiet as my Sim, much more muted than my XXIO X.

[Warrick]

This might be my first Ping driver, 425 MAX with some hot melt towards heel side 

[4cowboys]

Had a chance to hit the g425, currently play the 410+. wasn't just wowed by it, maybe the shaft. Tried both the stock and tensei orange in it. But I agree with several other posters. Did not care for the sound, and felt different, even on center hits. I know I would like to try it some more, but so far like my 410 better.

[Shawn Paul]

I think this is a very smart looking version from PING and I like the classic black and grey/chrome accent.  I'm still not very keen on the look of turbulators but I guess I could get used to them.  This driver will perform great for sure but every reviewer mentions the sound and that concerns me.  I've specifically passed on drivers just because of the sound (looking at you Cobra F6 and PING G) and I'm hoping that the sound of these isn't going to ruin it.  

 

I've been a Cobra guy for a long time but the Rad kind of looks like a clown show to me (I'm probably getting too old).  Since it's January in Minnesota I've got plenty of time to test and decide on my new big stick but this G425 is one of the 3 I'll be test driving.  

[Shawn Paul]

Hoping the G425 isn't like this:

 

 

[philt90]

Need some head to heads.. so can make up my mind is the G425 LST as fast as TSi but more forgiving enough to make up for the sound it’s not bad but it’s not TSi or Sim worlds 

[radiman]

I got to hit the MAX and LST yesterday.  In an inaccurate simulator so mainly just trying to get a sense for the looks and sound/feel.  The LST feels very solid.  Looks great behind the ball.  The big shocker for me was the MAX.  I admittedly haven't played the G400 Max.  I tried it years ago and hated the sound.  The 425 Max looks nice and square behind the ball.  Very neutral face.  But, man does it sound so awful.  The two heads I tried couldn't feel more different from one another.  

 

I really liked the look behind the ball though.  It felt pretty stable.  I will try it outdoors this Spring.  Hopefully by then, I will have a better idea on what hotmelt can do to help in the sound department.  But, ugh, it was pretty terrible, lol.  If it is a fairway finder, I could probably get over it.  Reminds me of the obnoxious sound of the sasquatch driver from years back.

[TheGolfingRealtor]

Here’s what one retailer told me today:

 

Ping had issues with a cargo ship coming from overseas with 1000's of G425 heads that are not available. It could be rough from a delivery standpoint.

[thigos]

Excited to try this one.  The sound concerns are overblown imo.  Put yarn in the head until it's muted to your taste.  Makes a huge difference, is removable, and doesn't effect weight like hotmelt.

[TheGolfingRealtor]

The head sounds fine when hit on the sweet spot so try that before adding hot melt. 

[Shakespeare]

18 minutes ago, TheGolfingRealtor said:

Here’s what one retailer told me today:

 

Ping had issues with a cargo ship coming from overseas with 1000's of G425 heads that are not available. It could be rough from a delivery standpoint.

Great...meanwhile my new pxg 0211 fairway woods shipped in 4 days

[rwhitlock]

I hit the new 425's today at one of the local shops (Uinta Golf here in Utah) 🙂  I brought in my own G410 (hotmelted) to compare with.  I hit about 20 balls each with my driver, the Max and the LST.  Switching up the order, hitting about 3 to 5 with a club before switching over to another one.  

 

First impression is that the Max is loud compared to the LST and my 410+.  Also, I was getting lower spin off the Max than the LST.   It was only 150 rpm's (average) less, but hey, it was still less.   Oh, I did bring in one of my Titleist ProV balls and hit that ball on every shot.

 

I used the Ping Tour X flex shaft for half the shots with the 425's, the other half I used my Ventus Blue 6S velacore shaft.  Disappointing to see that there really isn't a difference in the numbers, but the feel was a bit better.  Was hoping to see lower spin, or higher smash factor, etc.  Some quick numbers:  my driver = 108 chs, 158 bs, 12.9* L, 2290 S.  Max =108chs, 156.9bs, 14.4*L, 2021S, LST= 108.6chs, 157.5bs, 14.4*L, 2139S.

 

All in all, I like the look and feel of the 425s.  I'd like to hit them again a few more times - maybe even get them outside and see the actual ball flight - before plunking down $500 on a new driver.   Just working on the justifications now as to why the new driver will be so much better than the one I have now, even though the numbers are almost identical.

 

Can't wait to hit it again 🙂

[Titleist84]

If the G425 Max is as straight as Rick Shiels and Mark Crossfield videos showed today then sign me up!

[nsxguy]

1 hour ago, thigos said:

Excited to try this one.  The sound concerns are overblown imo.  Put yarn in the head until it's muted to your taste.  Makes a huge difference, is removable, and doesn't effect weight like hotmelt.

 

Just as an FYI, that yarn makes the club illegal. So being removable is a good idea.

 

Of course if you don't play in tournaments I suppose it doesn't matter (much) but if you do,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

Saw the new 425s at the store today. Very nice looking. Guess I'll have to give the MAX a try but I don't see giving up either of my Epic Flash heads.

 

The irons look almost exactly like the 410s.

 

 

 

Edited January 12, 2021 by nsxguy

[00steven]

Really tempted to get this one.

[MysteryV]

I was ready to buy one sight unseen today, mostly out of boredom due to lockdown and the fact that my favorite thing these days is waiting for packages to arrive in the mail.

 

BUT

 

The TXG video has killed my mojo. 

[TheGolfingRealtor]

2 hours ago, Shakespeare said:

Great...meanwhile my new pxg 0211 fairway woods shipped in 4 days

That’s impressive. They told me at least 4 weeks. 

[mtcowdog]

Looking forward to hitting the Max and LST. Played the G400 Max and currently G410 LST. I've simply hit Ping drivers straighter than others. Sound is a bit on the higher pitch side, but when I hit the ball where I want, that becomes a comforting sound. I also like seeing the Aldila Rogue white shaft. I play that shaft in my 3w and love it. I will hit the G425 before the end of the week. 

[Tzoid]

Does anyone else that watched the mainstream YouTube Influencers take away what I did?  They really didn't give stellar , shining reviews of the new G425 although

they didn't come out and say it fell short.  They did all pretty much say the sound was "Not good".   I imagine Ping isn't feeling great but they did get a win yesterday at 

the Sentry Tournament of Champions.  

 

I was ready to order a G425 Max but I may wait now 

[Homerun2Birdie]

1 minute ago, Tzoid said:

Does anyone else that watched the mainstream YouTube Influencers take away what I did?  They really didn't give stellar , shining reviews of the new G425 although

they didn't come out and say it fell short.  They did all pretty much say the sound was "Not good".   I imagine Ping isn't feeling great but they did get a win yesterday at 

the Sentry Tournament of Champions.  

 

I was ready to order a G425 Max but I may wait now 

Hit the head on the nail for me. I bought the 410 LST sight unseen and never looked back. I will be testing the 425 for certain after seeing these preliminary reviews. I’ll be very curious to see if TXG does a thorough head to head because what I’m seeing right now is we just got the 410 in black and white. 

[nsxguy]

2 hours ago, MysteryV said:

I was ready to buy one sight unseen today, mostly out of boredom due to lockdown and the fact that my favorite thing these days is waiting for packages to arrive in the mail.

 

 

Ain't THAT the truth.

 

Reminds me of the movie trailer for the old Steve Martin movie, "The Jerk". The new phone book is here, the new phone book is here".

 

The FedEx truck is here. The FedEx truck is here !!!

 

[Brooks_Cupcake]

25 minutes ago, Homerun2Birdie said:

Hit the head on the nail for me. I bought the 410 LST sight unseen and never looked back. I will be testing the 425 for certain after seeing these preliminary reviews. I’ll be very curious to see if TXG does a thorough head to head because what I’m seeing right now is we just got the 410 in black and white. 

They will, and E1 is completely unplayable. 
The only consistent today, was that the Max performs darn near identical to the LST, but requires hot melt with 100% certainty 

[Homerun2Birdie]

5 minutes ago, J-Zone said:

They will, and E1 is completely unplayable. 
The only consistent today, was that the Max performs darn near identical to the LST, but requires hot melt with 100% certainty 

Haha holy smokes, I haven’t watched the live review. I find those to be a giant waste of time usually. But I hadn’t really heard about the SW issue just the sound one that keeps popping up everywhere. How on earth did they let a head that heavy get sent to a source like TXG? That seems like a complete oversight by someone at Ping. 

[GolfTurkey]

40 minutes ago, Tzoid said:

Does anyone else that watched the mainstream YouTube Influencers take away what I did?  They really didn't give stellar , shining reviews of the new G425 although

they didn't come out and say it fell short.  They did all pretty much say the sound was "Not good".   I imagine Ping isn't feeling great but they did get a win yesterday at 

the Sentry Tournament of Champions.  

 

I was ready to order a G425 Max but I may wait now 

 

I think this might have been a byproduct of Ping's strange release where it was available elsewhere but NA and Europe had to pretend G425 didn't exist. I saw the TXG guys criticizing this as bizarre on two separate occasions (and I don't sit through their Q&A videos), and they are as mild-mannered as it gets, at least on camera.

 

I'm sure that many other reviewers had similar feelings and I would imagine that even given their best intentions of being objective during a review that a generally annoyed attitude towards Ping could influence things negatively. E.g. I thought that Ian from TXG wasn't too interested in trying to optimize the G425 driver after poor initial results and that Matt had to coax him into trying varying shaft options etc.

Edited January 12, 2021 by GolfTurkey

[GolfTurkey]

My summary after watching a bunch of reviews:

• G425 Max is unbelievably forgiving on mishits. Most (all?) the reviewers had almost no front to back dispersion.
• G425 Max has excellent left to right forgiveness. Generally ranged from "straightest I've ever hit" to very good.
• G425 Max and LST were both swung generally significantly slower than usual or (on the lower end of) average speed. Some reviewers made excuses for it e.g. Mike Newton (cold) and Crossfield ("too much Christmas"). Could be Ping's heavy head weights or aerodynamics. One exception was James Robinson who was quicker than his average CHS but was also the one person who sprayed it.
• G425 Max's sound sucks and LST is ok to good.
• G425 Max spins less than G400 Max and for some reviewers it spun the same or even less than G425 LST (obviously depending on strike pattern).
• G425 LST was fairly significantly less stable than Max for I would say the majority of reviewers.
• The G425 moveable weight is effective at moving ball flight left or right even though the three positions for neutral, draw and fade are closer together than G410 (weight is heavier in G425).

Predictions:

• G425 Max will sell very well, to the people who don't have a big drop in speed and who value performance over sound (for those with slower club head speed, a distance drop in exchange for more accuracy is a tough sell in these Bryson-dominated days).
• G425 LST will be a lower percentage of the G425 generation sales than G410 LST was of the G410 generation sales. There doesn't seem to be enough of a spin reduction / ball speed increase to justify playing it except for the few whose eye it absolutely fits, can't live without the spin reduction and/or they hit it as straight or straighter than Max (or those who simply cannot game a Max due to the sound).