TaylorMade SIM vs PING G410 LST

[ProjectX_Mizuno]

Been demoing the PING G410 LST & G410 Plus. So far, I have found them forgiving and decently long. I have only been able to hit the TM SIM Indoors on a launch monitor, but the numbers are showing it as been 10-15 yards longer than the PING(s). 
 

I am a pretty good driver of the golf ball and am intrigued by the distance and lower spin of the SIM, but am concerned about forgiveness when playing courses with tighter fairways. Having not been able to hit the SIM outdoors, I wanted to check with everyone here and see what your preference was for these drivers?

[J13]

I've tested both extensively.  Ping G410LST is a great performing driver that is extremely consistent.  SIM (especially in stock form) is a launch monitor queen and will be the longest of the long.  On course when you aren't hitting one ball after another it's less manageable and much less consistent than the Ping.  With that said, most tour players that use SIM have a heavier weight in the back and lighter weight in the front to increase MOI and more playable on the course.

 

Both great drivers but the SIM just has more setup labor involved.  I prefer the Ping and why i sold my SIM.  If you want all out distance then SIM is hard to beat.

[ProjectX_Mizuno]

Thanks for the review J13! 

Quick question: what made you go with the LST vs the Plus? 

Edited September 1, 2020 by ProjectX_Mizuno

[SmashGolfBall]

SIM is a winner for me. Low spin, low launch and feel very solid. Forgiveness wise, I found it was actually very forgiving, much better than M5, M3 and M1. 

[Drivingrangehero]

I was able to get the same ball speed and spin rates with the Ping 410 lst as the SIM, but due to having an aftermarket shaft and  non-stock head weight, while the SIM was stock off the shelf. 
 

I had a difficult time turning the SIM over and had to play fades with it, which is not my natural shot shape. I play a very slight draw or very straight line. With the SIM, I had to aim a lot mire left than I was accustomed to, which affected my dispersion. It wasn’t for me.  
 

I fell in and out of love with the SIM quickly. I’m sure if I found the right shaft/head weight combo, then it would be great, but the Ping isn’t leaving the bag any time soon. 
 

[J13]

10 hours ago, ProjectX_Mizuno said:

Thanks for the review J13! 

Quick question: what made you go with the LST vs the Plus? 

 

 

Plus is a great stick.  I went with the LST because i benefited from the lower spin.   I saw about a 350 rpm difference between Plus vs LST.

[mizzyplayer]

Have not hit the LST, but have the G410 plus and the SIM. Recently purchased the SIM as it was beating my G400 in distance, but then cracked the crown on my 400 and ping replaced it with the 410 with a ping tour 65x. Previously had a ping tour 80x in the 400 and it was my favorite driver accuracy wise.
 

I am not in love with the 410 yet, but that’s likely the shaft. I had a few big right misses with the 410 but none with the sim, just a few low ones. The SIM just goes further, even on less than pure swings. Played my first round with it yesterday and found myself thinking I didn’t hit it well, but realizing I was hitting shorter irons into greens. I caught a few low on the face and hit some accidental stingers that still got out there, much further than I expected. 
 

I have the HZRDUS smoke 6.5 70g in the sim and it feels a little boardy tbh. I am gonna try some shafts in the sim, and will have my ping tour 80 from the g400 put into the 410 before I sell one of them.  

[ProjectX_Mizuno]

Thank you all for the responses so far. This is a tough choice!!

[boycer]

17 minutes ago, ProjectX_Mizuno said:

Thank you all for the responses so far. This is a tough choice!!

A true golfwrxer would just buy both. ?

[Mookieb10]

What would the extra distance mean to you? I play about 45 rounds per year at my home course where I’m a member. It’s a par 70 and 6,600 yards. There are 14 non par three holes, and 12 of them are driver holes. Of those 12 holes, there are only 4, including the 2 par 5’s, where I’m consistently hitting more than a 7iron as my second shot. I play the 410 lst, and for a lowish spin driver, it’s so forgiving. This forgiveness is just too much to give up. The 400 lst and the SiM give me more raw distance, but the 410lst package is ideal for my course/swing/needs etc. 

[sniper]

Both are great drivers. I recently sold my SIM and now have a LST. 
 

SIM Pros...looks and feels great. SIM is Long. Biggest Con is control. While more forgiving than my M3 I gave up control and had more of a two way miss with it. 
 

LST...Forgiving with good length. I just received a Ventus Blue to put in the LST which is my preferred shaft. Biggest Con is I can still spin it a bit occasionally but that’s me. It’s a Ping so you kinda have to like Ping products...looks, sound, feel. I like their products so it works for me. 
 

[driveandputtmachine]

The 410 LST has been a game changes for me.   I was in a 4000 MAX since they came out.  Talk about a spinny beast, but it was straight.

I tried a SIM, and no matter what I did, I couldn't get it to stop the two way miss.  I tried the shafts I am known to be compatible with.  Even went to a shop for a driver fitting with it, and nothing.

ON a whim I tried the 410 LST, it also had a shaft I was known to be compatible with.  Wow, the difference is night and day.  No more two-way miss.   When I aim right to play a draw it either draws or goes straight.  When I aim left to play a cut, it either cuts or goes straight.   Sure every once in awhile I put an absolutely horrible swing on it and aim left and it goes further left or I aim right and it goes further right, but that is a horrible swing.  

With the SIM I found myself with a two way miss on what felt like good swings.  Every player is different and maybe I just didn't jive with it.  Could I have gone to an incredible fitter, been put in a great shaft, added heavier back weight, hot melt, changed tipping and a few other things I am not thinking off and gotten the SIM in the same place?  Sure I could have.  I seriously doubt it would have ever been as forgiving at the 410 LST though on off center hits.  Nothing is worse than aiming left, and hitting it off the toe and watching it sail into the trees or OB.

 

They guy I sold it to (with two shafts) just pounds it dead straight over and over.  It fit his swing well, and may fit yours, but for my money over the last 5+ years Ping makes the most forgiving driver on off center hits, and it's not close.

[J13]

Just saw that Ping G410 was the most played driver at the BMW Championship last week.  

 

 

 

OP -If you decide to go SIM then i highly suggest doing the tour setup i mentioned earlier. More stable but also increases spin and makes it more playable.  

Edited September 3, 2020 by J13

[minhjn]

On 9/1/2020 at 9:30 AM, J13 said:

I've tested both extensively.  Ping G410LST is a great performing driver that is extremely consistent.  SIM (especially in stock form) is a launch monitor queen and will be the longest of the long.  On course when you aren't hitting one ball after another it's less manageable and much less consistent than the Ping.  With that said, most tour players that use SIM have a heavier weight in the back and lighter weight in the front to increase MOI and more playable on the course.

 

Both great drivers but the SIM just has more setup labor involved.  I prefer the Ping and why i sold my SIM.  If you want all out distance then SIM is hard to beat.

 

I agree with all of this. SIM will win every time on a launch monitor. Give me the forgiveness and outdoor performance of the PING

[PanchiCab]

IMHO, depends a lot o your AoA, if you hit really up on the ball you don't need such a low spinning head. My SS avg is 112 and AoA +5°, my miss is hi toe and i'm using the g410+ 9° at -1.5/flat and i really like it, it's not short by any means and its the first driver that really mitigates my hook in a safe way. With the lst i was 6 yds longer but less accurate (not great on hi-toe strikes). Never tried the Sim on a simulator but i did test it on course against 410+ and was longer 6-8 yds but again, less consistent (maybe i don't get along w/twist face). It's more about the dna of the brand, ping have been great with consistency and forgiveness and taylormade with distance. 

 

If you hit down on the ball and you really need a super low spin head, the Sim is tough to beat and has good stock shafts, better than lst for raw distance but more demanding on strike

[nfreda2211]

On 9/3/2020 at 9:44 AM, J13 said:

Just saw that Ping G410 was the most played driver at the BMW Championship last week.  

 

 

 

OP -If you decide to go SIM then i highly suggest doing the tour setup i mentioned earlier. More stable but also increases spin and makes it more playable.  

Have you given this a try? How much more spin did you see and was there a noticeable difference in forgiveness? I play a sim short of standard so I have two 7 gram weights in the track. Maybe I should get the 20 gram back weight and remove one of the front weights. 

[J13]

34 minutes ago, nfreda2211 said:

Have you given this a try? How much more spin did you see and was there a noticeable difference in forgiveness? I play a sim short of standard so I have two 7 gram weights in the track. Maybe I should get the 20 gram back weight and remove one of the front weights. 

Yes it's how i set my SIM up.  Much more playable but you also don't get the same numbers as stock setup which is meant to impress the launch monitor and have you walk out of the store with a new SIM (don't get me wrong lots of companies do this).  Ping just beat it out in terms of consistency.

 

Funny enough I just saw that at the Tour Championship, Ping is the leader in Driver, Irons and Putter category.  Pretty impressive especially Putter category.

[nfreda2211]

I played the g400 lst before the sim. I got similar numbers but preferred the feel and sound of the sim. Although I’ve since read that a little hot melt in the ping can solve that issue.

[shaolingolfer]

1 hour ago, nfreda2211 said:

Have you given this a try? How much more spin did you see and was there a noticeable difference in forgiveness? I play a sim short of standard so I have two 7 gram weights in the track. Maybe I should get the 20 gram back weight and remove one of the front weights. 

I have a 16 g front weight and 19 g back weight.  I have tested on the range and also on the courses., heavier weight in the back won handily.  With the heavier weight in front, I don't spin it enough for this low spin driver.

[J13]

2 hours ago, shaolingolfer said:

I have a 16 g front weight and 19 g back weight.  I have tested on the range and also on the courses., heavier weight in the back won handily.  With the heavier weight in front, I don't spin it enough for this low spin driver.

 

 

SLDR was like that.  Tons of mass pushed forward which made the driver long off center strikes but horrendous on mishits.  

[setter02]

Agree with J13 on this one.  Have both the 9* LST and a 10.5* + and took them to a fitting last week.  No idea how or why, but hooked the crap out of the Sim that day and really had to focus more with it, 410's are very consistent and ended up hitting the Mavrik SV best over all.  Going to do it again in another week because, why not.  Love the Sim Ti fairway and wanted to like the driver, but found better options for me.

Edited September 5, 2020 by setter02

[nfreda2211]

21 gram back weight is on the way. 

[Taylormadehunter1]

Love the SiM, long, real long. If I played a course that needs more accuracy I would have stuck with my g410 but my home course is so open that I can get away with a longer, less accurate driver. 

[Hougz79]

SIM gets a lot of bad press on accuracy it seems, but for me it is the most accurate driver I’ve had in many years.  Perhaps it’s a “fit thing”, but this thing is straight.  I came from a MAV SZ and generally seem to bounce between Cally and Titleist driver releases.  I absolutely love this thing.  

[Golfingfanatic]

19 hours ago, J13 said:

Yes it's how i set my SIM up.  Much more playable but you also don't get the same numbers as stock setup which is meant to impress the launch monitor and have you walk out of the store with a new SIM (don't get me wrong lots of companies do this).  Ping just beat it out in terms of consistency.

 

Funny enough I just saw that at the Tour Championship, Ping is the leader in Driver, Irons and Putter category.  Pretty impressive especially Putter category.

Such a shame you cannot really get a PLD putter unless you get fit at PING HQ.

[texcrom]

I’ve had the SIM since they were released.

 

I have a rear track for the weight, which I set toward the heel.

 

Yet multiple people on here have mentioned front and rear weights.

 

I assume you are referring to the M5 series?

 

 

Edited September 6, 2020 by texcrom

[nfreda2211]

The front weight is the track and the rear weight is the fixed position weight 

[J13]

3 hours ago, texcrom said:

I’ve had the SIM since they were released.

 

I have a rear track for the weight, which I set toward the heel.

 

Yet multiple people on here have mentioned front and rear weights.

 

I assume you are referring to the M5 series?

 

 

 

No, we are referring to the SIM with regards to the rear back weight.  Almost every tour player has a heavier than stock weight in the back and lighter than stock weight in front to increase MOI and make it play more like the SIM Max which IMO is the better of the two straight off the rack.

 

22 hours ago, gwelfgulfer said:

Agree with J13 on this one.  Have both the 9* LST and a 10.5* + and took them to a fitting last week.  No idea how or why, but hooked the crap out of the Sim that day and really had to focus more with it, 410's are very consistent and ended up hitting the Mavrik SV best over all.  Going to do it again in another week because, why not.  Love the Sim Ti fairway and wanted to like the driver, but found better options for me.

 

 

SIM Ti fairway has been in my bag and not going anywhere.  It's a cannon.

[martinbns]

I demoed a Sim Max on Sunday in 25-50 km/hr winds and was pretty impressed.  It was 10.5* with the Riptide 50 regular shaft.  I have been playing a 12* Big Bertha Alpha 815 turned down to 11 the past 5 years, extremely forgiving but I often hit it too high.

 

Got a very nice penetrating trajectory and missed fairways were within a yard or 3 of being in the fairway even hitting into a cornering wind.

[jdvela55]

I tested the g410 Plus LST against the SIM. I felt for me the SIM was the clear winner. Spin, distance, ball speed were all higher. I’m not a great golfer by no means but I definitely don’t have any issues hitting a fade or draw when need. I felt like I had no control with either PING I tested. Just my 2 cents