Anyone else prefer g425 3wd vs g430?

[hammergolf]

Got a new g430 3wd based onThe reviews I had heard. Have been able to hit it on the course a few rounds, and it’s not as good as my g425. Anybody else found the same? 

[pmang]

Due to the lack of response it doesn’t look like many feel similar. What I like about the G425 fairway is that I feel they are slightly more forgiving. I have G430’s now. To me performance is about equal.

[Kevmonton]

I am guessing most people that own the 425 have not bothered to hit the 430.  I don't think many upgrade their fairway woods one model year that often.

[tacticalpanda]

Not the 3w, but I thought the g425 hybrid offering was better than the g430.  I’d believe it if that was the case for certain swings in the woods as well.

[animalgolfs]

It's a feel thing IMO

 

G430 has the carbon feel and it takes time getting used too - I don't have a preference as I bag both in different lofts

[soap1984]

I do agree with the OP. Might be a feel thing, but I think the 425 has a bit more distance for me as well. It does feel a lot better compared to the 430 in my hands. I used the 430 for a few rounds but it didn't perform better so I have gone back to the 425, which for me has been the best three wood I have used since the G25. 

 

So yes, there is at least one person out there who agrees with you. 

[Alpha3]

My wife was was fit with sft 430 Hl 3wood, didn’t like it. I put it in the - hosel position and hit it better than my rogue max 3 wood. Maybe because it’s lighter, little flatter profile. Only about 10 yds longer, miss is a slight draw. I hit my Rogue fine also. Kinda fun fact I wouldn’t have ever tried..

[Nixhex524]

I'm a 430 woods guy.  The 425 max was good but I much prefer the sound and feel of the 430.  I'm getting more yardage out of the 430 as well, but could be the access to fitting I have this time around.

[bellken]

I have G425 3 & 5 woods. I haven't tried the G430 fairway woods. I guess, I am one of those guys, that, don't always upgrade to the latest and greatest. fwiw, I probably should dump the 3w, and, that is one of the reasons, I haven't bothered to try the new ones.

[hammergolf]

I wanted to like the g430, but it just doesn’t perform as well as my g425. I think the slightly deeper face of the g430 may be the reason. I hit the g425 higher, further, and straighter. Someone’s about to get a good deal on a like new g430 3wd…..

[MyShortGameSucks]

I have both 3 wood and hybrids in 425 and 430.  
 

I'd say the 3 woods are similar performance and forgiveness wise.  The 430 sounds better than the 425.  The 425 looks better.  Pretty much a tie.  

 

I was very unimpressed with the 430 hybrids.  They had been hyped up a lot.  For me the 425 hybruids are superior in almost every aspect and a complete bargain now at discounted prices.

 

 

[soap1984]

I'm also not thrilled with the 430 hybrids and feel the 425 was superior. I can't compare lofts directly since I bought a 430 4 hybrid and never had that loft in 425 but I used a 3 hybrid in 425 last year and liked it a lot more than the current one. Face feels/sounds dead to me. 

[Chubbydog]

My favorite hybrid ever was the G400. Since I sold that, I've been unable to find something I liked.  The 430 is the first one since that 400 that feels and sounds better to me.  I've got the 425 sitting in the garage.  Been hitting a 7 wood since I didn't care for it.  The 430 though is going in the bag. It's crazy straight for me, and just as long as my 7 wood.  I'm not a big fan of hybrids, but I think the new Ping might change some minds.  I also picked up the 3 wood,  and it's long.  I may take it back for a 5 wood to get the distance I'm looking for.  

[tlinnert]

I have never played Ping in any club in my bag over the years. On a whim, I scooped up the G430 Max driver this year and once I got the SW and shaft dialed in it replaced my SIM. 
 

Had so much success with that, I picked up the G430 Max 3 wood which was so good it went right into the bag. 
 

Had so much success with that, I picked up the G430 7 wood (replaced SIM hybrid) which has become my favorite club in the bag. 
 

The G430s are amazing woods. I’ve never bought 3 of the same branded woods before. If you guys are telling me that compared to the G425s the G430s are triple garbage then take my money because I can’t imagine there being a better lineup out there. 
 

What type of sorcery is in the G425s to put the smack down on the newer lineup?

[MyShortGameSucks]

23 minutes ago, tlinnert said:

The G430s are amazing woods. I’ve never bought 3 of the same branded woods before. If you guys are telling me that compared to the G425s the G430s are triple garbage then take my money because I can’t imagine there being a better lineup out there. 
 

What type of sorcery is in the G425s to put the smack down on the newer lineup?

Well first off the new 430 drivers are amazing and a big improvement over 425 drivers.  The LST is nothing short of amazing.  Not sure anymore is debating that 😀

 

I think the issue is that, for whatever reason, the 425 fairways and hybrids flew a bit under the radar and never got the widespread recognition they deserved.   As I said I think the 425 vs 430 in fairways is pretty much a tie.  I just like the look of the 425 more.  My son loves the 430 fairway.

 

 With the hybrids - the 425 were real game changers for me and I am loathe to replace them as I have such a high level of trust in them out on the course.  My previous comment on the 430 hybrids was probably a little harsh!
 

So for me the 430 fairways and hybrids are more of a lateral move /cosmetic update. If you have the 425 no real need to change.  If you are buying 430s over some other older hybrid then yes you will be very impressed!
 

 

 

[tlinnert]

13 minutes ago, MyShortGameSucks said:

Well first off the new 430 drivers are amazing and a big improvement over 425 drivers.  The LST is nothing short of amazing.  Not sure anymore is debating that 😀

 

I think the issue is that, for whatever reason, the 425 fairways and hybrids flew a bit under the radar and never got the widespread recognition they deserved.   As I said I think the 425 vs 430 in fairways is pretty much a tie.  I just like the look of the 425 more.  My son loves the 430 fairway.

 

 With the hybrids - the 425 were real game changers for me and I am loathe to replace them as I have such a high level of trust in them out on the course.  My previous comment on the 430 hybrids was probably a little harsh!
 

So for me the 430 fairways and hybrids are more of a lateral move /cosmetic update. If you have the 425 no real need to change.  If you are buying 430s over some other older hybrid then yes you will be very impressed!
 

 

 

This is helpful. Admittedly, i have never tried the hybrids in the Ping model. I ditched hybrids (played TM SIM hybrids) all together this year and replaced with a G430 7 wood and a utility iron. Love both clubs. 
 

One of my regular playing partners has a G425 3 wood and 5 wood and absolutely smashes both. 
 

 

[Nixhex524]

I’ll add that the 430 hybrid is also better for me.  First hybrid I have hit in a long time that doesn’t go left on me.  Trustworthy club.

[SwingMan]

On 7/4/2023 at 9:24 PM, tacticalpanda said:

Not the 3w, but I thought the g425 hybrid offering was better than the g430.  I’d believe it if that was the case for certain swings in the woods as well.

 

I had the G425 4H, bought the G430 4H - same shaft as I had in the G425, and found the G430 to have better feel, more distance, more consistent ... or maybe my swing has improved.

 

I think the G430 is excellent and prefer it. I think the carbon wrap and other improvements are worth the change. Or maybe my swing has improved.

 

I did enjoy the G425 Hy. Very accurate. The G430 is enough of an improvement. But then, that is subjective.

 

I'm still considering G430 Max and LST over G425 driver ...  I need to demo

Edited July 10, 2023 by SwingMan

[Mike_C]

I have been playing G410 FWs for several years, love, love, love my 410 LST 3 Wood, had the regular 5 and 7 wood too.   

 

A few months ago cracked the face of my 5 wood, you could see the outline of the weld through the face, I see the same pattern on my 3 wood and am fearing the day it would crack, so I decided to try to upgrade.  (Also note, I cracked a 410 LST driver that wasn't that old a few years ago too, same spot, top part of the weld, Ping did replace it, sent me a 425 LST, but the 410s are out of warranty now)  I bought a new 425 Max a couple of weeks ago, it was OK, definitely spun a bit more, but was probably a bit more forgiving.  I turned it down a degree and was hitting it OK.  Last week went back into the store where I got it and someone had just return a G430 Max 3 wood with the Kai'li shaft, it was like new and $50 off, so I swapped the it out after reading all the good reviews about ball speed and consistency on the 430.

 

This thing is a major hook machine for me.   I didn't hook my 410 LST like this, or the 425 Max, but it just feels like the head wants to turn way over through impact, tried swapping my Tensei Orange shaft from my 410 into, no difference.  I had the same experience years ago with Ping FWs, back in the G15 or G20 days, loved the look and feel, but almost every shot was a 20-40 or more yard hook.....and couldn't hit a fade to save my life,  unplayable for me, it's almost like it is extremely heel weighted, also messed around with the loft and lie angle, hardly any impact, I play my 410 straight up stock loft/lie.  Maybe I can find an old used 410 LST head that is in decent shape, or maybe try a 425 LST 3W.  It was very disappointing, I was really looking forward to playing the 430 Max.....

 

 

 

[Mike_C]

So it's not just my imagination.  Guess I need some hot melt.

 

https://golf.com/gear/fairway-woods/ping-g430-max-fairway-wood-wall/?amp=1

 

“Success for G430 Max took some time, but it felt inevitable,” Oates told GOLF.com. “Once we figured out its tendencies and builds, the Max has been able to be competitive in ball speed with every other company. And it comes with Ping’s well-known forgiveness and height. It is our easiest to launch fairway we’ve ever had and when built right for our guys, it’s mid to low spin.”

 

Max fairway woods are generally designed for the golfer who struggles to launch the ball and needs an abundance of heel-toe forgiveness — two things pro golfers rarely require from their fairway wood.

 

“Initially it went so high and was so easy to turn over we were slightly concerned,” Oates continued, “but we’ve found a nice sweet spot.

 

 

The “sweet spot” he’s referencing is a build that’s increasing G430 Max’s usage on Tour, especially with 5- and 7-wood builds. To combat the stock shot shape and spin rate, Oates and team have been adding 4-8 grams of hot melt to the toe and moving the loft sleeve to the “Small Minus” setting to optimize launch and spin for the best players in the world.

 

The build has become so popular, in fact, it’s used by more than half of the pros currently playing G430 Max. During the John Deere Classic, G430 Max was the most played fairway wood in the field for a fourth straight week, a sign that Max’s popularity isn’t an aberration but a full-blow trend this season.

[eric61]

I'm playing the G430 Max 3 wood in the flat-minus at 14 degrees and the 7 wood in the flat-minus at 20 degrees, and really love them both. I had G425 Maxes last year, then briefly went with a TSR2 4W/7W combo, and am back into Ping now with the G430s -- and sticking with them this time. Got a Ventus TR Blue 8S in the 7W, which is a perfect match (I know that's what @knudson81 recently did too! Hope to hear him on his podcast talk about it). I'm thinking through what to put in the 3W -- I have an older Alta CB 65X and actually found that it knocked about 500 RPMs of spin off compared to the Tour Chrome 2.0 75S, getting me from 4000 to 3500ish. 

 

For me, honestly I don't find the performance that different vs. the G425s. I think the sound is a little better. 

 

But the trick is the way they've shaped the G430s to make the center of the club look slightly taller. I think if you actually measured the G425 face height vs. the G430, they'd probably be about the same. But the G425 always made me feel like it was too much of a pancake shape to trust that I wouldn't sky-mark it off the tee, whereas just because of the subtle shaping differences I'm more comfortable with the G430. 

 

That 3 wood at 14 degrees is one I've come to really trust off the tee lately. It's also given me something I've never had before: a 3 wood that I feel totally comfortable blasting out of the rough. Earlier this week, I was out playing a twilight 9 and missed the fairways on both the par 5s. I hit the G430 Max 3 wood out of the rough and wound up slightly long, about 4-5 yards into the rough, straight over both greens. (Didn't hit good chips and wound up with two-putt pars on both holes, unfortunately.) 

 

Like I said, I think it's an optical illusion rather than a real face height difference. But I'm just a bit more confident with the G430s than I was with the G425s. 

 

All that said ... I've seen how @hammergolf hits his 3 wood and other than the shaft change he's made since we played out in Carlsbad, I wouldn't even consider changing a darn thing! In his hands that G425 is money.

[hammergolf]

29 minutes ago, eric61 said:

I'm playing the G430 Max 3 wood in the flat-minus at 14 degrees and the 7 wood in the flat-minus at 20 degrees, and really love them both. I had G425 Maxes last year, then briefly went with a TSR2 4W/7W combo, and am back into Ping now with the G430s -- and sticking with them this time. Got a Ventus TR Blue 8S in the 7W, which is a perfect match (I know that's what @knudson81 recently did too! Hope to hear him on his podcast talk about it). I'm thinking through what to put in the 3W -- I have an older Alta CB 65X and actually found that it knocked about 500 RPMs of spin off compared to the Tour Chrome 2.0 75S, getting me from 4000 to 3500ish. 

 

For me, honestly I don't find the performance that different vs. the G425s. I think the sound is a little better. 

 

But the trick is the way they've shaped the G430s to make the center of the club look slightly taller. I think if you actually measured the G425 face height vs. the G430, they'd probably be about the same. But the G425 always made me feel like it was too much of a pancake shape to trust that I wouldn't sky-mark it off the tee, whereas just because of the subtle shaping differences I'm more comfortable with the G430. 

 

That 3 wood at 14 degrees is one I've come to really trust off the tee lately. It's also given me something I've never had before: a 3 wood that I feel totally comfortable blasting out of the rough. Earlier this week, I was out playing a twilight 9 and missed the fairways on both the par 5s. I hit the G430 Max 3 wood out of the rough and wound up slightly long, about 4-5 yards into the rough, straight over both greens. (Didn't hit good chips and wound up with two-putt pars on both holes, unfortunately.) 

 

Like I said, I think it's an optical illusion rather than a real face height difference. But I'm just a bit more confident with the G430s than I was with the G425s. 

 

All that said ... I've seen how @hammergolf hits his 3 wood and other than the shaft change he's made since we played out in Carlsbad, I wouldn't even consider changing a darn thing! In his hands that G425 is money.

It’s safely in the bag. I tried the g430 and it wasn’t as good as my gamer. You know how we are, always looking for something better when we may already have it in the bag…. Lol Any word on when your shafts arrive?

[eric61]

31 minutes ago, hammergolf said:

It’s safely in the bag. I tried the g430 and it wasn’t as good as my gamer. You know how we are, always looking for something better when we may already have it in the bag…. Lol Any word on when your shafts arrive?

FedEx says tomorrow! Fingers crossed!

[hammergolf]

3 minutes ago, eric61 said:

FedEx says tomorrow! Fingers crossed!

Awesome!

[Duffman57]

On 7/12/2023 at 3:20 PM, eric61 said:

I'm playing the G430 Max 3 wood in the flat-minus at 14 degrees and the 7 wood in the flat-minus at 20 degrees, and really love them both. I had G425 Maxes last year, then briefly went with a TSR2 4W/7W combo, and am back into Ping now with the G430s -- and sticking with them this time. Got a Ventus TR Blue 8S in the 7W, which is a perfect match (I know that's what @knudson81 recently did too! Hope to hear him on his podcast talk about it). I'm thinking through what to put in the 3W -- I have an older Alta CB 65X and actually found that it knocked about 500 RPMs of spin off compared to the Tour Chrome 2.0 75S, getting me from 4000 to 3500ish. 

 

For me, honestly I don't find the performance that different vs. the G425s. I think the sound is a little better. 

 

But the trick is the way they've shaped the G430s to make the center of the club look slightly taller. I think if you actually measured the G425 face height vs. the G430, they'd probably be about the same. But the G425 always made me feel like it was too much of a pancake shape to trust that I wouldn't sky-mark it off the tee, whereas just because of the subtle shaping differences I'm more comfortable with the G430. 

 

That 3 wood at 14 degrees is one I've come to really trust off the tee lately. It's also given me something I've never had before: a 3 wood that I feel totally comfortable blasting out of the rough. Earlier this week, I was out playing a twilight 9 and missed the fairways on both the par 5s. I hit the G430 Max 3 wood out of the rough and wound up slightly long, about 4-5 yards into the rough, straight over both greens. (Didn't hit good chips and wound up with two-putt pars on both holes, unfortunately.) 

 

Like I said, I think it's an optical illusion rather than a real face height difference. But I'm just a bit more confident with the G430s than I was with the G425s. 

 

All that said ... I've seen how @hammergolf hits his 3 wood and other than the shaft change he's made since we played out in Carlsbad, I wouldn't even consider changing a darn thing! In his hands that G425 is money.

I've been fighting with my sim ti lately and have had a lot of trouble finding the sweet spot with it. Went to test some of the options and tried hitting the g430 in exactly this setting, and holy crap its a monster.  I'm a pretty low spin wood player, and really hate a lot of the low spin options (I have to play the sim TI at 16.5 to get it to work consistently).  Its pretty much everything I dream of in a 3 wood since I like the squattier head, but not overly so, which is exactly what that club is, like you said not pancake flat.  But on the small minus it was absolutely perfect.  Could shut it down and turn it 270 or hit a high fade 250 that would hold most greens, even if I hit it dead out the heel it pretty much goes the same number, which happens sometimes for me.  I don't want to spend any more money on clubs but sometime next year I'm sure i'll go out and find a used one for cheapish and try it out if I still can't get along with my Sim.

Edited July 26, 2023 by Duffman57

[ThatDudeFerbs]

I have both a G425 and G430 Max 5W and I do prefer the sound and feel of the G425, but I believe the G430 goes just a bit more.

[gator022]

Has anyone found anything that's longer than the G425 FW's?  I have my 5w set at 16.5 and was looking for something with a little more juice to it.  Part of the beauty of the G425 is how straight they are.  I'd love to get a little more out of them.  I've heard the Aerojet and Paradym are as forgiving and hotter.  Any experiences here?

[iNeedMoreGolf]

The g425 3hybrid is phenomenal. Feels sounds looks performs amazing. The 3wood... sounds like crap but hits easy performs well. Feels not great just ok. Super loud. But.. when it works it works.

[dlovage]

Interesting thread. G430 across the board in Driver, Fairway, Hybrid that is demonstrably better than prior generation. Feels much better and I've been able to hit down on the ball much more effectively with the fairways in particular. All my woods + hybrids are now Ping G430s except a Paradym 5W.