New launch: Ping

All the tech in the G400 Max driver and G700 irons.

Smaller-headed drivers don’t usually boast of greater forgiveness than their bigger-boned cousins. But that’s exactly what Ping claimed when the G400 drivers hit the shops last August. Golfers loved the look of the 445cc head at address and, thanks to a combined MOI over 9,000g-cm2, when Ping said their rivals couldn’t muster higher than 8,000, the G400 was widely accepted by club golfers as a super-forgiving club.

But Ping’s inquisitive engineers didn’t sit back, put their feet up and give themselves a pat on the back. Almost immediately their techie minds were wondering what would happen if all the G400’s tech was wrapped inside a 460cc head. That’s exactly where the new G400 Max comes in.

Expect all the same aerodynamic, acoustic, fast face and dragonfly crown tech, just like the G400, but with a head size pushed to the 460cc limits.

Ping president John K Solheim said: “If you struggle finding the fairway with consistency, the Max is likely the best fit for you.” Ping openly admit that golfers may sacrifice a bit of clubhead speed with the Max, but you’re likely to add distance thanks to its MOI properties.

The tech story is not just in the larger head size either; it’s how the low and deep tungsten weighting wraps from the sole on to the back skirt of the driver that sends forgiveness through the roof.

Ping say it raises MOI over the 9,900 (g-cm2) barrier, and with a CG position lower and further back than any current driver on the market, Ping claim the G400 Max is the most forgiving driver available in golf.