PING

G430 Max / G430 SFT / G430 HL

Hot List Gold 2023

Our Review:

WHAT IT DOES: The honey-do list for fairway woods could ruin any Saturday morning. The G430 tackles this challenge in several ways. Need help launching it higher? How about a wraparound carbon-composite crown to lower the center of gravity (CG). Need a faster face? How about stretching it into the crown and sole for more spring on off-center strikes. Need more launch on thin hits low on the face? How about less curve on the bottom half of the face for more consistency. The G430 responds, “Check, check and check.” 

WHY WE LIKE IT: Ping’s primary mission since forever has been increasing forgiveness. That’s how you win a loyal fan base of average golfers. Forgiveness is generally improved by increasing a club’s moment of inertia (resistance to twisting). It often comes from repositioning weight to the perimeter to stabilize the head. But these fairway woods, including the high-launching, slice-fighting SFT model, maintain a steady MOI in favor of a lower CG. A low CG that lines up with the fastest part of the face yields more overall consistency in distance and dispersion. Come to think of it, that sounds a heck of a lot like forgiveness. Old dog, meet new tricks. Read more>>>

Which one's for me?

Find Out
Price: G430 Max $385, G430 SFT $385, G430 HL $385
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Ping G430 Max_FW_Hero.jpg
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Ping G430 Max_FW_Hero.jpg
Which One's For Me?
G430 MAX
The G430 Max yields high forgiveness and a neutral flight and should be the option for the majority of players seeking the complete mix of distance and forgiveness.
G430 SFT
The SFT features more loft (a degree weaker loft than the Max models), a slightly heel-biased internal weighting and a slightly lighter weight to give these players more control and counteract a slice.
G430 HL
The HL version creates a lighter overall system, including a lighter head and shaft. It targets slower swingers looking to increase speed to help with higher launch and distance.
Ratings
Performance

50%*

Innovation

30%*

Look / Sound / Feel

20%*

* Percentage of total score

Player Comments
Medium-Handicapper
"Simple, beautiful, modern, inviting design with the matte black and design on the top of the head. Purposeful. Leads to a very focused ball striking experience. Like spreading butter on bread. It's so smooth and the ball just jumps so fast and high that there's a ton of versatility here."
Handicap, 8
Low-Handicapper
“So pretty and clean. The yellow is subtle but adds personality. Very soft feel without taking away power. You never feel like you’re losing control. Hard to miss.”
Handicap, 5
High-Handicapper
"Well executed matte design. Low profile turf cutter. Ball feels like it gets off the face without difficulty. Draw bias head worked very well for my ball flight."
Handicap, 12
Club Specs
Models Price
G430 MAX $385
G430 SFT $385
G430 HL $385

G430 MAX

Name Loft Length Dexterity Adjustable
G430 MAX 3W 15.00 43.00 No
G430 Max 5W 18.00 42.50 No
G430 Max 7W 21.00 42.00 No
G430 Max 9W 24.00 41.50 No

G430 SFT

Name Loft Length Dexterity Adjustable
G430 SFT 3W 16.00 43.00 No
G430 SFT 5W 19.00 42.50 No
G430 SFT 7W 22.00 42.00 No

Surviving the Hot List: Season 2

What happens when you drop a golf-crazed Hollywood actor and a retired NFL player into the most grueling gig in golf? At the 2023 Hot List summit, Golf Digest's cameras followed Michael Peña and Danny Woodhead's quest to ace their new jobs as rookie club testers.