Best Ping Fairway Woods 2025 - 4 top models tested and reviewed

For many, many years, Ping has been producing some of the best golf clubs around so it's no surprise that they feature strongly when it comes to the best fairway woods on the market. The company has found a nice balance between performance and forgiveness and their range of fairway woods are extremely popular in both the amateur and professional game.

Fairway woods are often regarded as the hardest clubs in the bag to use. This isn't true for everyone of course, but generally speaking they are the clubs that most golfers are likely to struggle with. This is because they have to work well off the tee but also from the fairway. They come with a smaller head than a driver so there is less 'sweet spot' on the club face so in comparison with driver they can sometimes be quite unforgiving.

Ping has really established itself as one of the most forgiving brands when it comes to woods. They make some of the best drivers and their fairways are used by the likes of Viktor Hovland, Tony Finau, Lee Westwood, Louis Oosthuizen and Leona Maguire, so the brand certainly knows a thing or two about how to produce a top quality golf club.

Below, we have taken a deep dive into the best Ping fairway woods, with the purpose of helping inform you and assisting your buying decisions. Alternatively, if Ping isn't to your taste, we also recommend checking out our guides on the best Callaway fairway woods or the best TaylorMade fairway woods.

The Quick List

Best Ping Fairway Woods 2025

Top pick

To further enhance the highly popular G425 range, Ping opted to introduce some new aesthetics in its G430 family, which alongside their Carbonfly Wrap can be seen across the crown from head to toe. Not only does it look fantastic, it brings a performance benefit too as it has been added to help save weight (10g) which in turn lowers the center of gravity to reduce spin and increase ball speed.

The carbon finish combined with the dark gray and neon green accents add a more premium look at address than we've seen with the predecessors of the G430 range and this might be the best looking fairway wood Ping has ever produced.

Of the three models in the G430 range, the Max has been designed with the broadest range of golfers in mind. There's a great choice available too as it is available from 3-wood all the way up to 9-wood.

My testing showed this to be a great choice for a wide range of handicappers as it ticked several boxes. I saw consistent ball speeds and spin rates regardless of the location of strike, distance was good and the forgiveness was impressive too.

• Read our full Ping G430 Max Fairway Review

Best ball-speed consistency

Given how much I loved the Ping G430 fairway wood in 2024, it was going to take a mammoth effort from Ping to deliver something special enough to come in and replace it.

They began with upgrading the looks somewhat. Ping clubs tend to divide opinion when they come to optics and the same runs true in this example, but I think they've made some tangible improvements to the aesthetic. This is mainly thanks to the new Carbonfly Wrap featured on all of the G440 family of drivers and woods - this was previously only reserved for the LST from the G430 range.

I'm less keen on the sole of the club which sports a black and blue colorway, a nod to the original G series family released almost a decade ago. I'm not mad keen on it, but seeing as it's the sole of the club I won't be seeing it while I swing, so does it really matter that much?

When focusing on performance, it surprised to find that during testing my carry numbers were lagging short of other models I've tested so far in 2025 despite ball speed numbers remaining pretty high and consistent. This is likely due to the fairly low launch and high spin this wood promotes. This resulted in a fairly underwhelming carry average of 249.5 yards and 266 yards total, falling short of competitors like the TaylorMade Qi35 fairway wood and Callaway Elyte fairway wood. What I did love, however, was the performance of the 4 wood. This club could become a valuable weapon for a wide range of golfers that typically struggle with hitting a high ball.

The G440 has kept much of what made the G430 so great but from my testing I struggled to find an area in which their were any significant improvements. Nevertheless, it still remains a great option to consider when shopping in the fairway woods market.

• Read our full Ping G440 Max Fairway Wood Review

Best for ball-strikers

Aimed at the skilled ball striker, the LST version of the G440 does exactly what it is advertised to do - deliver lower spin and launch with the premise of delivering more distance. However, like the Max version, gains from the fantastic G430 LST and the standard G440 fairway are difficult to justify the extra expenditure.

I really like the look of this club at address. The matte finish on the compact, powerful looking head looks terrific and the shaping of the head will really appeal to confident ball strikers. Again, like with the Max, I'm not overly thrilled by the design of the sole but like I mentioned above we won't even see it while we swing so does it matter that much?

Performance didn't differ too much from the G440 Max which was a little disappointing. The LST ended up producing a couple of extra yards carry (251 yards) and only one extra yard when it came to total yardage. When I tested it out on the course after my indoor simulator sessions I found the dispersion to be more volatile, as expected with a club suited more to talented players. This is also a club I found best suited to tee shots as opposed to striking off the deck from the fairway or rough. Despite these nit-picking critiques, this remains a very well performing fairway wood and one that should be considered by players searching in this category.

• Read our full Ping G440 LST Fairway Wood Review

Best for shot-making

Whereas the Max suits a wide range of abilities, the G430 LST is very much aimed at the more accomplished golfer. It's ideal for the good ball striker with a faster swing who is wanting to increase their distance and add shot-making and versatility to their shots. Featuring a matte carbon finish very similar to the design of the G430 driver, we think this club looks great at address, even though it does sit slightly open. Again, this means it’s better suited to a more skilled golfer and it is certainly not one of the best fairway woods for high handicap golfers. For the more experienced, accomplished golfers though, the solid and stable face combined with low spin attributes will really appeal.

Most impressive to us based on our testing was that although this is a low spin model, we still managed to get good launch and peak height, with a strong draw at times. As mentioned already, this wood may not be one of the most forgiving fairway woods and if that is your priority then go with the Max model, but for a low spin option we were certainly impressed by the club’s playability and consistency after we’d hit enough shots to get used to it.

• Read our full Ping G430 LST Fairway Review

How we test fairway woods

Golf Monthly's testing procedure sees us follow the same ethos and methodology for all golf products to make sure our reviews and buying guides are as insightful, honest and comprehensive as possible. For golf club reviews, we usually start by attending product launches so we can meet with the manufacturer’s R&D experts to understand the new technology.

Once we have a good understanding of the tech, our next first port of call is usually the indoor simulator at Foresight Sports, where the team can test in a controlled environment using premium balls and the GCQuad launch monitor. We also use TrackMan at golf facilities across the UK as well as testing products out on the course in different conditions and off different lies.

Specifically for fairway woods, product testing is headed up by Sam De'Ath, a former EuroPro and Clutch Pro Tour professional with many years of experience in the golf industry. He is ably assisted by technical editor Joel Tadman, and editor Neil Tappin. All three have been testing clubs for many years, and can efficiently test the vast majority of the biggest product releases and convey the pros and cons eloquently.

Lastly, it's worth noting that no manufacturer can buy a good review and our experts tell it how it is.

How to choose a fairway wood

The best fairway woods come with a variety of features that can help you play better golf. That can also mean it can be very difficult to pick and choose the right fairway wood for your needs as a golfer. With modern clubs coming with a range of bells and whistles, it can be hard to pick the right fairway wood for your needs. But we've set out a list of key considerations below you need to take into account when purchasing your next golf fairway wood.

Loft

This is arguably the most important thing to consider as you need to figure out the specific gap to be filled in your golf bag. Ask yourself how far does my driver go, and how far do your longest irons or hybrids go? Knowing this will dictate the ideal loft for your fairway wood. Get it wrong and you may end up with a club that goes the same distance as something you already have in your bag.

Forgiveness

Some fairway woods are more forgiving than others, especially because many manufacturers create different models for different levels of player. For example, there are a few different Ping fairways with different head sizes, shapes and they are designed for different golfers. If you need as much help as possible, the Max versions will work for you, whilst if you are a better player and strike is more consistent, then forgiveness may not be a key factor for you. Therefore an LS model might be best there. For more options that deliver great forgiveness, check out our guide on the most forgiving fairway woods.

Adjustability

Most modern fairway woods come with a degree of adjustability, whether that’s loft, moveable weights or shaft fittings. Think about how important adjustability is to you, because you can change the characteristics of a club’s performance with a turn of a wrench. Or, you can keep things simple and opt for a non-adjustable model with a stock shaft you hit well.

Versatility

Fairway woods must work well off the tee, on the ground from different lies and even around the green. If you have a model that works in only one of these areas, then there may be plenty of improvement and flexibility in upgrading your fairway woods.

Looks

You have to like how a golf club looks, especially when looking down on the golf ball. The fairway wood is one of the most difficult clubs to hit, which is why you need something that gives you confidence and may even spark a pang of jealousy in your playing partners. Our advice is go and pick several models, see how they look and feel in your hands and test them in a variety of situations and lies.

Budget

Be aware of your budget. You can go for more premium models, such as the TaylorMade Qi35 or Callaway Elyte or you can opt for cheaper designs like the Wilson Launch Pad. Whatever your price bracket, our guides will present you with good advice on buying a new fairway wood and there are options to suit every budget.

One last point, if you're new to golf, you should check out our guide to the best fairway woods for high handicappers. And if you're a female golfer looking for a new approach club, why not also check out our guide on the best women's fairway woods.

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