Ping G430 Max Fairway Review

Ping G430 Max Fairway Review

With how popular the G425 range was across all levels of golfers, it was going to take something special to replace it. Introducing the G430 family, the latest Ping release that features two fairway models, the SFT (Straight Flight Technology) and the Max. The Max is the model that will suit the majority of golfers, that ranges from tour professionals to the weekend warrior. 

WATCH: Sam De'Ath and Neil Tappin discuss the best fairway woods of 2023

So what’s new on the G430 Max fairway? Ping has introduced a Carbonfly Wrap which is visible across the top of the crown from head to toe designed to save weight (10g) and lower the centre of gravity for less spin and more ball speed. This carbon finish along with the dark grey and neon green accents give the G430 Max fairway a more premium and modern look, which we believe gives it more shelf appeal than the G425 fairway it has come in to replace. The club sits low to the ground appearing shallow, inspiring the ability to really launch the ball high off the fairway or a tee.

The G430 Max fairway also features Facewrap Technology which provides a stable connection between sole and crown, resulting in more flexibility on the face to produce faster ball speeds and higher launch. This allows for more consistent ball speeds and spin rates off the face regardless of strike location - an impressive addition to Ping fairway woods already notorious for being some of the most forgiving fairway woods on the market. 

In our testing, thinly-struck shots popped up and flew just shy of an optimum peak ball flight, rather than coming out low and not achieving good carry. When playing into the wind, it was harder to keep the G430 Max down and it felt the ball often climbed a touch. The feel from centre strikes was a firm powerful one and I was pleasantly surprised with the feeling of miss-hits.

By using a Foresight Sports GCQuad Launch Monitor, we were able to gather data inside to back up our findings on the course. The Ping G430 Max fairway produced an average ball speed of 154.5mph and average carry of 244 yards. The data remained fairly consistent across the shots hit, quickly becoming one of the best Ping fairway woods we have seen. We tested the G430 Max in a stock shaft option, the Ping Tour 2.0 Chrome 75g stiff flex set at 15°. The shaft was slightly too light for me, although it did a really good job in keeping up with me to produce repetitive ball flights. The spin for me was also a little high, averaging 4132 rpm (revolutions per minute), but combined with good launch meant my peak height only saw a 3ft difference from the lowest flight to highest, which I thought was pretty remarkable.

Overall Ping has continued to impress us with the ability to create a fairway wood that continues to deliver exceptional forgiveness, yet see ball speeds that crept up to match some of the longer fairway woods in the game. The sleek look of the G430 Max fairway makes it even more appealing to hit and is certainly one of the best fairway woods available this year as vouched for in Editors Choice.

The G430 Max will be offered in five different stock options and the choice of a Golf Pride Tour Velvet grips in various sizes, on sale from January 27th with an RRP of $385/£350.