Why the Ping G430 LST has been the most popular driver in the Presidents Cup

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In January 2023 Ping released their latest ‘G’ range of products with the G430 family. Since then the wood and steel have received many compliments and are always visible at the end of any test and, last week in the President Cup, the G430 LST was the most popular driver in Canada.

Seven players – Jason Day, Corey Conners, Taylor Pendrith, Mackenzie Hughes, Tony Finau, Sahith Theegala and Keegan Bradley – all went with the LS Tech over the MAX, which is more forgiving and appeals to a wider range of golfers, and the SFT ( Straight Flight Technology).

The LST is one of only three to feature Ping’s Carbonfly Wrap technology which is a lightweight composite that combines the crown and wrap around the heel/toe sections to save weight and promote all the key features you want in a driver; lower Center of Gravity for more ball speed, less spin and higher MOI (forgiveness). The face also curves slightly under the clubface so anything that hits the bottom of the club will be launched with more power and less spin.

After being fully installed Ping claims that the LST can give you seven yards more range than the previous model, the G425 LST.

This is the first time that Ping has introduced a carbon crown and there are now the trademark turbulators on top. This refers to the small ridges designed to improve the aerodynamics of the club by creating turbulence in the airflow over the clubhead as it moves through the air during the swing. This reduces drag and allows the club to move faster.

Small head size

Also at 440cc it’s a slightly smaller head size than usual (460cc) so if you like a compact look on your rider then this will appeal to you. Other key technical features include a 22-gram, high-density tungsten backweight that influences shot orientation +/- seven yards between Draw, Neutral and Fade settings and is available in 9° and 10.5° lofts. ° can be changed to + /- 1.5˚.

“With the latest manufacturing advances and the smaller head size of the G430 LST, the time is right to bring this technology to golfers,” said Ping at the launch of the club. “It is fast becoming a favorite with our tour players, who enjoy the benefits of ball speed while talking about the look, feel and sound.”

The sound was perhaps the biggest answer to the previous model and this one is excellent and something that will really appeal to experts and novices alike.

“It felt dark and healthy. It was like being hit, I really like the sound of this driver,” said Rick Shiels in his review.

As for tour players, Viktor Hovland is also a big fan of the G430 LST driver, as well as many LPGA stars such as Linn Grant and Leona Maguire.