BEST DRIVER OF 2024! MOST WANTED

[GolfSpy_APH]

https://mygolfspy.com/buyers-guides/drivers/best-golf-drivers/

What are all of your thoughts!?!

[CFreddie]

Woohoo! Excited to dive into this (even though I have no business looking at new drivers)!

[BallsLeon]

Qi10, Darkspeed, and BlackOps didn't even rank 

[Triple_Putt]

Before I even clicked I know the G430 would be at the top, seems like ping just has it the last few years. Club Envy grows more and more from me!

[walkerdb7]

Can someone explain a few metrics in the testing to me?

Looking at the table, how do I interpret the Top 5% area?

also, what does the dispersion category mean? The club most consistently went to the same spot? Isn't that a good metric of forgiveness? 

[Shrek74]

5 minutes ago, BallsLeon said:

Qi10, Darkspeed, and BlackOps didn't even rank 

Black Ops wasn't even tested, which is why it didn't rank. This is surprising to not be included.

[Shrek74]

The little 3.5min video that Phillip did for the most wanted keeps getting cut off by ads and then when you come back it skips to a video on putters. So I didn't get to see the last 3 mins 15 secs of the video.

[Chris Keramidopulos]

I think it might be the ping 430i 10K

[GolfSpy_BEN]

1 minute ago, Shrek74 said:

Black Ops wasn't even tested, which is why it didn't rank. This is surprising to not be included.

PXG chose not to submit it for MW testing. 

[GooRoo]

Did you find any significant difference between the Ping G430 10K, and last year's G430?

[arodrig29]

THIS.IS.AWESOME. Exactly what I have been waiting for gents. Thanks a million!

[Braehead]

Has anyone compared the G430Max 10K against the G430LST?  

[d0m41n]

I am super happy with the results as someone who just bought the AI Smoke Max. While it was the "worst" of the AI Smoke's, seeing the straight shot % at 51.9 is amazing and can attest. So many great options out there. Love all the hard work MGS!

[Preeway]

Not surprised at all by the results. I hit the 430 max last year and it was the most forgiving (smallest dispersion) of any driver I tested. Figured the Max10k would be even better. 

[cnosil]

18 minutes ago, Shrek74 said:

The little 3.5min video that Phillip did for the most wanted keeps getting cut off by ads and then when you come back it skips to a video on putters. So I didn't get to see the last 3 mins 15 secs of the video.

I had the same problem.  Reloaded the page and got though it.   using the link to the actual video may work better .  I think it is a great explanation on how they evaluate the drivers. They also explain the metrics in the article.  
 

https://cdn.jwplayer.com/previews/PfE80cEz

Edited March 13 by cnosil

[Swood1994]

Definitely wasn't surprised by the results. Ping has been crushing this test for a while now. It seems like Callaway made some big improvements with the AI Smoke drivers compared to the first iteration of the Paradym. I think the biggest surprise, for me, was how low the Taylormade QI10 line ranked after the stealth 2+ won most wanted driver last year.

[KC Golf]

Great work MGS.

Happy to see the TSR3 in the testing pool and also for it to finish strong despite it being one of the oldest model in the test.  It’s a great driver.  (Yes biased).  Surprised that more of the LS drivers are not finishing higher.  The notes suggest limited success in adjusting LS fit, but still surprising in my view.

Also a little surprised that more AI based drivers are not finishing higher in the forgiveness category.

[poprocksncoke]

count me in on being surprised the Qi10 did so poorly

[cnosil]

56 minutes ago, walkerdb7 said:

Can someone explain a few metrics in the testing to me?

Looking at the table, how do I interpret the Top 5% area?

also, what does the dispersion category mean? The club most consistently went to the same spot? Isn't that a good metric of forgiveness? 

There is a video and text explanation in the article.   Some people have struggled to watch the video ; here is a link to the video that should avoid the ad problem  

https://cdn.jwplayer.com/previews/PfE80cEz

45 minutes ago, GooRoo said:

Did you find any significant difference between the Ping G430 10K, and last year's G430?

Which g430 model since g430 is a line of drivers?   You can always compare last years results to this years data.   

43 minutes ago, Braehead said:

Has anyone compared the G430Max 10K against the G430LST?  

Two completely different performing drivers targeted at different types of players.  They were compared in the test so you can look at the data and see the differences.  

Edited March 13 by cnosil

[Braehead]

5 minutes ago, cnosil said:

 

Two completely different performing drivers targeted at different types of players.  They were compared in the test so you can look at the data and see the differences.  

But are they really?  I thought the secret sauce here was that the G430Max10K was forgiving AND low spin, so it's almost the Goldilocks club, suited to almost all players.  From what I can see from other testers, a number of high-swing-speed players have put it in play over the LST.  Personally, I think my G430LST is an awesome club and it's the best I've hit my driver in years.  The only way I'll know for sure is if I get a chance to do my own head-to-head test.  But given how much I've just spent on the L.A.B. DF3, maybe I shouldn't go there.......

[bens197]

53 minutes ago, KC Golf said:

Great work MGS.

Happy to see the TSR3 in the testing pool and also for it to finish strong despite it being one of the oldest model in the test.  It’s a great driver.  (Yes biased).  Surprised that more of the LS drivers are not finishing higher.  The notes suggest limited success in adjusting LS fit, but still surprising in my view.

Also a little surprised that more AI based drivers are not finishing higher in the forgiveness category.

I thought the exact same regarding the TSR3.  Among that company those are some great numbers.  Still though...The PING 10K is a monster and it's not surprising to see PING doing PING things on an annual basis.

[03trdblack]

Could possibly say that Wilson Carbon > Ping G430 Max 10K?? 

 

[cnosil]

31 minutes ago, Braehead said:

But are they really?  I thought the secret sauce here was that the G430Max10K was forgiving AND low spin, so it's almost the Goldilocks club, suited to almost all players.  From what I can see from other testers, a number of high-swing-speed players have put it in play over the LST.  Personally, I think my G430LST is an awesome club and it's the best I've hit my driver in years.  The only way I'll know for sure is if I get a chance to do my own head-to-head test.  But given how much I've just spent on the L.A.B. DF3, maybe I shouldn't go there.......

LST had faster ball speed, launched lower, had lower peak height and spun about 300 RPM less.  these are averages so for individuals the differences could be significantly more.  
 

Heard a story about one of the high speed testers that the 10k wasn’t as long as the other drivers but he hit it extremely straight so he had less dispersion and more consistent results.    

Edited March 13 by cnosil

[RTH1]

No real standout performers from what I saw, maybe when MGS releases the swing speed data something will pop out. Have the manufacturers hit the proverbial wall ?

[cnosil]

3 minutes ago, RTH1 said:

No real standout performers from what I saw, maybe when MGS releases the swing speed data something will pop out. Have the manufacturers hit the proverbial wall ?

There are some max performance limitations put in place by the equipment rules.    The areas for improvement are on misshits and getting those strikes to be more equivalent to optimal strikes.

[Braehead]

10 minutes ago, cnosil said:

There are some max performance limitations put in place by the equipment rules.    The areas for improvement are on misshits and getting those strikes to be more equivalent to optimal strikes.

It's quite a change in the way they've pushed/marketed forgiveness this year over pure distance.  

[walkerdb7]

1 hour ago, cnosil said:

There is a video and text explanation in the article.   Some people have struggled to watch the video ; here is a link to the video that should avoid the ad problem  

https://cdn.jwplayer.com/previews/PfE80cEz

 

Worked, thank you

[chisag]

41 minutes ago, cnosil said:

There are some max performance limitations put in place by the equipment rules.    The areas for improvement are on misshits and getting those strikes to be more equivalent to optimal strikes.

 

... Exactly where the Qi10 excels for my swing. My miss is a little high and a little toe, and that strike produces as long or longer drives than hit dead center. A game changer for me. 

[walkerdb7]

9 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

... Exactly where the Qi10 excels for my swing. My miss is a little high and a little toe, and that strike produces as long or longer drives than hit dead center. A game changer for me. 

Same, but on the max for me. I expected to buy the Max 10K, but the fitting steered me in a different direction, haha. The Qi10 Max spins a bit more and worked for me. I am naturally low spin player. When a driver does not spin enough, the ball doesn't fly

With that said... The constant reiteration of how straight the Ping is makes me want to go hit that one more time, haha

[Guest-0]

2 hours ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

https://mygolfspy.com/buyers-guides/drivers/best-golf-drivers/

What are all of your thoughts!?!

My thoughts are apparently exactly what your thoughts were with the exception of the distance part as I tested over two days 12 drivers in the 24' lineup and hit each one at least a dozen times and alot more if I liked it and G430 MAX 10k was the clear cut winner for me almost across the board!! Dispersion was way better than any other model, spin numbers consistent in that 2700 range and my carry distance (289 avg) was only behind Callaway AI Smoke triple diamond (293) and tied with Taylormade Qi10 LS (289) It's hard to beat the ball speed on the LS models with a Max driver but somehow PING has found a way to not only give you the most forgiving driver ever built, but one that is low spin??? Even the pros gaming this club are scratching their heads as low spin and forgiveness are not often mentioned together. Masterful job by PING on this absolute unit of a driver. Every model tested indoors and outdoors had the Ventus black 60 in them S+