A forgiving driver that most often eclipses a moment of inertia of 10,000, but in a form factor that includes a large head with a deep profile, and leads to confidence when you most need it. That’s the take of Ryan Stokke, PING’s Director of Product Design, when it comes to the G440K, an extension of the driver line PING introduced last year. That driver line is one of PING’s most successful ever, with an increased focus on both distance and forgiveness, a unique approach for a company that focused much of its energy on helping golfers find the fairway.
“We wanted a driver that offers wider headweight flexibility, and we wanted to offer a driver with three positions that offers a lot of fitting flexibility as well,” says Stokke. “What we’ve created is very unique in this product category.”
The result is a driver that offers 21 percent tighter dispersion over the G430, and 17 percent over last year’s G440 MAX. Additionally, PING is offering the new K model in a 7.5-degree loft, aimed specifically at faster swinging golfers who want to hit it longer. “You’re going to get a driver with the proper spin that doesn’t erode your distance,” says Stokke.
Product keys
MOI
Last year’s 10K driver, like many in the market, suggested PING was eclipsing the much-discussed MOI of 10,000. However, there are a lot of factors that go into that, so this year’s model is simply called “K.” That doesn’t mean many configurations won’t exceed 10,000 MOI, just that PING isn’t saying every version will. Regardless, this is the most forgiving model PING has in the line.
Free Hosel Technology
A key in the initial launch of the G440 line, PING looked at advance simulations and full optimization of the driver. “We balanced weight savings from the face, weight savings from the crown, and weight savings from Free Hosel to lighten the system mass and to target each build to better resonate with each target consumer,” says Stokke. In essence, Free Hosel removed the section of the hosel that would have gone into the clubhead without sacrificing stability. The result was a driver with PING’s deepest center of gravity, which was then aligned with the force line for faster ball speed, better spin, and higher launching drives.
Dual Carbonfly Wrap
Carbonfly was a key ingredient in the initial 440 line, but by adding more carbon to the driver—now to the crown and sole—discretionary weight was saved and repositioned to improve spin and launch.
VFT Technology
A forged face offers more flexing at higher ball speeds. By connecting a hotter face to an optimal center of gravity, PING has unlocked a way to maximize distance.