Equipment
Ping GMax irons: What you need to know
Ping’s GMax irons ($121.25 per club with steel, $136.25 per club with graphite) have a dark satin finish, and are available in 4-9, PW, UW, SW. Default color code is yellow. Stock swing weight is C6-D2.
- Ping’s Stock Shafts: CFS Distance Steel (Soft R, R, S, X), CFS Graphite (65 Soft R, 70 Regular, 80 Stiff)
- No Upcharge Custom Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold (S300, X100), True Temper Project X (5.0, 6.0), True Temper XP 95 (R, S), Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 105 (S, X)
What you need to know
- Ping’s GMax irons are larger than the company’s previous G-Series irons, the G30, and are the longest and most-forgiving game-improvement irons currently offered by the company. The G30’s made our Gear Trials: Best Game-Improvement Irons list in 2014 and 2015.
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- Sole Width: Ping’s GMax (right) is significantly wider than the company’s i irons.
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- The GMax irons (left) have larger blade lengths, thicker toplines and wider soles than the company’s i irons.
- GMax are the first Ping irons to be designed with “fast faces.” The 4-8 irons use COR-Eye technology that allows their club faces to flex at impact for more distance. The construction, which uses 17-4 stainless steel bodies and heat-treated Hyper 17-4 alloy faces, creates approximately 1-3 mph more ball speed across the face, according to Ping.
COR-Eye technology allows the sole and top rail of the GMax irons (4-8) to flex more at impact for increased ball speed, creating more distance.
- Like Ping’s new i irons, the GMax irons have a revamped Custom Tuning Port (CTP). It connects low and deep on the sole, improving forgiving and raising launch. According to Ping, the GMax irons are more forgiving and fly slightly farther than the company’s Karsten irons. Their blade lengths are also approximately 1 percent longer than the Karsten irons and 2 percent longer than the G30 irons.
The GMax’s CTP sits low and deep in the club head to improve moment of inertia (MOI), a measure of a club’s forgiveness. An elastomer weight inside the CTP improves feel.
- Like Ping’s Karsten irons, the GMax irons have progressive lengths and lofts that are designed to create high trajectories and consistent yardage gaps throughout the set.
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- Sole Width: Ping’s GMax (right) is significantly wider than the company’s i irons.
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- The GMax irons (right) have larger blade lengths, thicker toplines and wider soles than the company’s i irons.
- The GMax irons have swing weights that get progressively lighter as the clubs get longer to help golfers swing the clubs faster and square the face more easily at impact. See the specs below.
GMax Iron Specs
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- Sole Width: Ping’s GMax (left) is significantly wider than the company’s i irons.
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- The GMax irons (left) have larger blade lengths, thicker toplines and wider soles than the company’s i irons.
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Related
Cameron Young’s WITB from his win at the 2025 Wyndham Championship. Cameron is a Titleist staff player but his bag is definitely filled with some unique clubs. Here are the clubs he used to secure his first PGA Tour win!
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus HB Black VeloCore+ 10 X
Irons: Titleist T200 (4), Titleist T100 (5), Titleist 631.CY Prototype (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F, 52-12F, 56-14F @57), WedgeWorks (60-K* @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom 9.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Prototype
- Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist GT3 (10 degrees, C2 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Project X Denali Blue 60 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 7 X
7-wood: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 8 X
Irons: Titleist T150 (4, 5), Titleist T100 (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper AMT Tour White X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F, 56-08M @57, 60-04T @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Fastback 1.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Yellow
We’re proud to once again partner with 2nd Swing Golf to bring you GolfWRX Members Choice 2025! 2nd Swing has more than 150,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.
What is the best driver in 2025? At GolfWRX, we take great pride in our online community and the cumulative knowledge and experience of our members. When it comes to the best driver of 2025, we want to know what our forum faithful think.
Since our founding in 2005, the bedrock of GolfWRX.com has been the community of passionate and knowledgeable golfers in our forums, and we put endless trust in the opinions of our GolfWRX members — the most knowledgeable community of golfers on the internet. No other group of golfers in the world tests golf clubs as frequently or as extensively, nor is armed with such in-depth information about the latest technology.
Below are the results of GolfWRX member voting for the 2025 best driver, along with the vote percentage for each club.
Best driver of 2025: The top 5
5. Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond: 6.02%
Callaway’s pitch: “For golfers looking for a fast, forgiving, yet workable driver, the Elyte Triple Diamond features a tour-inspired shape and is the preferred model by most Callaway tour players.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond here.
4. Ping G440 Max: 6.86%
Ping’s pitch: “The most forgiving G440 model, MAX has a hotter face to generate speed and distance, and a lighter overall system weight with a longer shaft (46″) for faster clubhead speed, higher launch and longer carries. The Free Hosel and Carbonfly Wrap crown save weight to create our lowest CG ever and increase forgiveness while contributing to a more muted, pleasing sound.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 Max here.
3. Ping G440 LST: 9.53%
Ping’s pitch: “LST is an especially good fit for faster swings, offering less spin and more control with a penetrating trajectory. A hotter face, lighter overall system weight and longer shaft (46″) deliver more speed and distance while maintaining tight dispersion.”
@phizzy30: “Not a fan of Ping drivers in general, but 440 LST takes the cake. It’s super forgiving across the face for a low spin head, looks and sounds good and the ability to make it play neutral or slightly fade biased through the hosel settings is very appealing.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 LST here.
2. Titleist GT3: 16.55%
Titleist’s pitch: “The GT3 Driver offers Titleist’s boldest combination of power and personalization through adjustable performance. Dial in the CG Track to your frequent contact location to make your biggest drives even bigger while taking total control over flight and shaping.”
@mrmikeac: “I’ve been Anti-Titleist for years and years and years (outside of Vokey, of course). With that being said, HOLY BEGEEZUS the GT3 driver is an absolute NUCLEAR MONSTER! This thing blew my G430 10K Max out of the water in every single category. Forgiveness is the biggest thing that stands out of me, the 3 model has always been one of the less forgiving models in the past but this GT3 can take bad shot after bad shot and still end up in the fairway, I think a ton of that has to do with the adjustability, it’s actually effective. Feel and sound is perfect, that solid crack is so addicting to hear and when you hit it out the screws this thing can absolutely bomb it. Titleist, I’m sorry for doubting you. You have converted me.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT3 here.
1. Titleist GT2: 22.91%
Titleist’s pitch: “Delivering impressive distance from any impact point, the Titleist GT2 Driver extracts maximum performance through a forgiving design. Get the stability and added confidence of a high-MOI driver without sacrificing speed.”
@DTorres: “The Titleist GT2 has proven to be the best driver of the year. Packaged in a classic profile, GT2 perfectly balances performance and forgiveness while consistently being a high performer across all categories.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT2 here.
Other drivers receiving >2% of the vote
| Driver | Vote percentage (%) |
|---|---|
| Cobra DS Adapt Max K | 4.85% |
| Ping G430 Max 10K | 3.85% |
| Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond | 3.68% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 | 3.51% |
| Callaway Elyte | 3.18% |
| Cobra DS Adapt X | 2.34% |
| Cobra DS Adapt LS | 2.17% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 LS | 2.17% |
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Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
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Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
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Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
Ted
Feb 2, 2016 at 2:06 pm
Ping does not make junk…never have and never will. They have research backed reasoning for everything they produce. If you haven’t played them, any criticisms ring hollow to this 6hdcper who absolutely loves them. Cheers!
Rick
Dec 8, 2015 at 5:10 pm
I’ll add one thing…….We had 4 guys hitting these irons on a range with several other brands.
We never compared notes….just waited to hear everyone’s choices in order of preference.
From me (61 and a 9 hdcp) to a strong 30 yr old guy who plays to about a 12 and hits it a mile, as well as a 50 yr old golf nut who plays to around a 12….and finally a 30 yr old relative beginner, who’s improving daily but still a high handicapper. We ALL loved this club.
EVERY one of us simply chose these irons over every other stick we tried that day including Titleist (which I thought I’d love), Calloway, and TaylorMade.
Rick
Dec 4, 2015 at 12:28 pm
I hit these the other day and they are terrific. I am 61 but play to a 9 hdcp and DISTANCE has never been an issue for me…even at my age.. Still hit an 8 iron 160. I currently play G15’s
But these stix were as forgiving as I could ever hope for. They provided great feedback, and mis-hits were still salvageable. Are they going to please the college tourney player, or 3-4 handicapper ??….probably not. Will they make the game more FUN for us recreational golfers ?….WOW, yes. They’ll be in my bag soon.
KK
Jul 18, 2015 at 8:21 am
The swing weight is progressive, more like MOI-matched clubs. I like it. It seems to be better for the vast majority of golfers compared with constant swing weighting.
MARK D.
Jul 17, 2015 at 10:27 pm
Maybe these are not supposed to be G30 replacement irons but K15 – Karsten replacement irons and as such are not GI but SGI.
Patrick
Jul 17, 2015 at 10:30 am
People. Please please. I beg you. Stop speaking on engineering if you have no idea about engineering. In sum, there is a difference between dynamic loft and static loft. Club length doesn’t just affect club speed. It also changes things like dynamic loft, max height, and ball speed. You can’t just look at lofts and know exactly what the gapping will look like on the course for your average golfer. Also, variable swing weights can change squaring power by making the MOI of each golf club more consistent. PING tests things years longer than any other manufacturer and all of this is solid science.
Mark
Jul 17, 2015 at 3:57 pm
Patrick, so if I read in to your post correctly, if the Ping nFlight says that I need a certain length and flex to my irons, it means that I really should follow it as all of their science is reflected in their results. I’m not try to be a smart alec here, just want to make sure I understand you correctly.
MHendon
Jul 17, 2015 at 12:14 am
A lot of complaining about the gaping on these clubs but lets keep in mind who they’re designed for gentlemen. High handicappers, generally speaking they don’t swing as fast so a 5 degree gap my actually give them better gaping between their clubs.
Joke
Jul 16, 2015 at 1:51 am
The gaps go from 3 to wait for it…. 4.5 degrees all of a sudden from 7 to 8. Whaaaaat? Who came up with that bright idea? Only because they had to?? And what’s with the swing weight? Oh my deary me. Don’t swing the club, folks, is what Ping is telling you – just flick at it with your amateur, stiff bodies and keep the arms in front. But hey it’s G MAX! Like CGB MAX by Taylormade! Just copy and paste it all into the computer and don’t do any designing at all. Bleh.
joke is on you
Aug 28, 2015 at 2:05 am
It’s always amusing to see ppl on the internet knock something they never tried AND because they didn’t even read, or do some basic math in this case. There’s actually a loft gap of 3.5 between the 3 and 4.5 gaps. Considering it goes from a de facto 3-iron to the wedges while eliminating 1 club (that 90% of golfers and 100% of the Gmax’s target audience wouldn’t notice or miss), the lofts are very well thought-out. As for swingweight, they’re more like MOI-matched. There’s no right answer on that.
Rick
Dec 27, 2015 at 1:35 am
I’d check the lofts agin my friend. You are way off.
Here are GMax lofts:
4- 21deg
5-24
6-27
7-30.5
8-35
9-40
PW-45
U-50.5
Golfraven
Jul 15, 2015 at 5:04 pm
This concept reminds me of the Adams XTD Irons that were released not long time ago. Obvious market are high handicapers – folks that play the G-series at the moment. Now borh the i and Gmax modes don’t jump on me. looking at the new Mizuno irons and those are just in another league.
Plinko
Jul 15, 2015 at 4:58 pm
Lets just steal it from Taylormade this year. Why not! Inverted cone! What a laugh Pling is
Nick
Jul 15, 2015 at 12:44 pm
I’m a big PING fan. I love the clubs they make, but this club will obviously not appeal to many players out there and certainly won’t be for me….I wonder if the PING engineers enjoying designing a club like this when they’re obviously just trying to win business from Callaway and TaylorMade. There’s no way they’re thinking “Yes, this is a great club that’s really going to help people play their best golf possible”. A lot of negative comments will be made on the low lofts and long shafts, but if that’s what a large number of people are buying then PING would be silly not to at least have one offering in that category.
Ping Lover
Jul 15, 2015 at 11:47 am
I love Ping, but seriously? A 30 degree 7 iron? And 5 degree gaps all through the top end of the set where what you really want is smaller distance gaps between clubs? This is as bad as Taylor Made…
I will stick with my 9yr old set of i5’s – proper lofts, great forgiveness, still in amazing condition – and put the money in my pension pot where it belongs, not in some corporation’s pocket.
Matt
Jul 15, 2015 at 2:38 pm
I still play Ping i5’s too, they are probably some of the finest clubs Ping has ever produced (they are also the last irons Ping actually manufactured in the USA). Clean appearance and superior performance, with great workability and forgiveness.
I really like Ping’s products and the company in general, but I totally agree. Take a lesson and turn that weak fade into a draw. Then you won’t need to buy clubs that are ridiculously overpriced (considering what the used market currently bears) and with outrageously strengthened lofts.
I carry my i5 8-iron 150-155. I have no interest in hitting it any further than than that. As it is I carry 3 wedges in addition to my PW. Really against the arms race that is continuing to occur in this industry. I don’t want to carry any more wedges.
Cliff
Jul 17, 2015 at 10:03 am
So when you carry your 8i 130 and your 9i 125 what are you going to do? These clubs are designed to give slow swing speed players the proper gaps between clubs. What’s so hard to understand about it.
Philip
Jul 18, 2015 at 8:42 pm
Think about it – if the larger gaps are truly to help slower swing speeds and not because of the foolish my #7 club is longer than your #7 (only because I increased my lofts and club lengths) then why hasn’t this been a standard for GI and SGI clubs for decades? Why is it only recently that they are even keeping a straight face when calling a 39 inch long 21 degree club a 4 iron that the gaps are increasing for the higher lofted clubs. I don’t deny that in certain cases the extra gaps can help, but if that was truly their logic than they would have also removed a couple of clubs from the set and have 6-7 degrees gaps at the lower end too. Fact is, they need the larger gaps to prevent eventually having 5-6 wedges in a set and having a 39 inch 21 degree 6 iron within the next few years. The entire industry has gotten themselves into pickle – will be interesting.
JH
Jul 15, 2015 at 10:21 pm
5 degree gaps all through the top end of the set? What are you smoking brah?
Rick
Dec 27, 2015 at 1:32 am
The G15’s have 32 degrees. I’ll bet you cannot tell the difference in 2 degrees (unless you are a scratch or better player). If you ARE that scratch player, why are you even concerned about these stix ?? They are not for you.