PING G440 MAX Driver Review

50 Words or Less

The PING G440 MAX driver is outstanding.  At or near the top of every performance category.  High launch with moderate spin.  Great sound and feel.  Straightforward, impactful adjustability.

Introduction

When I ask a fitter, “What’s good right now?” they almost always say, “Everything.”  So when I see a fitter light up and proactively name one product, I know it’s special.  That was the case with the new PING G440 MAX driver, which one fitter referred to as, “Probably the driver of the year.”  I tested one to see if this was the club that would put PING back at the top of my bag.

Looks

The address look of the PING G440 MAX driver is a bit cleaner than its predecessor, the G430 MAX [review HERE].  Instead of the visible texture, the G440 MAX has a Carbonfly Wrap crown which was previously seen only on the LST model.  Additionally, the subtle crown graphics are done in a barely-noticeable grey.  This is still recognizable as a PING driver thanks to the turbulators on the leading edge and the matte black crown.  Turning to the footprint, PING created a conventional, nearly-symmetrical shape that doesn’t look stretched from front to back.

In the bag, the PING G440 MAX driver has a stream of gloss black separating the matte black heel and toe.  The PING branding takes center stage with “G440” and “MAX” surrounding it on either side.  I like the return of the blue accents because it reminds me of some of the first PING clubs I loved, the G2 and G5.

Side by side, the PING G440 MAX bears a strong familial resemblance to other two G440 drivers, the SFT and LST, but there are subtle differences.  Next to the LST, the G440 looks a touch longer front-to-back and is slightly less symmetrical.  The SFT and MAX look almost identical in size and shape, but the SFT sits a bit closed at address in the neutral setting.

Sound & Feel

PING touts the Carbonfly Wrap crown as not only a performance feature but also helping to produce a “more muted, pleasing sound at impact.”  I don’t typically associate carbon crowns with helping the sound, but it certainly seems to work in this case.  Even with a range ball, the PING G440 MAX driver is below average in volume, producing a mid-bass “thwack.”  There are no metallic notes, but it can get a little “pop” on mishits, which is a nice piece of audio feedback.

The feel of the G440 MAX is similarly excellent.  It’s solid across the entire face, so you don’t get that cringey, “Oh no, I hope I get to the fairway” feeling on the low toe.  On center, the feel is transcendent: a blend of high speed pop with strength and force.  Despite being one of the most stable drivers on the market, the G440 MAX provides good feedback through the hands on strike location.

Performance

I’m not normally the type of guy who enjoys plowing through giant buckets of balls on the range, but I make an exception at this time of year.  Seeing all the new drivers go head-to-head on a range or on the launch monitor helps me to appreciate the differences between clubs that are all objectively good.  What I observed in my testing is that the PING G440 MAX driver is scary good when it comes to forgiveness and consistency, and could be in a tier all its own.

I think of forgiveness in plateaus.  Centered strikes are the top of the mountain; they set the bar.  Small misses are the next step down, and I want to know how far from the peak they are and how big is the “small miss” area.  Finally, you get to the lowest tier – the big misses – and I want to know if those shots go anywhere and in what direction.  At every level, the PING G440 MAX driver is excellent.  Small misses are almost indistinguishable from pure strikes, and you need to hit the very edge of the face to see an ugly result.

Also, I want to be clear that the top of the mountain is as high as I’ve seen with any other driver.  In the past, some players have felt that PING drivers don’t have the same top end speed as others, but that’s definitely not the case here.  PING gave the G440 MAX driver a shorter, thinner face for more ball speed across a larger area.

Before I move away from ball speed and forgiveness, I’ll answer the question on the mind of the gear nerds: is the PING G440 MAX driver more forgiving than the G430 MAX 10K [review HERE]?  PING does not mention an MOI number with the G440 MAX, so I’ll assume it’s less than 10K which means that it’s objectively less forgiving.  That said, my experience hitting both clubs was similar: every shot wants to go high and straight.  

Turning to launch and spin, the G440 MAX launches high with moderate spin.  “High launch” is one of the notes I got from several fitters, too.  They told me that they were fitting players into less loft in this model and not seeing launch angles drop.  In my testing, the launch was both high and consistent thanks to PING’s “lowest CG ever.”  The spin is also consistent across the face, but it can change a lot when your shot shape changes [get further insight into launch monitor numbers HERE].

Speaking of shot shape, PING drivers continue to have arguably the most impactful adjustability in golf.  There are three positions for the 29 gram weight, and they’re labeled for clarity.  This is a big weight, and you will instantly see the impact of those movements on your ball flight.  The 8-position hosel allows you to add or subtract 1.5 degrees of loft or make the lie 3 degrees flatter than standard.  Combined, this gives you a huge range of possibilities for trajectory and direction control.

Finally, PING is among the industry leaders in shaft options.  There are four excellent PING-specific options plus the Denali Red and Mitsubishi TENSEI 1K Black [review HERE].  The stock length will vary depending on the shaft that you choose – 46″ with the PING Alta CB Blue, 45.5″ with the PING Tour, Denali, or TENSEI.  PING also details the changes that the different shafts will make on swing weight on their website, but the G440 MAX comes stock at D3.

*I tested all three PING G440 driver heads with the PING Tour 2.0 Chrome to make the launch monitor data an apples-to-apples comparison of the heads.

Conclusion

After about a decade of gaming PING drivers exclusively, I’ve spent the last year trying other things.  And the saying is true: absence makes the heart grow fonder.  While I won’t make any final decisions until we have better weather in Chicago, the PING G440 MAX driver is the clubhouse leader to be my gamer in 2025 thanks to its astounding levels of high end performance and consistency.

Support Plugged In Golf, Shop HERE

PING G440 MAX Driver Price & Specs

• Author
• Recent Posts

Matt Saternus

Editor In Chief at Plugged In Golf

Matt has worked in nearly every job in the golf industry from club fitting to instruction to writing and speaking.

He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.

Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.

Latest posts by Matt Saternus (see all)

• SuperSpeed Speed Sticks Pro Review - February 18, 2025
• PING G440 MAX Driver Review - February 17, 2025
• ACCRA Shogun Shaft Review - February 14, 2025