I am 63 years old. Online testers almost always carry drives 290+ and frequently more than 300 yards. It's just unrealistic for us 60+ year-old guys. Distance for a good drive for me is a 235 carry and roll out to 250. How about you test a group of drivers for the man who can't carry more than 250?
Their pool of testers ranges from all over the spectrum swing speed wise. if you look at the raw data the avg carry was around 235-240 and avg total distance was in that 250-255 range.
You guys crushed this video. Incredibly clear presentation of how you test, why you test this way, and why golfers should care about the results. Kudos!
I’m impressed the TSR3 finished in the top 5 considering it’s up against new for ‘24 models and will be getting replaced later this year. It’s also telling that no one needs to run out and replace a driver they were fit for a generation ago. Having said all that- I’ll be keeping mine 😎
Great test, thanks for doing this. I agree about the 10 shot comparisons. I like watching them, but they are in no way comprehensive. I've done a lot of driver testing for myself, and the results can easily change from day to day. One thing that frustrates me personally, as a high spin player is that why can't they make some of the more forgiving models in lower lofts, like 8 degrees? I already have a TSR3, which is still right in there, and works great for me, so no need to bother with anything newer this year.
I’ve watched a lot of reviews on clubs and what not by far this is the best hands-down I didn’t need to see all your shots and if you hit it off the tow or not we all know we do that but you just told us what you did and you had results and told us quick Job appreciate it
I bought a Ping G430 Max 10.5 reg shaft the week before the 10k was announced. I was not happy about buying a superseded model and not being told about it. However it is the best driver I have ever had after 52 years of golf. Distance is fine but direction/ dispersion is fantastic. If the 10k is better it must be great. I’m not looking to change however. I love the G430 Max.
Took the 10K out for a second round. First round was extremely rough. I made adjustments and hit some drives that were longer and straighter than any drives ever at my home track. I recommend not grounding the head fully as the sole is quite flat and the face will follow the tee box in random, crazy directions. Instead, I set up almost like a wedge shot where I open the face. Very strange even though it's already set to -1 flat but it works. Goodness does it work. 😉
I love most of the testing protocols. The one that kinda seems interesting to me is same tee height. I vary mine to help influence my attack angle. Need to find a fairway. Low and spiny fade. Want to launch a high draw tee it up. Not sure how it would impact your testing though because there are so many other variable and adding another means more shots, time and different grouping for your statistical testing.
How is my Taylormade QiMax is 31/37.... That club is a game changer for me. I'm a medium speed swing that can average around 220 yards, although I do have a nasty hook left🤔
How the heck did the zx5 ls mk2 go from 5th best overall in 2023 (right up their with the best of the best) vs the zx7 mk2 in 10th place. Exact Same clubs, 1 year later in your 2024 test and suddenly the zx5 ls plummets to 21st, way behind the zx7 that is now 9th? It doesnt add up? How can the exact same clubs vary so much in performance year to year? What is your reasoning for this?
I have always played PING all the way back to my D1 days. This year I got fitted and Cobra Darkspeed won. Tried PING 430, Cobra, Callaway AI and G425. Was sad to take PING out of the bag. I hope it works out with Cobra
G430 Max 10k was the most accurate driver for about 34% of users who tested it right? so despite being "the most accurate" the average person is almost twice as likely to be better off with something else, shows how important fittings are.
100% agree. I hit all the new drivers this year for my fitting. Ping was accurate as hell, but ball speed was 8-17 mph slower than the rest. I hit chose the AI max D. 13 mph faster than the ping and disperssion was 6 yards wider than the ping. Was a no brainer… because I got fit!
I Tested the G430 max, span like crazy for me, could hit my 3 wood further, hate ping stock shafts. My fitters said they have so many people that find the ping drivers too spinny. Ended up with AiSmoke Max, didn’t need the d as i tend to draw the ball anyway.
Really really good again, I have hit this driver and its just AMAZING!!!! As the CG goes back to make it more forgiving, ball speed is lost, I dunno how they did what the did?????????????
Based on other reviews- it would have been nice to see the PXG black ops in the test. I think it might have given the Ping 10k max some real competition.
Two very different clubs. the 10k is certainly more forgiving whereas the LST is more workable, and generally for a player who strikes the ball consistently well.
Yes and the fact Krank came last is a huge question mark since if you made a 15 handicap hit a driver with a bulge/roll pattern made for the fastest players. If your just putting everyone’s numbers together the low spin/players heads are at a disadvantage
Can someone explain why the Ping G430 is so much more forgiving than the other drivers? Is there something special in the design, weight distribution, face, etc that is resulting in this?
So you are telling us that Bryson Dechambeau is using the shortest driver? The player who is all about distance and left Cobra because the driver was to short for him?🤔
Bryson didn’t leave cobra because it was too short or slow. He left because it wasn’t forgiving enough for his speed. And they couldn’t get it right. He went with that crappy driver because the face holds up to his swing speed better and the misses are way better because in reality the face is probably a little thicker and slower.
Couldn’t stop turning the g430 max 10k left…. Also sounds awful. Ended up with the Qi10 max which was much more forgiving, accurate and sounded incredible. Suppose that shows the importance of a proper fit
yall didnt include Sub70 in the testing, yet made an entire section about "value" in drivers.. at $249, i dont see why it didnt make the test (unless of course, one wasnt available.. which they are).
With all this information, I wonder why everyone doesn't buy PING. Is the corp marketing group there trash? Bad corporate/customer engagement? They have a great product and has tested high every year for years, so why aren't they dominating in sales?
There ios NO WAY the Cobra Darkspeed wasn't in the top 5.....I've watched SEVERAL testing shows and it's ALWAYS in their top 5 and constantly beats the Srixon , Tour Edge, Cleveland and TaylorMade. No way possible it was last. Calling bullshit!
No. You have watched people hit 5-20 balls with the dark speed and they said in their opinion it’s the best. This is data driven. This doesn’t have opinions involved
How can stealth plus be top 5 driver .. even club reviewers are now saying the stealth and stealth 2 were horrible drivers (of course year after release they can say it now)
@@andrewharle450 Just got fit for the Qi10 LS (I know that's not the MAX), my swing speed is 115 mph and I was carrying the ball 15 yards further than any other new release driver and 25 yards further than my TM SIM 2 MAX. I highly recommend looking for a free fitting or demo event near you and testing them all out. The Ping Max 10K is not wanted by everyone.
@@JMERD34that’s almost the exact same with me. Just tested the ls today. Didn’t realize I was losing so much distance with my sim 2 max. The rpm was over 3500. I gained 15 yards with the qi10 ls
I see you're using a Quad but not Foresight dots.....care to comment on whose dots you're using ???? If I can save a dollar on something, maybe that new driver price can be justified faster
I appreciate the explanation of your testing methodology and your effort to reduce variables. But when you say “manufacturers think we should test with players” you’ve got to consider their motivation… Robot testing reveals the fact that objectively there is very little difference between their products year-to-year… Humans are wildly inconsistent and while their opinions about qualitative aspects like look/sound/feel are valuable product feedback, this means they are less useful at judging the product objectively. It takes 100x more time for players to yield useful results than a machine because we naturally hit so many more outliers.
Serious cash?!!!! In Canada Pings rack up at $809 cdn. or higher. Ping and many other name brands have lost the room, as it were. I haven’t lost my mind yet and am never going to see the cost of a driver being worth nearly the entire price of all the rest of the clubs in the bag. Between the greed of pro golfers and club manufacturers don’t expect golf to grow based on their efforts.
I am 63 years old. Online testers almost always carry drives 290+ and frequently more than 300 yards. It's just unrealistic for us 60+ year-old guys. Distance for a good drive for me is a 235 carry and roll out to 250. How about you test a group of drivers for the man who can't carry more than 250?
They do, in fact I believe all the testing for balls and clubs is done through-out 3 different swing speed categories…
Their pool of testers ranges from all over the spectrum swing speed wise. if you look at the raw data the avg carry was around 235-240 and avg total distance was in that 250-255 range.
Thanks for the clarification.😊
dude that's freaking far for ur age
Nice to hear, but I think there's more in this analog tank😊
You guys crushed this video. Incredibly clear presentation of how you test, why you test this way, and why golfers should care about the results. Kudos!
Thanks GG!
I love the way yall do testing. Thank you for everyones work on this. Great content
I’m impressed the TSR3 finished in the top 5 considering it’s up against new for ‘24 models and will be getting replaced later this year. It’s also telling that no one needs to run out and replace a driver they were fit for a generation ago.
Having said all that- I’ll be keeping mine 😎
It's great. I just wish it had a front and back weight port like other LS designs. Very curious to see the 24 lineup.
Great test, thanks for doing this. I agree about the 10 shot comparisons. I like watching them, but they are in no way comprehensive. I've done a lot of driver testing for myself, and the results can easily change from day to day. One thing that frustrates me personally, as a high spin player is that why can't they make some of the more forgiving models in lower lofts, like 8 degrees? I already have a TSR3, which is still right in there, and works great for me, so no need to bother with anything newer this year.
This is a realistic testing process. Thanks, guys, and thanks to all the testers! I am now running to try that Ping driver.!
Our pleasure!
Great video and very relatable. I’m going for a fitting on April and I’m glad to hear recommendations such as shaft length.
Glad it was helpful!
Great review! I’m a Ping guy so delighted with the results, however I’m still using a G425 max which I love!
Same. I'm Wondering when is the right time to upgrade
I’ve watched a lot of reviews on clubs and what not by far this is the best hands-down I didn’t need to see all your shots and if you hit it off the tow or not we all know we do that but you just told us what you did and you had results and told us quick Job appreciate it
Would be interesting to see how the PXG Black Ops stacks up... its awesome.
I bought a Ping G430 Max 10.5 reg shaft the week before the 10k was announced. I was not happy about buying a superseded model and not being told about it. However it is the best driver I have ever had after 52 years of golf. Distance is fine but direction/ dispersion is fantastic. If the 10k is better it must be great. I’m not looking to change however. I love the G430 Max.
Took the 10K out for a second round. First round was extremely rough. I made adjustments and hit some drives that were longer and straighter than any drives ever at my home track. I recommend not grounding the head fully as the sole is quite flat and the face will follow the tee box in random, crazy directions. Instead, I set up almost like a wedge shot where I open the face. Very strange even though it's already set to -1 flat but it works. Goodness does it work. 😉
I love most of the testing protocols. The one that kinda seems interesting to me is same tee height. I vary mine to help influence my attack angle. Need to find a fairway. Low and spiny fade. Want to launch a high draw tee it up. Not sure how it would impact your testing though because there are so many other variable and adding another means more shots, time and different grouping for your statistical testing.
How is my Taylormade QiMax is 31/37.... That club is a game changer for me. I'm a medium speed swing that can average around 220 yards, although I do have a nasty hook left🤔
Ping 400 to 425 to 430. Great drivers. Once they fixed the acoustics on the 430 it was perfect.
Ai Smoke is clear of the 430 sorry
CALLOWAY CLUBS ARE FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN’T AFFORD PING 😂😂😂😂. JUST LIKE SAMSUNG TV’S ARE FOR PEOPLE THAT CAN’T AFFORD SONYS
Love your testing protocol. Kudos!
Thank you!
why is tsr3 ranked higher higher than stealth 2+ this year when it wasn't last year?
How the heck did the zx5 ls mk2 go from 5th best overall in 2023 (right up their with the best of the best) vs the zx7 mk2 in 10th place. Exact Same clubs, 1 year later in your 2024 test and suddenly the zx5 ls plummets to 21st, way behind the zx7 that is now 9th? It doesnt add up? How can the exact same clubs vary so much in performance year to year? What is your reasoning for this?
I have always played PING all the way back to my D1 days.
This year I got fitted and Cobra Darkspeed won.
Tried PING 430, Cobra, Callaway AI and G425. Was sad to take PING out of the bag.
I hope it works out with Cobra
You guys are the 🐐 's of testing! The video content and presentation is fantastic and keep improving every year.
Great job on reviews!
Really surprised how low Taylormade & Cobra ended up .. Where did they falter the most ?
Just got fit for a Ping G430 Max 10k the other day and cannot wait for it to be delivered and game it, driver of the year hands down
as an owner of a max 10k i can confirm that its friggin awesome
Thank you for the review! How come I don't see the PXG Black Ops 0311 Driver on the list?
What about PXG Black Ops?
I believe they said in a different video that it was released after testing started.
Thank you for your service
G430 Max 10k was the most accurate driver for about 34% of users who tested it right? so despite being "the most accurate" the average person is almost twice as likely to be better off with something else, shows how important fittings are.
100% agree. I hit all the new drivers this year for my fitting. Ping was accurate as hell, but ball speed was 8-17 mph slower than the rest. I hit chose the AI max D. 13 mph faster than the ping and disperssion was 6 yards wider than the ping. Was a no brainer… because I got fit!
I Tested the G430 max, span like crazy for me, could hit my 3 wood further, hate ping stock shafts. My fitters said they have so many people that find the ping drivers too spinny. Ended up with AiSmoke Max, didn’t need the d as i tend to draw the ball anyway.
Really really good again, I have hit this driver and its just AMAZING!!!! As the CG goes back to make it more forgiving, ball speed is lost, I dunno how they did what the did?????????????
I have the Mizuno ST-Z and it is a very solid contender....Really I'd be happy to hit any of the top 30 clubs listed here as they are all very good.
Ping! What loft did you test for the Ping driver?
How do you consider shafts as a part of the test? Seems like this is a huge contributor to the results?
THIS!!!
Tsr3 gang checking in.
I DRIVE for distance only. If I want 270 straight or fade or draw, 3+W. Callaway!!!
Was the Pxg black ops tested ?? Great info
They said pxg did not send it for testing this year 🤷♂️
Oh ok
Great info!!
Ping 430. Don’t think I’ve missed a fairway last 3 rounds. Crazy straight
Based on other reviews- it would have been nice to see the PXG black ops in the test. I think it might have given the Ping 10k max some real competition.
Why weren’t both pxg black ops driver models included in this test?
Do I need to get G430 Max 10k when I have G430 LST? Is it that big a difference?
Two very different clubs. the 10k is certainly more forgiving whereas the LST is more workable, and generally for a player who strikes the ball consistently well.
My golf spy are the goats
What about the Costco driver? Best driver i played with
Paid 330$CAD. For my mizuno stz 220
With the Callaway Max D promoting club face closing down to turn the face left, could this be why it was longer than the triple diamond for example?
Yes and the fact Krank came last is a huge question mark since if you made a 15 handicap hit a driver with a bulge/roll pattern made for the fastest players. If your just putting everyone’s numbers together the low spin/players heads are at a disadvantage
Great video
I hit all of these brand new drivers 2 days ago. And they were not what they claimed. I got fitted for a titleist TSr3 with a hzd blk 6.5 x stiff
Seems a bit odd that the most accurate is not anywhere in the top 5 most forgiving. Hard to be accurate if you are having large changes in ball speed.
Can someone explain why the Ping G430 is so much more forgiving than the other drivers?
Is there something special in the design, weight distribution, face, etc that is resulting in this?
Higher spin
sometimes it helps it the company is run by passionate engineers instead of marketing execs.
So you are telling us that Bryson Dechambeau is using the shortest driver? The player who is all about distance and left Cobra because the driver was to short for him?🤔
Bryson is using the long drive version. Not the typical player version. They are no where near the same.
Bryson didn’t leave cobra because it was too short or slow. He left because it wasn’t forgiving enough for his speed. And they couldn’t get it right. He went with that crappy driver because the face holds up to his swing speed better and the misses are way better because in reality the face is probably a little thicker and slower.
well done!
Interesting the Ktank came last but Bryson hits one ......
Im going to get the Ping G430 max 10k , RIP TM
Interesting video, thanks
Glad you enjoyed it
The best driver is the one fitted for you. Forget this blanket bandaid fix. Get fit. Keep your driver for 5 years.
Great job fellas💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾
Appreciate it!!
@@mygolfspyvideos no doubt!
I just find it odd that Calloway AI line has not gotten better reviews overall.
Couldn’t stop turning the g430 max 10k left…. Also sounds awful. Ended up with the Qi10 max which was much more forgiving, accurate and sounded incredible. Suppose that shows the importance of a proper fit
yall didnt include Sub70 in the testing, yet made an entire section about "value" in drivers.. at $249, i dont see why it didnt make the test (unless of course, one wasnt available.. which they are).
These new Pings are $1400 in New Zealand. That's $841 USD. Bonkers
With all this information, I wonder why everyone doesn't buy PING. Is the corp marketing group there trash? Bad corporate/customer engagement? They have a great product and has tested high every year for years, so why aren't they dominating in sales?
Because It's ugly 😂
As soon as they get rid of those hideous turbulators, I'll consider one. Until then, those poopy looking fins can stay the heck away from my bag!
Looks bloody awful!
Looks or performance? Hmmm…
@@jdrich1877 they dont perform better than anything else hence the look holding them back aswell as price!
I always enjoy these tests, but as always, if you’re going to drop 600+ dollars, please go and get fit to get the most out of your driver if possible.
There ios NO WAY the Cobra Darkspeed wasn't in the top 5.....I've watched SEVERAL testing shows and it's ALWAYS in their top 5 and constantly beats the Srixon , Tour Edge, Cleveland and TaylorMade. No way possible it was last. Calling bullshit!
How does cobra beat cobra?
@@ekinjtizll???
No. You have watched people hit 5-20 balls with the dark speed and they said in their opinion it’s the best. This is data driven. This doesn’t have opinions involved
@@tryptaman4315it has a large data pool with poor implementation*
Cobra isn’t on the same universe as Taylor Made
Bro. $1100 in Australia 😢
Wow
So you're telling me the the best driver G430 10k #1 is miles better from its predecessor g430 max #17?
Let's see it against the two time winner G410 LST.
Why am I 5 minutes deep and you are still bragging on "how we test"
How can stealth plus be top 5 driver .. even club reviewers are now saying the stealth and stealth 2 were horrible drivers (of course year after release they can say it now)
How did Taylormade do in your opinion?
More so the QI10 Max
@@andrewharle450 Just got fit for the Qi10 LS (I know that's not the MAX), my swing speed is 115 mph and I was carrying the ball 15 yards further than any other new release driver and 25 yards further than my TM SIM 2 MAX. I highly recommend looking for a free fitting or demo event near you and testing them all out. The Ping Max 10K is not wanted by everyone.
@@JMERD34that’s almost the exact same with me. Just tested the ls today. Didn’t realize I was losing so much distance with my sim 2 max. The rpm was over 3500. I gained 15 yards with the qi10 ls
I see you're using a Quad but not Foresight dots.....care to comment on whose dots you're using ???? If I can save a dollar on something, maybe that new driver price can be justified faster
No PXG Black Ops, how come?
I think it is because PXG is not too keen on these big mashups.
@@donnrutkoff922 just came in 2nd in the Club Champion/TXG bracket.
I appreciate the explanation of your testing methodology and your effort to reduce variables. But when you say “manufacturers think we should test with players” you’ve got to consider their motivation… Robot testing reveals the fact that objectively there is very little difference between their products year-to-year… Humans are wildly inconsistent and while their opinions about qualitative aspects like look/sound/feel are valuable product feedback, this means they are less useful at judging the product objectively. It takes 100x more time for players to yield useful results than a machine because we naturally hit so many more outliers.
Ping G430 drivers in Australia $1100 AUD 😱
around $450usd brand new in japan
those turbulators 😑☠
Serious cash?!!!! In Canada Pings rack up at $809 cdn. or higher. Ping and many other name brands have lost the room, as it were. I haven’t lost my mind yet and am never going to see the cost of a driver being worth nearly the entire price of all the rest of the clubs in the bag. Between the greed of pro golfers and club manufacturers don’t expect golf to grow based on their efforts.
That’s odd. The stealth two plus was not that successful , relatively speaking.
I only saw Oppenheimer once but it felt like it was 420 hours long. TERRIBLE!
No pxg black ops 😢
I can’t hit my driver for sh*t, so might as well spend the $$ in case I ever connect cleanly…
if you need a tester that's 60+ and 25 handicap, give me a shout!
Yeaaa. Since I’m a beginner, we gettin used drivers for less than $250 😂😂
I don't trust anyone about more than MGS!
Thanks
No Taylormade?
💎 💎 💎
Ping drivers spin like a 6 iron for me.
Change the shaft. It's probably not the driver head (assuming it was the LST)
Lol Qi10 got owned
Yup. I have one (got lucky, got it for free) and it kind of sucks. I hit my Ping 410 plus longer and straighter.
What hat is he wearing in the video?