FIRST LOOK: Ping bolsters G430 fairway woods, hybrids with more carbon
Ping's G430 Max fairway wood boasts plenty of forgiveness.
Ping
Ping G430 fairway woods and hyrbids will be available for preorder on Jan. 10, and in retail stores on Jan. 26. Pick up all your new gear at Fairway Jockey.
MORE FROM OUR 2023 CLUBTEST COVERAGE: The tech behind Ping’s G430 drivers | The tech behind Ping’s G430 irons | WATCH: Ping G430 robot testing insights | WATCH: Inside an extensive G430 fitting at Ping HQ
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Ping’s Carbonfly Wrap is a new addition to the G430 LST driver that will extend into the fairway woods (G430 SFT and G430 Max) and hybrids this year.
The goal behind the design is the same: Replacing steel with carbon fiber nets an impressive amount of discretionary weight (10 grams) that is then added back to the head in the form of a tungsten backweight.
The backweight serves two purposes, lowering the center of gravity (CG) for more ball speed, while also bumping up forgiveness at the same time. The carbon section covers most of the crown and wraps down into the heel and toe sections to help tune sound as well.
While the Carbonfly Wrap is new, Ping chose to continue on with two existing technologies — Facewrap and Spinsistency. The variable-thickness, high-strength maraging-steel face wraps Into the sole and crown of the stainless-steel head to promote a more efficient face flex at impact for added distance.
Ping G430 Max and G430 SFT Fairway Woods
The variable roll radius (Spinsistency) on the lower section of the face rewards thin shots by reducing overall spin for more carry. In the past, shots hit low on the face had a tendency to generate excessive spin. But with less loft being added low on the face, Ping is able to crack the launch and spin code for a common mishit location.
Both the G430 SFT and G430 Max models cover a large swath of the golfing population. The Max ($385; 15, 18, 21 and 24 degrees) boasts plenty of heel-toe forgiveness in a generous profile, while the slightly larger SFT ($385; 16, 19 and 22 degrees) comes in a lighter swingweight for consistent face contact.
An 8-way Trajectory Tuning 2.0 hosel adjusts for loft (plus-or-minus 1.5 degrees) and lie angle up to 3 degrees flatter than standard.
Carbonfly Wrap continues on into the G430 hybrid ($325) and nets 8 grams of discretionary weight that’s allocated to other areas of the head, including a tungsten backweight, for ball speed and acoustic purposes.
The same Spinsistency and Facewrap technology found in the fairway woods — the wrap design adds a consistent transfer of energy — is part of the hybrid lineup, which consists of six loft options (16, 19, 22, 26, 30 and 34 degrees).
Ping G430 hybrids
The multitude of lofts makes it possible to replace almost any long or mid-iron in the bag with a fast, high-launching hybrid.
“The popularity of our hybrids continues to grow,” Solheim said. “They’ve quietly become one of our most successful categories. They’ve earned a reputation as easy-to-hit, reliable gapping solutions to mid and long irons known mainly for their forgiveness.
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