The PING G425 Max driver won the coveted MyGolfSpy Most Wanted Driver title this year, finishing first in accuracy and second in forgiveness.
But it ain’t perfect.
PING G425 Max Driver Details
We tested the PING G425 Max as part of the 2022 Most Wanted Golf Driver test. Its predecessor, the G410, struggled a little in the 2021 Most Wanted Golf Driver test, finishing seventh overall. However, PING responded with the new 26-gram tungsten movable weight to fine-tune your adjustments. Combined with a T9S+ forged face, an eight-position hosel and the Arccos Caddie Smart Grip, this driver checks all the boxes for features.
The Ping G425 Max driver has neutral, draw (to help with a slice) and fade settings to work for a wide range of players. That alone helped move this club up the list. Ribbing inside the club head helps with feel and sound. The feel thing worked quite well. The sound is another story (check out our tester feedback). Overall, the look of the Ping G425 Driver is sleek with the Turbulators on the top of the club being pretty prominent.
Pros
- Very high MOI
- Built-in adjustability
- Eight-position hosel for loft and lie adjustment
- Arccos Caddie Smart Grip
- T9S+ forged face
Cons
- Turbulators have mixed reviews from an aesthetics standpoint
- Sound is harsh
- Not the longest driver of 2022
How We Test Drivers
The PING G425 Max driver was part of the 2022 Most Wanted Driver test. Testing involved 38 drivers, 35 golfers (of all different playing abilities), 400 hitting sessions and thousands of golf shots. To help ensure accuracy across the board, we used the Foresight GC Quad launch monitor, known for high levels of accuracy. In addition, all golfers hit with the Titleist Pro V1 to golf ball help eliminate some variables.
PING G425 Max Driver Review
The PING G425 Max driver won the 2022 Most Wanted Driver Test with a total score of 89.2/100. That may seem relatively low compared to other club categories but drivers have a lot to measure up to. We looked at the most important performance objectives: distance, accuracy, forgiveness and Strokes Gained. The PING scored in the top five in all but one category.
Distance
Distance proved challenging for the PING G425 Max Driver. It finished 19th out of 38 drivers with a score of 87.7. The key here for golfers is the importance of accurate distance. Distance is one thing—accurate distance can lead to Strokes Gained. Although the PING G425 Driver ranked relatively low in the distance category but high in Strokes Gained, there is something to be said about how this driver can lower your scores.
Accuracy
The PING G425 Max Driver got first place for accuracy. The dispersion rates are incredibly low. In addition, being able to dial in settings that work specifically for your game only helps improve accuracy.
Forgiveness
With a score of 88.2 for forgiveness, PING just missed locking in another first-place category finish. However, the second-place finish for forgiveness further pushed the Ping G425 Max Driver up the list regarding Strokes Gained on its way to being our top overall choice. It’s one of the most forgiving drivers out there. For reference, the second-place driver in the 2022 test was the Callaway Rogue ST Triple Diamond which struggled with forgiveness.
Strokes Gained
The PING G425 Max Driver took fourth place for Strokes Gained with a score of 89.8. With accuracy and forgiveness scores as high as they were, this wasn’t a surprise.
Overall
The total score of 89.2 was a really impressive accomplishment for the PING G425 Max. One notable thing throughout the entire test is that there are a lot of players of all abilities who could benefit from the PING G425. It’s not a club specifically built for 10, 15 or 20 handicappers.
Tester Feedback
Here is some of the most helpful feedback from our testers about the PING G425 driver:
- Even golfers who loved this driver commented that the sound was awful.
- Turbulators on the top of the club are a “love ’em or hate ’em” deal from an aesthetic perspective.
- The overall feel was excellent with marked improvements over previous PING drivers.
- Some golfers said the club head looked huge. If that’s not your thing, the LST could be a better choice.
- The matte finish looks great and makes the driver seem faster.
- Almost all testers mentioned overall forgiveness.
Bottom Line
The PING G425 Max driver earned the top spot in 2022 mainly because of its forgiveness and accuracy. If you can get over the sound and the fact that PING won’t drop the price tag on a club like this for a while, it’s an excellent addition to the bag. 
john baryczka
2 years ago
As a relative beginner I struggled with the drivers at hand …sold a couple of lemons because of ignorance…always blamed myself and my swing. Got fitted by Ping for a full set of clubs including a G425 Max 12 degree with a 55SR graphite shaft. It took me a further two years to correct my swing style, was happening all too fast, and now I drive them all down the middle. I love the reliability of this club even when I get tired and tend to swing across my body causing all sorts of rubbish. Old fellas like me (75y.o and Hcp 18) need a slow backswing coming from almost 12 o”çlock with the softest hands possible(DO NOT GRIP THE CLUB TIGHT AT MOMENT OF IMPACT AND FOLLOW THROUGH). The results are outstanding!!!! hole after hole with a good drive as a great start and all about 200-230 yards or more…what a change to my game. I was always exhausted with stress before I figured out the driver situation now I really enjoy my golf. I have tried most other Drivers and they are just not the same. I have destroyed better players on the course with them trying to match my drives. Footnote… To make my G425 easier to handle, it was too long and unwieldly, I cut off about 4 inches of length much to the horror of my local golf fix man. I am 5”6 .Now I am ready to try a 9 degree driver for less loft more distance.