In what amounts to a line extension targeting a narrow segment of golfers, PING has quietly added a 7.5° option to its G440 LST driver lineup, addressing specific fitting needs that emerged from Tour player feedback and consumer testing data.
Why the ultra-low loft option?
The addition of the 7.5° LST stems from a fundamental issue PING discovered with golfers seeking optimal trajectory control. While the G440 platform launches high by design (back CG designs will do that), some players found themselves in a fitting predicament when trying to optimize ball flight.
“We had a request from Tour to continue to try to optimize trajectory,” explains Ryan Stokke, Director of Product Design for PING. “Players wanted the ability to play less loft to really dial in trajectory.”
The problem wasn’t just about launch angle. “We also have players that had a sensitivity to the right bias,” Stokke noted. “To get to the launch that was desirable, they went to the big minus setting, but then the driver sat a little bit more open than was desirable.”
The neutral position advantage
The 7.5° LST solves this by providing ultra-low loft in the neutral (dot) position, allowing players to achieve lower launch while maintaining a square face angle at address.
“Our main target with this design was to go to lower loft that sits more square in the neutral position so that we could optimize trajectory and start line,” said Stokke.
Who should consider the 7.5°?
PING’s data mining revealed that 25% of players currently using the 9° LST are optimized when using the big minus setting—meaning one in four LST players are already seeking lower loft than the standard 9°.
Among consumers tested at PING’s facilities, about half of the golfers who would typically fit into an LST driver could benefit from reduced fade and lower loft for greater distance gains.
“Reducing the fade and being able to play less loft for about half of those big minus players would lead to even greater distance gain and accuracy to target line,” said Stokke.
Tour validation
The 7.5° LST has already gained traction on Tour, with Austin Eckroat now playing the driver. Other PING staffers as well as several non-staff players are testing the club as well.
The ultra-low loft option addresses a confidence issue some Tour players experience. For golfers accustomed to seeing a square face at address, the slightly open position that results from extreme adjustability settings can be problematic.
“Having a very low lofted 7.5° that sits square in the dot, our neutral position, will help just from an eye and confidence standpoint,” Stokke says.
The bottom line
The G440 LST 7.5° isn’t about reinventing the wheel. It’s about providing a cleaner solution for golfers who need ultra-low launch characteristics without the visual compromises that come from extreme adjustability settings.
For players who consistently find themselves maxing out adjustability to achieve their optimal ball flight, the 7.5° LST offers a more direct path to better performance. It’s proof that sometimes the best innovation isn’t about adding more features—it’s about recognizing that golfers who need specific performance characteristics deserve dedicated tools rather than workarounds.
The PING G440 LST 7.5° driver is available for order now.
Gregg
10 months ago
Naturally its not available to leftys