We've launched the new forums! Read more here

PING G430 MAX 10K Driver Preview

SuperStroke
mts25 said:
I did some further testing of the 10k. 7.5 degrees seems to work best for me. I was getting some really good numbers with that. I was pretty fired up when I took it from the SIM to the course the first time on Saturday. I hit it well on the course, but that sound.........
Sick Oh God GIF by Film Riot


Honestly, it sounded pretty good indoors. Normally I can tolerate just about anything and I actually like some of the old Ping higher pitched sounds (ala G425 ish). However this one sounds a bit like an empty tin can. It will be tough to get adjusted to.
Click to expand...

I'm guessing the more bombs you hit with it, the more that sound will change into.... "it's not that bad." Ha!

Also, in my experience, the ball you play and the shaft you game can help with the sound off the driver. Of course hot melt could be an option too....
 
mts25 said:
I did some further testing of the 10k. 7.5 degrees seems to work best for me. I was getting some really good numbers with that. I was pretty fired up when I took it from the SIM to the course the first time on Saturday. I hit it well on the course, but that sound.........

Honestly, it sounded pretty good indoors. Normally I can tolerate just about anything and I actually like some of the old Ping higher pitched sounds (ala G425 ish). However this one sounds a bit like an empty tin can. It will be tough to get adjusted to.
Click to expand...

its interesting because I have owned and gamed the G425 and G430 Max and have demoed the 430 10k both indoors and outdoors.
On the range i hit the 10k and my 430 Max side by side last week. For me I liked the sound the best on the 10k, then the 430 max and then the 425. The 425 was rough for me until I put some rubber/foam type material on the back of the moving weight which helped tone it down a bit.

The 430 max and 10k seemed to have the same amount of loudness but I liked the tone of the 10k better. Sounder more powerful to me if that makes sense.
Both to me though are much more pleasant sounding than the 425 max.

I was watching one of Pete Finch's videos recently and he rated the 10k the highest for best sounding of the 2024 drivers.
 
erock9174 said:
its interesting because I have owned and gamed the G425 and G430 Max and have demoed the 430 10k both indoors and outdoors.
On the range i hit the 10k and my 430 Max side by side last week. For me I liked the sound the best on the 10k, then the 430 max and then the 425. The 425 was rough for me until I put some rubber/foam type material on the back of the moving weight which helped tone it down a bit.

The 430 max and 10k seemed to have the same amount of loudness but I liked the tone of the 10k better. Sounder more powerful to me if that makes sense.
Both to me though are much more pleasant sounding than the 425 max.

I was watching one of Pete Finch's videos recently and he rated the 10k the highest for best sounding of the 2024 drivers.
Click to expand...

Several of the youtube guys with the 110mph-120mph clubhead speeds really liked the 10K. Plenty forgiving + it kept the spin numbers down.

I played with a pretty soft ball on Saturday (Bridgestone RXS) which I play during the colder months because it's, well, soft. I think I'll try something a bit firmer next time and see if I like the sound better. I was just so shocked at the diff in sound between indoors and outdoors on the 10K.
 
mts25 said:
Several of the youtube guys with the 110mph-120mph clubhead speeds really liked the 10K. Plenty forgiving + it kept the spin numbers down.
Click to expand...
For sure. I usually have no issues playing a 10.5 drivers. My 430 Max 10.5 usually hits that 13-16* launch, 2200-2500 spin for me. With the 10K in 10.5 I could hardly get above 2k spin. I was much better with it in the 12* head. I hit the Qi 10.5 max that same day and it was fine in the 10.5.
 
I forgot to mention that when I tried the 9* head I hit some with some slow practice swings. Probably around 85-88 clubhead speed. I got great launch and spin around 2500. Could be worth considering for some around this speed and smooth tempo.
 
Does anyone know how well these are selling?
 
mts25 said:
I don’t know overall, but locally they can’t keep them. They say it’s their top driver seller and it isn’t close.
Click to expand...
I guess many buy and nobody posts about it lol.
 
IMG_6344.jpg

Some numbers for me with the 10K. I'm still tinkering with the back weights to get the swing weight where I want it. At 55, I don't have the speed I used to but I am getting a lot out of the club. I have a high angle of attack at about 8 degrees on average so I target a lower spin number than most. I typically shoot for 1700-1900 rpm. The ball just fly's out there as a high draw knuckleball and goes further than it should for my speed. I'm not complaining about it though. If I can consistently get to 270 yrds carry I am pretty happy.

Those numbers were with a Fujikura Ventus Velocore Blue 6s and a 22gram back weight (down from the 28g stock weight). That puts me right at D 4.5 swing weight. I'd like to get that down to about D-2 and have a couple more weights on order as I like the shaft, grip and shaft length I am playing now (right at 45.5).

I continue to be impressed with the smash factor and results on mis-hits. That's where this driver really shines vs. my Taylormade Stealth 2+ from last year.
 
mts25 said:
View attachment 9242930

Some numbers for me with the 10K. I'm still tinkering with the back weights to get the swing weight where I want it. At 55, I don't have the speed I used to but I am getting a lot out of the club. I have a high angle of attack at about 8 degrees on average so I target a lower spin number than most. I typically shoot for 1700-1900 rpm. The ball just fly's out there as a high draw knuckleball and goes further than it should for my speed. I'm not complaining about it though. If I can consistently get to 270 yrds carry I am pretty happy.

Those numbers were with a Fujikura Ventus Velocore Blue 6s and a 22gram back weight (down from the 28g stock weight). That puts me right at D 4.5 swing weight. I'd like to get that down to about D-2 and have a couple more weights on order as I like the shaft, grip and shaft length I am playing now (right at 45.5).

I continue to be impressed with the smash factor and results on mis-hits. That's where this driver really shines vs. my Taylormade Stealth 2+ from last year.
Click to expand...
That's impressive.
 
mts25 said:
Some numbers for me with the 10K. I'm still tinkering with the back weights to get the swing weight where I want it. At 55, I don't have the speed I used to but I am getting a lot out of the club. I have a high angle of attack at about 8 degrees on average
Click to expand...

I never made it past +8* AoA...holy up lol.. Do you use like a 5-6" tee?
Highest I have ever seen myself is 6* up on a shot here or there. And that is near skymark territory on the crown. I couldn't imagine 8*.
 
I have been tinkering at the local fitting center and shops with the 10K
.
Yesterday I hit it at the range again and it continues to impress me. I feel like the ball just hangs forever and never balloons.
With my normal 430 Max I usually play the 10.5 head in the small + setting with the Tensei Orange AV Raw 55R.

With the 10k I have been trying the 12*, std loft setting, with the Alta CB 55R and it just seems to have another gear. With the Tensei it seems more accurate though.

I was reading an article yesterday where they said they robot tested the 10k. With the 9* and 10.5 heads only lost 8yds on off center hits vs center hits which is roughly the same delta as the 430 max. But they said the 10k 12* head only loses 4 yds.

I tested the 12* 10k at the shop last night and here was one of my better ones. Spin on it usually is in the 2000-2500 range which I like to see. This one just snuck under that.

IMG_9715.jpeg
 
Tried the 10k again this time vs the qi10 max. I liked everything about the qi 10 but couldn't get the spin under 3000. The 10k I could get down to 2700. I think the 10k is the best I will end up finding with managing spin and offering forgiveness.
 
Karl said:
Tried the 10k again this time vs the qi10 max. I liked everything about the qi 10 but couldn't get the spin under 3000. The 10k I could get down to 2700. I think the 10k is the best I will end up finding with managing spin and offering forgiveness.
Click to expand...
buying one yet? :)
 
Another advantage of the ping over the qi 10 is you can see the ball mark better on the ping face.
 
So I was tinkering with the G430 Max 10K earlier this week at Golf Galaxy, and my conclusion was that it's perfect for somebody with a neutral or even negative angle of attack.

That's not me -- my AoA has a tendency to drift up to +6-ish, and I have to work on keeping it down in the +2/+3 range because my swing is just much more consistent around there. My shot shape is typically a draw (or, let's be honest, a hook).

However, at the two courses I play the most, there's a specific hole on each where I can really put myself in position for a birdie if I can play a squeeze fade. So it's a shot I do work on. It's also just a more accurate way to get around the golf course on days when my driver swing is failing me.

I was working on teeing the ball very low and trying to get as close as I could to a neutral AoA. Here's a good example of the kinds of shots I was seeing. This is with the Tour 2.0 Chrome 65S shaft, and with the 9 degree G430 Max 10K head lofted down to 7.5 degrees. (I know I could get more carry distance with it lofted up ... but like I said, I was just practicing this specific shot, after hitting some "normal" drives, and didn't bother to change the adapter settings. This was practice, not a fitting.)

g430 max 10k neutral aoa.jpg

OK, it's not a perfect swing. I did get out-to-in like I wanted to, but closed the club face and pulled it a bit. Still, that's generally going to be in the right side of most fairways. But the superpower here, in my opinion, is for this driver to be able to keep the spin in a basically ideal range without forcing you to hit way up on it.

How does this compare to other tee clubs that are also meant to be hit with a neutral to slightly negative attack angle?

Well, here's one with my BRNR Mini driver, with a Diamana TB 70X played at stock length and stock 11.5 degree loft. Again, trying hard to swing out to in a little and hit that squeeze fade.

mini driver.jpg

Spin and peak height are quite similar. So are carry and total distance. The G430 Max 10K is easier to hit because it's an enormous club face but honestly, both of them are easy to hit.

Compared to my G430 Max 3 wood, where my shot shape is always a draw -- I'm really hardly ever trying to fade this thing, and when I do, I'm likely to just chunk it.

3w.jpg

Anyway, I just wanted to share what I'd found -- maybe some food for thought in case there are other folks here who are trying to figure out what this G430 Max 10K driver is best at, and whether it's something they can get out of other clubs.

I'm not sure if it'll make the bag for me. That neutral AoA driver swing might not fully maximize carry distance for me, but it's more consistent, so this might be something I keep working on and take to the course. For my "normal" driver swing where my AoA gets a little out of control, the QI10 Max is great, because it keeps some spin on the ball and gives me at least a slim chance of keeping it in play even when I'm clanging it off the toe while swinging 3 in to out and 5 up with a shut face... I love experimenting with this stuff, though!
 
eric61 said:
So I was tinkering with the G430 Max 10K earlier this week at Golf Galaxy, and my conclusion was that it's perfect for somebody with a neutral or even negative angle of attack.

That's not me -- my AoA has a tendency to drift up to +6-ish, and I have to work on keeping it down in the +2/+3 range because my swing is just much more consistent around there. My shot shape is typically a draw (or, let's be honest, a hook).

However, at the two courses I play the most, there's a specific hole on each where I can really put myself in position for a birdie if I can play a squeeze fade. So it's a shot I do work on. It's also just a more accurate way to get around the golf course on days when my driver swing is failing me.

I was working on teeing the ball very low and trying to get as close as I could to a neutral AoA. Here's a good example of the kinds of shots I was seeing. This is with the Tour 2.0 Chrome 65S shaft, and with the 9 degree G430 Max 10K head lofted down to 7.5 degrees. (I know I could get more carry distance with it lofted up ... but like I said, I was just practicing this specific shot, after hitting some "normal" drives, and didn't bother to change the adapter settings. This was practice, not a fitting.)

View attachment 9244259

OK, it's not a perfect swing. I did get out-to-in like I wanted to, but closed the club face and pulled it a bit. Still, that's generally going to be in the right side of most fairways. But the superpower here, in my opinion, is for this driver to be able to keep the spin in a basically ideal range without forcing you to hit way up on it.

How does this compare to other tee clubs that are also meant to be hit with a neutral to slightly negative attack angle?

Well, here's one with my BRNR Mini driver, with a Diamana TB 70X played at stock length and stock 11.5 degree loft. Again, trying hard to swing out to in a little and hit that squeeze fade.

View attachment 9244260

Spin and peak height are quite similar. So are carry and total distance. The G430 Max 10K is easier to hit because it's an enormous club face but honestly, both of them are easy to hit.

Compared to my G430 Max 3 wood, where my shot shape is always a draw -- I'm really hardly ever trying to fade this thing, and when I do, I'm likely to just chunk it.

View attachment 9244261

Anyway, I just wanted to share what I'd found -- maybe some food for thought in case there are other folks here who are trying to figure out what this G430 Max 10K driver is best at, and whether it's something they can get out of other clubs.

I'm not sure if it'll make the bag for me. That neutral AoA driver swing might not fully maximize carry distance for me, but it's more consistent, so this might be something I keep working on and take to the course. For my "normal" driver swing where my AoA gets a little out of control, the QI10 Max is great, because it keeps some spin on the ball and gives me at least a slim chance of keeping it in play even when I'm clanging it off the toe while swinging 3 in to out and 5 up with a shut face... I love experimenting with this stuff, though!
Click to expand...
Thanks for doing this testing. I forget how to golf every winter and I know the 10k was more efficient for me than the 430 max and 425 max.
 
Last edited:
I’m have a pretty high positive angle of attack with the driver and hit the 10k really well. I’ve tried it with the Tensei Orange, Fujikara Ventus Velocore 6s and Kali White 60s. I hit it well with all those shafts (though I have to change the loft on the head to accommodate). I did drop the back weight to 22g to lighten the head a little.

I’ve settled on the Kali White. I guess that’s why we test these things. Hard to make blanket statements as there are so many variables.
 
Last edited:
I’m working of an AOA of +5° and I find the 10K to be a great driver for me now. First batch of testing this wasn’t the case as I struggled with tee height against the shallow face and stock head weight at stock length seemed unwieldy with Kai’li White 60S. Tee height has been solved and I’ve got my shaft at 44.75” the head weight feels more comfortable. I’m not any longer using 10K however I feel I am straighter and see more consistent carry numbers.
 
noodle3872 said:
I’m working of an AOA of +5° and I find the 10K to be a great driver for me now. First batch of testing this wasn’t the case as I struggled with tee height against the shallow face and stock head weight at stock length seemed unwieldy with Kai’li White 60S. Tee height has been solved and I’ve got my shaft at 44.75” the head weight feels more comfortable. I’m not any longer using 10K however I feel I am straighter and see more consistent carry numbers.
Click to expand...
What's your swing weight at now? D1?
 
Karl said:
I guess many buy and nobody posts about it lol.
Click to expand...
I have been looking at them. Hard. Just havent had my key turned to "ON" yet.
I dont need a new driver, I need a new back.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top