The King of Forgiveness: Ping G430 MAX 10K Driver Review

Bigger profile, larger carbon crown, and a 10,000g cm² MOI – is the Ping G430 Max 10K 2024’s most forgiving driver?

Ping has a long history and an incredible reputation for making the most forgiving drivers on the market. Ever since titanium drivers took off in the 1990s, Ping’s strategy has been to design the best drivers for club golfers, which has led the company to prioritize playability over just chasing speed and distance.

And with an MOI of 10,000g cm² the new Ping G430 MAX 10K driver pushes forgiveness to the absolute limit. It’s the big driver trend of 2024, and the TaylorMade Qi10 follows a similar theme.

If there’s ever been criticism of Ping drivers, it’s claimed by other companies that just chasing MOI (which means backweighting heads) leads to a compromise on ball speed and distance.

But golfers speak with their hard-earned cash. And year on year Ping drivers are among the top-selling models on the market. And if it’s forgiveness you want, it doesn’t come any better than with the new Ping 10K G430 MAX.

This is a watershed moment in driver design. TaylorMade have also chosen to chase huge MOI numbers for the first time with their new Qi10 Max driver, which also boasts 10K levels of forgiveness. So, if you’re considering Ping then you really should be trying the TaylorMade, too.  

Everything you need to know about the Ping G430 MAX 10K driver

RRP: $650 / £599

Lofts: 9° / 10.5° / 12°

Head Size: 460cc

Headweight: 206g

Backweight: 28g

Standard Swing Weight: D3

Not just for average golfers

It speaks volumes that the first sighting of the G430 MAX 10K came when the USGA posted images and information about the model on its conforming list in November 2023. Lots of drivers hit the list like this before being announced at retail, all so Tour pros can put them in play in events at the end of the year.

We all know average golfers need as much forgiveness as they can get from their driver. But the fact is the world’s best players want forgiveness, too – as long as it doesn’t come at the expense of ball speed, feel or looks.

To me, the fact the 10K has been adopted on the PGA Tour proves, not only that it’s instantly become one of Ping’s best drivers, but also that it isn’t just a line extension for a niche group of slower swing-speed players, prioritizing forgiveness at all costs.

In fact, in time I see this model being a huge hit with a wide spectrum of golfers, from tour players to very average, slower-speed club players. It’s also highly likely to go on and earn a place among the most forgiving drivers of all time.      

Maximum allowable head size

The 10K is Ping’s straightest and highest MOI driver to date. The model surpasses the 10,000 g-cm² combined moment of inertia threshold first exceeded by the popular G400 MAX in 2018.

The driver’s head is the largest Ping has ever created. Its dimensions sit right on the edge of the USGA size regulations for heel–toe and front-back dimensions.

Yet all that size has still been forced into a 460cc-sized chassis thanks to a slightly shallower face.

Carbon crown and plenty of backweight

Unlike their competitors, Ping have been incredibly slow to switch to carbon crown driver technology. While the G430 LST driver used the tech, Ping’s flatter crown shaping of the MAX and SFT has meant it just hasn’t been possible yet to employ them full throttle across the whole family.

However, for this new G430 MAX 10K, there is a carbon fiber crown included. It even wraps over onto the skirt, allowing Ping’s engineers to free up a decent amount of inefficient weight to further bolster MOI numbers.

After playing Ping drivers for years I’m a big fan of muted carbon fiber weave on the crown. Unlike some, it’s not distracting to the eye and the surrounding matt black paint gives a typical Ping look.

At the back of the head, there’s also a fixed 28g weight. Ping say this lowers and deepens the center of gravity and helps create the company’s lowest-spinning 460cc driver to date.    

Expect less face height

History says golf club brands need to do some pretty clever engineering to hit the 10K MOI barrier. For some, that means changing the head shape to have more mass into the heel or creating a square club. But thanks to Ping drivers already being forgiving they’ve deployed a shallow face instead.

The idea means the company have been able to squeeze the head size to the maximum allowable limit, in a very conventional way.

Many golfers won’t even notice the difference. The face has also then been thinned a fraction, as a shallower face beefs up durability, so golfers still get good flex, rebound, speed, and distance.

Variable face radius (like TaylorMade’s TwistFace) also helps normalize the ball speed and spin of off-center hits so golfers get greater accuracy and distance consistency on the golf course.   

A different sound

The sound of Ping drivers is always a topic of debate. Often, thanks to their size and flatter shape, they can be prone to vibrating more and sounding louder. While some golfers like a louder impact sensation, many don’t.

Compared to the G430 MAX driver Ping say golfers should expect a little louder, less muted impact sound, even though the carbon crown is great at dampening vibration.

I’ve hit the model, and my gut feeling is bar golfers who are very sound-sensitive most players will be swayed by the MOI performance being so good, rather than the sound being a fraction louder.    

Ping G430 Max vs Ping G430 Max 10K

Anyone who’s seen my Ping G430 MAX driver review will no doubt remember that I said the previous model has an MOI of over 10,000g-cm².

It does, but it’s really important to understand that while the standard G430 Max does have a 10K setting the back weight needs to be located in the “fade“ position, and that’s a set-up that lots of golfers should never go near. Chances are that if you’re looking for a forgiving driver it’s because you hit or slice the ball right, so you don’t want to be pushing weight to the right.

That’s where the G430 MAX 10K steps in. Its fixed back weight guarantees all golfers high MOI performance. Compared to the G430 MAX the head is also larger with a shallower face height, a set-up Ping say will be more confidence-inspiring and make it easier to square up at impact.

What Ping say about the G430 MAX 10K driver

“Our new G430 MAX 10K joins the G430 driver family and earns the distinction of being the most forgiving driver we’ve ever engineered,” John K. Solheim, PING CEO & President, tells us.

“The ‘10K’ in the name refers to its record-setting combined MOI that exceeds 10,000 g-cm². It’s a great addition to our G430 driver line, giving golfers another custom-fitting option loaded with innovations. It has a lot of the proven performance of the G430 MAX driver, but differs in several ways from a design standpoint, including a fixed backweight, larger head profile, and a Carbonfly Wrap crown – each contributing to the new level of forgiveness.

“It’s been a lot of fun to watch people hit the G430 MAX 10K. Everyone comments how straight it is, which ultimately leads to more distance for the golfer.

“It fits a wide range of golfers, from players who rely heavily on forgiveness for more distance and accuracy off the tee all the way to tour pros, who are seeing lower spin and increased ball speed as the result of swinging more aggressively, knowing the forgiveness will help them find more fairways.

“We’re excited to add the MAX 10K to our driver mix. We encourage golfers to experience a PING driver custom fitting and compare their launch-monitor results to help find the G430 driver that best fits their game. Whether it’s the new MAX 10K, the MAX, the LST or SFT, we’re confident there’s a PING G430 driver for every golfer.”

Video: How does the Ping G430 Max 10K compare to other leading forgiving drivers?

Verdict: Ping G430 MAX 10K driver

When it comes to producing forgiving drivers nobody is more qualified than Ping. The company has hit the 10K MOI barrier before with the G400 Max, a driver that continues to feature within club golfer’s bags many years after it was first revealed. Which leaves me thinking why haven’t there been any further 10K models since?

With most brands claiming to produce extremely forgiving drivers we put the Max 10K up against the leading 2024 competitor models in the hands of TG Test Pro Neil Wain at Keele Golf Centre. Our test data below shows how all the models compare.

Performance

If you’re the type of golfer who likes the confidence boost of standing on the tee knowing the game’s most forgiving driver is in your hands the Max 10K boosts confidence to the absolute limit. Drivers just don’t come anymore forgiving. For our test pro Neil Wain the 10K wasn’t quite his fastest or longest driver of 2024, as we’d expect of a super-forgiving driver. But, posting a carry distance just 4 yards back from the very longest  (with a stock shaft), whilst being the most forgiving driver on the market (along with the TaylorMade Qi10 MAX) is a truly first-class performance.

It’s always tough to prove/disprove dispersion claims during testing as the data is much more dependent on player performance rather than club. But, our data shows the Max 10K was comfortably inside our test average without being our test pros most accurate driver.

During my own testing though it did produce my 2^nd smallest shot area. So over the course of a season, there’s no doubt in my mind this model will help everyday golfers hit more fairways.

Looks and sound

If I’m being hyper-critical compared to the TaylorMade Qi10 MAX the crown is a little busier on the eye, it’s nothing too different though to what we’ve seen with Ping drivers over the last few generations. To my ears, there’s also hardly any sound difference between this model and the G430 Max, which will be music to the ears of golfers who’ve shied away from some Ping drivers before for being too loud.

And finally…

If forgiving drivers are your thing 2024 is the year to fill your boots. The Ping G430 Max 10K for me is right up there among my two favourite drivers of the year. Significantly though for many it is more expensive than TaylorMade’s offering (an additional £100 in the UK and $50 in the USA).

History shows us 10K MOI drivers have a habit of not sticking around too long. My gut feeling however is once the success of this year’s two 10K drivers is felt in terms of additional sales there’s every chance there will be much more appetite to produce them going forward.

No matter what level you’re at, if you put a premium on finding the fairway and plan on buying a new driver in 2024, you’re doing your game a disservice if you don’t at least have this model on your shortlist to try.    

Driver	Ball Speed	Launch Angle	Backspin	Height	Descent Angle	Carry Distance	Shot Area
Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max (Ventus Blue S)	161 MPH	11.9º	2246 RPM	34 YDS	38.6º	275 YDS (1)	406.8 SQYDS
Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max (Tensei S)	161.5 MPH	11.4º	2212 RPM	32 YDS	37.9º	272 YDS (T2)	210.6 SQ YDS (1)
Cleveland Launcher XL 2	162.6 MPH	9.3º	2033 RPM	25 YDS	31.4º	272 YDS (T2)	384 SQ YDS
Ping G430 Max	162.8 MPH	10.2º	2397 RPM	31 YDS	37.4º	271 YDS	509 SQ YDS
Titleist TSR 2 (10º Tensei Blue S)	161.1 MPH	10.3º	2266 RPM	29 YDS	35.7º	271 YDS	792.3 SQ YDS
TaylorMade Qi10 Max (8.5º Diamana X)	162.4 MPH	9.6º	2201 RPM	27 YDS	34º	270 YDS	337.5 SQ YDS (2)
Ping G430 Max 10K (9º)	163.1 MPH	9º	1993 RPM	23 YDS	30.1º	270 YDS	542.4 SQ YDS
Cobra Darkspeed X (Front Weight)	161.6 MPH	9.7º	2161 RPM	27 YDS	33.7º	270 YDS	667.5 SQ YDS
Ping G430 Max 10K	161.2 MPH	11º	2556 RPM	34 YDS	34º	268 YDS	506 SQ YDS
Cobra Darkspeed X (Back Weight)	161 MPH	9.9º	2375 RPM	29 YDS	36.2º	268 YDS	370.8 SQ YDS
TaylorMade Qi10	159.2 MPH	10.6º	2338 RPM	30 YDS	36.8º	267 YDS	385 SQ YDS
PXG 0311 XF GEN6	160 MPH	9.9º	2226 RPM	27 YDS	34.5º	267 YDS	564.2 SQ YDS
PXG 0211	160.6 MPH	9.9º	2185 RPM	27 YDS	34.2º	267 YDS	953.7 SQ YDS
TaylorMade Qi10 Max (8.5º Tensei S)	161.9 MPH	8.6º	2215 RPM	24 YDS	31.7º	266 YDS	630.5 SQ YDS
Wilson DynaPWR Ti	161 MPH	10.7º	2532 RPM	32 YDS	39.1º	266 YDS	1001.3 SQ YDS
Cobra Darkspeed Max (Mid Launch Shaft)	159.4 MPH	11.5º	2372 RPM	33 YDS	39.1º	265 YDS	342 SQ YDS (3)
Srixon ZX5 MK II	158.2 MPH	10.9º	2300 RPM	30 YDS	37º	264 YDS	669.2 SQ YDS
TaylorMade Qi10 Max (Tensei S)	161.2 MPH	9.8º	2823 RPM	32 YDS	39.5º	263 YDS	404 SQ YDS
Mizuno ST Z	157.8 MPH	9.6º	1954 RPM	23 YDS	30.5º	262 YDS	750.5 SQ YDS
Mizuno ST X	160 MPH	8.6º	1956 RPM	26 YDS	28.4º	262 YDS	609.6 SQ YDS
AVERAGE	160.9 MPH	10.1º	2267 RPM	28.8 YDS	35.3º	267.8 YDS	551.8 SQ YDS

*All lofts at 10.5º unless otherwise stated.

About the Author

Simon Daddow – Today’s Golfer Equipment Editor

Having tested and played more than 10,000 clubs in his life, what Simon doesn’t know about golf clubs isn’t worth knowing.

He’s a specialist in all things metal having spent a large part of his career as a golf club maker and product development manager, and has worked in the golf industry for more than 30 years.

He joined EMAP Active (now Bauer Media) as Equipment Editor in 2006 and has made todays-golfer.com the most reliable source for golf club testing.

You can contact Simon via email and follow him on Twitter for loads more golf equipment insight.

 

Ping G430 MAX 10K driver

RRP: £599

Lofts: 9° / 10.5° / 12°

Head Size: 460cc

Headweight: 206g

Backweight: 28g

Standard Swing Weight: D3

Visit the Ping website here