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Today, I’ll be reviewing the PING G425 LST driver.
The G425 LST (stands for ‘Low Spin Technology’) is aimed at players with a lower handicap and/or fast swing speed who are looking to reduce their RPMs to maximize distance. With a more compact 445CC head and adjustability features, it’s engineered for better players to be able to dial in their optimal ball flight off the tee.
How does the G425 LST actually perform when put to the test? How does it compare to the G425 MAX and its predecessor, the G410 LST? Who is it best suited for? Is it worth putting in the bag?
Read on to find out what you need to know to make an informed purchase.
Note: Unless otherwise stated, stock shafts and stock grips are used when evaluating this club. In most cases, the golf clubs reviewed on Golfstead are acquired temporarily for testing purposes and are not purchased. The review that follows is based on the personal experience and research of the author. Because everyone’s swing and body are different, results with a particular club may differ from person to person.
What are the reviews like?
The PING G425 LST driver won a gold medal on the Golf Digest Hot List for 2021 and 2022. It has been lauded by critics for its ability to deliver low spin while maintaining a respectable amount of forgiveness.
The driver currently enjoys average customer ratings of 5/5 on Global Golf, 4.7/5 on PGA TOUR Superstore, and 4.7/5 (97% recommended) on the PING website.
What People Like
- lower spin than the G410 LST and G425 MAX models
- packs a ton of distance
- great forgiveness for an LS driver
- straightforward, neutral setup at address
- smooth feel
- plenty of adjustability for dialing in the perfect flight
What People Don’t Like
- sound can take some getting used to
The Features
Most of the technologies that go into the G425 LST driver are the same as the G425 MAX, namely:
- T9S+ Forged Face: a proprietary precision-machined, high-strength face that maximizes flexion across the face at impact, thereby increasing ball speeds
- Dragonfly Crown Technology: an ultra-thin Ti 8-1-1 (titanium alloy) crown takes on a web-like “dragonfly wing” structure, enabling weight savings that are redistributed to increase MOI and distance
- Crown Turbulators: a series of angled ridges on the crown (part of a special aerodynamic design) that reduces drag for increased swing speed
- Internal Ribbing: a Ti 8-1-1 body contains an internal rib structure that reinforces key sections of the head, enhancing acoustics for solid sound and feel
The key differentiating features are:
- a smaller pear-shaped 445CC head that encourages a lower, flatter trajectory and reduces spin by an additional 200-400 RPM over the G410 LST
- a 17-gram moveable tungsten weight on the sole (as opposed to 26g for the MAX) that can be set to Neutral, Draw or Fade positions
Stock Info
The G425 LST driver is available in 9° and 10.5° standard lofts at 445CC.
An included Trajectory Tuning 2.0 adjustable hosel, lightweight and aerodynamic, offers eight loft and lie combinations to fine-tune your trajectory.
There are many stock shaft options offered at no upcharge including the PING Alta CB 55 Slate, PING Tour 65, ALDILA ROGUE White 130 MSI 70, Mitsubishi TENSEI AV Orange, and PING Alta Distanza. The Alta CB Slate, in particular, is counterbalanced to deliver more momentum and forgiveness.
The stock grips are the Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 and Tour Velvet Cord, both of which are compatible with Arccos sensors.
Below are the specs of the PING G425 LST driver. Click or zoom to enlarge.
The Performance
Distance
Under the right conditions, there’s no doubt you’ll see gains in total distance compared to the G425 MAX.
While the clubhead speeds and ball speeds between the two turn out to be very similar, the G425 LST generates less spin by around 200 RPMs on average.
The result is that carry distance is comparable to the MAX, but because of the reduced spin and shallower angle of descent, you get more roll and thus more total distance that can be significant depending on the hardness and slope of the fairway.
At the end of the day, distance is great with the G425 LST but perhaps not as good as certain other low-spin drivers on the market.
Forgiveness
Not taking into account the inherent drop in forgiveness from the smaller head size, it turns out that the tradeoff PING made between lower spin and forgiveness was very minor.
Forgiveness is obviously not as good as the G425 MAX but is still very respectable, making it a viable driver for even some mid handicappers. It’s a similar relationship the G410 LST had to the G410 Plus back in the day.
In fact, the forgiveness of the G425 LST is comparable to many game-improvement drivers I’ve tested over the past couple years. Distance loss on mis-hits is not bad at all, and dispersions are tight for a low-spin driver.
Playability/Trajectory
Despite the launch angles being roughly the same, the G425 LST tends to produce a lower, more penetrating trajectory than the G425 MAX. This is naturally due to lower spin.
As with the MAX model, a moveable sole weight can be used to alter ball flight, although the weight is 9g lighter. Moving the weight into the toe, middle and heel positions will result in fade, neutral and draw biases, respectively.
The great thing about the adjustable weight is that during a non-competitive round, you can change it on the fly based on what your shot tendency is that day in order to straighten out your shots. This can go a long way towards improving your scores.
The workability of the G425 LST is quite good thanks in part to the more compact head shape, but it is held back a touch by the lower RPMs. In any case, the workability of the G425 MAX was extremely limited so it’s refreshing to see any kind of improvement.
The Look
The G425 LST driver looks almost exactly the same as the G425 MAX, with the “valley-shaped” face pattern, crown turbulators, matte black finish, and moveable weight on the back edge of the sole.
Beyond that, the G425 LST has a slightly smaller footprint (445cc) and has a little more of a traditional pear shape.
As with the other drivers in the G425 line, there are no coloured accents in the design; instead, a black/white/silver colour scheme has been employed. It’s a very tasteful, sharp aesthetic in my judgement, and the smaller head adds an element of sophistication to it.
The look of the G425 LST at address is exactly what most better players will be looking for: compact yet confidence-inspiring. The ball also sets up more or less square and neutral relative to the face.
The Sound & Feel
The sound of the G425 LST at impact is a metallic, medium-pitched “pop” that is characteristic of PING drivers, but one that is noticeably more muted/dampened than the MAX — quite appropriate for the class of golfer this model is meant to appeal to.
The feel is sharper, harder and a little more solid than the G425 MAX. It’s nevertheless explosive, and the strong feel does a good job complimenting the sound.
Mis-hits feel rather similar to sweet spot strikes, but there’s generally enough difference there to discern the general area of impact. The clearest mis-hit feedback comes from the sound; you’ll know roughly where you make contact with the face just by using your ears.
Where To Buy This Driver Online
Online availability of PING golf clubs is more limited than other manufacturers.
One of the best places to pick up the G425 LST driver (new or used) is eBay. You can typically find deals here that you can’t find anywhere else.
You can also check the stock at Global Golf and PGA TOUR Superstore. These merchants may offer club trade-ins, points programs, or other perks to enhance your shopping experience.
Conclusion
The PING G425 LST offers forgiveness comparable to a game-improvement driver with a more workable 445CC head and the distance benefits that come from reduced spin.
Is it the “lowest” low-spin driver out there? No, but it’s the ideal choice for golfers that like the performance of the MAX model yet want to get their trajectory down a little bit with better penetration.
Golfers of all skill levels can find success with the G425 LST, especially if they have a high swing speed, but it’s probably most geared towards players with handicaps in the teens or high single digits.
Are you interested in the G425 LST driver? Have you played it? What’s your experience? Let us know down below.
