Equipment

GolfWRX Spotted: 2021 Ping G425 driver on USGA Conforming List

Published

6 years ago

Aug 24, 2020

The new 2021 Ping G425 driver is here! (Or at least can be seen on the USGA and R&A conforming drivers list)

After much speculation, we now have official confirmation, thanks to the USGA and R&A conforming driver lists, that the Ping G425 drivers exist and with some similar models to fall in line including the LST (Low Spin technology), MAX, and SFT (Straight Flight Technology) for late 2020 into 2021.

We have reached out to Ping and have no official comment yet from the Phoenix-based equipment company, but based on the images and our knowledge of previous models, we can draw some conclusions based on the visual elements and markings.

Ping G425 (speculated) technology

Although we can only see the sole of the new drivers there are some design points that allow us to make strong assumptions on the new products.

Ping G425 MAX

Across the equipment industry, the “MAX” name has become synonymous with drivers designed for maximum MOI, and it looks like the new Ping G425 MAX is going to do just that. Similar to the previous G410 Plus, the sole appears very flat, which allows engineers to place as much weight as possible low in the head, and the shape is elongated to push more mass away from the face to produce very high MOI numbers.

The one interesting thing to note is that unlike the G410 Plus, the movable weight along the back of the head seems to have a smaller overall distance from the fade to draw setting. This could mean a couple of things.

Through fittings and testing Ping realized that it didn’t need such extreme settings on the driver to help control ball flight direction. Or…
The new weight in the back of the head is heavier than the previous G410 weight which would allow for the same adjustability within a smaller area of movement and result in higher MOI because it is positioned farther back and away from the face.

If I had to put down money on a guess, I feel it’s a combination of the two, which is why the driver looks the way it does.

So far the available lofts being shown are 9°, 10.5°, and 12° in both Right and Left-handed.

The last piece of speculation based on what we know so far is that the MAX name will be permanently replacing the “Plus” model from Ping in this release. This puts Ping more in line with other OEM’s from a naming and model perspective by offering 3 very distinct versions: MAX for maximum forgiveness, SFT for fade correction, and LST as the lowest spin option.

Ping G425 SFT – Straight Flight Technology

This is the most obvious driver to understand. The SFT models from Ping have always been designed to help golfers who struggle with a fade miss and the Ping G425 looks to continue that tradition.

Like the MAX, the sole of the G425 SFT appears very flat and elongated to allow engineers to place as much weight as possible back and low in the head. The other thing to note is that there is a single tungsten weight placed in the heel to aid in closing the face and create a draw bias within the head. When comparing visually with the G410, the weight on the G425 SFT looks to be pushed slightly out of the head to help boost that draw bias.

If we know anything about Ping there is probably even more going on under the hood to help golfers eliminate a big miss.

So far the only available loft being shown is 10.5° in both Right and Left-handed.

Ping G425 LST – Low Spin Technology

This is the driver that is going to cause perked up ears from those looking to help lower spin and dial in launch conditions—the G425 LST.

Since this driver is the one designed to help lower spin, the most noticeable visual telltale sign is the shorter front to back length—as it is well known within the driver design space, a low and more forward center of gravity helps reduce spin and shortening this length is one of the quickest ways to do it.

We should note, Ping doesn’t like to sacrifice forgiveness in the name of lower spin, so to see how they are able to locate the CG on the new G425 while also keeping spin as low if not lower than the previous G410 will be very interesting.

The new Ping G425 LST looks to have the side weight track in the back of the head with the same travel length from side to side as the MAX model. This moveable weight was a big change for Ping but with the success of the previous line and its expanded ability to better help golfers dial in dispersion, it’s no surprise it’s sticking around and being improved upon.

So far the available lofts being shown are 9° and 10.5° in both Right and Left-handed.

Conclusion

This is going to be a very interesting release from Ping, and although we have no official information yet, there has been some speculation that the driver is to be released in Australia and around that region before it makes its way to North America. The speculation makes some sense considering the recent crunch to global supply changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and as we move into fall in North America, the southern hemisphere is turning to spring—prime golf season.

To see what other golfers are saying about the speculated Ping G425 drivers, check out the GolfWRX Forums and join the discussion: GolfWRX Forums – Ping G425 Driver

Whats in the Bag

Christiaan Maas WITB 2026 (June)

Published

12 hours ago

Jun 11, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D LS (8 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 6 X

3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9 TX

Irons: TaylorMade P770 (3), TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7TW (5-PW)
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 10 X, True Temper Dynamic Gold X100

Wedges: TaylorMade Prototype (50-SB09), TaylorMade MG5 (56-HB12, 60-LV07)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400

Putter: TaylorMade TP Juno

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord

Check out more in-hand photos of Christiaan Maas’ clubs here.

Equipment

TaylorMade MySpider Tour and Tour X: More customizable build options now available

Published

12 hours ago

Jun 11, 2026

Alistair Cameron

TaylorMade Golf’s MySpider program underwent a substantial overhaul over the last month. Firstly, the company launched the option to customize the Spider ZT model, and now the program has returned with the MySpider Tour and MySpider Tour X.

The revamped page now gives golfers complete control over every visual and functional detail of their putter on the popular Tour and Tour X head, with every cosmetic idea thought of. In MySpider Tour, golfers can choose from four head finishes, 16 paint fill colors, nine Surlyn face insert colors, three aluminum insert options, six sightline configurations, and four hosel options — L-neck, small slant, double bend, center shaft. Six sightline options are available in MySpider Tour, including the optically engineered True Path alignment system. MySpider Tour X gives builders the option of four head finishes, four hosel configurations, and five sightline options, also including True Path alignment.

One of the more interesting features of the new MySpider program is the availability of three distinct face insert options. Along with the usual Surlyn Pure Roll insert trusted by Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, which can be customized from nine colors, golfers can now also select firmer options. Two are offered with the black aluminum Pure Roll insert, slightly firmer than the traditional insert, or for the firmest feel, golfers can choose from two colors of milled aluminum inserts.

Another fun addition to the MySpider Tour is the ability to use the “Tommy Sightline.” The custom alignment aid design, which was first drawn onto Tommy Fleetwood’s putter by PGA Tour Rep James Holley, is based on the milled sightline on his Spider ZT head. There are five shorter lines on the left and right of a longer central line serving as the traditional short line alignment aid.

See below for the full specifications sheet for MySpider Tour and Tour X:

MySpider Tour

MySpider Tour X

Equipment

Then and now: Comparing Rory McIlroy’s current setup to his record-breaking 2019 Canadian Open victory

Published

15 hours ago

Jun 11, 2026

Alistair Cameron

In Rory McIlroy’s first appearance at the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, he crushed the record books to earn his 16th PGA Tour title in dominating fashion, winning by seven shots over Shane Lowry and Webb Simpson.

McIlroy’s score of 22-under-par 258 is the lowest 72-hole score to date at the Canadian Open, and his closing 61 is also the best final-round score in the history of one of golf’s oldest tournaments. Finally, with his win in 2019, McIlroy became only the sixth player to win the career Triple Crown, adding to his victories at the U.S. Open in 2011 and The Open Championship in 2014, joining Tommy Armour, Walter Hagen, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and Tiger Woods in a coveted list.

So, with that, why not compare his current setup to the clubs he used to break all the records?

Driver

2019: TaylorMade M5 (9 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX
2026: TaylorMade Qi4D (9 degrees @8), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7X (45 5/8 inches)

McIroy led the Tour in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee in 2019; he’s doing the same in 2026. Between now and then, McIlroy has switched from the Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX (a shaft with slightly more feeling in the tip) to the original Fujikura Ventus Black 7X, having just made the change to the heavier version from playing the 60X.

What’s interesting about McIlroy’s 2019 setup is that the weighting on his driver is actually set in the high-draw setting, using the T-Track weighting system, whereas in the Qi4D, he’s currently using a heavily rear-weighted setup. (Two 13-gram weights in the rear and only two 4-gram front weights.)

The TaylorMade M5 driver he played in during his Canadian Open win was the company’s first head that they claimed to design to initially exceed the USGA’s COR limit, and then injected with tuning resin to bring it back in bounds.

Fairway woods

2019: TaylorMade M6 3-wood (15 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 80 TX; TaylorMade M5 5-wood (19 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 90 TX
2026: TaylorMade Qi4D 3-wood (15 degrees), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8X; TaylorMade Qi4D 5-wood (18 degrees), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9X

The TaylorMade M6 fairway wood that McIlroy was using during the 2019 season is still in the bag of some of the best golfers on Tour in 2026. Just check out Justin Rose’s winning setup from the Farmers Insurance Open earlier this year. This year, though, McIlroy has still been searching for his top-end-of-the-bag setup, having played both the new Qi4D and the Qi10, which he won the Masters with.

The same shaft swap can be seen in the fairway woods as the driver, along with slightly less loft on the 5-wood.

Irons

2019: TaylorMade P750 (4) Buy here, TaylorMade P730 (5-9), Shafts: Project X 7.0
2026: TaylorMade P760 (4), TaylorMade Rors Proto (5-9), Shafts: Project X 7.0

The biggest difference between McIlroy’s custom set and the stock P730s is the groove design. While the P730s were constructed with 14 MX-9 grooves on their milled faces, McIlroy’s proto heads instead use the higher-spinning, 16-groove layout of the TW2 grooves. Other big differences between the sets are that McIlroy’s 7- and 8-irons have thinner toplines, are 1 degree stronger in loft, and are 1/4 inch longer than the original P730 builds.

With McIlroy’s 4-iron, the switch from P750 to P760 sees a transition to a two-piece construction with Speed Foam in it, which allows McIlroy to launch the ball slightly higher, with more workability.

Wedges

2019: TaylorMade Milled Grind (48-09SB), TaylorMade MG Hi-Toe (52-09SB, 56-09SB, 60-LB09), Shafts: Project X Rifle 6.5
2026: TaylorMade MG5 (46-09SB, 50-09SB, 54-11SB, 60-08LB @61), Shafts: Project X 6.5 (46-54), Project X 6.5 Wedge (60)

Between 2019 and 2026, McIlroy’s focus on his short game has been much more apparent. It was the reason why he switched back to the TP5 golf ball, to help with launch, spin and control with his wedges leading up to his career Grand Slam victory in 2025. The most apparent changes to McIlroy’s wedge setup are his lofts and bounce. He’s slowly delofted his pitching to a sand wedge, but has increased the loft on the lob wedge, bending his current 60-degree to 61. With that, adding more loft to his lob wedge also slightly increases the bounce and leading-edge sit point, so, as a result, he plays a lower-bounce lob wedge compared to 2019. The MG5 wedges are also softer than the first Milled Grind option from 2019. McIlroy also no longer plays the full-face grooves found on the Hi-Toe.

Putter

2019: TaylorMade Spider X
2026: TaylorMade Spider Tour X

Notice anything similar. Yes, the copper finish on Rory McIlroy’s Spider X putter in 2019 is a slightly more reflective finish than the recently released torched PVD finish. McIlroy was using the True Path alignment system, but now uses only a single white sightline.

Ball

2019: 2019 TaylorMade TP5 (#22)
2026: 2025 TaylorMade TP5 (RORS)

As mentioned above, McIlroy had transitioned from the TP5 to TP5x golf ball since his victory in Canada in 2019, but now is black with the same style of golf ball as his victory at Hamilton Golf & Country Club.

Grips

2019: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
2026: Golf Pride MCC

Interesting, McIlroy actually used Golf Pride’s Tour Velvet Cord grips during his victory in 2019 (it was during a 2+ year switch to the corded TV) as opposed to his usual MCC grips, which he has played for most of his career.