Amidst a media call this past winter with PING staffers, there was a curious bit that caught the attention of those among the group with a serious equipment fascination. Among the many new products was a slide regarding the G430 LST 3-wood.
It was of interest for many reasons. It looked sleek, the specifications suggested a club that could be highly attuned to the task for which it was built, and the element that could not be ignored – the price. At $800 (CAD), that jumped off the page, but given the level of technology that the club contained, it was of little surprise. In fact, it was easily accepted.
This is not a golf club for everyone. It has a niche, and accordingly, many in this slender segment of the market will not hesitate in paying the proposed retail tariff.
If you need a three-wood that can help you hit the golf ball a long way, be that off the deck (if you have the clubhead speed to handle it) or off the tee, you’ve found your match in this low spin monster.
“We’re excited to bring this score-lowering technology to golfers during the heart of the golf season to give them a long and versatile three-wood to help them lower their scores and raise their enjoyment on the course,” said John K. Solheim, PING CEO & President. “The lightweight properties of titanium and the density of tungsten open a lot of possibilities to improve performance. The results are phenomenal. The G430 LST 3-wood goes forever and sounds amazing. It’s already in the bags of Tour players around the world. We look forward to getting the new fairway wood in the hands of golfers who want the best of multi-material technology.”
To craft this beast, PING leaned on just about every technology they employ in metal woods, from Carbonfly Wrap, to Ti-Facewrap, to Spinsistency.
You get a what the company calls a “tour-style” design thanks to the use of a 2041 Beta-Ti face, Ti 8-1-1 body, and 80-gram tungsten sole plate to position the CG low/back. The lightweight carbon crown also allows for liberal movement of discretionary weight.
The incorporation of the massively heavy sole weight pushes the launch up, even with a clubhead designed to prod the centre gravity forward to boost ball speeds.
Even the face on the 169cc head has adaptions to the bulge and roll to keep spin as consistent as possible on miss-hits, while punching up ball speeds and keeping the ball from a high level of dispersion on lateral misses.
This LST model completes the new PING fairway wood line-up, alongside the previously introduced models (MAX and SFT), ensuring an option to fit all styles of play.
The G430 LST 3-wood comes in 15° loft only with a loft sleeve that allows for a 1.5° adjustment up or down and in a standard length of 43″.
Shaft & Grip Options
PING-engineered shafts: PING Alta CB Black 65 (SR, R, S), PING Tour 2.0 Chrome 65/75 (R, S, X), PING Tour 2.0 Black 65/75 (S, X)
Optional custom shafts: Mitsubishi Kai’Li White 70 (S, X), PRJX HZRDUS Smoke Red RDX 60 (5.5, 6.0, 6.5), 70 (6.0, 6.5)
Stock grip: Golf Pride 360 Tour Velvet in six sizes (Blue -1/16”, Red -1/32”, Aqua -1/64”, White- Std, Gold +1/32”, Orange +1/16”)
Available now at authorized dealers.
