As someone who has a relatively fast swing speed and naturally spins the ball a lot, I’m always excited when I get my hands on the low-spinning model in the new lineups. From Ping this year that is the G440 LST fairway wood, which sits alongside the Max and SFT models. To gain a full understanding of how this club performed I tested it inside on a GCQuad launch monitor using the new 2025 Titleist Pro V1x golf balls and then headed out to the golf course to put it through some real-life scenarios and face the elements.
I mentioned in my G440 Max fairway wood review how I was a little underwhelmed with the looks of the lineup as a whole and while that is still the case, the Tungsten sole plate certainly gives the LST a more tech-heavy, modern look. From address, I like the look of this fairway wood, the matte finish gives the impression of a slightly more compact-looking head, one that more confident ball strikers will love. As was the case with its predecessor, the G440 LST has a fairly triangular head shape which has grown on me as time has gone on.
The G440 LST fairway wood boasts a multi-material construction with a Titanium 8-1-1 body, the tungsten sole plate mentioned earlier and the Carbonfly Wrap, which helps redistribute weight from the crown to lower the CG, increase ball speed and MOI. While carbon crowns have played a noticeable role in changing acoustics in products from other manufacturers such as the TaylorMade Qi35 Tour and Callaway Elyte fairway woods, the G440 LST still sounds very much like a Ping. It’s not quite as loud as the G430 Max from last year but it’s still a much more tinny sound than some of the best fairway woods on the market.
Ultimately, a club can look the part but you’re not going to purchase it if it doesn’t perform, so if you’re looking for a low-spinning monster off the tee, is the G440 LST worth it? Well, the data I collected from my testing session shows somewhat of a mixed bag, at least relative to the design of the club and its primary purpose - low spin. On average, I produced 3472 rpm which was just under 100 rpm less than I saw on the G440 Max.
What was interesting to see was the fact, I found the LST model launched at almost the exact same angle as the Max model (11.2°) and the ball speed was less than half a mile per hour faster, averaging 156.4mph. With minuscule improvements made for optimum performance across all parameters, the LST ended up producing a couple of extra yards carry (251 yards) and only one extra yard when it came to total yardage.
Out on the golf course, the performance was sort of what I was expecting, having already seen the data from my indoor testing session. I noticed the LST was a little more volatile with its misses compared to the Max, especially when striking it towards the toe. This would result in a fairly quick left-diving shot that would terrify any golfer.
I found the LST was much more suited to be struck from a tee and this is where the high launch, low spin combination came into its own, producing a penetrating ball flight with plenty of roll. Unless you’re someone who regularly tees off with a fairway wood, I'm struggling to see the benefit of adding this fairway wood to your bag over the impressive G440 Max model.
While you could argue the G440 LST has performed how it’s supposed to, offering less launch and spin to create fast ball speeds and longer distances for high speed players, it’s very marginal. For certain golfers, it will be an ideal option but when you consider it comes with a retail price of $600 ($215 more than the G440 Max) it's not unfair to say that I expected more.
