G425 vs SIM2 vs Tsi3

[endy]

12 hours ago, QuigleyDU said:

For what it is worth. I am pretty unimpressed with then ping G425 in terms of feel, sound and performance.

 

it is slow, I could not get anywhere near the ball speeds I could with other drivers. Now ball speed is not the only thing that matters but everything else seems to be with a margin of error in terms of accuracy as well. So if all things are pretty equal and the ping is slow well then it does not get considered.

 

I think it looks good, but it is loud and slow. No thanks for me.

 

Man, that is disappointing to hear from a high speed guy. Are you referring to both MAX, LST, or both ? 

[QuigleyDU]

2 minutes ago, endy said:

 

Man, that is disappointing to hear from a high speed guy. Are you referring to both MAX, LST, or both ? 

I just tried the LST. I have not tried the Max.. 

[adklee]

I think this comparison basically boils down to on-course performance vs. launch monitor performance.  On the simulator, I got fantastic numbers with the original Sim on the best swings/strikes.  With the 410 (haven't hit the 425s yet), I got less total distance on my best shots BUT my worst shots were significantly better than misses with the Sim.  

 

I'll take playability over max potential distance any day.  "Boring" golf is scoring golf.

 

That said, the new TSi3 is looking mighty fine...

 

 

[Indygolfer85]

Going to 425 LST from 410 LST. Just sold the 410...
 

Here are some things to note, in no particular order:

 

- Ping drivers will never have the ‘best’ sound. IMO, if all else is equal, pick your driver based on this characteristic (BTW, 410 has a more dull sound)

- Dispersion was much tighter with the 425, like not even close. I attribute this to the way the weight track shifts CG (I have the weight in the heel on 425 and in the center on the 410). Heel position in the 410 shifted CG too far. 
- I saw tighter standard deviation with the spin on 425. Again, this is likely a result of more consistent strike with the heel weight on the 425. 
- Distance was a toss up. Higher averages with the 425 but better ball speed and carry numbers on the top end with the 410 for me but off-center strikes with the 410 were definitely more penalizing. 

 

[onafriday]

Original poster here:

 

A local retailer had all the new gear for demo. 
 

Fairly underwhelmed by G425.  I feel like 410 may even be better?  
 

SIM2 was pretty good.  Spun a few hundred RPM less than G425.  Felt and sounded a little better to me.  I could play and enjoy this one but I would miss tinkering with the adjustability. 
 

Tsi3.  Whoa nelly.  Head and shoulders above the rest in all categories.  I don’t put a ton of faith in retailer launch monitors.... but on the same bay unit I was seeing more favorable launch and lower spin (around 1900-2200 on average for me).  Looks and feels great.  Hype seems to be earned.  I’ve been playing golf since the early 90s and I can’t recall ever having a Titleist driver. 

Wasn't particularly interested in and didn’t swing the Callaway or Cobra stuff. 

 

Tsi3 > my 410 LST > SIM2 > G425LST

 

YRMV
 

 

Edited January 30, 2021 by onafriday

[Joe Jordan]

On 1/28/2021 at 9:35 PM, QuigleyDU said:

For what it is worth. I am pretty unimpressed with then ping G425 in terms of feel, sound and performance.

 

it is slow, I could not get anywhere near the ball speeds I could with other drivers. Now ball speed is not the only thing that matters but everything else seems to be with a margin of error in terms of accuracy as well. So if all things are pretty equal and the ping is slow well then it does not get considered.

 

I think it looks good, but it is loud and slow. No thanks for me.

I hear what you are saying but I don’t think Ping ever goes that route. They leave that to Taylormade, Callaway and who ever else comes out with a new driver year after year saying that THIS ONE is longer than the last one. After watching review after review and hearing the words “fairway finder” that’s all I need. IMO stepping up to a tee box knowing I have a chance of finding the fairway 9 out of 10 times is big! Over hitting a drive 280-290 maybe 3 out of 10 times.

[caller]

Race car VS Everyday car

[PostandGhost]

On 1/29/2021 at 11:07 AM, QuigleyDU said:

I just tried the LST. I have not tried the Max.. 

I found that your assessment of the LST was similar to my experience with the Max, which really surprises me because I feel like previous Ping drivers were sneaky fast.  It's a very forgiving driver at least.  

Edited February 1, 2021 by From_Parts_Unknown

[me05501]

It's starting to seem like the crop of 2021 drivers is a bit of a letdown, overall. New cosmetics on top of very very similar performance to the prior generations. 

[wobgon]

On 1/15/2021 at 7:41 PM, J13 said:

 

I've hit the G425 Max outside and it's a softball bat.  Reminds me a lot of the Cobra L4V.  And as a result I've already Hotmelted 4 in my shop.

Ahhhh....The L4V......I still have mine. One of the best.......I used to love to hit it and have the others in my group cringe at the sound as it flew past whatever they where playing.....I remember when JB Holmes brought it back out a year or so after he retired it.....I was in the kitchen with the tourny on the TV in the other room and when he teed off i said, "that has to be an L4V".

[J13]

43 minutes ago, wobgon said:

Ahhhh....The L4V......I still have mine. One of the best.......I used to love to hit it and have the others in my group cringe at the sound as it flew past whatever they where playing.....I remember when JB Holmes brought it back out a year or so after he retired it.....I was in the kitchen with the tourny on the TV in the other room and when he teed off i said, "that has to be an L4V".

 

 

I still have one as well.  The MOI was like 6 million.  The sound was unmistakable 

[MPAndreassi]

On 1/28/2021 at 10:35 PM, QuigleyDU said:

For what it is worth. I am pretty unimpressed with then ping G425 in terms of feel, sound and performance.

 

it is slow, I could not get anywhere near the ball speeds I could with other drivers. Now ball speed is not the only thing that matters but everything else seems to be with a margin of error in terms of accuracy as well. So if all things are pretty equal and the ping is slow well then it does not get considered.

 

I think it looks good, but it is loud and slow. No thanks for me.

 

On 1/29/2021 at 11:03 AM, endy said:

 

Man, that is disappointing to hear from a high speed guy. Are you referring to both MAX, LST, or both ? 

 

I agree with this also. Loud and noticeably slower than the Titleist for me. Moved on from a G410 LST to the TSi3. TSi2 was quicker than G425 for me also, but the looks won me over with the TSi3. Everything else was pretty comparable, a little less stable but not unplayable at all. 

[MPAndreassi]

On 1/24/2021 at 10:26 PM, lordemsworth said:

TXG (and now 2nd Swing) provide a bunch of great info - but everything is great, so the criticism is always in comparison (looks, sound, etc).  One thing on TXG that I don’t understand is that 1800 spin level on driver reviews - I’ve got to to believe those aren’t really playable even at Matt’s speed, but what do I know?  
I mean, the Mavrik won the driver bracket in 2020, but when they took that driver to the course, Matt couldn’t keep it in play.  The club reviews in studio only really go so far.

 

I think TXG does a good job. As far as Matt's numbers go, I think they try to get his gamer up to the 21-2200 range to make it playable. They've mentioned it in a few of their videos, but the ones when they're testing seem to be in the 1800 range like you mentioned. 

 

[theglide]

Looking like another batch of pretty darn close drivers... boils down to looks and sound for me.

[hybrid25]

Besides aesthetics, it's marketing hype.

[DaRiz]

2 hours ago, me05501 said:

It's starting to seem like the crop of 2021 drivers is a bit of a letdown, overall. New cosmetics on top of very very similar performance to the prior generations. 

 

That seems to be the perception all around town. Normally it is the opposite, the tiniest increases in MOI or decreases in spin generate an irrational amount of buzz. I don't know if it's the economy due to COVID, or that all releases feel unusually clustered, but something feels off. Maybe because everyone is shifting towards more stability which isn't as marketable as distance? Something is broken with the WRX hype machine

 

[me05501]

11 minutes ago, DaRiz said:

 

That seems to be the perception all around town. Normally it is the opposite, the tiniest increases in MOI or decreases in spin generate an irrational amount of buzz. I don't know if it's the economy due to COVID, or that all releases feel unusually clustered, but something feels off. Maybe because everyone is shifting towards more stability which isn't as marketable as distance? Something is broken with the WRX hype machine

 

 

To spin it in the manufacturer's favor, maybe this is a year when the new clubs outperform in real-world situations rather than on a launch monitor. They're all touting better results outside the center of the club face. Maybe it's true and it will help the clubs perform better under pressure. 

To spin it the other way, maybe they looked at the global pandemic and decided to hold back something more innovative for next season. There are a lot of people new to the game this year, and they'll buy whatever is available when they go get fitted. 

 

[SwingBlues]

3 hours ago, DaRiz said:

 

That seems to be the perception all around town. Normally it is the opposite, the tiniest increases in MOI or decreases in spin generate an irrational amount of buzz. I don't know if it's the economy due to COVID, or that all releases feel unusually clustered, but something feels off. Maybe because everyone is shifting towards more stability which isn't as marketable as distance? Something is broken with the WRX hype machine

 

 

No body got fired from this Epic release like 4 years ago 🤷‍♂️😋

[UTvols83]

5 hours ago, wobgon said:

Ahhhh....The L4V......I still have mine. One of the best.......I used to love to hit it and have the others in my group cringe at the sound as it flew past whatever they where playing.....I remember when JB Holmes brought it back out a year or so after he retired it.....I was in the kitchen with the tourny on the TV in the other room and when he teed off i said, "that has to be an L4V".

L4V with an Aldila NV Protopype was the ticket...from what I remember. Sounded like hitting a metal trashcan with an aluminum bat.

[Steelhead]

On 1/30/2021 at 4:51 PM, onafriday said:

Original poster here:

 

A local retailer had all the new gear for demo. 
 

Fairly underwhelmed by G425.  I feel like 410 may even be better?  
 

SIM2 was pretty good.  Spun a few hundred RPM less than G425.  Felt and sounded a little better to me.  I could play and enjoy this one but I would miss tinkering with the adjustability. 
 

Tsi3.  Whoa nelly.  Head and shoulders above the rest in all categories.  I don’t put a ton of faith in retailer launch monitors.... but on the same bay unit I was seeing more favorable launch and lower spin (around 1900-2200 on average for me).  Looks and feels great.  Hype seems to be earned.  I’ve been playing golf since the early 90s and I can’t recall ever having a Titleist driver. 

Wasn't particularly interested in and didn’t swing the Callaway or Cobra stuff. 

 

Tsi3 > my 410 LST > SIM2 > G425LST

 

YRMV
 

 

Similar experience here. Coming from a Sim. Went in to demo the G425 Max and the Titleist TSi2 with the Tensei Blue AV Raw won the day and the spot in my bag. Just now cancelled my preorder for the Ping. Titleist caught up nicely. I may grab a TSi3 head just to switch out when I am feeling frisky.

[me05501]

The OEM "spin" on this season's drivers seems to be that the heads are more forgiving, which invites you do go after them more aggressively and achieve better distance and dispersion results. 

 

 

[hackalot]

Got a chance to hit G410 and G425 lst in store today. Like looks of G425 much better but sound of 410 better. Results were very similar. Also hit TSI3 and not sure what to think. Seemed very fade biased and ball speeds were about same as the Pings. Struggled to hit it well.  Strange as I’ve been huge Titleist fan and played most of their drivers over the years. Hopefully will be able to compare outside at some point. 

[1puttTUT]

I recently hit all three during a trackman fitting. I was really impressed by the forgiveness of the sim2. To me it was equal to the 425 but with better sound and an extra 5 yards.

 

I also launched the sim2 the highest of the three, which helped my carry numbers without spinning up too much.

 

In regards to the Titleist, I couldn't find the right combo of launch angle and spin, even after trying multiple shafts. I could see it being a great driver for someone else though.

[Lobber]

On 1/15/2021 at 4:06 PM, BirdieBob said:

Watched Michael Newtons review of the G425 vs his G400 driver.

Just based on the sound, I have no intention of considering the G425 driver or any other Ping driver.

 

I am surprised by all the comments about sound.  I have hit both the 425 Max and 425 LST and they sound very good.  Not metallic or tinny but more of a muted Thwack with the LST particularly.  By comparison I hit the new Cobra Rad Speeds today outdoors and they were noticeably and subjectively louder.   I like Newton and his videos but don't agree with the comments on sound

[sshadow2]

I haven’t gotten to hit the Radspeed but based on vids, I also thought it sounded louder (and harsher) than the 425 Max. Had the 410+ and thought the same. I like the sound of the Max better than both. 

 

Tsi2 sounded even better still, but I didn’t get along with it.

[jol]

Very limited testing to date. Played a couple of rounds each with the TSi 2 & 3 and last year's Sim Max. Also demo'd on the range the Callaway Epic Max and Sim 2 Max. have not demo'd the 425, but have played a round with the 410.  

IMO, the Titleist drivers look and sound great, especially the sound. I got along better with the 3 than the 2. It felt like I had to focus more and work harder with the 2 than the 3. Which is opposite of what I thought going into the trials. 

The Epic Max looks great and sounded nice. My numbers were decent and the ball flight good.  Unfortunately, they only had a few of the standard shafts to try and honestly none of them were great for me. I look forward to trying the Epic Max and Speed again with different shafts.

I prefer lighter club heads and never got along with Ping drivers. The 410 I played with was very good, but I just never felt comfortable with it. Actually it is a bit frustrating as I have quite a few buddies that swear by their Ping drivers. Maybe it's the look of turbulators, who knows. Haven't tried the 425.

Played several rounds with the Sim Max and found it to be long and forgiving. Don't love the sound and got use to the looks. I hit the new Sim 2 Max on the range and have to say was underwhelmed. Between the two, I would get the original Sim Max.

Honestly, they are all about the same and it really depends on what you like in terms of looks and feel.  I would be surprised if there was more than 10 yards difference between properly fitted versions of the models. Get what gives you the most confidence when you hit it.

[Jlb123]

So far I have hit on course the tsi2, epic max ls, and tsi3. I have a g425 max on order if it will ever ship from ping. 
 

Tsi2- looks great feels great just didn’t get along with it for some reason not sure what it was. 
 

epic max ls- very muted feel and sound it seemed like no matter where on the face I hit it and results were less than impressive distance wise for me. 
 

tsi3- this is the one to beat. Look sound and feel are 10/10 then the forgiveness and distance were shocking to be honest from a head that is supposed to be for more advanced players ( I bounce between 7-8hc) I missed one fairway my first round with it and was consistently as long as my best shots playing my home course. 
 

it will take something special to get the tsi3 out of the bag but the 425 max and sim2 max are en route and I will update soon hopefully. 

[llaw999]

I actually prefer the sound of G425 to my Sim. The sim sounds too muted to me to the point of feeling numb. 
 

Interestingly the LST spun about the same as the Max for me and sometimes spun even more.

Ball speed between them where basically the same. Plus or minus 1-2 mph ball speed.

 

End of the day I think all these drivers perform about the same if they are fitted properly. 

 

[goheels11]

On 2/13/2021 at 7:41 AM, Jlb123 said:

So far I have hit on course the tsi2, epic max ls, and tsi3. I have a g425 max on order if it will ever ship from ping. 
 

Tsi2- looks great feels great just didn’t get along with it for some reason not sure what it was. 
 

epic max ls- very muted feel and sound it seemed like no matter where on the face I hit it and results were less than impressive distance wise for me. 
 

tsi3- this is the one to beat. Look sound and feel are 10/10 then the forgiveness and distance were shocking to be honest from a head that is supposed to be for more advanced players ( I bounce between 7-8hc) I missed one fairway my first round with it and was consistently as long as my best shots playing my home course. 
 

it will take something special to get the tsi3 out of the bag but the 425 max and sim2 max are en route and I will update soon hopefully. 

Curious of your spin rates with the Max LS.  Played my first round with it Saturday, and love almost everything about it, but I’m concerned that it paired with the MMT 60s may be a bit too low spin for me.  Falling out of the sky a bit too quickly for me with wet fairways. Great ball speed on a sim, but get a few drives sub 2000 spin rates, not great for my 98-100 speed... Plugging in higher spin shaft to give it a go...

[J13]

1 hour ago, goheels11 said:

Curious of your spin rates with the Max LS.  Played my first round with it Saturday, and love almost everything about it, but I’m concerned that it paired with the MMT 60s may be a bit too low spin for me.  Falling out of the sky a bit too quickly for me with wet fairways. Great ball speed on a sim, but get a few drives sub 2000 spin rates, not great for my 98-100 speed... Plugging in higher spin shaft to give it a go...

 

Loft will always have the biggest impact on spin.  Try to bump it 1* if you haven't already.