Ping G440 LST vs Cobra DS-Adapt Max K: unicorn battle

[Dannyyy]

Hello,

 

I’m moving on from my G430 10k Max that I adored but was getting a bit too high and spinny. My carry distance was basically my total distance.

I’m looking for a replacement with similar forgiveness but lower spin (antinomic I know).
2 candidates stood out from my research: the G440 LST and the Cobra DS-Adapt Max K. On the MGS rankings, they are almost identical, the G440 LST being ranked higher in Forgiveness and the DS-A Max-K being ranked higher in distance which was surprising. DS-Adapt was even number 1 for high SS (mine is 109-112).

I had the chance to hit both on the range with a Ventus Blue Velcore 6X and from what I saw they live up to the hype. Both felt amazing and incredibly forgiving with a better launch window than the G430 10k, but visually their performance were identical on the range. I haven’t had the chance to get some numbers or take them to the course to differentiate them. I’m on holidays for the next 2 weeks so I’ll get some numbers when I’m back, but I could easily order one or the other right now and be happy about it. So if any of you had the opportunity to test them (on trackman or the course) and provide some feedback, that could be enough for me to pull the trigger and have a brand new driver waiting for me when I get back home !

 

Thanks 

[beluga99]

I actually tested both of these last week with the Ventus Blue 6x 2024.  I think I swung the Cobra faster by a 2-3mph (109 vs 106 with the LST).  I preferred the feel of the LST and had better dispersion as well.  Cobra on best strikes went slightly further likely due to the increased swing speed.

 

Both great drivers, and could play either.  The Ping did feel slightly more solid on mishits too.  My miss is on the toe side and the shaft/head combo seemed to deal slightly better on the G440.

[PNW]

@beluga99 what did the spin look like for you on both?

[beluga99]

Very good question @PNW.  It was extremely manageable on both heads.  I hadn't hit any Ventus shafts before, but that was the one element that stood out.  The spin on mishits never got above 3000 rpm.  There were a couple of mishits where the spin dropped to 1900 but again, the ball stayed on a reasonable trajectory with some additional roll out. Ball speed was around 158mph.  I did hit the Chrome shaft X in the 440 prior to the Ventus and results were noticeably better with the Ventus shaft.  The fitter also commented that he notices that the Ventus shines on crappy swings.  Balls don't tend to leave the planet.  The Kai'li white I play currently in my G430 is really good at keeping spin down as well.  I could happily keep playing it but have had it for three years so might be time to switch.  I may also test the Ventus Blue in my current head for an apples to apples comparison.

[Dannyyy]

Thanks for the great detailed feedback @beluga99 !

What is your angle of attack ? Mine is a bit high (+7-9°) hence the high spin number and apex. I would tend to lean towards the DS-Adapt Max K with the 33 adjustment options and the possibility to crank it down to 7°. But I agree with you that the G440/Ventus blue combo felt amazing.

[beluga99]

My AoA was between 3-5 degrees, however I do like to play a fairway finder which has a neutral 0-1 degree AoA.  What sort of dynamic loft are you presenting at impact?  Mine was between 10-12 degrees which seemed about optimal according to the fitter.

[drza3]

I just tested both of these over the last few weeks. They didn’t have the same shaft so not an exact comparison

 

I’m in the 115mph range and I saw better ball speeds and spin windows out of the Max K. On course the cobra was better too. It surprised me but I kept the cobra and sold the ping.

 

I play a draw and rarely saw the cobra get over 3k. Ping got up a little higher but not much. Ball speeds were better on cobra. Honestly they’re pretty close. 

 

I had been playing a gt3 which has 2-3mph more ball speed but the spin differences across the face are severe and it has a low hook miss 

 

 

[Dannyyy]

14 hours ago, beluga99 said:

My AoA was between 3-5 degrees, however I do like to play a fairway finder which has a neutral 0-1 degree AoA.  What sort of dynamic loft are you presenting at impact?  Mine was between 10-12 degrees which seemed about optimal according to the fitter.

I present a 16°-18° dynamic loft which is too high and why I turn down the loft as low as I can. I managed to play 18 holes with a 10,5° DS Adapt max K adjusted to 8,5°. Unfortunately it affected the face angle too much which combined with bad swings brought the left miss in play. However it was not a snap hooky left miss but more of a straight pull so more « manageable ». I hope I can find a way to get the G440LST to the course and put some real-life bad swings on it to see what to expect on bad swings.

[Dannyyy]

11 hours ago, drza3 said:

I just tested both of these over the last few weeks. They didn’t have the same shaft so not an exact comparison

 

I’m in the 115mph range and I saw better ball speeds and spin windows out of the Max K. On course the cobra was better too. It surprised me but I kept the cobra and sold the ping.

 

I play a draw and rarely saw the cobra get over 3k. Ping got up a little higher but not much. Ball speeds were better on cobra. Honestly they’re pretty close. 

 

I had been playing a gt3 which has 2-3mph more ball speed but the spin differences across the face are severe and it has a low hook miss 

 

 

when you say the Cobra was better on the course, was it because of performance on good shots or forgiveness on bad ones ?

[drza3]

16 minutes ago, Dannyyy said:

when you say the Cobra was better on the course, was it because of performance on good shots or forgiveness on bad ones ?

Both? Cobra was definitely further for me on good strikes and I didn’t feel like I was losing anything on bad strikes. My miss is a hook and both the ping and cobra kept that in the left rough instead of off the planet. Both are way more forgiving directionally vs the gt3 I had. 

[JAM01]

Not apples to apples, but my driver battle this year was Max K, Ping G440 max, and GT2. Denali red in the GT2 and MaxK and the Cb Alta in the Ping. The Ping was just too spinny for my swing. The Max K was ahead for about 2 weeks, just performed, then it turned on me. Clearly the club, lol. In the end the GT2 was less spinny, and surprisingly maybe, solid across the face, even my dreaded toe strike. Plus, it was longer, not by much. Dispersion was really close. Again, ymmv.