PING · Driver · 2016 · Previous model
PING G (2016) driver
Maximum forgiveness, 4.0 of 5
PING's 2016 driver, sold as its "longest, most forgiving driver ever": a 460cc head with a crown thinned in a pattern taken from a dragonfly's wing and the centre of gravity set lower and deeper than in any PING driver before it, in 9° or 10.5°, either hand. PING no longer sells the G (2016) new; the G400 followed it, and the G440 MAX is the newest model in its line.
4.0 of 5 forgiveness score
$137.99 used at 2nd Swing Golf
In average condition or better: from $208.99
New instead: PING G440 MAX, $447 at Golf Discount, checked 2 Nov
Choose it if
- You want a forgiving PING head that launches high, for little money.
- You need a left-handed club or a senior flex: both were stock builds.
Choose something else if
- If your drives curve right, look for the G SF Tec instead: PING's straight-flight version, with its weight closer to the heel for a right-to-left flight, in 10° or 12°.
- Class
- Maximum forgiveness
- Stock lofts
- 9° · 10.5°
- Stock flexes
- Ladies to extra stiff
- Hands
- Left or right
- Used
- From $137.99 at 2nd Swing Golf, checked 31 Oct
What changed in the G440 MAX
Both are PING's high-MOI 460cc heads with an adjustable hosel. The G has a crown thinned in a pattern taken from a dragonfly's wing, turbulators on the crown, a fixed low and deep centre of gravity, a hosel with five settings of up to 1° either way and a 45.75-inch standard length, in 9° or 10.5°. The G440 MAX, which PING calls the most forgiving G440 model, adds a 12° loft, a 29-gram back weight that can be set to draw or fade, a carbon crown, a hosel that adjusts loft by 1.5° each way and can set the lie up to 3° flatter, and a 46-inch standard length. PING's G400 of 2017, which we also cover, came between them.
PING no longer sells the G and we found no shop selling it new, but used ones cost a fraction of a new G440 MAX. Choose a used G for a forgiving PING head for very little money; choose the G440 MAX for the 12° loft, the movable weight or the newer face.
| Detail | G (2016) (previous) | G440 MAX (current) |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Maximum forgiveness | Maximum forgiveness |
| Forgiveness score | 4.0 of 5 | 4.0 of 5 |
| Stock lofts | 9° · 10.5° | 9° · 10.5° · 12° |
| Slice help | None stated | Draw setting on the adjustable weight |
| Stock flexes | Ladies to extra stiff | Senior to extra stiff |
| Hands | Left or right | Left or right |
| Price new | No longer sold new | $447 at Golf Discount, checked 2 Nov |
| Price used | From $137.99 at 2nd Swing Golf (9°, extra stiff flex, poor condition), checked 31 Oct | From $311.99 at 2nd Swing Golf (10.5°, stiff flex, below average condition), checked 31 Oct |
Build a whole bag around it, or check the lofts in the bag you carry.
The PING G (2016) came in a senior (A) flex as well as regular (R): what the senior flex changes, and who it suits.
G (2016): the questions buyers ask
- Is the PING G (2016) forgiving?
- Yes. It is PING's maximum forgiveness driver, with lofts up to 10.5°. It scores 4.0 of 5 on our reading of what PING publishes about it, the top score among the drivers we cover.
- Who is the G (2016) for?
- It suits golfers who want a forgiving PING head that launches high, for little money.
- Does the G (2016) come in senior or ladies flex?
- Yes, both: PING listed ladies (L), senior (A), regular (R), stiff (S) and extra stiff (X).
- Is the G (2016) sold left-handed?
- Yes: PING made it left- and right-handed.
- How much does the G (2016) cost?
- PING no longer sells it new. Used from $137.99 at 2nd Swing Golf, checked 31 Oct. In average condition or better, from $208.99. Prices change; the seller's page has today's.
How the 4.0 adds up
The forgiveness score is our reading of what PING publishes about the head, from 1 to 5. It is not a test result. How every score works.
| Part | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Head | 4 | A maximum-forgiveness driver head, the most forgiving kind PING made. |
| Forgiveness score | 4.0 | of 5 |
Draw help, lofts, flex and hand don't change the score. They decide which version fits you, and the picks for a slice or a slow swing use them.
Specification sheet
| Maker | PING |
|---|---|
| Model | G (2016) |
| Model year | 2016 |
| Type | Driver |
| Class | Maximum forgiveness |
| Handicap range the maker states | – |
| Offset | – |
| Sole | – |
| Moment of inertia (MOI) | – |
| Face technology | Variable-thickness T9S titanium face, thin for ball speed; a crown thinned in a pattern taken from a dragonfly's wing saves 8 grams for a lower, deeper centre of gravity |
| Construction | A 460cc titanium head with a crown PING thinned in a pattern taken from a dragonfly's wing, saving 8 grams, turbulators on the crown and Vortec shaping on the back that PING says cut drag by 37% through impact, a thin T9S titanium face, and a hosel with five settings that add or take away up to 1° of loft. 45.75 inches, a 58° lie. Beside a used G30, the G is the later head: PING set its centre of gravity lower and deeper than in any PING driver before it. Buying used, look at the shaft: PING built the G half an inch shorter, at 45.25 inches, on its Tour 65 and Tour 80 shafts, which cost extra. Read the listing's name too: the G LS Tec, in the same 9° and 10.5° lofts, is PING's low-spin version, with its centre of gravity slightly farther forward. |
| Stock steel shafts | – |
| Stock graphite shafts | PING Alta 55, PING TFC 80D, PING Tour 65, PING Tour 80 |
| Stock flexes | L (ladies), A (senior), R (regular), S (stiff), X (extra stiff) |
| Stock lofts | 9° · 10.5° |
| Hands | RH, LH |
| Men's or women's | Men's |
| List price when new | $435 (2016 model); not a price today |
| Price at PING | – |
Compare with other maximum forgiveness drivers
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| Lofts | Slice help | Hand | Where to buy | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0 | Maximum forgiveness | 10.5° · 12° · 15° | Draw-biased head, built to reduce a slice | A · R · S | RH · LH | $299.99 at Tour Edge checked 2 Nov | ||
Cobra OPTM MAX-D (2026) | 4.0 | Maximum forgiveness | 10.5° · 12.0° | Draw-biased head, built to reduce a slice | A · R · S · X | RH · LH | $399 at Cobra checked 2 Nov | |
Cobra OPTM MAX-K (2026) | 4.0 | Maximum forgiveness | 9.0° · 10.5° · 12.0° | – | A · R · S · X | RH · LH | $399 at Cobra checked 2 Nov | |
| 4.0 | Maximum forgiveness | 9.0° · 10.5° · 12.0° | Slight draw bias built into the head | A · R · S | RH · LH | $399.99 at Srixon checked 2 Nov | ||
| 4.0 | Maximum forgiveness | 9° · 10.5° · 12° | Draw setting on the adjustable weight | A · R · S · X | RH · LH | $447 at Golf Discount checked 2 Nov | ||
| 4.0 | Maximum forgiveness | 9° · 10.5° | Draw-biased head, built to reduce a slice | A · R · S · X | RH · LH | $447 at Golf Discount checked 2 Nov | ||
Wilson DYNAPWR Max+ (2026) | 4.0 | Maximum forgiveness | 9° · 10.5° · 12° | – | A · R · S | RH · LH | $499.99 at Wilson checked 2 Nov | |
| 4.0 | Maximum forgiveness | 9° · 10.5° · 12° | Draw setting on the adjustable weight | A · R · S · X | RH · LH | $647 at Golf Discount checked 2 Nov |
Order: Most forgiving in this class first, then price. Use the arrows to sort. A dash means the maker does not publish it.
See all drivers on the most forgiving driver page, or compare this club side by side. Waiting for a sale? The Black Friday golf club deals page has the price to beat on every club we price.
Sources
The specification comes from these pages; open the maker's page before buying, because prices and shaft options change. Check the exact shaft and hand at the shop before ordering.
- PING's specifications, archived copy of 16 Mar 2016
- PING's launch date and price
- PING's page for the draw-biased version, archived copy of 12 Feb 2016
- PING's page for the low-spin version, archived copy of 12 Feb 2016
- PING's page on availability (checked 23 Oct)
- Golf Discount's search results (checked 23 Oct)
- 2nd Swing Golf's used listings (checked 31 Oct)
- Pre-owned: seen at 2nd Swing Golf from $137.99 (checked 31 Oct)