PING G440 Max THRIVER vs PING G440 Max DRIVER

The PING G440 Max Thriver ingeniously combines existing PING technologies to offer a unique solution for golfers seeking enhanced tee shot consistency, utilizing a 12-degree G440 Max driver head paired with a 3-wood shaft cut to 3-wood length AND some additional weight in the clubhead. The result is a PING G440 Max “Thriver” that plays similar to a mini driver off the tee.

In this video, 2nd Swing’s Drew Mahowald is joined by Coss Barnette from 2nd Swing University to test and review the PING G440 Max Thriver and compare it to a PING G440 Max standard driver build.

Learn more about the PING G440 Max Thriver: https://www.2ndswing.com/golf-clubs/drivers/ping-g440-max-thriver-mini-driver/g440-max-thriver-dvr

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Hey golfers, I’m Drew Mull the Second Swing Golf. We’re here in the Second Swing Tour van joined by Cas Barnett and we’ve got a fun new club to look at today. So, um, the mini driver craze is taking over costs and, uh, Ping is kind of weasling its way into the mix here. So, the Ping Thrive, it’s kind of a new unique build off of the Ping G440 Max driver. So, you’ve got it in your hand there.
Yeah,
it is a G40 Max 12 degree head. heavier weight both inside the club head and on the back weight here at 38 grams. Three-wood length shaft, right?
Um so you you’ve got it, you’re you know, touching it, you’re feeling it. What are your first impressions of that?
I mean, honest first impressions, um it’s a driver with a 3-wood shaft, uh is is kind of how I I I see it. Um but again, you have the great forgiveness and the great look of the new Ping G440. Um I think that’s what stands out. They’ve improved the sound. They’ve improved the feel with this product and um I I think that’s evident here. Um as far as setup and looks, um again, it’s a driver with three-way shaft, but I do think there’s a lot of benefits for having a little higher loft. I think that inspires some confidence seeing that loft down at a dress. Um and with that shorter shaft, hopefully a little bit more control and consistency down the fairway.
And I think what we’ve seen too in in fittings is that so many players that are putting a mini driver in the bag, a vast majority of the shots being hit by that club are off the tee. So, I think Ping decided there might be um you know, a way to help golfers here with a build like this. So, what we’re going to have you do is we have a pretty standard G440 Max 9 degree build here. Um same shaft, the Tensai 1K Black. We’ll have you hit both. We’ll compare them headto head. Do you have any indication or any thoughts on what we might see out of this this Thrive build from here? I’m guessing just with the shorter shaft, maybe uh club head speed goes down just a hair. Yeah. Um higher loft and maybe a little bit higher launch. Um and maybe maybe 20 yards shorter or so is what I’m anticipating, but we’ll see.
All right. Well, let’s see what happens.
All right, that was hit good. It
was more off the toe, but was better. It’s crazy that that you’re hitting it off the toe and it’s spinning that much. There you go. There you go. All right. So, got some baseline driver numbers here for this is the a standard driver build and just the way you deliver and I think you said this kind of off camerara too cost that you you know you come down on the ball a little bit with your driver so there is a little more spin um than maybe you know other players out there of your speed I would say. Yeah. Um but you know keeping the ball relatively straight see on the dispersion. This is a we got a tight fairway out here at Tyler’s Performance Institute. Um, but your average total distance at 276. Um, anything in particular here that you know as we transition to the Thrive like anything the numbers you’re looking at in particular or paying attention to you? Well, I mean spin rate again with that downward attack angle something that I’m working on, but I think hopefully um a little shorter shaft allow me to shallow out maybe a little bit, take down the spin numbers. Yeah.
Um,
launch angle um I I think is is is pretty standard uh for me. Um, and club head speed is is pretty standard for a driver. 110, 111, something like that. Uh, I’ll be curious to see with the Thrive if that comes down at all or if I can keep the speed up. Um, and maybe maybe get some more consistency down the fairway.
Yeah. Yeah. Here’s I’ll give this to you right here.
And then actually, first thing I want you to do is just set up like you’re going to swing, but I want you to tell me how I mean is it obviously the club head looks pretty similar. you might see a little more loft, but does it feel really kind of different and weird almost to set up to a driver like that?
It does. Again, it feels like a a very short shaft for a driver. Um cuz you know when you look down at the driver, you see your normal driver size head. There’s uh nothing different about the size here. I definitely see the more loft uh which for me inspires a little bit of confidence um as far as being able to control the ball down the fairway. um as someone that does come in a little steep, that extra loft actually helps uh with some control down the fairway.
Okay.
So,
yeah. Yeah. And that’s the other thing, too, is we could see, you know, just overall, you know, better contact with a shorter shaft, right? It’s
a little easier to control. Wipy.
All right, let’s let’s flatten her out. So for you, you know, you don’t play any type of mini driver right now, do you?
I do not. No.
So, you know, not not saying, you know, you’re going to put a mini driver in the bag or what have you, but is there a a number distance-wise, carry number that you’d be like looking for if you were to put one in the bag? Like because another important piece of something like this a driver is going to be the gapping of it where I mean for some people it might be their longest club. They might just use this as a driver, right? Um for some people it might be a secondary T- club where there needs to be enough of a distance I guess difference from their driver. So is there a number that you would you know want?
Yeah. You know, I think I think for a golfer that’s looking to hit something off the tea with a little bit more control, similar to maybe a strong 3-wood, uh, but may want forgiveness and the shape and the size of the driver head, this would be a perfect option. Someone that maybe doesn’t hit it off the deck with a 3-wood, maybe they have they’ve gone to some higher loft at a fivewood or four-wood, 7wood combination. Um, this this might fit in that gap as an alternative uh, T-shot club. Uh, as far as distance though, I mean, for me, I I would expect this thing to go probably around 260.
Yeah.
Okay. If I If I hit it good, there you go. 260. Just like that.
Right. 133. My club head speed’s down a little bit obviously with the shorter shaft. I think that’s uh noticing launch is up, you know, about I think on the average is about three degrees higher, which makes a lot of sense.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
It’s funny the spin rate is is similar. I think I’m obviously delivering the club the same way.
Yeah. But also part of that too is you’re it’s it’s lower in speed as well. So,
right,
you know, a lot of times speed is what a big factor in generating spin. And so if you’re swinging your driver, you know, five, six more miles an hour, um, that’s it’s going to, you know, there’s a there’s I guess it’s not crazy to think that the spin would be that be would be close here.
They’re both driver heads, right? So from that perspective, they could be similar.
And I think it’s something you got to maybe get used to just looking down on. But yeah, I could get used to that shorter shaft.
Yeah.
Um, just adds a little element of control. And honestly, a lot of the courses, you know, sometimes you that’s all you need. 260, 270. Keep it in play and uh make birdies and pars with wedges.
Yeah. Maybe slightly on the low part of the face
and a little towy, I think.
Okay. So, I like I mean, we got we can maybe hit one more here. Get a get a get sort of a comparison, but I like what we’re seeing just in terms of how consistent the distance has been on it. Yeah, there’s
I mean I would I would take that all day right there, honestly, with a little shorter shaft.
So, let’s uh look at this. So, we got this some dispersion. We’ve got I’ll bring up numbers here as well. A lot of things that you thought would happen did happen here. Um where club head speed and ball speed went down, which makes sense. You’re hitting them both with the sim with similar efficiency. But we brought in the consistency of the distance. Yeah, deviation is only four yards versus a little bit uh you know wider dispersion distance with the driver which makes sense. You’re also I mean terms of the average you got about 14 to 15 yards carry difference there. Yeah.
Which I think is enough of a window to you know let’s say there’s um you know the hole for you would get gets skinny right around 260 yards. Well, okay, I’ll take out the Thrive. put basically a driver swing on it and I can hit my same shot that kind of you know like you kind of hit that high cut drops in the fairway short of that obstacle and you’re you’re on your way. So that’s I think that seems like what this club would would accomplish and again I like how consistent the distance was here where your distances aren’t all over the place. Um I like I mean what anything else jump out at you just from testing it? I mean, again, the feel, the sound, everything that Ping is known for is absolutely standing out there. Um, the the forgiveness, you know, these were definitely not solid across the face consistently. Uh, but it produced some similar results, some predictable results. Um, and then again, I think you get used to a little bit of that shorter shaft. Um, and it and it and it plays out right with the right set um, and and different functions out in the golf course, it could be a nice fit for some golfers. Yeah, I think it’s it’s still going to be in a sense like a a you know a niche thing, but I think a lot of players are considering new options in the bag. And so this is another one and and Ping’s kind of again it’s not a mini driver, but it’s it’s a an alternative as you described, an alternative T option for someone to use. Could be their, you know, function as their driver, it could function as a secondary driver use off the tea. I think there’s we as we test today there’s distinct differences between you know a driver setup for them as a you know you play 90 degree driver so that’s what we used here and then what this could serve as in terms of a gap as well so uh pretty good stuff I mean it’s consistent it gives players plenty of spin and control you’re able to hit the shot shape that you like um and it delivers I think so uh something to consider for golfers here in 2025 and beyond. Yeah, sounds good. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music]