Draw-biased clubs are starting to gain more traction. It started with drivers, and now you can buy a complete set of draw biased clubs if you wanted to. If you want the latest & greatest draw biased fairway wood, the Ping G425 SFT fairway wood is a great option!
Disclaimer: fixing a slice can be done in many different ways. The LAST of which should be done by buying a new draw-biased club. If you want to get rid of slice for good, I’d highly recommend getting some lessons with a PGA pro. But if you see the benefits of a draw biased fairway wood (less hand action needed to close the club face at impact), then by all means go for it!
Anyway – here’s my unbiased review of the Ping G425 SFT Fairway Wood review.
Appearance
Previous Ping woods were easy to identify due to the turbulators on top of the crown. Thankfully, Ping has done away with those, instead producing a solid matte black crown with three sight/alignment dots on top. I was never a big fan of the turbulators – so I’m a big fan of the upgraded look.
Taking a look at the bottom of the club head, notice the placement of the weight. It’s not centered – instead, it’s slightly favoring the heel of the club. This weight placement makes it easier to naturally turn the club face over through impact. If you are tired of having to rotate your forearms aggressively through the ball to square the club face up, a draw biased fairway wood is a great option for you.
Lastly, take a look at the sole of the club. The sole is very flat compared to most fairway woods that have more curve to them. I’m a big proponent of flat soles for fairway woods – they are more forgiving when you miss the center of the club face to the right or left (very common, obviously). With the new line of G425, Ping has introduced a couple of technologies (“Spinsistency” & “FaceWrap”) to make the club face more forgiving on shots hit low on the face.
Overall, the Ping G425 SFT has an oversized head that screams “forgiveness” and “easy to hit”.
Performance
There’s no question about it – this fairway wood will make your ball go more left (if you are right handed) than other models. Ping says the new G425 SFT has about 6 yards more of a draw bias than the previous draw-biased model (Ping G410 SFT). However, they can say whatever they want. It’s hard to prove a claim like that.
I tried out all of the Ping G425 fairway woods (Max, SFT, and LST) at the same time. I was hitting the SFT slightly further, higher, and more left than the other two models. I hit a few high draws, my preferred shot, that will forever stay in my mind due to the incredible ball flight.
Off the tee and off the deck, the ball flew high quickly off the face. Most golfers struggle with getting enough height on their fairway woods, so I can definitely see the value in the SFT wood.
I had to purposely keep the face open through impact to make sure I didn’t hook the ball too much. I certainly was not successful with that on a few shots that duck hooked hard. However, I don’t have a slicing problem naturally. If you are tired of hitting slices, this will surely be a quick fix. But, and this is important, I still think you are better off getting PGA lessons before buying a $300 band-aid.
Who Should Buy the Ping G425 SFT Fairway Wood?
I think the answer is pretty obvious here, but I’ll throw in a financial aspect as well. I think the ideal audience for the Ping G425 SFT Fairway wood is 1) a golfer that struggles with slices, 2) who wants the make the face close more naturally even if they fix their slice in the future, and 3) who isn’t concerned about money.
Keep in mind that the draw biased aspect will always be there. You can adjust the hosel to give it a slightly less draw-bias, but the weight placement will always make the fairway wood favor a draw. So if you expect to not want the draw-biased aspect in the future, then I’d recommend picking the Ping G425 Max instead.
A $300 fairway wood is pretty steep in my opinion. If you are like me and want the best bang for your buck, there are far better draw biased drivers on the market.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Weight is placed towards the heel, making the club face easier to naturally close through impact
- Requires less hand/wrist/forearm action through impact, which can be difficult to time correctly and be consistent with
- Very high launching and easy to hit – great option for seniors and beginners that struggle with getting the ball high enough in the air
- Adjustable hosel to independently adjust loft (up or down 1.5 degrees) and lie angle.
- Available in 3, 5, and 7 woods
Cons:
- Always going to be draw biased – might not sound like a problem, but you may regret it down the road if slicing/fading isn’t a problem in the future
- Pretty pricey for $300 + tax + shipping + fitting fees (possibly)
Ping G425 MAX vs LST vs SFT Fairway Wood Difference
Compared to the MAX and LST, the Ping G425 SFT fairway wood:
- is more forgiving. Far more forgiving than the LST, and slightly more forgiving than the MAX (due to the added draw bias)
- has a larger profile. The LST is the smaller profile. The Max is the middle ground, and the SFT has the largest club head.
- is higher launching. The LST is low launching, the Max is high launching, and the SFT is the highest launching.
- is (obviously) more draw biased. The Max and LST are neutral biased, but the SFT has a draw bias.
- is very, very similar to the Max, but just with an added draw-bias.
A Better Value, Draw-Biased Fairway Wood
If you want the Ping G425 SFT fairway wood but you’re turned off by the price, you should know that there are better value alternatives on the market. With the G425 being a brand new release, the price is obviously top of the market. By going with a slightly older model, you can save big bucks without sacrificing much in performance.
My better value alternative would be the Ping G400 SFT. It’s two models old now, but the quality is just the same. Slighty different design, but they will perform practically identically. You can get a slightly used Ping G400 SFT for anywhere from $100-$160, depending on the quality. I’d recommend going with a higher quality fairway wood closer to $160 if you can afford it. That would be the best bang for your buck!
