2025 drivers from both Callaway and PING have landed on the USGA (and R&A) conforming clubs lists. As per usual, full details are being held back until embargoes officially lift in early January, but there are some bits and pieces to be gleaned from the information (and photos) provided by the governing bodies.
Let’s take a look.
Callaway Elyte driver
We assume this latest round to questionable spelling is a nod to company founder Ely Callaway, so we’ll begrudgingly allow it.
Still, Callaway, there are established ways to spell stuff, and nobody will fault you for rolling with the status quo.
Anyway, out of the gate, Callaway will launch with four models that appear to mirror the offerings from last season.
The suffix-free Elyte seems the likely successor to the Paradym Ai Smoke Max.
While the new model will continue to offer neutral, draw, and fade positions for its back weight, it is notable that Callaway has moved from a continuous track to three discrete weight positions.
I’d wager that with post models, golfers who bothered to change from the neutral setting either went all the way to fade or all the way to draw. With that, one could argue that the in-between positions provided little utility.
The discrete position approach reduces a bit of the structure required for the weight track and likely yields more beneficial mass properties as a result.
Elyte Triple Diamond driver
Officially listed as “Elyte (TD)”, the triple diamond seems like a one-for-one replacement for last year’s model with the same suffix.
The front-to-back weighting system appears essentially unchanged. The unknown here is whether TD will remain the slightly undersized “better player’s driver” (slightly fade-biased) or if Callaway will use the transition to the Elyte platform to make the stock TD more like last season after the launch release of the TD Max.
Of course, if Callway’s pattern holds, we can expect to see a handful of tour-only variants while additional retail models are a possibility as well.
Elyte X driver
Callaway appears to be playing a bit of ping-pong with itself over what we assume is the continuation of its draw-biased model.
As you may recall, the Ai Smoke MAX D replaced the Paradym X in the draw category. The thinking around this time last year was that consumers would prefer the explicit draw nomenclature.
At first glance, it appears the thinking has reverted back to the 2023 mentality.
Like the stock Elyte, the Elyte X features discrete rear weight positions. The notable difference is that the Elyte X is missing a fade option, further suggesting that X is once again the draw-biased model.
We would expect some noticeable differences in the address position as well, but that’s not a photo the USGA takes.
Elyte Max Fast
Finally, Callaway will again offer a Max Fast model. Assuming no drastic changes, the Max Fast should present as a lightweight version of the Elyte X (it shares the same neutral/draw) weight options.
The Callaway stuff I’m thinking about
How many more? – Callaway is notorious for stacking one-off models on the USGA list. Likewise, the company isn’t afraid to launch additional models throughout the season. With that, it’s fair to wonder if this will be all Callaway has for 2025 or if some golfers may want to hold off to see if exactly what they’re looking for comes to market.
Does the Ai story still resonate? – Callaway long-ago established itself as the leader in Ai (inside the golf equipment industry, anyway). That said, every major manufacturer is leveraging AI right, and as more tools like Chat GPT and Grok hit the open market, we’re being saturated with all things AI.
So, while the USGA descriptions indicate that all Elyte models will offer Ai 10x faces, I wonder if Callaway may need a new hook to engage consumers.
How much will they cost?
It’s going to be an interesting year for pricing. With a good bit of golf equipment still being produced in China (and, in Callaway’s case, assembled in Mexico), it’s fair to wonder what impact the threat of tariffs will have on pricing.
With Callaway continuing to position itself as a premium brand, I wouldn’t be surprised if retail pricing pushed past the $600 mark into Titleist territory.
I’d love to be wrong.
PING
For 2025, PING will be introducing three new driver models at launch. The G430 MAX 10K is expected to stay in the lineup. ……
G440 MAX driver
PING’s other MAX remains its middle of the bell curve driver for the masses. At a glance, other than the color scheme (PING is moving back to blue), the most noticeable difference is the CARBONFLY WRAP Crown.
As you may recall, when the G430 lineup launched, only the 430 LST featured the carbon crown. It carried over to the MAX 10K and has now trickled into the rest of the lineup.
A visible three-position rear weight is consistent with previous MAX models.
G440 LST driver
On the USGA photos alone (which admittedly isn’t much to work with), the 440 LST looks quite a bit like the G440 MAX. Chalk that up to the three weight position, I suppose.
I won’t expect much will change for 2025. With that, expect the LST (low spin technology) to be PING’s lowest spinning model (duh), but I also don’t expect any radical changes in PING’s approach to low spin.
That is to say, I still expect the LST to be among the higher spinning, more forgiving of the low spin models on the market.
G440 SFT driver
For our money, the SFT is the best driver on the market for golfers looking for slice correction. While just about everybody is ramping up their draw-biased efforts, PING seems to have found a sweet spot in the category.
With that, my expectation is that we’ll see an increase in ball speed and a bump in MOI, but otherwise, it’s more of the same.
The PING stuff I’m thinking about
Is titanium dead? – This isn’t so much a PING thing as it is an industry-wide thing, but with PING and Titleist now all-in on carbon fiber crowns, have we seen the last of titanium (as a crown material) from the biggest names in golf?
Do golfers grasp spinsicency? – PING has talked about its spinsistent face technology for a few generations now. As PING’s homemade word suggests, spinsistency is about leveraging face technology to provide more consistent spin. I’m not sure the technology has ever resonated with golfers, but this time around, PING is printing the word on its driver faces. I’m not sure that will help explain what it does, but it should help raise awareness.
How much MOI will the G440s offer? – There’s little doubt that PING will continue to lean into MOI across the lineup. That said, with the 430 MAX 10K in the lineup, will PING dial back the MOI in the 440 MAX in favor of a bit more ball speed?
There are similar questions to be asked about the LST as well, where it’s reasonable to wonder if the target golfer wouldn’t be willing to give up a little MOI for a little more speed.
How do they sound? – It’s been a bit of a mixed bag for sound from PING. There are inherent challenges with big shapes, big weights, and carbon fiber crowns. All three apply to PING, so it will be interesting to see if the new drivers will offer improved sound and feel.
How much will they cost? – As a privately held company, PING doesn’t face the same pressure from stockholders as most golf companies. If any major golf company has the luxury of holding prices, it’s PING.
Of course, there’s a bit of nuance in the idea of holding prices. The G430 MAX and SFT models launched at $550. The LST was $30 more at $580 (call it a carbon tax), while the MAX 10K launched at $600.
I don’t expect anything new in the new lineup will be less than that, but I also don’t think they’ll be more.
More info soon
We expect embargoes on both the Callaway Elyte and PING G440 drivers will lift in early January. With COBRA DS-ADAPT drivers already on the list, TaylorMade is the last of the big boys to hit the list. C’mon guys, show us the NOVA.
More info as it becomes available (and we’re allowed to share it).
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