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The PING G440 SFT fairway wood is an optimal club for players who struggle with a slice. This year’s model has a larger face and thinner rear sole for a more optimized experience off the tee while a weight savings from a redesigned hosel and Carbonfly Wrap crown help improve forgiveness.
Introduction
PING Golf continues to be one of the most popular brands on tours across the globe. Household names like Viktor Hovland, Tony Finau, Sahith Theegala, and Jennifer Kupcho are all on staff with the Arizona based company but what is even more telling is how many players that are not on staff play PING clubs. For 2025, PING takes the next step forward with their G440 line of fairway woods while staying consistent in its offering of a MAX, LST, and SFT model version. In this review, I test out the PING G440 SFT fairway wood to see some of the changes and how they can benefit those of us not on tour.
Looks
One of the biggest changes aestheticly in the PING G440 SFT fairway wood is the more reserved blue color scheme. The neon yellow in last generation’s G430 line [review HERE] had much more contrast against the black club versus the 2025 blue that seamlessly blends into parts of the club. The other major change is the thinned out rear sole. This is a significant change since this rear sole protrusion dates back to the original G400 line. However, it makes sense given the deeper face and the added need to keep the club flush with the ground.
At address, the club head is very rounded in shape, symmetrical, and sits noticeably closed to the ball. The PING Carbonfly wrap covers the crown with a subtle carbon fiber underlay that is less visible than previous models. The 2025 PING G440 SFT fairway wood is less busy, and I think more players will prefer the move towards a simpler look at address.
Sound & Feel
Hitting the PING G440 SFT fairway wood for the first time is like greeting an old friend. The sound at impact is a low muted “click” that is crisp and easily pulls you in for more. Each strike is low in volume and is quieter than previous PING woods. Get away from the center and sound does change slightly to a more metallic “thud.” It wasn’t too significant, but I could hear when I missed it.
The feel matched up well with the sound. Each strike felt solid with an ease to get face closing through impact. The Straight Flight Technology certainly plays a role here as I could feel the face square up to the ball more often. PING also provides a good amount of feedback when you don’t find the middle of the face. Mind your hands, and you’ll know exactly when you mishit one.
Performance
I just tested the LST model, and I found that there was not much drop off in ball speed with the PING G440 SFT fairway wood. Some of this is attributed to the SFT technology which allows the face to match the club path more often. The other factor is that the deeper face has expanded the sweet spot which helps retain balls speeds on a larger percentage of strikes.
The biggest separator from the PING G440 LST fairway wood [review HERE] was the dispersion. While the LST was consistently right of center, the PING G440 SFT’s dispersion was shifted further to the left. There was still overlap, but I was routinely seeing a straighter ball flight instead of my typical fade.
This brings me to my next point: while I did see a straighter ball flight, I lost a few yards in average distance from the LST. The difference was in the spin. While I averaged right around 500 RPM more with the SFT than the LST, my spin numbers still fell in an optimal range for a three wood. Would I sacrifice a few yards to pull my ball flight further left? Absolutely I would, but, as we have always said, your mileage may vary. For those who already play a draw or have a hook type miss, I would suggest starting with the LST model or even the MAX [review HERE].
Nonetheless, the PING G440 SFT fairway wood is still a weapon both from the tee and off the turf. I had confidence standing over the ball knowing I could swing hard and not lose it to the right. Even if your preferred uses for a fairway wood differs from mine, the customization features make it easily adjustable for any player. The removable weight along with the adjustable hosel can be tuned to over a half dozen setups to optimize your ball flight.
I also noted that the SFT is once again offered in a three, five, and seven wood with an expansive list of no upcharge shaft options.
Conclusion
The PING G440 SFT fairway wood has some changes for 2025 that enhance the already successful draw biased club. The deeper face and thinner sole have expanded the sweet spot for improved play off tee or in the fairway. Add this to the new free hosel and Carbonfly Wrap which boost forgiveness and you get a well balanced option for golfers looking to hit more fairways in 2025.
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PING G440 SFT Fairway Wood Price & Specs
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