Ping’s G440 K driver makes surprising first impression | Fully fit, episode 2026. 1

Wwelcome to Fully fit 2026GOLF’s new platform that gives you real golfer insights on which 2026 equipment is best suited for your game. With this goal in mind, we gathered six GOLF content creators of varying abilities and put them through the gauntlet of six full-bag fittings (from driver to putter!) at six major club manufacturers in Phoenix and Carlsbad, California. Our hope: that from one of our panelists you will see nuances of your own playing and gain some lessons and inspiration from their fitting experiences.

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The sky was blue, the air was dry, and expectations were high as our Fully Fit panel was readied for installation No. 1 of our six OEM fitting bonanza at Ping’s Proving Grounds in Phoenix.

Our Fully Fit panel of myself (Jack Hirsh), Johnny Wunder, Jake Morrow, Maddi MacClurg and Wadeh Maroun – Sean Zak didn’t arrive until the next day of the trip – was ready to get our new WITB journey underway.

The Ping Proving Grounds is the only OEM facility we visited that is not in Southern California. The driving range is located in the middle of an industrial estate, which is part of Ping’s parent company, Karsten Manufacturing Corporation. None of this detracts from the first-class experience of getting fit there.

MORE FULL FIT: Full fit hub page | This is why we ‘test’ golf clubs differently this year | Fit and test within 6 days | Browse 2026 Drivers | Browse 2026 irons

Ping’s pride as an engineering company is evident in both the golf clubs and the advanced Ping Co-Pilot app that the engineers use to fill bags, a unique time that only myself, Johnny Wunder and Wadeh Maroun had experienced before.

This time there was a surprise contender at the top of everyone’s bag: the new one Ping G440K driver.

No one had seen the G440 K before this trip, and many of us probably thought it would be a high-spin, maximum-forgiveness driver ideal for players with a slow swing speed. We were wrong.

Johnny came in and wanted to make the driver work for him anyway, but it turned out he didn’t have much work to do.

“You have preconceptions about what that driver should be,” he said. “What it actually is surprised me.

“Normally for me, I’m always worried that he’s turning too much or something I don’t need, and this driver was significantly better than anything else I hit.”

Jake, Johnny and I all left Ping feeling like we could eventually play that driver, but we still had so many adjustments to make.

PING G440 K custom driver

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ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA TOUR Superstore

Further down the bag, Wadeh came in thinking he would be a good fit for Ping’s player irons, but ended up in their new (and unreleased) hollow player distance irons. Meanwhile, Maddi opened her bag to make sure she didn’t have any bats that were too close together.

During the day we also had a special guest appearance from six-time PGA Tour winner and Fully Equipped contributor Rocco Mediate, who lives nearby. Rocco plays with a full bag of Ping gear and tells Johnny that his trip is probably over.

“You have to continue with this club test hereRocco told him. “And then stop.”

At the end of Day 1, each of us felt confident that we could play excellent golf with a full set of Ping clubs. But there was still a lot of work to be done.

Be sure to watch the full first episode of Fully Fit above or below YouTube.

Ready to refurbish your bag in 2026, just like our Fully Fit panelists? Find a club fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

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