Ping's G450 drivers reach the USGA conforming list, with a 13-degree MiniMax among them

Ping's next driver family appeared on the USGA and R&A List of Conforming Driver Heads on Monday. There are four heads: the G450 MAX, G450 LST and G450 SFT, plus a G450 MiniMax that would be Ping's first mini driver sold in stores.

Ping has not formally announced the line, its specs, its price or when it goes on sale, Golfweek's David Dusek reports. Everything below comes from the listings and the sole photos that go with them.

The four heads

The 7.5-degree LST stands out. MyGolfSpy's Tony Covey points out that Ping added that loft to the last LST well after launch. This time it is on the list from day one.

What the sole photos show

Golfweek and MyGolfSpy both read "Carbonfly Wrap" on the heads, so the carbon crown from recent Ping drivers carries over, the mini included. The new word is FastFlex. Ping hasn't explained it. MyGolfSpy says it looks like a slot, similar in appearance to TaylorMade's SpeedSlot or Mizuno's CORTECH Chamber, and GolfWRX's Alistair Cameron compares it to TaylorMade's Speed Pocket. Both outlets are reading photos, so treat that as a guess until Ping talks.

The MAX, LST and MiniMax have Draw and Fade markings near a rear weight. The SFT has Draw and Draw+ instead.

Why the MiniMax is the headline

Ping has had a prototype mini on tour for close to a year, according to MyGolfSpy, and Covey calls Ping "the last OEM of consequence without a mini in its retail lineup." Ping's answer until now has been the "macro driver": a full-size head, usually a 12-degree MAX, built to 3-wood length or shorter.

Cameron posted the listed MiniMax next to the tour prototype. The two soles are slightly different.

When pros and the rest of us get them

Under Model Local Rule G-1, a driver has to be on the conforming list before a pro can use it in competition. With the G450 heads listed, Golfweek says Ping's tour reps can start offering them at events this week, which includes the World Wide Technology Championship at El Cardonal (Nov. 5-8). Whether anyone puts one in play right away is another question.

Retail is further off. Golfweek notes Ping has historically released new gear in the days before the PGA Merchandise Show, which runs Jan. 27-29, 2027. MyGolfSpy guesses $650 for the full-size drivers and a bit less for the MiniMax. Ping itself hasn't put a price on any of them. MyGolfSpy also says the G440 MAX, LST and SFT are now discounted to $448.98, and that there's no G450 K on the list because Ping releases the K in alternate years. The G440 K came out this past January.

If you fit drivers on a launch monitor at home or in a sim bay, there's nothing to hit yet. Watch the WWT bag reports this week for the first G450s in play, and if you were already shopping, the G440 discount is the real number on the table today.