Equipment
Ping introduces new face material with its G400 Fairways, Hybrids and Crossover
With its new G400 Fairway Woods, Hybrids and Crosscover, Ping has introduced an all-new face material that helps golfers ensure all the distance gaps are filled between their driver and longest iron. The new club faces are made from maraging steel, which is stronger and more flexible than the 455 carpenter steel that was used in the G line. The material change is said to make the clubs higher-launching, longer-flying and more forgiving across the board.
Ping is also offering more options than ever to help golfers get the right fit. The company is adding a 9-wood to the lineup, as well as 22-degree SFT fairway wood. In addition, Ping’s popular Stretch 3 and Crossover have undergone changes to enhance their strengths. The company has also found a way to reduce the common miss to the left with its lower-lofted hybrids. See how the changes have improved each of Ping’s new offerings below.
G400 Fairway Woods
With the new maraging steel face inserts in the G400 fairway woods, Ping is boasting some serious improvements over the G line. Let’s talk some numbers.
Since the new face material is lighter, Ping was able to save 6 grams from the face — that weight was distributed into the copper-colored, high-density weight on the back of the sole. According to Ping, the face is 28 percent thinner, 18 percent lighter and produces 30 percent more flex at impact. As such, Ping says these fairway woods have a 5 percent higher MOI (moment of inertia, a measure of forgiveness) and 2 mph more ball speed to create a higher maximum height. This all equals 7 yards more carry than the G fairway woods, according to Ping’s testing.
When purchasing fairway woods, however, golfers must think about the intended purpose of the club they’re buying. Do they want an alternative option off the tee, or a club to use from the turf to hold greens.
Ping’s G400 Stretch 3 fairway wood is like “a driver off the tee,” the company says. Compared to the pervious model, the club has been given an even deeper face and larger club head to produce the ultimate distance. Engineers have increased MOI by moving center of gravity (CG) deeper in the club head, which will also make it more forgiving.
Ping has also introduced a new 9 wood (25 degrees), as well as a new 7 wood (22 degrees) with Straight Flight Technology (SFT) to help golfers hit the ball higher, and through SFT, reduce the likelihood of a slice.
Ping’s G400 fairway woods will sell for $287.50 per club.
G400 Hybrids
The major concern with hybrids for a majority of better golfers is they can produce a hook. To offset this issue, Ping has made the lower-lofted hybrids in the G400 line more fade-biased by moving CG toward the toe. This will reduce the leftward miss, if not eliminate it, for many golfers who struggle with this problem. The higher-lofted hybrids, however, do not have this toe-ward CG, and therefore will remain easy to turn over. Ping reasoned that higher-lofted hybrids are most likely to be in the bags of higher-handicap golfers, who are likely to need help fixing a slice.
Like the G400 fairway woods, the G400 hybrids also have maraging steel face inserts. Specifically in the hybrids, Ping says the new material makes the face 11 percent thinner, 10 percent lighter and produces 35 percent more flex at impact. This leads to 2 mph more ball speed, a steeper trajectorym and therefore more stopping power, ultimately leading to 5 yards more carry in comparison to the G hybrids with the same lofts.
Compared to the G, the G400 hybrids also have a longer hosel that allows them to be lie-angle adjusted +/- 2 degrees, which improves fitting options. The G400’s new shafts are 0.370 inches in diameter instead of 0.355 inches in diameter.
Hybrid options include 2 (17 degrees), 3 (19 degrees), 4 (22 degrees), 5 (26 degrees) and 6 (30 degrees). They will sell for $247.50 per club.
G400 Crossover: “This is definitely not a driving iron”
While some golfers may have seen the original G Crossover as a driving iron, Ping is fighting that label with the new design of the G400 Crossover. Through structural changes and its more flexible maraging steel face inserts, the G400 Crossover is higher-launching and higher-spinning than the original to better hold greens from the turf. According to Ping’s testing, golfers will see 20 percent higher launch and 500 rpm more spin.
The tungsten weight that was in the toe-side of the sole in the G Crossover has also been moved farther toward toe, and it actually wraps around the contour of the toe. The placement of the high-density weight will help to center CG and ultimately produce a straighter flight than its G predecessor. The sole also has a bit more camber so that the club glides through the turf without digging; Ping says it’s comparable to the sole of a hybrid, rather than an iron. For an even more iron-like look, Ping has “slimmed down” the profile by an eighth-of-an-inch, and it has thinned out the top rail as well.
You may also notice a different finish compared to the original design. Unlike the Black PVD finish of the G Crossover, the G400 iron head is finished with Ping’s HydroPearl finish that helps repel water. This allows the face to better grip the golf ball in damp conditions, producing more consistency.
Available lofts for the Ping G400 Crossover include 3 (19 degrees), 4 (22 degrees) and 5 (25 degrees). They will sell for $247.50 per club.
Related
- Ping claims smaller is better with its new G400 drivers
- Ping aims to make golf “more fun” with its new G400 irons
Discussion: See what GolfWRX members are saying about Ping’s G400 fairways, hybrids and Crossover
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Whats in the Bag
Steve Stricker WITB 2024 (April)
- Steve Stricker WITB accurate as of the Zurich Classic. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist TSR3 (9 degrees, C4 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Motore Speeder VC 7.2 X
3-wood: Titleist 915F (13.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist 816 H1 (17 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Motore Speeder VC 9.2 X
Irons: Titleist T200 (3, 4), Titleist T100 (5-9)
Shafts: Project X 6.5
Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM8 (46-10F @55), Titleist Vokey SM10 (54-10S @53), Titleist Vokey SM4 (60 @59)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 w/Sensicore
Putter: Odyssey White Hot No. 2
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Grip Rite
Check out more in-hand photos of Steve Stricker’s clubs here.
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Whats in the Bag
Alex Fitzpatrick WITB 2024 (April)
- Alex Fitzpatrick what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic.
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 7 X
Hybrid: Ping G430 (19 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 10 TX
Irons: Ping iCrossover (2), Titleist T100 (4-PW)
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 9 TX (2), Nippon N.S. Pro Modus 3 Tour 120 X (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (50-12F, 56-12D, 60-08M)
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus 3 Tour 120 X
Putter: Bettinardi SS16 Dass
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
Check out more in-hand photos of Alex Fitzpatrick’s clubs here.
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Equipment
What’s the perfect mini-driver/shaft combo? – GolfWRXers discuss
In our forums, our members have been discussing Mini-Drivers and accompanying shafts. WRXer ‘JamesFisher1990’ is about to purchase a BRNR Mini and is torn on what shaft weight to use, and our members have been sharing their thoughts and set ups in our forum.
Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- PARETO: “New BRNR at 13.5. Took it over to TXG (Club Champ but TXG will always rule) in Calgary for a fit. Took the head down to 12, stuck in a Graphite Design AD at 3 wood length and 60g. Presto- numbers that rivaled my G430Max but with waaaaay tighter dispersion. Win.”
- driveandputtmachine: “Still playing a MIni 300. The head was only 208, so I ordered a heavier weight and play it at 3 wood length. I am playing a Ventus Red 70. I play 70 grams in my fairways. I use it mainly to hit draws off the tee. When I combine me, a driver, and trying to hit a draw it does not work out well most of the time. So the MIni is for that. As an aside, I have not hit the newest BRNR, but the previous model wasn’t great off the deck. The 300 Mini is very good off the deck.”
- JAM01: “Ok, just put the BRNR in the bag along side a QI10 max and a QI10 3 wood. A load of top end redundancy. But, I have several holes at my two home courses where the flight and accuracy of the mini driver helps immensely. Mine is stock Proforce 65 at 13.5, I could see a heavier shaft, but to normal flex, as a nice alternative.”
Entire Thread: “What’s the perfect Mini-Driver/Shaft combo? – GolfWRXers discuss”
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Lou Cesarek
Jul 17, 2017 at 8:21 pm
Mizuno MX 700 Woods used the same technology
At least 10 years ago.
New. ?
MrPoopoo
Jul 15, 2017 at 5:00 am
Looks like the Orlimar Trip-Metals are going to get a little boost in value on flea-bay.
SKip
Jul 11, 2017 at 5:19 pm
I have Orlimar Trimetals from the 90’s that have Maraging Steel faces. Nothing new here. A lot of JDM clubs have been using maraging steel even way before that.
Dweebly
Jul 11, 2017 at 12:47 pm
Everyone knows that’s all the fantastic new materials are just big standard run of the mill stuff don’t they? My favourite is still the gss Scotty Cameron. How he got people to pay over the odds for bargain basement stainless is marketing genius!
Dave R
Jul 10, 2017 at 11:41 pm
Good looking clubs . Good for ping finally.
I
Jul 10, 2017 at 11:56 am
The photos shows the 9 wood with 23.5, not 25?????
Duke Nookem
Jul 10, 2017 at 9:29 am
Ping continues to make great improvements to its lineup. It lacks the over the top marketing like the other big companies but it’s not needed here. Product speaks for itself. Rumor has it there is an even lighter alloy in the works. 5-10% thinner….