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
Sam Burns WITB 2024 (April)
- Sam Burns’ what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage.
Driver: Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond S (9 degrees @10)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 7 TX
3-wood: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond T (15 degrees @16)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 8 X
Hybrid: Callaway Apex UW (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 8 X
Irons: Callaway Apex TCB ’24 (4-AW)
Shafts: Project X 6.5 (4-PW), True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 Tour Issue (AW)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (56-14F @55), WedgeWorks Proto (60-T)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400 Tour Issue (56, 60)
Putter: Odyssey Ai-One #7S
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Align
Ball: Callaway Chrome Tour X
Check out more in-hand photos of Sam Burns’ WITB in the forums.
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Whats in the Bag
Will Zalatoris WITB 2024 (April)
- Will Zalatoris’ what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage.
Driver: Titleist TSR2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Black 7 X (44.5 inches)
3-wood: Titleist TSi2 (15 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 8 X
Irons: Titleist T350 (3), Titleist T150 (4-PW)
Shafts: Nippon N.S. Pro Prototype G.O.S.T. 10 ST X (3), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-PW)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (50-08F, 54-10S @55, 60-04T)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Putter: L.A.B. Golf Mezz.1 Max
Grips: Golf Pride Z-Grip Cord
See more photos of Will Zalatoris’ WITB in the forums.
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Equipment
New Level launches new 480-DB irons, blending performance and forgiveness
New Level has been making some really good golf equipment since the company started up in 2018. Offering irons that are more geared towards the better player, precision has been a fundamental philosophy for New Level in creating irons and wedges.
The 480 line of irons has been the flagship of the brand, and the newest member of that team is the 480-DB iron that is now open to pre-orders. A new cavity design is what the whole 480 line is about, and the 480-DB takes advantage of that with added ball speed and a larger sweet spot.
For players who require their irons to offer the best feel, rest assured the DB is a fully forged (from 1020 carbon steel) one-piece golf club. No multi-piece, hollow design with this iron.
While the 480-DB is the next generation of the popular 902-OS, New Level didn’t follow the current trend in golf by chasing distance with the new iron. They actually weakened the lofts on the 480-DB with the spec sheet showing a 33-degree 7-iron and 45-degree pitching wedge. These lofts allow the DB to have less offset while still offering consistent distance off the face.
A traditional design was also at the forefront of the new irons to make sure that golfers with an eye for detail can look down at them with confidence that they will perform under any condition.
A weight low in the back cavity will allow their master club builders to dial in the perfect weight for the golfer, no matter the length or shaft being used. New Level believes that the new 480-DB is one of the most forgiving one-piece forged irons on the market today. A pre-worn leading edge on the sole should get through the turf quickly and with reduced digging for better turf interaction.
You can pre-order the New Level 480-DB right now on the New Level website.
Pricing specs availability
- Irons: 4-PW
- Price: $149/oron
- Availability: Pre-order
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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….