Ping G400 Fairway And Hybrid Review

Ping G400 Fairway And Hybrid Review - Everything you need to know about the Ping G400 fairway wood and hybrid plus our full video reviews

Ping G400 Fairway And Hybrid Review

Down by the ball, the G400 fairway wood seems to have a slightly cleaner look, getting rid of the ‘Turbulator’ graphic on the heel side.

You’ll notice straight away how flush the sole sits to the turf and with that low leading edge, how accomplished the design is at getting the ball up in the air from the deck.

Our testing was conduction off a very low tee and we experienced a significant gain in ball speed over the G model. Some of this came from the 1mph increase in club speed but much of it was down to what felt like a hotter clubface and more efficiently designed head.

Related: Ping G400 Hybrid v Crossover

We experienced a six-yard increase in carry, with slightly lower spin for more run out, and a higher launch but without losing out on height of the trajectory.

This means the G400 is just as playable from different situations, but you’ll hit the ball a little bit further too. It’s also more forgiving too, making it an even better option off the tee when the driver is misbehaving.

It also comes in a larger Stretch version, which will give you even more distance thanks to its size and lower loft at 13˚, and an SFT model that has more draw bias built in to suit slicers of the ball.

All-in-all, the G400 fairway wood represents a significant increase in performance across the board and to see this big a gain from one generation to the next is testament to the Ping engineering team.

As far as the Ping G400 Fairway And Hybrid Review goes, the hybrid fits neatly into the family. The looks have been improved in the 2017 version and make no mistake, this is a powerful club that offers genuine versatility. For those who feel the footprint of the clubhead is a little large, we would suggest testing the Ping G400 Crossover as well.

The power and ball flight are both comparable despite the clubheads being completely different shapes. If you are tempted by the Ping G400 Hybrid, make sure you get properly gapped during a fitting. The extra power on offer, could potentially, leave you with an unwanted gap at the top end of your bag.

Ping G400 Fairway And Hybrid Review - The Tech

Designed to achieve faster ball speeds without sacrificing any forgiveness, the new G400 fairway woods feature a maraging steel face that flexes 30 per cent more than the previous design, assisted by the cascading sole to increase carry distances and launch from shots struck lower on the face.

An ultra-thin, cast 17-4 stainless steel crown saves weight to optimise CG location, and by repositioning discretionary weight to shift the CG even lower and further back, to get the ball in the air more easily.

A low lead edge maximises playability from different lies while bolder turbulators help increase swing speed and frame the ball centrally in the face.

A 9-wood is included in the range for the first time, as is a 7-wood in the SFT version. There also a larger headed driving Stretch 3-wood option with a lower loft and deeper face for golfers seeking a versatile driver alternative or hotter-faced fairway wood.

The G400 hybrids also rely on maraging steel faces to produce hotter ball speeds thanks to 35 per cent more face flexing, resulting in shots that launch higher and fly further.

Refined internal weighting keeps ball flights on line and under control in even the windiest conditions while the cascading sole engages at impact to lift the ball in air effortlessly.

Ping G400 Fairway And Hybrid Review - Specs, availability and pricing

The Ping G400 fairway wood comes in lofts 14.5°, 17.5°, 20.5° and 23.5° in the Standard model, 16°, 19°, 22° in the SFT (Straight Flight Technology) version and 13° in the Stretch model. All are adjustable by +/- 0.6° or 1°. The fairway has an RRP of £240 and comes with the Ping Alta 65 or Tour 65 & Tour 80 shafts as standard.

The Ping G400 hybrid comes in non-adjustable lofts of 17°, 19°, 22°, 26° and 30°. The RRP is £200 with the Ping Alta 70 or Tour 90 shaft as standard. All clubs are on sale from July 27^th, 2017.