What’s new? How much does it cost? And, how can it improve your game? Max McVittie brings you the lowdown on the Ping G440 fairway woods and hybrids.
Fairway woods can often be hit and miss for golfers, with some often finding them the trickiest club in the bag to hit. Hybrids on the other hand are some of the most popular clubs on the markets with many switching out their longer irons in favour of the metalwood. With the release of the Ping G440, the brand have looked to make their fairway woods and hybrids easier to strike and launch into the air as you look to power down fairways and onto greens.
A variety of fairway woods and hybrids are available as a part of the G440 range. The fairway woods are designed offer more confidence at address with a taller face, whilst the hybrids are all about increasing ball speed.
Ping have refined the clubs for more distance, control and launch. This is how they have done it…
The Technology
To help create a four per cent taller face, whilst maintaining the Centre of gravity height, Ping have removed 11.5 grams from the hosel, screw and heel section. Having a taller face is great for producing a confidence inspiring look off the ground for players, whilst a low CG preserves a high launch off the turf.
This four per cent increase in the length of the face is evident in the MAX model which has a longer face than the previous generation of Ping fairway woods.
Additionally, the Ping G440 LST fairway wood has a new HST (High-Strength Titanium) face which works with the lightweight Ti811 body, 85g tungsten sole plate and CarbonFly Wrap crown to make mass distribution more effective in search of faster swing speeds. The CG is lower and further back in the head to reduce the spin rate for more distance.
The hybrids on the other hand, have a much shallower face than previous generations, eight per cent in fact, as well as a thinner face. This helps golfers launch the ball higher more easily, whilst having a six per cent thinner face allows the ball speed to quicken from the centre of the face and being more controlled from off-centred strikes.
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Each fairway model and hybrid is equipped with a contoured sole design which allows the club to sit nicely on the turf, ensuring pleasing face angles when set in any hosel setting. This allows golfers to benefit from all the loft and lie angels that are available in the adjustable hosel so all swing types can be accommodated.
The hosel is a lightweight, Trajectory Tuning 2.0 Adjustable Hosel that has eight-positions. The loft can be adjustable to increase or decrease by one and a half degrees whilst the lie can be up to three degrees flatter than standard fairway woods and hybrids. These adjustments will allow for a more optimal ball flight for all golfers no matter their swing type or shot shape preference.
Also included in all three fairway woods and each hybrid is the CarbonFly Wrap crown. This is a lighter head that is high in MOI and forgiveness, an easy to launch, stable design. The increase in forgiveness also results in a more pleasing sound at impact for better feedback off the club face.
Ping G440 Fairways and Hybrids: The Line-up
The Ping G440 fairway range features three models: Ping G440 MAX, Ping G440 LST and the Ping G440 SFT fairway wood.
There are six different hybrid numbers, from a 2 hybrid to a 7 hybrid in the Ping G440 range. Each one is engineered to promote different ball flight characteristics. The 2-hybrid slightly favours a fade-bias for off-the-tee performance, compared to the 5, 6 and 7 hybrids which lean towards a more draw biased flight. Having a number of different hybrid options helps with gapping, as players have a club that serves a more accurate distance to suit different games and level of golfers.
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Ping G440 MAX Fairway Wood
Looks: Has a longer face than the LST model for a more confidence inspiring look.
Main Attributes: Designed to be the most forgiving fairway wood form the range and to provide more gapping solutions as it is available in five different lofts.
Who is it for?: Appeals to most golfers.
Ping G440 LST Fairway Wood
Looks: Has a heavier swing weight and a more compact profile.
Main Attributes: Designed to provide a higher launch and lower spin for added distance and faster swing speeds.
Who is it for?: For those with faster swing speeds.
Ping G440 SFT Fairway Wood
Looks: A larger profile than the other models with heel-side CG for slice-correction.
Main Attributes: Designed to help golfers produce a more draw biased ball flight with it’s slice-correction technology which features a draw including CG location.
Who is it for?: For those looking for extra help in correcting a slice ball flight in their swing.
The Details
Available: From the 30th of January.
RRP:
Fairways: £350/$385 each with stock shaft (MAX, SFT); £575/$600 each with stock shaft (LST)
Hybrids: £295/$325 each with stock shaft
Shafts:
PING stock shafts:
ALTA CB (counter-balanced) Blue 65 (SR, R, S)
Tour 2.0 Chrome 65/75 (R, S, X)
Tour 2.0 Black 65/75 (S, X)
ALTA Quick 35/45 (HL build only)
Fairway Woods optional stock shafts (no upcharge):
Project X Denali Red 50/60/70
Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Black 65/75 (S, X)
Hybrids optional stock shafts (no upcharge):
Project X Denali Red 70HY / 80HY
Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Black 85HY
Lofts:
Ping G440 MAX fairway wood- 15°, 17°, 19°, 21° and 24°
Ping G440 LST fairway wood – 15° and 19°
Ping G440 SFT fairway wood – 16°, 19° and 22°
Grip: Golf Pride 360 Tour Velvet
Models: Ping G440 MAX fairway wood, Ping G440 LST fairway wood and Ping G440 SFT fairway wood.
