By Leonard Finkel
To maximize distance in fairway woods and hybrids, PING utilizes C300 maraging steel as their face material. One of the strongest alloys in the world, maraging steel is commonly used in aerospace technology, where strength and flexibility are vital. Those properties make it an ideal material to deliver faster ball speeds that launch shots farther and higher.
“Our main goal in the G400 fairway woods and hybrids was to introduce significant distance gains while maintaining other performance benefits such as forgiveness and the ability to launch the ball easily,” said John A. Solheim. “With maraging steel, we have a material that allows us to go extremely thin with the face to give us the faster ball-speed gains we’re seeking for more distance and higher launch. The results have been amazing as we’re seeing face flexing equal to the thickness of the face.”
The G400 fairway wood has expanded fitting options with the addition of a 9-wood and three SFT (Straight Flight) choices (3, 5, 7) to help golfers keep their shots on line. The Stretch 3-wood is also available as a high-performance option off the tee to deliver distance and accuracy or when going for par-5s in two.
Progressive CG locations in the G400 hybrid offer versatility in helping golfers properly gap their sets. The 2- and 3-hybrids are engineered with a CG more towards the toe to minimize a left bias while the 4-, 5-, and 6-hybrids are designed help golfers launch the ball higher with added forgiveness.
The second generation of the crossover, which combines the precision and control of an iron with the ball speed and forgiveness of a hybrid, has been improved to make it a versatile option for golfers of all skill levels. It also relies on a maraging steel face, which improves the sound and delivers a higher launch, producing 30% more stopping power. The addition of a 20-gram tungsten toe weight increases forgiveness, resulting in 17% tighter dispersion. The turf interaction is greatly improved with its thinner sole and Hydropearl Chrome finish. This reduces friction by up to 40%.
Leonard Finkel is the author of The Secrets to the Game of Golf & Life and former editor in chief of Golf Journeys Magazine. His work has been featured in almost 200 publications including Golf Magazine, Golf Digest, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Golf Illustrated, Golf Tips and Player Magazine. He has written more than a dozen cover stories for Golf Today Magazine. He has written extensively about golf and travel and has added poker to his writing repertoire. Finkel also works as a marketing and public relations consultant. His specialty niche is writing advertorial copy. Prior to his career in golf, Finkel owned a chain of retail stores and a consulting and import company based in Asia. He attended the University of Utah.