Equipment
Ping G440 Max, SFT, LST fairways, hybrids: What you need to know
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: The Ping G440 fairway woods and hybrids both utilize a new internal hosel structure that frees room for the face to deflect while saving mass that can be used to lower the center of gravity for easier, more spin-efficient launch. Altogether, the adjustable fairway woods and hybrids account for 16 different heads and a loft range that runs from 13.5 degrees in the fairway woods to 35.5 degrees in the hybrids.
PRICE: G440 Max fairway woods ($350; 15, 17, 19, 21, 24 degrees); G440 SFT fairway woods ($350; 16, 19, 22 degrees); G440 LST fairway woods ($550; 15, 19 degrees). G440 hybrids ($300; 17, 20, 23, 26, 30, 34 degrees). All with eight-way adjustable hosel, +/- 1.5 degrees.
3 Cool Things
1. Secret savings. Given their lower lofts, fairway woods and hybrids are often the most difficult club to hit off the turf, as well as the club that needs to have the most versatility given the need to be equally effective from the fairway and off the tee. Thus, Ping’s engineers were reticent about changing too much of the performance aspects of the G430 fairway woods and hybrids, which are among the company’s most played on the PGA Tour and most successful in the marketplace. The mission for the G440 line was simple, particularly on the fairway woods, which are often hit off the tee.
“All of what we wanted do with the G440 fairway woods is centered around ‘How do we get better performance off the tee and give golfers more confidence off the tee, while still maintaining the same performance off the turf,’” said Travis Milleman, Ping’s design engineering manager. The key was an effort to lower the center of gravity throughout both fairway wood and hybrid lines. That involved finding some hidden weight savings.
Specifically, both the fairway woods and hybrids took the lead from the design of the adjustable hosel on the G440 drivers. By thinning out the structure of the internal section of the hosel, the fairway woods save as much as 11.5 grams (and four grams on the hybrids) that can be used to drop the CG lower. A carbon-composite piece that wraps around the back half of the crown and skirt of the fairway woods and hybrids further lowers the CG.
2. Face value. The G440 fairway woods and hybrids took different approaches to face height. While the hybrids, which primarily are used off the turf, shallowed out the face height to provide more confidence off the turf for the typical player, the fairway woods went the opposite direction. The weight savings allowed the face height on the fairway woods to grow by 4 percent for more confidence off the tee and greater deflection on the C300 high-strength steel face insert for more potential ball speed.
Of course, the shallower face height on the G440 hybrids also increased the tendency for more center-face contact by essentially lowering the center of the face compared to the ground. That creates more potential distance, as does thinning out the C300 high-strength steel alloy face insert. That insert also wraps around the crown and sole for better flex across a wider area.
On the G440 LST, the face gets an upgrade with a new HST 220 titanium alloy, what Milleman called “the strongest face material we’ve used to date.”
3. Distinct differences. While some key technologies are shared across the three G440 fairway-wood models and within the G440 hybrid lineup, there is a clear separation of powers. The G440 Max fairway wood fits the majority of players and its slimmer design of the rear back weight ensures that the club rests closer to the ground, making for a more consistent face angle regardless of the adjustable loft and lie settings. Meanwhile, the G440 SFT fairway wood provides higher lofts and a shorter shaft length helps average-to-below-average swing speeds launch shots higher. The G440 LST now comes with the tallest face in the lineup since it targets stronger players who tend to play a fairway wood off the tee as much or more than off the turf. With its titanium body and face saving even more mass than on the standard steel models, the G440 LST employs an 85-gram tungsten sole plate to provide a lower CG for less spin and higher launch.
The most subtle but distinctive division of labor might be how Ping’s engineers have tweaked the CGs on its G440 hybrids. The CG is tweaked on each loft to better match the ball flight preferences of the player most likely to be gaming that head. That includes lower, fade-biased flight for the 2-hybrid (better players with faster swings), while the 3- and 4-hybrids feature added loft for more stopping power. Finally, the 5-, 6- and 7-hybrids feature a slight draw bias and higher launch for better gapping with the rest of the irons in that player’s set.