Today’s Golfer UK — December 2017

Club speedBall Launch angle: Backspin distanceCarry distanceTo t a l

C l e v e l a n d

Launcher HB

16 5

mph 9.4

° 2,348 rpm^267

yards

296

yards

Ping G400 mph16 7 11.4° 2,387rpm yards^271 yards^299

THE KEY NUMBERS

HOW EACH MODEL COMPARES

TODAYSGOLFER.CO.UK ISSUE 367 91

thinking

New

Gear

Ping G400 £389

http://www.ping.com

OLofts: 9°/10.5°

OStock shafts: Ping Alta CB55, Tour 65

OAdjustable hosel: Yes

OHow much loft change: +/- 1°

The tech: A slightly smaller head with

improved aerodynamics and forgiveness

stability make the G400 Ping’s fastest,

most forgiving driver ever. Ping reckon the

multi-material construction improves ball

speed by two mph over the previous model.

Extensive frequency and vibration research

delivers a deeper muted impact sound

similar to puring a persimmon driver.

Verdict: Some might say pitting the

Launcher against the G400 is a tad unfair.

The Ping is one of the most heavily

engineered drivers of 2017, meaning it

poses the stiffest of competition. Unlike

others, Ping have never used a sliding

weight track in the sole or skirt of a driver

preferring instead to create three separate

models (which can lower spin or increase

shot bias just like an adjustable driver)

aimed at distinctly different golfers. Like

juicing an orange you just know every last

drop of performance has been squeezed

out of the Ping. We’ve tested it several

times. Against the old G model it backed

up Ping’s modest distance gain claims.

Against the very longest drivers of 2017

it’s capable of punching well above its

weight. This G400 was optimised for our

TG test pro, so it should be no surprise it

was a fraction longer than the Cleveland.

Bottom line: Four yards more carry for an

extra £110 over the Launcher doesn’t

sound like much, but what you’re buying

into with a G400 is the confidence that the

club has been perfectly tuned to help you

hit it further and straighter.

Seven grams of dense

tungsten on the

perimeter of the head

maximises forgiveness,

and gives the G400 an

MOI 20% higher than

the industry average,

according to Ping.

The G400 has no sliding

weights, but there are

three versions designed for

different players.