Martin Hopley
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Game improvement irons have always been the hallmark of Ping and the latest generation of these is the Ping G400.

Ping G400 Irons

Having ditched the number with the previous Ping G irons, it is back in the successor and, as happens in more cases than you think, there is apparently no reason for choosing 400 apart from the fact they liked it.

What you will also like is the forgiveness that these irons provide thanks to several key technical improvements from the previous model.

The COR-Eye that came over from the G-Max to the G iron continues and is now part of a face that is 40% thinner as Ping has used Hyper 17-4 stainless steel in order to enable it to flex more at impact.

Ping G400 Irons

In fact the face bends 18% more and there is more of an undercut under the top of the iron to facilitate this and free up some weight to move into the sole.

Ping G400 Irons

Behind this in the cavity sits a new badge that is the full width of the space available rather than fitting around the COR-Eye as before.

Ping G400 Irons

The stand out feature is the black circle over the plastic COR-Eye which has a slightly rubberised feel to it and dampens down vibrations to refine the sound and feel.

Also in the cavity is the Custom Tuning Port (CTP) which you should be familiar with by now as it has been around in all Ping's irons for a while.

Ping G400 Irons

Like the G iron the CTP is concealed in the trailing edge of the cavity from where it modifies the swing weight to give the right balance to the club through impact of D0 as standard in the 4 to 8 irons, before increasing up to D2 in the P and U wedges.

Ping G400 Irons

That aside the shape of the G400 irons is not too dissimilar to the G, with a generous sole that is ideally cambered to go through the turf from all sorts of lies.

Ping G400 Irons

The G400 irons comes with the now standard silver Hydropearl Chrome finish that not only looks better, but is supposed to reduce friction by 40% through the turf and repel water to improve launch spin in wet and rough.

The Hydropearl brings the G400 into line visually with the rest of the Ping irons and will enable it to blend in with other clubs such as the Ping Glide 2.0 wedges if you wanted to mix and match.

The aim of all this tech is to launch the ball higher and with more forgiveness so I took the G400 and G irons on GC2 with Pro V1x balls to see if that was the case.

Starting with the wedge, the numbers were pretty similar, which is not altogether surprising given the amount of loft, but it was noticeable that the carry was the same from the lower spinning G400 wedge.

Ping G400 Irons

Moving on up to the 6-iron comparison and the G400 starts to show its true colours delivering an extra 1mph ball speed on average. With a similar launch it was peaking out at 1 yard higher, giving a 1° steeper launch to help that stopping power.

Ping G400 Irons

Whilst I was getting more spin, Ping say I should have been getting less, so that could just be the vagaries of live testing. However despite that the accuracy was a lot better so the extra forgiveness in the design seemed to be working.

Ping G400 Irons

The larger badge improves the sound and feel of the G400 over the G as it more solid than before, especially in the mid to short irons. As the cavity gets larger from the 6-iron upwards it sometimes sounds a touch more hollow, but that is to be expected.

Ping G400 Irons

The G400 irons come with the same Ping AWT 2.0 steel shaft as before that uses 'Ascending Weight Technology', which translates as lighter shafts in the longer irons getting steadily heavier as you move to the short irons in order to maximise club head speed and accuracy.

Ping G400 Irons

The set lofts are the same as before, but through Ping custom fitting there is also the option to go for the 'Power Spec' where the 4 to 7-irons have their lofts cranked stronger by 1.5°, the 8 and 9 irons by 1° and the wedges 0.5°.

Ping G400 Irons

It might sound tempting, but you do still need to get the ball launching correctly and then landing steep enough to stop, so this is probably only for high swing speed or high spin players, but the nice chaps at Ping will help you with that.

Whatever the loft the G400 irons continue the reintroduction of numbers on the face, which will be great for your opponents in match play.

Ping G400 Irons

It would be easy to pick these off the shelf and waggle them and put them back as the looks are understated, but they are a slow burner and after a few goes I was growing fondly warm of the G400 irons.

Ping G400 Irons

As usual with Ping the G400 is a high quality iron with a very forgiving design that produces consistently good results with better sound and feel as before, something Ping seem to do with each iteration of their G irons (not just the one called G).

It's the sort of iron that you think should be mid to high handicapper game improvement, but actually the G400 could be played by players of most levels down to single figures and that is probably one of the best things you can say about it.

Golfalot Rating: 5 stars
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Ping G400 Iron

Ping G400 Irons - Product Details

UK Launch27 July 2017
UK Launch RRP£770
USA Launch27 July 2017
USA Launch RRP$875
European Launch27 July 2017
European Launch RRP€790
Handicap Range
Low
High
GolferMens
Hand AvailabilityLeft, Right
ManufactureCast
MaterialSteel
Swing WeightD0
Shaft NamePing AWT 2.0, Ping Alta CB
Shaft TypesSteel, Graphite
Shaft FlexRegular, Stiff
GripGolf Pride Tour Velvet
DesignCavity Back
Set Makeup4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, PW
Additional ClubsGW, SW, LW
Manufacturer's WebsitePing Website

User Reviews

Jim L.
May 2019

Unbelievable irons. I have a set of Ping G2 irons that I replaced. These are at least a club longer. I now my hit 7 iron 165 yards and 6 iron 180... as a 18 handicap player I’ve had to drop down at least a club on all approach shots and still leave the ball past the hole. Nice stopping power.

Barry Emery - 14 Hcp
November 2018

Decided to upgrade my G10's and it was between the G400's & G700's, settled on the G400's and am so glad I did. I was also fitted for the G400 Max driver. Both the Irons and the Driver have given me much more confidence standing over the ball as I can trust heel or toe strikes to still be reasonable. Great product and hopefully my handicap will come down when I start playing more comps.

Lefty golfer
October 2018

The best iron I've ever played (Mizuno and Callaway in the past), higher launch, greater distance, super forgiving and great looking.

DavidM
September 2018

Great irons and I loved them, but after 5 rounds of golf the heads were badly marked as the finish is not up to standard. Had to send them back and replace them with TaylorMade M4.

glyn ombersley golf club
September 2018

Have tried and getting clubs this week. Wow!

Rod Islington
September 2018

Great irons, what a game changer, going to add the gap wedge to my set: 73 years old have now drifted back to 60 years old. Love them.

Tonyg
May 2018

The performance is truly exceptional but the Hydropearl finish is so poor as to be a two star loss. I would strongly recommend anyone who is thinking of these irons takes a long pause and thinks carefully before investing, these irons are not cheap but will soon look it.

D Kitsul Calgary
April 2018

I had my previous clubs stolen, they were Warrior from the US, I had gone into the local Golf Town near my house and after trying many different clubs I decided on the Ping G400 Irons and include the Hybrid and G400 Driver. I am loving these clubs, thank you Ping for the awesome gear!

Brendan
March 2018

Wow, what an iron. I have my G400 iron set for a few months now. For me they are the most forgiving irons I've had. Even horrible toey shots stay straight. I can also work the ball quite well if needed. No regrets after my purchase, I just love 'em.

Mike
February 2018

Bought these irons last November, feel and look great. Was 18 handicap down to 16 already, superb purchase.

Gene Van Orden
December 2017

I am 60 years old and this is the first set of clubs that I had fit to my specs, I got SFT driver, 400 in 3 metal and 2 Hybrids, then 5-PW and got three of the new Glide 2.0 Ping Wedges. Really Love the feel and distance these clubs give me. Would recommend them for any golfer that wants to enjoy the game again. Best move I ever made in golf.

Colin
November 2017

Tried several different makes, but these are probably the best irons I have ever hit, so forgiving and easy to hit. I am in my sixties and they have given me a new lease of life. I bought a set 5-u wedge plus 2 Ping glide wedges and a 4 crossover. Bit expensive but what the heck well worth the money, once again well done Ping.

WAB, Jr.
October 2017

These clubs are as advertised. I am a mid-handicap player (14) and play with a Titleist ProV 1x. I’ve been playing with Ping Eye2 clubs for the past 20+ years (yes, I know that’s a long time). It was time for an upgrade.

I went for several fitting sessions with multiple makes and models, including the TaylorMade M1 and M2, Callaway APEX 16, and Mizuno Hot Metal irons. Amazingly, by chance, I came across the Ping G400 irons online a few weeks ago- totally by chance, as I didn’t even know about them until then. Being a Ping “player” most of my life, I was immediately curious.

The next day, I went for a G400 iron fitting at the local PGA Tour Superstore. I experimented with several specs, including shaft length, stiffness, loft, lie, etc., etc. After settling into my warmups, it started to become obvious these irons are HOT! Once we discovered the “proper fit” for me (which happened to be a “stock” spec, like my old Eye2 model), I noticed a substantial increase in distance with my 7 iron (+16-20 yards- yes, I’m serious) and a much more consistent trajectory and tighter shot dispersion. These irons are everything Ping and other product reviewers claimed.

For me, when comparing the other irons I tried (indicated above), the Ping G400 is EXACTLY what I have been searching for; remarkable distance (AT LEAST a club-&-a-half more, for me) consistent ball flight and trajectory, unbelievable feel, real forgiveness on off-center hits, and an awesome sound to accompany consistently great shots. And, these irons look good in my bag.

The other irons I tried (as mentioned above) are all GREAT clubs and I experienced good results (especially compared to the irons I’ve beem playing for the past 25 years). But when I tried the Ping G400 irons, it was a real revelation, especially once I took them out on the course. It took me very little time to become comfortable with them (probably because I’ve played Ping all of my golf life). They look great at address, too.

These irons come with Golf Pride Tour Velvet grips which I feel are extremely comfortable and a nice touch by Ping. I got the “stock” AWT 2.0 shaft which is fine for me, but there are several other shaft options available at no upcharge (I tried other shafts during my fitting session but the AWT 2.0 turned out to be the best fit for me).

There is only one negative note I can make regarding these irons: The “Hydropearl” finish looks great out of the box, but the finish seems to get nicked easily in the bag and during normal play. I can see the beautiful finish deteriorating over time. I considered getting head covers, but I can’t bring myself to do it. As long these irons continue to perform for me, that’s all I need.

These irons are EXCEPTIONAL.

Bobs bits
September 2017

Wow, hitting my 7 iron 170yards high and straight. Great feel, forgiving and great for the weekend golfer, can't wait to play again. So so so pleased with these irons at a price which does not hurt the pocket too much. If you're looking for game improvement irons these are for you.

Tcdalhousie
September 2017

I'm 57 years old with a swing speed that could play either a regular or firm shaft. I purchased the G400 with regular graphite shafts 65g. I love these irons. The ball goes higher and a full club longer. Much easier to work the ball right to left. For a senior player that was in an equipment transition I really feel the Ping G400 was a great purchase. Good job Ping.

J.D.Chance
September 2017

Great feel and easy to hit with improved accuracy.

Dadwholuvsgolf
August 2017

Great irons soft feel off the face. Much high than the G irons. Glad I switched from the G irons to the G400 irons. Great quality and feel.

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