Ping G440 Hybrid Review

Ping are the kings of forgiveness, with the company’s whole ethos being around making life easier for golfers. The new Ping G440 Hybrid falls right into that category, and we already think it might be one of the best all-rounders on the market.

Ping fairways and hybrids are always among the most popular for Tour players too, because they are just so reliable. The new G440 range is trying to build on the forgiveness and stability of G430, but encourage a little more ball speed and distance.

Who Is It Aimed At?

The G440 Hybrid is a real all-rounder which could be used by anyone, from Tour player right down to a beginner golfer.

There are ‘loft-specific’ designs, but I felt the 3 Hybrid did still have a hint of draw-bias. This is great for golfers who struggle with a fade or slice. The footprint isn’t too big though, so it shouldn’t put off better players who don’t want anything too bulky.

With an RRP of £295 they probably won’t be for everyone, but for that price you do get a reliable, forgiving and fast hybrid which is incredibly versatile. If it saves you shots, it might be worth the money.

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The Tech

Compared to the G430, the G440 Hybrid features an 8% shallower face. This helps to encourage a strike higher on the face, increasing launch for higher shots. It’s also 6% thinner, which produces faster ball speed from the middle of the face and more consistency on off-centre strikes.

The G440 range also sees new ‘Free-Hosel Technology’ this year. This removes 4g from the hosel, screw and heel areas of all the hybrid models. These mass savings lower the CG by 12%, and are designed to increase launch and stopping power without affecting ball speed.

Ping have also re-designed the back-weight so that the club sits more flush to the ground. This also keeps the face angle consistent even when changing the loft and lie settings on the hosel.

A CarbonFly Wrap crown saves weight, which is reallocated in the head to lower CG, add forgiveness and improve sound and feel at impact.

The G440 Hybrids are offered from 17 degrees all the way up to 34 degrees, providing options for every golfer looking to fit a specific gap within their bag.

Ping G440 Hybrid Review

Looks and Feel

Like the rest of the G440 woods range, the G440 hybrid looks great. When it comes to hybrids, a lot of it hinges on the shaping for me. I always have a fear of losing them to the left, so I don’t like seeing any offset.

This hybrid is nice and neutral, with no clear offset and it sits really nicely by the ball. The blue colourway is reminiscent of the G and G30 ranges, and an improvement on last year’s G430.

Besides that, the design of the clubhead is actually very similar to last year’s model. This includes the carbon detailing on the crown, simple dot alignment and a generous head size without being too large.

Obviously, with a name like Ping, there’s going to be a nice resounding noise at impact. It’s not quite as loud as Ping woods have been in the past, which is a plus, but still gives you a reassuring whack.

It feels pretty good off the face too, and was a little hotter than I expected.

Performance

I tested the G440 Hybrid out on the course at Stockport GC. The main thing that I noticed was just how repeatable my shots felt.

There was a slight draw tendency every time, along with a nice high ball flight. It felt much easier to draw the ball than to fade it, but I quickly gained confidence that the ball was going to do what I expected pretty much every time.

One of the big things that you want with hybrids is reliable performance and ease of use. That’s exactly what the G440 offered. Off the tee, fairway and even the rough, it felt easy to hit and launched high.

The new sole design seems to help the club sit a little flatter onto the ground. I think this helps with turf interaction too. On a couple of occasions I felt like I caught it heavy, but the G440 was definitely helping me out.

If I was to criticise it, I’d say that it felt a little one-dimensional. As mentioned previously, it took a fair bit of effort to try and get it fading. I also felt like it was pretty tricky to hit it lower, so if you usually prefer a long iron or driving iron you may feel like it lacks a bit of versatility.

The good thing about hybrids is that they are so easy to hit. It feels like I can achieve this distance without working too hard. They’re also really easy to hit high, which is great for attacking greens on par 5s or longer par 3s.

It also felt really easy to hit this a little softer and still get it launching nice and high. My 4 and 5 irons tend to fly quite low so this could be a great option to get the ball stopping more quickly.

Testing on the GCQuad, I wanted this hybrid to fit in the gap between my 3 wood and my 4 iron.

An average carry of just under 214 yards was right where I wanted it. A dispersion of 15 yards between my shortest and longest shots was perhaps a little higher than I’d want. I think it’s still better than I’d achieve with a long iron when mis-hit though.

The peak height was averaging over 115ft too which is great. It should also make it easy enough to stop the ball on the green.

Ping G440 Hybrid Verdict

I was really impressed with the G440 Hybrid. It did exactly what you want from a hybrid. It was easy to hit from a variety of lies and slotted right where I wanted it in my bag.

Ping’s new G440 range looks great, and so far the performance has backed it up too. The brand are known for forgiveness, but they’re trying to introduce a bit more ball speed too. That makes for a great combination in my opinion.

Whilst the looks of the G440 are an upgrade on the G430, the performance isn’t a huge upgrade to be honest. If you already own the G430 Hybrid then it’s probably not worth the money to upgrade.