G400 Irons for Better Players

[MarkAJones]

Agree, hot spot is myth.

 

What IS real though is that irons with the CG set deep into the head will flight higher and with less spin. Such an iron, along with grass on the face reducing spin, can result in some flier shots.

 

Pro's don't play GI irons for different reasons, one of which is they strike the ball in the center of the face and don't need high MOI.

 

And for the record, I usually shoot somewhere in the vicinity of 80 and have been using full on GI irons for several years now. And during that time I can only count on one hand the number of fliers I've experienced. Honestly, fliers are the least of my worries on the course.

 

I never said it happens every time, just that it can.

 

Maybe the times when mine flew an extra 20 or 30 yards than expected were actually my "good" shots, out the sweet spot and the rest of my shots were all off centre, it's entirely possible, though I'd like to think that out of the thousands of shots i hit with them, I hit more than a handful of those "good" shots. I hit quite a few mid 80s with my Gs but most rounds were up to 10 shots more.

 

My strike has improved a lot since then so it is probably that, just as much if not more, that has improved my distance control. Maybe if I was still hitting Gs now, my 8 iron would be 160 yards rather than the 135-140 it was then.

 

I'm not going to argue with you. I'm a big fan of the i200s and was a big fan of the Gs but I had what I considered random bullets with the latter that I don't get with the former. Not many.... but enough to remember.

 

BUT.... (hehe)

 

What you say about tour pros is interesting though. You say they don't NEED the higher MOI which technically is true in the main. But why don't they WANT it? The truth is they kind of do want some help. Lee Westwood carries a full bag of i210s rather than iBlades. He doesn't even combo them. I might be wrong but I believe the i210 is the mainstay of Ping staffers, not the iBlade which suggests that even tour pros want/need/whatever the very MOI you say they don't need. So on that basis, why not go the whole hog and play G400s? Possibly because they know that they won't get the level of control they get with the i210s. Which leads us back to dispersion which with tour pros is mainly a front to back concern, rather than left to right. Which I guess brings us back to hot spots.....

Maybe they don't play the G line because they aren't comfortable with the look. I suppose lots of those guys have player smaller irons for years and don't feel comfortable with the visual aspect.

 

Probably more to do with the fact that irons like the G400 are low spin and rely on increased descent angles to stop the ball, rather than spin. Tour pros need to stop the ball on a dime, or spin it back (if that's their bag) and thats harder to do with GI irons that stop because they plop.

 

Anyone who is so vain as to not use the best tool for the job, regardless of looks, is a bit of a tool themself, so all things being equal, the reason tour pros probably isn't just down to vanity or MOI, it's down to spin.

 

Anyway, GI irons are great and fill a huge part of the market and are right for many, many golfers - of all handicaps.

[MtlJeff]

I played SGI and GI irons for years, i can't recall even one shot that flew much longer than I thought it would upon hitting, that I would consider a extreme flier or mythical "hot spot".

 

But I've never seen bigfoot either.

 

To me I always judged irons by if I was comfortable hitting 3-4 iron over water with confidence . If you can't do that get a more forgiving club or a blended set

[braincramp52]

I played SGI and GI irons for years, i can't recall even one shot that flew much longer than I thought it would upon hitting, that I would consider a extreme flier or mythical "hot spot".

 

But I've never seen bigfoot either.

 

To me I always judged irons by if I was comfortable hitting 3-4 iron over water with confidence . If you can't do that get a more forgiving club or a blended set

 

This does not apply to me. I don't feel comfortable hitting any club over water. :)

[MtlJeff]

I played SGI and GI irons for years, i can't recall even one shot that flew much longer than I thought it would upon hitting, that I would consider a extreme flier or mythical "hot spot".

 

But I've never seen bigfoot either.

 

To me I always judged irons by if I was comfortable hitting 3-4 iron over water with confidence . If you can't do that get a more forgiving club or a blended set

 

This does not apply to me. I don't feel comfortable hitting any club over water. :)

 

It's generally worked well for my decision making, except for the life of me I just can't find a putter :)

[SlothofDespond]

I played SGI and GI irons for years, i can't recall even one shot that flew much longer than I thought it would upon hitting, that I would consider a extreme flier or mythical "hot spot".

 

But I've never seen bigfoot either.

 

To me I always judged irons by if I was comfortable hitting 3-4 iron over water with confidence . If you can't do that get a more forgiving club or a blended set

 

I also haven’t experienced balls magically flying too far with the G400s. I find they produce consistent results with consistent swings. Where they shine is with poorer contact. Instead of losing 20 yards with a poor swing from 175 they lose maybe 10. They can seriously mute the damage from a couple bad swings in a round.

 

They do launch high, spin low, and resist bending in flight. Those aren’t generally characteristics a tour player is looking for (and I bet trajectory control is tougher).

[1Mordrid1]

To the OP.....it all comes down to preference. The most consistent thing in my game is my iron play and I currently play and love the G700's. I have played blades and players cbs in the past and on a good day I play them all the same, on a bad day the G700's may save me a stroke or 2 on marginal strikes......none of them will save a bad swing......when I was going through my fitting I tried to not like the G700's for all sorts of reasons, but in the end I could not ignore the results.....and now I do not even notice the things that bothered me about the G700s during my fitting.

[BCULAW]

To the OP.....it all comes down to preference. The most consistent thing in my game is my iron play and I currently play and love the G700's. I have played blades and players cbs in the past and on a good day I play them all the same, on a bad day the G700's may save me a stroke or 2 on marginal strikes......none of them will save a bad swing......when I was going through my fitting I tried to not like the G700's for all sorts of reasons, but in the end I could not ignore the results.....and now I do not even notice the things that bothered me about the G700s during my fitting.

 

Thanks for the response.

 

out of curiosity, what were the initial things you did not like about the g700? I really think the only thing holding me back from something like the g700 or the g400, or something similar, is the feel and sound. I hit them in the simulator at the local shop, and they sound really really loud and feel hard as a result. I hit them at a different shop today, and did not have an issue with the sound at all. Must be something with the acoustics inside.

 

I know that feel and sound, to some people, are easily ignored if the results are good. I am very particular about it, though. Just curious about whether I could get over it.

[teedub21]

PXG gen 1 XF irons. Crazy forgiving, feel soft (forged) and sound like blades when you hit them. More money than G400’s or 700’s but not bad with their new discount pricing on gen 1’s.

[MtlJeff]

To the OP.....it all comes down to preference. The most consistent thing in my game is my iron play and I currently play and love the G700's. I have played blades and players cbs in the past and on a good day I play them all the same, on a bad day the G700's may save me a stroke or 2 on marginal strikes......none of them will save a bad swing......when I was going through my fitting I tried to not like the G700's for all sorts of reasons, but in the end I could not ignore the results.....and now I do not even notice the things that bothered me about the G700s during my fitting.

 

Thanks for the response.

 

out of curiosity, what were the initial things you did not like about the g700? I really think the only thing holding me back from something like the g700 or the g400, or something similar, is the feel and sound. I hit them in the simulator at the local shop, and they sound really really loud and feel hard as a result. I hit them at a different shop today, and did not have an issue with the sound at all. Must be something with the acoustics inside.

 

I know that feel and sound, to some people, are easily ignored if the results are good. I am very particular about it, though. Just curious about whether I could get over it.

 

I've hit a lot of SGI's in my day, but the G700 were some of the weirdest sounding irons i've hit. They are like hitting woods, i'm pretty sure i've hit actual 3 woods that had more subtle sounds than them

[Nessism]

Repeating myself but the Mizuno Hot Metal's are superior GI clubs from the sound standpoint. They feel damn good too.

[kulreign50]

in my opinion, the G400’s are an excellent set of irons. In my experience, you may have to manipulate the head a bit more than other players type irons to get that desired shot shape , fade or draw etc. but if Golf isn’t your primary occupation, and you don’t practice 8 hrs a day in preparation for weekend tournaments, then these irons deliver. I shoot anywhere from 77-82 , while working a full time job, and raising a 5 year old little girl solo. I’d love to play , and practice more but life happens. These guys at PING design clubs for a living. The bounce they incorporated, the stock shafts , the attention to detail is for a reason. Play enough with any set of clubs, and you will learn how to pull of shots that you need too , when you need too. A certain part of me wishes that those g410’s weren’t coming out , because these guys don’t just release clubs for the hell of it. And being a fan of the company , I know what’s on the horizon and my piggy bank just might have to be broken ..again.

[rocket500]

One of my buds at my club is a 1 index and plays G400’s. No issues, he hits them great.

[norge5]

Played my 3rd or 4th round with the G irons today. I have been hitting more greens with them and like the higher flight and distance but I am definitely getting much less spin. There were a few holes where the pin was up and , even though we were hitting into the wind, the ball just seems to want to hit and release. They are definitely forgiving but on some holes you pretty much have to land them short of the green to get it close.

[eldog-in-the-hizouse]

Everyone is different. But for me it was a slippery slope. There is just so much meat down there, comparatively, between an MP18 and a G400. I decided "to make the game easier" and switched from clubs like Hogan blades and MP14s to Big Berthas and Ping G5s etc. I ended up ruining my iron game completely. They do not launch the ball in the same window as what I was used to and I ended up slowing down my rotation and swinging very sloppily. Those bigger clubs are too easy to elevate. I wouldn't necessarily recommend ever going from a G400 to an MP18 if you are comfortable with the G400 and you score well with them. There's no need to. But it was tough for me to hit the same windows with the rotational speed I used to have. I have been fighting trying to get it back ever since. I also am a firm believer that it is hard to find the exact sweet spot on the bigger iron heads, and when I did, they absolutely flew much further than what I wanted at times. I absolutely believe there are hot spots in irons. It doesn't matter to me if people disagree, we don't play the same game!

 

You can believe there are hotspots all you want. It's ok to be wrong. :)

Everyone is different. But for me it was a slippery slope. There is just so much meat down there, comparatively, between an MP18 and a G400. I decided "to make the game easier" and switched from clubs like Hogan blades and MP14s to Big Berthas and Ping G5s etc. I ended up ruining my iron game completely. They do not launch the ball in the same window as what I was used to and I ended up slowing down my rotation and swinging very sloppily. Those bigger clubs are too easy to elevate. I wouldn't necessarily recommend ever going from a G400 to an MP18 if you are comfortable with the G400 and you score well with them. There's no need to. But it was tough for me to hit the same windows with the rotational speed I used to have. I have been fighting trying to get it back ever since. I also am a firm believer that it is hard to find the exact sweet spot on the bigger iron heads, and when I did, they absolutely flew much further than what I wanted at times. I absolutely believe there are hot spots in irons. It doesn't matter to me if people disagree, we don't play the same game!

 

You can believe there are hotspots all you want. It's ok to be wrong. :)

 

You're right, it's probably just my hot balls.

[nic19]

Hogan edge irons.. Forgiving with true lofts and great spin numbers

[LaymanM]

Had 18 Apex MB and went to G400s. I am much happier now playing PING Ei1. They have it all. Great turf integration, easy to manipulate, good height and lots of forgiveness. I would check out i210...

[1Mordrid1]

To the OP.....it all comes down to preference. The most consistent thing in my game is my iron play and I currently play and love the G700's. I have played blades and players cbs in the past and on a good day I play them all the same, on a bad day the G700's may save me a stroke or 2 on marginal strikes......none of them will save a bad swing......when I was going through my fitting I tried to not like the G700's for all sorts of reasons, but in the end I could not ignore the results.....and now I do not even notice the things that bothered me about the G700s during my fitting.

 

Thanks for the response.

 

out of curiosity, what were the initial things you did not like about the g700? I really think the only thing holding me back from something like the g700 or the g400, or something similar, is the feel and sound. I hit them in the simulator at the local shop, and they sound really really loud and feel hard as a result. I hit them at a different shop today, and did not have an issue with the sound at all. Must be something with the acoustics inside.

 

I know that feel and sound, to some people, are easily ignored if the results are good. I am very particular about it, though. Just curious about whether I could get over it.

 

The length heel to toe was longer than anything I had played, and the sound was off putting indoors inside hitting bays. But on the course the sound was not as bad, and the size of the club I don't even really notice anymore. For me the feel was never an issue because as long as a club provides feedback on the strike location, that is all I am looking for. And these provide plenty of feedback. In fact sometimes I feel a low toe side hit and call my shot to come up short,only to see it carry almost the full distance.

[dmeeksDC]

in my opinion, the G400’s are an excellent set of irons. In my experience, you may have to manipulate the head a bit more than other players type irons to get that desired shot shape , fade or draw etc. but if Golf isn’t your primary occupation, and you don’t practice 8 hrs a day in preparation for weekend tournaments, then these irons deliver. I shoot anywhere from 77-82 , while working a full time job, and raising a 5 year old little girl solo. I’d love to play , and practice more but life happens. These guys at PING design clubs for a living. The bounce they incorporated, the stock shafts , the attention to detail is for a reason. Play enough with any set of clubs, and you will learn how to pull of shots that you need too , when you need too. A certain part of me wishes that those g410’s weren’t coming out , because these guys don’t just release clubs for the hell of it. And being a fan of the company , I know what’s on the horizon and my piggy bank just might have to be broken ..again.

 

This man speaketh for many of us. Our games sound similar. I still like to play well but I also know the time and attention a golf game requires to remain solid, and I don’t have it to give. Yet I still like a certain look and feel to my irons from 7 through the wedges and I am even pretty consistent with a 5 and 6 iron, but a 25 percent drop in consistency in those spots from where I used to be. Part of golf is adjusting to life circumstance and if I dial in my game in those middle irons, I’m still good enough around the greens to post a good score.

 

I know we are talking full sets in this thread and it is an interesting proposition. I hope the OP puts them in play and chronicles his experience for us. Ping’s equipment is always on top of the list in technology and playability and everyone knows that. Why not give the G400’s a full whirl?

 

But what about a single G400 as a long-iron replacement in an otherwise varying set? I am really focused on the 4 iron spot (call it 23-24 degrees loft) and I would like to make it an iron if possible. That spot has been a struggle for me. I have a Ping G400 hybrid 19 degree and that has solved my 3-ish iron slot. Tremendously easy to hit straight.

 

I’d like a 4 iron equivalent that is solid off the short grass but also can get me out of trouble as another option. Don’t need to hit it a mile. If I can carry it 190-195 and accurately with a smooth swing, that is what I want. My 6 iron SS is usually 87-88 mph.

 

As much as I look around, I consistently find Ping equipment is a good fit for me. I’ve been playing Adams CMB/Ping i200/Miura CB 57 in a rotation, just for fun, and I score about the same with all, but I definitely am better with the 150 yards and in clubs. I really don’t love the look of the G700 (or i500). I am one who kind of prefers the more “industrial hottie” look of the G, G30 and G400. On looks alone, I’d put the G on top. I also think they all sound so much better than the G700.

 

The crossovers and Srixon U series get a lot of attention as long-iron replacements, but what’s wrong with a few of these clubs in those spots? Perfect tweeners. (Others worth a look, in the order I would look at them: Maltby TS2, Mizzy Hot Metals, Titleist AP3, Cally Rogue, Cobra Forged Tec Blacks.)

 

I think I would adapt pretty quickly to something like a G400, G or G30. They really do have a great design for anyone, as many companies do, but I think Ping does a great job of having a high number of products that work well across a broad range of players. Anyone who can play iBlades also can play G400’s, but it may not necessarily be a compromise. You might like the friendlier one a lot more than you expect.

[Kuuuch]

Scratch player here who’s progressively went more GI over the years and have been contemplating getting g400’s for the past 2 weeks and I really can’t make up my mind.

 

My iron game is definitely the weakest part of my game and I previously had ping ie1’s a year ago and was playing great. Ego got the best of me not going to lie.

 

Currently looking at ping400’s or just getting a set of ping ie1’s off eBay. Part of me wants the extra forgiveness but the look of the offset of the 400 makes me uncomfortable. Currently playing ap2/tmb set but pretty set on going to pings for irons

[dhen9]

Lucky you!

 

I had an 8 iron (admittedly out the rough) 140 out to a front pin so just thought I'd put an easy swing on.

 

It didn't even touch the green, carrying almost 180.

 

There's fliers and there's fliers plus hot face.

 

And pretty sure every review I've ever seen for any GI irons say one of the cons of that iron type is dispersion front to back.

Yeah. Always be aware of the 40 yd flier. Nothing like a 23% immediate and inintended increase in carry distance. C'mon, bud.

[dhen9]

On a serious note, get what you like. Since GMax I've owned more sets of irons than I care to admit. However, I had the most fun playing the game with my GMAX but DAMN ARE THEY UGLY!

[norge5]

Scratch player here who’s progressively went more GI over the years and have been contemplating getting g400’s for the past 2 weeks and I really can’t make up my mind.

 

My iron game is definitely the weakest part of my game and I previously had ping ie1’s a year ago and was playing great. Ego got the best of me not going to lie.

 

Currently looking at ping400’s or just getting a set of ping ie1’s off eBay. Part of me wants the extra forgiveness but the look of the offset of the 400 makes me uncomfortable. Currently playing ap2/tmb set but pretty set on going to pings for irons

I see from your signature that you have the M4 10.5 in atmos x-stiff. Is that the stock atmos? if so, how are you getting along with it? I was looking at the same set up.

[Kuuuch]

Scratch player here who’s progressively went more GI over the years and have been contemplating getting g400’s for the past 2 weeks and I really can’t make up my mind.

 

My iron game is definitely the weakest part of my game and I previously had ping ie1’s a year ago and was playing great. Ego got the best of me not going to lie.

 

Currently looking at ping400’s or just getting a set of ping ie1’s off eBay. Part of me wants the extra forgiveness but the look of the offset of the 400 makes me uncomfortable. Currently playing ap2/tmb set but pretty set on going to pings for irons

I see from your signature that you have the M4 10.5 in atmos x-stiff. Is that the stock atmos? if so, how are you getting along with it? I was looking at the same set up.

 

I haven’t updated my signature for driver shaft change but I want something a little stiffer to hit my preferred mid trajectory cut however my buddy put it in his m2 and he absolutely loves it. Chose it over the project x hazard Black

[spring70]

That's just it. I'm not sure I want more distance. It certainly wouldn't hurt, but I am mainly looking for straight and easy. I have played players irons for so long that part of me feels I ought to switch things up to see if I have been holding myself back. The g400 irons are really the only game improvement clubs that catch my eye.

 

i am 90% sure i will be ordering G400's this winter, great look with feel and forgiveness.

[norge5]

Scratch player here who’s progressively went more GI over the years and have been contemplating getting g400’s for the past 2 weeks and I really can’t make up my mind.

 

My iron game is definitely the weakest part of my game and I previously had ping ie1’s a year ago and was playing great. Ego got the best of me not going to lie.

 

Currently looking at ping400’s or just getting a set of ping ie1’s off eBay. Part of me wants the extra forgiveness but the look of the offset of the 400 makes me uncomfortable. Currently playing ap2/tmb set but pretty set on going to pings for irons

I see from your signature that you have the M4 10.5 in atmos x-stiff. Is that the stock atmos? if so, how are you getting along with it? I was looking at the same set up.

 

I haven’t updated my signature for driver shaft change but I want something a little stiffer to hit my preferred mid trajectory cut however my buddy put it in his m2 and he absolutely loves it. Chose it over the project x hazard Black

Thanks

[LeoLeo99]

I don't know if hot spots is the correct term, but I do occasionally experience the ball flying an extra 20 yds when I make a very good swing. Only happens with GI clubs.

 

But I rented clubs today and played the g400. Wow. Found a hot spot with driver once on the range but couldn't reproduce that on the course. The irons were fantastic. Loved the offset progression. AMT 2.0 shaft.

[BiggErn]

If people get 20 random flyers with an iron then they shouldn’t be able to have a clue where a hybrid, fairway wood, or driver is gonna go distance wise.

[norge5]

I played SGI and GI irons for years, i can't recall even one shot that flew much longer than I thought it would upon hitting, that I would consider a extreme flier or mythical "hot spot".

 

But I've never seen bigfoot either.

 

To me I always judged irons by if I was comfortable hitting 3-4 iron over water with confidence . If you can't do that get a more forgiving club or a blended set

I agree. Whenever I go look at irons, the first iron I pick up is the 4. That's the longest iron I play. If I don't like the look of the 4, I pretty much know that set is not for me.

[MilesVJackson]

If people get 20 random flyers with an iron then they shouldn’t be able to have a clue where a hybrid, fairway wood, or driver is gonna go distance wise.

 

I think "flyer" in this context means "I hit one in the center of the club".

[BiggErn]

If people get 20 random flyers with an iron then they shouldn’t be able to have a clue where a hybrid, fairway wood, or driver is gonna go distance wise.

 

I think "flyer" in this context means "I hit one in the center of the club".

 

That’s probably the reality but not what some want to admit.