“By far the best driver I have ever hit.”
That’s how PGA Tour winner Mackenzie Hughes describes Ping’s new G400 driver, which he put into the bag immediately after being fit for it this summer.
Tour pros are often reluctant to make changes to their equipment mid-season. But Hughes, who grew up in Dundas, Ont., said his process for changing equipment is relatively straight-forward.
“I will start by hitting a few with the new driver on Trackman, and then hit a few with my current gamer to see how the numbers compare,” he explains. “You hope to see better numbers with the new one, but they don’t tell the whole story. I still have to love the feel and look of the new club in order to make the switch.”
Of course, Ping is prepared for Hughes. The company already knows, based on past experience, what shafts and settings are likely to appeal to the golfer, and come set with several drivers that might make the grade. “That means my job is to just pick the right one,” he says.
So what sold him on G400?
“The main difference between G and the G400 is the shot dispersion,” he says. “My misses are so much tighter and I attribute that to how stable the face feels. It is also faster than my old driver and when you can see the ball going further and straighter, you know you’ve found a winner.”
But Hughes’ interest in the driver goes beyond launch and spin numbers registered on Trackman. In this instance, the G400 had some qualities that immediately appealed to Hughes.
“It has the most amazing feel and sounds so good,” he says. “The best way I can describe it is that it feels like the pure satisfaction of flushing a persimmon with the modern technology of Ping thrown in.” Hughes has also switched to the G400 woods. Check out his full bag of PING equipment.
The G400 isn’t designed just for tour pros. The multi-material design combines reduced drag, a forged face to increase speed and distance, and a tungsten back weight. Translation: It’s forgiving. Really forgiving. And fast.
The G400 line of clubs are now available at Golf Town. Visit us in-store for a custom fitting or shop online.
By far the best driver he has ever hit? I think he should qualify his comment as the G400 is the best “Ping” driver he’s ever hit. The G400 is a very good driver but most PGA Tour pros without driver contracts do not have G400s in their bags. Maybe I’m wrong but most, if not all, of these pros are using M1/M2s or Epics.