PING G410 Crossover checks all the utility boxes

For every golfer, the right distance gapping through the bag and having 14 clubs that inspire confidence is a crucial component in playing good golf.

Personally, there has been one slot in my bag that traditionally has been tough to fill, and that’s the gap between my 4-wood and my 4-iron, which is the longest iron I carry.

I don’t generate enough speed anymore to carry a traditional 2- or 3-iron, I’ve never gotten along well with hybrids, which I tend to hit left, and I’ve found it challenging to have good distance control with more lofted fairway woods.

The growth in popularity of utility clubs in recent years has given me more options to consider, but I haven’t found one that has been able to stay in my bag long-term, with shaping and feel usually emerging over time as my biggest objections.

Hopefully, however, my search to fill that elusive 14th slot in the bag has concluded, and the club that looks poised to end what has been a frustrating journey is the new PING G410 Crossover.

The Crossover isn’t new for PING; it was also available in the G and G400 lineups. But each of those models, at least in my opinion, was off-putting in terms of its shape and neither felt or sounded very good at impact. To put it more succinctly, both models performed well but were bulky and harsh.

That said, the new G410 Crossover is a different animal, especially from an aesthetics standpoint. It’s footprint has been reduced significantly and both the topline and sole have been slimmed down to present an appearance that’s more representative of a traditional long iron.

As a comparison, the G410 Crossover looks like a slightly larger version of an i500 long iron. It’s constructed in a similar manner as well, as a hollow design and tungsten weighting in the toe are fueling ball speed, forgiveness, and launch, as is the strong, flexible C300 maraging steel clubface.

My first chance to hit the G410 Crossover came on a visit to PING headquarters in December of 2018 in advance of the G410 line being released. In limited testing, I was blown away by what I saw that day in terms of the new look, dramatically improved feel, and impressive results.

I left Phoenix intent on doing more testing with the G410 Crossover and firmly believing that once warmer temperatures arrived that it would be a strong candidate to find its way into my bag. I can also say in all sincerity that to this day the G410 Crossover and the Callaway Epic Flash fairway woods remain the best new clubs I’ve tested in 2019.

My second round of testing with the G410 Crossover was conducted indoors to gather launch monitor numbers and try to determine which shaft option would be best for my game.

In Phoenix, I had primarily tested the 2-Crossover at 17 degrees, but I was now focused on a 3-Crossover, which at 20 degrees was the right fit for the gap I was trying to fill in my bag.

After testing a few different shaft options, it quickly became clear that the Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro Blue 80 in stiff flex, which is a mid-launch, mid-spin profile, was the best fit for my swing.

After getting warmed up and settling on the Tensei Blue shaft, I was seeing, on average, launch angles of 14.5 degrees and spin rates in the 3,800 RPM range. My average ball speed was just over 132 MPH with a high of 135, and my carry distance averaged 198 yards with a total distance of 213 yards, very solid numbers for my swing speed of just under 90 MPH.

My land angle was just a shade under 44 on average, but I could also hit high fades that would push into the 46-47 range, which is plenty of stopping power for a club like this when hitting an approach shot into a long par-4 or short par-5.

Not surprisingly, the positive experience I had after an extensive indoor testing session had me primed to get the G410 3-Crossover out on the golf course, where equally impressive results have followed.

First and foremost, for a hollow-bodied utility iron, the feel of the G410 outdoors and with a premium golf ball is exceptional. It’s not like hitting a forged iron in terms of being soft and crisp, but it doesn’t have the hard, clicky feel that some hollow designs have. Rather, it offers an explosive sound and the feel on center strikes is as if the ball stays on the face for just a bit longer before leaving with serious velocity.

Also noteworthy and equally important is that off-center strikes provide feedback but don’t register as harsh in any way.

My favorite thing about the G410 Crossover, however, is its ability to control trajectory. I found that I could hit the ball high with no problem from the turf on an approach shot but that I could also flight the ball down and hit low bullets off a tee on shorter or tighter par-4s. In a word, this club oozes versatility.

If you’ve read this far, you’ve probably already surmised that the G410 Crossover has indeed made its way into my bag for 2019. I’m excited about the addition and have high hopes that it’s going to be there for quite a while.

But the purpose of this review wasn’t solely to praise the G410 Crossover; it was also intended to hopefully offer a helpful anecdote to players like me who have had trouble filling this particular slot in their bag. After all, while a club like this might not be one that gets hit all that often during a given round, it’s likely a club that when pulled is facing a challenging and/or important shot.

So if traditional long irons, hybrids, and lofted fairways haven’t been the answer for your game, consider a utility iron. I would highly recommend the G410 Crossover based on my experience, but there are a number of other really good options on the market today as well that could make a difference in your game.