Taylormade M6 Vs. Ping G400 Irons Comparison Overview
If you were intrigued enough by the title of this article to actually read it, chances are you are in the market for an entry-level set of clubs. While you aren’t likely to see the Ping G400 irons or the Taylormade M6 irons on the PGA Tour, they still offer plenty of value to the right kind of player.
These are game-improvement irons through and through. If you are looking to score a set of irons that will get you down the fairway using fewer clubs, be sure to give the following comparison overview a good read.
Taylormade M6 Irons Overview
The M6 irons were built to allow the face to flex as much as possible.
What does that mean for high handicappers and beginners? It means better ball distance. The M6 sports one of the earliest iterations of Taylormade’s Speed Bridge which increases head stiffness so that the Speed Pocket (a channel bored into the perimeter of the face) can do it’s thing.
When we tested the M6 irons, we really liked how stable and solid they felt on full swings. There is generous offset, a decently sized head and the Inverted Cone face design expands the sweet spot out towards the toe.
These are incredibly forgiving and long irons even as feedback and workability were lacking.
Ping G400 Irons Overview
The Ping G400 have a smaller head profile and we were having a better go of working the ball side-to-side with them as opposed to the M6 irons.
These are like game-improvement irons that were meant to look almost like player’s performance irons. They have less offset than the M6 irons so right away, they may be better for mid handicappers. The hydropearl finish helps these irons glide through the turf though.
The enhanced ball flight from the top rail undercut and 17-4 stainless steel face give these irons surprising short-game control. Our testers were able to launch the ball high with the 9 iron in this set and land soft on most greens.
Overall these irons are slightly less forgiving than the M6’s; but they provide much better control around the green.
Both of these iron sets provide the easy distance that higher handicap players will need. However, we really liked the short-game control and scoring ability of the Ping G400’s. The M6’s are really more distance irons than anything else.
Ping G400 Irons
Category – Game Improvement Irons
Taylormade M6 Irons
Category – Players Distance Irons
Ping G400 First Impressions
We were a bit wary of the Ping G400’s at first because they didn’t have the size of traditional game-improvement irons.
While you are looking at a shorter distance from heel to toe with the Ping G400 irons, the COR-Eye technology ensures that if you make contact with the sweet spot, your ball is gonna go far. Almost immediately, our testers were nailing shots in the 160 yard range with the 5 iron in this set.
We also really liked the way these irons sounded – particularly the long irons. The cavity badge really works to enhance sound when you hit the sweet spots of these irons. It didn’t take us very long to get the hang of these irons and start sending missiles down the fairway.
Taylormade M6 – First Impressions
The Taylormade M6 irons represented a significant break through in the world of golf with the introduction of the speed bridge which adds stability, ball speed and smooth impacts, even on mishits.
The sweet spot on the M6 is massive, allowing you to hit it straight and far consistently.
While there is excellent forgiveness in the clubs, they are certainly built for ball speed and distance and that is the main reason for the speed bridge and the Speed pocket on the underside of the club and filling in the cavity on the ball.
The face is ‘Speed Injection’ for an amazing connection with the ball and better distance.
A deep undercut and low COG allow an easy launch and the High MOI of the irons maximizes speed and performance.
Still, one of the best iron sets on the market, for sure.
Ping G400 – Selling Points
- Hydropearl finish
- Co-molded, 3-piece cavity badge
- Good stock shaft choices
- Very easy to achieve adequate launch
- They produce easy distance
M6 Irons – Selling Points
- Speed Bridge Technology
- Speed Pocket
- Deep undercut
- Massive Sweet Spot
- Competitive Price
Who Are The Ping G400 Irons for?
The Ping G400 irons are certainly for players still in the high handicap range. However, after our testing we felt that the kind of player who would get the best use out of these irons is the player who is primed to make the leap into the mid handicap range as they offer better short game performance than you might expect from a game-improvement set of irons.
These are great irons for anyone who is just learning how to work the ball from side-to-side. They allow for such workability but flatten the learning curve at the same time with their mid-size heads.
The G Family of Irons
The G series of irons from Ping also includes the G425 which features variable face thickness architecture which makes it forgiving enough for mid handicappers. The G425 has more of a players performance iron profile though.
Like the G400 irons, the G425 irons have a 14-4 grade stainless steel face design. This material also helps to launch the ball high in the air and produces adequate distance for high to mid handicap players.
Then there are the Ping G710 which are exceptionally forgiving with a longer blade length than the G400’s. The G710’s also feature variable face thickness and a nice maraging steel face. The maraging steel is an incredibly thin yet strong type of steel that allows the faces of these irons to flex and rebound.
The Ping G710 irons would also be a great fit for anyone with slow to moderate swings speeds. Plus, the black finish looks really cool.