Ping releases G410 LST driver and Blueprint forged irons to retail, available now

For equipment companies, the PGA TOUR often acts as proving grounds for new equipment before the company decides whether to release product to retail. Look no further than Ping’s Blueprint irons, and G410 LST drivers, for proof.

Back in October 2018, Ping staffers Louis Oosthuizen and Bubba Watson posted photos on social media of new Ping Blueprint Forged prototype irons. Tony Finau, another Ping staffer, and Watson, put the irons into play at the 2018 Hero World Challenge in December. Ping remained silent on the new prototype irons, however, leaving equipment fans in the dark about potential retail possibilities.

Then, at the 2019 Honda Classic in February, PGATOUR.COM spotted Ping staffer Seamus Power with Blueprint irons in the bag that had a red dot near the hosel on the back cavity. Since the dotted irons, unlike the original prototype irons we saw from Finau and Watson, showcased Ping’s color-system, which uses different colors for different lie angles, it seemed inevitable that Blueprint irons would eventually hit retail… it was just a matter of when.

On Monday, the questions have been answered. Ping has officially released Blueprint irons to retail, and we have all of the information on those irons below.

Additionally, Ping also announced the release of new G410 LST drivers – PGATOUR.COM first spotted them at the 2019 Wells Fargo Championship – that join the G410 Plus and G410 SFT drivers in the company’s retail line. We take an in-depth look into the new G410 LST driver below, as well.

Ping Blueprint irons

Like the warning sign guarding the first tee at Bethpage Black, home of the 2019 PGA Championship, Ping warns golfers about the Blueprint irons: “The Blueprint is an extremely difficult iron to play, which we recommend only for highly skilled golfers,” the company says in a press release.

The Blueprint irons, fully forged from 8620 carbon steel, have a small blade size that Ping says is built for workability, trajectory control and precision. The irons, compared to other irons in Ping’s line, have shorter blade lengths, less offset and narrow sole widths that typically appeal to low-handicap amateurs and professional golfers. For added forgiveness, the irons have a machined, tungsten screw in their toe sections that increases MOI (moment of inertia), and internal heel weighting.

“I put them in play immediately once they arrived,” Finau said in a press release. “They’re workable, incredibly versatile and feel great. There isn’t a single shot I can’t hit with them, which gives me a lot of confidence in pressure situations. The look at address is also perfect; the size and shape really fit my eye.”

Oosthuizen, who used the Blueprint irons to win the 2018 South African Open in December, also spoke on the irons, which undergo a four-step forging process.

“The feel is amazing,” said Oosthuizen in a press release. “I love the feedback I get and how smoothly they go through the turf from any lie. They’re like no other iron I’ve ever hit. The Blueprint’s workability gives me the control to hit all the shots with the precision I need to win tournaments.”

Ping’s new Blueprint irons (2-PW) are currently available at authorized Ping retailers. They come stock with True Temper Dynamic Gold 120 shafts, or Ping’s AWT 2.0 shafts, but other shafts are also available at no upcharge, including True Temper Dynamic Gold, Project X LZ, Nippon Pro Modus Tour 105 and KBS Tour options. The stock grips are Golf Pride MCC Align, but Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360, Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord and Golf Pride’s Arccos Smart Grips are also available.

They sell for $230 per iron head with steel shafts.

Ping G410 LST drivers

When Ping first released its G410 family of drivers to retail, it was missing an LST (Low Spin Technology) driver from the line. This was a question mark for Ping driver fans because an LST model was part of Ping’s family of drivers in previous releases. After making a G410 LST driver available to PGA TOUR players at the 2019 Wells Fargo Championship, however, Ping has now added a G410 LST driver to the duo of G410 Plus and G410 SFT duo, which is now a trio of G410 drivers.

“It took us a little longer than planned, but that was only because our first iteration didn’t out-perform the G400 LST,” Ping President John K. Solheim said in a press release. “We re-worked the design to meet our performance improvement standards and are excited to get the G410 LST driver into golfers’ hands.”

The new G410 LST has a similar look to the G410 Plus, with an adjustable weight in the very rear of the club, except it’s smaller and designed to be lower spinning.

With re-positioned CG (center of gravity) slightly forward and its 450cc size –the G410 Plus measures 455cc – Ping says the G410 LST is about 200-400rpm lower spinning than the G410 Plus, depending on shaft choice and launch conditions of the specific golfer. Like the G410 Plus driver, the G410 LST has Dragonfly Technology on its crown to save weight, it has a Cast Titanium 8-1-1 body, a Forged T9S+ face for more flexing and increased ball speeds, and it has an adjustable hosel for loft and lie adjustments.

Ping’s new G410 LST drivers (9 and 10.5 degrees), which are available for $540 apiece, come stock with four different shaft options for no upcharge: Ping Tour 65 and 75, Ping Alta CB Red 55, Project X EvenFlow Black 75, and Mitsubishi Tensei CK Orange 50. Stock grips are Golf Pride’s Tour Velvet 360, or the Arccos Smart Grips.