Martin Hopley
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When Ping recently brought out the GMax irons, the key feature was the COR-Eye technology in the face and this is now fitted into the more compact G iron.

Ping G Irons

You can see the COR-Eye as the circle on the back of the head and it is essentially bringing the variable face thickness from woods into irons to increase the ball speed.

Ping G Irons

The COR-Eye structure means that the face is 32% thinner than the previous G30 iron and can therefore bend up to four times as much at impact.

As well as the design of the COR-Eye, the use of Hyper 17-4 Stainless Steel for the head maintains the strength whilst allowing for the face to be thinner. It is created by using 17-4 Steel heat treated in a 6 hour process at temperatures up to 1040°C to be 40% stronger.

The face is almost free standing as the cavity has been made deeper and the usual Ping Custom Tuning Port (CTP) is now positioned in the trailing edge of the cavity.

Ping G Irons

This is essentially a weight pad to change the Centre of Gravity (CG) location of the club to make it fractionally deeper by 0.38mm and improves the MOI or resistance to twisting of the head on off centre hits.

The feel and sound is moderated by a thicker adhesive behind the silver aluminium badge on the back of the head that has a 22% larger surface area than on the GMax. This results in sound and feels feedback that is just what you would expect from a premium game improvement iron.

The sole is the usual generous size for a Ping G iron and with that redesigned cavity the sole is a little wider than the G30 with a straighter trailing edge as the design allows more weight to be pulled back.

Ping G Irons

The trailing edge is also cambered up to reduce the effective playing area and help it get through the turf, which it does very well.

Ping G Irons

At address it may look like the G iron is more compact than the G30, but it is actually the same as there are a couple of optical illusions going on.

Ping G Irons

The hosel transition has been modified to make the offset look smaller and some contouring on the top edge aims to make it look thinner without affecting the mass required on the top of the head for the optimum forgiveness. We could all do with a bit of that.

Compared to the GMax the G Iron looks more like the one who stops at the salad bar, with a more compact head and a reduced top line and everything else besides.

Ping G Irons

The G iron comes in a CFS Graphite shaft and also a new Ping AWT 2.0 steel shaft, that stands for Ascending Weight Technology.

Ping AWT 2.0 Shaft

Basically the shafts get lighter as you move from the short irons to the long irons in order to improve distance with long irons and accuracy with the short irons and it will offer great performance for all levels of player.

Ping G Irons

The G irons themselves felt very good and you can sense the COR-Eye and deeper cavity really offering consistent performance across more areas of the face than the G30.

Having the deeper cavity does change the type of feel as the G30 irons gave a little sharper feel at impact, but I would say that I prefer the overall feel of the G irons.

Ping G Irons

When I took the G iron on Trackman I could see that the COR-Eye was generating more ball speed than the G30, even allowing for the difference in club speed.

The G also went further than the Ping i-iron, but you have to factor in the 2° weaker loft of the 6-iron from that set. The lofts of the G irons are the same as the G30 and the GMax so these comparisons are more direct.

Ping G Irons

What was also interesting was that the G iron performed almost the same as the GMax, except in one area. The GMax uses its larger head to create more MOI and therefore is more accurate as you can see in the Trackman dispersion results below comparing the blue circle of the GMax to the white circle of the G iron.

Ping G Irons

If I was a mid-handicapper I could see myself having one of those 'why would I not go for the more forgiving GMax irons' moments, because quite frankly, I was pretty taken aback with how accurate they were whilst still feeling as good as the G.

However the reason is clear when you remember the chunkiness of the GMax, so maybe a couple of the longer irons could be worth swapping in.

Ping G Irons

The shorter G irons do look good, especially the wedge that again uses those visual cues to be one of the best looking and feeling wedges Ping has created in a G set of irons.

Ping G Irons

With all this extra distance you may need to watch the gap at the bottom of the set to the wedges in your bag and I would consider filling them with the 50° U-wedge option from the set before heading to your specialist wedges.

Ping G Irons

Overall in terms of distance, looks and feel the G iron is a step up from the G30, which is saying something since that was one of the best selling irons in the market.

Golfalot Rating: 5 stars
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Ping G Irons - Product Details

UK Launch13 February 2016
UK Launch RRP£644
USA Launch13 February 2016
Handicap Range
Low
High
GolferMens
Hand AvailabilityLeft, Right
MaterialSteel
Shaft NameAWT 2.0 (Steel); CFS (Graphite)
Shaft TypesSteel, Graphite
Shaft FlexLadies, Regular, Stiff, X Stiff
DesignCavity Back
Set Makeup4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, PW
Additional ClubsGW, SW, LW
Manufacturer's WebsitePing Website

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User Reviews

Matt 8.4 Handicap
June 2018

Had a set of Ping Zing 2 irons since 1995 and I loved them. It took a lot to get me to change them out for another set. I always knew when I decided to upgrade that I would be staying with Ping. When I first saw the G I knew that they were the ones. They look so much cleaner at address than the Zing 2. Look of the club doesn’t mean as much to me as the look of the shot though. The G doesn’t disappoint! The lofts are turned down some and I’m certainly longer with the G than I was with the Zing. The set I got came with a U wedge instead of a 3 iron which was a pleasant change since most people can’t hit a 3 iron anyhow and the U lift fits nicely between my 52 gap and 56 SW. Once I got adjusted to the G my game has taken off. I am consistent with every club. They create consistent ball flight. They spin like crazy and hold greens. Mishits lose minimal distance and stay on line. Amazing forgiveness with these irons. I had been a mid 80’s player for a while but now find myself breaking 70 on more of my rounds than not. Thanks Ping!

Mike
November 2017

Awesome...Been playing golf for 45 years and swing is slowing down (about a 10-12 handicap now). These irons are like a fountain of youth. Gained some of my distance back and they are very forgiving and accurate. I think I might be able to get back down to the single handicap area. The look and feel of these irons make them very adequate for a wide range of handicaps. I've tried the i20s and G30s but they aren't even close to these. They are keepers. Ping has done it this time!

M
October 2017

Love the performance of the G irons but having issues with losing weight pads from the back cavity during play. Ping has been great about repairing the irons but iron is out of action until return from Ping (guess I am nitpicking but never had this problem with my old Ping I-3 irons)

May 2017

Just bought a set of Ping G irons. Had them fitted but was almost standard anyway except stiff shafts. Hadn't had time to practice before playing with them. Wow, absolutely fantastic. Great strike, great shape, very forgiving, lovely sound and great extra distance. Cannot recommend them enough, they feel superb. Can't wait to play again.

Andrew from Chelmsford

February 2017

I read that the Ping G irons were suitable for anybody with a handicap from Scratch to 28. They are! They are simply the easiest, most forgiving clubs I`ve tried. Why would you buy a club that makes the game harder. Is it pride, "I am a low handicapper so I need stiff shafts and a forged bladed iron" . Put it this way, the first two trial shots I hit with a 7 iron went to 3 & 4 feet from the pin. The third shot went in. The question is can I afford the bar bill every week as I am not not insured for a hole-in one. Alternatively, you stay a macho man and buy a forged bladed iron that is basically the same technology as it was 40 years ago. Open your mind, try them and be prepared to be amazed .

February 2017

Ordered a 54 SW. Snow finally melted away here, first strike off center bout inch and toward toe..ball flew high straight landed were I was looking..sold..bought gap, pw, 9 too..I'm a scratch player too...why would I use these?? Why wouldn't i?? Enough said..

February 2017

I'm a scratch player. I don't play much but maintain good ball striking skills. I bought the G sand wedge, snow just cleared off lawn, took it out and first strike was about 1 inch off center and towards the toe but the ball flew straight and high, exactly where I was looking to land the shot. SOLD! Forgiving, solid and classic looks.

January 2017

As I reported back in April 2016 these clubs are excellent but after living with them for a while they are messing with my head. The distances are about 10-15m longer than my old i10 sticks and I'm having trouble getting to accept that I'm hitting 7 around 150m (that's 165yards for my imperial friends). One other thing is that I find the UW a lot harder to chip from just off the green and am considering putting my old Ping Tour wedge back in play.

December 2016

Hi. Just got sorted with the G Pings. Had Ping Eye 2 old school. These G ping very good - does what it says. Amazing tools. Should have got a lot earlier in year.

September 2016

Been playing with Ping G30 now have Ping G. Brilliant irons and the extra distance is well worth the money. Very forgiving try them and be impressed.

September 2016

Got these irons one month ago and got back again to my good distance with higher irons. Completed the set with the crossover 3.

August 2016

Hi Martin, some time ago you wrote an article comparing specialist wedges and stock wedges. Do these G wedges have the ability to change that article?

Reply: Not really :> Best to get some Ping Glide wedges to go with these. M

April 2016

They are just amazing! I have hit them and they feel really nice. Great for amateurs.

April 2016

I recently had a fitting session with these weapons and they are just that - weapons. Easily the best sticks I've hit in my 65 years. I'd think that I could shave two or three strokes off my seven handicap with them. Ultra forgiving and were giving me 10-15 metres per club greater distance while tightening my dispersion pattern. In short they were minimising my bad strikes and putting the well-hit shots into the next time zone. Now if I can only get them at a reasonable price because Ping's are as dear as poison in Australia. If only they were more affordable!

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