Ping is coming out with some very bold claims around their G730 irons – such as that golfers will be able to see several yards of extra distance across the set.
Supposedly being one of the most forgiving irons Ping have come out with in the game improvement sector, the G730 irons had some high expectations to live up to!
Who Are They Aimed At?
The Ping G730 irons are aimed at golfers looking for ultimate forgiveness and some help with distance. Although not marketed as such, the Ping G730 irons ended up being a potential solution for slicers of the ball. So, if you struggle keeping the ball in play from shots lost to a slice and are looking for a little extra distance, these could be the irons for you!
The Tech
The G730 irons have a larger face compared to their older models, which has undergone a heat treatment to thin out the face and allow for more face flexing. This helps golfers see a little extra ball speeds and distance, as the club face essentially acts as a trampoline helping to push the ball out with extra force at impact.
Another feature in the G730 irons is the Purflex Cavity Badge, which you can visibly see when looking at the back of the club. This gives the iron multiple flex zones to help control the face bending, while also helping to ensure a solid feel and sound for the golfer.
As you’d expect with any game improvement irons, we’ve got a pretty strong off-set in the G730’s, and typical to Ping irons we’ve got the use of a Hydropearl Chrome 2.0 Finish which helps golfers retain control even in wet weather - a feature we’re very thankful for while testing in Manchester!
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Ping G730 Irons Review
Looks
Straight away a big difference we can see on the predecessor to the G730 irons is that they now feature a silver finish, compared to the previous Ping G710’s black coating.
Even though the black finish on that older model isn’t what you’d typically expect from a set of irons, I did like the overall finish on the old G710’s and how simplistic these were. As well as the new silver design on the G730’s we’re seeing a lot more details overall on the back of the club head.
Something I usually find with Ping irons in general is that most have a very clean overall finish, whereas I just found there was a lot going on in the G730’s with geometrical detailing, large logos, and a chunky backing.
Of course, when you’re looking at a game improvement iron there’s only so much you can do to have them looking sleek at address, however with the G730’s I thought more of the backing was visible than I’ve noticed with other game improvement irons such as the TaylorMade Qi irons.
Of course, if you’re someone who’s needing a little extra help in terms of forgiveness, then the added backing might help inspire some confidence stood over the ball so this very much could be a benefit for some golfers, with the longer clubs starting to look even more like hybrids than irons
Feel
With the G730 irons, it might have been partly due to how visible that backing was at address, but I did notice that more clunkier feeling at impact.
My first thought with these irons were just that they are easy to hit. The day we took these out to test was very cold, which often for me means I’m going to lose some feel and control especially in my longer irons.
However, the added forgiveness that Ping claims these irons have must have come through as despite the conditions I found it easy to get a good strike going.
We’d recently tested out the Ping i530 irons, which had impressed me in terms of distance and forgiveness already, but in comparison I could certainly see much more forgiveness with the G730 irons, as you’d expect with the game improvement range.
On-Course Performance
Although I was feeling very positive about these irons out on the course, there were a couple things I picked up on in terms of control especially around the greens.
We were seeing a lot of roll out with these irons, which was great for trying to get some extra distances when playing them up the fairway. This was however the same for any approach shots onto the green, meaning I was seeing very little if not zero spin from the G730 irons.
I felt as though some of my shorter shots around the green were coming off very hot and making them hard to control.
Each iron throughout the set was seeing me hitting a gentle draw, which was great for me as this is the natural shot shape I like to see out on the course, and the setup of these irons certainly encourages that with the golfer.
This also helped to get those strong distances going, as there were a couple times I went in with a 5-iron thinking there’s no chance I was reaching the green, and yet, the G730’s would get me up and sometimes even past the flag!
The Data
Given how far these irons seemed to be going out on the course in some colder conditions, I was excited to take them over to Hukd to see exactly how far they were going.
Initially, I wasn’t seeing much increase in distance from the shorter end of the set, with the 9 iron being pretty much what I’d expect from my own T150 irons. However, as we moved into the longer set it became clear there were some big distances to be seen with these irons.
My average carry with the 7-iron was 154 yards, which is what I’d expect to see from my T150 7-iron total. However, the G730 would then roll out an extra 10 yards getting me up to 164. Then with the 5-iron, I was seeing a carry of 171 yards with a total of 186 - this again is what I’d expect from one club more in my own iron set.
Often when I try out clubs that are chasing those higher distances we see a lot of inconsistency in the distance dispersion, however, this wasn’t the case with the G730’s. I was really impressed with how reliable the distances I was getting with these irons were.
Out on the course I noticed there was very little spin, and the data from Foresight backed that up. For example, the 7-iron was seeing an average rate of 4421rpm, which is a lot lower than you’d typically be looking for and this low spin rate was consistent across each iron in the set.
We’d noticed the irons were encouraging a draw shape out on the course and the data once again confirmed this with every shot hit indoors having a right to left sidespin. Now although I purposely play for a draw, that doesn’t mean I’m consistent enough to see that side spin on every single shot - although I wish I was! So, it was clear the G730 irons were really helping to keep that consistent shot shape.
Ping G730 Irons Verdict
With high levels of forgiveness, consistency in both the distances and shot shapes, as well as very impressive (and more importantly) reliable distances, there was very little to dislike with these irons!
Coming in at an RRP of £180 per steel shafted club, they’re certainly going to be an investment for the average golfer. However, I could see these being a game changer for those who struggle losing the ball out to the right and are looking for some stronger distances throughout their iron play.
Would I Use Them?
The lack of spin and stopping power was the main downside for me with these irons. However, I felt like they really excelled in terms of forgiveness and distance, which of course must be met with some compromise which here, was the control around the greens. Although this would put me off using them personally, I think the G730 irons are a great choice for a strong distance game improvement set.
Ping G730 Irons Pros and Cons
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