It's not all about P790s you know... There is another players distance iron out there. The new Ping i525 iron replaces the i500s, and the idea is that it looks like an i59 but flies like a G425. Sounds good to me!
Producing a compact, forged iron which provides speed, distance and easy launch is not a concept that I feel Ping have mastered yet, so perhaps this will be the time.
Previous i500 irons were hollow sounding and incredibly hot off the face. From afar it might have looked like a blade, but it didn’t have the sound or feel of one which better players value.
I remember saying to the Ping staff a few years back that I just couldn’t find an iron which I like the feel of, but isn’t too hard to hit. With the help of technology Ping say that their new i525s irons can deliver.
The Tech
The i525 combine some technologies of i59 and G425 irons to provide improved feel with performance enhancement.
A strong, variable-thickness maraging steel allows for a thinner and more dynamic face structure. There is an internal sole undercut which features the 17-4 stainless steel body to increase flexion and this launches shots faster and higher.
The face is also seen in the G425 irons and produces that bouncing, trampoline feel of the ball leaving the face, at pace.
If the face is flexing then it can cause more of a hollow sound, so to counteract this Ping have positioned an EVA polymer to cushion impact sound and feel while allowing for maximum face deflection.
There is also a Hydropearl 2.0 chrome finish which repels water for more spin in the wet, and therefore a more consistent spin rate in all conditions. This finish also features on i59 and G425 irons and more recent Glide wedges.
A precision-milled groove pattern shows tighter spacing and a new design provides four extra grooves to reduce fliers with the short irons, whilst maintaining spin levels in the long irons for easier control and consistency.
Tungsten weights in the toe and shaft tip are separated across the head to maximise stability, which leads to increased ball speed and less face rotation to help accuracy.
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Ping i525 Irons Review
Looks and Feel
The head has a very similar design and look as the i59 iron, with a thin topline, minimal offset and gorgeous overall shaping which looks as if it has been cut out of a single piece of metal - classic Ping.
In the bag and at address it is very similar to the i59, but when you look face on and at the sole, it reminded me more of a G425.
I have to say they’ve done a fabulous job with this design, because they’ve managed to hide the chunky sole and tungsten toe weight by making it look long and sleek at address.
Add to this the increased number of grooves on the face, and this iron head looks different to anything I have tested recently.
The i525 irons are a massive improvement on the hollow, tinny i500 irons. You were never really sure when that fiery 160 yard 6 iron was coming, and that can wreck your scorecard and get your doubting your club selection for the rest of the round.
I didn’t get any of those feelings with these irons. They felt sharp off the face and consistent, but not frightening.
The sound was quiet and the irons felt smooth, which helped me with my ball striking too. They felt easy to swing but also produced an effortless distance which meant that I didn’t feel like I had to work too hard.
The Data
I visited the practice ground at Denton Golf Club to collect data using the Flightscope Mevo+ launch monitor and Titleist ProV1x balls.
Using a 6 iron, my spin rate was pretty good at around 5000rpm except when I closed the face and hit the left shot and my spin dropped down to 4500rpm, which is to be expected from a pull.
An average carry of 140 yards, ball speed of 102.8mph and launch of 18.2 degrees was similar to the performance of the Callaway Apex Pro and TaylorMade P770 irons, which are these irons' main competitors.
What did stand out when I went to collect my balls was how close together the balls were. The dispersion was really tight which was great to see.
Outdoor Performance
I couldn’t wait to get these irons out on to the golf course and test them in a number of different scenarios, from the centre of the fairway to approaches from the rough.
Out on the course the ball seemed to launch really high from just an average shot which I didn’t really see whilst hitting from a mat on the range. This is a positive as I felt my launch was a touch low during initial testing with the Flightscope Mevo+.
The irons were very easy to shape both ways and also flight down if necessary, and they really fitted well into the ‘younger brother’ role in the players distance iron category.
The scenario that I really wanted to test was the flier lie in the rough, compared to the poor lie in the rough.
It was wet and juicy grass and I opted for an 8 iron from 125 yards. Both shots seemed very similar in the, slightly left of the flag. The shot from the worse lie had a slightly lower flight and both landed within a yard of each other on the green. This is fantastic consistency from the same club and same yardage, but with a totally different lie.
Ping appear to have tackled the issue of fliers that I saw in the i500 irons but without losing the power needed to advance the ball from a sticky lie.
These clubs are much easier to hit than an i59 iron which was highlighted with the shots from the rough and also when I went on to hit the 4 iron from the fairway.
My first shot came off sharp and fizzed through the air, flying 160 yards and stopping pin high. My second shot was a poor heavy strike which came out lower, but the ball still managed to chase up and on to the green.
After playing a few holes with these irons, the biggest compliment I can give them is that I wanted to carry on. Considering it was the middle of winter in Manchester that’s a very good sign!
Ping i525 Irons Verdict
I knew these irons were aimed at me, as I am somebody who still wants the looks of a blade but can’t lie to themselves that they are good enough to use them anymore.
I am now a players distance iron golfer, and I only wish that they were around 10 years ago. This category would have really helped my game on tour, because not matter how much I focused on my iron game in practice it was never good as my driving or putting.
These irons fit nicely between the i59/i210 and the G425 in the Ping family and I think they could be popular on the LPGA Tour and LET.
The dispersion was excellent in my data collection, and they felt quick off the face without me having to force anything.
There is one big drawback however which is becoming an all too familiar story with Ping irons however... Why are they SO expensive?
£180 per iron for steel shafts and £190 for graphite shafts is eye-watering. That’s over £1200 for a full set, and if you were to pair them up with the brand’s Glide Forged Pro wedges then you’re looking at close to £2000 before you’ve even reached the woods.
These irons are similar in performance to the likes of the Mizuno Pro 225, TaylorMade P790 and Callaway Apex Pro irons, but they are £30 more per club and I can’t tell you why.
Who Is It Aimed At?
These irons are similar in performance to the likes of the Mizuno Pro 225, TaylorMade P790 and Callaway Apex Pro irons, but they are £30 more per club and I can’t tell you why.
Amateur golfers who strike the ball pretty nicely most of the time but aren’t complete flushers. I doubt you’ll see these irons on the men’s tours but I think you will on the women’s.
I would suggest that anyone below an 18 handicap could use these irons and certainly a single figure golfer.
You can really appreciate the build quality of these irons and they’ll look great in your bag – but you need to have a bit of cash or be serious about investing in your game to warrant buying them.
Would I Use Them?
Yes I would, and I haven’t said that about Ping irons for quite a while. Even when I played on tour towards the end of my career I wasn’t as happy with my irons as I was with my woods.
If you enjoyed this, you may also like:
Mizuno Pro 225 Irons Review
Ping i59 Irons Review