PING G Irons Review - Plugged In Golf (2024)

onFebruary 25, 2016

50 Words or Less

The PING G irons are fantastically long and easy to hit.Better looking than ever before. You will laugh out loud at the good results you get from bad swings.

Introduction

Much as I like to ridicule the people who build their golf bags around ego, I’m one of them. Every year I test numerous game improvement sets, see the forgiveness, and go back to playing “player’s clubs.” It was particularly difficult to not bag the PING G30 irons. Will the new PING G irons finally get me to bag clubs that make the game easier?

Looks

The first thing that I noticed when I unboxed the PING G irons is thechrome on the back of the iron. Chrome? On a PING iron? While that seems like mixing oil and water, it does give the G some pop and“in the bag” appeal.

The real story is how good the G irons look at address. For the second straight generation, PING has made the G iron look less like a game improvement club and more like a player’s iron. The top line is thinner than ever and the sole is invisible at address. There is still a healthy amount of offset, but that’s necessary for the high launching performance.

Sound & Feel

At impact, the PING G irons produce a nice, firm “click” that sounds about the same whether you hit it flush or wander off-center. The way that these clubs deliver feedback is through feel. When you hit the ball on the center, it feels like the ball is jumping off a trampoline. Shots hit off the heel and toe don’t feel as explosive…

Performance

..however, they still go for miles. This is the result ofPING’s COR-Eye Technology that they first used in the GMax irons. Essentially, it’s all about making the sweet spot bigger. I saw the effects of this in my testing –virtually every shot I hit ended up within five yards of each other. The most ridiculous shotwasan eyelash from being a shank that endedup walking the center line for 200 yards. That is forgiveness.

One of the things that separates the G irons from other game improvement irons is the trajectory.“Long” irons are a dime a dozen. There’s no secret to making an iron long: jack up the length and loft. The trick, which PING has accomplished, is making an irongo freakishly far and land soft. Even on a launch monitorwith firm “turf,”shots with the G irons held the green.

The new stock shaft in the G irons is also worth talking about. The AWT 2.0, made by Nippon Shafts, are heavier in the short irons and lighter in the long irons. This creates more club and ball speed for long distance shots and more controlled, penetrating shots with the scoring clubs. If the AWT 2.0 isn’t your style, PING is offering numerous shafts at no upcharge: Nippon Modus 105, Dynamic Gold, Project X, and True Temper’s XP 95.

Conclusion

PING is making it increasingly difficult to not bag their G irons. Over the past two generations, they’ve kept the trademark forgiveness, added distance, and made them look almost as good as the I irons. No matter what your skill level, the new G irons are worth a swing.

Author
Recent Posts

Matt Saternus

Editor In Chief at Plugged In Golf

Matt has worked in nearly every job in the golf industry from club fitting to instruction to writing and speaking.

He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.

Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.

33 Comments

Mark
February 25, 2016 at 8:09 am ·Reply

Matt, great review as always! No mention on how they compare to their big stepsister – the GMax. Is the “G” a blend of the “30” and the “Max”? Taking the best of both of them?
- Matt Saternus
  February 25, 2016 at 12:47 pm ·Reply
  
  Mark,
  The new G is smaller than the GMax or G30, but it uses the same COR-Eye technology as the GMax.
  Best,
  Matt
Adrian Thomson
February 25, 2016 at 10:02 am ·Reply

Myself I’ve been playing with Ping since 1992, had many sets & after buying the GMax last November found them to big for me, last week received the New Ping G irons, nothing like previous Irons, great improvement & looking a lot better. Best irons ever from Ping, 14 Handicap living in Spain.
Charles Wilson
February 25, 2016 at 10:47 am ·Reply

How easy is it to work the ball with these. That has always been the drawback with this version of their irons. There are times we all need to work a shot R to L or L to R.
See Also
PING G Driver Review - Plugged In Golf PING G Irons Review - Functional Hero - Golfstead Ping G Irons - Independent Golf Reviews PING G Series Irons Review
- Matt Saternus
  February 25, 2016 at 12:55 pm ·Reply
  
  Charles,
  Short answer: you can easily shape shots with these irons.
  Long answer/rant: 99% of the “I can’t work these irons” is either A) crap people say on golf forums to sound cool or B) things that are in peoples’ heads as a result of A. Yes, offset can make it hard to hit fades and some irons bury the CoG in the heel to promote a draw, BUT, when you put the ball on the sweet spot, all irons obey the laws of physics/ball flight laws.
  Best,
  Matt
  - Larry Butler
    May 15, 2017 at 1:24 pm ·Reply
    
    I have ping k15 a nice wide sole .are ping g
    For a high handicap
    - Matt Saternus
      May 15, 2017 at 4:36 pm ·Reply
      
      Larry,
      The G is not going to be quite as big as the K15, but it’s certainly a good fit for the high handicapper. You might also consider the G Max.
      Best,
      Matt
Bob Grant
February 25, 2016 at 12:29 pm ·Reply

Have hit them here in Australia just recently. Like the G iron and its easy to line up and contact is seriously solid. Like it in Graphite and seemed to pick up about half an iron in distance on trackman. Only issue I have is the cost as they are expensive down under here in OZ with the dollar tanking. An iron in Graphite will be about $200 each, pretty Rich I say. But with that I’m seriously considering these irons 5 to Gap Wedge.
Dave Malone
February 25, 2016 at 10:21 pm ·Reply

Hi Matt
I am happy to see you tested the new G irons. I am a loyal ping player and currently play a full set of woods hybrids and irons that are all g 30.
My question is respecting your view on how the g irons are different/ better than g 30 irons, and I currently have graphite shafts in my irons and wondered if I should migrate to the new variable weight steel shafts?
Thanks for all your thoughtful work
Dave
- Matt Saternus
  February 26, 2016 at 11:44 am ·Reply
  
  Dave,
  Only a fitter could speak to the graphite/steel question.
  With regard to the G vs the G30, the most noticeable difference to me is the look. The G may be better in terms of ball speed forgiveness thanks to the new COR-Eye technology, but they’re both so forgiving that it’s hard to say without direct head to head testing.
  Best,
  Matt
Chris
February 26, 2016 at 10:45 am ·Reply

I love the “can’t work the ball” statement Matt, so right on. You were being nice though cause most “can’t work the ball” guys can’t work it anyways. Those that can are able to make it turn with even 1994 King Cobra II Oversize irons, let’s be honest. Love Ping!
Dave Malone
February 26, 2016 at 1:30 pm ·Reply

Matt
Thanks for all the great insight!!
Your reviews and commentary are the best on the Internet!!
Dave
Tony Nickalls
April 15, 2016 at 3:07 pm ·Reply

Dear Matt
I have i20 reg shafts but now like to change for better more ball carry flight & thinking of new higher H/C G iron but would if G carry bit more flight than new i series ? as i am now 57, handicap 16. still playing ok.
P.S i am thinking of T/M RSI too if you think as this is same as ping G ?
M Thanks Tony
- Matt Saternus
  April 18, 2016 at 7:30 pm ·Reply
  
  Tony,
  For most people, the G is going to fly higher and be longer than the I.
  I would take either PING iron over the RSi irons, but that’s a combination of performance and preference.
  Best,
  Matt
daniel shea
April 21, 2016 at 5:49 pm ·Reply

I am a 73 year old golfer 14 handicap I am preparing to purchase a set of either ping g irons or gmax irons I am playing g10 s now looking for a little more distance which would you recommend

See Also
Ping G Crossover Review
- Matt Saternus
  April 21, 2016 at 7:29 pm ·Reply
  
  Daniel,
  Neither is a bad choice, but I would recommend a fitting to make sure that you pick the one that gives you maximum distance and accuracy.
  Best,
  Matt
graeme
May 19, 2016 at 4:46 pm ·Reply

I have been playing Callaway X12’s for 17 years now and felt long overdue for a change. Having played a round with a friends Ping G25’s I felt I wanted to take the Ping route and after much deliberation went with the new G’s with nippon pro 130 shafts.
So far, not impressed. Almost identical yardages to my old Callaways and my old clubs feel much better at impact. No question the X12’s were an amazing club but I was expecting more from the Pings.
Only 2 trips to range and one round so far so maybe still need to adjust. But at this juncture my comment to anyone would be to save your money and find some used X12’s on Ebay for pennies!!
- Matt Saternus
  May 19, 2016 at 4:49 pm ·Reply
  
  Graeme,
  That’s very surprising. Were you fit for the Gs that you bought?
  Best,
  Matt
Marc
June 3, 2016 at 4:52 pm ·Reply

Matt, thanks for the great review and the comments on shaping. I bought these after a shop had me try them during testing to replace my old Big Bertha irons. I was going to be a new set of Callaways, as I have generally been pleased, but thought I would see if I could get some more distance from the new tech. To me, these clubs were so good that I came looking for reviews to see if I was crazy. I hit them on average 10-15 yds further than my old clubs, and did not miss a single shot in about 80 test swings (I would normally miss about 5% of my shots with various levels of ‘bad’ in hitting enough shots to simulate a round).
Kyle Bross
July 20, 2016 at 11:12 am ·Reply

Great reviews on your site. I am a 6 handicap golfer and I’ve been playing the G15s for 5 years. I have been looking at the new G’s and the new i irons. Part of me says “bag the ego and buy the new G” (even though I actually think they’re ugly) or move more into the “players” irons. I tested them both yesterday, and I really liked how they both felt. I hit the S55 well also, but I won’t even pretend to need that sort of club. I just don’t know which way to go – between the i and the G.
lee
July 26, 2016 at 4:53 pm ·Reply

what graphite iron reg shaft compares to the ping stock shaft in the ping g graphite 70
- Matt Saternus
  July 27, 2016 at 7:41 am ·Reply
  
  Lee,
  I don’t have a good answer for that, my familiarity with graphite iron shafts is not great.
  Best,
  Matt
Joe
August 12, 2016 at 9:08 am ·Reply

I am a 10 handicap. I have been playing Ping G20 irons with regular grafite shafts ever since they hit the market. I have loved them. Recently I purchased a set of Ping G with the same type shaft and lie. So far, I’m not hitting the new irons as far as the old ones. I’m having to club up to get the same distance. Is this something that I should expect or is it just me?
- Matt Saternus
  August 12, 2016 at 5:24 pm ·Reply
  
  Joe,
  There may be subtle differences in the shaft that are causing the distance loss, or it’s something about how your swing works with the head. Were you fit for the new irons?
  -Matt
prasad
September 19, 2016 at 8:18 am ·Reply

I am a high handicap player but I am hittind callaway apex cf16 decent but having some slicing with long irons. I am thinking to go to Ping g irons .Please advice
- Matt Saternus
  September 20, 2016 at 3:54 am ·Reply
  
  Prasad,
  My advice would be to test the G irons against your current irons with a fitter on hand to offer guidance.
  Best,
  Matt
mike
September 19, 2016 at 6:57 pm ·Reply

Hello! I am torn between the Ping G and the Titleist AP1.
While I like the new look of the ping G’s , the offset in the 4 and 5 irons bug me a bit at address. However the forgiveness and feel is great!
do you know how this club compares to the AP1 in terms of forgiveness and performance? as well as looks? I haven’t had a chance to hit a set of Ap1’s so I really have nothing to compare the G’s to other than my current set of i20’s ….
thanks
- Matt Saternus
  September 20, 2016 at 3:53 am ·Reply
  
  Mike,
  I haven’t tested those two irons head-to-head, but I’ve never been impressed with the AP1s of any generation. That said, my recommendation is to get a fitting and try both.
  Best,
  Matt
Keith Abramson
May 13, 2017 at 12:57 pm ·Reply

Hi Matt, I just stumbled on your reviews and think they’re great. I’ve been playing for 30+ years and always wanted to be properly fitted for clubs… I’ve been “fitted” for clubs a few times, but it always seems like they’re trying to “sell” me clubs rather than fit me properly. I’m in Suffolk County, Long Island, and I’m not a member anywhere. Do you have any recommendations for a good fitting professional in my area? I currently play with McGregor VIP Tourney irons, and it’s time for me to move on to game improvement clubs. I just don’t play enough. I’ve always preferred forged irons, which is why I’ve been seriously considering the Srixon Z765 (or a used set of Z745) irons. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.
- Matt Saternus
  May 14, 2017 at 8:17 am ·Reply
  
  Keith,
  Check out Club Champion: https://clubchampiongolf.com/locations/custom-golf-club-fitting-long-island-ny
  They’re the best in the business. Let them know PluggedInGolf sent you. :)
  The Z765s are awesome. I’d add the PING i200 or iBlade into that mix along with the Callaway Apex irons.
  Best,
  Matt
Mike
May 17, 2017 at 8:04 pm ·Reply

Hi Matt, Im a high handicapper that has been out for several years due to a back injury. I had lost 10-15 yds per club when I came back. My new Ping G yellow dots brought all the distance back and Im straight as a string now. Thanks for your advice. Fitting is worth the effort!
Walk In Tubs in Nevada
August 5, 2017 at 2:14 pm ·Reply

I read blogs on helping elderly people live safely in their home a lot however I have actually
never ever been obliged to post a remark, up until now.
Terrific post. I took pleasure in reading it.
I have actually bookmarked your site and posted a link to this post on my Facebook wall.
Thanks once again for all you are doing!
Coke Beatty
August 22, 2017 at 1:03 pm ·Reply

Previous G30 irons owner 13 HCAP moved to SpeedBlades then RSi1 looking for something less offset and thin look at address. Became disenchanted with the RSi1 this summer so I did some testing. Tested JPX850, G, AP1, Apex, New M2. M2 went a long way but felt horrible. Came down to the Muzino or G. Both felt fantastic! My mishits were much worse with the JPX I choose the G because even my worse mishits travelled a long way loosing maybe 5yds. These are better than the G30 iron in my opinion. Looks fantastic in my bag too. Doesn’t look like a game improvement iron. i had some very good rounds with my RSi1s but I’m very excited to put these yellow dots in play!