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Variable face thickness boosts ball speed and leads the technology in the PING G425 irons. Great all-around performance. Premium, compact look, and soft feel – alluring features in the game improvement category.
Check out the new PING G430 irons HERE
Introduction
OEMs with two year product cycles tend to garner a lot of buzz leading up to new releases, but the anticipation for the new PING G425 family has been off the charts. It’s not surprising given that the woods are played by professionals and recreational players alike. Even the mainstay game improvement 425 irons have been a hot topic – and of particular interest to me having gamed the G410 irons since their debut. With the bar set high, I eagerly jumped into this review.
Looks
The PING G425 irons maintain a look familiar to that of the G410s, but several significant changes make them more appealing. The simplified badging provides a more premium look, while the framework of the cavity makes the height of club head look shorter in the bag.
At address, my eyes immediately picked up that the G425 irons have less offset. Not quite as obvious in the photo above, the G425 7 iron (right) is slightly shorter heel to toe than the G410.
Looking at the face, the PING G425 irons retained two favorite features – the contrasting matte grey finish with white paintfill on the bottom groove and the club number on the toe. That number may not seem like a noteworthy detail, but when you’ve grabbed a couple of clubs to consider on a tricky par 3, it’s nice to be able to confirm that you have the proper club in hand before pulling the trigger.
Sound & Feel
Fairly consistent across the face of the PING G425, urethane covered balls produce a pleasant sound that fell between a ‘tick’ and a ‘tock.’ The sound had a distinctively softer edge to it than the G410. The face also had a slightly softer feel. Feedback to my hands was subtle, which I attribute to both advancements in the multi-material badging and head stability resulting from increased MOI.
Performance
Taking a page from their metal-woods technology, PING incorporated variable thickness into the face design and fabrication of the G425 irons. Made from 17-4 stainless steel (a martensitic precipitation hardened alloy with high tensile strength for you tech geeks) the face “delivers our fastest ball speed ever in the G-Series” according to PING.
The slightly smaller head of the PING G425 irons allowed designers to increase perimeter weighting for added forgiveness. The visible tungsten screw in the toe and additional weight hidden in the hosel factor into the head stability I mentioned above.
I found the PING G425 easy to launch and loved the high arcing trajectories that were consistent even when my contact wasn’t centered. Distances on mishits were generous. During field testing, I didn’t observe much difference between my G410s and the G425s. Launch monitor data gathered at Club Champion with 7 irons confirmed the similarities, but did show a slightly higher launch angle and a bit more spin with the G425 irons. One very important caveat to the comparison – my G410s have custom fit shafts. That’s not a ding on the stock PING graphite shafts, but the contrary: the stock shaft in the G425 is a really strong performer.
Conclusion
As much as I liked the revamped cavity of PING G425 irons, it’s was the decreased offset that really grabbed my attention. The softer feel also was a pleasant surprise. The G425 irons provided solid ball speeds and spin, ample forgiveness, and wonderful ball flights across the set. These irons also come standard with Arccos Caddie Smart Grips. The PING G425 irons are great all-around performers that should be at the top of the list for anyone seeking new game improvement irons.
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PING G425 Irons Price & Specs
Matt Meeker
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Thanks for your review Matt. I personally like the smaller head and lesser offset on the 425. They look sharp with the color this year. I am going to head over to try them out. I am glad you said the stock graphite shaft is a strong performer. I was leaning towards custom shafts.
can you compare the 425 against the 710 irons thank you
Sorry George – I never hit the G710s. All I can offer is to make sure to read Matt’s review on them.
– Meeks
Thanks for the review. Ping specs on their website say the offset is the same for the G410 and the G425. Was your comments about offset about perceived offset?
I’ll admit I never compared the specs regarding offset – but I see now that you are correct. The G425 sure tricked my eye. Thanks for posting.
– Meeks
Graphite or Steel???
Looking forward to demo days at the Medicine Hat golf course, please e-mail me when those days are thank you.
Chris – please note that we are not PING. They have an “N” in their name and should be contacted directly regarding demo days.
– Meeks
How do these compare to Jpx 921 HM Pro. Also is there a graphite shaft that can compare to AWT 2.0 shaft?
I have have not hit the Mizuno’s. Manufacture’s select stock shafts to fit the majority of golfers for the target market. You’ll find similarities across the field.
– Meeks
I have a set of G400s which I just regripped, still love them. I hit the G410s at my local retailer, and they felt hard to me. Read mixed reviews on which was better but it depends what works for you. Of course I have to hit these 425s. I like the new options that include the Arccos caddy grips and shaft selection. Ping as always, makes pretty solid stuff.
Let me preface this by saying I’m a big fan of Ping. They make first class gear… But they seem to drop the ball with their game improvement irons… Why not make that club with minimal offset? It will look fantastic and play virtually the same… This is where manufactures like Srixon and Mizuno seem to excel
Matt-have you had any issues with hosel separation on G410 irons? Happened twice in 2 weeks, clubs in use since last April. Noticed online others have had this issue.
No issues at all Paul.
– Meeks
Wow. That’s either bad luck or bad epoxy. Whether it is hosel separation or the ferrule riding up, it seems like bad quality control. I’d imagine Ping has some sort of warranty yet since they are less than a year old.
I hit 6 different clubs this morning at GG. These Pings were the best of the bunch. Higher, tighter dispersion.
Hey Matt!
My game mirrors yours. I have the G425s and agree they awesome, and are a nicer step feel-wise compared to my long gone 410/710s . I am considering the ZX5s and wider if the Srixons give the same confidence under pressure as the ever loyal Gs do? I have tried the ZX5s on the GC quad and they perform well for me but golf is not played on a LM…thoughts?
If you hit brand A and brand B equally well on the range, then confidence should be equal under pressure. If not, you are adding doubt into the equation via ‘trust.’ “I trusted my old reliable…” Think positive, trust the club and soon you’ll be telling people how great the new ones are.
– Meeks
Thank you, Matt. A carefully, awesome response, as both are great products. Nice work as usual!
Matt,
What are your thoughts on the Ping 425s vs the Cleveland HB Launcher Turbo irons?
That would totally depend on a particular subject Bill. Obviously very different clubs. But on straight looks, the Ping’s win hands down.
– Meeks
Hello Matt. How did the 425s compare in distance, feel and forgiveness to the SIM 2 and the ZX4s? Thanking you in advance for your feedback.
I have not hit the SIM 2s Landy. It’s been a while, and I didn’t hit them side by side, but I say I preferred the feel of the G425s, forgiveness was about the same, and that the ZX4s had slightly more distance.
– Meeks
Being very truthful I think the ping I-425 is a poor club, I have tried for 5 month’s still having problems with any distance, probably my falt, but my hc is a 12 steel shafts???
Gave up he game for ten years. Have been playing my old Ping I-3’s. Now at 67, hoping the game feels a little easier with the 425’s. Going to demo them soon. Thoughts?
Modern clubs are much easier to hit Jim. Demo is a great start, but make sure you get fit for the proper shafts. Easy without dialed in performance = more fun.
– Meeks
I’m interested in what women think in regards to G425 .. not men
I have custom fit G425’s with Accra shafts and love them. I have been golfing for a year and gone from double digit to single with them quickly. Good feel, feedback and distance when well struck. I have a higher swing speed than most females so take that into account.
Sorry if i missed this but did you test the steel or graphite shafts for your review? Or both? Are they both suitable for moderate swing speeds. Thank You
I tested the stock graphite as shown in the photos. There’s a lot of swing factors that go into suitability Bob. For the graphite shafts I tested, they are suited – generically speaking – for moderate swing speeds. Regardless of brands, shafts, etc., please at minimum hit clubs before purchasing.
– Meeks
Thank You Matt !
I’ve noticed the steel reg flex shaft options on the G425 irons are the AWT 2.0 & TT Gold 105. I bought the irons thinking they would come with the AWT 2.0’s. They arrived with the TT Gold 105 steel shaft. Which shaft is better?
Better is subjective Eric. Both are high quality shafts. So better really comes down to which one is more appropriate for you per design specs listed in their shaft chart, and most importantly, which performs best for you.
– Meeks
Just got a set of the 425’s 6 thru sand…They feel great. I am 75 years old and still breaking 90 but the last couple of rounds i think that will come down soon. Thanks for the low down on them. Stay safe and Hit them straight
Matt,
Thanks for your review. I switched from Titleist AP2 and I notice much less spin on the ball particularly with touch shots. Do you see the same switching from a forged club? Or is it the shaft?
Rick,
The G425 is going to be a lower spin iron for most players, plus the lofts are stronger. A shaft change could be another factor. Forged vs cast is not the issue, but there are plenty of reasons why you’re seeing less spin.
Best,
Matt
Thanks for the review! Very informative. Just curious to see how you’d compare these against the TaylorMade Stealth irons. I know the standard Stealth irons are a little stronger lofted so they’re going to generate more distance. I’m more concerned with dispersion and accuracy. Any input or comparison between these 2 irons would be much appreciated!
Kyle,
I did not review the Stealth irons, but Matt Meeker did here: https://pluggedingolf.com/taylormade-stealth-irons-review/
Best,
Matt