50 Words or Less
The PING i240 irons are extremely forgiving for their size. Tremendous consistency. Slightly above average launch and spin to promote softer landings on the green and more predictable ball flight. An ideal choice for golfers transitioning into players irons.
Introduction
Since their introduction almost three years ago, the PING i230 irons [review HERE] have been my easy answer to the question, “What is the most forgiving players iron?” This leads me to a question of my own, one I ask any time a product has to follow something amazing: “How is the next one going to be better?” For the new PING i240 irons, the answer is to fly even higher and, potentially, farther.
Looks
It’s hard for me to look at the PING i240 irons as anything other than the perfect transition set for the aspiring player. Visually, they sit in a nice middle ground between PING’s uber forgiving G440 and the Tour-style Blueprint models [Blueprint S review HERE, Blueprint T review HERE]. These irons have a shorter blade length, modest offset, and thin top lines. They’re not scary thin butterknives, but they give good and improving players the look they want in the address position.
In the bag, the i240 irons are a little busier than the i230, but, in true PING fashion, it’s a look borne of function. The shaping is clean and classic – a traditional cavity back with a couple levels in the cavity. The branding is minimal, too. What stands out is the carbon fiber badge, the function of which I’ll discuss shortly.
Sound & Feel
My first note on the feel of the PING i240 irons was about how good the feedback is. Throughout the set, my hands told me exactly where the ball hit the face. What I like even more than the clarity of the feedback is that I got the message without any sting. Mishits don’t feel quite as soft as pure strikes, but they never get hard or clanky.
The sound does change depending on the quality of the strike, adding to the feedback. Quality strikes are quiet “thuds”. It’s not quite the buttery forged sound, but it’s not far from it. Mishits – particularly thin ones – add some “click” or “snap” to the mix. It’s not too loud or unpleasant, but it’s an added cue that you didn’t do your best.
Performance
The PING i240 irons were at a disadvantage going into this testing for two related reasons. Unlike the i230, they couldn’t sneak up on me, and the bar had been set extremely high. I found that these clubs were up for the challenge.
Like the i230, the PING i240 irons deliver consistency well beyond what you should expect in an iron of this size. From ball speed to distance to dispersion, this is likely the new most predictable players iron. If you need the entire kitchen sink of forgiveness, opt for the G440 irons [review HERE], but any golfer wanting to transition into a players iron can confidently do that with the i240.
Despite being forgiving, the i240 irons still offer players ample shot control. The smaller profile and steady feel off the face gave me the confidence to attempt – and hit – fades and draws of all sizes. I could also flight the ball higher or lower without much trouble.
While the i240 irons can hit multiple trajectories, their stock shot is higher than average. This is PING’s major talking point with these irons: a lower CG promotes higher ball flight. The lower CG comes in part from the aforementioned cavity badge. These irons also spin a little more than average due to “fewer and wider grooves.” Higher launch and spin are meant to give skilled players more predictability with their iron shots and softer landings on the green – two things I saw clearly in my testing.
Designing a slightly higher launch, higher spinning iron in 2025 is exactly why PING is always the OEM that tests my journalistic objectivity (more plainly: I love what they do). This is them saying, “We’ve seen the data, we know what will help you play better golf, here it is.” They could have easily made another iron with stronger lofts, longer shafts, and lower spin to “win” more fittings, but they didn’t. This may not be the longest iron you hit in your next fitting, but I’d encourage you not to make carry distance the one number that overrides everything else.
Something more subtle that I really enjoyed about the PING i240 irons is the sole. The sole isn’t wide – it’s comfortably within the bounds of a players iron – but it has a softened leading edge and ample bounce. For me, this combination of slightly higher bounce on a thinner sole is ideal. The club feels nimble, and I could easily bite into the turf, however there was ample protection against digging. When my swing got a little sloppy, I lost some yardage, but the club didn’t die in the dirt.
Conclusion
Some things change, some things stay the same. When people ask, “What’s the most forgiving players iron?” my answer will still be “PING”, it will just be the i240. Whether you’re a skilled ball striker looking to make the game a bit easier or an aspiring playing “moving up,” the new PING i240 irons will be a great choice for your next set.
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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.
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17 Comments
I’ve been gaming my i20 irons since 2013/14 and have never felt the need to get new irons. Sure I’d love to test a bunch of brands…but I can’t imagine being any happier than I would be with a new set of ping’s. Before I bought the i20’s, I was gaming a Mizuno MP-32 with an orphan MP-69 9 iron, Callaway X Forged 6 iron, and MP FLI HI cut muscle 3 iron. I tested a few irons, initially the AP2 (hated them, felt clicky) and the MP-59 (didn’t feel good either), both of which surprised me given they are forged. So naturally I wrote off Ping…until I hit them. I hit the S55 first and then i20 and once I hit the i20 it couldn’t have been any more obvious that they were for me. They felt and sounded just incredible.
I don’t love i20 PW,, the sole is too large and has so much bounce you could drive a truck under the leading edge unless in soft conditions. But i20 6-9 iron is where it’s at. Offset and feel goes awry in 4 and 5 iron. It’s not the worst but PW, 5i and 4i are for sure a step down from what is happening with 6i-9i in i20. So my current thinking is to test Blueprint T, Blueprint S, i230 and i240. Firstly to compare i230 to i240 as I am now starting to have issues where the ball is going too high especially in the 9+PW. Marty Jertsen said in the i240 video a couple of weeks ago that he plays Blueprint T in PW, and Blueprint S in 5-9 and the new IDI 4 iron. Do you have any thoughts about blending Blueprint with the i series, and do you see i240 as being an improvement on i230 or is it just a slightly higher launching club that goes the same distance?
Andrew,
I think blending the i240 with Blueprints is a fine idea.
The i240 is an incremental improvement on the i230. Dramatic improvements in one generation are almost nonexistent.
Best,
Matt
Great review. Just curious…what players distance irons would you say are the most forgiving?
Ken,
That’s a great question. Since people might argue about what irons fit the players distance category, I’ll pick something that unambiguously fits: the P790. Full review here: https://pluggedingolf.com/2025-taylormade-p790-irons-review/
Best,
Matt
Great review. What’s the difference between i240 and i530, apart from stronger lofts in the latter? Don’t they do something pretty similar?
John,
Thank you.
Those two irons are pretty far apart, in my estimation. The i530 is a hollow body players distance club with lofts that are almost a full club stronger than the i240. The i240 is a players iron with a shocking amount of forgiveness.
Matt Meeker’s review of the i530 is here: https://pluggedingolf.com/ping-i530-irons-review/
Best,
Matt
Agree with Matt, they aren’t really close. I have been playing i25’s and i e1’s off and on for years now, and about 2 years ago made the jump to the i525’s. The i525’s are IMO a lot harsher and I didn’t love the sound/feel. But the worst part was the lack of spin. For my game the i525’s didn’t have enough spin and yes my distances were alot better (they went farther), but the dispersion was worse (would get alot more flyers and mishits were punished more on distance) than both my older i25’s and i e1’s. I ALSO just purchased a used set of i230’s and have played 3 rounds with them, and they are so much better than my i525’s in sound/feel, dispersion and spin. The i230’s of course fit more with what I have played with for a long time, so that could be some of it too. If you are chasing distance, then go with the i525 and i530 irons. But if you are chasing consistency and distance control and IMO more forgiveness with spin/dispersion, then the i230 (and sounds like even more the i240’s) are the ticket for you. Great review Matt, as always.
Hi Matt!
Did you notice any distance gains or losses with the i240 versus the I230? With higher launch and spin I’m wondering if that changed your distance numbers versus the i230? These are on my radar for sure and I much prefer this style of iron to the players distance iron for consistency and predictability, and was hoping for a little gain in distance. Great reviews as always and thank you for your reply in advance!!
Brian,
The change in distance was not significant for me. I imagine players on the extremes for launch and spin might see a difference, but I doubt most players will, especially with the right shaft for this head.
Best,
Matt
Great Review! So after a year of following here, and collecting data from my own “testing” (local box store w/ Foresight monitors). I have a new top choice or close 2nd. The I-240’s. While not the longest (using more traditional lofts and lengths). They are top 2 in distance dispersion; or top 3 if you count the new to me I-25’s that I just got to update from my 40 yr old Wilson 1200LT’s and 20 yr old (and “non conforming”) Cobra 3100’s. I hit the I-25’s as my baseline for the 1st time vs my first test of the I-240’s. The I-25’s actually won (and are actually the new top model for group dispersion) with the 240’s barely edging out the DS adapts that I would have bought already if I had the $. (The limited funds but needing new and conforming clubs drove the purchase of the I-25’s). Factoring in the distance part of things and the 240’s shine a bit more (about half a club longer than the I-25’s & older “gamers”) with similar lofts on the sets, though not a long as some of the more “distance” focused clubs (the DS Adapts). Now I just need to settle on LW: 58 or 60 for the bottom wedge (Looking at ping glide versions; I have a 54 for the SW). If I had the $’s I’d jump on these 240’s though for the whole set.
oh, I need to add a note, as I look at comments – I agree w/ Will’s follow up – above 100%.
Thanks for the always insightful reviews!
Great review Matt. A good friend went to get an updated fitting and he moved from his G425’s to i230’s. He loves them. I play a mixed up bag – but have thought much about taking these for a fitting spin…
Got fitted for the 240’s. Went into the fitting looking at the T-250. The T-250’s were very clicky and didn’t perform as well as the 240’s with the same shaft, SF 70R. I just hope they don’t take 3 months to come in. 240’s launched high and spun more than the Titleist.
I bought mine Aug 3rd and they shipped Sept 8th. I would expect a 5-6 week lead time currently.
I play Mizuno Pro 225 irons and looking for something that will give me a higher launch. not really worried about distance. Would these be a good transition ?
Kyler,
Very possibly. Certainly worth a test/fitting.
Best,
Matt
Hi Matt,
Just wanted to ask something that stands out to me regarding the i230 review that you did. You stated in that review; “When I got to the 4I, I found ball speed that was on par with elite distance irons alongside easy, high launch and spin.” Is that something that has carried over to the i240’s as well?
Jason,
Yes. In my testing, everything that was good about the i230 was still present in the i240.
Best,
Matt