Ping G5 Irons: has technology advanced enough to upgrade?

I think G5’s are from 2005. Nothing wrong with them. Certainly are not

long Irons. I finally updated my driver from an old TM R9. Huge difference. Just wondering if Irons have had such advancements as well. Really haven’t kept up to date on latest and greatest.

I think G5’s are from 2005. Nothing wrong with them.

You answered your own question.

I’m of the opinion that besides looks and feel , as long as the irons are a good fit , nothing much has changed in irons. I currently game the “g’s” however just bought a set of JPX 900F, purely out of hype ...and think that shiney and new are nice and satisfying in their own right , scores do not get lower due to that. If new irons make you happy , then by all means go for it! Do not expect a drastic change in overall scoring.

Don't do it. G5s were the bomb. Last series that was made in the USA too I think. Plus they don't look as chunky as the G series after

Upgrade and get fit for a set. Its time.

shafts have gotten better. New game improvement irons will go farther but won’t be any more accurate. Will spin less too, which is not a good thing. If they are in good shape and your happy with distance and accuracy then keep em. If you want something shiny and new...go for it.

The advances in iron club heads isn't as great as drivers and fairway woods, but, you might see some benefits from a club fitting.

I was fitted when bought new. Would a new fitting make sense? It’s been 12+ years...

I was fitted when bought new. Would a new fitting make sense? It’s been 12+ years...

You could always pay for a fitting and decide if New irons are worth it to you. Just bring your G5 set to compare. No commitment to buy. At least you’ll get a comparison and it won’t cost you all that much.

I was fitted when bought new. Would a new fitting make sense? It’s been 12+ years...

Yes. Lot changes with your body and swing in 12 years. I am a much better golfer and much better taking then when I was 24

Depends on how well they fit you. If it is a really good fit and not just "ok", then don't expect anything newer to actually help lower your average scores

I have g5's and upgraded to g30's with graphite. The graphite is easier on my body, but overall, there is not a lot of difference in performance. The biggest difference is in my age.

I just looked these up. Cool looking. So are these considered the line that led to the current G400? I am guessing these had weaker lofts back then. For whatever reason, I always remember Ping wedges back then as flying shorter than others.

Nothing wrong with G5 irons. A number of players in my leagues use them. The older PINGs are indestructible and have a timeless design IMO. If your age/body changes to a point where those shafts no longer work, then you might consider a newer set or a reshaft. Warning - many newer designs are distance-oriented and have stronger lofts and hotter faces that will require some adjustment to your club selection experience/judgement. I still play G10 irons and love them.

Nothing wrong with G5 irons. A number of players in my leagues use them. The older PINGs are indestructible and have a timeless design IMO. If your age/body changes to a point where those shafts no longer work, then you might consider a newer set or a reshaft. Warning - many newer designs are distance-oriented and have stronger lofts and hotter faces that will require some adjustment to your club selection experience/judgement. I still play G10 irons and love them.

I have a friend that plays with G2 irons. They still look great.

I went from G2s to G30s this past year. Have to put aside the jacked lofts. The biggest difference was going from a CS-Lite R flex in the G2s to a CFS Distance S flex in the G30s. As I've aged and started to do more golf specific physical training, I felt I needed something to get the ball down a bit and cut down on dispersion which is more of a shaft issue than head construct. As many have stated here, shafts have progressed quite a bit and your body/swing changes. I'd do a shaft fitting. Not sure about the G5 but my G2s have a back weight down near the sole and I've had them come loose recently and have to be replaced so that's a bit of maintenance that you wouldn't have with the G30s for instance. Honestly, the G2 and G30 don't look too different to me at set up apart from the G30 being a little darker.

The one thing I learned about keeping my irons for so long is that you get too used to your ball flight and instead of trying to optimize it a bit, I wound up developing work-arounds. I never gave it a chance but I can't help but think that if I reshafted my G2s, I'd still be playing them.

There are two questions here, and two answers accordingly. (FWIW, I've used Ping irons since before the Eye2's, and currently have G30's, which I only bought to replace my i5's because I needed to move to a R flex in graphite.)

The first question is whether or not Ping has significantly changed and/or improved the G line since the G5's and the answer to that is decidedly "Yes!". The G5/i5 split was really sort of the beginning of what Ping still does, with a pretty clear distinction between two sets. There had been some of that with the i3 blade and O-size, but the G5/i5 sets were much more clearly different IMO. BUT there was a BIG change in the G line in the next generation (G10) in which Ping moved significant weight out to the toe to reduce hooking problems that some players experienced with the G5's, and they've done that ever since. I was one of those players; I tried a mixed set for awhile with G5 long irons and i5 mid and short irons, but I just couldn't avoid hooks with the G5's.

Which brings us to the second question, which is "Do the G5's work for you better than other irons might?". The answer to that, of course, is completely individual, and may also be decidedly "Yes!". Or might be "No!", too. Since the G5's came out, there have been lots of changes in irons, and it is entirely possible that there is something better. And, in that same time you've changed, too, so it's possible that if nothing else, you might need the lie angle tweaked, or need different shafts, or a midsize grip, or whatever. All of THOSE things are independent of the first question, and are pretty easily answered by going to a really good Ping clubfitter and getting him to check you out.

And fwiw, after my i5's had somewhere around a thousand rounds on them, I sent them to Ping to be refinished, have the lofts and lies checked and adjusted, and regripped. They charged me $16 per club, and it took two weeks door-to-door; they looked gem-mint when they came back, and I played them for another two years. I've kept them, always will, and still toy with the idea of getting them reshafted and using them again. So don't hear this as a rant against old clubs or the G line or G5's or anything else. It's just that time marches on.

Interesting you bring up the hook. That must certainly is a problem with these irons.

I am in the same position as the professor. I have G5s and they are the oldest clubs in my bag by a long shot.

But as you say, I also hook these irons. You have got me thinking.

I'm about to put some Matrix Studio 94 graphites in my Eye 2 irons. Other than club selection for loft differences, I expect my scores to be the same. Obviously, I'm an old school player. I believe that once you find irons that fit you and you have confidence in the distance control, you're all set no matter how new or bathed in technology the other stuff is. As you age, the need for irons that meet those criteria might move you on to another set. And then there's always the desire to get new shiny toys, but it may or may not help your game.