Ping i210 & G425 Comparisons

[RacineBoxer]

4 hours ago, TTRacer said:

 

Curious why turf interaction matters if you're supposed to hit the ball before the ground.  Is it in the case of slight fat shots?

 

For elite players, like tour players, turf interaction is right up there with the top couple things they are focused on.

[RacineBoxer]

On 2/8/2021 at 10:42 AM, AzSuperHack76 said:

Currently playing the i210’s, love them, but admittedly I could use the extra forgiveness, although the i210’s are very forgiving. 

Just got the 425’s in and took some comparison pictures for anyone. 
 

The sole is obviously bigger and there is a bit more offset but really, the irons are very similar in size. The close up pictures show a bit of size difference, but in hand and at address the difference is minimal. Probably one of the best if not the best GI iron Ping has put out. Most of the old G serious irons were straight up shovels. 
 

Will do some side by side comparisons on the course soon, hopefully this week and will follow up then. 
 

 

 

Too bad you didn't have a pic of the G400's too. I have G400's and i210's. I just sold my G400's and bought the G425's. I was surprised how much shorter heel to toe the G425 was compared to my G400's. Especially around the 6-7 iron. Ping has done a great job slimming this iron down a bit the past couple generations.

 

I'm a 4 handicap and I prefer the G series. I play a bit of a left to right shot and the i210's spin too much for me. I love the AWT shafts (been in them for 10+ years) and perhaps I should've tried some other shaft to reduce spin. But a 9 iron for me, with the i210's, flies about 143 and rips back 10-15 feet. I don't like that. With the G series I typically get a ball that hits and ends up within a couple feet or so of the ball mark, even with a 7 iron at 170 yards. For me that's the sweet spot on spin- all I want is enough to pretty much stop the ball where it lands. Otherwise excess spin can cause more curvature on my poor swings which isn't something I want either. 

 

P.S. 3 years with the G400's and pretty much no hot shots that fly 10-15 yards over the green. I still insist this is a myth. There are fliers, balls with lower spin than expected, and that happens with blades, GI irons, hybrids, etc... but I don't think there is anything unique about GI irons that causes massive hot shots. For me, in reality, a "hot shot" would be about 5 yards longer than expected (still putting), which I don't see as the clubs fault as much as I just see it as my limitations. 

[TTRacer]

5 hours ago, RacineBoxer said:

 

For elite players, like tour players, turf interaction is right up there with the top couple things they are focused on.

 

Why though?  Isn't the ball long gone before the club hits the ground?

[Bunkersarebigcups]

7 hours ago, TTRacer said:

 

Why though?  Isn't the ball long gone before the club hits the ground?

Yes but turf interaction is a very big part of how a club feels. Its not only about impact sound and feel, its also about the balance and load (shaft + headweight influence those the most) and how it goes through the turf. Cutting vs. gliding vs. digging makes a big difference on how a club is subjectively percieved

[gatoreric]

On 2/11/2021 at 4:10 PM, RacineBoxer said:

 

Too bad you didn't have a pic of the G400's too. I have G400's and i210's. I just sold my G400's and bought the G425's. I was surprised how much shorter heel to toe the G425 was compared to my G400's. Especially around the 6-7 iron. Ping has done a great job slimming this iron down a bit the past couple generations.

 

I'm a 4 handicap and I prefer the G series. I play a bit of a left to right shot and the i210's spin too much for me. I love the AWT shafts (been in them for 10+ years) and perhaps I should've tried some other shaft to reduce spin. But a 9 iron for me, with the i210's, flies about 143 and rips back 10-15 feet. I don't like that. With the G series I typically get a ball that hits and ends up within a couple feet or so of the ball mark, even with a 7 iron at 170 yards. For me that's the sweet spot on spin- all I want is enough to pretty much stop the ball where it lands. Otherwise excess spin can cause more curvature on my poor swings which isn't something I want either. 

 

P.S. 3 years with the G400's and pretty much no hot shots that fly 10-15 yards over the green. I still insist this is a myth. There are fliers, balls with lower spin than expected, and that happens with blades, GI irons, hybrids, etc... but I don't think there is anything unique about GI irons that causes massive hot shots. For me, in reality, a "hot shot" would be about 5 yards longer than expected (still putting), which I don't see as the clubs fault as much as I just see it as my limitations. 

Really nice to see a low handicap that prefer the G series. My pride led me to irons that didn't fit as well as what the G425 do. I200 are great irons but I got more out of my game with G425. Nice to know there are better players than me (9 handicap here) that are willing to play what performs best no matter what "category" they are in.

[ssf301]

A few thoughts on the G425's.  I've been able to play about 15 rounds with the G425 irons on my GC2 simulator set-up. It's not the same as "real golf", but the GC2 has proven to be extremely accurate vs. my real world results with other clubs and there is no reason to think otherwise with these G425's.

 

I'm a 2 handicap.  I don't consider myself a great ball striker.  I've played PING irons for years with the exception of a season using PXG's, so I am partial to PING irons. I currently have both G410's and i200 irons. I was swapping off between the two set's with the G410's staying in the bag most of the time prior to the G425 purchase.

 

G425 vs. G410 - These irons are pretty similar. If you like your G410's, probably no rush to run our and get G425's.  However, there are some differences. First, I think the G425 iron's look better and they are a little smaller than the G410's. The black/silver combo on the 425's is really nice. The G410's were my first set of PING G irons.  Historically, I've played the i-series irons due to the clunky look (personal visual preference) of the look of the G Series clubs. The G410's were the first G-Series I liked the look of enough to play. I played some great golf with the G410's last season.  The 425's "feel" a bit better than the 410's for me. In fairness, I have the Nippon 105's in the 410's and the AWT's in the 425's, but when I look at those shaft specs they are fairly similar. Ball to ball on well struck shots, the 425's seem to go a little further than the 410's. Launch angle and spin are similar though I seem to get a bit more spin with the 425's. That could be partially new vs. used though. The one area I like the 410's a little better so far is they seem to have a smaller delta between perfectly struck shots and "good" shots. Perfectly struck shots on the 425's come off like a rocket.  That could be shaft differences too, but I'm struggling with it a little right now.  Both clubs perform REALLY well on poorly struck shots.  I still get surprised by both the 410 and 425's on "crap" swings that "the feel" tells me will come up 20 yards short, and they end up being 5 yards short.  When I think back to the blades I played in my youth......wow, irons have come a long way.

 

G425 vs. i200 - These irons are not as similar. The i200's are a few years older and are a bit smaller. They spin more than the 425's for me and don't go near as far. For reference, I hit my i200 7 iron about 170 yards +/- and the G425 about 10-15 yards further. The 200's are less forgiving on off center strikes for me, but well struck shots feel better with the 200's. For feel, I would go 200 > 425 > 410.  I love the spin and dispersion on the i200's, but it's hard to give up the forgiveness of the 410 and 425's. 

 

Even though the 425's aren't as strong lofted as most game improvement irons (mine are standard, not power spec), they still go a long way for me (relatively speaking of course). I've got some fairly big yardage gaps at the low end of my bag. I'll practice a bit more with them and may get comfortable choking down some to get some of the numbers I want.  

 

The verdict so far is I like the G425's the best of the 3.  If I can dial in some of the distances (I may look at other shaft options), they will be pretty ideal for me.

 

[Whited107x]

19 minutes ago, ssf301 said:

A few thoughts on the G425's.  I've been able to play about 15 rounds with the G425 irons on my GC2 simulator set-up. It's not the same as "real golf", but the GC2 has proven to be extremely accurate vs. my real world results with other clubs and there is no reason to think otherwise with these G425's.

 

I'm a 2 handicap.  I don't consider myself a great ball striker.  I've played PING irons for years with the exception of a season using PXG's, so I am partial to PING irons. I currently have both G410's and i200 irons. I was swapping off between the two set's with the G410's staying in the bag most of the time prior to the G425 purchase.

 

G425 vs. G410 - These irons are pretty similar. If you like your G410's, probably no rush to run our and get G425's.  However, there are some differences. First, I think the G425 iron's look better and they are a little smaller than the G410's. The black/silver combo on the 425's is really nice. The G410's were my first set of PING G irons.  Historically, I've played the i-series irons due to the clunky look (personal visual preference) of the look of the G Series clubs. The G410's were the first G-Series I liked the look of enough to play. I played some great golf with the G410's last season.  The 425's "feel" a bit better than the 410's for me. In fairness, I have the Nippon 105's in the 410's and the AWT's in the 425's, but when I look at those shaft specs they are fairly similar. Ball to ball on well struck shots, the 425's seem to go a little further than the 410's. Launch angle and spin are similar though I seem to get a bit more spin with the 425's. That could be partially new vs. used though. The one area I like the 410's a little better so far is they seem to have a smaller delta between perfectly struck shots and "good" shots. Perfectly struck shots on the 425's come off like a rocket.  That could be shaft differences too, but I'm struggling with it a little right now.  Both clubs perform REALLY well on poorly struck shots.  I still get surprised by both the 410 and 425's on "crap" swings that "the feel" tells me will come up 20 yards short, and they end up being 5 yards short.  When I think back to the blades I played in my youth......wow, irons have come a long way.

 

G425 vs. i200 - These irons are not as similar. The i200's are a few years older and are a bit smaller. They spin more than the 425's for me and don't go near as far. For reference, I hit my i200 7 iron about 170 yards +/- and the G425 about 10-15 yards further. The 200's are less forgiving on off center strikes for me, but well struck shots feel better with the 200's. For feel, I would go 200 > 425 > 410.  I love the spin and dispersion on the i200's, but it's hard to give up the forgiveness of the 410 and 425's. 

 

Even though the 425's aren't as strong lofted as most game improvement irons (mine are standard, not power spec), they still go a long way for me (relatively speaking of course). I've got some fairly big yardage gaps at the low end of my bag. I'll practice a bit more with them and may get comfortable choking down some to get some of the numbers I want.  

 

The verdict so far is I like the G425's the best of the 3.  If I can dial in some of the distances (I may look at other shaft options), they will be pretty ideal for me.

 

Why do you need to hit a 7 iron 185/190 yards? Other than ego it's pointless. 170 with the i200 is enough and then you wouldnt have to worry about gaps at the bottom end of bag. 

[ssf301]

1 hour ago, Whited107x said:

Why do you need to hit a 7 iron 185/190 yards? Other than ego it's pointless. 170 with the i200 is enough and then you wouldnt have to worry about gaps at the bottom end of bag. 

 

I agree, but it's not just the distance, the forgiveness of the G425 is quite a bit better than the i200's on poorly struck balls in my experience.  So I'm weighing the distance gaps vs. the forgiveness on poorly struck balls.

[gatoreric]

52 minutes ago, ssf301 said:

 

I agree, but it's not just the distance, the forgiveness of the G425 is quite a bit better than the i200's on poorly struck balls in my experience.  So I'm weighing the distance gaps vs. the forgiveness on poorly struck balls.

I feel the same here coming from i200. It's not like the i200 don't have any forgiveness, just the G425 has more for sure. Helps a guy like me who doesn't hit center near as much as I want to.

[Agate88]

Got fitted for a set of G425 irons at PING's Kierland fitting location in Scottsdale.  Super fun fitting experience.  Can't wait to test them when the the snow melts.

[ssf301]

On 2/19/2021 at 1:01 PM, ssf301 said:

A few thoughts on the G425's.  I've been able to play about 15 rounds with the G425 irons on my GC2 simulator set-up. It's not the same as "real golf", but the GC2 has proven to be extremely accurate vs. my real world results with other clubs and there is no reason to think otherwise with these G425's.

 

I'm a 2 handicap.  I don't consider myself a great ball striker.  I've played PING irons for years with the exception of a season using PXG's, so I am partial to PING irons. I currently have both G410's and i200 irons. I was swapping off between the two set's with the G410's staying in the bag most of the time prior to the G425 purchase.

 

G425 vs. G410 - These irons are pretty similar. If you like your G410's, probably no rush to run our and get G425's.  However, there are some differences. First, I think the G425 iron's look better and they are a little smaller than the G410's. The black/silver combo on the 425's is really nice. The G410's were my first set of PING G irons.  Historically, I've played the i-series irons due to the clunky look (personal visual preference) of the look of the G Series clubs. The G410's were the first G-Series I liked the look of enough to play. I played some great golf with the G410's last season.  The 425's "feel" a bit better than the 410's for me. In fairness, I have the Nippon 105's in the 410's and the AWT's in the 425's, but when I look at those shaft specs they are fairly similar. Ball to ball on well struck shots, the 425's seem to go a little further than the 410's. Launch angle and spin are similar though I seem to get a bit more spin with the 425's. That could be partially new vs. used though. The one area I like the 410's a little better so far is they seem to have a smaller delta between perfectly struck shots and "good" shots. Perfectly struck shots on the 425's come off like a rocket.  That could be shaft differences too, but I'm struggling with it a little right now.  Both clubs perform REALLY well on poorly struck shots.  I still get surprised by both the 410 and 425's on "crap" swings that "the feel" tells me will come up 20 yards short, and they end up being 5 yards short.  When I think back to the blades I played in my youth......wow, irons have come a long way.

 

G425 vs. i200 - These irons are not as similar. The i200's are a few years older and are a bit smaller. They spin more than the 425's for me and don't go near as far. For reference, I hit my i200 7 iron about 170 yards +/- and the G425 about 10-15 yards further. The 200's are less forgiving on off center strikes for me, but well struck shots feel better with the 200's. For feel, I would go 200 > 425 > 410.  I love the spin and dispersion on the i200's, but it's hard to give up the forgiveness of the 410 and 425's. 

 

Even though the 425's aren't as strong lofted as most game improvement irons (mine are standard, not power spec), they still go a long way for me (relatively speaking of course). I've got some fairly big yardage gaps at the low end of my bag. I'll practice a bit more with them and may get comfortable choking down some to get some of the numbers I want.  

 

The verdict so far is I like the G425's the best of the 3.  If I can dial in some of the distances (I may look at other shaft options), they will be pretty ideal for me.

 

So, after a few more rounds on the simulator, I decided to send the G425's back to The Golf Warehouse under their 30 day guarantee.  I really love the heads, but can't seem to control the distance "fliers" with perfectly struck shots.  I decided to swap them for another set of G425's with heavier and slightly stiffer Project X shafts.  I believe that will help with consistency for me.  It's a shame as the feel on those AWT shafts is very good, better than the Project X shafts, but consistency will be better with the Project X's.  

[AzSuperHack76]

30 minutes ago, ssf301 said:

So, after a few more rounds on the simulator, I decided to send the G425's back to The Golf Warehouse under their 30 day guarantee.  I really love the heads, but can't seem to control the distance "fliers" with perfectly struck shots.  I decided to swap them for another set of G425's with heavier and slightly stiffer Project X shafts.  I believe that will help with consistency for me.  It's a shame as the feel on those AWT shafts is very good, better than the Project X shafts, but consistency will be better with the Project X's.  

I have had 6 or 7 rounds on course with the 425's on course here in Az. I have the Modus 105 S shafts, for what it's worth I have not seen any fliers. In my experience the front to back dispersion with these irons have been amazing. I have gotten very comfortable with the 425's over the last 2-3 rounds and I am striking them well as I have any irons. Love em so far! I'm getting everything out of them plus a little more distance and forgiveness compared to the 210's. I will probably have the 210's listed in the BST this week. 

[chigolfer1]

On 2/15/2021 at 8:16 AM, gatoreric said:

Really nice to see a low handicap that prefer the G series. My pride led me to irons that didn't fit as well as what the G425 do. I200 are great irons but I got more out of my game with G425. Nice to know there are better players than me (9 handicap here) that are willing to play what performs best no matter what "category" they are in.

 

You guys are scaring me.  I'm a far from a 9 handicap and love these clubs.  I thought they were GI irons, haha.   I've been using my TM R7s for many years (obviously) and they work very nicely but was thinking maybe it's time.

Edited February 22, 2021 by chigolfer1

[minhjn]

10 hours ago, ssf301 said:

So, after a few more rounds on the simulator, I decided to send the G425's back to The Golf Warehouse under their 30 day guarantee.  I really love the heads, but can't seem to control the distance "fliers" with perfectly struck shots.  I decided to swap them for another set of G425's with heavier and slightly stiffer Project X shafts.  I believe that will help with consistency for me.  It's a shame as the feel on those AWT shafts is very good, better than the Project X shafts, but consistency will be better with the Project X's.  

 

I'm scratch and a G iron player for the last ten years.  My first set of G irons many many years ago were the G15s with the AWT X flex shafts and my experience was the same as you.  Shoddy distance control and dispersion.  Overall, a bad fit for my swing, most likely too soft.  Only after I went heavier and stiffer (PX 6.0) did those G irons really start working for me.

 

I don't play PX 6.0 anymore, cause I need something lighter nowadays, but don't give up on the G irons until you put a different shaft in them.

 

Currently got the G25s with PXi 6.0, but I have G425s on order with the Modus 105X.  Can't wait!

[AzSuperHack76]

Only issue I have with them so far is the U/Gap wedge.  I noticed it a couple times in the few previous rounds but I really noticed it today. Not sure why but I just don't hit it well. I came up short the 3 times I pulled it out and just can't seem to make good contact with it. Zero issue with the pitching wedge. I will put my 50 degree RTX 4 in the bag and get some side by side comparisons with them.  

[mich750]

On 2/22/2021 at 7:55 AM, ssf301 said:

So, after a few more rounds on the simulator, I decided to send the G425's back to The Golf Warehouse under their 30 day guarantee.  I really love the heads, but can't seem to control the distance "fliers" with perfectly struck shots.  I decided to swap them for another set of G425's with heavier and slightly stiffer Project X shafts.  I believe that will help with consistency for me.  It's a shame as the feel on those AWT shafts is very good, better than the Project X shafts, but consistency will be better with the Project X's.  

I did the same as you going from I200 to the G410.   The G410's are just a bit friendlier on off center hits.  As far the the Nippon, great shaft but its seem to me they play soft and need to be played a whole flex stiffer.  

 

thx

Jeff

[barnum1]

Tried Mizunos today to see what they could perform compared to G425. In the end it was a no-brainer, I ordered the G425s. 

Mizuno HMBs were too low-spinning for me (I already have too little stopping power). And JPX 921 Forged didn't give me the forgiveness I want. 

So, I sacrificed looks for performance, mind over heart, I guess. But I'm pretty sure I will quickly get used to the looks of the G425. 

Edited February 24, 2021 by barnum1
Spelling

[realmfg]

I would possibly do a combo set if I were buying a set today. I have the i210s and the 8-pw are pin seekers for me. Best irons I've ever owned for distance control and accuracy. Could always use more forgiveness in longer irons though.

Edited February 24, 2021 by realmfg

[Jmccas]

I went to a Ping demo day today. I’m a high handicapper because I suck off the tees(working on it though) but a solid iron striker. Rep said based on my handicap the G425 would be the club for me but once I started hitting the i210 hands down were the winners. I was a few yards longer with the G425 but the i210s had the best ball flight. 

First time hitting them off the turf and had a great feel and were very forgiving from my perspective.  

[bizkitgto]

On 2/9/2021 at 7:00 AM, moadhia said:

 

 I got them in power lofts to reduce the bounce of the clubs a little bit.  

 

 

 

Can someone please explain what this means?

[Ephemerlol]

3 hours ago, bizkitgto said:

 

Can someone please explain what this means?

He had the factory bend the lofts strong.  When you lower loft 1* you lower the bounce by 1*.

[ssf301]

On 2/22/2021 at 7:55 AM, ssf301 said:

So, after a few more rounds on the simulator, I decided to send the G425's back to The Golf Warehouse under their 30 day guarantee.  I really love the heads, but can't seem to control the distance "fliers" with perfectly struck shots.  I decided to swap them for another set of G425's with heavier and slightly stiffer Project X shafts.  I believe that will help with consistency for me.  It's a shame as the feel on those AWT shafts is very good, better than the Project X shafts, but consistency will be better with the Project X's.  

 

So I have my G425's back, but with the Project X shafts instead of the AWT's.  After 3 rounds on the simulator and some range balls, I am extremely pleased.  The heavier Project X shafts are just what the doctor ordered for me at least.  My ball flight is slightly lower (no big deal as I can hit it pretty high) and dispersion is better, but more importantly, the distance "fliers" I was getting (with the 7 iron and longer clubs) are basically eliminated.  I really liked the "feel" of those AWT's but for whatever reason, in the longer clubs, when I hit one really flush I picked up too much unwanted extra yardage.  

 

I'm set for the season with these G425's.  Very pleased.

[tbonetw]

On 2/8/2021 at 3:31 PM, AzSuperHack76 said:

 

The ZX5’s are on my radar as well. If I can get the forged goodness(feel/looks) and some of the forgiveness of a GI iron that may be a winner. 
 

 

 

 

For what it's worth I tested the new Apex and the ZX5 when I tested the G425. I'm doing a GI club test as well. The G425 was the clear winner. I wanted to get the ZX5, but I couldn't deny that the G425 is just a better club for me. The ZX5 looks a little better at address and the feel is a litter softer. But other than that the G425 was the best one of those 3 for me. The spin was the biggest difference. The G425 spins near what the Titleist irons I have in the bag now do. The other 2 were spinning 1500 RPMs lower than the Ping did. That sealed the deal. I have a set of G425 ordered now. I found the G425 to be more forgiving as the other two also. 

[barnum1]

1 hour ago, tbonetw said:

 

 

 

For what it's worth I tested the new Apex and the ZX5 when I tested the G425. I'm doing a GI club test as well. The G425 was the clear winner. I wanted to get the ZX5, but I couldn't deny that the G425 is just a better club for me. The ZX5 looks a little better at address and the feel is a litter softer. But other than that the G425 was the best one of those 3 for me. The spin was the biggest difference. The G425 spins near what the Titleist irons I have in the bag now do. The other 2 were spinning 1500 RPMs lower than the Ping did. That sealed the deal. I have a set of G425 ordered now. I found the G425 to be more forgiving as the other two also. 

 

So similar to my experience! I tried Mizunos (HMB and 921F) and G425, and the Mizunos looked (and possibly feeled) better. But the G425 performed best (or I performed best with the G425). I also found that the spin was very good with the G425 (hadn't expected that), as well as the descent angle.
And forgiveness of course (which was expected).

 

Now waiting for delivery. Our driving range opened today, so there's hope for an early season opening 🙂

[bizkitgto]

15 hours ago, Ephemerlol said:

He had the factory bend the lofts strong.  When you lower loft 1* you lower the bounce by 1*.

 

Stupid question: why is lower bounce better? 😟

Thank you for your patience.

[Snigeloxe]

Love this thread, let me share my storie. I right know play Titleist AP2 712 with KBS tour. The clubs has not changed in 9 years, but I have....lost a lit of speed, flex and distance. After a PING test event I took the decision to move to GI and restart my game. Waiting for my G425 in retro loft and Alta shafts. I can see myself really get the ball airborn with the new tools and fly over the bunkers instead of rolling into them. I’m a strong chipper and putter, for me it’s just to get close and then I will score, so the new bag will focus 100% on reducing misshits!

[barnum1]

I got my G425 irons (in only 9 days 🙂 ) and have tried them on the range a few times.

It's pretty cold here (just above freezing) so I can't fairly judge the feel.

(Indoor golf closed due to Corona 😞 ) 

 

I didn't have my best swings, impact was all over the club face, but what I could see is that misses are always in starting direction, not curvature. In other word: pushes or pulls, no slices or hooks.

(It was like my old G15 driver: always straight, although the starting direction could be off.)

 

If I tried to fade or draw, it was much less curvature than with my old i20s.

 

I do struggle a bit to get used to the looks. Markedly bigger and more offset than my old i20s.

But I'm confident that I will get used to it. I deliberately chose the G425s for performance, not looks.

 

(Stock Alta CB Slate, regular, green dot.)