PING's new irons bring sound and feel

Bob Weeks

TSN Senior Reporter

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More distance, plus better feel and sound, are what golfers will find with PING’s new i525 irons. It’s the newest entry in the lineup of PING irons and are available for PING custom fittings as of Feb. 8.

“What’s most satisfying in the i525 iron from an engineering standpoint is how our team has been able to maximize the flexing of the metal-wood-style face structure while creating a pleasing sound and feel,” said John K. Solheim, PING’s president, in a press release.

“As golfers know who’ve played this type of iron design, they often sacrificed some of the feel for more distance. That’s not the case in the i525 as we’re able to provide golfers a solid-feeling iron with the increased ball speed they need to hit longer, higher shots that hit and hold the green. We’re seeing some incredible results as a lot of golfers are a club stronger or more, including Tour pros who are attracted to the compact look and increased ball speed of the longer irons.”

A thinner, more dynamic face structure is made possible by the strength of the variable-thickness, maraging steel. As well, an internal sole undercut also allows for more flexing which results in more ball speed and shots that release faster and higher.

While the club is targeted at golfers looking for more distance and forgiveness, it has been designed to look more like a club that a better player would use. The head is sleek, not clunky like some clubs in this category seem to be.

“As we advance all of our iron technologies through our continuous research and knowledge development, it’s important for golfers to understand the different attributes engineered into to each model,” said Solheim. “The i525 is clearly for the golfer in search of more distance. But it offers so much more performance, including exceptional forgiveness concealed in a player-style head. Its size and shape are beautifully crafted, and it’s packed with tremendous technology on the inside, which makes it very appealing to a wide range of golfers.”

As with any club, sound and feel are vital and PING engineers have succeeded in providing positives in both categories. This is achieved by injecting a polymer into the cavity of the clubhead which improves both while not impacting the face deflection which creates the ball speed.

Tungsten toe and shaft tip weights combine with a tiered, dynamic face structure and cavity to expand the perimeter weighting while preserving ball speed through greater face deflection for added distance and improved accuracy.

MicroMax grooves for tighter spacing and a geometry that results in an average of four extra grooves on each club to reduce fliers in the short irons and preserve spin in the long irons for greater control and consistency.