Gear: Ping i525 irons
Price: $205 each with Project X IO shafts and Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 grips; $220 each with UST Mamiya Recoil graphite shafts
Specs: Forged 17-4 stainless steel body with maraging stainless steel face and internal polymer.
Available: Feb. 8
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The new Ping i525 irons, which replace the i500 irons released in 2018, were designed for accomplished golfers who prefer the look of a better-player iron but are seeking the distance enhancement of game-improvement clubs. To make that happen, Ping’s designers had to be clever and add some new technologies without creating visual distractions.
Mission accomplished. The i525 is one of the cleanest-looking clubs in the Ping stable. In the address position, golfers will see a thin topline, minimal offset and a short blade length. It is a compact-looking club, like the recently released i59 iron.
The body of the i525 is forged 17-4 stainless steel, with a maraging stainless steel faceplate that is robotically welded into position. The variable-thickness face is thinner around the edges and slightly thicker in the center, which broadens the sweet spot. The i525 is also hollow, which allows the hitting area to flex more efficiently at impact to increase ball speed and distance.
Ping designed the i525 with an internal undercut to improve performance on low-struck shots. On thin shots, the face bends farther back for more efficient energy transfer.
While the i525 is designed for better players, no one hits every shot perfectly, so Ping added high-density, 6-gram weights made of steel and tungsten to the toe and inside the heel. That extra perimeter weighting increases stability and makes the heads less susceptible to twisting on off-center hits.
To improve the sound and feel of the i525, Ping added 4 grams of hot melt (a soft EVA polymer) to the back of each club’s face. It does not inhibit the face from flexing but soaks up excessive vibrations to make the i525 feel more like a blade at impact.
Ping gave the i525 its new MicroMax grooves for added consistency from the fairway and the rough. They are packed more tightly in the hitting area to help maintain spin on long-iron shots and reduce the severity of flier lies on short-iron approach shots. Ping also designed the i525 with a HyrdoPearl Chrome 2.0 finish that repels water for better performance in wet conditions and from the rough.