Ping Irons – Syndication Server

Ping G430 vs. i530: Which iron is right for you?

Both are designed to create more distance, enhanced feel and extra forgiveness.

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When it comes to selecting the right irons, Ping offers plenty of choices that cater to wide a range of golfers, from elite ball strikers who can benefit from the control and feel of the Blueprint T and the Blueprint S to high-handicap golfers who can take advantage of the forgiveness of the G730.

Two popular options in the middle of Ping’s iron lineup are the G430 and i530. Both clubs were designed using advanced technologies and materials, and there is some overlap in the type of players who might gravitate to these irons, but they serve different needs on the course. So, let’s break down how the G430 and i530 are similar, how they differ, and discuss which players might find the most benefit from each set.

Construction and technology

Released in 2023, the G430 irons feature cast 17-4 stainless steel heads htat have been given a unique heat treatment that strengthens the steel. That allowed designers to make the hitting area thinner and lighter. Ping also lowered the center of gravity (CG) by adding a tungsten weight in the heel and a tungsten screw to the toe. That added mass makes the G430 less likely to twist on off-center hits for increased consistency.

Ping G430 irons — The G430 has a tungsten screw in the toe and a new back badge designed to allow the face to flex more efficiently. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

The G430 was also created with a new back badge called PurFlex. It has seven different pieces that deliver varying levels of stiffness. Ping’s engineers learned that dividing the badge instead of uses a single large piece, it encouraged more face flex while still absorbing excessive vibrations to improve sound and feel.

Released in 2024, the i530 has a hollow-body design that is similar to the design of Ping’s metalwoods. The thin, forged C300 maraging steel face is welded to the 17-7 stainless steel body, which creates a hollow chamber inside the head. This hollow-body design allows the hitting area to flex more efficiently at the moment of impact, so golfers can generate more ball speed and distance.

Ping i530 irons — The i530 has a wider sole than Ping’s Blueprint T or Blueprint S, but it should help a variety of players work in and out of the turf more easily. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

On the inner-facing side of the face, Ping added a polymer piece that soaks up vibrations without inhibiting face flex or dropping ball speed. In addition to weights in the heel and toe, an internal mass pad helps to lower the CG location.

Ping also designed the i530 with MicroMax grooves, so the hitting area is more tightly packed with grooves to help the irons generate more spin.

Both the G430 and the i530 have Ping’s Hydropearl 2.0 finish, a technology that helps to keep water off the face for more consistency.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Ping G430 irons” link=”https://pga-tour-superstore.pxf.io/Py139R”]

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Ping i530 irons” link=”https://pga-tour-superstore.pxf.io/eKdVMQ”]

Size and performance

The Ping G430 has a longer blade length than the i530, to go along with a slightly thicker topline and wider sole. Working in complement with the addd weight in the heel and toe, the added size helps to boost the moment of inertia (MOI) of the G430 and make it more stable on mis-hit shots. The larger size also helps to lower the CG location and encourage a higher ball flight.

The i530 has a more-compact size than the G430, with a shorter blade length, thinner topline and narrower sole. The extra weight added in the heel and toe boost the MOI, but in the case of the i530, Ping wanted more stability without increasing the size.

The lofts of the G430 and i530 are identical, with the 5-irons at 22 degrees and the 9-irons at 37 degrees. However, the standard pitching wedge loft of the G430 is 41 degrees while the i530 pitching wedge comes standard at 42 degrees. Both sets are available in Ping’s Power Spec, which features stronger lofts, and Retro Spec, which has weaker lofts.

Who are the G430 and i530 for?

The best way to find the irons that are right for you is to work with a custom fitter who has a launch monitor and hit shots with lots of different head and shaft combinations.

The G430 is for mid-to-high handicappers who want help getting the ball in the air and keeping it there. The larger head size, added perimeter weighting, and forgiving face make it ideal for golfers who prioritize consistency over shaping shots. If you shoot in the high 80s and 90s and want irons that can launch the ball high, reduce mishit penalties, and boost confidence from anywhere on the course, the G430 is something to consider.

The i530 falls squarely into the better-player’s distance category. Its compact size, thinner topline and reduced offset will remind golfers who shoot in the high 70s and low 80s of muscleback blades and better-player irons they have used in the past, but the hollow-body design will generate more ball speed and distance than solid-body clubs made for low-handicap golfers.

The forged face and extra spin from the MicroMax grooves should also help skilled players hit draws, fades and other shots when they need to work the ball around the course.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Ping G430 irons” link=”https://pga-tour-superstore.pxf.io/Py139R”]

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Best new golf irons you can buy in 2024

Check out Golfweek’s list of the best irons available to purchase in 2024.

As Golfweek explained in our 2024 Driver wrap-up, the undeniable trend in the world of drivers is toward higher-stability offerings that not only perform well when you hit the ball in the middle of the face, but also help you hit straighter shots and help you maintain distance when you mis-hit toward the heel or the toe.

When it comes to irons, the trend continues to be the broadening array of offers to meet the needs of different types of players. Not that long ago, equipment makers sold blades to the best players, cavity-backs to golfers who needed some forgiveness and oversized clubs to high-handicappers and beginners. Those clubs still exist, but they are complemented by better-player distance irons, sets that blend hybrids and irons for forgiveness, and sets that blend hollow-bodied long irons with precision-minded scoring clubs.

Take Ping as an example. The Phoenix-based brand now has the Blueprint T and Blueprint S for elite players, the tour-proven i230 for good players who want more forgiveness, the i525 for golfers who want a better-player’s distance iron, the game-improvement G430 and it still offers the G710 as a max game-improvement club. Brands like Callaway, Cobra, Mizuno, TaylorMade and Titleist have similarly deep stables.

Early this suumer, new irons like the Bettinardi MB24 and CB24, the Cobra Limit3d and the Wilson Staff Model RB Utility iron have dropped.

So much variety is great golfers, but it has never been more important to seek out a good custom fitter, try several different shafts and heads and see what the data reveals.

Below are many of the irons that you will see in pro shops and specialty stores. Use this list as a starting point to discover clubs that might be ideal for you game.

Best golf irons in 2024

Ping i530 irons

Ping i530 irons are better-player distance clubs made to enhanced distance and forgiveness.

Gear: Ping i530 irons
Price: $205 each with True Temper Dynamic Gold X100 steel shafts and Golf Pride 360 Tour Velvet grips. $220 each with Ping Alta CB Black graphite shafts
Specs: Forged C300 maraging steel face with 17-4 stainless steel chassis

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Who It’s For: Golfers who want the look of a better-player’s iron combined with the distance of a game-improvement club.

The Skinny: These hollow-bodied, better-player distance irons look like blades but were made to generate more ball speed and distance while also offering enhanced forgiveness and feel.

The Deep Dive: Ping recently released the Blueprint T and Blueprint S, the new irons that comprise the “precision” offerings in Ping’s stable designed for pros and accomplished players. With its machined back and classic looks, the just-released i530 appears like it fits into that category too. However, several hidden design features and technologies set it apart and position it as a better-player’s distance iron.

The i530 replaces the i525 iron that was released in 2022, and it has a hollow-body design that is similar to the design of Ping’s metalwoods. The thin, forged C300 maraging steel face is welded to the 17-7 stainless steel body, which creates a hollow chamber inside the head. This hollow-body design allows the hitting area to flex more efficiently at the moment of impact, so golfers can generate more ball speed and distance.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Ping i530 irons” link=”https://worldwidegolfshops.pxf.io/Or0vWZ”]

To improve the sound and feel of impact, engineers added a polymer to the back of the face. It soaks up excessive vibrations without restricting the bending of the hitting area at impact, so it does not reduce ball speed.

When golfers see the back of the i530, they might think the milled area is there for show, but each machined line represents an area where steel was removed from a high location in the head. Machining the back and making it thinner created discretionary weight that designers were able to reposition in the form of an internal mass pad that is 10 grams heavier than the pad found in the i525. Consequently, the i530 has a lower the center of gravity (CG) location, which should help golfers create a higher launch angle and more stopping power on the greens. A bonus of positioning extra mass low in the head is it puts more steel directly behind the area where golfers tend to hit the ball, which results in extra ball speed.

To make the i530 more forgiving without making the clubs larger, Ping designed each head to house a high-density toe weight that compliments a weight added to the hosel area. The added mass increases the perimeter weighting of the heads, making them more stable on off-center hits.

In addition to a Hydropearl 2.0 finish that improves performance in wet conditions, Ping gave the i530 MicroMax grooves. Introduced on the i59 and the i230 irons, MicroMax grooves are packed more tightly together in the hitting area to enhance performance in all types of moisture conditions and reduce the effect of flier lies.

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Below are several close-up images of the i530 irons.

Ping Blueprint S irons

A new forging process helps make Ping Blueprint S iron more forgiving.

Gear: Blueprint S irons
Price: $230 each with True Temper Dynamic Gold S300 steel shafts and Golf Pride Tour Velvet grips, $245 each with Ping Alta CB Black graphite shafts
Specs: Forged 8620 carbon steel with a high-density toe screw and Hyrdopearl 2.0 finish. Available 3-iron through pitching wedge.
Available: Jan. 9

Who They’re For: Accomplished golfers who want a better-player’s distance iron with extra forgiveness in the long irons.

The Skinny: A new forging process gives the Blueprint S enhanced performance and feel in the long irons without making them too big, while the short irons in this better-player’s distance set deliver control and precision.

The Deep Dive: The better-player distance category has been one of the hottest parts of the golf industry for the last few years, with more and more brands offering distancing-enhancing clubs that look like muscleback blades. In 2021, Ping released the i59, a club with a clean look, a thin topline and a touch of offset but that hides an internal aluminum piece (AlumiCore) that creates more perimeter weighting and stability.

The i59 is being replaced in 2024 by the new Blueprint S iron, a club that resembles the forged muscleback blades that most tour players love. And once again, Ping is hiding some features that make the Blueprint S more playable.

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The new Blueprint S has a topline that is a few millimeters wider than the i59, and there is a little more offset, too. The Blueprint S is forged from a piece of 8620 carbon steel, but what sets it apart is how it is forged compared to other forged irons.

The hitting area of every other forged iron is flat once the forging process begins and the hot steel is pressed into shape. But in the Blueprint S 3-iron, 4-iron and 5-iron, the first rough forging and second strike bend the head so the top portion of the club angles downward, spreading the back of the club. Then the metal is reoriented (tipped) to allow a small pocket to be milled into the back of the head. The pocket is like a pilot hole you might use when screwing something into a wall. The next strike utilizes the milled pocket and creates a pocket in the back of the head. Finally, with the pocket in place, a final two strikes of the hot metal flatten the hitting area again.

Previously, a construction like this was only possible in a cast club because you cannot create an angled cavity in the back of an iron head if the press comes straight down on top of the billet.

Ping believes this seven-step forging process can uniquely deliver the feel low-handicap players demand while removing 10 grams of steel (weight) and replacing it with a piece of vibration-absorbing thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) that is capped with stainless steel. It also helped Ping designers lower the center of gravity and make it easier to hit the Blueprint S long irons on a higher trajectory.

The 6-iron through pitching wedge are traditionally forged and do not have the TPU insert in the long irons. The mid-irons and scoring clubs also have blade lengths that are progressively shorter.

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For several years, Ping has added weight screws in the toe and tip weights in the heel of irons to boost the moment of inertia and increase stability. The Blueprint S has these features, plus an updated steel shaft hosel stick. The stick weight is molded in a cap that goes up from the hosel and into the tip of a steel shaft. It ranges from 1 to 10 grams. Ping now also has a molded sleeve ranging from 1 to 5 grams designed to accommodate graphite shafts with a much smaller hollow area in the center.

Compared to Ping’s new Blueprint T, the Blueprint S is slightly larger and has more perimeter weighting, and will be more forgiving. The Blueprint S will also launch the ball higher, but it still creates a lower launch than the i230, which has the highest launch angle in Ping’s better-player iron lineup.

Finally, to make it easier for players and fitters to create blended sets that include Blueprint S and the new Blueprint T irons, Ping matched all the lofts of its better-player irons (including the i230). The flight and feel varies subtly from club to club, but now it should be easier to create consistent distance gaps between different types of irons.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop new Ping Blueprint S irons” link=”https://globalgolfcreator.pxf.io/rQNDGQ”]

Below are several images of the Ping Blueprint S irons:

Ping Blueprint T irons

For elite ballstrikers, collegiate players and low-handicap golfers, Ping offers the new Blueprint T.

Gear: Ping Blueprint T irons
Price: $230 with True Temper Dynamic Gold S300 steel shafts and Golf Pride Tour Velvet grips, $245 with Ping Alta CB Black graphite shafts
Specs: Forged 8620 carbon steel with a high-density toe screw and Hyrdopearl 2.0 finish. Available 3-pitching wedge.
Available: Jan. 9

Who They’re For: Low-handicap golfers who want a traditional-looking iron that maximizes feel, control and precision.

The Skinny: The Blueprint T has the compact size, clean lines and control-oriented design that elite ballstrikers crave.

The Deep Dive: Golfers such as Tony Finau and Tyrrell Hatton have powerful, repeatable swings, so they don’t look for irons designed to create more ball speed. They aren’t looking for more forgiveness. What elite golfers want from their irons is an enhanced sense of feel. They want to know exactly where each shot was struck on the hitting area, along with the highest level of predictability, because when golfers like Finau and Hatton make a particular swing, they demand a specific result.

For elite ballstrikers, collegiate players and low-handicap golfers, Ping offers the new Blueprint T, and the Phoenix, Arizona-based company has tried to design it as everything low-handicappers want.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Ping Blueprint T irons” link=”https://globalgolfcreator.pxf.io/5g0ZAj”]

The Blueprint T replaces the original Blueprint, which was released in 2019. It is the most compact Ping iron, with an extremely short blade length, a narrow topline and only a touch of offset. The Blueprint T is also the only Ping iron with a single, non-variable blade length in the 3-iron through 8-iron.

The heads are forged from a single piece of 8620 carbon steel before the hitting area is machined flat, and the grooves are added.

Ping designers added tip and toe weights to the Blueprint T to subtly increase its perimeter weighting. This should make the clubs resist twisting on off-center hits. Slightly.

The Blueprint T creates a lower launch angle than the new Blueprint S and generates slightly less spin. The clubs come standard with the same traditional lofts, with the 5-iron being 26 degrees and the 9-iron being 41 degrees. This should make it easier for players and fitters to create blended sets while maintaining consistent distance gaps between different types of irons.

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Below are several close-up images of the Ping Blueprint T irons:

Ping G430 irons

Ping promises greater distance and forgiveness with its new G430 irons.

Gear: Ping G430 irons
Price: $170 each with Ping AWT 2.0 steel shafts and Golf Pride Tour Velvet grips. $185 each with Alta CB Black graphite shafts.
Specs: Cast 17-4 stainless steel heads with internal tungsten weights
Available: Jan. 26

[mm-video type=video id=01gpe4y03jpmpr6jwzvx playlist_id=none player_id=01f5k5vfbhv59szck1 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gpe4y03jpmpr6jwzvx/01gpe4y03jpmpr6jwzvx-11b7cc21a03588dcb32883450b1a3125.jpg]

Who It’s For: The G430 irons are game-improvement clubs for mid- and higher-handicap players who want more distance and forgiveness.

The Skinny: The successor to the G425, the G430 irons were designed with a faster face, lower center of gravity and a new vibration-absorbing back badge to deliver more distance, a higher launch and a better feel.

The Deep Dive: Making an appealing game-improvement iron is tricky business. Golfers who shoot in the mid-80s to high 90s typically need more distance and forgiveness, but they aren’t beginners. They want clubs that look good at address and feel and sound good at impact, but they also need their clubs to help overcome shortcomings in their swing. It’s a tall order that Ping has answered with the recent G425, G410 and G400. Now comes the G430, the successor to those offerings with which Ping tried to create a club that delivers on all those fronts.

The G430 has a cast 17-4 stainless steel body and face that has been given a new heat treatment. Ping said it makes the hitting area stronger, so designers could make it thinner and 3 percent lighter. The thinner face should flex more efficiently at impact to boost ball speed, and while a 3 percent weight savings may not sound like much, making the hitting area lighter means more weight can be shifted to other areas of the club where it will improve performance.

Ping also lowered the center of gravity and added a tungsten weight in the heel and a tungsten screw to the toe. That added mass makes the G430 less likely to twist on off-center hits for increased consistency.

Ping also designed a new back badge called PurFlex and attached it behind the hitting area of the G430. It is comprised of seven different pieces that deliver varying levels of stiffness. Ping’s engineers learned that dividing the badge instead of relying on a single large one encouraged more face flex while absorbing excessive vibrations to improve sound and feel.

Another subtle thing Ping did was shorten the length of the G430’s hosel, which reduced weight high in the club and helped make the G430 look more compact in the address position.

The lofts of the G430 irons are stronger than the lofts designed into the G425 by 1 to 2.5 degrees in the 4-iron (19 degrees) through 9-iron (37 degrees). The pitching wedge is 3.5 degrees stronger (41 degrees), so Ping added another wedge offering to the set and simply labeled it with its loft. Now above the pitching wedge are 45-, 50-, 54- and 58-degree clubs that golfers can buy to ensure ideal gapping between each club.

The faster face and stronger lofts help the G430 create 2 mph more ball speed than the G425. Ping said that tests show distance increases between 7 and 12 yards with the 4-iron through pitching wedge and a slightly higher ball flight.

Finally, because players who tend to shoot in the high 80s and 90s often struggle to with ground-first contact, Ping gave the G430 irons 1 degree more bounce than is found in the G425 irons. It’s a subtle adjustment, but the extra bounce should help the G430 avoid digging on fat shots and work through the impact area more efficiently.

Ping i230 irons

The i230 features an internal elastomer piece to reduce vibrations created at impact.

Gear: Ping i230 irons
Price: $205 each with True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 shafts and Lamkin Crossline Black grips, $230 each with Ping Alta CB Black graphite shafts
Specs: Cast 431 stainless steel body with tungsten tip and toe weights, internal elastomer insert and multimaterial back badge. 3-iron through gap wedge available
Available: November

[mm-video type=video id=01ggv996bnwwbyk2dpjp playlist_id=none player_id=01f5k5vfbhv59szck1 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01ggv996bnwwbyk2dpjp/01ggv996bnwwbyk2dpjp-524d866b287621cd137796a8b16652bd.jpg]

Who it’s For: Golfers who want a better-player’s iron that has extra stability, a softer feel at impact and more consistent spin performance.

The Skinny: Made for tour pros and good club players, the i230 takes the place of the i210 and features an internal elastomer piece to reduce vibrations created at impact, while tungsten weights increase stability and unique grooves help normalize performance in both wet and dry conditions.

The Deep Dive: Most equipment makers bring out new game-improvement and max-game-improvement irons every season, but clubs made for accomplished golfers often stick around for a while. The Ping i210 is, shall we say, venerable, having been released over four years ago. Regardless, it was still used by Viktor Hovland, Tyrrell Hatten and Stewart Cink through most of the PGA Tour’s 2021-22 wraparound season.

Last summer, Ping quietly brought the i210’s replacement to the PGA Tour, the i230, and now the company is making it available to everyone.

Ping iCrossover (2022)

The iCrossover delivers hybrid-like ball speed and distance for better players who love long irons.

Gear: Ping iCrossover irons
Price: $275 each with Ping Tour 2.0 Chrome 85 steel shaft or Alta CB Black, Project X HZRDUS Smoke Red RDX and Mitsubishi Kai’Li White graphite shaft and Golf Pride Tour Velvet grips.
Specs: Hollow-bodied, cast 17-4 stainless steel heads with a maraging steel face, tungsten weights and adjustable hosel. Available as a 2-iron (18 degrees), 3-iron (21 degrees) and 4-iron (24 degrees).

[mm-video type=video id=01ggv777zs5754qxfhpq playlist_id=none player_id=01f5k5vfbhv59szck1 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01ggv777zs5754qxfhpq/01ggv777zs5754qxfhpq-9f35aa9bb319eabe46d5cdafaaaaf44f.jpg]

Who It’s For: Accomplished players who prefer the shape and style of a long iron over a hybrid club but who need more distance.

The Skinny: With a hollow-bodied design, compact shape and an adjustable hosel, the iCrossover delivers hybrid-like ball speed and distance for better players who love long irons.

Photos: Ping’s yet-to-be-released G430 driver, woods and irons hit USGA Conforming Club lists

New Ping G430 clubs hit the USGA’s Conforming Club lists on Monday, including three new drivers.

Historically, Ping has released a new family of woods and irons every year, and while the Phoenix-based company has often debuted new better-player irons around U.S. Open time, the clubs most recreational golfers will use come out in January. However, nothing new was released before the start of the 2022 season and the G425 drivers, fairway woods, hybrids and irons stayed in the line-up.

Now, however, things appear to be set to change as several new Ping G430 clubs hit the USGA’s Conforming Club lists on Monday, including three new drivers, as well as new fairway woods, hybrids and irons.

While the company is mum on the details, the clubs have some familiar markings on them that may give away some details. For instance, the three drivers are the G430 Max, G430 LST and G430 SFT. Drivers with a Max designation have been stability-enhanced clubs that are made to be forgiving on mis-hits, while LST has stood for low-spin technology and SFT has stood for straight-flight technology. So, it is probably safe to assume that Ping is sticking with the formula offering a standard, a low-spin and a slice-fighting version of its new driver.

Best affordable irons for 2022

Iron out the kinks in your game and save some money while you do it.

This month, Golfweek is helping you find the most affordable equipment on the market.

Whether you’re young and new to the game, seasoned and looking for an upgrade or just want some new equipment without breaking the bank, we have you covered.

We’ve already found some of the most affordable drivers on the market right now. Look out for affordable wedges, putters and other equipment coming out later this month.

Today, it’s all about the irons!

To classify as affordable, each iron set we selected had to come in under $1,000 for a set or under $150 per iron for a seven club average. Without cutting quality, we’ve done the digging to find the best deals out there at the moment. Many of the items below are currently on sale, so act fast!

For a deeper dive on the best irons on the market, check out David Dusek’s piece from earlier this year.