Kutros
New member
Great looking irons! I love my G-20's and hit them very well. Not sure I'm really in the market for more right now, but it will be interesting to see how the testing plays out.
PING G30 Irons Review Thread
For me, I'd refer to the feel of PINGs as "unique" - neither good nor bad, just different than some of the other sets out there. I preferred the sound/feel of the G15s over some of the other GI/SGI clubs I've played, but the two sets Hawk pointed out (VRS Forged and 545s) stand out as having far better feel with a good amount of the forgiveness.
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- #28
I'd say if you like the 20's then keep liking them. If you're in the market down the road and these are still out there I'd look at them for sure.
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- #29
That's not a bad descriptor. It's not borderline offensive like the RocketBladez for example (which I liked very much and played for a long time), but definitely not in the same class as the two I mentioned. No big deal though. We all have different things that make us tick.
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- #30
Alright a quick update on the G30's.
Admittedly I'm in a bit of a funk with golf at the moment, so probably a good time to be testing an iron set like this. Last round out was pretty poor for what I expect this year, though it felt much worse than the final score.
First to the set wedges. I know some people really do enjoy these in the higher lofts, but I'm not sure I can say I'm one of them. Less so with the wedges I'm mostly making partial swings and pitch shots with. With those swings I can appreciate the wider sole, added help off-center, etc. If we're talking a high lofted wedge that I personally use for the above shots, but also for spinny chip shots, open faced shots, bunker shots, etc - not so much. What I saw was enough to make me decide to go back to my 60° 588 wedge after the round got started. Though I found some reasonable success on the practice tee with the G30 LW, that didn't carry over to the course (especially from the bunker) and cost me a few strokes. Again though, the SW as a pitching club was more than adequate and I still was able to produce enough spin that I could control distance. That said, if I was building my own set, I'd stop at the UW.
Like the G25's, I don't see anything remarkable in terms of distance. That's not to say they are short, but rather just comparable to maybe a hair shorter to the majority of GI irons out there for me. Based on what I saw with the G25's both on the course and the launch monitor, my assumption is that the G30's also spin a little more than some irons I like on well struck shots.
They certainly are forgiving, even on shots far off the center. Again, similar to most GI irons in that regard, but certainly appreciated.
On the practice range I was impressed with the longer irons, both with height and carry distance. Often see distances start to bunch up around the 5/6 iron and I think the stronger lofts may help stretch things out a little. Though still well short of proficient, I hit the 4 iron relatively well in practice.
I do not love the way they look at address, but that's just me. They are very offset and I don't really realize enough benefit from that to be in the 'it doesn't bother me' camp. No, I don't think it contributes to any performance issues, but I don't think it helps me either, so why have it. Again - that's all me and personal preference though. The finish is nice enough and the topline built in a way that makes it seem smaller than it is, which I can appreciate it. Said it before, but if you like G series irons then my thoughts mean very little. They are what they are and have been very successful regardless of my preferences.
I still wish I understood the extremely low swingweight, but again that's the G series for you. I sort of understand the reasoning based on who they are designed for, but then again maybe not so much. The distance type irons I've enjoyed the most and hit the farthest still had a relatively 'normal' swing weight.
There hasn't been anything to indicate the redesign of the sole has benefitted me, but that's a tough one to guage when you aren't a huge divot taker. They provided some slide into the ball on heavy misses, but that's about it.
I'll reiterate that if you've got the G25's, you might as well stick with them. Without the badge change I'd struggle to find any real difference, outside maybe a little better longer iron performance. As noted earlier though, there isn't any indication that PING wanted to do anything other than stick with a successful formula in the G30's. Just a slight refinement of a solid line.
Admittedly I'm in a bit of a funk with golf at the moment, so probably a good time to be testing an iron set like this. Last round out was pretty poor for what I expect this year, though it felt much worse than the final score.
First to the set wedges. I know some people really do enjoy these in the higher lofts, but I'm not sure I can say I'm one of them. Less so with the wedges I'm mostly making partial swings and pitch shots with. With those swings I can appreciate the wider sole, added help off-center, etc. If we're talking a high lofted wedge that I personally use for the above shots, but also for spinny chip shots, open faced shots, bunker shots, etc - not so much. What I saw was enough to make me decide to go back to my 60° 588 wedge after the round got started. Though I found some reasonable success on the practice tee with the G30 LW, that didn't carry over to the course (especially from the bunker) and cost me a few strokes. Again though, the SW as a pitching club was more than adequate and I still was able to produce enough spin that I could control distance. That said, if I was building my own set, I'd stop at the UW.
Like the G25's, I don't see anything remarkable in terms of distance. That's not to say they are short, but rather just comparable to maybe a hair shorter to the majority of GI irons out there for me. Based on what I saw with the G25's both on the course and the launch monitor, my assumption is that the G30's also spin a little more than some irons I like on well struck shots.
They certainly are forgiving, even on shots far off the center. Again, similar to most GI irons in that regard, but certainly appreciated.
On the practice range I was impressed with the longer irons, both with height and carry distance. Often see distances start to bunch up around the 5/6 iron and I think the stronger lofts may help stretch things out a little. Though still well short of proficient, I hit the 4 iron relatively well in practice.
I do not love the way they look at address, but that's just me. They are very offset and I don't really realize enough benefit from that to be in the 'it doesn't bother me' camp. No, I don't think it contributes to any performance issues, but I don't think it helps me either, so why have it. Again - that's all me and personal preference though. The finish is nice enough and the topline built in a way that makes it seem smaller than it is, which I can appreciate it. Said it before, but if you like G series irons then my thoughts mean very little. They are what they are and have been very successful regardless of my preferences.
I still wish I understood the extremely low swingweight, but again that's the G series for you. I sort of understand the reasoning based on who they are designed for, but then again maybe not so much. The distance type irons I've enjoyed the most and hit the farthest still had a relatively 'normal' swing weight.
There hasn't been anything to indicate the redesign of the sole has benefitted me, but that's a tough one to guage when you aren't a huge divot taker. They provided some slide into the ball on heavy misses, but that's about it.
I'll reiterate that if you've got the G25's, you might as well stick with them. Without the badge change I'd struggle to find any real difference, outside maybe a little better longer iron performance. As noted earlier though, there isn't any indication that PING wanted to do anything other than stick with a successful formula in the G30's. Just a slight refinement of a solid line.
great review
my theory for the swing weight being low is, they probably anticipate people liking the feel of the stock shaft, and that matches up better to head? when i play my reg cfs i25, even they are d0, it actually feels heavier than my pxi 5.5 xforged d2 when swinging them side by side.
my theory for the swing weight being low is, they probably anticipate people liking the feel of the stock shaft, and that matches up better to head? when i play my reg cfs i25, even they are d0, it actually feels heavier than my pxi 5.5 xforged d2 when swinging them side by side.
I currently play the G25's so naturally I wanted to hit these. I felt the g25's were Not for you if you like distance and I found the 30's to be the same. If you swing hard the ball seemed to disperse easily. Maybe my swing but I also play callaways that I hit pretty straight with little effort. The 7 iron on the 30's was about 150 yards for me which is about 10 yds shorter than any other clubs I hit. I can't see the lofts being anymore aggressive than the 25's. Other than that if I closed my eyes I wouldn't be able to tell the diff between the 25 or 30's. Good clubs but to similar to the 25's IMO.
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- #33
Yea it's an interesting deal. I usually go to D3 or D4 with irons I build, so it's just a preference thing. I just for some reason find it odd coming from PING.
Pretty much how I feel semi. I've never really found them to be shorter by that much, but always on the lower end of the distance iron realm. For some reason I get a lot more spin out of G series irons, which with my higher than normal launch angles rarely does me any good. Sort of a floaty trajectory.
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- #34
It's nice to hear they are forgiving, but I would imagine in a profile their size, it should be expected.
Sorry if I missed it, but how's the audible feedback with them Hawk? Predictable sound? Similar to their predecessor?
Sorry if I missed it, but how's the audible feedback with them Hawk? Predictable sound? Similar to their predecessor?
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- #35
If there's a difference, I certainly haven't spotted it. They feel fine - definitely nothing overtly negative. Nothing really worth seeking out either imo.
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- #36
Something I've been pondering a bit -- Do you think these irons are catering more towards an age group, rather than a skill set? With the lighter weights, could these be geared towards elderly golfers seeking lighter clubs with loads of forgiveness?
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- #37
One thing I will also say is that if you're looking at an iron of this type from PING, I almost wonder why you'd not go after the Karstens. Not that much of a size difference, but enough that you'd see some forgiveness benefits. Not to mention the upside the sole design there offers in launch and ground interaction (for the average to poor golfer). I'd lean towards saying if you weren't an i25 guy, the Karstens would be the better option.
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- #38
You know, its amazing for the changes they are trying to make int he rest of the G-series that the irons are just basically rebadged with very minute changes.
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- #39
It's hard for me to make that call, but in many ways yes that is exactly what has crossed my mind. It makes sense when you look at the club level/green grass market that PING is relatively strong at.
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- #40
sounds like the G series has kind of lost it's spot in the iron lineup considering there isn't much difference between the Karstens and these.
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- #41
It's interesting for sure, though some would say the move from 20 to 25 was rather substantial. Maybe larger changes are just further down the road for the G series. Not that they really have to make any based on the popularity.
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- #42
The only thing is the name though. G has much more clout than any other name they market imo.
I just think that you're looking at a rather oversized, offset iron either way (though there are some small differences). Why not take the most forgiving one out of the two?
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- #43
Its true, the G-series kind of sells itself nowadays with many who are fans of PING.
I am very interested to see you say this, as I had been wondering the something similar. We often talk about the old club categories getting blended, but I think we often focus on the GI/Player's Club range with that discussion. I recently demo'd a G series iron. It was a perfectly fine club but I caught myself thinking way back to when I demo'd the Karsten (it was just solid) and wondered why - other than maybe avoiding the SGI 'stigma' - a guy wouldn't play that one.
I'm not sure that's the case - I wouldn't say the i series is targeted at that crowd, and they have similarly low swingweights. I can't say I understand it, as I always played the G15s with a couple of those tungsten weights on the bottom, and would order them at a heavier swingweight were I to go that route again.
A couple of rounds in with the new irons. My thoughts:
1- Getting fitted is a real game changer. Loft, lie, shaft length and flex all customized to my (flawed) swing.
2- Clubs make it easy to get the ball airborne. Easy swing gets nice results.
3- Ball flies straight. Even the 5 iron is performing well which is a change for me.
4- consistent distances. Not overly long but I'm now hitting a 7 iron 150 instead of the 6. 1.5* stronger loft between old and new, but still some gains I'll give to the design of the head.
All in in all, very happy with the irons. Hope to see continued gains thru the year.
1- Getting fitted is a real game changer. Loft, lie, shaft length and flex all customized to my (flawed) swing.
2- Clubs make it easy to get the ball airborne. Easy swing gets nice results.
3- Ball flies straight. Even the 5 iron is performing well which is a change for me.
4- consistent distances. Not overly long but I'm now hitting a 7 iron 150 instead of the 6. 1.5* stronger loft between old and new, but still some gains I'll give to the design of the head.
All in in all, very happy with the irons. Hope to see continued gains thru the year.
Finally succumbed to the ponder and picked up a set of G30 - they came in to the shop yesterday (black dot, so only had to be shipped from another location). I played the G15 for two seasons, and played some of the best golf of my life with them. Some initial thoughts after spending about two hours at the range with them yesterday.
- The sole is a HUGE improvement over the G15s, and especially the G20s. I didn't play the 25s at all, so I can't speak to them. The trailing edge relief once you get into the shorter clubs makes for a much more playable club off of hardpan, which is pretty much what our range is this early in the season. Here's the UW -
- For a club with a thin face, these feel about as "solid" as anything I've hit. They don't have the same springy feel that the RSi1 and XR had for me. Again, not a good or bad thing, just different - traditional PING. If we're talking overall feel, these are definitely a step down from the z545. But those irons are class-leading from a feel perspective, in my opinion.
- Yes, these are more strongly lofted than my G15s were. But they still get the ball up there as high as the old models do. The 4 iron, which is close to the same loft as the old 3 iron was, is stupid easy to elevate. I'm someone who prefers hitting irons to hybrids (even though the hybrid is a better fit), so this is a great compromise.
- The wedges look much better at address than the old G series irons did. Yes, there's a bit more offset and a thicker topline, but I was actually surprised at how similar the profile is to the RTX CB when I was doing some work greenside. However, the sole is larger, and there's less versatility. But, I wasn't using my 48* as much more than a full swing or bump and run club, and the G30 performs admirably on both. Still, wouldn't be surprised if I end up keeping the 48-52-56 wedge setup that's been working for me long-term.
So, as someone who's in need of as much forgiveness as I can get right now, I'm looking forward to putting these though their paces. The first round on course with them is tomorrow. Will they stay in the bag? We'll see, but if the performance with the long irons on the range is any indication, it's going to be hard to take them out. That's where I feel I've been giving up the most strokes as of late.
- The sole is a HUGE improvement over the G15s, and especially the G20s. I didn't play the 25s at all, so I can't speak to them. The trailing edge relief once you get into the shorter clubs makes for a much more playable club off of hardpan, which is pretty much what our range is this early in the season. Here's the UW -
- For a club with a thin face, these feel about as "solid" as anything I've hit. They don't have the same springy feel that the RSi1 and XR had for me. Again, not a good or bad thing, just different - traditional PING. If we're talking overall feel, these are definitely a step down from the z545. But those irons are class-leading from a feel perspective, in my opinion.
- Yes, these are more strongly lofted than my G15s were. But they still get the ball up there as high as the old models do. The 4 iron, which is close to the same loft as the old 3 iron was, is stupid easy to elevate. I'm someone who prefers hitting irons to hybrids (even though the hybrid is a better fit), so this is a great compromise.
- The wedges look much better at address than the old G series irons did. Yes, there's a bit more offset and a thicker topline, but I was actually surprised at how similar the profile is to the RTX CB when I was doing some work greenside. However, the sole is larger, and there's less versatility. But, I wasn't using my 48* as much more than a full swing or bump and run club, and the G30 performs admirably on both. Still, wouldn't be surprised if I end up keeping the 48-52-56 wedge setup that's been working for me long-term.
So, as someone who's in need of as much forgiveness as I can get right now, I'm looking forward to putting these though their paces. The first round on course with them is tomorrow. Will they stay in the bag? We'll see, but if the performance with the long irons on the range is any indication, it's going to be hard to take them out. That's where I feel I've been giving up the most strokes as of late.
CAA_Beat
Active member
So I was at the range today. Once again I was struggling to hit my TM CBs with any consistency. High right and short 6 iron going About 135.
This particular range has a fully stocked shop and fitting cart from just about every company. I decided to give the G30 a go. They put together a 7 iron in my specs, I plunked down my License and back out to my bucket.
I took a swing and couldn't believe the feel, the sound and the flight. Dead straight right at the 150 marker. I took several more swings and time after time, the same results.
Just to to try and throw myself off track. I picked a 170 yard target way off to the left changed my set up and boom, the same arrow straight flight with the ball falling about 15 yards short according to my range finder after the shot.
I texted a buddy here who saw me play last weekend and struggle mightily with my irons. I told him it felt really good to be hitting golf shots again.
These just jumped straight to the top of the ponder list.
This particular range has a fully stocked shop and fitting cart from just about every company. I decided to give the G30 a go. They put together a 7 iron in my specs, I plunked down my License and back out to my bucket.
I took a swing and couldn't believe the feel, the sound and the flight. Dead straight right at the 150 marker. I took several more swings and time after time, the same results.
Just to to try and throw myself off track. I picked a 170 yard target way off to the left changed my set up and boom, the same arrow straight flight with the ball falling about 15 yards short according to my range finder after the shot.
I texted a buddy here who saw me play last weekend and struggle mightily with my irons. I told him it felt really good to be hitting golf shots again.
These just jumped straight to the top of the ponder list.
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