Are Ping G20 Irons Still Good? Are They Forgiving for High Handicappers?
“The Ping G20 irons look a bit intimidating at first so high handicappers might not know what to make of them. But all you need to do is take a swing and you’ll know exactly what they’re all about.”
Compared to some of the older Ping irons we have tested recently, the G20’s are a bit more modern. They don’t have the same size and feel as Ping irons from the early and mid 200’s had.
They more closely resemble modern Ping irons and their more recent shift towards blades. So what does all that mean for high handicappers? We went out and tested the Ping G20 irons to find that out. Take a look at what we discovered.
Are the Ping G20’s Still Good?
“The Ping G20 irons are certainly game-improvement irons; but sort of in the guise of player’s performance irons.”
The Ping G20’s don’t have the longest blades or the largest head profiles; but they have it where it counts. First of all, the Ping G20’s are good because they are a lot more durable than some other Ping irons from the same era.
Secondly, they have the same quality composition as many modern Ping irons: 17-4 grade stainless steel. In fact, some of the shot stats we tracked in our testing matched up to some modern Ping irons.
For example, carry distance was great with the 7-iron of the Ping G20 set. The carry distance was comparable to modern Ping irons which we will get into a bit later.
Are the Ping G20’s Forgiving for High Handicappers?
“Some of the forgiveness is compromised by the relatively small heads of the Ping G20 irons – especially when compared with some other Ping irons that came out around the same time.”
Still, that was really our only gripe about these irons in terms of forgiveness. The perimeter weighting with slightly more mass placed in the toe not only makes for a more comfortable swing; they also increase ball speed on mis-hits.
Our testers noted that their toeside shots were generating good ball speed and flying straighter. You will have to take a few swings with these irons in order to find the sweet spot; but once you do you will find that they are very consistent.
Another thing we noticed was that distance gaps were pretty minimal between mis-hits and shots made dead-center. Once you get the hang of these irons, you will find that the smaller heads don’t really do anything to detract from the forgiveness.
After a session or two, you will feel like the sweet spot is enormous even with the relatively compact heads.
Ping G20’s Vs Ping G410’s
“In a lot of ways, we feel that the Ping G410 irons are the direct descendents of the Ping G20 irons.”
They just feel like the true spiritual successors of the Ping G20’s with their similar blade length and head profile. Even the color scheme of the cavity badge is the same. Performance is very similar all-around except in terms of forgiveness.
Both the Ping G20’s and the G410’s were surprisingly workable for irons in the game-improvement category. Carry distance was also very similar with the 7-iron of the Ping G20 set narrowly beating out the 7-iron of the G410 set by 2.4 yards.
The G410’s have a slightly better feel and would be better for mid handicappers. But if you are a high handicapper, you would be better off with the more forgiving and longer Ping G20’s.
Ping G20 First Impressions
“At first, the Ping G20’s had a modern look that we thought was a bit busy.”
This had mostly to do with the fairly large tuning port in the back of the head standing in stark contrast to the short blades. It looked like there was a lot going on. However, it all made sense after just a few swings.
The floating tuning port allows for a thinner face and more mass to be placed far back in the club head. Off the tee, the 3-iron in this set played amazingly long. Our better testers were able to squeeze nearly 202 yards out of it while our high handicap testers were averaging a distance of 195 yards.
Ping G20 Selling Points
- Floating custom tuning port
- 17-4 stainless steel composition
- Thin face
- Perimeter weighting
- CG placed way back in the club head
- Elastomer cavity badge
- Good launch
- Weighted bottom
- Good workability
Ping G20 Key Technology
“We were reminded of more recent Ping irons when reviewing the key technology of the Ping G20’s.”
Floating Custom Tuning Port: The tuning port (essentially a weight) was nearly completely detached from the face to allow for a more precise and helpful CG for high handicappers.
Thin Face Design: Removing mass from just behind the face allowed for a thinner face material which is probably what gives these irons their impressive ball speed.
17-4 Stainless Steel: A modern grade of stainless steel that does a lot for consistency and contributes to a solid feel.
Ping G20 Loft & Lie
| Club | Loft | Lie |
| 3 iron | 20 | 59.25 |
| 4 iron | 23 | 60 |
| 5 iron | 26 | 60.75 |
| 6 iron | 29 | 61.50 |
| 7 iron | 32 | 62.25 |
| 8 iron | 36 | 63 |
| 9 iron | 40 | 63.75 |
Who Should Buy the Ping G20 Irons?
“The Ping G20 irons would be an ideal choice for anyone who is a high handicapper now; but doesn’t plan on being a high handicapper for very long.”
That’s because the Ping G20 irons offer a great combination of distance and workability. Our better testers commented that they liked the spin dynamics of the small irons as well as their workability.
High handicappers will have to practice with these irons a bit to get the feel and find the sweet spot; but once you have done your due diligence, these irons will pay dividends.
Distance: 95/100
Forgiveness: 94/100
Workability: 97/100
Overall Performance: 95/100
Value: 95/100
Overall Score: 96/100
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Aidan is a low-handicap golfer who came from over 110 to breaking 80 in less than 1 year.
Aidan has become obsessed with becoming a scratch golfer and plays golf on every possible occasion, even in the snow!
