Ping G5 Irons Review – Are They Forgiving & Good for High Handicappers?

Ping G5 Irons Review – Are They Forgiving & Good for High Handicappers?

“The Ping G5 irons hearken back to the days when the company didn’t care how big or how gaudy their cavity backs were.”

It certainly was a different time. Golf club manufacturers didn’t seem to know how to make cavity back irons forgiving and not-so-ugly at the same time. No, the Ping G5 irons aren’t the prettiest irons on the market. But if you’re looking for a solid set og game improvement irons, you shouldn’t dismiss them outright.

Ping G5 Irons Overview 

“The Ping G5 irons came out in 2005 but are still being gamed by average golfers.”

There must be a good reason for that, right? What with all the newer GI irons on the market? As we alluded to, the Ping G5 irons are cavity back irons. And the cavities are deep and shameless. Sitting in the low/center position of the cavity is the Custom Tuning Port.

The Custom Tuning Port has two jobs: the first job is to lower the overall CG of the club and the second is to dampen harsh vibration that can occur on mis-hits. The Ping G5 irons have a large profile. The soles are wide and the undercut cavity is deep. They also have a wide, rounded leading edge to help with turf interaction.

“The weak loft profile (the 9-iron checks in at 42°) works in tandem with the wide sole, low CG and deep undercut cavity to help the user launch the ball high. Forgiveness was also clearly a major design point in the development of these irons.”

Are the Ping G5 Irons Forgiving?

“Another thing that affects forgiveness for irons is the offset.”

The more offset the iron has, the easier it will be to close up the face at impact. On the perfect close-up, you will be more or less perfectly square with the face. This, more often than not, results in straighter shots.

At address, you can see how much offset these irons have. They start out wide and close up beautifully with very little effort. This will increase accuracy for players who can’t seem to stay out of the cabbage.

The CG is also nice and low which makes it easier to pick up a bit of extra speed on your downswing. Most of our testers were getting between 2-5 extra yards from the Ping G5 compared to their gamers – some of that came from a touch of extra club head speed. The Ping G5 irons wouldn’t be much else if they were not forgiving.

Are Ping G5 Irons Good for Beginners & High Handicappers?

 

“The Ping G5 irons are absolutely perfect for both beginners and high handicappers.”

Even mid handicappers might like the straight flight and touch of extra distance these irons offer. In particular, we really like these irons for beginners. The reason being is that they look forgiving right out of the gate. They don’t look intimidating and will help beginners get into the flow of their full iron swings.

Yes, they look a bit like shovels at address. But if you’re a beginner, who cares? The Ping G5 iron will help you launch the ball high and more importantly, stay out of the trees. Plus, you can get them for a very beginner-friendly price.

Should You Buy the Ping G5’s or the Ping G’s? 

“The Ping G irons are very similar in profile and features to the Ping G5 irons.”

The Ping G irons also have a deep cavity back but the face profile is a bit shallower than that of the Ping G5 irons. This enhances lateral forgiveness a bit. The Ping G irons are also perimeter weighted which increases forgiveness on toe and heelside mis-hits.

We thought the Ping G irons were more forgiving overall; but we liked the shot shape we got from the Ping G5 irons more. On almost all shots, we were achieving a high draw from the Ping G5 irons. So this one’s a tossup. If you need more forgiveness, the Ping G’s may be better. If you want a more congenial shot-shape, try the Ping G5’s.