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Today, I’ll be reviewing the PING G425 irons.
PING designed the G425 to deliver the forgiveness and speed of a game-improvement iron with the soft feel and streamlined look of a players iron. Additionally, a metalwood-style face increases launch and stopping power into greens.
How do the G425 irons actually perform when put to the test? How do they compare to their predecessor G410 irons? Who are they best suited for? Are they worth putting in the bag?
Read on to find out what you need to know to make an informed purchase.
Note: Unless otherwise stated, stock shafts and stock grips are used when evaluating this club. In most cases, the golf clubs reviewed on Golfstead are acquired temporarily for testing purposes and are not purchased. The review that follows is based on the personal experience and research of the author. Because everyone’s swing and body are different, results with a particular club may differ from person to person.
What are the reviews like?
The PING G425 irons earned a gold medal on the Golf Digest Hot List for 2021 and 2022. They have been received very positively by critics.
The irons currently have average customer scores of 4.9/5 on Global Golf, 4.8/5 (97% recommended) on the PING store, and 4.8/5 on PGA TOUR Superstore.
What People Like
- amazing looks for a game-improvement iron
- very good mis-hit forgiveness
- smooth feel that is both solid and soft
- accurate and consistent
- high, arcing trajectories
What People Don’t Like
- Arccos grips can be a nuisance
- some would like a little more distance
The Features
The G425 irons are packed with technologies designed to maximize feel & performance. They include:
- Tungsten Toe Screw & Hosel Weight: improves performance in mis-hit regions by expanding and reinforcing perimeter weighting.
- Hyper 17-4 Face: a stainless steel face with variable thickness and a metal-wood style design produces PING’s fastest ball speeds in the G-Series.
- Top-Rail Undercut & Patented Cascading Sole: these flex in a hinge-like fashion, resulting in increased ball speeds, higher launch, and better stopping power into greens.
- Multi-Material 3-Piece Badge: dampens unpleasant vibrations and frequencies by covering more of the face.
In addition, as with previous PING irons like the G410, the G425 is hydrophobic, which means it repels water. The hydropearl chrome finish serves two purposes:
- It improves turf interaction in wet conditions.
- It makes the head appear smaller, more compact, and more appealing.
The G425 has a more compact and clean profile compared to the previous model G410. The iron is compatible with Arccos Smart Sensors which attach to the end of the grip.
Stock Info
The G425 irons are available in 4-LW, for both RH and LH.
An array of stock shaft options are offered at no upcharge including the PING AWT 2.0, PING Alta Distanza Black 40, True Temper Dynamic Gold, and Nippus N.S. PRO MODUS 3 105. The stock grips are the Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 and Tour Velvet Cord.
If you’re interested, full information on shafts, grips and other customizations can be found here.
Below are the specs of the G425 irons. Click or zoom to enlarge.
The Performance
Distance
When it comes down to it, total distance and speed potential with the G425 iron ends up being about the same as the G410.
However, the difference is that while the launches are roughly the same, the trajectory’s peak height is greater by a few yards, so shots come into greens at a steeper descent angle. Despite the lower spin, this leads to improved stopping power into greens.
Having said that, despite the marketing claims, I didn’t find there to be much of an improvement in ball speed over its predecessor, but it’s not an issue for me when it comes to irons.
Forgiveness
PING says that the MOI of the G425 is higher than the G410, so in theory, there should be more forgiveness.
I did find there to be a very marginal improvement in dispersions during my tests, although the shorter blade length may inspire a little less confidence at address.
All things considered, mis-hits performance is excellent relative to center strikes, which is what you would expect from a quality GI iron. However, you should still expect your worst strikes in the extreme heel and toe regions to miss the green.
Playability/Trajectory
Trajectories with the G425 irons are generally higher than the G410, and it’s more of an arcing trajectory, with the reduced spin leading to a stronger flight. The irons also have more of a propensity for a draw shot shape which I’d say is a positive.
As with the G410, the RPMs generated might not be sufficient for the level of precision that elite players demand. But high single-digit or teen handicappers should be well taken care of.
Just as the G410 was more workable than the G400, the G425 is more workable than the G410. The workability is very good for a GI iron, largely owing to the shorter blade length and more compact shape. This is certainly a treat given how forgiving the irons are.
The Look
The PING G425 is a slightly oversized iron, but certainly slimmer and more compact than a typical game-improvement iron.
It actually has a very similar (or identical in the case of offsets) shape to the G410, except for the fact that the blade length is a bit shorter from heel to toe.
PING continues the practice of imprinting the number of the iron next to the face on the toe side, which will be a positive or a negative depending on who you ask. As I said in my review of the G410 iron, while it means that players can see the iron number at a glance, it can be a visual distraction at address that ultimately affects your swing.
Unlike the G410, the G425 iron does away with coloured accents on the badge. The aesthetic is good, but in my opinion, the lack of colour makes these irons look a little bland and dull in the bag.
The Sound & Feel
Feel is undoubtedly a strong point of the G425 irons. The face is very responsive at impact, and the feel is solid although it’s slightly softer than the G410. It’s really one of the best feels of any PING iron, in my opinion.
The impact sound is sharp and crisp, but as with the feel, it’s marginally softer than the G410.
Shot feedback is very similar in consistency to the G410 and right about what you’d expect for a game-improvement iron: strikes in mis-hit areas are respectably solid, and they sound decent too.
Turf interaction is nicely balanced, thanks in part to the hydropearl finish. There is good divot potential and the iron does well out of both tight lies and thick lies.
Where To Buy These Irons Online
Online availability of PING golf clubs is more limited than other manufacturers.
One of the best places to pick up the G425 irons (new or used) is eBay. You can typically find deals here that you can’t find anywhere else.
You can also check the stock at Global Golf and PGA TOUR Superstore. These merchants may offer club trade-ins, points programs, or other perks to enhance your shopping experience.
If you aren’t sure which dot colour is right for you, you can do the following: measure both your height and the distance from the ground to your wrist when standing naturally, and then match these two measurements to a PING colour code chart to find a lie setting that works for you.
Conclusion
If you want forgiveness in your irons without excessive bulk, the PING G425 is your answer.
This hybrid-type iron is super forgiving, it launches high, it’s controllable into greens, and distance isn’t half bad. At the same time, the slimmer look at address will appeal to many better players.
With that said, I don’t feel like the G425 differentiates itself enough from its predecessor, the G410, especially when it comes to speed off the face. It’s best to think of it as a minor upgrade to the G410 with a slightly altered trajectory.
In any case, the G425 iron has wide appeal and can be viable for golfers across the skill spectrum from high to low handicap.
Are you interested in the G425 irons? Have you played them? What’s your experience? Tell us about it in the comments below.
