WHAT IT DOES: Distance is wonderful to have in an iron. Precise distance is even better. Ping achieves the latter by using a multitude of methods that, combined, achieve the objective. The multi-material construction starts with a 17-4 stainless-steel body and a high-strength, variable-thickness, maraging-steel face. To realize more rebound, the face is very thin on the perimeter, and an internal sole undercut increases flex to launch shots faster and higher. The stress caused by impact, in effect, moves deeper into the sole, producing a more uniform bending in the center of the face.

WHY WE LIKE IT: We were big fans of Ping’s i500 iron, and this successor is every bit as good or better. The i525’s shorter heel-to-toe length helps frame the ball nicely, and the tungsten toe and shaft-tip weighting increases the forgiveness. Sound, always a concern in a thin-face iron, is addressed by using hot melt (a thin polymer) on the back of the face to eliminate unwanted noise and vibration. On the other side of the face, milled grooves result in tighter spacing and an average of four more grooves on each club, helping to reduce those nagging flyers in the short irons. Read more >>