COST: $210 per iron (steel); $240 per iron (graphite).

TESTED BY: Jimmy Emanuel, Golf Australia Writer (GA Handicap 9.4)

MODEL PLAYED: G410 irons (4-iron to sand wedge), fitted with True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 S300 shafts.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: My instant reaction to the G410 irons related to the new model’s appearance.

The company’s game improvement irons have always had a familiar look that instils confidence and suggests forgiveness. And while the G410 is designed to give the same performance characteristics, the appearance is much closer to that of better player iron model.

The feel off the clubface was solid and not in any way clicky as some other cavity back irons can be, and trajectory was a real standout. A high launch but penetrating flight that held its line and stayed in the air for a long time.

HOW IT PERFORMED: As my time went on with the G410 irons I continued to be surprised by the forgiveness packed into the compact head design. Shorter irons are always where I struggle with game improvement models, as they can appear bulky and awkward, but the G410 pitching wedge and short irons looked as if they belonged in the smaller i210 set used by some of the company’s PGA Tour players.

Moving into the long irons, the size does increase a little but not drastically, and emoted memories of past PING models for mine. This is in no way a bad thing however, as long irons can be the toughest clubs to hit and the confidence boost was a nice feeling standing over the ball when facing some slightly daunting shots.

Despite the more compact size and reduced offset, which made working the ball higher and lower easier, the G410 hasn’t lost any forgiveness on the previous G400. Mis-hits that would see me lose at least a club in distance and looking well wide of my target for my ball with my own irons were rarely far off line, and only a metre or two shorter on most occasions.

The flight throughout the set is extremely consistent both in height and straightness. Working the ball left and right is achievable but takes some work, however, these irons despite their appearance that will appeal to lower handicappers are still designed to offer consistency and forgiveness.

In terms of distance I was about a club longer with the G410 irons throughout the bag, with the long irons really impressing in regards to distance consistency and penetrating flight. The short irons were enjoyable to see soaring high into greens, but the 4-iron particularly became my favourite club to take off the tee on a short par-4 or into a short par-5. The high launch, low spin flight great to watch and strong when hit into the wind.

Overall the G410 irons maintain the forgiveness and performance characteristics PING irons are known for. But the more compact (and improved in my opinion) aesthetics will help the new model appeal to a wider range of golfer, with the long irons even an option to be blended with one of the company’s smaller irons for lower handicap players.

If you are a player that has always loved PING irons these won’t disappoint. And if you are looking for more forgiveness and distance without sacrificing appearance in your iron set, PING has produced an extremely worthy and playable option.

FACTS AND FIGURES

SUITABILITY: The G410 irons will suit a range of players from single figure golfers looking for consistency to high handicappers in need of forgiveness and increased distance, with PING’s custom fitting program meaning the G410 could suit almost any player.

SHAFTS: PING AWT 2.0 and Alta CB Red are the stock shaft options, with a range of aftermarket shafts available.

LEFT-HANDED: G410 irons are available in both right and left-handed.

COMPANY SAYS: Ensuring the distance demands of today’s golfer while advancing PING’s reputation for making the most-forgiving irons available, the G410 iron is a high-performance game-improvement model in a compact design.

PING’s engineering team created a face and cavity structure in the G410 iron that delivers faster ball speeds and saves weight to expand the perimeter weighting. The additional weight savings achieve an 8 percent increase in moment of inertia (MOI).

The more flexible, free-moving face amplifies ball speeds for greater distance and higher max height, allowing golfers to hit less club into the green with the control and precision to hold the putting surface. This is achieved by de-coupling the weighting structure from the face to create a larger flexing zone, which performs like a hinge to launch the ball faster and higher with consistency and predictability.

The next generation of ‘COR-Eye’ technology powers the performance in conjunction with the cascading sole design and deep top-rail undercut.

The clean, refined shape of the G410 iron results from a slightly shorter blade length and 10 percent less offset compared to the G400 iron. The full-cavity, co-moulded aluminium and elastomer badge delivers a powerful, reassuring feel and sound.

Using the same geometry as the Glide 2.0 wedge series, the grooves on the G410 PW, UW, SW and LW are precision machined with a sharper edge radius, increasing interaction with the cover of the ball at impact. 

For more information, visit www.americangolf.com.au