50 Words or Less
The PING G440 irons jam the G Series’s trademark forgiveness and consistency into an increasingly small package. Tremendous ball speed and distance. These irons make it hard to hit a terrible shot.
Introduction
The PING G Series irons are synonymous with the term “game improvement” in my mind. PING has been arguably the innovator in this space, and they’ve taken forgiveness to insane heights, as seen most recently in the G430 irons [review HERE]. This gave me great anticipation heading toward the PING G440 irons, but when I unboxed them, I got a huge surprise…
Looks
When I first got the PING G440 irons out of their packaging, I wasn’t sure that I had received the right clubs. These look more like PING’s i Series than G. The hallmarks of the G Series – super wide soles, tons of offset, deep cavities – are all absent. These aren’t butterknife blades, but they’re miles from the G irons of old.
At address, the G440 irons have average blade lengths and heavily rounded top lines. PING notes that the top lines have been thinned, the faces shallowed, and the blade length shortened from previous iterations. There is a noticeable amount of offset, but it’s no more than average, and it’s well-shaped. While you might argue with PING’s claim that these have “players-style aesthetics,” there’s no debating that this is the best-looking G-Series iron yet.
Finally, in the bag, the PING G440 irons have a sharp, high tech look. Most of the club has the familiar PING matte finish, but there’s a ribbon of chrome above the “cavity” with a stripe of blue just under that. The back of the club is dominated by the geometric PurFlex cavity badge that looks like a robotic eye. There’s very minimal branding – a small “G440” on the toe and “PING” only appearing on the hosel.
Sound & Feel
The PING G440 irons produce a crisp “knock” when striking a premium golf ball. It’s a sharp sound, but it’s too full to be called a “click.” These are a touch louder than average, especially in the long irons. They provide good audio feedback as the sound is clearer on pure strikes, a bit muddier on misses.
Impact feels firm and powerful, a sensation that pairs well with the sound. The feel gives you the sense that these irons offer the ball no quarter, pounding it with everything they have. Mishits feel firmer than pure strikes, which adds another level of feedback. Locating impact isn’t difficult, but I wouldn’t regard the feel as precise.
Performance
The biggest question I had after looking over the PING G440 irons was, “How much forgiveness did PING sacrifice to make these irons this small?” After just a short amount of testing, I found out that the answer was, “None.”
Just as with the G430 irons, I think the consistency of the G440 irons is their best trait. My notes say, “So hard to get a bad result,” because so many of my ugly swings still carried their full distance on good lines. Despite having a thinner sole, the CG of these irons is very low, meaning thin strikes look more like good ones. Weights in the toe and hosel give the G440 irons more stability, so off-center strikes can still find their target. If there’s anything bad to say about all this, it’s that you might get careless after watching so many mishits find the green.
Just as in the G440 MAX driver [review HERE], PING made the faces of these irons shallower (shorter) and thinner to make them faster. The result is elite ball speed. With this set, you don’t have to choose between length and consistency: you can have both.
That high end ball speed pairs with mid launch and mid/low spin to produce very long carry distances. As a lower launching player, I found the stock ball flight to be penetrating with just enough stopping power in the mid and short irons. My shots with the 4I and 5I ran out a bit, but that’s pretty typical for me. If you need more height on your shots, you can opt for the Retro Spec Lofts.
While everything I’ve noted so far is praise-worthy, it was what I expected based on my previous experiences. However, two things about the PING G440 irons surprised me. First is how good they are at shaping shots. I attribute this to their smaller size. I find it harder to maneuver a big, bulky iron and to trust it to hit a little cut or draw. With the PING G440, I get an iron that feels nimble but can reel me in if my swing gets off path. That’s a pretty great combination.
The other thing that really got my attention with the G440 4I. Despite its strong loft – 19* – I was launching it as high or higher than most other 4 irons but with more ball speed and enough spin to give it enormous carry distances. PING has made the longer irons – 4, 5, and 6 – 1/8″ longer than in G430 to promote better distance gapping, and it definitely worked for me.
I tested the PING G440 irons with the AWT 3.0 shaft. AWT stands for Ascending Weight Technology, meaning that the long iron shafts are lighter than the short iron shafts. This is done to promote more speed in the long irons and more control in the short irons. These shafts feel very smooth, and the AWT design likely contributed to my aforementioned success with the 4I.
Finally, PING continues to lead the industry when it comes to custom fitting and providing golfers with plenty of options. They offer eleven stock shaft options, ranging from sub-40 gram graphite to Dynamic Gold at over 120 grams. PING continues to make their irons available with “Retro” and “Power” Spec Lofts for players that want higher flight or more distance, respectively. There’s also a G440 High Launch iron set which uses a lighter shaft, grip, and weights to help slower-swinging players create more distance.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for one of the longest irons in golf, check out the PING G440 irons. If you want one of the most consistent, forgiving irons in golf, try the PING G440 irons. With elite performance and ton of great customization options, these are extremely hard to beat in the game improvement category.
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He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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22 Comments
Matt, In you opinion would their be enough difference to warrant an upgrade from the G430 irons. I have reread your review of the 430’s and it was also very positive review.
Jim,
My recollection of the G430 is that they’re noticeably bigger than the G440. For me, the smaller size is a meaningful upgrade. For anyone else, my advice is always to get a fitting, compare them head to head, and decide if whatever results you see are worth the money.
Best,
Matt
Matt – seeing as you were pretty effusive of both as GI sets, if you had to a bag a set for a round, are you going G440 or ZXi5? Thanks as always for the reviews!
Mike,
I prefer the look and feel of the ZXi5, but the G440 is in a different class for forgiveness. I’d like to think that I don’t need all the forgiveness of the G440 most days, so I’d probably play the ZXi5.
Best,
Matt
Mike,
I think the Srixion ZXi4 are the irons that you should compare to the Ping G440 irons.
Best of luck!
Joe
Thanks! I had asked since Matt had described them both as GI in the reviews, but understand your point. I think overall the Srixon iron line has done/does a really good job of making players’ irons (7 series) that players’ distance users can manage with, and players’ distance irons (5 series) that offer GI features…if that makes sense! Personally, I had a Mk II 5/7 combo and just got a ZXi5 full set that I can swap the short iron 7s into when I feel up to it.
Great review, tested these out a few days ago. Currently playing forged cavity back irons requiring more speed than I can produce at this point (66 years), first few swings I was picking up 5 or so yards then maxed out at 10. I was happy with that, then the kind young man said “would you like to try graphite?” Why not I thought… 172 with 80mph swing speed on the first swing! Felt like I’d found the fountain of youth, 7-SW on there way. Also compared them with the new p790s . Ping for me was superior
These sound like a great improvement in design for Ping. Srixon 4 and 5 series had become a great example of how form and function (and maybe even better feel) could merge in a great package…glad to see Ping getting there with their Gs! Because the 4 series in the Srixons is amazing this year. Thanks for the thorough review!
Stu,
I have a review of the ZXi4 irons coming soon. They are good, but they’re not in the same league for forgiveness with the G440.
Best,
Matt
Great review, really explains all the nuances of these new irons. Their appeal is the smaller, shorter clubface and thinner sole making them look more an I iron (in fact they look a lot like my iE1 irons). Having a less chunky GI iron if appealing to us older golfers too. Plus they are better looking overall.
Thank you for this review, I liked it because you included info about the shaft tested. Many of these reviews do not include this or the grip/ + or – shaft length/flex/lie or loft bending
It would be great to know how it was tested when we evaluate the test write ups.
Great review Matt on what looks like a sensational product.
Here’s my question. Fourteen club max rule in effect. So, at age 68 say I purchase for my gamers, Driver, three Fairway clubs, two Hybrid clubs, a Putter, then a 7, 8, 9, PW, GW, SW, & LW for 14 clubs. So, with Ping and many of the OEMs going to a wedge system that ends with a 56 degree SW, how to you get a LW to fit what you need for those delicate shots around the green plus stay within the 14 club limit? REALLY WANT TO KNOW PLEASE?
Respectfully, I have a very, very hard time believing that you have meaningful gaps between all five FWs and hybrids. Depending on your swing speed, you may not have meaningful gaps between each iron. When my dad was still playing, I pushed him very hard to play about 7 or 8 clubs because several of his clubs were just a couple yards longer than the next one. I can get my driver speed over 110, and the most clubs I’d ever carry is 13 – driver, one FW or hybrid, 4-PW, GW, SW, LW, putter – but I typically carry 7 or 8.
Best,
Matt
Thank you for your response Matt. Honestly this helps me configure a set going forward.
I keep a golf diary of each and every outing in my computer and have for years. So enjoyable to go back and read about different outings as well as read a refresher tip here or there that I may have forgotten.
At the top of my golf diary it reads:
~~~ To Play ~ To Improve ~ To Respect ~ To Enjoy the Journey ~~~ And that is what it’s all about! Thank you for helping all of us achieve these goals!
I hit the Ping G440 with the Srixon Zi4 – I do not need too much forgiveness but I do need more distance. Both sets were excellent. Correct me if wrong, but the Ping long irons show a little bit more of the back of the iron at address than the Srixon. Srixon had that sweet feeling on the best strikes. I had 5 more yards of carry with the Srixon but it was all inside on a monitor. And the same shaft was not in both — so for me it was a subjective choice, Between them, I think it is more of a personal decision.
Truthfully, you can’t go wrong with either – the Pings are great. Check them out and enjoy the distance with forgiveness.
Dang nabbit, Matt, I WAS thrilled with my ZX5 MKIIs…and then ya had to go and write this review! All kidding aside, PING’s commitment to CB shafts and maximum forgiveness (Mongo hits ball long ways left and right sometimes…) in a club that still facilitates the ability to work the ball has me thinking. Great review as always.
Thanks, Ian!
-Matt
Same here Ian! I played the G410s when they first came out, and currently play the ZX5 MkIIs and love them. Just had a chance to test them against the G440s and was blown away by the results.
Best shot dispersion I’ve ever seen from any iron, and now they look great too! While I love the Srixons, it will be hard not to put the Pings in the bag this season.
Thanks for another great review Matt! There are so many good options out there today, every bit of additional info we can get is invaluable.
I’m a high handicapper that has been playing 2008 vintage Callaway Big Bertha irons for the last 15+ years. it was one of the most forgiving offerings of that era. Now that I’m 63, my club swing speed has slowed and I am nearing retirement, it is time to build the bag that I will likely play for the next 15 years. I had a professional fitting last Friday and hit the 7-irons of Taylormade Qi, Callaway Elite HL, Mizuno JPX925 Hot Metal, and this Ping G440. I hit the Mizuno almost identically well as these Pings, but the g440 simply “felt” better and had slightly tighter dispersion. My club head speed was 8+ mph higher and total distance 18-20 yards longer with these g440s than my old Big Berthas. I ordered a set of 5-UW g440s to my custom fit spec and they will arrive in 2-3 weeks. I can’t wait to try them. Was very impressed during the fitting.
To Terry K – I just turned 69, am a 9 handicap from 6450 yard tees on my most frequently played course. I have lost significant distance on iron play the past few years. My professional fitting experience mirrors yours. I tried 2 game improvement irons each from Taylormade, Callaway, Mizuno and Ping (the entire fitting session was based on 7 irons.) It came down to the Mizuno JPX925 Hot Metal vs the Ping G440. I hit 3 different shafts in each and wound up with the G440s with Alta graphite shafts, 8 club set – 5 iron through 52 degree wedge. I gained 17 yards of carry and 10 feet of height with a tighter distribution pattern based on my best strikes vs my 19 year old Mizuno forged 7 iron, which were not “game improvement”, irons rather, made for good, not great players (I used to be a 5 – 6 handicap from 6,800 yard tees). 4 rounds in, I’m really happy with the new set through still definitely in the adjustment phase as my biggest challenge thus far is pulling the right iron—hitting typically 3 or 4 shots too long—sometimes it’s hard to pull one less iron, which after hitting the shot is obviously called for. Also notably better results on slightly mishit shots. Highly recommended!
Hi Matt -Great review and great site. I am currently playing i525 irons which I really like. My philosophy is that I would play the most forgiving irons that I can stand to look at! The G440’s are the first G line that I can stand to look at. So – I only have 1 questions of concern. In your testing – how did the spin look? I know they will go higher but still curious if the spin is acceptable? Thanks
Dave,
The spin is neither particularly high or low, and it’s very consistent.
Best,
Matt