Ping G710 iron Review

Ping say their new G710 distance irons are their longest and most forgiving to date.

Ping’s new G710 irons, boast a 5% higher MOI than the previous G700’s, plasma-welded maraging steel face, machined face and grooves, tungsten toe and hosel weights and Arcoss Smart Grips come as standard.

Reviewed and tested: Ping G425 irons

◆ Availability: 4-PW, UW, SW
◆ Stock shaft: Ping AWT 2.0 (s), Ping Alta Distanza Black 40 (g) 
◆ 7-iron loft: 29.5°

Ping G710 iron: Review

Back in 2018, Ping’s original G700 iron approached hollow body technology from a very different angle. Whereas other brands used hollow tech to create fast-faced players’ distance irons, Ping choose to tailor its first hollow design to the opposite end of the scale.

Related: Best golf irons

The G700 was a great looking, fast and forgiving, super game improver iron, and consistently among our longest, most powerful irons over the last two years – so it’s no surprise it’s sold exceptionally well.

But with G700 at the end of its two-year lifecycle, Ping has worked hard to improve its hollow offering, and the result is the new G710.

ROBOT TESTED: Which golf ball suits my game?

Ping says that thanks to a stainless steel body and C300 face material (like you’ll find in Ping fairways) the new iron flexes like a metalwood. It means this new model’s longer and more forgiving, and the gains come with better sound, too. 

“The G710 iron is our longest, most forgiving iron to date. It’s engineered for golfers who want to maximise both distance and forgiveness,” said Ping President John K. Solheim.

“In designing it, we also advanced other important attributes such as consistency, sound and feel, without sacrificing performance. The hydropearl stealth chrome finish gives it a very sleek and attractive look. It’s a beautiful, high-performance design that will have broad appeal for golfers who want to hit the ball longer and straighter.”

WATCH: Best 2021 High-Handicap Iron video

IRONS RANKED BY FORGIVENESS: 54 sets tested

Solheim also announced the new G710 irons come as standard with Arccos Smart Grips and a free trial of the Arccos Caddie app.

“I personally started using Arccos more than a year ago and have seen significant improvement across my entire game,” he said. “It helps me during a round with club selection and I really enjoy analysing all the data after the round to uncover areas to help me play better. The Arccos Caddie app is a tremendous shot-tracking tool to help golfers lower their scores and have more fun on the course.”

Ping G710 iron: Key Features

Higher MOI

MOI and forgiveness are vital stats when designing super game improving irons. Ping says the G710’s tungsten toe and shaft weights make the new model 5% more forgiving. Mid to high-handicap golfers and slower swing speed players can expect extra help launching shots for more distance and better accuracy.       

Stealth finish

A combined hydropearl (which repels water and improves performance in wet turf) and black PVD finish give a stealth-like appearance. Ping says it isn’t just cosmetic, either. The dark finish gives the perception of a smaller, more compact head, which means the G710 will attract the eye of game improvers, too.    

Sounding off

Tuning sound to eliminate undesirable frequencies (which are felt by the hands and heard by the ears) can be a challenge with hollow irons, especially as there are strict patents around filled irons. Ping says a new epoxy behind the G710’s face creates a more pleasing impact sound and feel over the original model. 

RELATED: Tested – Which Ping iron is right for me?

Arccos Smart Grip

Ping started a collaboration with the shot trackers Arccos last year, but until now the Smart grips were an optional extra. The G710 has them as standard. Arccos says golfers who track their stats can improve 47 times faster than golfers who don’t.  

Alta Distanza Black 40 Graphite Shaft

The proprietary Ping shaft is a no-upcharge option in the G710 iron and offers the lightest weight and max trajectory height available in a Ping iron shaft. A more active tip in the 42-gram shaft delivers higher trajectories and best matches golfers with slower swing speeds. 

An iron for everyone: Where do the Ping G710s fit in to Ping’s 2020 iron line-up? 

Ping Blueprint iron
• From £219 per iron
Ping’s very compact forged tour blade. Shorter blade lengths, less offset and narrow sole widths give elite ball strikers extra precision and control on approaches.

Ping i210 iron
• From £126 per iron
A brilliant players’ iron that thanks to extra elastomer in the cavity, even tour pros can’t tell isn’t forged. Ping’s most popular iron on tour.

Ping i500 iron
• From £149 per iron
A cracking hollow body players’ distance iron. i500 combines the looks (head size, offset, sole width) of a players model with the speed and towering trajectory expected of a game improving design.

Ping G410 iron
• From £126 per iron
Ping’s game improver iron has a smaller more compact head than previous ‘G’ models, but thanks to moving weight to the toe, forgiveness is increased by 8%. Likely to be updated later in 2020.

Ping G710 iron
• From £169 per iron
This powerful and forgiving super game improving design really doesn’t look like a traditional mid-higher handicap iron. Expect towering ball flights.

READ NEXT: Which Ping iron suits my game?

How does the G710 compare to Ping’s other game improver irons?

Verdict: Ping G710 iron 

High-handicap irons never used to look this good, and the G710s are testament to how far the category has come. We love the hollow body and fast face construction, a design method that isn’t widely available within this category.

It’s not too surprising the G710 was second best iron for protecting carry distance drop-off within our Best 2021 High-Handicap Iron Test. We also like how the head covertly inspires confidence behind the ball, as the dark finish very cleverly hides the size.

From a weaker loft than many, it’s unfair to expect the G710 to produce the very longest carry distances for our pro. However, from experience we know at more average speeds, any distance edge is likely to be tiny. It’s also worth mentioning the Arccos shot trackers that come as standard in the G710’s grip. As well as showing valuable data about your own game, Ping will use the stats to influence future club designs and fittings. Very clever stuff.

RELATED: Ping G425 iron review

Ping G710 iron specs

READ NEXT: How good are the Ping G425 irons?

• RRP: £169 per iron (steel) £179 per iron (graphite)
• Availability: 4 - 9, PW, UW, SW
• Stock shafts: Ping AWT 2.0 (steel), Ping Alta CB (graphite)
• Aftermarket steel shaft options (no upcharge): True Temper Dynamic Gold, Dynamic Gold 105, Dynamic Gold 120, Project X LZ, True Temper XP-95, Nippon NS Pro Modus 105
• Graphite shaft options (no upcharge): Ping Alta Distanza Black 40, UST Recoil
• Stock grips: Arccos Golf Pride 360 Tour Velvet