On 2006-04-16, C. Steven Reese rated this Ping G2 5HL Iron a 5...(6805)
Details: Black dot, white grip, TrueTemper Flex Steel shaft.
Purchase: I found this club at 2nd Swing Golf near my home in North Carolina. I had been looking into the Ping G2s for quite some time before I stumbled on this, and I had read plenty of reviews. A brand-new looking G2 5 HL was there in the shop for a measly $20, so I had to pick it up. I was pretty excited to get it, as it was the first golf club I've ever bought for myself. When I was around 14 or so, I got a basic Wal-Mart set up of clubs made by Spalding, and before that I was playing on some oversized (to me at the time) ancient hand-me-downs.
Pros: First thing I noticed was how clean the unit looked. I like the construction lines, and it looks and feels like it's very high quality. I immediately noticed how nice the grip feels compared to my bargain-bin clubs. Even the shaft (I got the normal TrueTemper Steel Flex shaft) seems like its leaps and bounds ahead of my other clubs.
I immediately went to the driving range, and just to have something to compare it to, I pulled out my old 5 iron first. I've never been able to hit my 3-4-5 with any consistency, and if I were to pull them out on the course I'd pray that it'd go straight, if it even left the ground. It took me a minute to get adjusted to the Ping, maybe 5-10 shots to get comfortable. But wow, once I did, I had never been so happy simply swinging a club. I found I was able to get every single swing not only in the air, but going where I wanted it! It's easy to hit off grass, and perhaps even easier off the tee, it really is a dream come true. Even when I made a fat swing, the ball would pop right up and go at least 100 yards... something that never happened to me fatting it with my old 5 iron. After some practice (I used the majority of my large bucket of balls on this club) I was hitting it 200 yards every swing, and within 5-20 yards left or right of my target. This is a huge deal to me! I hit my 3-wood around 240-250, so I can't wait to replace my 3 and 4 irons with some HLs. I'm even thinking about picking up a 2 HL (heh, I never thought I would actually consider getting a 2 iron). If I could hit every club in my bag like I can hit this one, I feel like I could save 10 strokes on my score.
It quickly became my favorite club in my bag, and I have been to the range twice since that first night. I can't wait to get out on the course! I'm a true believer now.
Cons: Hmmm... hard question. A lot of people complain about the price of these irons brand new, but I can't really do the same since I only paid $20 for it. Considering I will drop $30 on a shirt without thinking about it, or even $20 on a comfy glove, the price was great.
I guess I don't like that I waited so long to try a better iron, or that I don't have more than just one of these.
Quality: Construction is superb! Feels very solid, and well thought-out. No 'moving' parts anywhere, just a clubhead, shaft, and grip. I don't think I can say much about it that you couldn't assume... it's a Ping, and they devote a lot of attention to their products.
Review Summary: Absolutely the best thing to happen to my game since I learned to hit my driver consistantly. I do wish I had the money to get fitted, and buy an entire set all at once. The club lies exactly the same as my old 5-iron, but I can tell that I'd be better suited with a 1*upright (blue dot) club.
Bottom line, for moderate golfers this club is fantastic! I hear that blades are a little better for feel, but I don't think I could sacrifice the consistency of this club in order to switch. I *WILL* be purchasing a complete set of these, slowly but surely, hunting my local second hand shops and eBay until I get it.
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