PING · Iron set · 2022 · Previous model
PING i525 irons
Players distance, 2.0 of 5 for forgiveness
PING's players distance iron of 2022, two generations before the i540: a compact head with a forged face, 2.0 mm of offset and a 30.5° 7-iron, a degree and a half weaker than the i540's. Tungsten weights in the toe and shaft tip add some help on a mishit, though less than PING's G-series heads give. PING no longer sells the i525 new; the i530 replaced it, and the i540 replaced the i530.
2.0 of 5 forgiveness score
$368.99 used at 2nd Swing Golf
In average condition or better: from $543.99
New instead: PING i540, $1,499.75 at Golf Discount, 7 irons (4-PW), checked 2 Nov
Choose it if
- You strike it well and want distance with a little help.
- You want a higher flight: the 30.5° 7-iron is weaker than most.
- You need a left-handed club or a senior flex: both were stock builds.
Choose something else if
- For more help on a mishit, PING's G440 and G740 forgive more; for a new set built to order, the i540.
- Class
- Players distance
- 7-iron loft
- 30.5°Every club's loft, lie and length
- Offset (7-iron)
- 2.0 mm
- Stock flexes
- Senior to extra stiff
- Hands
- Left or right
- Used
- From $368.99 at 2nd Swing Golf, checked 31 Oct
What changed in the i540
PING made the lofts stronger through the set with the i530, and the i540 keeps them: a 29° 7-iron against the i525's 30.5°, a 42° pitching wedge against 45° and a 47° UW against 50°. The lies are the same club for club. The i540's 4-, 5- and 6-irons are longer (by 3/8, 1/4 and 1/8 inch), it has a little more offset in every club (2.5 mm at the 7-iron against 2.0 mm) and half a degree more bounce in the 8- and 9-iron, and PING's table for it starts at the 4-iron, not the 3-iron.
PING no longer lists the i525 (its page is gone), so a used set is the way to buy one, and both score the same here. It suits a golfer who wants a compact distance iron with weaker lofts for little money; check that the set has every club you need. Choose the i540 for a new set built to order.
| Detail | i525 (previous) | i540 (current) |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Players distance | Players distance |
| Forgiveness score | 2.0 of 5 | 2.0 of 5 |
| 7-iron loft | 30.5° | 29° |
| Offset at the 7-iron | 2.0 mm | 2.5 mm |
| Sole | – | Narrow |
| Stock flexes | Senior to extra stiff | Senior to extra stiff |
| Hands | Left or right | Left or right |
| Price new | No longer sold new | $1,499.75 at Golf Discount, 7 irons (4-PW), checked 2 Nov |
| Price used | From $368.99 at 2nd Swing Golf (5 clubs (6-PW), steel, regular flex, below average condition), checked 31 Oct | From $843.99 at 2nd Swing Golf (5 clubs (6-PW), steel, stiff flex, average condition), checked 31 Oct |
Head to head: PING i525 vs i530 irons · PING i230 vs i525 irons
Loft, lie and length, club by club
| Club | Loft | Lie | Length | Offset | Bounce |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3-iron | 18° | 60° | 39.5 in | 0.19 in | 5° |
| 4-iron | 21° | 60.5° | 38.875 in | 0.16 in | 6° |
| 5-iron | 24° | 61° | 38.25 in | 0.13 in | 7° |
| 6-iron | 27° | 61.5° | 37.625 in | 0.11 in | 8° |
| 7-iron | 30.5° | 62° | 37 in | 0.08 in | 9° |
| 8-iron | 35° | 62.8° | 36.5 in | 0.06 in | 10° |
| 9-iron | 40° | 63.5° | 36 in | 0.04 in | 11.5° |
| PW | 45° | 64.1° | 35.5 in | 0.02 in | 13° |
| UW | 50° | 64.1° | 35.5 in | 0.02 in | 13° |
Build a whole bag around it, or check the lofts in the bag you carry.
Use the iron finder to compare sets for your usual miss, and check the set makeup and loft gaps before ordering.
The PING i525 came in a senior (A) flex as well as regular (R): what the senior flex changes, and who it suits.
i525: the questions buyers ask
- Is the PING i525 forgiving?
- Less than most here. It is PING's players distance iron, with 2.0 mm of offset at the 7-iron and a 30.5° 7-iron. It scores 2.0 of 5 on our reading of what PING publishes about it; the most forgiving iron sets we cover score 5.0.
- Who is the i525 for?
- It suits good strikers who want distance and a little help.
- Does the i525 come in senior or ladies flex?
- Senior, yes; ladies, no. PING listed senior (A), regular (R), stiff (S) and extra stiff (X).
- Is the i525 sold left-handed?
- Yes: PING made it left- and right-handed.
- What are the i525 lofts?
- 3-iron 18°, 4-iron 21°, 5-iron 24°, 6-iron 27°, 7-iron 30.5°, 8-iron 35°, 9-iron 40°, PW 45°, UW 50°, as PING published them. The full table with lie, length and offset is above.
- Which clubs come in an i525 set?
- 3-iron to PW and a UW.
- How much does the i525 cost?
- PING no longer sells it new. Used from $368.99 at 2nd Swing Golf, checked 31 Oct. In average condition or better, from $543.99. Prices change; the seller's page has today's.
How the 2.0 adds up
The forgiveness score is our reading of what PING publishes about the head, from 1 to 5. It is not a test result. How every score works.
| Part | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Head class | 2 | Players distance: a compact head that forgives a little. |
| Offset | +0 | 2.0 mm at the 7-iron, below our 4.5 mm mark. |
| Sole | +0 | PING doesn't publish a sole width, so the sole earns no point. |
| Forgiveness score | 2.0 | of 5 |
The score rates the head only. Hand, flex and price decide which version you buy, not how forgiving it is. PING does not publish a sole width.
Specification sheet
| Maker | PING |
|---|---|
| Model | i525 |
| Model year | 2022 |
| Type | Iron set |
| Class | Players distance |
| Handicap range the maker states | – |
| Offset | 0.08" at the 7-iron (0.19" in the 3-iron down to 0.02" in the PW and UW) |
| Sole | – |
| Moment of inertia (MOI) | – |
| Face technology | Forged, variable-thickness maraging-steel face with an internal sole undercut in the 17-4 stainless body; polymer injected behind the face |
| Construction | A compact, players-style head: a forged maraging-steel face on a stainless body undercut in the sole so the face flexes more, tungsten weights in the toe and shaft tip, and a polymer behind the face for feel and sound. |
| Set makeup | 3-iron to PW and a UW. |
| Clubs in the set | – |
| Stock steel shafts | Project X IO, PING AWT 2.0, True Temper Dynamic Gold, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105, True Temper Dynamic Gold 120, KBS Tour, Nippon N.S. Pro Modus 3 105, True Temper Elevate 95 |
| Stock graphite shafts | UST Recoil ES SmacWrap, PING Alta CB Slate |
| Stock flexes | A (senior), R (regular), S (stiff), X (extra stiff) |
| 7-iron loft | 30.5° |
| Hands | RH, LH |
| Men's or women's | – |
| List price (MSRP) | not published |
| Price at PING | – |
| Set price | – |
Compare with other players distance irons
No matching clubs. Clear the search or loosen the filters.
| Sole | Hand | Where to buy | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
TaylorMade P790 (2025) | 2.0 | Players distance | 30° | not published | not published | A · R · S · X | RH · LH | $1,199.99 at TaylorMade 7 irons · checked 2 Nov | |
| 2.0 | Players distance | 28.5° | 3.2 mm | Moderate width | A · R · S | RH · LH | $1,399.93 at Srixon 7 irons at $199.99 each · checked 2 Nov | ||
Callaway Apex Ai200 (2024) | 2.0 | Players distance | 30° | 3.1 mm | Dynamic Sole Design | A · R · S | RH · LH | $1,449 at Golf Discount 7 irons (4-PW) · checked 2 Nov | |
| 2.0 | Players distance | 29° | 2.5 mm | Narrow | A · R · S · X | RH · LH | $1,499.75 at Golf Discount 7 irons (4-PW) · checked 2 Nov | ||
| 2.0 | Players distance | 32° | 2.4 mm | not published | R · S · X | RH · LH | $589 at Takomo 7 irons (4-PW) · checked 2 Nov | ||
| 2.0 | Players distance | 31° | 2.8 mm | Thinner than the 101 MKII's | R · S · X | RH · LH | $649 at Takomo 7 irons (4-PW) · checked 2 Nov | ||
| 2.0 | Players distance | 28° | 3.2 mm | 21.9 mm at the 7-iron | R · S | RH · LH | $962.50 at Mizuno 7 irons · checked 2 Nov | ||
Wilson DYNAPWR Forged (2026) | 2.0 | Players distance | 30.5° | 2.4 mm | not published | R · S | RH · LH | $999.99 at Wilson 7 irons · checked 2 Nov |
Order: Forgiveness score first; on a tie, the set more golfers can buy, then a set that includes the long irons, then price. Use the arrows to sort. A dash means the maker does not publish it.
See all iron sets on the most forgiving irons page, or compare this club side by side. Waiting for a sale? The Black Friday golf club deals page has the price to beat on every club we price.
Sources
The specification comes from these pages; open the maker's page before buying, because prices and shaft options change. Check the exact shaft and hand at the shop before ordering.
- PING's specifications, archived copy of 2 Mar 2022
- The First Call's launch report
- 2nd Swing Golf's used listings (checked 31 Oct)
- Pre-owned: seen at 2nd Swing Golf from $368.99 (checked 31 Oct)