PING · Iron set
PING i540 irons
Players distance, 2.0 of 5 for forgiveness
A players distance iron with a forged face, a narrow sole and 2.5 mm of offset at the 7-iron, built for speed. It gives less help on a mishit than PING's G-series heads. Less help than PING's G740 (5.0 of 5): choose the G740 if thin and heavy strikes are your main miss.
2.0 of 5 forgiveness score
$1,499.75 at Golf Discount
Used from $843.99 at 2nd Swing Golf
Also sold new at GlobalGolfRock Bottom Golf (searches for PING i540)
Choose it if
- You strike it well and want distance with a little help.
- You need a left-handed club or a senior flex: both are stock.
Choose something else if
- You want a higher score for less: PING G440, $999, 3.5 of 5.
- Class
- Players distance
- 7-iron loft
- 29°Every club's loft, lie and length
- Offset (7-iron)
- 2.5 mm
- Sole
- Narrow
- Stock flexes
- Senior to extra stiff
- Hands
- Left or right
- Price
- $1,499.75 at Golf Discount, 7 irons (4-PW), checked 2 Nov
PING i540, G740 or G440?
| Detail | i540 this page | G740 | G440 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forgiveness score | 2.0 of 5 | 5.0 of 5 | 3.5 of 5 |
| Class | Players distance | Super game improvement | Game improvement |
| 7-iron loft | 29° | 28° | 29° |
| Offset, 7-iron | 2.5 mm | 4.8 mm | 4.6 mm |
| Sole | Narrow | Wider | not published |
| Flexes | A · R · S · X | A · R · S · X | A · R · S · X |
| Hands | RH · LH | RH · LH | RH · LH |
| Price | $1,499.75 at Golf Discount, checked 2 Nov | $1,299.99 at PGA TOUR Superstore, checked 2 Nov | $999 at Golf Discount, checked 2 Nov |
Compare these 3 in full · PING i540 vs TaylorMade P790 irons · PING i540 vs i240 irons · PING i530 vs i540 irons
What changed from the i530
By PING's tables the two share every loft (a 29° 7-iron and a 47° UW), every lie and every bounce, and the same set: 4-iron to PW and UW. The i540's 4-, 5- and 6-irons are longer (by 3/8, 1/4 and 1/8 inch), and its offset is one or two hundredths of an inch less in every club but the UW (2.5 mm at the 7-iron against the i530's 3.0 mm). PING describes the i540's faster forged face, tungsten weighting, air-pocket technology and narrow sole.
PING now builds the i530 only as fill-in or replacement clubs, so most sets are bought used, and both score the same here. Choose the i540 for a whole set built to order, or the longer long irons.
| Detail | i530 (previous) | i540 (current) |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Players distance | Players distance |
| Forgiveness score | 2.0 of 5 | 2.0 of 5 |
| 7-iron loft | 29° | 29° |
| Offset at the 7-iron | 3.0 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 | Fill-in and replacement clubs only | $1,499.75 at Golf Discount, 7 irons (4-PW), checked 2 Nov |
| Price used | From $569.99 at 2nd Swing Golf (6 clubs (6-PW, AW), graphite, regular flex, poor condition), checked 31 Oct | From $843.99 at 2nd Swing Golf (5 clubs (6-PW), steel, stiff flex, average condition), checked 31 Oct |
What changed from the i525
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 |
Loft, lie and length, club by club
| Club | Loft | Lie | Length | Offset | Bounce |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4-iron | 19° | 60.5° | 39.25 in | 0.19 in | 6° |
| 5-iron | 22° | 61° | 38.5 in | 0.16 in | 7° |
| 6-iron | 25.5° | 61.5° | 37.75 in | 0.13 in | 8° |
| 7-iron | 29° | 62° | 37 in | 0.1 in | 9° |
| 8-iron | 33° | 62.8° | 36.5 in | 0.08 in | 10.5° |
| 9-iron | 37° | 63.5° | 36 in | 0.06 in | 12° |
| PW | 42° | 64.1° | 35.5 in | 0.04 in | 13° |
| UW | 47° | 64.1° | 35.5 in | 0.03 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 i540 is sold in a senior (A) flex as well as regular (R): what the senior flex changes, and who it suits.
i540: the questions buyers ask
- Is the PING i540 forgiving?
- Less than most here. It is PING's players distance iron, with 2.5 mm of offset at the 7-iron and a 29° 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 i540 for?
- It suits good strikers who want distance and a little help.
- i540 or a more forgiving PING head?
- Less help than PING's G740 (5.0 of 5): choose the G740 if thin and heavy strikes are your main miss.
- Does the i540 come in senior or ladies flex?
- Senior, yes; ladies, no. PING lists senior (A), regular (R), stiff (S) and extra stiff (X).
- Is the i540 sold left-handed?
- Yes: PING sells it left- and right-handed.
- What are the i540 lofts?
- 4-iron 19°, 5-iron 22°, 6-iron 25.5°, 7-iron 29°, 8-iron 33°, 9-iron 37°, PW 42°, UW 47°, as PING publishes them. The full table with lie, length and offset is above.
- Which clubs come in an i540 set?
- 4-iron to 9-iron, PW and UW.
- How much does the i540 cost?
- $1,499.75 at Golf Discount, 7 irons (4-PW), checked 2 Nov. Used from $843.99 at 2nd Swing Golf, checked 31 Oct. 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 | 2.5 mm at the 7-iron, below our 4.5 mm mark. |
| Sole | +0 | PING describes the sole ("narrow sole") but not as wide. |
| 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.
Specification sheet
| Maker | PING |
|---|---|
| Model | i540 |
| Model year | – |
| Type | Iron set |
| Class | Players distance |
| Handicap range the maker states | – |
| Offset | 0.1" at the 7-iron (0.19" in the 4-iron down to 0.03" in the UW) |
| Sole | Narrow sole, in PING's words. |
| Moment of inertia (MOI) | – |
| Face technology | faster forged face with tungsten weighting; patent-pending air-pocket technology |
| Construction | PING calls it a players' distance iron, built for speed and distance with the spin to stop the ball. |
| Set makeup | 4-iron to 9-iron, PW and UW. |
| Clubs in the set | – |
| Stock steel shafts | True Temper Dynamic Gold Mid 100, PING AWT 3.0, True Temper Dynamic Gold, True Temper Dynamic Gold 120, KBS Tour, Nippon N.S. Pro Modus 3 Tour 105, Nippon N.S. Pro Modus 3 Tour 115, True Temper Elevate MPH 95 |
| Stock graphite shafts | PING ALTA CB Blue, PING ALTA Quick, UST Recoil Dart |
| Stock flexes | A (senior), R (regular), S (stiff), X (extra stiff) |
| 7-iron loft | 29° |
| Hands | RH, LH |
| Men's or women's | – |
| List price (MSRP) | not published |
| Price at Golf Discount | $1,499.75 · checked 2 Nov |
| What the price buys | 4-iron to PW, right-handed, True Temper Dynamic Gold Mid 100 steel shafts, stiff flex, standard lie (black dot) |
| Price for 7 clubs | $1,499.75 · at Golf Discount, checked 2 Nov |
Compare with other players distance irons
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| 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 | See it at Srixon Check price on Amazon Amazon's price may differ | |
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 | 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 | |
| 2.0 | Players distance | 30° | 3.2 mm | 20.4 mm at the 7-iron | R · S | RH · LH | $1,225 at Mizuno 7 irons · checked 2 Nov | ||
| 2.0 | Players distance | 30.5° | not published | not published | R · S | RH · LH | $1,499 at Golf Discount 7 irons (4-PW) · checked 2 Nov | ||
| 2.0 | Players distance | 35° | not published | not published | R · S | RH · LH | $1,499 at Golf Discount 7 irons (5-PW, AW) · checked 2 Nov | ||
| 2.0 | Players distance | 29.5° | 2.7 mm | not published | R · S | RH | $799 at Golf Discount 7 irons (4-PW) · checked 2 Nov | Check price at Golf Discount Check price on Amazon Amazon's price may differ See it at Cobra |
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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
- GlobalGolf's used listings (checked 6 Sep)
- 2nd Swing Golf's used listings (checked 31 Oct)
- Golf Discount's listing (checked 2 Nov)
- Pre-owned: seen at 2nd Swing Golf from $843.99 (checked 31 Oct)