Ping

What it does: Given the clean profile and careful craftsmanship, you probably wouldn’t guess that these irons feature a multi-material hollow construction through the 8-iron. In those clubs a thin, forged face has a variable-thickness design to maximise ball speed. On the 2 through 7-iron, a 28-gram tungsten slug sits low in the back for a deeper centre of gravity and higher launch. The 8-iron foregoes the tungsten to help smooth the transition to the partially hollow short irons, which have a forged 1025E-carbon-steel face and neck plus a 17-4 stainless-steel cap over the muscle-back area to promote more control in the scoring clubs.

Why we like it: We can hear you now: “Seriously, another Mizuno players-distance iron?” Although certainly a tad confusing to the consumer, each line of irons serves a different type of player. Despite having a hollow body, the Pro 225 is the most classic-looking of the group, and it might have the most pep, too. Some hollow-body irons use elastomer inside the head to dampen sound (which can reduce face flex), but the Pro 225 goes without an elastomer. Instead, sound and feel are controlled by the rigidness of the body.

7-iron loft 30 degrees; pw loft 44 degrees