GMax is PING’s Longest Iron EVER

Written By: Tony Covey

Without a bit of further explanation from the guys on PING’s R&D team, we’d risk pigeon-holing the new GMax iron as just another jacked up distance iron.

Absolutely, the GMax can fit that particular mold, so it stands to reason that guys hardcoded for a 37.75″ 5-iron with 27° of loft will likely want to look elsewhere. We get it, the GMax isn’t for you. Feel free to move along to the i Iron.

But what about the guy who might be flirting with single digits but who may not generate enough clubhead speed to create desirable launch conditions? I’m talking about above average golfers that don’t hit the ball as high as they’d like. That’s a group of golfers that extends far beyond the confines of the standard definition of the Super Game-Improvement crowd. It also happens to be a group that would be well-served to consider the GMax iron.

One of the design initiatives behind the GMax was to create a high-launching iron that would offer distance without relying on roll, and do it without those unpleasant hot spots found in many distance irons. For that to happen PING engineers needed to create an iron with a face that bends like a metalwood and an overall design that would still launch high and actually spin a bit more than the Karsten iron at equivalent loft. To do that took a bit of creative design work.

GMAx Technology

Construction of PING’s GMax iron starts with 17-4 steel and a special heat treatment. That treatment increases the strength of the steel without making it so brittle that it breaks. It’s the treatment process that makes the GMax’s thinner face possible.

As you might guess, metallurgy is only the beginning of the technology baked into the GMAx iron. Other important design elements include:

Core-Eye – A new rail support structure that allows the face, top-line, sole, and areas in-between to flex in unison. The face itself is 31% thinner at the perimeter, which along with the Core-Eye structure creates 2-3 more MPH across the entirety of the face. This in turn creates more distance. Noteworthy is that we’re talking about more carry distance not more roll.

Custom Tuning Port – The latest incarnation of PING’s CTP is more tightly integrated with the sole of the GMax which helps push the CG lower and farther back while increasing MOI.

Sole Geometry – We’ve already mentioned the sole’s role in Core-Eye, but we should also mention that the wide sole has been refined for better turf interaction.

Progressive Lengths and Lofts – We’ve talked about this design consideration before. Gaps and shaft lengths increments are not consistent through the set, and that’s okay. Irons are gapped to ensure the target player will achieve proper distance gaps between each iron in the set. My point is that you need to understand that consistent gaps don’t make sense in progressive designs. Trust that the PING guys are smart enough to gap their irons correctly. This isn’t their first rodeo.

Ligher Swing Weights reduced swing weight contribute to more speed, and makes squaring the face easier.

GMax Specs

The GMax has the longest blade length of an PING iron. That, along with increased offset contribute to higher MOI and higher peak shot heights.

GMax vs. G30 and Karsten Irons

For those looking for a cleaner picture of where in the PING lineup the GMax fits relative to the G30 and Karsten irons, PING has created a great little chart to help clarify.

Custom Options

As with all things PING, through custom you can do basically order almost anything you want. Whether that’s altering length, loft, or swing weight; if the stock specs don’t work for you, simply adjust. The point is, with PING the spec sheet is never absolute. You can always build to suit.

Enabling you to more easily dial-in your perfect set than ever before, PING has expanded its shaft offerings. In addition to the true stock CFS Distance, which PING believes offers an excellent fit for the middle of the bell curve, and the CFS Graphite, Dynamic Gold (S300, X100), Project X (5.0, 6.0), DG XP 95 (R,S), and Nippon Modus³ 105 (stiff,x) are now available as no cost upgrades.

The Dynamic Gold and Project X offerings are particularly interesting as tour weight shafts are seldom so readily available in SGI class irons. This speaks to the idea that while GMax fits within the mold of a standard Super Game-Improvement iron, it’s reach could potentially expand well beyond it.

Pricing and Availability

GMax Irons are available for pre-sale today with finished product shipping to the consumer on July 30th. Per club MSRP is $121.25 steel shafts and $136.25 graphite.