Hollow-body irons have become a big thing in golf.
PXG likely started that trend, going to the extreme high-end of the price spectrum to offer a massive distance iron that could be custom fit to maximize a golfer's game.
TaylorMade's P790 irons have been a big hit, coming more to the upper-middle of the price spectrum while delivering hollow-body construction backed by their Speed Foam to generate big numbers for golfers.
Callaway's Epic irons -- and soon the Rogue irons -- have been their take on a pure distance machine.
Even Mizuno has gotten in on it, with their MP-18 MMC (multi-material construction) Fli-Hi long-iron replacements. And that's to say nothing of Srixon's fantastic Z U65 hollow-body long irons.
However, Ping has been in this game, too, like Srixon. Their Crossover long-iron replacement has been great for players who wanted to get away from the limitations of hybrids in favor of a more forgiving, more versatile long iron-type club. For their new distance iron, the Ping G700 irons, the company took cues from the Crossover line to build out a full set of hollow-body irons.
The G700s aren't designed solely to go far, but they're also designed to be consistent and forgiving. They're the distance iron, refined, as we've seen in this growing category.
The hollow-body construction begins with a 17-4 stainless steel head which positions weight away from the face. The idea, like with woods, is to create a framing for the targeted trampoline effects coming from the face insert. Ping uses maraging steel for that insert in the G700s, just like in the G400 line of fairway woods, hybrids and crossovers. It's a popular insert choice because of its strength and flexibility.
The muscleback look from behind is appealing for a better player, and the idea is to maintain a distance profile without looking too balky. The aesthetic is modern and not over the top. The HydroPearl finish helps keep water off the club face for more consistent distance on all shots.
Available from 4-iron through sand wedge, the Ping G700 irons are available in the PING AWT 2.0 (R, S, X) stock steel shafts for $160 per iron or in the Alta CB (counter-balanced) with AWT stock graphite shafts for $175 per iron. There are a variety of aftermarket steel shaft irons available for no upcharge, and the UST Recoil 760 ES SMACWRAP (A) and UST Recoil 780 ES SMACWRAP (R, S) graphite shafts are available for no upcharge as well.
