Ping G430 Irons vs. TaylorMade Stealth (Better Game Helper?)

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Ping and TaylorMade are both known for making some of the most forgiving clubs on the market. The G430 and Stealth models are both chunky game improvement irons that are designed to get the ball flying high and far.

After hitting both in the simulator, I can say that you probably won't be disappointed by either model unless you're a single digit handicap that wants maximum control over your shots.

The G430 Irons are pretty much the gold standard in terms of game improvement technology, but the Stealth Irons are pretty close.

They both have their strengths, so keep reading to see what I thought...

Ping G430 Irons

The Ping G430 Irons were promised by Ping to deliver increased distance and forgiveness for mid to high handicap golfers.

The prior model G425 irons were very popular and known for combining forgiveness with a solid feel not often associated with game improvement irons. So Ping had their work cut out for them to show significant enough improvements to make it worth choosing the new version over the (now less expensive) older version.

Ping made changes that include stronger lofts, lower cg and a thinner face. In simple terms the lower cg is supposed to help get the club up in the air (especially for slower swing speeds and less than perfect strikes) while the stronger lofts add distance. The combination is supposed to add distance without preventing the ball from stopping on the green.

Ping G430 Iron Specs

TaylorMade Stealth Irons

The TaylorMade Stealth irons are a clearly chunky game-improvement iron that are designed to maximize distance and keep the ball straight.

If you are a 15 handicap or better and working on improving your swing, then these may be a little too big and clunky. But if you're a 15 handicap that doesn't want to practice and just plays for fun a few times a year, then these might be perfect for you.

You're going to get jacked up lofts a slightly longer shafts with a low center of gravity all contributing to maxing out the distance with each club (more on that below).

My shots with the Stealth ended up going farther but coming in a little hotter with less spin, which is fine for short hitters that need the help, but it can make it more difficult to hold a fast green.

Overall, this club isn't going to win any awards on looks but it may help you keep pace with the better players in your group.

TaylorMade Stealth Iron Specs

Testing The Ping G430 and TaylorMade Stealth Irons

To test these clubs I used the 7 iron from each set and took them to the launch monitor to check out the stats as well as get a feel for each club.

Differences Between The Ping G430 and G425 Irons

Forgiveness

I didn't notice a major difference in forgiveness but both irons showed minimal distance loss on mishits compared to many other irons.

Forgiveness is looked at fairly subjectively by us, mainly because we have humans testing the club instead of robots.

I felt like both clubs were at the top of the current expectations in terms of forgiveness when it comes to irons, so they both got a 10/10 here.

Consistency

Shot dispersion was pretty close for both the G430 and Stealth irons. I tried to look at just well struck shots to see if there were any fliers that you sometimes get with game improvement irons and end up over the green.

The dispersion was mostly what I would have expected from good GI irons with the exception of a couple fliers from the Stealth. I wouldn't say they were terrible and you'll probably just end up on the back of the green instead of the center, but it was slightly worse dispersion than the Ping G430s.

I wouldn't expect a super tight dispersion with either club simply because you're getting lower spinning high launch shots. So its going to look very different from what you would see with a series of well struck players irons.

The winner here is the Pings but only slightly.

Distance

This category was difficult to rate because the TaylorMade Stealth Irons had stronger lofts than the Ping G430. if you look at the table above, you can see that the Pings were consistently a degree weaker in loft than the TaylorMade irons.

You can get the Pings in stronger lofts, but just comparing the standard setups, I was getting a few yards more on average with the TaylorMade irons.

But I really can't call that a win for TM because of the loft situation.

Couple that with the fact that maximizing distance really isn't a massive benefit with irons and I am calling this category a draw.

Looks

Ping irons are really never going to win any beauty contests and that is still true for their game improvement irons like these. But the TaylorMade Stealth are bigger and chunkier than the G430s.

That being said, the Pings, like all Pings, have that unique look to them, which may not be for everyone.

The Stealth have a more "classic" shape but are just bigger which I think counts against them in terms of looks (but this is all subjective anyway)

Neither of these clubs have that classic iron look, but I am going to give a slight edge to the Pings here.

Sound/Feel

The G430 irons feel slightly better. It's not a big difference but there's more of a softer feel to it and it just feels good when you strike it in the sweet spot.

The Stealth on the other hand feels more like a hybrid club. You get a nice explosive feeling off the sweet spot and you know its going to fly far, but it lacks some of the feedback that the Ping G430 gives you.

But for high handicap players the explosive feeling can be a good thing as it can promote a smoother and more controlled swing. Mostly because it makes you feel like you don't need to swing hard to get the distance you want.

But I am going to give the slight edge to Ping on this one.

Winner

The Ping G430 Irons were the winner in my book.

I felt that they were more playable while still being very easy to hit and get good distance.

The Stealth's had a ball flight that generated more distance but probably makes it harder on average to hold a green. So unless you normally play slow greens, they might drive you crazy when you hit a good shot and see it roll off the back.

I think most players would prefer and benefit more from the Ping G430 irons, but if you want to max out your distance and play in soft conditions, then the TaylorMade Stealth irons may be for you.