Last week, PING quietly announced that they were releasing a new version of their super game-improvement G740 irons with a new Midnight finish. While it is just a cosmetic alteration, it is an interesting release for a number of reasons.
If you didn’t expect this release, I’m right there with you.
First of all, it comes at an odd time. Most of us living on the top half of the Earth are nearing the end of the summer golf season. Very few consumers think “the FedEx Cup playoffs have started so I should buy new clubs.”
(Full disclosure, I thought that, but I also get compelled to buy new gear by the toast popping out of the toaster .)
The timing of this release indicates PING is aware that folks on both of Earth’s hemispheres play golf. While the northern summer may be on its way moving to fall, the southern winter is becoming spring.
It makes sense that PING would deliver something new for these golfers.
It’s also unusual that we see a limited-run product that targets the high-handicap golfer. I love that PING recognizes that golfers of all abilities like to have cool-looking clubs that they can actually play well with.
Blacked-out blades always look cool but only a select few have the swing to play them. These new G740s look cool and will help many amateur players play better.
The PING G740 game plan
Back in March, I spent some time on the turf with a set of PING G740 irons. My overall impression was that they were exceptionally long. I hit a shot with the 5-iron that was undoubtedly the longest 5-iron I have ever hit.
The G740 irons even provided a good deal of strike feedback, something that is often absent in SGI irons.
The G740 irons are unapologetically super game-improvement irons. They have a larger profile than the previous G730 irons. The soles are wider with the long irons’ rear section of the head being visible at address.
PING didn’t try to make these look like anything other than an SGI iron and that freed up the design team to really lean into making the G740s as forgiving and long as possible.
The new design earned a top-five overall ranking in the 2026 Most Wanted Super Game-Improvement Irons testing. The G740s were the longest irons in the test with second place iron being a good distance shorter than the G740s.
If you want an iron that launches the ball high and long, check out the PING G740s. For all of the build details, be sure to check my full G740 review.
New Midnight finish
The new Midnight finish is snazzy, evokes some nostalgia for the black-finished G710 irons, and also influences the play characteristics of the irons.
The most overt change is the increased face contrast. The grooves of the irons now sit in sharp contrast to the rest of the face at address. For the G740’s target golfer, this contrast will help the golfer improve alignment at address and perhaps even face awareness.
PING reports that the Midnight finish helps to reduce the visual profile of the G740 irons. This could run a bit counter to the high-handicap golfer wanting a large, confidence-inspiring iron. Maybe that helps the purchase decision for the player that needs these but wants something more traditional in profile.
Ultimately, the Midnight finish makes the G740 irons look cool. That seems trivial but it is an important purchasing consideration, even for golfers who have three-digit totals on their scorecards.
As we approach the new NFL season, Las Vegas Raiders fans may be especially tempted by the G740’s silver-and-black paint fill.
It won’t be midnight forever
Some of you are at the start of your golf season and you want new, helpful irons. Others are at the end of your seasons and realizing that you need new, more helpful irons. In both situations, you should check out the G740 irons.
If you want the Midnight finish, you may not want to watch the paint dry. PING says that these will be available for a “limited time.”
The only drawback of the Midnight finished G740s is that they will not be available in retro or power spec lofts and can only have the lie angle adjusted +/- one degree. Hopefully that fits your play specs.
Steel-shafted irons have a MSRP $202.50 each with graphite shafts bumping the price to $217.50. These should be in shops and available for purchase at online PING retailers today.
Find out more about the G740 irons with the new Midnight finish at PING.com.
Larry
4 weeks ago
Are the new Direct to consumer clubs quality finely making headway in to how the OEM’s go to market? As more quality products are being offered from many of the same houses that make OEM’s equipment, at worse one model year behind in specs, the OEM’s better start coming up with more than just the players they pay to advertise the use of their products (at a tremendous cost to the consumer) I would think Ping, who started as a company that made irons and putter heads in house would be one that is living on the legendary name. Can all the OEM’s stay in business as now many of their customers are seeing names with clubs just as good quality and performance at half or sometimes even less price? One thing for sure the OEM’s products are upping their game to compete where the Direct to consumer clubs were always chasing.