Ping iCrossover utility iron £275

Aiming to bridge yet another gap in the bag you didn't realise you had, the iCrossover sits between your longest iron and the shortest hybrid, but is more of an iron than a hybrid. Compared with the previous Ping G425 Crossover, the sole is a little narrower and the head a bit sleeker to make it play more like an iron.

- Martin Hopley

GM verdict

At impact, the feel and sound of the iCrossover is much crisper than the G425 and is a little on the hollow side, like a wood, due to the head design. The narrower sole goes through the turf better, especially on tighter lies where the previous model might have struggled. This gives more playable options for drilling the lower-lofted 2 (18⁰) and 3 (21⁰) versions going into the wind, as the flight is lower than the G425 thanks to the new design.

Unlike the 22.5° 4 iCrossover, the lower-lofted versions see the stock Ping Tour 2.0 Chrome graphite shaft shortened by 0.5 inches to create more control. Not that the iCrossover is some wild stallion, far from it, but it is good to see a brand take a simple step like this to make longer irons forgiving for a greater number of players.