The PING Karsten iron lineup runs from 21° to 58° across 10 factory loft options. The 7-iron is 30.5° and the highest-lofted option is the lob wedge at 58°.
Karsten Lofts & Loft Chart
Factory loft map and model-specific gap analysis
Karsten Loft Chart
| Club | Loft | Loft Gap | Gap Read |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4i | 21° | — | — |
| 5i | 24° | 3° | Tighter than model median |
| 6i | 27° | 3° | Tighter than model median |
| 7i | 30.5° | 3.5° | Near model median |
| 8i | 35° | 4.5° | Near model median |
| 9i | 40° | 5° | Wider than model median |
| PW | 45° | 5° | Wider than model median |
| UW | 50° | 5° | Wider than model median |
| SW | 54° | 4° | Near model median |
| LW | 58° | 4° | Near model median |
What stands out about the Karsten loft?
Gap pattern: The loft steps vary from 3° to 5°, with a 4° median.
Karsten loft progression
Where do the Karsten loft gaps change?
The tightest gap is 3° between the 4-iron and 5-iron. The widest is 5° between the 8-iron and 9-iron. The median step is 4°.
Karsten vs other PING iron lofts
This comparison uses the same benchmark club where possible and shows nearby lower, similar and higher PING lofts when available.
| PING Model | Benchmark Club | Loft | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| G Le | 7i | 29.5° | 1° lower loft |
| G | 7i | 30° | 0.5° lower loft |
| G30 | 7i | 30.5° | Same loft |
| GMax | 7i | 30.5° | Same loft |
| Karsten | 7i | 30.5° | This model |
| Anser 2012 | 7i | 32° | 1.5° higher loft |
Which Karsten club has each loft?
- 21° = 4-iron.
- 24° = 5-iron.
- 27° = 6-iron.
- 30.5° = 7-iron.
- 35° = 8-iron.
- 40° = 9-iron.
- 45° = pitching wedge.
- 50° = utility wedge.
- 54° = sand wedge.
- 58° = lob wedge.
Individual Karsten loft answers
What loft is the PING Karsten 4-iron?
The Karsten 4-iron is 21°. It is the lowest-lofted option in this model.
What loft is the PING Karsten 5-iron?
The Karsten 5-iron is 24°. It has 3° more loft than the 4-iron.
What loft is the PING Karsten 6-iron?
The Karsten 6-iron is 27°. It has 3° more loft than the 5-iron.
What loft is the PING Karsten 7-iron?
The Karsten 7-iron is 30.5°. It has 3.5° more loft than the 6-iron.
What loft is the PING Karsten 8-iron?
The Karsten 8-iron is 35°. It has 4.5° more loft than the 7-iron.
What loft is the PING Karsten 9-iron?
The Karsten 9-iron is 40°. It has 5° more loft than the 8-iron.
What loft is the PING Karsten pitching wedge?
The Karsten pitching wedge is 45°. It has 5° more loft than the 9-iron.
What loft is the PING Karsten utility wedge?
The Karsten utility wedge is 50°. It has 5° more loft than the pitching wedge.
What loft is the PING Karsten sand wedge?
The Karsten sand wedge is 54°. It has 4° more loft than the utility wedge.
What loft is the PING Karsten lob wedge?
The Karsten lob wedge is 58°. It has 4° more loft than the sand wedge.
Karsten Loft Intelligence
These derived specs show how the numbered irons are structured beyond the raw loft chart.
30.5° loft
vs ~35° traditional 7i
3.8° average
Highly varied
Iron-only spacing: The tightest numbered-iron gap is 3° from 4i to 5i; the widest is 5° from 8i to 9i.
Loft Consistency Score: 46.6/100. This derived score measures variation in numbered-iron loft gaps; 100 means perfectly even spacing.
How the Karsten lofts affect the shot
Loft is one of the biggest inputs into launch, trajectory, rollout and stopping power. The table below translates each Karsten loft into its likely loft-only shot tendency.
Low–mid launch • Moderate–high roll
Very high launch • Maximum stopping
Low–mid → Very high launch tendency
Distance → control as loft increases
| Club | Loft | Launch Tendency | Flight Window | Roll Tendency | Stopping Tendency | Loft-Driven Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4i | 21° | Low–mid | Strong | Moderate–high | Low–moderate | Long-iron slot |
| 5i | 24° | Low–mid | Strong | Moderate–high | Low–moderate | Long-iron slot |
| 6i | 27° | Mid–low | Strong / flat | Moderate | Moderate | Distance-biased mid/long iron |
| 7i | 30.5° | Mid | Balanced | Moderate | Moderate–high | Mid-iron scoring transition |
| 8i | 35° | Mid–high | Higher | Low–moderate | High | Control-oriented mid/short iron |
| 9i | 40° | High | High / soft | Lower | High | Short-iron approach slot |
| PW | 45° | High | High / steep | Low | Very high | Scoring-iron / pitching slot |
| UW | 50° | Very high | Very high / steep | Very low | Very high | Gap-control / scoring slot |
| SW | 54° | Very high | Maximum-height / steep | Minimal | Maximum | Short-game / maximum-control slot |
| LW | 58° | Very high | Maximum-height / steep | Minimal | Maximum | Short-game / maximum-control slot |
What the loft gaps mean for shot separation
- 4-iron → 5-iron: 3° — Normal-to-moderate loft step — usually a balanced transition.
- 5-iron → 6-iron: 3° — Normal-to-moderate loft step — usually a balanced transition.
- 6-iron → 7-iron: 3.5° — Normal-to-moderate loft step — usually a balanced transition.
- 7-iron → 8-iron: 4.5° — Wider loft step — worth checking carry distance for a larger jump.
- 8-iron → 9-iron: 5° — Wider loft step — worth checking carry distance for a larger jump.
- 9-iron → pitching wedge: 5° — Wider loft step — worth checking carry distance for a larger jump.
- pitching wedge → utility wedge: 5° — Wider loft step — worth checking carry distance for a larger jump.
- utility wedge → sand wedge: 4° — Normal-to-moderate loft step — usually a balanced transition.
- sand wedge → lob wedge: 4° — Normal-to-moderate loft step — usually a balanced transition.
Iron note: Stronger lofts generally lower the launch/flight window and increase distance potential, while weaker lofts generally raise flight and stopping power. Modern iron head design can counteract some of that, so this is a loft-only tendency rather than a measured launch result.
Where the set changes from distance to control
By loft alone, the distance-biased part of the numbered set extends through roughly the 6-iron at 27°. By the 8-iron at 35°, the loft profile is clearly moving toward higher launch, steeper descent and stronger green-holding tendency.
Karsten distance-to-control map
| Part of lineup | Reference club | Loft | What the loft favors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distance end | 4-iron | 21° | Low–mid launch, moderate–high roll, stronger distance bias |
| Middle | 9-iron | 40° | High launch, more balanced carry/control role |
| Control end | lob wedge | 58° | Very high launch, maximum stopping tendency, stronger control bias |
Spec note: Loft can vary with model year, region, special configuration or custom fitting. Verify an exact club against PING documentation or measurement when a single degree matters.