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MikeAnthony's G425 Irons UnOfficial Review & Progress Thread


mikeanthony

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What's good everyone! I won't rehash what is already know by many golfers with regards to PING's G425 irons, for there are plenty of YouTube videos and written reviews on these Game Improvement Irons ... for additional details, I'll simply plug MyGolfSpy's initial release announcement of PING's irons back in January of this year. 

https://mygolfspy.com/ping-g425-irons-cleaned-up-tightened-up-squared-up/

And it was that very article that caught my attention to the new G irons ... and more specifically, it's the irons beautiful, clean, simple and attractive black and matte grey color-way that immediately caught my eye. Now, this may be a gross overstatement, and in no way am I stating that these irons will perform like that of the high-end automobile brand that I'm about to state, but these new G425 irons look like the Lamborghini's of irons in the GI category. In my opinion, they're absolutely gorgeous. And call me biased, I also can't help but feel that these irons will fall into their classic irons category much like their i210s have within the past 3 years. 

It was back in March that I stopped by my local DSG store with the intent of simply taking a look at their standard G425 irons on the display rack ... I was a smitten kitten. My specs for as long as I can remember have always been 2* up with the shafts being a half-inch to an inch longer over standard (depending on what standard was to the manufacturer, and truthfully, it appears as thought standard iron lengths have lengthened from what standard was 15 years ago). The shafts in my previous two iron sets have been the Modus 105 Stiff ... tried both PING's AWT 2.0 and the Modus 105 from the launch monitor ... very similar numbers with the Modus 105s having a higher peak ball flight. Placed the order for green dot, 3/4" for Modus 105 shafts with Golf Pride's Velvet Arccos grips in Midsize. Was told 6 to 8 weeks for delivery, I was cool with that. 

Fast forward to August, still no clubs or eta on their arrival, I cxld the order. Albeit, the delay isn't exclusive to PING for many golf OEMs are experiencing the same supply chain issues ... heck, the CCC5 was cxld due to issues on getting clubs to the competitors. 😞 It was about 2 weeks ago that I saw a few posts on the thread 'PING Custom Orders' and few commenters mentioned they finally rcvd their clubs (which made me irritable in not being more patient), with others stating that they're still waiting at 12+ weeks. I'm sorry, but that's just not good business ... 12+ weeks!

With that said, on a whim I went to 2ndswing's website and to my luck, they had a set of the G425 from 5i thru PW, BUT with their AWT 2.0 shafts in stiff, and at just a + half inch over standard ... yet brand spanking new! Called a customer service rep to confirm what my eyes were seeing on the website, and once confirmed by a phone rep, the order was placed for next day delivery. 🙂 On Christmas morning, or afternoon rather, the clubs arrived and I was off to the range. I will add that the rep stated 2ndswing will buy clubs directly from OEMs or big box store retailers and that generally they're clubs that were custom ordered, but then cxld down the line due to delivery taking so long. Haaa! 

NOW, with all of that out of the way ... and with several range sessions and a single solitary round of golf under my belt (a 93 with 5 pars, 3 triples and 29% fairways hit 😞 ), I'm both very pleased with these irons and excited to see where my game will be 3-6-9 and 12 months from now. Per The Grint, my current handicap is 13.6 (my handicap was inexplicably at 8 just 3 years ago) and ballooned to 17.3 as recently as March of this year for my previous irons, the Cobra F9 OneLengths, really affected my overall game. 

Initial impressions ... the ball flight with my scoring irons, is HIGH ... which is all the more crazy for the lofts on these irons are a bit on the strong side. It's one thing to see your ball flight on a launch monitor, but to see it in person is a whole different experience. With that said, I'm happy to have the AWT 2.0 shafts (which are also made my Nippon) for the Modus 105s would have had an even higher ball flight. The overall distance, is appreciatively further than my previous variable length irons in the TM M1s, which had the Modus 105 shafts. (To be fair, I did game Maltbys TS1s for about 2-3 months, but I won't be comparing them in this review) More initial impressions, the offset in the scoring irons from 8i thru PW is very nice to my eye and just the overall look behind the golf ball is just lovely. From the 7i on up to the 5i, the club head does get progressively larger as does its offset as well ... yet the back of the golf club and its deeper cavity-back is not visible at all while at address with the ball. 

The feel of the club, great ... the sound of the club, with its metal-wood variable thickness face, is fine by me. A couple of YouTubers have commented the sound not being to their liking, but for me, it's a non-issue. To me, the important areas in a golf club are looks behind the ball and overall feel during contact ... acoustic for me, would have more importance in the driver category. 

Forgiveness ... is hella impressive thus far. Like for many of us golfers, my usual misses are out on the toe, and man when I do catch one on the toe, the ball still flies on its intended line ... just slightly more to the right and with only a minimal loss of distance. And those misses are only giving more confidence to really get after the ball when I need to and to swing freely, without concern for misses on the toe for I know I won't be penalized too much. My round should've been much worst this past Sunday for I simply could not find the fairway with my driver or 3W, and these irons really did help me scramble around for some occasional 1 put pars. 

I'll leave it at that for now, but plan on adding more to this thread over time ... sharing with y'all my experiences and hopefully a shared journey to lower scores. 

Driver: :ping-small: G410 SFT 10.5*

3W: :cobra-small:  Speedzone 14.5*

Hybrid: :titelist-small: TS2 19* & 21*

Irons: image.png.ec9b0a77ef708074b5547162186659f4.png  Forged Tec One Length (5i-GW)

Wedges: image.png.3c33ed301e51199de9e62f474f52b6e0.png T22 55* & 59*

Putter: image.png.f53011d6b358811f2c4cdcc166aeeffa.png  002 Mid-Mallet

Ball:  Callaway Chrome Soft LS & :Snell: Prime-X

 

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Believe I may have missed only one day of not visiting the range or playing golf since I’ve gotten these irons. And I honestly cannot remember a time where I’ve ever been more motivated by a new club purchase than I do now. 

I generally bring 2 to 3 clubs with me each time I visit a range. Today, it was the 8i, PW & putter … and for once, there wasn’t a 2 club wind directly into your face at the range. Was able to hit the 8i to a green that was 158 out … for me, that’s a big win. 

Albeit, it’s a range sess, but I was able to make mostly solid, center contact with the ball. The grass mark more towards the toe was from the 17th this past Sunday … and helped me scramble to a bogey after another bad tee shot. 

68829E8E-546A-46A8-98CA-165641B2B481.jpeg.be40b06345ad87cd6ad8bbd9f3d153a9.jpeg

And no, those buckets of range balls weren’t all for me. Haha. I coach a h/s girls golf team and was waiting on my golfers to get there. 

I will add that for greenside chips and bump-n-runs, the ball jumps and is hot off the face. I’m talking the ball takes 2 to 3 hops across the fringe area of the green and yet the ball still rolls out several feet once on the green. Something to keep in mind. 

Edited by mikeanthony

Driver: :ping-small: G410 SFT 10.5*

3W: :cobra-small:  Speedzone 14.5*

Hybrid: :titelist-small: TS2 19* & 21*

Irons: image.png.ec9b0a77ef708074b5547162186659f4.png  Forged Tec One Length (5i-GW)

Wedges: image.png.3c33ed301e51199de9e62f474f52b6e0.png T22 55* & 59*

Putter: image.png.f53011d6b358811f2c4cdcc166aeeffa.png  002 Mid-Mallet

Ball:  Callaway Chrome Soft LS & :Snell: Prime-X

 

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Glad to hear the G425's are treating you right.  They were my runner-up and a few here on the forum know I went round and round trying to decide between them and the ZX5's.  I agree they have a very nice look to them and I prefer them to my G410's.  It's hard to go wrong with PING's G-series irons.  Enjoy!

:ping-small: G410 Plus, 9 Degree Driver 

:ping-small: G400 SFT, 16 Degree 3w

:ping-small: G400 SFT, 19 Degree 5w

:srixon-small:  ZX5 Irons 4-AW 

:ping-small: Glide 2.0 56 Degree SW   (removed from double secret probation 😍)

:EVNROLL: ER5v Putter  (Evnroll ER5v Official Review)

:odyssey-small: AI-One Milled Seven T CH (Currently Under Product Test)

 

 

 

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6 hours ago, fixyurdivot said:

Glad to hear the G425's are treating you right.  They were my runner-up and a few here on the forum know I went round and round trying to decide between them and the ZX5's.  I agree they have a very nice look to them and I prefer them to my G410's.  It's hard to go wrong with PING's G-series irons.  Enjoy!

Yessir, I certainly came across a few those posts of yours during my internet research … and enjoyed reading your input.

The ZX5s are very nice, great shape and profile, but I was somewhat surprised by how much offset they appeared to have. And it’s very likely that the offset on the ZX5 is narrower than the G425, but it just looked that much more noticeable behind the ball compared to the PINGs. Wonder if that’s just due to the different finishes for each respective club. 

MGS’s most recent Most Wanted GI Irons did have me looking briefly at Mizuno’s JPX Hot Metal Pros, but again, it was the finish of the PING’s that won me over. 

Driver: :ping-small: G410 SFT 10.5*

3W: :cobra-small:  Speedzone 14.5*

Hybrid: :titelist-small: TS2 19* & 21*

Irons: image.png.ec9b0a77ef708074b5547162186659f4.png  Forged Tec One Length (5i-GW)

Wedges: image.png.3c33ed301e51199de9e62f474f52b6e0.png T22 55* & 59*

Putter: image.png.f53011d6b358811f2c4cdcc166aeeffa.png  002 Mid-Mallet

Ball:  Callaway Chrome Soft LS & :Snell: Prime-X

 

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Made it out to the range this morning, and again, took the PW, 8i and this time brought along the 6i. 

Started with the PW and worked my way up the 6i … 

D9D74873-FC02-482F-AEBD-1922073F7B85.jpeg.6fbf54d351e65b21f323b1af60399682.jpeg

One thing that really stood out to me was the smooth feel and weight of the 6i … it was really nice overall. When you’re pounding away 10-15 balls per club and working your way up, it’s much more noticeable the weight of the club as it gets lighter. 

For today, the 6i was a bit of a pull machine with most shots starting left and staying left on a line. 

Driver: :ping-small: G410 SFT 10.5*

3W: :cobra-small:  Speedzone 14.5*

Hybrid: :titelist-small: TS2 19* & 21*

Irons: image.png.ec9b0a77ef708074b5547162186659f4.png  Forged Tec One Length (5i-GW)

Wedges: image.png.3c33ed301e51199de9e62f474f52b6e0.png T22 55* & 59*

Putter: image.png.f53011d6b358811f2c4cdcc166aeeffa.png  002 Mid-Mallet

Ball:  Callaway Chrome Soft LS & :Snell: Prime-X

 

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2 hours ago, mikeanthony said:

Yessir, I certainly came across a few those posts of yours during my internet research … and enjoyed reading your input.

The ZX5s are very nice, great shape and profile, but I was somewhat surprised by how much offset they appeared to have. And it’s very likely that the offset on the ZX5 is narrower than the G425, but it just looked that much more noticeable behind the ball compared to the PINGs. Wonder if that’s just due to the different finishes for each respective club. 

MGS’s most recent Most Wanted GI Irons did have me looking briefly at Mizuno’s JPX Hot Metal Pros, but again, it was the finish of the PING’s that won me over. 

I do think either the backside AI pocket machining or the difference in alloy on the ZX5's yields a hotter face.  I've picked up 2-3 yards distance across the bag and they are slightly weaker lofts.  From my eye, the ZX5's look a wee bit smaller at address (they are shorter) with no difference in offset.  But PING has done an amazing job with their top line machining; making both the G410 and G425 look thin. From the bottom, the Srixon's look downright scary moving from GI category irons.

PXL_20210128_185819757.jpg.78a739673ee42a3d05cdafe36906c02a.jpg1259552559_G425vsZX5Sole.jpg.86fa5b81078d7de39b9f1dd8c12f9496.jpg1744922848_G425vsZx5face.jpg.75b505f2994d29dd71693e1cd57ae0c6.jpg

My biggest fear choosing the ZX5's was losing forgiveness but, thus far, they are as forgiving as the G425's for me.  I took comfort in the final decision knowing that I could always run back to the G425's... and, as of today, that's what I'd choose if the Srixon's were stolen and no longer available.

As you may have noted from other threads, I've recently gone down the DIY club building hole.  I've been kicking around the idea of re-shafting my G410's (AWT's) with either the MMT80 or Recoil ES780's but I like the look of the G425's better. The other interest is a nice, used set of some other forged player irons to see just how far towards those designs I can game.  I don't think having 3 sets of irons puts one in the category of needing professional help... right? 🙂

:ping-small: G410 Plus, 9 Degree Driver 

:ping-small: G400 SFT, 16 Degree 3w

:ping-small: G400 SFT, 19 Degree 5w

:srixon-small:  ZX5 Irons 4-AW 

:ping-small: Glide 2.0 56 Degree SW   (removed from double secret probation 😍)

:EVNROLL: ER5v Putter  (Evnroll ER5v Official Review)

:odyssey-small: AI-One Milled Seven T CH (Currently Under Product Test)

 

 

 

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22 hours ago, fixyurdivot said:

I do think either the backside AI pocket machining or the difference in alloy on the ZX5's yields a hotter face.  I've picked up 2-3 yards distance across the bag and they are slightly weaker lofts.  From my eye, the ZX5's look a wee bit smaller at address (they are shorter) with no difference in offset.  But PING has done an amazing job with their top line machining; making both the G410 and G425 look thin. From the bottom, the Srixon's look downright scary moving from GI category irons.

PXL_20210128_185819757.jpg.78a739673ee42a3d05cdafe36906c02a.jpg1259552559_G425vsZX5Sole.jpg.86fa5b81078d7de39b9f1dd8c12f9496.jpg1744922848_G425vsZx5face.jpg.75b505f2994d29dd71693e1cd57ae0c6.jpg

My biggest fear choosing the ZX5's was losing forgiveness but, thus far, they are as forgiving as the G425's for me.  I took comfort in the final decision knowing that I could always run back to the G425's... and, as of today, that's what I'd choose if the Srixon's were stolen and no longer available.

As you may have noted from other threads, I've recently gone down the DIY club building hole.  I've been kicking around the idea of re-shafting my G410's (AWT's) with either the MMT80 or Recoil ES780's but I like the look of the G425's better. The other interest is a nice, used set of some other forged player irons to see just how far towards those designs I can game.  I don't think having 3 sets of irons puts one in the category of needing professional help... right? 🙂

Nice! We have a two garage and I simply won't go down that road with DIY club builds. And like you, it's a slight adjustment going from smaller clubs heads to a larger size ... but it is my intent to keep these for as many years as possible, with the only possible upgrade being with the shafts. Kudos to you for taking on the club build challenge. I read somewhere that even Ricky now plays with graphite shafts in his irons, as does Ancer ... curious to see where this trend goes long term. 

Driver: :ping-small: G410 SFT 10.5*

3W: :cobra-small:  Speedzone 14.5*

Hybrid: :titelist-small: TS2 19* & 21*

Irons: image.png.ec9b0a77ef708074b5547162186659f4.png  Forged Tec One Length (5i-GW)

Wedges: image.png.3c33ed301e51199de9e62f474f52b6e0.png T22 55* & 59*

Putter: image.png.f53011d6b358811f2c4cdcc166aeeffa.png  002 Mid-Mallet

Ball:  Callaway Chrome Soft LS & :Snell: Prime-X

 

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45 minutes ago, mikeanthony said:

Nice! We have a two garage and I simply won't go down that road with DIY club builds. And like you, it's a slight adjustment going from smaller clubs heads to a larger size ... but it is my intent to keep these for as many years as possible, with the only possible upgrade being with the shafts. Kudos to you for taking on the club build challenge. I read somewhere that even Ricky now plays with graphite shafts in his irons, as does Ancer ... curious to see where this trend goes long term. 

I made the switch to help with shoulder and elbow pain.  Everyone said moving from steel to graphite offers relief and I can confirm it it true.  Even more is that after long range sessions my hands and wrists feel better too.  Add to that improved ball flight numbers has me kicking myself for not making the switch years earlier.  Most say the reason pro and pro level amateurs don't switch is due to composite not offering steel like performance at their typical high swing speeds.  My True Spec fitter called BS on this and said it's 99% mental... at least with current shaft technology.  

 

 

:ping-small: G410 Plus, 9 Degree Driver 

:ping-small: G400 SFT, 16 Degree 3w

:ping-small: G400 SFT, 19 Degree 5w

:srixon-small:  ZX5 Irons 4-AW 

:ping-small: Glide 2.0 56 Degree SW   (removed from double secret probation 😍)

:EVNROLL: ER5v Putter  (Evnroll ER5v Official Review)

:odyssey-small: AI-One Milled Seven T CH (Currently Under Product Test)

 

 

 

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4 hours ago, fixyurdivot said:

I made the switch to help with shoulder and elbow pain.  Everyone said moving from steel to graphite offers relief and I can confirm it it true.  Even more is that after long range sessions my hands and wrists feel better too.  Add to that improved ball flight numbers has me kicking myself for not making the switch years earlier.  Most say the reason pro and pro level amateurs don't switch is due to composite not offering steel like performance at their typical high swing speeds.  My True Spec fitter called BS on this and said it's 99% mental... at least with current shaft technology.  

 

 

It def makes sense with the advancement in today’s graphite shaft technology. A buddy in our Sunday foursome has no regrets shelling out extra $$$ for SteelFibers when he ordered his Mizuno … his response to them is the same as yours. 

Enjoyed Cody’s @edingc Sub70 build with the MMT shafts. That was another set I was closely eyeing … but anyhow, enjoyed seeing his numbers and performance with those shafts. The proof is in the pudding for sure. 

Edited by mikeanthony

Driver: :ping-small: G410 SFT 10.5*

3W: :cobra-small:  Speedzone 14.5*

Hybrid: :titelist-small: TS2 19* & 21*

Irons: image.png.ec9b0a77ef708074b5547162186659f4.png  Forged Tec One Length (5i-GW)

Wedges: image.png.3c33ed301e51199de9e62f474f52b6e0.png T22 55* & 59*

Putter: image.png.f53011d6b358811f2c4cdcc166aeeffa.png  002 Mid-Mallet

Ball:  Callaway Chrome Soft LS & :Snell: Prime-X

 

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2 hours ago, fixyurdivot said:

I made the switch to help with shoulder and elbow pain.  Everyone said moving from steel to graphite offers relief and I can confirm it it true.  Even more is that after long range sessions my hands and wrists feel better too.  Add to that improved ball flight numbers has me kicking myself for not making the switch years earlier.  Most say the reason pro and pro level amateurs don't switch is due to composite not offering steel like performance at their typical high swing speeds.  My True Spec fitter called BS on this and said it's 99% mental... at least with current shaft technology.  

 

 

Pros are reluctant to change and they also have a preferred launch window for their clubs. They also have certain feels they prefer. Any change in that and they dump it. 

Driver: PXG 0811 X+ Proto w/UST Helium 5F4

Wood: TaylorMade M5 5W w/Accra TZ5 +1/2”, TaylorMade Sim 3W w/Aldila rogue white

Hybrid: PXG Gen2 22* w/AD hybrid

Irons: PXG Gen3 0311T w/Nippon modus 120

Wedges: TaylorMade MG2 50*, Tiger grind 56/60

Putter: Scotty Caemeron Super Rat1

Ball: Titleist Prov1

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On 9/30/2021 at 9:39 AM, mikeanthony said:

Made it out to the range this morning, and again, took the PW, 8i and this time brought along the 6i. 

Started with the PW and worked my way up the 6i … 

D9D74873-FC02-482F-AEBD-1922073F7B85.jpeg.6fbf54d351e65b21f323b1af60399682.jpeg

One thing that really stood out to me was the smooth feel and weight of the 6i … it was really nice overall. When you’re pounding away 10-15 balls per club and working your way up, it’s much more noticeable the weight of the club as it gets lighter. 

For today, the 6i was a bit of a pull machine with most shots starting left and staying left on a line. 

That's a really nice look for the 6 iron! My biggest complaint about my Sub70 set is that I wish I would have forgone the 4-6 regular 699s and just gone with the 699 Pros throughout. The offset on 4-6 is a little much compared to the remainder of my set. I've since replaced the 4 iron with a Cobra 4 Utility, but unfortunately Sub70 won't sell me just the 5-6 Pro heads. So I'm stuck unless I want to buy two full clubs from them (~$200, I'm guessing) or buy a set of 699 Pros used that includes the 5-6 irons and then reshaft and sell the set (likely cheaper than $200 but more work). 

Glad you were able to get your hands on a set of these. I know you went down the Maltby route for a while, too.

Unofficial WHS Handicap: 7.5 / Anti-Cap: 13.0 (Last Updated Feb. 19, 2024)

Driver: callaway_logo.png.3dd18aa65544000dd0ea3901697a8261.png Callaway Paradym TD (10.5°, -1/N), 45.75", Fujikura Motore X F1 6X | Fitting Post
3 Wood: 
cobra_logo.png.190908c8b4518eec87c087429e4343ee.png Cobra RadSpeed Big Tour (14.5°), 43", Fujikura Motore X F1 7X
20° Hybrid: PXG_Logo.png.8401024d1fb8aec46f0e790c1aa5b80c.png PXG 0211 (2020 Model), 40.25", Mitsubishi Tensei AV RAW White 90X
4 Utility: 
cobra_logo.png.190908c8b4518eec87c087429e4343ee.png Cobra KING Utility (2020 Model), 38.5", Aerotech SteelFiber i110cw Stiff
5-PW:
logo-Ben-Hogan-large.png.98d743ae5487285c6406a1e30a0a63b5.png Ben Hogan PTx Pro, 37" 7 Iron, Aerotech SteelFiber i125cw Stiff | Club Champion Fitting
50°, 54°, 58°:
231036130_Edel_Golf_Logo_v2_grandecopy.png.13cc76b963f8dd59f06d04b1e8df2827.png Edel SMS, V Grind, Nippon Modus 125 Wedge| Official Review Thread
Putter:
image.png.49fcc172a1ed0010d930fbe1c5dc8b79.png L.A.B. Golf DF 2.1, 36", 68°, Black with Custom Sightlines, BGT Stability Tour, L.A.B. Press II 3° | Unofficial Review
Grips: 
stargrip.png.4285948f41f1409613266e7803f0bbaa.png Star Sidewinder, Undersized with Custom Tape Build-Up
Ball: :Snell:Snell MTB-X Optic Yellow

Tracked By: shotscope.png.4a7089f2bddff325285b1266a61dda03.png  Shot Scope H4
Bag: :1590477705_SunMountain: Personalized 2020 Sun Mountain Sync
Riding On: 
image.png.1db52ce91db040317a9ac580f1df8de8.pngBag Boy Nitron | Official Review Thread

WITB? | 2022 Reviewer Edel SMS Wedges | 2021 Reviewer Maxfli Tour and Tour X Balls2020 Participant #CobraConnect Challenge | 2019 Reviewer Callaway Epic Flash Driver

 

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1 hour ago, mikeanthony said:

Enjoyed Cody’s @edingc Sub70 build with the MMT shafts. That was another set I was closely eyeing … but anyhow, enjoyed seeing his numbers and performance with those shafts. The proof is in the pudding for sure. 

It has very little to do with his new clubs and shafts... have you seen his rotationmaximus? Personally I think he may be a cyborg 😉.

:ping-small: G410 Plus, 9 Degree Driver 

:ping-small: G400 SFT, 16 Degree 3w

:ping-small: G400 SFT, 19 Degree 5w

:srixon-small:  ZX5 Irons 4-AW 

:ping-small: Glide 2.0 56 Degree SW   (removed from double secret probation 😍)

:EVNROLL: ER5v Putter  (Evnroll ER5v Official Review)

:odyssey-small: AI-One Milled Seven T CH (Currently Under Product Test)

 

 

 

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