Ping i iron review

The Golf Monthly test team's Ping i iron review, a model that will appeal to a wide spectrum of players by offering forgiveness and feel in a compact package.

Golf Monthly Ping i iron review

Replacing The Ping i irons replace the i25 model.

Address View Behind the ball, Ping’s i irons look flawless, maintaining elements of Ping’s customary shape. They look slightly larger and have marginally more offset than the s55 with the rounded top line making them appear thinner than they are. The brushed satin finish oozes class.

Shelf Appeal The i25 had a broad appeal but the i iron widens this even further thanks to the extra workability and distance without sacrificing forgiveness. The look from the back is clean and simple, a deliberate ploy from Ping, that does the job well.

Shaft While Ping’s own CFS (Control, Feel, Stability) shaft comes as standard and will suffice for most, golfers have the option of four after-market models with no upcharge, including Nippon, Dynamic Gold and Project X. This enhances Ping’s reputation as one of the best when it comes to custom fitting and helping golfers find their perfect set.

Construction Ping has positioned the Custom Tuning Port (CTP) lower and deeper in the clubhead to improve the feel and forgiveness. The sensation you experience at impact is certainly a solid and powerful one but with a hint of softness not far short of that experienced in the s55.

Head Design With the amount of offset reducing as the irons get shorter, the confidence of the game-improver is preserved while better players still get that shot-making property in the scoring clubs. The additional bounce helps the club glide through the turf.

Weighting Use of a new, stronger material means Ping has made the faces thinner, saving 4g of weight that can be positioned more toward the edges for increased forgiveness. This has been offset by a change in the hosel geometry, which makes the irons more workable.

Forgiveness To have forgiveness as one of the predominant qualities in a relatively compact package is a testament to the design. Poor strikes often found the green when the bunker short seemed a more likely destination. The offset and tungsten toe weights in the 3-7 irons makes them surprisingly easy to hit accurately and consistently.

Flight The stopping power on the greens remains just as effective as its predecessor and the trajectory through the set is strong and repeatable. The long- to mid-irons are workable too, a performance characteristic that will please the shot-maker.

Distance The lofts have been strengthened by one degree and the shafts lengthened by a quarter-of-an-inch to account for the new launch technology in the heads leading to more distance over the i25. In testing, we encountered a three- to five- yard gain through the bag on average.

Impact Sound and Feel

Using the same 431 steel found in the Glide wedges contributes to the softer feel you experience. Well-struck shots feel pure, close to that of a muscle back, without the ball travelling unwanted distances, which you can sometimes experience with cast irons geared predominantly towards out-and-out distance.