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Ping i20 Irons Review - Forum Testing Review Thread

SuperStroke
6/9/12
Score: 82(45/37)
1: Par 4 (5): 3w to center. 164 left and hit 8i. Flushed it and sent it to the back right of green. Very happy with first iron shot since I had no warm-up. 3 putt
2: Par 5 (5): Pushed driver to right rough. Hit a 5i layup to 135 out. Hit my favorite ¾ PW to about 9ft. Missed the putt.
3. Par 4(5): Bad push with driver, had to punch 4i under trees to layup. Good Chip, 2 putts
4. Par 3(4): 192 to front flag. Tried to play a 6i to run up the front of the greet. Pushed it slightly and got hung up in a brush. Landed probably 15 yards from pin. Bad Chip, 2 putts
5. Par 4(5): Weak drive but found the fairway. 6i 186, pin towards the back. Got unlucky as I played a lower shot but hit a soft part of the green and didn’t run out. 3 putt
6. Par 5(5): no irons used. 3w center fairway, 3w to right in front of green, good chip, 2 putt.
7. Par 4(6): Bad drive, pushed to hazard on right. 6i to about 10 yards of green. Good chip, 2 putt
8. Par 3(4): 187, 6i. Got it off the toe and hit it just off the right of the green, about 8yards from pin. Good chip, 2 putt
9. par 4(6): Weak drive to right fairway. Chunked a 4i to next to hazard. Took penalty, 1 putt

I hit my irons well on the Front 9. Only bad shot was the 4i on #9 but I was rushing that hole because the guys I played with were slow and we got too far behind.

10. Par 4 (4): 3w middle fairway. 8i from 158, landed about 15ft left of hole. 2 putt
11. Par 4(5): Crushed the driver but went nowhere(tried a different shaft this round). 8i from 153, hit front back of green and went into bunker. 2 putt
12. Par 5(5): 3w Middle fairway. 6i layup to about 90 yards. Good wedge, 2 putt
13. Par 3(3): 180i, 7i. Caught it a little thin. Ended up middle of the green. 2 putt
14. Par 4(5)(no irons used): 3w ran through fairway, bad wedge, good chip, 1 putt
15. Par 4(4): 3w middle fairway, 8i from 156 landed left just off the green. Good chip, 1 putt
16. Par 5(5)(no irons used): 3w middle fairway, 3w front of green, good chip, 2 putt
17. Par 3(3): 177, 7i. Far right pin location so aimed in middle of the green. Hit it exactly how I wanted. 2 putt
18: Par 4(4): 3w middle fairway, 3i 215. Hit a low liner to get under the wind. Hit as I wanted. Tried to run it up to the front pin. Went front slow ball down, ended up on fringe about 15ft from hole. 1 putt

The Back Nine I played really well. After #11 I took the driver out of play. I hit a lot of solid shots right where I wanted them. I misjudged the wind on some but was happy with the results. I could not get a putt to fall or this round would have been much lower.

I plan to get out early Thursday morning to get a practice round in before my Club Championship this weekend. The 3i is going to be making an appearance off the tee for a few holes.
 
I called PING this morning to see what the status was on my irons and the gentleman was happy to report that they are out for delivery :bananadance: I am so thrilled! (almost makes the 2 months worth it! Actually it is 4 days shy of 2 months :D) I was hoping to get them this week. My wife is gone for the rest of the week and I have scheduled to golf pretty much everyday and then I have to go to Seattle for a conference and will be golfing at Chambers Bay on Friday afternoon. What perfect timing to break these bad boys in! I will report tomorrow how my round goes today.
 
Dr. Teeth said:
I called PING this morning to see what the status was on my irons and the gentleman was happy to report that they are out for delivery :bananadance: I am so thrilled! (almost makes the 2 months worth it! Actually it is 4 days shy of 2 months :D) I was hoping to get them this week. My wife is gone for the rest of the week and I have scheduled to golf pretty much everyday and then I have to go to Seattle for a conference and will be golfing at Chambers Bay on Friday afternoon. What perfect timing to break these bad boys in! I will report tomorrow how my round goes today.
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Great news Dr! Can't wait to read what you think of them.
 
Chadwaa said:
You're lucky to be testing clubs.
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I am not testing these, I purchased them. But I will definitely be updating the thread with my thoughts!

GoalieDave said:
Great news Dr! Can't wait to read what you think of them.
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Thanks Dave! I really hope these are going to be my irons for years to come!
 
Teeth - Glad you are finally getting your sticks man! Pretty sure I would have went nuts if I had to wait 2 months to get mine...the 2 weeks I wait seemed like cruel and unusual punishment to me.
 
InHartWeTrust said:
Teeth - Glad you are finally getting your sticks man! Pretty sure I would have went nuts if I had to wait 2 months to get mine...the 2 weeks I wait seemed like cruel and unusual punishment to me.
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The first month wasn't bad. I just tried not the think about it. It wasn't until I realized that the order got messed up that the wait started to get painful :D It has been a tough month. I have had to go on stretches where I avoided this thread or else I would start to get frustrated that I didn't have them.
 
Dr. Teeth said:
The first month wasn't bad. I just tried not the think about it. It wasn't until I realized that the order got messed up that the wait started to get painful :D It has been a tough month. I have had to go on stretches where I avoided this thread or else I would start to get frustrated that I didn't have them.
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Wow two months is a very long wait. I might have already ordered Adams CMB irons by now :alien: haha look forward to some Dr. Teeth updates in here.
 
This one is going to be a little different.

REFERENCE LINKS:
Spoiler

  • Unboxing: CLICK HERE
  • Initial thoughts: CLICK HERE
  • First Round: CLICK HERE
  • First Range Session CLICK HERE
  • Second Round: CLICK HERE and HERE
  • Second Range Session: CLICK HERE
  • Third Round: CLICK HERE
  • Wear Report: CLICK HERE
  • Fourth Round: CLICK HERE
  • Third Range Session: CLICK HERE
  • Fifth Round: CLICK HERE
  • Sixth Round: CLICK HERE
  • Seventh Round: CLICK HERE
  • Wear Report #2: CLICK HERE
  • Eighth Round: CLICK HERE
  • Ninth Round: CLICK HERE
  • Tenth Round: CLICK HERE
  • Eleventh Round: CLICK HERE
  • Twelfth Round: CLICK HERE
  • Texas Outing and Final Wedge Thoughts: CLICK HERE


ROUND/RANGE RUNDOWN:

Date: 6/9/12 and 6/10/12
Played: 36 Holes
Weather: 90's and Sunny

Round Rundown:


OK, this is going to be done a little bit different AND a little bit out of order as I've still got two pre-outing rounds I need to get it. As for the outing rounds, I'll be writing about them a little differently since I really didn't take notes because I was more focused on getting to go out and play with some truly awesome THP'ers. After I talk about the rounds thought I'm going to spend some time on the wedges with some more definitive thoughts.

3-5 Irons:

I struggled with a hard fade off the tee all weekend and that really is neither here nor there except for the fact it really meant the only times I was hitting these specific irons was when I was trying to punch out of trouble or hitting out of a fairway bunker.

I still stand by the 3 iron being easy to hit for me and it gets up well, I do think I'm going to have to reshaft it to a C-Taper though because of the feel int he hands and plus the fact is those shafts fit me, I'm in the "5%" I guess. I will say, that bridge won't be crossed for some time and I plan on playing a 3i off the tee round soon just to get a definitive feel on that for me. Bottom line though is the 3i really is a solid club. Its cool now to have that one in the bag and to see the full progression of the face-height changes from the LW with the larges all the way to the 3i with the lowest profile. It works and its not distracting at all to me, in fact, I'd wager if you gave them to an average joe at dress they would struggle to truly notice the lower lofted irons have a lower profile. The offset is just enough too make it easy to get the ball up but not to be distracting, they really NAILED the progressive aspects of offset and profile in this set. Truly.

The 4i is my favorite in the bag and I had two good layups on the weekend with it, one good fairway bunker shot, and hit the green on a par 3 with it both days. Its like I told JB on Saturday when we were talking club selection before a shot of mine that I'm at true confidence with this club. I can get after it, hell, I can even shape it and I am NOT a shot shaper.

The 5i had a lackluster weekend really. It was a sad little guy relegated to punch out duty and its user failing miserably at it sometimes (ok, alot of times).

6-PW Irons:

For such terrible golf that I played I really hit these specific irons well, as I would expect to and will continue to expect to. Sadly, because of the tee game there were not alot of chances at greens.

I will say its like I was telling Cookie on the way home last night, I firmly believe if I can be laying in decent postion from 6i range to PW range that I can and WILL hit the green. I believe it in my hear because I've seen it so often. Now, a bad day or a bad swing are going to impact that just like they do ANY golf shot. But I've just got alot of confidence in these. I really truly do. You put an 8 in my hands from 145 to 160 and I'm gong to hit a pretty dang salty golf shot for you and its much the same for the others in this grouping too.

The truly GREAT clubs help instill confidence in the user no matter their skill level, I firmly believe that and I also believe PING got it right here.

UW/SW/LW:

Alright now. This might get long winded so bear with me.

I put all of my time in the beginning of the testing to the i20 wedges being in the bag and being the tools to use. After a long while I started playing my SCOR's in there not only for comparisons sakes but to see how they flow as well with the rest of the set. The only reason I used the SCOR's are because they are the only other wedges I own, I think this whole thought process I'm about to type out fits for any wedge though....had I had PING Tour S's I would have used them and ended up at the same thoughts in the end I believe.

I believe there are two schools of people you have to consider when you talk about the question that we have see ALOT in this testing thread of "are the i20 wedges good wedges" or anything similar and I'm going to break it down that way and explain each thought. In golf, different skill levels and MORE IMPORTANTLY different styles require different things, we know this as fact. What is important to a single digit capper alot of times might not be to a 20 but by the same token one style of player may ask more out of his wedges creativity wise than another and the cap doesn't matter there. Anyways, the first school I've come to conclude about the wedges is:

The Demanding Wedge Player "School of Thought":

I fall into this category I have found through the testing. But first, what I think this range is, is the player that wants to open up for a shot, they want to hood one hard for a particular shot, it is necessary for them to flight a wedge shot up more or down more for different lies and situations. They require playing different swings for different results or distances. Versatility is key here. A player like this may be more dependent on what one of the wedges has to do for them, this is me with my highest lofted wedge in any wedge set or brand. This is me.

I will play the highest lofted wedge in my bag (nowadays its a 57 and no more than that) from all kinds of spots and want different results whether it be opening it the heck up and flopping the snot out of it for the high and soft or shutting it down for the lower with bite shot. I lean on this particular wedge alot, it is my go to first club within 90 yards. Heck, the wedges are the only clubs in the bag that I will openly try to shape shots with as well so that is another type of lean on the wedges for me personally. Add to this I play alot of courses with really tight tight tight lies in my wedge distances, I have to have a club that I'm not worried about in that lie. This is the "school" of wedge player I am.

The i20 wedges (UW, SW, LW) here just are not the ticket for this type of wedge player in my honest opinion. Even with the grinds that the WRX department was gracious enough to allow me to get, the versatility for what this type of wedge play demands is lacking. Yes, with the grinds I can open the LW up a bit and pull of a flop, but not like I'd like to or need to for the way I play. Yes, with the leading edge and the bounce ground down a bit in them it helps off of tight lies, but not the lies we played this week in Austin or the lies that I usually see on the courses I play. I couldn't imagine playing them without grinds on them honestly, not for what I'm looking for and needing out of my wedges. I must have more versatility and more than that confidence in the versatility being there even if it is a total illusion, for me the i20's wedges aren't that, they just aren't. Its not to say they can't do what I want, they just cannot do it as well as I want or need them to.

Now, let me be crystal clear, that is not to say these are not good wedges, not at all, because I firmly believe there is another "school" of wedge player, one where the i20 wedges will change the games of people entirely:

The Straight Forward and Simple Wedge Player "School of Thought":

Bottom line is this. Some golfers don't need to flop a wedge, some SHOULD NOT even attempt it, we all know this. For some golfers the game is beautifully simple and straight forward, the versatility required of the wedges here is not the same of the other school. This is the golfer that is worried about simply advancing the ball with a good shot....not whether to flight it, flop it, or work it one way or the other.

For this school, I firmly 100% in my heart believe that if they are i20 iron players then these are the wedges for them. That is not a suck up move either, its a fact. These wedges are just like the iron set, long and forgiving. They go and are tremendous on a crisp full shot, they even have a solid about of spin in my testing. This is all the straight forward wedge player could ask for, a wedge that does what it does, it does what you need it to in that same straight forward manner as the player, and nothing more. It pulls of the shot, simple.

I'm not in this school myself but I play with guys who are and I would recommend (and have in two instances) these in a heartbeat, I really would. What it comes down to though it what type of wedge player are you? What do you demand out of a wedge? I mean, that's it. I believe it in my heart of hearts.

Well, those are the thoughts form inside my crazy brain. I genuinely believe it though because I have seen it again and again now, just because the wedges in the set aren't for me doesn't mean they aren't good.
 
Kmac said:
Wow two months is a very long wait. I might have already ordered Adams CMB irons by now :alien: haha look forward to some Dr. Teeth updates in here.
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Haha. It was tough. The toughest part was they had me talk to the PING rep when he was at the course doing a demo day to make sure they got everything right this time. He got everything straightened out, but ADAMS was doing a demo day right next to the PING tent and it was the first day they had gotten the CMBs. I actually pulled the plastic off a few of the irons as I went threw and hit every iron in the bag. They are both very nice sets of irons!!!
 
Really enjoyed the thoughts Jman! The thoughts on the wedges was especially great!
 
Nice update Jman. Glad your set is finally coming Teeth, I know it has been tough on you!
 
Thanks for the wedge thoughts Jman. I'm leaning towards getting the U wedge at this point but it's not certain.
 
Great review as always Jman!
 
Well put on the wedges Jman.

I've found that I need to alter my technique/approach with the i20 wedges. In some cases this has been very helpful, other times not so much. Over time I'm sure I would improve and I very well may put the time in to see if that's the case. I'll hold off until I can do a shootout tomorrow.
 
Perkins Rooster said:
Thanks for the wedge thoughts Jman. I'm leaning towards getting the U wedge at this point but it's not certain.
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Easily the most versatile wedge of the "extra wedges" in the set. The UW is lethal as a chipper around the green for me for sure. I don't think you'd be disappointed at all with going that way.
 
Jman another fantastic write up. Really enjoyed your thoughts on the wedges.
 
Kmac said:
Jman another fantastic write up. Really enjoyed your thoughts on the wedges.
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Thanks buddy. Its been weighing on my head and rolling around in there for a long time. This weekend after playing and talking with JB and Cookie about different things was the catalyst to finally get it all out into words. I really believe it too, it just depends on what demands we as players have out of out wedges.
 
Great thoughts Jman! Appreciate the honesty and I believe you are right about different types of wedge players. I'm starting to become more demanding myself, and while a set gap may be great, I think I'll always need a traditional wedge for anything higher than that.
 
Thanks Jman for the wedge comments. Way better than I could have put it but that captures my thinking as well. I wish I could have hit the I20 wedges more but having hit the Ping Tours before I was pretty sold on them for my game.
 
I will not get fit for a set of I20s. Nope -- I have to boycott this thread.
 
Jman great comments! I just came back from the range for the first time swinging this whole new bag of tricks and deciding against being a MUDDER, my thoughts are just as we have been reading for 199 pages... Great feel, top lines are really, really nice to look at, my distance felt so good even on the first go. I used my laser since I never trust those range ones on a bunch of targets. 9i was in the 150-155 every time, 4i was 200-210 and just as easy to hit as everyone has been saying. It was hard to believe and I took the 4 out of my old bag a LONG time ago. Everything else gaped in as it should. UW was quickly dialed in at 130, just has a wonderful feel. 130 and under is definitely covered by the SCOR wedges but I will post those comments in the SCOR tread!

Barring rain, they get a full round in the morning!
 
Thanks for the comments everyone, I appreciate it. I also really believe the schools of wedge users, the i20 wedges will be GREAT for some people as they are just as good as the rest of the irons after all. Its just all about what you want and what you need in your particular game. That's why I really tried to not make a blanket statement.
 
Very well written Jman. I was wondering how the discussion we had yesterday and your thoughts/feelings were going to transpire once written and it came across pretty darn well.
 
damn Jman that was a great write up. I enjoyed reading that
 
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