PING s55 Iron - Review Thread
As you can see these clubs are BEAUTIFUL. I hit about the 3 iron, 7 iron and wedge today, about 10 shots on each club. The feel is fantastic. The 3 iron is small and you do have to make a good swing with it, but it felt great when I made decent swing. It is very early, but so far I am in love. I really like the ping grips and the weight of the clubs feels really nice. They are not to light like some irons and not to heavy like others, feels like a good balance.
Today I hit off the mats into the net. I am leaving town at 4am tomorrow morning and will return home on saturday. On sunday I will going to the range and going to play a round with them. I will be able to give some better feedback on distances then.
I am very excited for sunday, I may even sleep with these clubs saturday night lol.
Today I hit off the mats into the net. I am leaving town at 4am tomorrow morning and will return home on saturday. On sunday I will going to the range and going to play a round with them. I will be able to give some better feedback on distances then.
I am very excited for sunday, I may even sleep with these clubs saturday night lol.
The specs on mine were:
Purple dot (2 degree's flat)
CFS stiff steel shafts
Standard grip
Standard length and loft
Purple dot (2 degree's flat)
CFS stiff steel shafts
Standard grip
Standard length and loft
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LINKS TO PREVIOUS UPDATES:
As is standard practice for me in a forum review, I will place links to prior posts/reviews within this thread on these irons here, once the list becomes too long it will be placed into spoiler tags.
INITIAL THOUGHTS:
To say that I was eager to get these out on the course is an understatement. I actually went into it knowing that they were new to me and there would clearly be some inconsistencies just based on my swing and the fact that I've been playing irons in different areas of the spectrum (GI/SGI) so I wanted to (and did) play multiple balls tee to green in my round.
My goal here isn't to "hype" things, I'm just going to put down what I'm seeing/hearing/feeling. My thoughts ramble sometimes, so I'll try and keep it broken up and readable.
BALL-FLIGHT/SHAFT:
This was the first thing that I wanted to see, and eagerly. The pairing of the s55 heads and the CFS shafts has been super interesting to me from the start as they are mid-high launchers. I know some will turn their nose at that thought, and I used to be one of them, but year after year PING has done a PHENOMENAL job at pairing shafts with their irons. Plus, the CFS's are now used across the line (not new with PING as they did the same with their old ZZ's etc) so that raises an eyebrow. G25 AND the s55? Interesting.
All day long the ball flight was what I would call a solid mid-high for me. It was a windy day and I did end up playing the ball BACK a lot, but still, launch did not at all seem an issue on this first go round. Up quick, penetrating with no ballooning, and down on a nice arc that let me hold greens even with the 4i I hit into the green a couple of times. I'm honestly hoping, FOR ME, that the ball flight will come up a little more, but thats just because I know what I like nowadays personally. More time will obviously tell the story here.
DISTANCE:
I came in expecting a 1 club loss per iron moving to the s55's (about 10 yards for me). To keep an eye on this I actually tracked every one of my shots with the irons (and threw out the tops and a couple that were....hoselish) and my loss was 3-4 yards per club, leaving my 8i as my 160 club now. Honestly, I didn't see that coming and its a deviation that I can certainly play with. Why though? Is it the "better launch" that PING was going for with these? Maybe. But, it also could be that I know these are more demanding and my swing is responding as I was really compressing the ball pretty well all day long.
SOUND/FEEL:
Addicting on well struck shots. I'm not going to say it feels like forged or cast or any of that other crap, but I will say that on well struck shots I know that they are well struck shots. Its a very plush and pleasant sound off of the face. On the other end of the spectrum, when I missed, I also knew that right away, and I could tell WHERE I missed which is nice IMO. Thin? I knew it with a harsh clack, and felt it. Toe? Yep, pitch got higher and I could feel in my hands where I was at. This is exactly what I expected coming into these, these are players irons, they aren't SGI that will mask some sounds or sound the same across the face. You know when you miss, I personally like that.
LONG IRONS:
I used the 3i a good bit believe it or not, took it off the tee two times and the deck twice. One time I caught it about 2.5/3 grooves high and still got a decent mid ballflight and wound up at 208, def livable. Once I played it back a little into the wind and compressed it ideally, I saw a mid-high flight and ended up at 220, I'll take that all day. The third and fourth were off the deck and, well, the third was skull city....and the second too as I know I tried to lift the ball instead of letting the club work and killed approximately 3,498 worms.
The 4i/5i we played a handful as well, with decent success. I did hook a 5i off the planet somehow but on well struck shots got the mid-high flight that I personally am OK with in the longer irons. The 5i was way easier to hit off the deck than I had worked into my head (after all, I'm coming from a set where the long irons are really easy to elevate and moving to players irons), of course I did hook the one off the planet.
MID/SHORT IRONS:
The 6i/7i weren't actually used all that much so my memory is a little hazy, I played the crap out of the 8i-PW though. If I'm being honest, the 7-PW in this setup did-not/do-not/have-not concerned me coming into this because I really have a lot of confidence with those clubs in my hands. The s55's so far have affirmed that, the turf interaction on full and partial swing with these clubs is really nice, no digging, but I could still take some very aggressive divots when I wanted to. Struggled losing some shots right early on, but I think that was a manipulation thing with my hands, we shall see with my next round out.
Shot(s) of the day: 9i's from 153 and 151 to a slightly uphill green with a nice intentional baby draw on them, birdie on the long one, eagle on the short one:
PARTING THOUGHTS:
Its was an interesting debut, just like I expected. I wanted to get to put some feedback down but I think everyone realizes it takes a little time to get some real finite thoughts on things. Out the gates, they are what I thought they would be from a playability standpoint, but I will say the launch, feedback, and forgiveness were all above my initial thoughts coming in, not to say they're astounding or anything because its too early to know, but they definitely are NOT red flags either.
Also, some Q's that were asked while I was out playing:
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:
Very. No awkwardness, but I didn't expect their to be any with PING's stabilizing bar technique and CTP.
Toed a couple 8i's pretty good. Definitely a little distance and line loss, but nothing earth shattering. As its my miss as well, this is something I plan on keeping a keen eye on going forward.
4i/5i held fine, skulled 3i's do NOT. LOL
More reps will let me answer this better as we go!
I'm not counting the hybrid as if not for that testing I wouldn't be playing a hybo if carrying a 3i. As to the stock shafts blending, no issues, I wouldn't ever expect there to be though as wedges are just that, wedges, and in the end the feel/profile difference there just isn't a biggie for me.
So far, yes. With more time we will see, but PING has ALWAYS been great and engineering a shaft that will work across their lines, I think the CFS's just fit a broad spectrum of golfers, not all mind you, but many.
I hate all the classifications being honest, I just use them because people and companies do. I think in some cases high cappers can play players irons and obviously vice-versa. These, so far, def a players iron, but I'm eager to spend more time and get a feel for the forgiveness that these do or do not have in them.
Really well when I let the clubs work, no digging, no snagging, just nice divots like the rest of the set.
As always, if any of you have Q's please ask, that is what helps these testings keep flowing!
As is standard practice for me in a forum review, I will place links to prior posts/reviews within this thread on these irons here, once the list becomes too long it will be placed into spoiler tags.
INITIAL THOUGHTS:
To say that I was eager to get these out on the course is an understatement. I actually went into it knowing that they were new to me and there would clearly be some inconsistencies just based on my swing and the fact that I've been playing irons in different areas of the spectrum (GI/SGI) so I wanted to (and did) play multiple balls tee to green in my round.
My goal here isn't to "hype" things, I'm just going to put down what I'm seeing/hearing/feeling. My thoughts ramble sometimes, so I'll try and keep it broken up and readable.
BALL-FLIGHT/SHAFT:
This was the first thing that I wanted to see, and eagerly. The pairing of the s55 heads and the CFS shafts has been super interesting to me from the start as they are mid-high launchers. I know some will turn their nose at that thought, and I used to be one of them, but year after year PING has done a PHENOMENAL job at pairing shafts with their irons. Plus, the CFS's are now used across the line (not new with PING as they did the same with their old ZZ's etc) so that raises an eyebrow. G25 AND the s55? Interesting.
All day long the ball flight was what I would call a solid mid-high for me. It was a windy day and I did end up playing the ball BACK a lot, but still, launch did not at all seem an issue on this first go round. Up quick, penetrating with no ballooning, and down on a nice arc that let me hold greens even with the 4i I hit into the green a couple of times. I'm honestly hoping, FOR ME, that the ball flight will come up a little more, but thats just because I know what I like nowadays personally. More time will obviously tell the story here.
DISTANCE:
I came in expecting a 1 club loss per iron moving to the s55's (about 10 yards for me). To keep an eye on this I actually tracked every one of my shots with the irons (and threw out the tops and a couple that were....hoselish) and my loss was 3-4 yards per club, leaving my 8i as my 160 club now. Honestly, I didn't see that coming and its a deviation that I can certainly play with. Why though? Is it the "better launch" that PING was going for with these? Maybe. But, it also could be that I know these are more demanding and my swing is responding as I was really compressing the ball pretty well all day long.
SOUND/FEEL:
Addicting on well struck shots. I'm not going to say it feels like forged or cast or any of that other crap, but I will say that on well struck shots I know that they are well struck shots. Its a very plush and pleasant sound off of the face. On the other end of the spectrum, when I missed, I also knew that right away, and I could tell WHERE I missed which is nice IMO. Thin? I knew it with a harsh clack, and felt it. Toe? Yep, pitch got higher and I could feel in my hands where I was at. This is exactly what I expected coming into these, these are players irons, they aren't SGI that will mask some sounds or sound the same across the face. You know when you miss, I personally like that.
LONG IRONS:
I used the 3i a good bit believe it or not, took it off the tee two times and the deck twice. One time I caught it about 2.5/3 grooves high and still got a decent mid ballflight and wound up at 208, def livable. Once I played it back a little into the wind and compressed it ideally, I saw a mid-high flight and ended up at 220, I'll take that all day. The third and fourth were off the deck and, well, the third was skull city....and the second too as I know I tried to lift the ball instead of letting the club work and killed approximately 3,498 worms.
The 4i/5i we played a handful as well, with decent success. I did hook a 5i off the planet somehow but on well struck shots got the mid-high flight that I personally am OK with in the longer irons. The 5i was way easier to hit off the deck than I had worked into my head (after all, I'm coming from a set where the long irons are really easy to elevate and moving to players irons), of course I did hook the one off the planet.
MID/SHORT IRONS:
The 6i/7i weren't actually used all that much so my memory is a little hazy, I played the crap out of the 8i-PW though. If I'm being honest, the 7-PW in this setup did-not/do-not/have-not concerned me coming into this because I really have a lot of confidence with those clubs in my hands. The s55's so far have affirmed that, the turf interaction on full and partial swing with these clubs is really nice, no digging, but I could still take some very aggressive divots when I wanted to. Struggled losing some shots right early on, but I think that was a manipulation thing with my hands, we shall see with my next round out.
Shot(s) of the day: 9i's from 153 and 151 to a slightly uphill green with a nice intentional baby draw on them, birdie on the long one, eagle on the short one:
PARTING THOUGHTS:
Its was an interesting debut, just like I expected. I wanted to get to put some feedback down but I think everyone realizes it takes a little time to get some real finite thoughts on things. Out the gates, they are what I thought they would be from a playability standpoint, but I will say the launch, feedback, and forgiveness were all above my initial thoughts coming in, not to say they're astounding or anything because its too early to know, but they definitely are NOT red flags either.
Also, some Q's that were asked while I was out playing:
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:
Very. No awkwardness, but I didn't expect their to be any with PING's stabilizing bar technique and CTP.
Toed a couple 8i's pretty good. Definitely a little distance and line loss, but nothing earth shattering. As its my miss as well, this is something I plan on keeping a keen eye on going forward.
4i/5i held fine, skulled 3i's do NOT. LOL
More reps will let me answer this better as we go!
I'm not counting the hybrid as if not for that testing I wouldn't be playing a hybo if carrying a 3i. As to the stock shafts blending, no issues, I wouldn't ever expect there to be though as wedges are just that, wedges, and in the end the feel/profile difference there just isn't a biggie for me.
So far, yes. With more time we will see, but PING has ALWAYS been great and engineering a shaft that will work across their lines, I think the CFS's just fit a broad spectrum of golfers, not all mind you, but many.
I hate all the classifications being honest, I just use them because people and companies do. I think in some cases high cappers can play players irons and obviously vice-versa. These, so far, def a players iron, but I'm eager to spend more time and get a feel for the forgiveness that these do or do not have in them.
Really well when I let the clubs work, no digging, no snagging, just nice divots like the rest of the set.
As always, if any of you have Q's please ask, that is what helps these testings keep flowing!
The top-line seems much thicker at address than I was expecting.
I would not say it's thick by any means, but it is not razor thin. Has a real good look standing over the ball.
I thought it would be a little thinner as well, but I like the top line on these
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Jman - Very solid writeup. Good job.
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I was looking forward to your writeup and you did not disappoint. I would think with the CFS shaft, it would help with the long irons to keep it up in the air and give you the soft landing you were talking about. Such a huge advantage IMO for long par 3s and par 5s.
I've heard people talk about an iron head being low/mid spin, whatever. Would you consider the s55 a low, mid, or high spin head?
I've heard people talk about an iron head being low/mid spin, whatever. Would you consider the s55 a low, mid, or high spin head?
PING s55 Iron - Review Thread
I will be able to give you am update on the long irons Sunday evening. James and I both have the same shafts. I love long irons (ask shifty about my 4 iron on 18 at TPC Vegas
) and am really looking forward to see how the long irons work on the course for me. Like I said earlier the 3 iron felt good indoor on the mat. For reference when I had burner 2.0 the 4 iron was about 215. With the DPC it is around 205 carry.
I am not comparing clubs but I figure that will a good reference point for distance.
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I will be able to give you am update on the long irons Sunday evening. James and I both have the same shafts. I love long irons (ask shifty about my 4 iron on 18 at TPC Vegas
) and am really looking forward to see how the long irons work on the course for me. Like I said earlier the 3 iron felt good indoor on the mat. For reference when I had burner 2.0 the 4 iron was about 215. With the DPC it is around 205 carry.I am not comparing clubs but I figure that will a good reference point for distance.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free
I will be able to give you am update on the long irons Sunday evening. James and I both have the same shafts. I love long irons (ask shifty about my 4 iron on 18 at TPC Vegas
I am not comparing clubs but I figure that will a good reference point for distance.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free
thanks, man. looking forward to your thoughts. it's hard to get good feel on mats for me at least--everything feels about the same. i love hittin my long irons so im really intersted in how people like them for the s55.
PureLiquidHell
New member
Got a chance to nerd out at Golfsmith today, hit the s55 a bunch. And mother of god are they sweet, super soft feel and easy to hit. They're a winner.
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- #137
Not at all thick IMO.
That's good to know. Maybe it's just the camera angle on some photos.
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- #139
Check out the second post, tons of pics on that one that might help. I'll try and shoot some side by sides with other irons very soon for ya too though.
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- #140
I like that you're still seeing comparable distances James. Those are some good pokes with a 9 iron dude. I imagine it was a bit of a shock to the system to have those in your hand for the first time, but if you're like me, it was probably really enjoyable as well. Variety is the spice of life.
Side by sides with others would be great. That's usually the best way for me to tell. Especially if I have seen them in person. Thanks James!
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- #142
No problemo dude, I'll get em up tomorrow for you.
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- #143
I've always been long with my irons, but dude, the distance is a bit...funny to me right now.
Today was more enlightening as well. Especially since I was playing two balls from the same spot with two irons every non tee shot or putt.
mikedean441
6X HOF
James...throwing it out there...3 to 4 yards distance loss...perhaps partially to do with the time of year? Ball not going to fly as far?
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- #145
I thought about that but today was warm and it's still there. I think really it's just going from a true "built for distance" iron to a players iron that's built for many things. Plus I haven't really been taking lofts into consideration as I'm more focused on the launch.
Lots of things tumbling around in the noggin right now.
mikedean441
6X HOF
Sounds good and truth be told those losses are minimal
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- #147
They really are, like I said in my update I was honestly thinking a full club (10 or so) would be what I'd see. To not see that is exciting.
Wicked Cool Bearded Man
4thegolf+4thefriends
LINKS TO PREVIOUS UPDATES:
As is standard practice for me in a forum review, I will place links to prior posts/reviews within this thread on these irons here, once the list becomes too long it will be placed into spoiler tags.
INITIAL THOUGHTS:
To say that I was eager to get these out on the course is an understatement. I actually went into it knowing that they were new to me and there would clearly be some inconsistencies just based on my swing and the fact that I've been playing irons in different areas of the spectrum (GI/SGI) so I wanted to (and did) play multiple balls tee to green in my round.
My goal here isn't to "hype" things, I'm just going to put down what I'm seeing/hearing/feeling. My thoughts ramble sometimes, so I'll try and keep it broken up and readable.
BALL-FLIGHT/SHAFT:
This was the first thing that I wanted to see, and eagerly. The pairing of the s55 heads and the CFS shafts has been super interesting to me from the start as they are mid-high launchers. I know some will turn their nose at that thought, and I used to be one of them, but year after year PING has done a PHENOMENAL job at pairing shafts with their irons. Plus, the CFS's are now used across the line (not new with PING as they did the same with their old ZZ's etc) so that raises an eyebrow. G25 AND the s55? Interesting.
All day long the ball flight was what I would call a solid mid-high for me. It was a windy day and I did end up playing the ball BACK a lot, but still, launch did not at all seem an issue on this first go round. Up quick, penetrating with no ballooning, and down on a nice arc that let me hold greens even with the 4i I hit into the green a couple of times. I'm honestly hoping, FOR ME, that the ball flight will come up a little more, but thats just because I know what I like nowadays personally. More time will obviously tell the story here.
DISTANCE:
I came in expecting a 1 club loss per iron moving to the s55's (about 10 yards for me). To keep an eye on this I actually tracked every one of my shots with the irons (and threw out the tops and a couple that were....hoselish) and my loss was 3-4 yards per club, leaving my 8i as my 160 club now. Honestly, I didn't see that coming and its a deviation that I can certainly play with. Why though? Is it the "better launch" that PING was going for with these? Maybe. But, it also could be that I know these are more demanding and my swing is responding as I was really compressing the ball pretty well all day long.
SOUND/FEEL:
Addicting on well struck shots. I'm not going to say it feels like forged or cast or any of that other crap, but I will say that on well struck shots I know that they are well struck shots. Its a very plush and pleasant sound off of the face. On the other end of the spectrum, when I missed, I also knew that right away, and I could tell WHERE I missed which is nice IMO. Thin? I knew it with a harsh clack, and felt it. Toe? Yep, pitch got higher and I could feel in my hands where I was at. This is exactly what I expected coming into these, these are players irons, they aren't SGI that will mask some sounds or sound the same across the face. You know when you miss, I personally like that.
LONG IRONS:
I used the 3i a good bit believe it or not, took it off the tee two times and the deck twice. One time I caught it about 2.5/3 grooves high and still got a decent mid ballflight and wound up at 208, def livable. Once I played it back a little into the wind and compressed it ideally, I saw a mid-high flight and ended up at 220, I'll take that all day. The third and fourth were off the deck and, well, the third was skull city....and the second too as I know I tried to lift the ball instead of letting the club work and killed approximately 3,498 worms.
The 4i/5i we played a handful as well, with decent success. I did hook a 5i off the planet somehow but on well struck shots got the mid-high flight that I personally am OK with in the longer irons. The 5i was way easier to hit off the deck than I had worked into my head (after all, I'm coming from a set where the long irons are really easy to elevate and moving to players irons), of course I did hook the one off the planet.
MID/SHORT IRONS:
The 6i/7i weren't actually used all that much so my memory is a little hazy, I played the crap out of the 8i-PW though. If I'm being honest, the 7-PW in this setup did-not/do-not/have-not concerned me coming into this because I really have a lot of confidence with those clubs in my hands. The s55's so far have affirmed that, the turf interaction on full and partial swing with these clubs is really nice, no digging, but I could still take some very aggressive divots when I wanted to. Struggled losing some shots right early on, but I think that was a manipulation thing with my hands, we shall see with my next round out.
Shot(s) of the day: 9i's from 153 and 151 to a slightly uphill green with a nice intentional baby draw on them, birdie on the long one, eagle on the short one:
PARTING THOUGHTS:
Its was an interesting debut, just like I expected. I wanted to get to put some feedback down but I think everyone realizes it takes a little time to get some real finite thoughts on things. Out the gates, they are what I thought they would be from a playability standpoint, but I will say the launch, feedback, and forgiveness were all above my initial thoughts coming in, not to say they're astounding or anything because its too early to know, but they definitely are NOT red flags either.
Also, some Q's that were asked while I was out playing:
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:
Very. No awkwardness, but I didn't expect their to be any with PING's stabilizing bar technique and CTP.
Toed a couple 8i's pretty good. Definitely a little distance and line loss, but nothing earth shattering. As its my miss as well, this is something I plan on keeping a keen eye on going forward.
4i/5i held fine, skulled 3i's do NOT. LOL
More reps will let me answer this better as we go!
I'm not counting the hybrid as if not for that testing I wouldn't be playing a hybo if carrying a 3i. As to the stock shafts blending, no issues, I wouldn't ever expect there to be though as wedges are just that, wedges, and in the end the feel/profile difference there just isn't a biggie for me.
So far, yes. With more time we will see, but PING has ALWAYS been great and engineering a shaft that will work across their lines, I think the CFS's just fit a broad spectrum of golfers, not all mind you, but many.
I hate all the classifications being honest, I just use them because people and companies do. I think in some cases high cappers can play players irons and obviously vice-versa. These, so far, def a players iron, but I'm eager to spend more time and get a feel for the forgiveness that these do or do not have in them.
Really well when I let the clubs work, no digging, no snagging, just nice divots like the rest of the set.
As always, if any of you have Q's please ask, that is what helps these testings keep flowing!
James, SPECTACULAR write up. I love the question and answer feature. This is the best review I have ever seen. Period. Thanks so much for your hard work, photos and feedback.
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- #149
Thanks for the super kind words buddy. The Q&A is a fun little thing that could be really cool for making sure questions don't get lost in the fold in here.
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- #150
Ping S55 - Background and Initial Thoughts
First I wanted to give you a quick background of me as a golfer. I’ve been playing since I was 7 when my father started taking me out. I played 2 years on the high school team after injuring my ankle while playing soccer. Perhaps the best injury that ever happened because after that golf became my passion. After college my first purchase was a used set of PING i3 irons, which then got replaced by the i10’s about a year later. Growing up my father had eye 2 irons so at the time PING is what I knew. So needless to say to have a set of these in my bag gives me a little extra special feeling.
As for my golf game. Over the last 3 seasons I really started to take the game more seriously. I have taken lessons and have watched as my handicap has dropped from the mid-teens down to as low at 7.1. Currently I am a touch higher than that at an 8. During the season I tend to get out 4 times a week and have some nights were I just go and practice at the range. This time of year, golf gets more limited due to the time changes and the weather. I still like to get out 2 times a week, although sometimes it’s only 1. When the weather turns, I end up in an indoor simulator league which uses the AboutGolf Simulators. While nothing beats outside performance, AboutGolf seems to be pretty accurate and gives me a good idea at where my game is throughout the “off-season.”
On to my initial thoughts about these. First thought is, wow they are a really good looking iron. They seem to have a nice classic look to them which is nice if you are one who doesn’t like the looks of other offerings out there. The sole is not as thin as I thought it would be, but it’s thinner than my old i10’s and more comparable to the Bridgestone J40 DPC. I tried to really get some good pictures of the topline for you all to see what we are looking at. They are thin, but not scary thin. Just looking down at them, you can tell they are more of a players iron.
Like Jman, I don’t want to really get into direct comparisons throughout this review process because I want to stay more on what these irons are all about. However while talking about size and bringing up 2 previous sets, I can walk away with these few initial thoughts. With the J40 Dual Pocket Cavity irons, these are fairly similar in the top line, however the blade length is noticeably shorter. Now the surprise to me was when comparing the blade length to the i10’s. The length is actually pretty similar. That gives me some confidence going in to this set because I played those for years.
Now on to the shafts. I have been playing steel shafts for years, infact I haven’t had graphite iron shafts since I was in HS. The past couple of seasons I had some wrist issues and this year it went from my wrist to my forearm and elbow. Graphite seemed like a great option for me as it will offer less vibration and reduce the wear and tear it takes to get through a round. When I pulled these out of the box I was immediately glued to this shaft. The looks are a good mix of black bottom half and a design on the top half. Nothing too flashy which is nice. The weight of these are 86 grams and while that might take a bit to get used to, I think after a range session or 2 I should be good to go.
The grips are fine, they aren’t rough like some other options out there. They are listed as part of the 360 series for PING, made more for the adjustable clubs in their lineup. One quick thing I noticed was that it was the PING print on it on 2 sides. So if you are one that prefers to have your logo facing down, that won’t be an option with these. You would have to throw the 2 logo’s on the sides in order to have that clean look you prefer. For most people that is probably not a big deal though, and let’s face it, a lot of us out there use a grip of our choosing that we are comfortable with. So if it is an issue for you, it’s an easy switch.
I am hoping to get out to the range this week and on the course this weekend with these. Really interested to see how they perform and if they are too much iron for me.
First I wanted to give you a quick background of me as a golfer. I’ve been playing since I was 7 when my father started taking me out. I played 2 years on the high school team after injuring my ankle while playing soccer. Perhaps the best injury that ever happened because after that golf became my passion. After college my first purchase was a used set of PING i3 irons, which then got replaced by the i10’s about a year later. Growing up my father had eye 2 irons so at the time PING is what I knew. So needless to say to have a set of these in my bag gives me a little extra special feeling.
As for my golf game. Over the last 3 seasons I really started to take the game more seriously. I have taken lessons and have watched as my handicap has dropped from the mid-teens down to as low at 7.1. Currently I am a touch higher than that at an 8. During the season I tend to get out 4 times a week and have some nights were I just go and practice at the range. This time of year, golf gets more limited due to the time changes and the weather. I still like to get out 2 times a week, although sometimes it’s only 1. When the weather turns, I end up in an indoor simulator league which uses the AboutGolf Simulators. While nothing beats outside performance, AboutGolf seems to be pretty accurate and gives me a good idea at where my game is throughout the “off-season.”
On to my initial thoughts about these. First thought is, wow they are a really good looking iron. They seem to have a nice classic look to them which is nice if you are one who doesn’t like the looks of other offerings out there. The sole is not as thin as I thought it would be, but it’s thinner than my old i10’s and more comparable to the Bridgestone J40 DPC. I tried to really get some good pictures of the topline for you all to see what we are looking at. They are thin, but not scary thin. Just looking down at them, you can tell they are more of a players iron.
Like Jman, I don’t want to really get into direct comparisons throughout this review process because I want to stay more on what these irons are all about. However while talking about size and bringing up 2 previous sets, I can walk away with these few initial thoughts. With the J40 Dual Pocket Cavity irons, these are fairly similar in the top line, however the blade length is noticeably shorter. Now the surprise to me was when comparing the blade length to the i10’s. The length is actually pretty similar. That gives me some confidence going in to this set because I played those for years.
Now on to the shafts. I have been playing steel shafts for years, infact I haven’t had graphite iron shafts since I was in HS. The past couple of seasons I had some wrist issues and this year it went from my wrist to my forearm and elbow. Graphite seemed like a great option for me as it will offer less vibration and reduce the wear and tear it takes to get through a round. When I pulled these out of the box I was immediately glued to this shaft. The looks are a good mix of black bottom half and a design on the top half. Nothing too flashy which is nice. The weight of these are 86 grams and while that might take a bit to get used to, I think after a range session or 2 I should be good to go.
The grips are fine, they aren’t rough like some other options out there. They are listed as part of the 360 series for PING, made more for the adjustable clubs in their lineup. One quick thing I noticed was that it was the PING print on it on 2 sides. So if you are one that prefers to have your logo facing down, that won’t be an option with these. You would have to throw the 2 logo’s on the sides in order to have that clean look you prefer. For most people that is probably not a big deal though, and let’s face it, a lot of us out there use a grip of our choosing that we are comfortable with. So if it is an issue for you, it’s an easy switch.
I am hoping to get out to the range this week and on the course this weekend with these. Really interested to see how they perform and if they are too much iron for me.