- Thread starter
- Staff
- #126
I would agree a bit there, there have always been lots of guessing as to just who makes the shaft for them (DG or KBS) but in the end, who cares as its a really solid offering that IMO gets overlooked a lot.
PING i25 Irons - Review Thread
I would agree a bit there, there have always been lots of guessing as to just who makes the shaft for them (DG or KBS) but in the end, who cares as its a really solid offering that IMO gets overlooked a lot.
CFS is amazing. Ping does stock shafts right, no matter whose label is on them.
- Thread starter
- Staff
- #128
Yes they do, too many don't give them the shake they should...but that is the same with any stock shaft. Makes me think about JB's post earlier this week about companies taking a hot shaft name and putting it on their shaft because its the hot name, PING doesn't do that yet the principles and goals where design is concerned are the same for what they want the shaft to do in their heads performance wise.
Very interesting topic to me.
Golferbest
New member
There was a older guy playing on the course I played this weekend who played the i20's. While we sat on a few teeboxes I questioned him on them. He said he was a titleist guy until he was fit for the pings. Hes had them for about 6 months and likes them alot. I didnt asked to hit them as thats just not me, bit I did stare at them. After 6 months they still looked great. The sound at impact was okay. I like the fact that it wasnt that loud but it sounded solid. This made the testing oppertunity even better as I have a little more to compare with as I knew nothing off the i20's
- Thread starter
- Staff
- #130
Mark my words, the "feel" on struck shots will surprise you.
johnny201
New member
Thanks for the info. Much appreciated. Now if I could only find a set of i20 since you can no longer get them from Ping...... The search continues!
Golferbest
New member
I hope so. My first fittong many moons ago was for ping. Ended up going s59 and liked them so much I bought a ping staff bag. For some reason since then when it came to irons ive always gone a diferent route. Be very good to put some serious testing on the new ping gear
syndicate559
Sweet Trajectory
This touches right on something I've been thinking about a lot since Saturday. This might even be a good topic for a separate thread, actually, but after I hit the i25 irons at my fitting, I started thinking about the forgiving distance irons that I've always thought suited my skill level the best. While the i25 is a bit shorter and mis-hits might be punished more distance-wise, I had the feeling that my pulls and pushes weren't as far off line as they often go with my normal GI irons. The impression that I was left with is that while you might not lose as much distance on mis-hits with typical GI or distance irons, your hooks, pulls, pushes and slices might actually be amplified by those clubs. If that's the case and is what I continue to see as I search for my next set of irons, I'm all about giving up a little distance for more accuracy.
So my question is, while a more forgiving iron might not lose as much distance when you don't catch the center of the face, might it actually cost you significantly in accuracy?
Im gaming the x100's now and fitted into the CFS-X. The weight is lighter but the feel was really nice. I should be getting my sticks in soon so will give you a better comparison.
- Thread starter
- Staff
- #135
So, the 4i and I had some quality off the turf time today.
Launch. Just launch. I've played one other set that I could elevate a 4i like that off the deck.
Launch. Just launch. I've played one other set that I could elevate a 4i like that off the deck.
This is intriguing. Fairly easy to hit off the turf?
- Thread starter
- Staff
- #137
Oh yes. It was an interesting day with them, not only was I hitting them but I had the 1 thru 4 bags of the HS team hitting them from various spots as well. Lots of thoughts for my write up tomorrow and also for the frontpage review.
c0ncept
SFT
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2011
- Messages
- 8,508
- Reaction score
- 20
- Location
- Renton, WA, United States
- Handicap
- Life
Let me first say I do not have a lot of experience with Ping irons. Living in Scottsdale and going to ASU I know a lot about the company and their philosophies about fitting clubs to players I just have never really tried them. Huge thanks to both THP and Ping for giving someone like me this opportunity.
Being the first iron testing I have ever done I wanted to do some research ahead of time about the clubs. The 3 big things that Ping is advertising about the i25 irons are:
1. The first thing is Optimal CTP Position. A tungsten weight in the toe is supposed to help stabilize the head and help increase what I think is distance control (They say greens in regulation) but this is actually a little insert that because they moved lower will help trajectory.
2. The second thing is the Progressive Set Design. As you move down the set the iron heads change shape in order to increase accuracy. For example the 3 iron has a longer club-face and thicker sole than the 7 iron.
3. The third thing is the Dual Stabilizing Bars. Each iron has a bar in what looks like the bottom of the cavity back that changes the ball flight so that with the long irons you can get the height you need and with the short irons lowering the ball flight for extra control.
Hearing about the soft feel with the scoring clubs and distance with the long irons has me itching to get these out to hit some balls. Definitely like what I have read so far about the technology.
Initial thoughts:
Looks- These are some pretty looking irons. I like the progressive iron idea and I have mixed iron sets in the past to try to achieve similar things. The soles are a little thicker than I expected but there is a little slit at the leading edge that looks like it reduces bounce a little. They should cut through rough well yet still forgive you for playing softer ground.
Feel- I play lightweight graphite shafts in irons. Both the R7s and Callaways have Miyazaki C. Kua 59 shafts in them. I was a little worried at first about how these clubs would be weighted and was going to go steel but figured that because I have a decent knowledge of graphite shafts I would go with the graphite. The feel of the clubs is great. They are not overly long like other irons I have tried and it feels like I have more control over the longer irons.
Random thought and I can’t believe I noticed this but wow is Ping efficient when they ship clubs. This set is 4-LW…10 clubs and yet the box was half the size of what I usually see iron sets in. Each club also had a little head-cover on it to protect them. Huge props for such a simple yet huge think to do.
When I said they looked good I meant it:
Here is the Ping i25 PW between the Callaway Razr X Forged PW and the R7 CGB PW to compare sole thickness:
Here are two pictures comparing the Ping i25 Lob Wedge to the Cleveland Forged 588:
I have never played set wedges before and honestly never considered it so I look forward to testing these. I love wedges and they are the one type of club I always feel confident with but I also am picky when it comes to choosing a set.
I did a sound test with the lob wedges since I didn’t have a lot of room or time to get to the range today:
I also did a little chipping test just to get a quick feel for the set wedges.
[video=youtube_share;TktB_JI-L-g]http://youtu.be/TktB_JI-L-g[/video]
Thanks for reading I can't wait to answer any questions along with the other testers.
Being the first iron testing I have ever done I wanted to do some research ahead of time about the clubs. The 3 big things that Ping is advertising about the i25 irons are:
1. The first thing is Optimal CTP Position. A tungsten weight in the toe is supposed to help stabilize the head and help increase what I think is distance control (They say greens in regulation) but this is actually a little insert that because they moved lower will help trajectory.
2. The second thing is the Progressive Set Design. As you move down the set the iron heads change shape in order to increase accuracy. For example the 3 iron has a longer club-face and thicker sole than the 7 iron.
3. The third thing is the Dual Stabilizing Bars. Each iron has a bar in what looks like the bottom of the cavity back that changes the ball flight so that with the long irons you can get the height you need and with the short irons lowering the ball flight for extra control.
Hearing about the soft feel with the scoring clubs and distance with the long irons has me itching to get these out to hit some balls. Definitely like what I have read so far about the technology.
Initial thoughts:
Looks- These are some pretty looking irons. I like the progressive iron idea and I have mixed iron sets in the past to try to achieve similar things. The soles are a little thicker than I expected but there is a little slit at the leading edge that looks like it reduces bounce a little. They should cut through rough well yet still forgive you for playing softer ground.
Feel- I play lightweight graphite shafts in irons. Both the R7s and Callaways have Miyazaki C. Kua 59 shafts in them. I was a little worried at first about how these clubs would be weighted and was going to go steel but figured that because I have a decent knowledge of graphite shafts I would go with the graphite. The feel of the clubs is great. They are not overly long like other irons I have tried and it feels like I have more control over the longer irons.
Random thought and I can’t believe I noticed this but wow is Ping efficient when they ship clubs. This set is 4-LW…10 clubs and yet the box was half the size of what I usually see iron sets in. Each club also had a little head-cover on it to protect them. Huge props for such a simple yet huge think to do.
When I said they looked good I meant it:
Spoiler
Here is the Ping i25 PW between the Callaway Razr X Forged PW and the R7 CGB PW to compare sole thickness:
Spoiler
Here are two pictures comparing the Ping i25 Lob Wedge to the Cleveland Forged 588:
Spoiler
I have never played set wedges before and honestly never considered it so I look forward to testing these. I love wedges and they are the one type of club I always feel confident with but I also am picky when it comes to choosing a set.
I did a sound test with the lob wedges since I didn’t have a lot of room or time to get to the range today:
I also did a little chipping test just to get a quick feel for the set wedges.
[video=youtube_share;TktB_JI-L-g]http://youtu.be/TktB_JI-L-g[/video]
Thanks for reading I can't wait to answer any questions along with the other testers.
Last edited:
I'm enjoying reading your thoughts guys.
This thread is really making me look forward to the demo weekend at the end of the month. Though there is no way I could hide another set of irons............or is there? :angel:
This thread is really making me look forward to the demo weekend at the end of the month. Though there is no way I could hide another set of irons............or is there? :angel:
WardF
#TeamDOTCOM Member
The U wedge in this set is becoming a favorite of mine on chips and approach shots I want to keep out of the wind under 100 yards.
I am also loving the KBS tour V option in these. Honestly if I put the same shaft in the i20 I couldn't tell the difference in the two models on feel. There may be a bit more forgiveness in them or better technology(according to marketing) but in terms of day to day play, they are very much alike. For looks however the i25s win.
I am also loving the KBS tour V option in these. Honestly if I put the same shaft in the i20 I couldn't tell the difference in the two models on feel. There may be a bit more forgiveness in them or better technology(according to marketing) but in terms of day to day play, they are very much alike. For looks however the i25s win.
- Thread starter
- Staff
- #141
I'll say though that while there are a lot of similarities which was expected, to me there is definitely a deeper sound and feel through impact with the 25's compared to the 20's that I gamed for about a year and a half. To me, they actually "feel" better.
They also launch better, esp in the long irons, I have zero doubt about that now after yesterday's work with them.
- Thread starter
- Staff
- #142
REFERENCE LINKS:
ROUND/RANGE RUNDOWN:
Date: 3/10/14
Played: 18 Holes w/ Range Time at End
Weather: 81* Sunny with 10-12 MPH winds
For notice, initially I am going to keep scores to myself for a couple rounds and focus on the shot to shot. Because some do not care to see a hole by hole breakdown, this section will also be kept in SPOILER tags
GENERAL THOUGHTS:
Long Irons:
Intentionally hit these more in the round (especially the 4i) and then on the range spent even more time with the 3/4/5, in fact, they were 80% of what I hit out there after the round. PING lays focus on these into the progressive size (longer heel to toe and less face depth) and the progressive offset to maximize the launch and also the spin and overall distance from them. Honestly, I'm comfortable enough to say that they DID improve the long irons from the i20's, I mean that, seeing is believing for me. The 3i is still a bear off the turf for me, but it can be done, the 4i and 5i though have been rocket launchers, the ball just LAUNCHES and makes it feel extremely easy. Now that isn't to downplay the fact that these are long irons and most will be better off with hybrids, but they ARE playable and I think they could be for many. As for the 3i, its been most useful off the tee as its easier to access the launch for me from there, on short par 4's it could be a lot of fun and bring more precision into my game there.
Short Irons:
From the i20's, these are pretty similar performance wise, the soles do their jobs to allow good interaction without digging for me, they also have a really pleasant launch angle from all lies and the tee. The CFS paring just works well to be honest and its clear in the last few lines PING realizes that. As for holding the greens, its hard for me to talk on with these right now as the last cold snap really shocked our greens and they're still pretty dormant from this winter. I'm used to it now, but its tough to talk about holding greens and such because of it. So, for now, other than the interaction and such, there's not a lot to focus on with these.
Wedges:
So, set wedges always get a bad wrap, I'm convinced of that and I have been one of those giving them a bad wrap in the past. Yes, as I said in the i20 review in the end about the wedges, it all comes back to what you as a golfer demand out of your wedges as it pertains to versatility, but with these I've had pretty solid performance so far. Yes, opening the LW is difficult with the high bounce, but all three wedges respond really well to playing the ball more forward or back to alter the ball flight up and down on the touch shots...and clearly on full swings the bounce lets all three wedges shine there. Out of the sand the SW and LW have been really good for me so far also, just a thought of thump it and the results are there, put I have always had that comfort out of PING wedges to be honest. Do they make me play more straight forward around the greens? Yes, but I don't think that is a bad thing. The LW may be a little much for what I typically like to use that loft for, but the UW and SW are proving to be extremely useful.
Feel:
Its not the same as the i20's, I'm adamant about that now. They are more...dense...feeling off of the face, meaning they sound and feel much more solid/deep/plush which makes them feel incredibly good through impact. This is clearly subjective as I much prefer a sound like this to, say, a Titleist iron which gives off a much more clicky sound. We are all different, hit them and see for yourself. But they are an improvement on the i20's here, PING is phenomenal with their dampening in the cavities, I really believe that.
Distance:
The more I hit them, the more I am seeing the distances come up a little bit. Definitely longer in the long irons and I think there might be a bit of a gain in the short irons as well from the i20's, about 1/2 a club, as they do launch well. This is a hard one to put an absolute on this early, but I have no problem saying they are at least as long as most would expect for the class of iron they are. More time needed no doubt for an absolute thought for me.
Forgiveness:
These are the irons the seem to really mesh forgiveness and accuracy well with a solid level of predictability. I know what I will see off the toe, I know what I will see off the heel, catch it heavy and its predictable what type of loss I will see. Are they as forgiving as an SGI? Of course not. Are they more forgiving than a players iron? Absolutely they are. These irons, like their predecessors, really seem to ride that middle ground well. Keep in mind though, bad or non repeatable swings mean bad results, nothing will fix that completely.
Workability:
Spent more time with this aspect this go around. Played to flight the ball up and down by moving it forward and back in the stance and the ball reacts accordingly, wasn't hard to keep the ball down into the wind which seems is always a big concern to many on here, so no worries. Also played to try and hit some draws and fade on the range just to see if I could pull them off with any consistency as I'm not big on working the ball on the course unless I absolutely am being forced to. The 6-LW there really wasn't an issue putting a fade or draw on, naturally the extent to which you can will vary user to user, but for me its there. The long irons though really seem to just want to launch and go pretty straight, which for me is golden as if I'm trying to really bend a 3i or 4i then I need to hit a different club.
General Thoughts:
I come back to these being an evolution and not a revolution, and why not? They build on an iron set that was incredibly successful among amateurs so reinventing the wheel isn't necessary at all. You clearly do want to see differences in performance to justify a new line other than just releasing to release, and so far it seems to be there mainly in the longer irons for me with their launch from multiple lies. The looks are still very whatever to me and I do still believe the i20's looked better, but the i25's are definitely a more "clean" (i.e. less busy) look in the cavity. They sound great, they look great at address and the topline is one that won't turn off many people from any skill level. They are an interesting set so far, much more so than i expected coming in, I honestly thought they would just be a 100% rehash, while the changes are subtle, they are there, so shame on me for my assumptions. Really looking forward to getting out again tomorrow with these before I head for vacation.
As always, if any of you have got any Q's, I'll do my best to give you an answer and if I don't know, I'll go try it and find out.
- Initial Information and Pics: Click HERE
- Additional In-Hand Pics: Click HERE
- Initial thoughts: Click HERE
- Second Outing: Click HERE
ROUND/RANGE RUNDOWN:
Date: 3/10/14
Played: 18 Holes w/ Range Time at End
Weather: 81* Sunny with 10-12 MPH winds
For notice, initially I am going to keep scores to myself for a couple rounds and focus on the shot to shot. Because some do not care to see a hole by hole breakdown, this section will also be kept in SPOILER tags
Spoiler
GENERAL THOUGHTS:
Long Irons:
Intentionally hit these more in the round (especially the 4i) and then on the range spent even more time with the 3/4/5, in fact, they were 80% of what I hit out there after the round. PING lays focus on these into the progressive size (longer heel to toe and less face depth) and the progressive offset to maximize the launch and also the spin and overall distance from them. Honestly, I'm comfortable enough to say that they DID improve the long irons from the i20's, I mean that, seeing is believing for me. The 3i is still a bear off the turf for me, but it can be done, the 4i and 5i though have been rocket launchers, the ball just LAUNCHES and makes it feel extremely easy. Now that isn't to downplay the fact that these are long irons and most will be better off with hybrids, but they ARE playable and I think they could be for many. As for the 3i, its been most useful off the tee as its easier to access the launch for me from there, on short par 4's it could be a lot of fun and bring more precision into my game there.
Short Irons:
From the i20's, these are pretty similar performance wise, the soles do their jobs to allow good interaction without digging for me, they also have a really pleasant launch angle from all lies and the tee. The CFS paring just works well to be honest and its clear in the last few lines PING realizes that. As for holding the greens, its hard for me to talk on with these right now as the last cold snap really shocked our greens and they're still pretty dormant from this winter. I'm used to it now, but its tough to talk about holding greens and such because of it. So, for now, other than the interaction and such, there's not a lot to focus on with these.
Wedges:
So, set wedges always get a bad wrap, I'm convinced of that and I have been one of those giving them a bad wrap in the past. Yes, as I said in the i20 review in the end about the wedges, it all comes back to what you as a golfer demand out of your wedges as it pertains to versatility, but with these I've had pretty solid performance so far. Yes, opening the LW is difficult with the high bounce, but all three wedges respond really well to playing the ball more forward or back to alter the ball flight up and down on the touch shots...and clearly on full swings the bounce lets all three wedges shine there. Out of the sand the SW and LW have been really good for me so far also, just a thought of thump it and the results are there, put I have always had that comfort out of PING wedges to be honest. Do they make me play more straight forward around the greens? Yes, but I don't think that is a bad thing. The LW may be a little much for what I typically like to use that loft for, but the UW and SW are proving to be extremely useful.
Feel:
Its not the same as the i20's, I'm adamant about that now. They are more...dense...feeling off of the face, meaning they sound and feel much more solid/deep/plush which makes them feel incredibly good through impact. This is clearly subjective as I much prefer a sound like this to, say, a Titleist iron which gives off a much more clicky sound. We are all different, hit them and see for yourself. But they are an improvement on the i20's here, PING is phenomenal with their dampening in the cavities, I really believe that.
Distance:
The more I hit them, the more I am seeing the distances come up a little bit. Definitely longer in the long irons and I think there might be a bit of a gain in the short irons as well from the i20's, about 1/2 a club, as they do launch well. This is a hard one to put an absolute on this early, but I have no problem saying they are at least as long as most would expect for the class of iron they are. More time needed no doubt for an absolute thought for me.
Forgiveness:
These are the irons the seem to really mesh forgiveness and accuracy well with a solid level of predictability. I know what I will see off the toe, I know what I will see off the heel, catch it heavy and its predictable what type of loss I will see. Are they as forgiving as an SGI? Of course not. Are they more forgiving than a players iron? Absolutely they are. These irons, like their predecessors, really seem to ride that middle ground well. Keep in mind though, bad or non repeatable swings mean bad results, nothing will fix that completely.
Workability:
Spent more time with this aspect this go around. Played to flight the ball up and down by moving it forward and back in the stance and the ball reacts accordingly, wasn't hard to keep the ball down into the wind which seems is always a big concern to many on here, so no worries. Also played to try and hit some draws and fade on the range just to see if I could pull them off with any consistency as I'm not big on working the ball on the course unless I absolutely am being forced to. The 6-LW there really wasn't an issue putting a fade or draw on, naturally the extent to which you can will vary user to user, but for me its there. The long irons though really seem to just want to launch and go pretty straight, which for me is golden as if I'm trying to really bend a 3i or 4i then I need to hit a different club.
General Thoughts:
I come back to these being an evolution and not a revolution, and why not? They build on an iron set that was incredibly successful among amateurs so reinventing the wheel isn't necessary at all. You clearly do want to see differences in performance to justify a new line other than just releasing to release, and so far it seems to be there mainly in the longer irons for me with their launch from multiple lies. The looks are still very whatever to me and I do still believe the i20's looked better, but the i25's are definitely a more "clean" (i.e. less busy) look in the cavity. They sound great, they look great at address and the topline is one that won't turn off many people from any skill level. They are an interesting set so far, much more so than i expected coming in, I honestly thought they would just be a 100% rehash, while the changes are subtle, they are there, so shame on me for my assumptions. Really looking forward to getting out again tomorrow with these before I head for vacation.
As always, if any of you have got any Q's, I'll do my best to give you an answer and if I don't know, I'll go try it and find out.
Last edited:
James, your PING reviews seem to cost me money! 
Sounds like a good outing. You talking about the 4I makes me want to bag mine again next time out. Interesting that you're seeing a bit of an increase in distance already. Sounds like another winner here for PING in the early going. If you'll excuse me, I need to go hit my i20s now...
Sounds like a good outing. You talking about the 4I makes me want to bag mine again next time out. Interesting that you're seeing a bit of an increase in distance already. Sounds like another winner here for PING in the early going. If you'll excuse me, I need to go hit my i20s now...
DrMWP
Active member
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2010
- Messages
- 1,381
- Reaction score
- 1
- Location
- Chicago's Western Suburbs -Aurora
- Handicap
- 13
PING i25 Irons - Review Thread
James what are you seeing with ball flight when you stand on one. Does it balloon?
And your updates are making me so impatient. One more week, I hope!
James what are you seeing with ball flight when you stand on one. Does it balloon?
And your updates are making me so impatient. One more week, I hope!
- Thread starter
- Staff
- #145
Not at all. Its a mid-high flight, but its what you want, penetrating to the apex and a nice decent thereafter. Have had no problems holding shots up into the wind.
Clearly swing by swing will vary based on fitting, but zero issues here for me, just as with the i20's.
DrMWP
Active member
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2010
- Messages
- 1,381
- Reaction score
- 1
- Location
- Chicago's Western Suburbs -Aurora
- Handicap
- 13
The CFS shafts were pretty high for me and the fitter put me into KBS tours. Brought the flight down. It'll be interesting to see how these work out
- Thread starter
- Staff
- #147
Its all about fitting, especially with PING, the CFS's play a LOT like the Tour's to me but at a lighter weight.
jimonious
New member
Never really loved Ping irons. Looking forward to seeing what you all have to say about them!
Fantastic thoughts James, appreciate all of the detailed feedback.
Would it be accurate for comparison purposes to relate these as quite similar to SpeedBlades? From reading forgiveness, distance, etc I would tend to think they do.
Would it be accurate for comparison purposes to relate these as quite similar to SpeedBlades? From reading forgiveness, distance, etc I would tend to think they do.
- Thread starter
- Staff
- #150
I don't think they are as forgiving as the Blades, def not as long, but the launch is a heck of a lot closer in the long irons than I expected.