PING i25 Irons - Review Thread

[ChristopherKee]

Quick Testing Update:

Had my second round with the i25's this weekend. It was another windy day and I was having a difficult time flighting the ball down. I know it's not the club as much as it's me. I've been having an issue hanging back on the ball and I've been trying to work through it but I'm having a hard time breaking the habit. I picked it up from playing blades and trying to shallow my swing.

I included a video of how I'm hanging back. This is an i25 7i shot into the wind. If I could have kept it down it would have been a good shot. Came up a 1/2 club short from hitting it too high. Not sure if the sound comes through 100% but I LOVE the sound of the i25's.




This was my second super windy and FREEZING cold round with the i25's. Both rounds I was plagued with poor mechanics while recovering from surgery I had days after the i25's arrived. It's a bit of a blessing honestly to be swinging this poorly because I'm getting a very very good idea of what forgiveness in irons can do for you. Fat shots go far, thin shots fly high, toe shots go strait, and high shots on the face only penalize you 1 club. I'm sold 100% on forgiveness.

I'm headed out again as soon as the weather is above 50 degrees. I need to get a warm round in with these irons before I give them a full opinion. So far they've kicked my current gamers out of the bag but I need more time with the i25's and some good swings to paint a complete picture.

I'll leave everyone with this however. If you're looking for new clubs you have to give the i25's with CFS shafts a try, they are simply elegant, accurate, and forgiving.

 

[syndicate559]

Oh they are gorgeous! Can't wait for the weekend.

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk

 

[JollyGrnBucket]

The more I think about it, the more impressed I am with what PING did with these. My intial thoughts were that these were an update to the I20's, but it appears as though they improved upon the previous model in almost every way. I eventually purchased JPX-825 Pros because I didn't feel the I20's were the equal of the Mizuno's, but the I25's now seem to feel better, seem to be more forgiving, and have slightly better distance. What more can you ask of an iron? I was very impressed by them in the demo I did. I'd like to take them out for a longer spin, that is for sure.

 

[golfinFF]

Great stuff so far from the testers.

I know some one went graphite, so how are they meeting your expectations and are they playing true to flex?

 

[c0ncept]

Great stuff so far from the testers.

I know some one went graphite, so how are they meeting your expectations and are they playing true to flex?

Definitely true to flex and I am surprised by how well the shafts perform compared to the other aftermarket graphite shafts I have used.

 

[afwcardinal]

Oh they are gorgeous! Can't wait for the weekend.

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk

The clubs look fantastic. Love the look of those grips too.

 

[ChristopherKee]

The clubs look fantastic. Love the look of those grips too.

PING ID8 360 grips are very interesting. I normally play Pure but I'm liking the PING grips so far as a stock grip. PING does a great job with the tape and alignment of the grips. They use a laser line to make sure they are on perfect.

 

[syndicate559]

PING ID8 360 grips are very interesting. I normally play Pure but I'm liking the PING grips so far as a stock grip. PING does a great job with the tape and alignment of the grips. They use a laser line to make sure they are on perfect.

I agree. In hand without actually hitting them yet, quality of build looks excellent. I like the feel of the grips so far as well. Since they didn't offer the Lamkin 3GEN in midsize as an option, I asked to have an extra wrap of tape put on these. They did it and they feel perfect to me in size. So far, I'm so happy with the way PING came through on this. Custom shafts at only $12/club upcharge, special request on tape and they got built and shipped in a week. In my hands in a week and a half. That seems tough to beat.

 

[Jman]

I'm just not at all a fan of the PING grips, but I never have been. Haha

Putting the finishing touches on the homepage review of these right now, will be doing an update from my lesson tonight as well though. I'm seeing more distance now than I was initially and the ball flight through the set is definitely higher than the i20's were for me, hence the added distance IMO.

 

[c0ncept]

I'm just not at all a fan of the PING grips, but I never have been. Haha

Putting the finishing touches on the homepage review of these right now, will be doing an update from my lesson tonight as well though. I'm seeing more distance now than I was initially and the ball flight through the set is definitely higher than the i20's were for me, hence the added distance IMO.

Ditto on the grips. These haven't been too bad though. So gotta ask...are they making up ground against the speedblades?

 

[Jman]

Ditto on the grips. These haven't been too bad though. So gotta ask...are they making up ground against the speedblades?

Not as long, not as forgiving low on the face. Extremely well rounded though IMO, as pessimistic as I was I really believe they are a worthy successor to the i20's, thats big praise from me.

 

[c0ncept]

Not as long, not as forgiving low on the face. Extremely well rounded though IMO, as pessimistic as I was I really believe they are a worthy successor to the i20's, thats big praise from me.

I figured they wouldn't be as long due to the i25s being weaker lofts and shorter clubs. That is huge that they are a step up from the i20s! I need to get my hands on a few different irons to get more comparisons done.

 

[Jman]

I figured they wouldn't be as long due to the i25s being weaker lofts and shorter clubs. That is huge that they are a step up from the i20s! I need to get my hands on a few different irons to get more comparisons done.

Loft isn't the key, but I digress.

 

[c0ncept]

Loft isn't the key, but I digress.

Oh I know there is a lot that goes into that stuff besides loft. I like how high the i25s launch compared to the R7s and yet still have the same distance. I am holding greens from 180 out with no issues and I was using an e6 on hard greens.

 

[Jman]

Oh I know there is a lot that goes into that stuff besides loft. I like how high the i25s launch compared to the R7s and yet still have the same distance. I am holding greens from 180 out with no issues and I was using an e6 on hard greens.

There ya go, its all about the launch, not the loft, and indeed the i25's do have a nice launch to them, def improved from the 20's and that is where the distance gains are coming from. Good stuff.

 

[captaincaution]

Oh I know there is a lot that goes into that stuff besides loft. I like how high the i25s launch compared to the R7s and yet still have the same distance. I am holding greens from 180 out with no issues and I was using an e6 on hard greens.

It's incredible the kind of stuff you're seeing even though you aren't using a urethane ball.

 

[MJisGOAT]

Jman,

You think you could go into deeper detail with a comparison of i25 vs s55 vs 714 ap2? I now you mentioned briefly vs the ap2, but a bit more detail would be welcomed. Currently have the i25's, but nothing completely satisfies carnal desires.

Regards

 

[Jman]

Jman,

You think you could go into deeper detail with a comparison of i25 vs s55 vs 714 ap2? I now you mentioned briefly vs the ap2, but a bit more detail would be welcomed. Currently have the i25's, but nothing completely satisfies carnal desires.

Regards

Absolutely, and WELCOME to THP!

They're a touch better launching than the AP2's, and bc of that a little longer. IMO they win in forgiveness as well the more time I spend with them but honestly if you put the same shaft in both the performance might just be scary similar.

As for the s55's, they definitely brought more playability and forgiveness than we have seen in the majority of "players" clubs, but they are still WAY more demanding than the i25's IMO. These blend it all the best, not that much larger than the s55's, longer, easier launch, and more forgiveness. Both look great, so in the end it'll come down to fitting. I couldn't imagine going back to the 55's thought right now, I also used to talk about a combo set, but I really don't see the sense in that either at the mo.

 

[JoeA]

Hi All,

Been following this thread for a few weeks now, just like I did a few years ago when I went down the Tarlormade R9 route.

I was weighing up AP2 v I25 for a while and landed on the Ping side, went for a fitting at Ping's factory in Gainsborough UK and came away with a full set of new weapons. As a newbie let me work out how to post photos and i'll add my thoughts to the thread.

Regards

 

[Jman]

Hi All,

Been following this thread for a few weeks now, just like I did a few years ago when I went down the Tarlormade R9 route.

I was weighing up AP2 v I25 for a while and landed on the Ping side, went for a fitting at Ping's factory in Gainsborough UK and came away with a full set of new weapons. As a newbie let me work out how to post photos and i'll add my thoughts to the thread.

Regards

Very nice Joe! Welcome to THP!

Best way is to use a hosting site like photobucket and then after uploading you can just post in the

 

[Brianbigoats]

Oh they are gorgeous! Can't wait for the weekend.

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk

Nice sticks Eddie can't wait to see how you hit them next weekend

 

[syndicate559]

As for the s55's, they definitely brought more playability and forgiveness than we have seen in the majority of "players" clubs, but they are still WAY more demanding than the i25's IMO. These blend it all the best, not that much larger than the s55's, longer, easier launch, and more forgiveness. Both look great, so in the end it'll come down to fitting. I couldn't imagine going back to the 55's thought right now, I also used to talk about a combo set, but I really don't see the sense in that either at the mo.

I'll second Jman's thoughts on this. I spent quite a bit of time hitting both the i25 and s55. The 55, when hit pure, is magic. It's such an addictive feeling when you make a good swing with those clubs. They made me want them, badly. But like Jman said, they're more demanding. Mis hits are punished more severely with distance loss and they can get farther off your intended line. The i25 is a great looking club that hides a lot of forgiveness in a more serious looking head. Giving that forgiveness up just didn't make sense to me at my current skill level. In fact, I feel that I have plenty of room to grow with the i25 as I (hopefully) continue to improve. If you already play a true player's iron, you'd probably love the 55. If you're playing GI irons, the i25 is a great bridge to the player's side of things.

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk

 

[syndicate559]

Nice sticks Eddie can't wait to see how you hit them next weekend

Me either! I'll get a test run in this weekend, but I'm guessing I still won't have a complete handle on distances by then. I just can't wait to get them out.

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk

 

[JoeA]

Very nice Joe! Welcome to THP!

Best way is to use a hosting site like photobucket and then after uploading you can just post in the links![/QUOTE]

Thanks Jman, here goes....

To set the scene I’ve long been a Taylormade man and must have believed all the marketing hence having a stint with most versions that have come out from R7, R9, Burner, R11 & R1 drivers, various fairways, wedges and the R9 irons (KBS Tour) which managed to stay in the bag for the last 4 years. Anyhow I’d been thinking of new irons and a driver for a couple of months and felt it was time to pledge my allegiance somewhere that didn’t release a new club each time the sun shined and name them after what seems like feedback from the local junior school.

So I was back and forth between the AP2’s and i25’s, after plenty of range time with both I ended up deciding on the Ping route. They are both great clubs, similar looks at address, feel and flight but the Ping’s just tipped it on forgiveness. Gotta say if I were going on looks alone the AP2’s would be in the bag due to the chrome finish but not to take anything away the i25 is a great looking club possibly the best looking Ping ever bar the S55 which is just beautiful.

Now decided the next step was where to be fitted, my club has a great open range fitting centre with launch monitors where they can custom fit Ping, Taylormade, Nike & Callaway. I knew this was going to end up being a full bag purchase & really wanted the whole Ping experience so my club pro booked me in for a session at Ping’s national fitting centre in Gainsborough which is where the European factory is and also where the European tour players go for fine tuning. Needless to say it was amazing, the guys really know their stuff and take a real interest in getting everything out of the options on offer.

I went through S55 irons which are great but I just knew they weren’t right for the occasional off day which were all prone too. Then i25 irons in various different shaft options from all the major contenders, g25 & i25 drivers, fairways and hybrids and various wedge options. From my previous range time and past fittings I was pretty sure I would come out with a custom shaft, most likely KBS and a degree or two upright which after initial measurements on the ping chart is the lie we started with (yellow dot). Needless to say I was surprised at the end when I ended up black dot the whole way through with CFS stiff through irons and wedges. Driver wise ended up G25 TFC 189D stiff with a massive 11.5 degrees of loft,, i25 5 wood PWR 65 stiff turned down to 17.5 degrees and G25 hybrid TFC 189H stiff with 20 degrees of loft, gorge wedges with standard sole on the 56 & tour sole in the 60. There is absolutely no pressure to buy there and then, in fact you can’t and they provide an output as below which you can take to any Ping stockist.

[URL=http://s1293.photobucket.com/user/JoeA79/media/Specs_zps7d3aa93c.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1293.photobucket.com/albums/b591/JoeA79/Specs_zps7d3aa93c.jpg[/URL]

So after being absolutely convinced that I have the spec that is perfect for my game I ordered through my Pro, Ping built shipped in under a week which was brilliant customer service. All apart from the 5 wood which came with the wrong shaft, replacement will be here tomorrow.
First impressions on the range are that these irons are bullets, great piercing flight and softer off the face than I initially thought. Anyhow they couldn’t have come at a better time, group of us of to Spain this weekend for 5 days then the following weekend away playing some quality British links so 8 rounds in 8 days should give me plenty of time to get to grips with them. Will feedback when I’m back but in the meantime a few teasers.

 

[ddec]

those look real good Joe. Incredible bag setup