InHartWeTrust
Ball Go Far.
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This is awesome, looking forward to keeping up with this thread and the reviewers thoughts. Congrats to all who were selected to test (lucky bastards!)
Ping i20 Irons Review - Forum Testing Review Thread
JK
Living the Dream
Congrats, Jman. I can tell how much you like those Bridgestones, so I think this will be a true test I'll be watching even though I am already in.
- Staff
- #28
Thanks for all the kind words everyone! I was just praying I wasn't rambling nonsensically throughout it, LOL
Now, some pic's and initial thoughts. Be fore-warned, I do plan on getting some more shots (outside light is a necessity) but I did with what I could late last night. This will encompass my initial thoughts of having the PING i20's in hand along with my spec's and why I went that way.
GENERAL SETUP:
As I stated in my video PING came to THP in this wanting to show off what their custom department, WRX, could do for the everyday hacker and how they can get your set to fit your every whim and spec. With that in mind after bugging GG incessantly for a long while I put in some major research and thought as to what I was looking for and what I wanted in my i20 Testing set.
In the end I decided to go with the 4-LW setup. This setup is a massive departure form my Bridgestone J40 DPC's in which I was playing 5-9 along side SCOR wedges in 45, 49, 53, and 57. I went with this setup though because I truly want to cover the entire gambit of what the i20 line is and can do, in my opinion to do this I needed to put the UW, SW, and LW into play form the irons set as well since I know there are a lot of guys here on THP and elsewhere who like the stock wedges that match their iron sets. I went with a 4i based off of PING's advertisement of the progressive offset and blade size of the irons as they progress from the wedges (minimal offset) to the 4i (more offset to help get the ball up and a smaller blade size in height but longer heel to toe) and wanting to see just what this feature can do and how much of a difference it makes.
In the shaft department I actually went off the beaten path and took advantage of the WRX offerings by going with S-Flex KBS C-Taper's in the 4-PW and DG Spinners in the UW, SW, and LW. As I said in my initial video my reasoning for going away form the stock CFS shafts is NOT a knock on those shafts, rather, its me going wit what is a known commodity for my game as I am coming from playing the KBS in my J40's and my 2.0's before that. The C-Tapers simply fit my game and my swing and that takes the shaft portion out of the equation for me and will let me focus solely on the iron heads and what they can and cannot do and for me personally that is most important in all of this as different shafts will fit different people but the iron heads will remain. As for the wedges and the DG Spinners, the WRX department graciously let me go that direction because since the C-Tapers are lower spin and lower launch I know I need more launch and more spin in the scoring wedges, this should make for an interesting blend.
Speaking of the scoring wedges, the WRX department also offers a multitude of custom grinds on them. My MAIN concern when I decided to go with the UW, SW, and LW in the i20's was the, to me, large amount of bounce that PING has (12, 13, 14, 13 respectively). Upon researching our options I quickly found a solution to this, the WRX Grinds. I actually got different grinds on all 4 of the wedges, hence when you see the pic's of the wedges below you will notice the sole does NOT have that signature PING satin finish, rather they are much shiner thanks to the material that was removed for the different grinds.
The grinds I went with, and why, are as follows:
PW: Radius Grind - Alot of the PW shots on the courses I play are one extreme or the other, soft or hardpan, the radius grind should help with both, PING's explanation of this particular grind is below.
UW: L Grind - This one is a combo grind of the Radius and the T grind to help on finesse shots and to help with digging on shots, I think this will be big for how I play my game and in making the wedge much more versatile.
SW: T Grind - I love the native bounce on the Sandy here at 14 but I do like to chip with my SW as well so the T grind actually allows for laying it open a bit more when needed even in the bunker without removing too much native bounce that I'd need for that particular shot.
LW: Tour Grind - I don't consider the i20 LW a true lob wedge at 58* (57* for me) and the 13* of bounce so the Tour Grind was the obvious choice here with an effective all around combo of grinds to allow not only for opening it up more but lessened overall bounce for the types of shot's I like to use my 57 for.
SPEC's:
Lie: Purple (1.5* Flat)
Loft: Standard as listed in the image below, except in PW-LW, I had them all bent 1* stronger as to bring the 9i to PW gap down to 4 degrees and make it a constant gapping all the way through my scoring clubs, just a major preference of mine.
Length: +1/4"
Swing-Weight: D2 4-9i, D4 PW/UW/SW, and D6 LW
Grips: Mid-Sized Golf Pride NDMC's
INITIAL THOUGHTS:
These really are way better looking to me in hand than they were through pictures, which is honestly saying something. Overall these are the first PING irons in a very very long time that I just look at and think "YES! They nailed it!". Wonderful lines, progressive offset and height, a nice midsized blade, beautiful satin finish, a cavity LOADED with technology that doesn't look too busy in my humble opinion. I'm coming form what I considered to be one of the three best looking iron sets including these and I think the PING's honestly may outshine the J40's and Ci11's for my particular eye. One thing I know is if I like the look and am confident over the top of it, the club will perform better for me because of that confidence.
I actually love the progressive offset as well at they eye level because unlike other sets that I've had that utilized this its not as extreme or overdone, which makes sense since it is considered a "Game Improvement/Competition" club by PING themselves as compared to a G20 so its just natural that with more narrow soles and thinner toplines the offset is lessened as well. The coolest portion in the eye test to me though is the progressive blade sizing (where the long irons are actually longer heel to toe but shorter in height to my eye), I wondered how this would look when I actually got them in hand, I approve the eye test for sure.
I really hope this wasn't a bear to read, I tried to break it up and break it down but the thoughts are running rampant in my head right now. I plan on getting out and on the course today and hopefully I can grab a few more pictures when I get in in the daylight!
Now, some pic's and initial thoughts. Be fore-warned, I do plan on getting some more shots (outside light is a necessity) but I did with what I could late last night. This will encompass my initial thoughts of having the PING i20's in hand along with my spec's and why I went that way.
GENERAL SETUP:
As I stated in my video PING came to THP in this wanting to show off what their custom department, WRX, could do for the everyday hacker and how they can get your set to fit your every whim and spec. With that in mind after bugging GG incessantly for a long while I put in some major research and thought as to what I was looking for and what I wanted in my i20 Testing set.
In the end I decided to go with the 4-LW setup. This setup is a massive departure form my Bridgestone J40 DPC's in which I was playing 5-9 along side SCOR wedges in 45, 49, 53, and 57. I went with this setup though because I truly want to cover the entire gambit of what the i20 line is and can do, in my opinion to do this I needed to put the UW, SW, and LW into play form the irons set as well since I know there are a lot of guys here on THP and elsewhere who like the stock wedges that match their iron sets. I went with a 4i based off of PING's advertisement of the progressive offset and blade size of the irons as they progress from the wedges (minimal offset) to the 4i (more offset to help get the ball up and a smaller blade size in height but longer heel to toe) and wanting to see just what this feature can do and how much of a difference it makes.
Spoiler
In the shaft department I actually went off the beaten path and took advantage of the WRX offerings by going with S-Flex KBS C-Taper's in the 4-PW and DG Spinners in the UW, SW, and LW. As I said in my initial video my reasoning for going away form the stock CFS shafts is NOT a knock on those shafts, rather, its me going wit what is a known commodity for my game as I am coming from playing the KBS in my J40's and my 2.0's before that. The C-Tapers simply fit my game and my swing and that takes the shaft portion out of the equation for me and will let me focus solely on the iron heads and what they can and cannot do and for me personally that is most important in all of this as different shafts will fit different people but the iron heads will remain. As for the wedges and the DG Spinners, the WRX department graciously let me go that direction because since the C-Tapers are lower spin and lower launch I know I need more launch and more spin in the scoring wedges, this should make for an interesting blend.
Spoiler
Speaking of the scoring wedges, the WRX department also offers a multitude of custom grinds on them. My MAIN concern when I decided to go with the UW, SW, and LW in the i20's was the, to me, large amount of bounce that PING has (12, 13, 14, 13 respectively). Upon researching our options I quickly found a solution to this, the WRX Grinds. I actually got different grinds on all 4 of the wedges, hence when you see the pic's of the wedges below you will notice the sole does NOT have that signature PING satin finish, rather they are much shiner thanks to the material that was removed for the different grinds.
Spoiler
The grinds I went with, and why, are as follows:
PW: Radius Grind - Alot of the PW shots on the courses I play are one extreme or the other, soft or hardpan, the radius grind should help with both, PING's explanation of this particular grind is below.
UW: L Grind - This one is a combo grind of the Radius and the T grind to help on finesse shots and to help with digging on shots, I think this will be big for how I play my game and in making the wedge much more versatile.
SW: T Grind - I love the native bounce on the Sandy here at 14 but I do like to chip with my SW as well so the T grind actually allows for laying it open a bit more when needed even in the bunker without removing too much native bounce that I'd need for that particular shot.
LW: Tour Grind - I don't consider the i20 LW a true lob wedge at 58* (57* for me) and the 13* of bounce so the Tour Grind was the obvious choice here with an effective all around combo of grinds to allow not only for opening it up more but lessened overall bounce for the types of shot's I like to use my 57 for.
SPEC's:
Spoiler
Lie: Purple (1.5* Flat)
Loft: Standard as listed in the image below, except in PW-LW, I had them all bent 1* stronger as to bring the 9i to PW gap down to 4 degrees and make it a constant gapping all the way through my scoring clubs, just a major preference of mine.
Length: +1/4"
Swing-Weight: D2 4-9i, D4 PW/UW/SW, and D6 LW
Grips: Mid-Sized Golf Pride NDMC's
INITIAL THOUGHTS:
These really are way better looking to me in hand than they were through pictures, which is honestly saying something. Overall these are the first PING irons in a very very long time that I just look at and think "YES! They nailed it!". Wonderful lines, progressive offset and height, a nice midsized blade, beautiful satin finish, a cavity LOADED with technology that doesn't look too busy in my humble opinion. I'm coming form what I considered to be one of the three best looking iron sets including these and I think the PING's honestly may outshine the J40's and Ci11's for my particular eye. One thing I know is if I like the look and am confident over the top of it, the club will perform better for me because of that confidence.
I actually love the progressive offset as well at they eye level because unlike other sets that I've had that utilized this its not as extreme or overdone, which makes sense since it is considered a "Game Improvement/Competition" club by PING themselves as compared to a G20 so its just natural that with more narrow soles and thinner toplines the offset is lessened as well. The coolest portion in the eye test to me though is the progressive blade sizing (where the long irons are actually longer heel to toe but shorter in height to my eye), I wondered how this would look when I actually got them in hand, I approve the eye test for sure.
Spoiler
I really hope this wasn't a bear to read, I tried to break it up and break it down but the thoughts are running rampant in my head right now. I plan on getting out and on the course today and hopefully I can grab a few more pictures when I get in in the daylight!
runpuddrun
Back and Better than EVAR
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Great unboxing video's Jman. Ping WRX went all out for you guys! Can't wait to hear your initial thoughts on performance and see some pics of them and your specs from WRX. I have my next set of irons down to 3 now so I wait with bated breath what you testers have to say.
Again, wow. JMan, I dont think I have ever read an initial review as thorough as what you have put up today. Great work!
JK
Living the Dream
Just curious, Jman, are you gonna get any actual work done today or is that shot after getting these puppies in?
- Staff
- #33
Thanks WE, I've been gradually working on the layout of the info post I just put up, I just needed the info, pic's, and thoughts! LOL
I hope its not too wordy, as I teacher I can get long winded from time to time...hehe
tomahawk18
Waiting for some sun!?
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Jman bringing it. This thread is off to a fantastic start! That is a very nice looking set of irons and I am looking forward to hearing how they game.
Puttin4Bird
Say what again mf'er!
Jman I can imagine that the folks from Ping and the rest of us here on THP are already very impressed with your initial videos and thoughts on the irons. You're going to do a great job with this testing, I can't wait to hear how they work out for you man.
TheHeez
Well-known member
Awesome work Jman! Never has an unboxing video and description made me want to swing a set of clubs more! I am very envious and really looking forward to hearing how the new sticks treat you.
Ole Gray
Mayor of the Woodshed
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Great start for Ping Reviews!
Great start for Ping Reviews!
Golly Jman! :bulgy-eyes: Talking about setting the bar high dude you have hurdled over it with yards to spare :blob:. Very thorough and informative to say the least. Also Ping really has showed class, in the way they are setting up these puppies for you guys. There will be absolutely no excuses for not having the proper setup to test, from head to toe with these irons. I am really impressed with this process and it has just begun :thumb:
Great start for Ping Reviews!
Golly Jman! :bulgy-eyes: Talking about setting the bar high dude you have hurdled over it with yards to spare :blob:. Very thorough and informative to say the least. Also Ping really has showed class, in the way they are setting up these puppies for you guys. There will be absolutely no excuses for not having the proper setup to test, from head to toe with these irons. I am really impressed with this process and it has just begun :thumb:
- Staff
- #40
Thanks OG! That means alot coming form you buddy!
I really can;t say enough about PING and the opportunity, its just so SO impressive. Its the type of thing that sets companies apart and could easily make fans for life with how they handle their business. Now its just on to see how they perform!
Butters
New member
I modified the sheet Griff posted a bit. I am going to use it in my rounds with these clubs.
imscottr
I Like Show Tunes!
Jman, you're setting the bar when it comes to testing and you haven't even hit them yet!
Btw - never too much information. The more the better. I hate reading reviews where people just gives you the facts. "Nice looking iron, hits straight, me like." Keep it coming!
Btw - never too much information. The more the better. I hate reading reviews where people just gives you the facts. "Nice looking iron, hits straight, me like." Keep it coming!
Butters
New member
Friday morning I will be playing with a set of WS FG Tour's before the Ping's arrive. They aren't fitted but I can compare the feel of WS forged player's irons to the feel of the i20's cast GI/Player irons.
runpuddrun
Back and Better than EVAR
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Again, great pics and explanation Jman. You're bringing it with your initial thoughts and reasoning behind your specs and setup. Can't wait to hear how well they perform for you, especially with the wedges. That should be interesting, coming from SCOR's to the stock wedges and different grinds.
BogeyWoods03
Member
Aboslutely beautiful irons and a GREAT start Jman! Looking forward to your in depth and detail orientated posts!! Hope you love these!!
Bringing your A game jman! Very nice. So Ping gave you custom options across the board?! Wow! Hello Ping and welcome to the THP party! Very impressive! I'll be following everyone's progress!
KellyBo
Golf, Have Fun or Quit!
Great stuff Jman! Griff I'm really interested to hear more about your use of the performance sheets and impact tape. These irons are beautiful. I remember hitting the I-15's at last year's demo day and I absolutely loved them. I'm sure these are even better from what I've read so far. I was telling OG that I could start out with the 7, 8, 9, and PW since I love my Adams hybrids so much. LOL Guess I better get healed and back playing before I start thinking of new irons. Can't wait to hit these at the THP demo day though!
chewie69
New member
Great looking clubs Jman. Good job on the videos!
Damaikis
Fairway Finder
Wow Jman, GREAT initial thoughts, pictures, and videos! There is a ton of information in what you have posted so far and I love it! Really great job kicking this testing off dude!