Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Ping I20 Iron Review

So, like I promised, here is my full review of the Ping I20 iron set, the set you guys chose as the best iron set of 2011-2012

The first thing I always do when trying and hitting a new set of clubs is to examine the look. The past 2 generations of PING I-Series irons (I10 and I15) have not had my favorite looks. I did not like the finish that was placed on the irons as I thought it was a little too dark, and I also did not like the cavity design. The badge was clunky and just kind of boring. However, the new I20s have a totally different look. The headshape is still relatively the same, but the new finish is more of a lighter finish, and makes the club look a lot sharper and new. This is the same finish as the S-Series of irons have had, so I really like it. I also really like the new cavity design. The use of only black and grey really gives the club a sophisticated look and does not detract from the overall look of the club (hint, hint Cobra). The iron set's offset increases proportionately as the set increases in iron. Having said that, however, the offset is definitely not too much for my liking in the long irons, as offset usually makes me dislike a club. I think PING has got it right with the correct blend of finish, decoration, and offset to have one of the better looking cavity backs out there.

Next, it is on to performance. Everything else about a club can be perfect, but if it doesn't perform, what is the point of buying. I was finally able to hit the set outside in a heated range. As before, the only thing I didn't like about the clubs was the stock PING grip, but grips are easy to change. The swingweighting of the club (CFS Stiff Shaft) is perfect. You can really feel the club as you can swing, but it is not too heavy that it is tough to swing. Being able to feel the clubhead throughout the swing really helped me hit every spot throughout. I could easily control my backswing, transition, and follow-through. At impact, this club is exceptionally easy to square. The ball just jumps off the face and has an impeccable ballflight. Other irons I have hit have launched too high, but this one launches mid, with nice spin. I was able to fly the iron around 165 (in 30 degree weather), 5 iron 180 and the PW went 130. These are around my normal distances in my irons during the summer, so they do not fall short in distance. Also, with the smaller profile on these CBs, it is no problem to work the ball. I am fairly confident in playing the right-to-left draw on command, but the high fade is harder for me to elicit normally. However, these irons allowed me to play every shot I could think of--fade, draw, low draw, punch, knockdown, full-out, pitch. You name it. There has not been another iron set out there yet that I have been confident that I could consistently hit every shot. Yes, with blades I am able to hit every shot, but not with the consistency of the I20 set. The performance definitely complements the good look of these clubs.

Finally, one of the most overlooked aspects of iron play is the feel. Most golfers attribute harshness to cast clubs. Well, the I20s definitely knock that myth down. These were some of the best feeling cast irons I have hit. No, they don't have the "buttery" feel of forged clubs, and coming from Mizuno's I am used to that. However, they feel solid off the face and the sound is excellent. No harshness, and no "mushyness" to these clubs.

Well, there you guys have it. I am waiting to hit some of the other offerings from the 2012 spring release, but as of now, the I20s are on the top of my list. I cannot wait to finally decide what I will be bagging in this upcoming season and having them properly fit to my specs. Hope all of you out there too can find the best set and play the best golf of your life in 2012!

Here's to good golf!

@ahintz2 on Twitter!

3 comments:

  1. Thanks for the review!!!!!

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  2. Nice review thanks for sharing your thoughts. I have just ordered my set but have to wait another few weeks for them to arrive. What's your thought on forgiveness, more forgiving than your previous set of mizunos?

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  3. Yes! I did find these irons more forgiving then my Mizuno MP53s. I was pretty much down to these and the Titleists that I have on order, but chose the Titleists cause I hit them just a bit better. But these are as good as it gets for cast irons! Hope you enjoy the irons and thanks for the post!

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