I-500s; after using them for a while, anybody else loathe them ?

jwb10 · Nov 12, 2006

I've always been a Ping guy, and decided to go for distance and bought the I-500s. I cannot get them dialed in. I got the same shaft, flex and weight as my I-200s, but I get very inconsistent shot patterns and distances, and no feel. Anybody having these issues? I am about to pull the trigger on the I-210s unless someone talks me off the WRXer ledge !

syenkoc · Apr 8, 2010

I feel your pain. I was suckered into getting the i500s after a fitting at True Spec (to be fair, they did a fantastic job with the driver, 4w, and hybrid). The i500s felt great during the fitting process, but once I actually got mine, they felt pretty terrible - very tinny. (My old but again current set is Nike Vapor Pros, which feel quite fantastic.) More than anything else, I just had no idea where I was hitting the ball on the face.

The other problem I had was with the distances. It’s fun to hit your 6i 210 and a PW 160… but ultimately it means that I had a 50+ yard (!!!) gap between my PW and GW. And that was with the “traditional” lofts - I can only imagine using the power spec lofts. I would literally need to carry 4 GWs to make that set up work. I guess I could learn how to feather a 165 club down to 120 - but it’s going to have a funky flight, spin, etc.

So I basically gave up on the i500s. It’s an interesting club/idea for sure. But basically it felt like I was replacing all of my irons with mini-hybrids. If you goal is brag about how much farther you can hit your irons than your friends, they are great clubs. But in terms of actually playing golf… not as great.

GolfWRX · Jan 1, 2005

JDMRN81 · Aug 1, 2016

I purchased mine a few weeks ago and only have 3 rounds and a handful of range sessions but I love them so far. I’m an average (below average in WRX terms) distance player and got another 5-7 yards with these compared to my z565’s. They are a little harsh but that’s low on my priority. Paired with LZ’s they go high and very, very straight when I make solid contact. I haven’t noticed any gapping issues yet and seem pretty forgiving when hit on the toe, which is my miss. I love hitting the 3i....replacing my G400 hybrid for now.

kcd38 · Dec 8, 2017

Thank you for posting this. I am looking into a new iron set and love the i210. Since the i500 looks so similar and can give me more height I have been flirting with the idea of getting a set. I hit them a few times and while they performed great, I could not get over the feel/sound. Truly felt like a hollow, tinny iron. Coming from MP18 SC's, most other irons will not match the feel but the i210's feel much better IMO.

cardoustie · Sep 8, 2008

thankfully I only got the i500 six iron as a "tester". I have tried 8 shafts to make this head work - to no avail
Do not like the feel or performance at all
Anyone want a cheap head? Blend into 7-PW set of ping's???

jwb10 · Nov 12, 2006

I can't get a feel for them. Granted, the weather has been horrid, and I have hit some good shots but I've hit some shots that I thought were horrible that turned out fine. Then, I think I flushed one, right down the stack, only to flutter helplessly to the ground. And neither time did I feel any real difference. Just a clang and wait for the landing.....

Jkinluv · Apr 25, 2019

I did the same thing. I couldn't hit 500s for snot. My dispersion was quite big. Moved to i210s and never looked backm

GolfWRX · Jan 1, 2005

IamMarkMac · Aug 23, 2013

The impression that stuck after I tested these was that I couldn't get a handle on the feel. It definitely did not feel like a cast club but it wasn't like a forged club either. As such, I couldn't tell if I liked them. At which point, I told myself if I can't tell if I like something, I probably don't.
I was more impressed with the G700. That club, at least, was everything advertised. I may not play it but I can appreciate it for what it is.

kiwihacker · Nov 14, 2013

On -, @IamMarkMac said:

The impression that stuck after I tested these was that I couldn't get a handle on the feel. It definitely did not feel like a cast club but it wasn't like a forged club either. As such, I couldn't tell if I liked them. At which point, I told myself if I can't tell if I like something, I probably don't.
I was more impressed with the G700. That club, at least, was everything advertised. I may not play it but I can appreciate it for what it is.

Where is the I500 supposed to fit in? It looks like a blade but it is obviously more of a GI/distance iron.

Also what is the deal with the G700? Where does that fit in compared to the i200/i210 and the G400/G410?

dpb5031 · Oct 20, 2008

Will be interesting to see what (if anything) Ping decides to do about a second generation i500.

gvogel · Aug 18, 2007

On -, @dpb5031 said:

Will be interesting to see what (if anything) Ping decides to do about a second generation i500.

I would be interested in a second generation if it had a little more offset and could fit in with G410's, or i210's. At the moment, it seems iblade users are using an i500 for their longest iron.

AzSuperHack76 · Dec 3, 2012

On -, @kiwihacker said:

On -, @IamMarkMac said:

The impression that stuck after I tested these was that I couldn't get a handle on the feel. It definitely did not feel like a cast club but it wasn't like a forged club either. As such, I couldn't tell if I liked them. At which point, I told myself if I can't tell if I like something, I probably don't.
I was more impressed with the G700. That club, at least, was everything advertised. I may not play it but I can appreciate it for what it is.

Where is the I500 supposed to fit in? It looks like a blade but it is obviously more of a GI/distance iron.

Also what is the deal with the G700? Where does that fit in compared to the i200/i210 and the G400/G410?

500 is a players distance iron.

I'd say the 700's are more super game improvement.

GolfWRX · Jan 1, 2005

jly · May 15, 2019

I've been playing the i500 this year (came from AP2) and really like them. Absolutely took some getting used to (especially with distances) but I've grown to really like the feel. Absolutely feel like I can trust the distances too.

IamMarkMac · Aug 23, 2013

On -, @kiwihacker said:

On -, @IamMarkMac said:

The impression that stuck after I tested these was that I couldn't get a handle on the feel. It definitely did not feel like a cast club but it wasn't like a forged club either. As such, I couldn't tell if I liked them. At which point, I told myself if I can't tell if I like something, I probably don't.
I was more impressed with the G700. That club, at least, was everything advertised. I may not play it but I can appreciate it for what it is.

Where is the I500 supposed to fit in? It looks like a blade but it is obviously more of a GI/distance iron.

Also what is the deal with the G700? Where does that fit in compared to the i200/i210 and the G400/G410?

From the marketing, in order of player to SGI, it goes iBlade > i210 > i500 > G410 > G700. So i500 is definitely in the players distance iron category.
G700 is SGI. I believe they literally were looking to use hybrid technology all the way to the wedges and the G700 is what they came up with.

jwb10 · Nov 12, 2006

On -, @jly said:

I've been playing the i500 this year (came from AP2) and really like them. Absolutely took some getting used to (especially with distances) but I've grown to really like the feel. Absolutely feel like I can trust the distances too.

"So, you're telling me there's a chance??"

Jut · Feb 3, 2011

I spent a lot of $ on my i500s and tried and tried and tried to make them work. I never consistently liked the feel (even after adding some hot melt to the cavities) and the performance was not there either (I played them for several months/rounds/range sessions). I've only had my F9's for a brief moment, yet am already substantially more comfortable with them (sound/feel/performance).

ggpro · Jul 20, 2005

Sorry to hear you don’t like them ....they are the best irons I have ever owned ! About 5 of my friends bought them by trying mine.

GolfWRX · Jan 1, 2005

IamMarkMac · Aug 23, 2013

On -, @ggpro said:

Sorry to hear you don’t like them ....they are the best irons I have ever owned ! About 5 of my friends bought them by trying mine.

Yeah, I'm surprised at how polarizing they are. I had thought that a forged club by Ping would have been a slam dunk but it hasn't really turned out that way.

MaxBuck · Jun 24, 2012

On -, @IamMarkMac said:

Yeah, I'm surprised at how polarizing they are. I had thought that a forged club by Ping would have been a slam dunk but it hasn't really turned out that way.

Well, they're not really forged clubs. But Ping says they are. So that's part of my problem with them; they have a very harsh feel.

Probably the single most serious case of buyer's remorse I've ever experienced with golf clubs. Nonetheless I'm playing pretty well with them, so it could certainly be a lot worse.

Ezgolfer · Sep 17, 2006

Could not find the sweet spot feel on i500’s. Swapped with cobra because/cb. What a difference in just 2 range sessions.

jwb10 · Nov 12, 2006

On -, @Ezgolfer said:

Could not find the sweet spot feel on i500’s. Swapped with cobra because/cb. What a difference in just 2 range sessions.

that's it, I know it's there, but where ?

mantan · Oct 20, 2005

I don't have them, but a close buddy bought some over the winter. He's trying to make them love him, but he's struggled with them all year. He has some serious buyer's remorse. He had planned to buy new irons for a year. The i500s weren't on his radar, but what gave the best numbers at an indoor fitting.

GolfWRX · Jan 1, 2005

Stonewalled · Apr 24, 2014

I had hit the demo 7 iron on a few occasions with impressive results for me, centre strikes, decent feel I was sold. Picked up a set off a member, only the PW and 7 iron had been hit. My indoor/outdoor range testing and early spring course testing had me questioning my purchase big time. I couldn't hit a shot with them and was ready to sell them. I have had my share of many styles of irons and I have never been so stumped on a set of irons. Was thinking to self that I usually can hit just about anything to a certain degree so keep trying. Weather warmed up a touch so figured one more kick at the cat. Not sure what happened but all of a sudden these were the best irons I had ever hit. Hitting irons to areas I usually don't frequent. This particular course is so tight it's like playing golf in a phone booth. One has to be very precise in the iron department to keep a ball in play.
I was ready to sell every other iron set I own. Was ready to buy a back up set. Standard Ho move. lol.
As we all know reality creeps back into play and I'm having issues with the short irons. PW especially. These are the power spec models and I'm loving the 4-7 and possibly the 8. Just bought a set of i210's off another member and am waiting for there arrival. The PS i500 7 is so strong I am calling it my 6 iron, will a combo of those with 7-U wedge i210. Yup it's a sickness.......

kiwihacker · Nov 14, 2013

On -, @Jkinluv said:

I did the same thing. I couldn't hit 500s for snot. My dispersion was quite big. Moved to i210s and never looked backm

LOL

I'm not really a Ping guy but I think the i210 would be the model I would go for. They look really nice.

kiwihacker · Nov 14, 2013

On -, @mantan said:

I don't have them, but a close buddy bought some over the winter. He's trying to make them love him, but he's struggled with them all year. He has some serious buyer's remorse. He had planned to buy new irons for a year. The i500s weren't on his radar, but what gave the best numbers at an indoor fitting.

You have to hit clubs outdoors and see the real world ball flight IMO. Indoor testing might be Ok to nail down a driver fitting where you are trying to find the best loft, weight setting maybe but surely you need to hit them outdoors to truly see how they will perform.

mantan · Oct 20, 2005

On -, @kiwihacker said:

On -, @mantan said:

I don't have them, but a close buddy bought some over the winter. He's trying to make them love him, but he's struggled with them all year. He has some serious buyer's remorse. He had planned to buy new irons for a year. The i500s weren't on his radar, but what gave the best numbers at an indoor fitting.

You have to hit clubs outdoors and see the real world ball flight IMO. Indoor testing might be Ok to nail down a driver fitting where you are trying to find the best loft, weight setting maybe but surely you need to hit them outdoors to truly see how they will perform.

I totally agree. He was hellbent on going to Club Champion and getting the full fitting experience. While I get technology is great, I would never get fit for irons without hitting them off grass and seeing the actual ballflight.

blarkin97 · Jun 28, 2018

I have hit the i500 a couple times indoors at the simulator and couldn't get past the crap feel when you hit the ball.

I went with the i210's and I love them. While hitting them outdoors does help I believe that you can hit them indoors and still get a feel for how the ball feels coming off the club and that was important to me

GolfWRX · Jan 1, 2005

gators78 · Feb 3, 2011

I just don't understand the idea of a full set of distance irons, over the long run there has to be too much variability.

IamMarkMac · Aug 23, 2013

On -, @gators78 said:

I just don't understand the idea of a full set of distance irons, over the long run there has to be too much variability.

To me, distance irons are a good idea. More than just distance, a lot of golfers need confidence and looking at the heftier head does inspire the feeling that you'll make contact and it'll fly whereas a leaner head will remind you that you better make a good strike or it will punish you.
If you're generally looking to score in the 80s, the variability won't kill you. You really just need to be around the green somewhere.

IamMarkMac · Aug 23, 2013

On -, @jwb10 said:

On -, @Ezgolfer said:

Could not find the sweet spot feel on i500’s. Swapped with cobra because/cb. What a difference in just 2 range sessions.

that's it, I know it's there, but where ?

For me I feel like I found the sweet spot but didn't like it very much. To be fair, I didn't like the feel of P790s that much either so it could be that I just don't get along with hollow heads.

GolfWRX · Jan 1, 2005

arbeck · Aug 2, 2015

On -, @gators78 said:

I just don't understand the idea of a full set of distance irons, over the long run there has to be too much variability.

There are a lot of people who struggle with distance. My wife for instance probably swings her 7i in the 60MPH hour range. She needs the hottest faces and the lowest CG possible to get the ball out there. For the average guy on WRX, who's swinging a 7i 80+, distance irons probably aren't needed. But as you age and your swing speed slows having that help is going to be nice. Things like the i500 are for the person who is used to playing a blade or a players CB and needs the extra height and distance.

I-500s; after using them for a while, anybody else loathe them ?

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