PING hydropearl finish

[braincramp52]

This hydro pearl crap is all over the place. Why do they sell this? It wears horribly.

 

If I hit a basket full of sharpened pencils all day, my irons would look better than those after 1 range session.

 

If you don't like the hydropearl finish it's easily removed and then you have a beautiful durable stainless iron

[Oknows]

The 2.0 is supposed to be more durable. Anyone know if that is actually the case?

[tbowles411]

The 2.0 is supposed to be more durable. Anyone know if that is actually the case?

Yup. They received feedback on the wear and re-did it.

[Joelsim]

I must say I’ve just had a good look at my clubs whilst giving them a wipe down with a sponge scourer and given they’ve had a few hundred shots per club, I’m not seeing anything untoward on the finish. They’ve worn very well. Maybe I hit it clean.

[TPG1971]

Does the finish alter the performance of the irons?

[cardoustie]

My i500 six iron still looks new 3 weeks later. I don't hit a lot of six iron shots to be fair

 

I am noticing my s55's are starting to get a sweet spot wear mark that kind of has a brassy look to it .... anyone else??????

[Joelsim]

My i500 six iron still looks new 3 weeks later. I don't hit a lot of six iron shots to be fair

 

I am noticing my s55's are starting to get a sweet spot wear mark that kind of has a brassy look to it .... anyone else??????

 

Yep, one just on the toe and another on the hosel.

[Dustdevil]

Why don't they just tumble them and get it over with? Geez, a solution to a non-existent problem.

[Nessism]

Why don't they just tumble them and get it over with? Geez, a solution to a non-existent problem.

 

Not. The tumbled finish looks industrial and the marketplace in 2018 demands a more glamorous finish. Hydropearl has had problems though and shows that Ping is not infallible. In fact, I'd say they are very fallible when it comes to club finishes. In my opinion they should copy Mizuno's chrome finish method, not ditch chrome all together and go back in time to raw again. The reason I say Mizuno is because my Hot Metal irons have a chrome finish that's proven to be uber durable; I've been playing the clubs since the beginning of the year and there are hardly any marks on them whatsoever. The old tumbled finish was in part selected because it hid casting flaws too. Those old heads like the Eye2 were just plain crude in terms of casting quality. The shot peened "guyson" finish that came on i3 and i/G5 looked better than tumbled too, or at least to me anyway. Regardless, I doubt Ping will move away from chrome anytime soon.

[agood3putt]

I know they are new but has anyone tried doing the BKF and scotchbride trick with the new Ping irons and the hydro pearl 2.0 finish? I’m wondering if my i210s will have the same issues finish wise as the g700s and g400s

[Joelsim]

Why don't they just tumble them and get it over with? Geez, a solution to a non-existent problem.

 

Not. The tumbled finish looks industrial and the marketplace in 2018 demands a more glamorous finish. Hydropearl has had problems though and shows that Ping is not infallible. In fact, I'd say they are very fallible when it comes to club finishes. In my opinion they should copy Mizuno's chrome finish method, not ditch chrome all together and go back in time to raw again. The reason I say Mizuno is because my Hot Metal irons have a chrome finish that's proven to be uber durable; I've been playing the clubs since the beginning of the year and there are hardly any marks on them whatsoever. The old tumbled finish was in part selected because it hid casting flaws too. Those old heads like the Eye2 were just plain crude in terms of casting quality. The shot peened "guyson" finish that came on i3 and i/G5 looked better than tumbled too, or at least to me anyway. Regardless, I doubt Ping will move away from chrome anytime soon.

 

The point of the hydropearl is that it dissipates water more effectively, it’s not there for nothing. I know this as the last time I went to the seaside I put my 5-Iron out in front of me and the sea parted like it did with Noah or Moses or whoever it was.

[shotmark]

Call me old fashioned but I like my clubs to look used. I've just changed my old RBZ stage 2's for P790's. Great clubs but hate the new look.

[bluedot]

We just had a thread a week or so ago on this exact same topic. Repeating myself again but...the Ping finish is chrome, with some sort of treatment to create a frosted appearance. Oh, and the face is painted with some sort of coating too. The frosting will scuff up quickly but the overall finish is very durable. The face coating wears off quickly too. The overall durability of the clubs will be some of the highest on the market. Even after you wear off the chrome the clubs will never rust. I've got some Glide wedges with a couple hundred rounds on them and they still look fine. The chrome is wearing off on the sole of my 60* but the face looks good. Don't worry so much.

 

This has been my experience, too.

 

I put a set of G700's in play earlier this year; I've got 50+ rounds on them, plus a bunch of range sessions, and they look fine. I'm not seeing anything on the face, back, or soles that concerns me at all. And I got new Glides at the same time; the Glides they replaced had probably 400 rounds on them and were pristine.

 

As a disclaimer, I wouldn't expect ANY chrome finish to wear like the old Pings did. But I knew that when I ordered the G700s, and I think a fairer comparison is to other chrome clubs, rather than my old i5s.

[kiwii]

Shelf appeal of the finish is great but when they are mistreated in a shop setting. It shows "bag chatter" and the stand out because it contrasts the rest of the club. But once you've had a few rounds on them the wear seems to even out and they look fine. A buddy of mine is playing an i200 set where the soles have lost their hydro pearl finish and now a duller/scuffed chrome finish. It looks fine. Nothing wrong with the clubs as far as gouges or major dings. Pings are still as durable as ever.

[agood3putt]

I know this subject has been beat to death but my i210s that I got in the beginning of August look like this...in terms of nicks on the face from bag chatter etc. nothing that effects performance but just cosmetic...I’m assuming if I took some BKF to it the chrome would shine through. It’s he Hydropearl 2.0 so I’m assuming it would react the same as others have stated with the g400s?

[Ripken08]

Crappier finish = more clubs sales. No one will be holding on to them for 25+ years like the old tumbled ones.

[thecraw]

All golf clubs get used and show signs of wear, get over it and start playing golf.

[CRB357]

My iblades are wearing/getting beat up on the face and leading edge. I really don’t care about “hydro pearl”. I would at least like the face to be refinished, like the way I’ve had previous forged irons redone where they look brand new. Is that even possible with the stainless iBlade?

[CRB357]

Ping said they would just “shoot the face”, what could I expect the face to look like after they do that??

[Nessism]

Those iblades are heavily worn. If they were regular forged carbon steel clubs the lower face area and leading edge would be covered in red rust (browning as some call it.) There is no reasonable way to refinish them; bead blasting the face will do nothing to restore the lost chrome/face material, and there is no reasonable way to rechrome them. The path of least resistance is to look for a replacement set.

[CRB357]

Yeah that is the reality. Or soldier on and wait for the iBlade 2.0?

[tgoodspe1991]

On 12/10/2019 at 7:42 AM, CRB357 said:

My iblades are wearing/getting beat up on the face and leading edge. I really don’t care about “hydro pearl”. I would at least like the face to be refinished, like the way I’ve had previous forged irons redone where they look brand new. Is that even possible with the stainless iBlade?

Do you hit off concrete range mats? That's some SERIOUS wear for any iron, let alone a PING. Wow! 😛