Ping G5 to S59

H-Blade · January 1, 2017

I am about to make a big step... this year I am putting away my old Ping G5's and moving onto a new to me set of S59's... Am I crazy???

up until 2010 I was a hack using my fathers old set of Ping Karsten 1 irons... I finally got fit by a fitter at the local course for the G5's, +1/2" Green Dot. At the time I was lucky to hit a driver 180 yards and my 150 club was a 5 iron so the fitter set me up with regular flex Cs-Lite Shafts. The upright lie immediately made play easier and after lots of practice I am now using an 8 iron for my 150 club... My ball flight is very high now and I tend to hit it left which I feel is due to the shaft being to flexible. I went to a Ping demo day at a local course 2 years ago and after seeing me hit, the fitter found I hit ideally with S55 irons due to the reduced offset... am I crazy to make a jump from Game Improvement to Players??? I found the S59's on Ebay with Dynamic Gold S300 shafts with the same specs for $150, so if nothing else I could always swap those shafts into my old G5's....

MtlJeff · January 1, 2017

G5's to S59? Did you type this post in 2006 and due to slow connection it only got posted now? :)

Its funny you mention this. A few years back I actually used to play G15 irons, and i also bought S59's just for fun for around the same price off of a used rack. So i've done pretty much exactly what you are asking!

As far as hitting goes and what might be causing you to miss left, it could be many things so i won't comment. What i'll say is that in the longer irons obviously you will see a massive difference in appearance between the S59 and G5 so you have to be ready for that. On a range it's easy to have confidence. It's another thing to stand over a 180yd shot over water and stare down at a very small iron when you are used to a G5. So you have to be ready for that

But golf is supposed to be fun too. If you want to play S59's just give it a shot! We're only talking about 150$ here

cz13X4 · January 1, 2017

I played the s59's a few years ago. They are a great set of irons and I love the finish on them. You're not crazy at all, if you don't like them, they shouldn't be a problem to sell for what you paid.

H-Blade · January 1, 2017

You guys are correct, it is not the end of the world cost wise, I was hesitant to spend a grand on S55's as an experiment... In addition, I like the classic looks of the S59's and confidence is 90% of the game...

As for it being 2006... at least I am not as bad as my father when it comes to equipment, he bought his Karsten I's new in 1972 and played them along with Spalding persimmon woods until 2006... he was still gaming his Ping H-Blade Putter he bought in 1972 until 2 years ago...

H-Blade · January 1, 2017

I shall also add that I went back to my Heavenwood Hybrids with steel shafts after trying Ping G15 Hybrids for a few years... Heavenwoods are from I believe :dntknw: 2003 or 2004???

CCS · January 4, 2017

I have been playing the G5 irons stiff flex for the past 8 years or so and just got fit for the i series in dynamic gold regular. Your 8 iron is similar to mine. I recommend that you try the i's along with the S55. I got a tighter dispersion with the i vs the G. The distance was a little longer that my G5, which may have been due to a more flexible shaft. I think it will prove to be a great choice for me. I hit a lot of greens, but I am hoping to get a little closer to the pin on average. Plus the Ping badges had fallen off 7 of my 9 G5's.

Good luck.

LexHair · January 4, 2017

I wouldn't do it. I'm still playing G2s and if I want to move on, it'll be a G30 which has a eerily similar design despite the jacked lofts. I care about the number on the card rather than a photo I post in the WITB forum. I need for my misses to be as close to the distance number as possible and I'm afraid an S series wouldn't do that for me.

AThompson_3 · January 4, 2017

A grand for s55's? You can find a set in great shape for easily $500 and that's probably being conservative. If you really liked the s55's you can find them.

WarEagleGolf · January 4, 2017

Uh..S55. didn't even think about the iblades. Love, like real love, not that fake stuff.

RogerinNewZealand · January 5, 2017

Three ish years ago i tried G5 irons and S58. Kept the S58 for 18 months!

S55 are an all time Ping Favourite, so worth making the Purchase!!

Caddykev · March 5, 2017

I regret selling my s59s. If you don't need to worry about the groove rule in tourney golf, they are the best of the s series in my opinion.

H-Blade · April 24, 2017

Feedback time... I have played twice with the S59 clubs... I am hitting them well with some lost distance. My guess is I am loosing the distance due to the stiffer shaft, but for the first time in several years I am hitting them STRAIGHT... I will take a few less yards but the ball going where I want it any day!!!!!!!!!! As it has been mild here in Northern Ohio, I have been playing with some DT Solos I have... it is supposed to be in the 70's tomorrow for first day of league, time to see what happens with the Velocitys I have decided to play this year...

nicoy3k · April 25, 2017

Just get the s55s and play them for 10 years

toc · April 25, 2017

Nice, good for you. I'd imagine you're getting a lower ballflight with these as compared to your G5s, could that contribute to the lost distance? Could also be colder temps

No_Catchy_Nickname · April 25, 2017

Colder temps could be responsible for the lower ball flight, but I just want to chime in an support the people posting in favour of the S55 irons.

They are a great iron, great feel and easy to hit. A real Ping classic in my opinion.

I'm still torn over whether to pick up a set or not, and I normally I only buy blades. The S55s are that good, IMHO.

ppl4golf · April 25, 2017

Some of my really good clubs find their ways to me !

Here is the story of my set of S59...

I remember it was during a period when my game was in the toilet (it's cyclical anyways)

Out of desperation, I purchased a set of Callaway Fusion irons 4-AW with stock steel shafts. How could anyone go wrong with a set of hightech hacksticks like this??

It was in November and purchased in the annual demo sale at Golf Town for $650. I finally got a chance to hit them sometime before Christmas at The Launch which is a heated range in a pub/bar type setting. I was shanking everything LOL

Long story short, I took the Callaway Fusion back to GT and the only thing worth exchanging to was a set of prestine 'demo' S59 2-W blue dot with Z-Z65 Cushin for $550. I did a late return and was advised to spend all the credit the same day so I picked up a pair of Vokey SM2 52/58 along.

For the first time, I was hitting some serious iron shots....fluked out stumbling upon Z-Z65 which turned out to be my iron shafts to date. I still have the S59 but the original grips are not as tacky so I play one of my 10 other sets instead.

I echo the sentiment they are the best S series. The 59 means something and is symbolic. They are my PINGs !

BForrester · April 25, 2017

G5s are the only Ping club I've ever swung, and I hated everything about it. An old playing partner had G5s. I was playing MP-57s at the time and was curious to swing one of his Pings on a par 3. It did not go well. The swing weight was totally different...had no feel for where the head was at...and I was visually offended at the offset and top line at address. Probably didn't help that was I was playing heavy DG S300s in my Mizzies.

If you're a decent ball striker, you won't look back. If you have troubles with the "fats", you'll have troubles with the S59s because it will be much more pronounced, and punished, vs. your G5s.

You're not crazy...I went from TM R7 SGI irons to MP-57s after only playing for 2 years and didn't notice much difference at all other than losing 1/2 to a full club in distance at first. You'll be fine.

Schmeegz · April 25, 2017

Just moved from the original orange cobra amp game improvement irons to a new set of iblades! Old set was off the shelf without a true fitting (especially because I was brand new to golf). After 5 years of playing and figuring out my swing. I went from banana slices to a stock draw putting the dg x-100 into my new iblades. LOVE THEM so far!!! Just beat a friend of mine the other day that I have never beaten before. I know it's really the practice I've put in, but he thinks it's my new clubs and I'll let him think that as long as he'd like.

Schmeegz · April 25, 2017

Btw I also lost distance with the iblades and I love it. I'm happy w a 170-175 yard 7i vs the 180-190 I was hitting before. More tools in the shed now whereas before I had to do a lot of half and 3/4 swings from 140 and in.

AC in TX · April 25, 2017

Having played many Ping GI/SGi irons the past few years - I took a leap and picked up RedPro's S55's (5-W Ozik Program 95 R flex shafts) last month.

Well long story short, the S55's rock! Maybe it's the shafts, maybe it's consciously slowing down and keeping posture but my scores are stable with better iron play (driver/putter need more work now).

Am now gaming Ping G 4/5 (CFS 70 R flex graphite) and S55 6 to PW - Thinking about i25 or iE1 stiff graphite 4, 5, and 6 irons and selling the G's ... Go figure!

H-Blade · June 14, 2017

Just wanted to leave some feedback.. you can take my S59's when you pry them from my cold dead fingers... lol

Seriously, I have greatly improved my game dropping my 9 hole handicap 3 so far... should have done this years ago, as a hack I thought I needed game improvement... Ping fitting proved I did not... I just needed the right offset and shaft for my swing...

J-Blade · June 19, 2017

Love my S59s. I bought them used at Roger Dunn's a few years ago during a Fourth of July sale for $75.00.

Are you guys sure about the groove issue? I know Bubba Watson gamed S59s for 13 years or so on tour.

LexHair · June 20, 2017

USGA's excellent reference on grooves.

bervin · June 20, 2017

Bubba games 55s. Always has. And he was a tour rookie in '06... At one point he had gear (staff bag, etc.) with the s59 branding, but he's always gamed 55s.

MB_Viking · June 20, 2017

Huh? The S55 has been on the market since 2006? That's news to me.

J-Blade · June 20, 2017

Ah, no....

http://golfweek.com/2013/04/08/masters-2013-bubba-watson-ping-s59s/

J-Blade · June 20, 2017

Great link! Thanks so much.

Well, thankfully my game is not up to tournament standards so I guess my S59s will do :)

Jackal · July 23, 2017

I bought some s59's last week. Over the years I have played everything. Game improvement, players clubs (Mizuno jpx pros), etc.

Due to age (rotator cuff) slowing me down, I switched to some Ping Zing 2's last year.

They got my swing back where it was, but they seemed clunky and snagged on the grass.

After hitting the S59's, this is what golf should be.

I'm hitting them clean, able to shape shots for the first time, and gained distance over the Zings.

Great clubs!!

Anser3 · July 23, 2017

Bubba played S59's from the time they were released until the s55's. He tried the s58's, s57's, and s56's and would not switch from the s59's. Ping had to put COC grooves on his s59's so they were legal. There was a In The Bag video on youtube several years ago that showed BUbba with s57's (it was not during a PGA event and appeared to be during a friendly round ). For competition, it was always s59's. The s59's were the bet looking Ping irons ever (IMO) until the iblades. Awesome clubs.

J-Blade · July 23, 2017

Love my 59s. I got a great deal on them from Roger Dunn's a few years ago. They were $75.00 (3-PW) in clean shape, though they needed regripping. The serial number of the 8i doesn't match the rest of the set. No biggie to me.

I'm fast approaching "Geerzerdom" (Just turned 62 and my swing speed has decreased), so I can see some GI irons in my future. Just not yet.