In hand photos of the Ping i500 irons (MERGED)

[TheMoneyShot]

I'll throw $175 per stick out there as the retail price.

 

I was thinking $175 - $200 price range.

[animalgolfs]

Need specs on loft though

[Stetson]

Soooo, the last Ping iron played was the i10, since then I did play A4 Tour, Scratch EZ/AR mix set, and then AP2 710-716 and now the 718, but damn on looks alone Ping may have won me back.

 

The one thing that scares me with all these strong lofted irons is that if I were to get a new set of strong lofted irons, it would then F' up all my other clubs gapping (if a pw is around 43-44*). I'd have to get an all new set of wedge lofts for gapping, and then hybrids too would need to be changed. I'd probably have to lose either my 3 or 4 hybrid and then add an extra mid gap wedge and then carry 5 wedges due to a very strong lofted PW. That's what kinda puts me off to these "strong distance players irons". You then have to basically change 4 other clubs to adjust for the iron lofts.

 

Does that make sense to you guys too?

 

Yep. Still playing J40’s solely because I can’t justify replacing the whole wedge lineup to buy a set of irons

[Orlandogolfguru]

i dont think my game is ready for all that thin-ness - love them though. ill stick with p790, little more forgiving looking.

[sandy]

Soooo, the last Ping iron played was the i10, since then I did play A4 Tour, Scratch EZ/AR mix set, and then AP2 710-716 and now the 718, but damn on looks alone Ping may have won me back.

 

The one thing that scares me with all these strong lofted irons is that if I were to get a new set of strong lofted irons, it would then F' up all my other clubs gapping (if a pw is around 43-44*). I'd have to get an all new set of wedge lofts for gapping, and then hybrids too would need to be changed. I'd probably have to lose either my 3 or 4 hybrid and then add an extra mid gap wedge and then carry 5 wedges due to a very strong lofted PW. That's what kinda puts me off to these "strong distance players irons". You then have to basically change 4 other clubs to adjust for the iron lofts.

 

Does that make sense to you guys too?

 

You will not mistake the feel of these with your AP2s. They have a forged face, but both guys I know who demoed them play AP2s and said no contest in feel. Their opinion was for a low handicap player they are useless too long.

[Stetson]

So 5-U is what a solid player would need for gapping purposes

[Wooderson]

Soooo, the last Ping iron played was the i10, since then I did play A4 Tour, Scratch EZ/AR mix set, and then AP2 710-716 and now the 718, but damn on looks alone Ping may have won me back.

 

The one thing that scares me with all these strong lofted irons is that if I were to get a new set of strong lofted irons, it would then F' up all my other clubs gapping (if a pw is around 43-44*). I'd have to get an all new set of wedge lofts for gapping, and then hybrids too would need to be changed. I'd probably have to lose either my 3 or 4 hybrid and then add an extra mid gap wedge and then carry 5 wedges due to a very strong lofted PW. That's what kinda puts me off to these "strong distance players irons". You then have to basically change 4 other clubs to adjust for the iron lofts.

 

Does that make sense to you guys too?

 

You will not mistake the feel of these with your AP2s. They have a forged face, but both guys I know who demoed them play AP2s and said no contest in feel. Their opinion was for a low handicap player they are useless too long.

 

I was finally able to talk to someone who has hit them. Said g700 distance. If that's the case they missed the boat profile wise. Would have been better to have been a filler between the i series and g series. This style with the dimension of j40 dpc's would have been phenomenal for all levels of golfers.

 

By the way he said they felt good.

[sandy]

May be the individuals, the guys I talked to are both really good golfers. State champs and college champs. They both hit the 7 iron 215+ yards which is stupid distance for a good golfer. To me these are for mid to high handicapper (or seniors who have lost swing speed) who doesn’t like the look of the G700s. Forged face just so they can charge $175 per club.. my objection to them is purely cosmetic, that bending notch in the hosel really detracts from the looks..possibly they could be bent weaker to lessen the distance.

[GHIN n Juice]

If these come to market they will be the best looking Ping iron since, well, ever.

[Konklifer]

Please include a matching UW & SW.

[Rippin6Gears]

i dont think my game is ready for all that thin-ness - love them though. ill stick with p790, little more forgiving looking.

 

Sounds like the typical personal problem... game won’t ever improve without confidence. As I been told, clubs alone aren’t going to make you the next Tiger.

[Z1ggy16]

Didn't they just announce i210's? If these are a brand new line, what is the competition? They are too small to be a direct challenge to P790s. The reason I love my 790's is because they are significantly smaller than a chunky SGI/GI iron, but they aren't so thin and blade like that my 4i is scary.

 

This profile looks very much like a P750 or maybe even 730.

[easylittle5wood]

I hope a 2-iron is included.

[sandy]

3-U is set make up. Unlike the G700 no S. Probably a 2 iron for tour only as a 3 iron was the first iron that was spotted in the pros bags months ago. Pros might prefer a 2 iron i500 to those ugly G400 crossovers.

[sandy]

Didn't they just announce i210's? If these are a brand new line, what is the competition? They are too small to be a direct challenge to P790s. The reason I love my 790's is because they are significantly smaller than a chunky SGI/GI iron, but they aren't so thin and blade like that my 4i is scary.

 

This profile looks very much like a P750 or maybe even 730.

 

Not much difference in size between my P790 and the i500 at least in the 7 iron. The guys that hit both said the P790 feels and sounds better, but neither would be mistaken in the feel department for their AP2s. Just a guess on wear but my P790s (7 months old) look better on the face than this i500 club that I assume has been hit by less than 4 people so far..

[tobiasjd]

I guess the competition is the TMB. But if these are really that long then you won't be able to transition to them within an existing set. Unless you just want to use one for a driving iron. Seems like that's what the pros are using them for.

[Cottonseed.]

This is what ive been waiting for.

[Z1ggy16]

Didn't they just announce i210's? If these are a brand new line, what is the competition? They are too small to be a direct challenge to P790s. The reason I love my 790's is because they are significantly smaller than a chunky SGI/GI iron, but they aren't so thin and blade like that my 4i is scary.

 

This profile looks very much like a P750 or maybe even 730.

 

Not much difference in size between my P790 and the i500 at least in the 7 iron. The guys that hit both said the P790 feels and sounds better, but neither would be mistaken in the feel department for their AP2s. Just a guess but my P790s (7 months old) look better than look better on the face than this i500 club that I assume has been hit by less than 4 people so far..

I see. And yes 790's feel nice but they aren't buttery smooth/soft. Sounds like some have low spin issues with hem, too. I'm a high ball hitter so I don't have problems.

[sandy]

I haven’t heard anyone remotely claim any of these hollow bodied irons forged or not, foamed or not feel anything like a true forging. They can’t they are hollow to deliver distance. A true forging is solid metal which accounts for the buttery feel.

[wobgon]

Off topic....Anyone know when an i blade replacement will be coming out?

[sandy]

Next year according to rep. Date anyone’s guess

[Nessism]

Just a guess on wear but my P790s (7 months old) look better on the face than this i500 club that I assume has been hit by less than 4 people so far..

 

Ping uses a paint/coating on the face which wears quickly. No clue why they do that but it poses no long term detriment. You can scrub it off using Bar Keepers Friend too.

[trav]

I'll throw $175 per stick out there as the retail price.

 

I'll take $176 a stick, Bob Drew.

[Geaux Gators]

OMG.....

[SeaIsland]

Very curious to know what the "fill" is going to be... could Ping enter the hollow distance market with a fail on feel? I say that based on knowing that Ping had to be well down the path with the i500 prior to the release of the G700... I know there's a lot of jello-fill hatred out there, but Ping was integrating soft inserts to enhance feel a long time ago...so someone tell me they're going to get it right?

[PostandGhost]

I'll throw $175 per stick out there as the retail price.

 

I'll take $176 a stick, Bob Drew.

 

ONE DOLLAR!

[jurnaza]

Just a guess on wear but my P790s (7 months old) look better on the face than this i500 club that I assume has been hit by less than 4 people so far..

 

Ping uses a paint/coating on the face which wears quickly. No clue why they do that but it poses no long term detriment. You can scrub it off using Bar Keepers Friend too.

 

I also find that worn range balls really markup that coating, while balls from a fresh sleeve don't.

 

[Llortamaisey]

Very curious to know what the "fill" is going to be... could Ping enter the hollow distance market with a fail on feel? I say that based on knowing that Ping had to be well down the path with the i500 prior to the release of the G700... I know there's a lot of jello-fill hatred out there, but Ping was integrating soft inserts to enhance feel a long time ago...so someone tell me they're going to get it right?

 

Probably going to fill it with their Isopur material they’ve used in the past. I’ve been writing and emailing them to bring it back for the last 20 years.

[Ivyguy]

I gotta say, I'm a touch disappointed.

 

No doubt they will be good clubs, but I was hoping for something in the s55 footprint.

[ssfranny]

Welp, these will be popular.

 

They will challenge the P790s...

 

I think the 790s look more forgiving these look like true blades