Ping Blueprint in the bag testing!

[grumpy84]

The short irons look fine to me, better than most manufactures short iron blades to be honest. I think ping hit a homerun with these. Small, compact clubhead with great feel, all with tons of hidden forgiveness.

[Jw231176]

> @grumpy84 said:

> The short irons look fine to me, better than most manufactures short iron blades to be honest. I think ping hit a homerun with these. Small, compact clubhead with great feel, all with tons of hidden forgiveness.

 

Completely agree! Played today and they just feel awesome! Shot making and spin numbers superb, not to mention awesome feel.

[BirdieBob]

> @tgoodspe1991 said:

> > @Wardonation said:

> > really wish the 8 through PW did not look so horrible... The looks got lost in transition from the 7 to 8 iron OMO...

>

> What's wrong with the Blueprints from 8-PW? I haven't seen the irons in person.

 

Here is a pic of the Blueprint wedge......

 

 

 

[tgoodspe1991]

> @BirdieBob said:

> > @tgoodspe1991 said:

> > > @Wardonation said:

> > > really wish the 8 through PW did not look so horrible... The looks got lost in transition from the 7 to 8 iron OMO...

> >

> > What's wrong with the Blueprints from 8-PW? I haven't seen the irons in person.

>

> Here is a pic of the Blueprint wedge......

>

>

>

>

 

I think that looks fantastic!

[tgoodspe1991]

> @Wardonation said:

> They are high in the heel, anotherwords where the face meets the hosel...

 

That sounds awesome to me. I actually think most irons look too narrow in the heel. Having a high heel section where the face meets the hosel would actually be a welcome sight!

[bladehunter]

> @tgoodspe1991 said:

> > @BirdieBob said:

> > > @tgoodspe1991 said:

> > > > @Wardonation said:

> > > > really wish the 8 through PW did not look so horrible... The looks got lost in transition from the 7 to 8 iron OMO...

> > >

> > > What's wrong with the Blueprints from 8-PW? I haven't seen the irons in person.

> >

> > Here is a pic of the Blueprint wedge......

> >

> >

> >

> >

>

> I think that looks fantastic!

 

It is fantastic! I’m not at all sure what the gripe is. They are smalll. But. Eh. They match the glide forged perfectly.

[Z4Z3R]

Ping had a demo day at my club and I got to hit them side by side with my iblades. They were with different shafts as the one demo 7i and 4i they had were glued in. I really liked the look of them and didn't really feel like I was losing much forgiveness from my iblade. However, I didn't really think they felt any better than my iblades either. The screw is also just a bit of a turn off for me even though I know it's just weighting.

 

Really awesome clubs overall and had I not just bought a new set of P7TW's, I would be strongly considering them.

[tgoodspe1991]

> @bladehunter said:

> > @tgoodspe1991 said:

> > > @BirdieBob said:

> > > > @tgoodspe1991 said:

> > > > > @Wardonation said:

> > > > > really wish the 8 through PW did not look so horrible... The looks got lost in transition from the 7 to 8 iron OMO...

> > > >

> > > > What's wrong with the Blueprints from 8-PW? I haven't seen the irons in person.

> > >

> > > Here is a pic of the Blueprint wedge......

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> >

> > I think that looks fantastic!

>

> It is fantastic! I’m not at all sure what the gripe is. They are smalll. But. Eh. They match the glide forged perfectly.

 

That's good to know. Not many companies actually do a good job matching their irons into their wedges.

[Golf64]

Had a chance to hit them yesterday, love the look and feel! They are small, but very forgiving for it's size!

[Evolved]

What's the spin like? Iblades were rather high spin heads.

[QuigleyDU]

> @buckeyefl said:

> > @bogeypro said:

> > They are tiny heads. Look like one of those training aids designed to make you hit the sweet spot. These are not for mid and high cappers... probably not many low cappers.

>

> Which means in 6 months they will be available cheap!

 

Not with Ping, They don't really discount their clubs, and they are super strict about pricing. They will pull your accounts if they find out you are selling stuff early or discounted. Them and Titleist are notorious for not cutting prices, ever.

[tobiasjd]

> @Wardonation said:

> They are high in the heel, anotherwords where the face meets the hosel...

 

The new Wilson blades would be more traditional in shape.

[bunta]

> @Evolved said:

> What's the spin like? Iblades were rather high spin heads.

 

I never understood this ? What about the construction of the iblades that made them higher spinning than other clubs with the same loft ? ive read it a few times already from several people on here..

[cardoustie]

To follow up on iblades and spin

They were overly spinny with lighter weight shafts. I ditched mine ... mistake ... then hit two sets in s400 and PX6.5 and they were money

[revanant]

I hit the Ping Blueprints yesterday. I have mixed feelings.

 

Pro: Cool milled face that shows impact (no need for tape). Nice, small head size. Thin top line and sole. Fairly soft.

 

Con: I prefer a chrome finish--the satin is a little off-putting. Not the softest iron I've ever hit (for me, softer=better).

 

Dealbreaker / Dealmaker: Crazy height and spin--almost too much. I was hitting it in a totally stock setup--I was getting 8000 RPM on the 7 iron, with 24 degrees of launch. I've never hit a 7 iron that high--for my usual strike, that would be a 9 iron. I had to really work to bring the ballflight and spin down by delofting at setup, with limited success. If I were truly in the market, I'd probably need to play around with lofts and shafts to get a lower, more penetrating flight--if it worked, it might be a great iron.

[tobiasjd]

> @bunta said:

> > @Evolved said:

> > What's the spin like? Iblades were rather high spin heads.

>

> I never understood this ? What about the construction of the iblades that made them higher spinning than other clubs with the same loft ? ive read it a few times already from several people on here..

Probably because they are constructed similar to actual blades which typically spin a lot more than GIs. It's generally a good thing since the goal is for the ball to stop close to where it lands. Paired with the right shaft, you can fit anybody. The iBlades have a way higher MOI than what you will get from a true blade however.

[bellairemi]

I hit these over the weekend at a demo day. They had a full set and then demos - definitely beautiful clubs with I think the smallest head I have ever seen. I spent a good 20 minutes trying to get them dialed in but as a 6 handicap (and iron play is my strong suit) they are too much club for me. Plus I did not think they felt as good as my TE Forged.

[StarFleetGolfer]

Got my set today and went out for a quick 9 , only hitting irons. I didnt find them any harder to hit than my apex pro. Need a couple more rounds to be sure.

[tgoodspe1991]

Disappointed to hear these irons aren't all that soft. Not surprised with the use of 8620 steel, but with the cost and it being PING's first foray into forged blades, they really should have gone all out with 1025 or even 1020 carbon steel...

[Wardonation]

Went King Cobra Mb's over BluePrints... IMO much better looking iron.. My rank CObra's, Staff's then BP...

[Carolina Golfer 2]

> @QuigleyDU said:

> > @buckeyefl said:

> > > @bogeypro said:

> > > They are tiny heads. Look like one of those training aids designed to make you hit the sweet spot. These are not for mid and high cappers... probably not many low cappers.

> >

> > Which means in 6 months they will be available cheap!

>

> Not with Ping, They don't really discount their clubs, and they are super strict about pricing. They will pull your accounts if they find out you are selling stuff early or discounted. Them and Titleist are notorious for not cutting prices, ever.

 

I think he probably meant available in the Classifieds by those who's egos write checks their body couldn't cash ?

[buckeyefl]

> @"Carolina Golfer 2" said:

> > @QuigleyDU said:

> > > @buckeyefl said:

> > > > @bogeypro said:

> > > > They are tiny heads. Look like one of those training aids designed to make you hit the sweet spot. These are not for mid and high cappers... probably not many low cappers.

> > >

> > > Which means in 6 months they will be available cheap!

> >

> > Not with Ping, They don't really discount their clubs, and they are super strict about pricing. They will pull your accounts if they find out you are selling stuff early or discounted. Them and Titleist are notorious for not cutting prices, ever.

>

> I think he probably meant available in the Classifieds by those who's egos write checks their body couldn't cash ?

 

Correct. I thought it was pretty straight forward and a universal truth.

[tgoodspe1991]

> @Wardonation said:

> Went King Cobra Mb's over BluePrints... IMO much better looking iron.. My rank CObra's, Staff's then BP...

 

I'm between these two whenever I can pull the trigger on a new set of irons. I think it will be price that will especially drive the decision towards Cobra. With PING's charge for any upgraded shaft, I'm seeing nearly a $900 difference in price with my spec setup between the more affordable Cobra's and the more expensive PING's. $342 of that difference is PING charging for shafts most other companies give free.

[Jw231176]

I have to add the spin numbers are high! I’m not a huge spinner but I’m getting the 7 iron to come back 2-3 foot, which for me is unheard of and most people want to my see stop not back up with 8 down. However with that said it’s nice to see a 5 iron stop!

[Evolved]

To follow up on my spin question:

I haven't played a GI iron since the 90's and the only light weight shaft I've used would be the Tour V which is actually rather low spin. Also, I like to tinker with different set ups just to see the results. I've had multiple sets of iBlades with different shaft combinations. I want the ball to hit and stop, not zip back 15-20 feet. One of the worst set ups for me was the iBlade with PX LZ's (they were just released at the time and I wanted to see how they played) and a Chrome soft golf ball. I could land the ball in the back fringe and spin it all the way back to the front fringe of the green. While hilarious, not ideal.

 

I play '18 X-forged with $ taper shafts and get the exact desired result I want as far as spin goes on the greens. If the blueprints spin more I'm going to want to go with a different shaft.

[tgoodspe1991]

To the people who are seeing the spin jump up, are you comparing these to other bladed irons? MB irons typically will spin more than your typical CB or especially GI club. But I'd be curious to know if people are saying they are spinning significantly more than you're other 718MB or MP18 iron.

[Tree Levino]

> @revanant said:

> I hit the Ping Blueprints yesterday. I have mixed feelings.

>

> Pro: Cool milled face that shows impact (no need for tape). Nice, small head size. Thin top line and sole. Fairly soft.

>

> Con: I prefer a chrome finish--the satin is a little off-putting. Not the softest iron I've ever hit (for me, softer=better).

>

> Dealbreaker / Dealmaker: Crazy height and spin--almost too much. I was hitting it in a totally stock setup--I was getting 8000 RPM on the 7 iron, with 24 degrees of launch. I've never hit a 7 iron that high--for my usual strike, that would be a 9 iron. I had to really work to bring the ballflight and spin down by delofting at setup, with limited success. If I were truly in the market, I'd probably need to play around with lofts and shafts to get a lower, more penetrating flight--if it worked, it might be a great iron.

 

Technique not club. If a pro with X100 finds a club usable a mortal with S300 is fine IMO.

[Kevinnz]

Wait, they feel better than 0311t? As forgive as well??

[revanant]

> @tgoodspe1991 said:

> To the people who are seeing the spin jump up, are you comparing these to other bladed irons? MB irons typically will spin more than your typical CB or especially GI club. But I'd be curious to know if people are saying they are spinning significantly more than you're other 718MB or MP18 iron.

 

Just saw this.

 

I have my MP-4s bent 2 degrees strong, so it would be in line with a power spec version of the blueprints. My swing speed on driver is about 90 mph, so a 7 iron is closer to 73-74 mph, with around 101-102 mph of ball speed.

 

I expect to see carry of around 135 and spin of mid to high 6k to low 7k, and launch of around 19-20 degrees. In my MP-4, loft of my 7 iron is 32 degrees. But these data points are also consistent with when I hit my 716 CBs (standard loft at 35 degrees), and old 1988 Hogan Redlines (7 iron at 36 degrees).

 

With the Blueprints, initial launch was 4-5 degrees higher than normal, spin was 1000 to 1500 rpm higher than normal, and carry was down to around 120 yards. So, if I were to really try to go for a fitting with the blueprints, I think I'd be looking at a power-spec version to bring down the spin and launch. Although, if those numbers are consistent across the set, i could see how far down I could go at the low end of the bag--if the 3 iron behaves like a high launching 4 iron in a slightly longer shaft length, it might not be the worst thing.

 

Another factor that I'd consider is bounce. Having my MP-4s bent 2 degrees strong leaves me with minimal bounce on my MP-4s. Practically, I don't find it a problem on the course. I sweep, so I find having low bounce helps me take a normal divot on a course, and I don't typically have issues of hitting fat. That being said, I do sometimes play in soft soil conditions, so to the extent that more bounce would be helpful, I could have the Blueprints in a power spec setup and still retain a lot of bounce, which is potentially a plus.

 

I'm hoping the new Mizuno MP 20s are more similar to my MP-4s than they are to the MP-5s or MP-18s. If so, I may do a real head-to-head in a few months of the MP-20s vs the Blueprints.

[DangerousDan]

Do the Glide Forged have as little offset as the Blueprints? One of the things that I am drawn to about the BP is the minimal offset, and it is hard to find a wedge that matches the set.