Tell Me About Your i210 irons...

[dpb5031]

Agree on all accounts, especially durability. The finish initially appears to become blemished which can be disconcerting and has caused some to complain, but it evens out with additional use over time. I play frequently (190 rounds in 2019) plus I've had them since their introduction, and they still look good.

These are simply fantastic irons for a wide range of players.

[High Draws Low Fades]

Sometimes I wonder if people claiming these have so much offset have ever hit them. The i210s have less offset than the 785s until the 5 iron...

[High Draws Low Fades]

Sometimes I wonder if people claiming these have so much offset have ever hit them. The i210s have less offset than the 785s until the 5 iron...

[dpb5031]

I think Ping does a great job with progressive offset. I've never worried much about it...purely a visual thing unless extreme one way or the other. Set it down at address and ya either like ot or you don't. ?

I've played in a number of am events with very good and accomplished players. I think many here would be surprised how "game- improvementy" their equipment is. In my experience the guys with new shiny blades and Tour only drivers & putters are typically just posers. Beware the guy with a mismatched and well- worn set...

[Tree Levino]

The I series look fine to me until you get to 6 iron. Then the paddle length looks awkward and I don’t like the offset blend. I’m not saying the 785 is some crazy good looking club. They’re actually huge to my eye. They just perform great. Both are awesome irons and you can’t go wrong. I just think the feedback on with the elastomer insert is too muted. I could very easily game the i210. If they improve the looks a bit and bring it closer to the iBlade I’d happily game it. The thing is, at my level the iBlade offers every bit of help in a better looking package. The set I had were just not a good fit for me with the shafts in them - spin city. If you are a single digit cap the iBlade is a fantastic option as it feels better and looks better than I series. I’d still take 785 over both for the flight control though.

[NJgolfer11]

@balls_deep I see that you have TBD for your irons. Which set are you leaning towards?

[Meerkat213]

I just recently bought the i210s after coming from 900Fs and I also own the S55s. Here's my .02: the 900Fs are incredible clubs. I could've played those things until my nursing home days. The feel of a Mizuno is sublime on flushed shots and that's pretty much the case with many of the OEMs who make a quality forged club. The only thing I didn't like about the forged club is the fact that over time, the impact area on the irons start to turn to that rusty-brownish finish. Obviously, this has no bearing on performance but it just ages a club. If you're getting new clubs every season or two, it won't concern you. But I had the 900Fs since they were launched and they were starting to look a little long in the tooth.

Ping cast offerings do not have that problem. So...I moved to the i210s for the 2020 season just for kicks and giggles (and I really like Ping equipment). I only have 2 rounds with the i210s but, so far, I really like them. Do they feel different from the Mizunos? Of course. However, I believe the i210s are a perfect fit for my game. I went with the DG105 shafts so they are a bit lighter than the PX LZ shafts that were in the Mizunos and I seem to hit the ball a little higher with the Pings...which is a plus.

Lastly, the S55s are probably my favorite irons of all time. The feel, the look, the everything is just about perfect in my book. The i210s are easier to hit which is why I will play them most of the time, but the S55s will make semi-frequent appearances because they are just sooooooo good.

[pingnewbie]

On the market to buy a set!

[dmeeksDC]

I agree with BD on the offset in the longer irons. When I played i200s, I did not notice it in 6-G. But in the 4 and 5 iron it was quite substantial. Now, I am not anti-offset. I actually am one who will leave a clubface open at impact, but if it jumps out at me I don’t feel comfortable. The i200 4 iron looked very offset to me.

I also have played the Nike Vapor Pro Combo. It had offset in the .150” range for its 4 iron and it looked good to me. So it is a fine line and very individual. For my swing the Nike s worked well and I’ve seen similar offset progressions in other clubs I have like, such as the Bridgestone J15CB.

The Srixons, I don’t notice it, so either it is just really well blended or its below my personal visual limit in the Srixon long irons vs the Ping long irons.

[Hougz79]

I owned the i200s in 2017. The mid and long irons had noticeable ugly offset. Probably one of the reasons I went to AP2s in 2018. However, the i210 4 and 5 irons look much better IMO. So far I’m completely satisfied with my i210s.

[platgof]

How are these different from the S55's.

[Unteachable]

How are the i210 for high spin players? I had i25s for a couple of years (fitted) that I hit hit high and spinny but got fit for some srixon 565s and the trajectory and spin on them are great. But i am really loving the look of the i210 and always love all things ping. Would the power spec lofts bring the spin down or are the i210 way better that the i25 anyway?

[tomg1969]

Why do people do this? The guy sounds like he is pretty excited about his new irons and then somebody goes and rains on the parade. I found this one especially interesting since the comment was made by a guy that has "TBD" listed for his iron set in WITB...... SMH

[leftycabe]

I gamed the i210s this year and I really liked them. I am a bit of a club ho and have played S55s, Nike VR Pro Combo, 714 AP2s, i200s, 718 AP2s, MP18SC, With a few others that made an extremely brief appearance. For me - these are the best long irons I’ve ever played. I know the forged police will “say it ain’t so”, but the i210s feel every bit as good as any forged set I’ve owned. I do get the Cushin inserts in my sets from Ping, so that may make mine feel a bit softer. From what little time I’ve spent with the 785s, they are good as well but are not without their faults (fairly large footprint).

I have even started threads because I have an itch to play another set this year but every time I get ready to pull the trigger I get nervous to move away from this set. This is likely the first year I will be playing the same set two years in a row. Golf clubs are such a personal thing. What others like and play really shouldn’t have any bearing on what you or I play. Obviously, everyone knows that but it’s something I have to remind myself of often.

I would also second the mention of the best amateurs I’ve seen are often playing older sticks. For instance, I played with a former mini tour player who set the course record (61) with Wilson fat shaft irons, a Prairie Wind driver (company hasn’t existed in years - if not decades), a never compromise putter, and I can’t even remember the wedges. I asked him why he didn’t update his equipment and his response was, “These seem to work. I beat you by 10.”.

It often seems Ping gets far less respect than they should. They always get called game improvement irons but I would argue all day that the i210s are a players cavity back. People get enamored with forging and how a bag looks. I’ve fallen into this trap way more often than I care to admit. Play what works and enjoy the new set! Personally, I think the i210s are the best irons I’ve played in a long time. There are a few things I would change but I do enjoy them.

[Tommyj]

While a lot of male staffers play full i210 iron sets, the majority play Blueprints or iBlades with a small handful still hanging on to the S55. Probably see a higher proportion of i210 being played on the ladies tours.

Really like Srixon irons, but just lost complete respect for signing up a tool like Mark Crossfield to represent their brand.

[Hougz79]

Our iron history is very similar. I went through a serious club ho cycle for a few years after playing MP-62s for years. 712 AP2, 716 AP2, Apex Pro '16, i200, MP-18 MMC, 718 AP2.

I agree with all of your assessment of the i210s. I am very pleased with their performance. They took everything that was great about the i200 and made them and fixed the few flaws. Overall super solid irons. At least they are working for me.

[Tree Levino]

Wonder why TXG, arguably the best golf YouTube channel is now doing some vids with MC? He is objective and honest. Neither channel has clickbait bullsh!t like Sheils. Despite Titleist sponsorship he provided honest feedback on clubs and it didn’t stop him from raving about clubs like the Blueprint.

Letting your biases of a YouTuber discredit a brand for you is pretty shallow IMO. Srixon has surpassed Mizuno in my mind as the best mainstream iron company on the market and their woods are quite decent as well.

[Judge440]

I feel like I couldn't hit the 210's consistently solid...or maybe I was and just couldn't feel it...

[dmeeksDC]

I enjoy Mark Crossfield’s reviews. I think he gives an honest opinion and I can match his game to my own more readily than I can Shiels, who does things like hit one shot left and blames the offset. Crossfield and his boys are pretty entertaining, too. And I definitely like that they take the clubs out on a course. I can’t fault the guy for landing a sponsorship as long as he is transparent about it. Everyone has club bias, it is part of being a golfer. No big deal, it is just an opinion.

[leftycabe]

Feel is really subjective. The good thing about being a club ho is that I’ve learned what solid feels like in a lot of different iron brands. Solid strikes with some brands may feel better to you than others. I obviously can’t tell you if you were striking the i210s solid or not, but if you were and didn’t like the feel - that’s okay. Some clubs just dont feel right to some people. I personally can’t seem to feel a great strike with Callaway irons but I know they make a phenomenal product. I can say that a solid strike with the i210 feels both soft and powerful at the same time. I think the soft feel likely comes from elastomer insert. That feel (to me) is closer to the Mizuno offerings and less similar to the Titleist irons (feel solid but “hotter”) for me.

[leftycabe]

By the way - I just saw that Eddie Pepperell moves into the i210 irons. He was a Mizuno guy for years. If this didn’t feel smooth, they wouldn’t be in his bag - even if he is getting paid as a staffer.

[sambelo]

Last summer I went from i210 to 785 back to i210. They’re both great sets, but the Pings are a little more forgiving. The 785’s have an addicting feel, but my shots kept drifting offline. Could’ve been the shafts.. modus 120 stiff. I play PX LZ 6.0 in the Pings. For reference I’m a 7 and irons are typically a strength. i210 still feels great in its own way and my shots hold their line better. I’m not someone who tries to work the ball though. Bottom line I shoot better scores with the i210. No wrong choice. Enjoy the new irons!

[Tree Levino]

Meant no animosity. OP has gone through a lot of irons just like I have - we actually have very similar taste- and he was a bit proponent of the Srixons on here. I was just surprised to see him change. He’s a great poster and I meant nothing bad by my post.

I have a set of 785s and a set of Wilson Staff blades being built but not sure what I’m going to play this year. That is why I have TBD. Bit sensitive aren’t you?

[PowderedToastMan]

I’m a high spin player and enjoy mine. Honestly I want spin in my irons. I don’t hit my irons particularly far for my swing speed but I have great distance control.

I really didn’t like i25’s. They are considerably chunkier and clunkier than i210’s. i210’s are slimmer, feel better, and go through the turf much better. i25’s are much more GI than i210.

[Tommyj]

@balls_deep You're right, Srixon makes some of the best irons out there and at a great price relative to the competition. I used to watch MC all the time but just find he's getting more and more full of himself. I would never let his association with Srixon hold me back from buying their clubs, I was just sour when I saw it posted. I'm honestly surprised that a guy like Ian Fraser would reference MC in some of his videos.
Back to the topic at hand, i210 irons. Great irons just like almost every other i-series over the years. A little too much offset for me in the longer irons and not a big fan of the shape of the wedges in recent years, seem a little spoon like. For wedges I much prefer the look of Mizuno or Titleist. Can't beat the Pings when it comes to forgiveness but for feel I might look elsewhere.

[Tree Levino]

Completely agree. Getting into the UW and PW I’m not a huge fan of the shape and something about the blade length or offset blending in the long irons doesn’t quite work for me. As you said, Titleist and Mizuno have nailed the short irons in the most recent release. Small and squat with perfect top lines. That said, the i series is without a doubt the best set of irons on the market for players looking to transition into a smaller CB. WAY more forgiving than something like AP2/T100 while still looking quite small compared to some of the chunkier options. I still think the insert, though super soft feeling, takes away some feedback. It isn’t that you don’t feel the ball with the 785 because they’re so soft, it’s that the combo of the V sole cutting through the ground combined with the beautiful forging makes a very satisfying noise and therefore feel. Much more direct IMO and way easier to tell exactly how you’ve hit the ball.

[userpick21]

Reminds me of old but good advice, “beware the player with old clubs and new grips.”

[Tommyj]

Regarding foregiveness, I was out at Ping Canada around the time they were releasing the i200. The rep told me that the level of forgiveness of the i200 was comparable to the G15. Still not entirely sure how they define forgiveness, for me a lot of it has to do with head size and how much confidence it inspires when sitting behind the ball.

[NRJyzr]

 

Probably the moment of inertia. The i200 is reasonably close to the G15, just a little short, but not much.

[dmeeksDC]

Generally that is a reference to how well the club preserves distance on off-center contact. You will find the i200/i210 are excellent in that category. Very consistent irons with no dead or hot spots.