iBlade - am I crazy?

[m_w]

I went to hit the i59s today - lovely looking iron, great spin. Very comparable to the Callaway Apex Pro 21 in my opinion. 
 

Before I left I went to hit the iBlade which I had never hit before. Great feeling iron. I absolutely smoked it. How can an iron this small be so forgiving? Is it just the honeymoon period where you think you found the holy grail or can others confirm that the iBlade is extremely forgiving? Honestly felt as if not more forgiving as a Mizuno JPX Forged or Callaway Apex. 
 

Am I crazy?

[ilikegolf26]

41 minutes ago, m_w said:

I went to hit the i59s today - lovely looking iron, great spin. Very comparable to the Callaway Apex Pro 21 in my opinion. 
 

Before I left I went to hit the iBlade which I had never hit before. Great feeling iron. I absolutely smoked it. How can an iron this small be so forgiving? Is it just the honeymoon period where you think you found the holy grail or can others confirm that the iBlade is extremely forgiving? Honestly felt as if not more forgiving as a Mizuno JPX Forged or Callaway Apex. 
 

Am I crazy?

Still think the s55 is better….

Edited August 22, 2021 by ilikegolf26

[sbolitho]

The i-blade is still the best iron PING has ever made (would have loved a set of s-55's though, missed out there). I have a set and they are as good as anything in the players cb/mb category.

[BostonWRX]

One of the best irons made IMO. Insanely forgiving for the size and look awesome in the bag 

[xmanhockey7]

I personally hit blades and true cavity backs better than anything. Give me an Apex or GI and I suck. 

[jomatty]

I didn’t realize the i59’s were available to be hit yet.  How did you like them?

[Fairway14]

3 hours ago, m_w said:

How can an iron this small be so forgiving?

 

iblade is not a small head size. 

[m_w]

48 minutes ago, Fairway14 said:

 

iblade is not a small head size. 

 

I guess if you compare them to the Blueprints...other than that, they are pretty small if you ask me.

[m_w]

1 hour ago, jomatty said:

I didn’t realize the i59’s were available to be hit yet.  How did you like them?

I posted my experience in the i59 thread

[Fairway14]

31 minutes ago, m_w said:

 

I guess if you compare them to the Blueprints...other than that, they are pretty small if you ask me.

 

Ping's line is small/traditional  (Blueprint)  mid size (iblade) oversize (i210) jumbo (g410) 

[Valtiel]

5 hours ago, m_w said:

I went to hit the i59s today - lovely looking iron, great spin. Very comparable to the Callaway Apex Pro 21 in my opinion. 
 

Before I left I went to hit the iBlade which I had never hit before. Great feeling iron. I absolutely smoked it. How can an iron this small be so forgiving? Is it just the honeymoon period where you think you found the holy grail or can others confirm that the iBlade is extremely forgiving? Honestly felt as if not more forgiving as a Mizuno JPX Forged or Callaway Apex. 
 

Am I crazy?

Nope not crazy at all, the iBlade uses tungsten weighting in a similar fashion as the Titleist AP2/T100 irons to drive up MOI. The iBlade has above average forgiveness as a result and is much more forgiving than its size would lead you to believe. 

[m_w]

Just now, Valtiel said:

Nope not crazy at all, the iBlade uses tungsten weighting in a similar fashion as the Titleist AP2/T100 irons to drive up MOI. The iBlade has above average forgiveness as a result and is much more forgiving than its size would lead you to believe. 

 

Yep, i used to play T100's. This felt A LOT more forgiving than the T100's - i think thats my surprise

[Valtiel]

2 minutes ago, m_w said:

 

Yep, i used to play T100's. This felt A LOT more forgiving than the T100's - i think thats my surprise

Forgiveness is tricky because there are objective and subjective elements. Higher MOI is your objective measurement which will retain better speeds and directionality on off center hits. Then you have any sort of face tech which can contribute to better ball speed retention as well (something the iBlade has more of on paper). Lastly you have feel elements like inserts and vibration dampening stuffs that can make mishits feel better, which we might perceive as more forgiveness. 

The iBlade and the T100 are in similar categories, with the T100 being a tick higher in the MOI department, but the faster face and big elastomer insert on the iBlade could be making up for that, and even surpassing the T100 in some ways. 

[Nixhex524]

5 hours ago, ilikegolf26 said:

Still think the s55 is better….

 

I would agree with this thought it isn't by much at all.  For me, I think the S55 feels a touch softer and looks a tiny bit smaller.  Other than that, I got basically the same exact numbers with both on an indoor LM.  I would have no issues playing the iBlades, I honestly hope to someday.

[mlencioni]

Just curious, but can you still custom order a set of iblades or has that ship already sailed?

[Longballjock]

I love my i Blades , got the i200 in 4&5 irons but could have easily played the i  Blade in those clubs tho. 

 

I have typically played smaller irons.

 

Titleist 670 MB

Nike VR TW

AP2

Taylormade MB

Nike Vapor Pro

 

Out of everything these irons defo perform the best when my swing is not firing on all cylinders.

 

I will go test the new i59 but reckon these will be in the bag for 2022..

[tightmf]

22 minutes ago, mlencioni said:

Just curious, but can you still custom order a set of iblades or has that ship already sailed?

It's more that Ping's ships aren't sailing.  Guy at Golfmart told me he doesn't fit people for custom Ping anymore because of a 16...yes, 16 week lead time.

 

I guess the clubhead plants they use in Indonesia are on strike or something. Plus they had that load go overboard last year. 

 

Good thing they can price the clubs reasonably with all that cheap labor, oh wait....

[rainkingjr]

Well, they've been around since 2016 and there still hasn't been a direct replacement until now as I am assuming the i59 are it. That says alot about how great the iBlades are.

[ericft]

iblades are amazing. I shot my lowest round with them years ago, sold them, bought them sold them and of course just bought them again hoping to have the delivered today or tomorrow! they are truly the best blend of feel, forgiveness in an iron that is not tiny blade like. I like the thinner sole as a picker compared to i210 which I had as well. Will see if they perform like they did in the past. 

[MattC555]

Forgiveness feel and actual forgiveness should be noted.  My Mizuno MP20 blades "feel" incredibly forgiving.  You can toe the crap out of them without feeling a bit of sting.  But I don't think that the off center hits fly any further than my old MP68s - which would sting the crap out of you.  haha

[animalgolfs]

iBlade are unique in what they fit swing wise......high launch & spin is what they offer with insane forgiveness 

[jt2gt]

13 hours ago, m_w said:

 

I guess if you compare them to the Blueprints...other than that, they are pretty small if you ask me.

Where did i59 fall?  Larger than iblade or in between?

[PanchiCab]

Properly speaking, iblades are not true blades cause they have a small cavity in the back and set the bar high for a new era of more forgiving players sets, definetly in the better feeling bracket from ping standards but lack the forged feeling (but great for cast) and as years go by, they'll get the status of one of the greatest of the modern era but also think that mp 53/54 are better

[m_w]

46 minutes ago, jt2gt said:

Where did i59 fall?  Larger than iblade or in between?

Same’ish size as the iBlades. Maybe tad more compact 

[jt2gt]

Thanks...about what I thought after seeing them in bag pics.  May have to keep an eye out for iblades with the shaft I like.😄

[Stinger83]

I carry an iblade 4i as a "game improvement" iron. They are VERY forgiving 

[Valtiel]

2 hours ago, PanchiCab said:

Properly speaking, iblades are not true blades cause they have a small cavity in the back and set the bar high for a new era of more forgiving players sets, definetly in the better feeling bracket from ping standards but lack the forged feeling (but great for cast) and as years go by, they'll get the status of one of the greatest of the modern era but also think that mp 53/54 are better

Oh I don't think you even need to qualify that with "properly speaking". They are definitely not a true blade, but pretty clever to invoke that in the name for some player's vanity. 😄

[Fairway14]

1 minute ago, Valtiel said:

Oh I don't think you even need to qualify that with "properly speaking". They are definitely not a true blade, but pretty clever to invoke that in the name for some player's vanity. 😄

 

Ping has its own definition of what constitutes a "blade".

 

 

 

[Valtiel]

1 minute ago, Fairway14 said:

 

Ping has its own definition of what constitutes a "blade".

 

 

 

I would have loved it if "Blade" was just in air quotes like that. 😆

[nickosbad]

I’ve been wondering the same about the iBlade but wasn’t sure about the forgiveness

 

Ive fallen out with my P7MC and was all ready to go for the new T100 if I can find a stock set this week (I played my best ever golf with AP2)

 

However I can get a brand new set of iBlade in DGS300 for just over 1/2 the price of the T100

 

I was concerned that the iBlade would not be any more forgiving than my P7MC but the offset on i210 bugs me