Could I just not like Ping Irons?

[mjf34g]

All this "tech talk" about sw and bounce, blah blah blah.  If anything, this once again validates my aversion to fitting off of mats. Mats in a lot of instances give a false sense of security. Fat hits are disguised for example. You can get away with a lot hitting off mats. When fitting irons turf interaction is one of the most important aspects of the fitting.  And just as critcal is the fact if you're fitting indoors without seeing actual ball flight your buying blind. 

Best case is always fit outdoors on actual turf with hitting from inside to outdoors the next best option next.

 

[mogc60]

On 8/12/2022 at 4:49 PM, JDTex said:

Turf interaction is everything. Every Ping iron I ever tried was generally too high bounce for me. If you are not liking them off the grass then move on from them ASAP. The right irons are out there, just go back to your old gamers until you find them. 

Very true and it’s not so much the bounce on Ping irons it’s the location of that bounce. Most Pings if not all have the bounce far back on the trail end of the sole. It gives me fits with their irons as I just don’t get the turf interaction I prefer. That being said, I actually love the look of a lot of Ping irons, their toe shapes and lead edges but I’ve just never had my best results with them. 

[starrman77]

On 8/12/2022 at 2:28 PM, blangst1 said:

I bought a set of new I525's to replace my 718 Ap2's. I just cannot get along with these new irons. I was fit and hit them decent off the mat but something isnt vibing. I can take my old ap2's out like i never miss a beat. Am I just crazy? 

You can always give them to me.

[brutus27]

When I first starting playing I used Ping Zing 2’s. My beginner swing and the hideous look of those irons scarred me from Ping. It’s been 30 years and can’t use anything Ping.
Emotional Damage!

[blangst1]

4 hours ago, brutus27 said:

When I first starting playing I used Ping Zing 2’s. My beginner swing and the hideous look of those irons scarred me from Ping. It’s been 30 years and can’t use anything Ping.
Emotional Damage!

Hahaha lol

[blangst1]

7 hours ago, starrman77 said:

You can always give them to me.

We can trade some money for them lol 

[braincramp52]

I've found that most issues like what you're having is between the ears. Once you've convinced yourself something doesn't fit you, it's over.

[Baconator]

I've tried to like Ping irons as I'm not the best ball striker and I could benefit from higher ball flight and more forgiveness, but they just never worked for me. Luckily there are plenty of other options out there.

[Konklifer]

I'm a Ping nut but have never gotten along enough with their irons for them to stay in the bag too long. I love the look of the i230's. We shall see.

[20footputt]

Not at all I can't hit callaway irons for some reason.  It's a lot of money to spend buy what you hit well.

[blangst1]

On 8/14/2022 at 10:36 AM, mjf34g said:

All this "tech talk" about sw and bounce, blah blah blah.  If anything, this once again validates my aversion to fitting off of mats. Mats in a lot of instances give a false sense of security. Fat hits are disguised for example. You can get away with a lot hitting off mats. When fitting irons turf interaction is one of the most important aspects of the fitting.  And just as critcal is the fact if you're fitting indoors without seeing actual ball flight your buying blind. 

Best case is always fit outdoors on actual turf with hitting from inside to outdoors the next best option next.

 

I agree. Hard lesson to learn 

[bodhi555]

Playing Devils Advocate for a second, from feedback I've had the i500/525 range aren't entirely typical Ping irons - I know of a couple of big Ping fans who tried them and didn't get on with them for the reasons stated elsewhere in this thread. In the UK we'd call them a bit "Marmite", after the sandwich spread you either love or hate. 

 

I haven't tried them myself however, as I don't like Ping irons very much 🙂 Had a set of both Eye 2 and Zing 2s back in the day, and was never particularly bowled over by the performance. They went ok, but the feel was suboptimal - especially with those horrible grips Pings used to come with with the parallel lines running down the grip - and even the Eye 2s weren't particularly attractive, especially at address. 

 

However every rule has an exception, so when I eventually get round to buying new irons the Blueprints will be getting some serious testing. 

[BIGDUB512]

I’ve never seen a set of pings that looked good to my eye from address…weird shape…they all feel awful too…get rid of them!

[NoTalentLefty]

Yes

[4bees]

cannot stand ping irons.  feel like absolute crap, and never could hit them right at all.  never could play their blades so i am talking about their casted irons.  

[braincramp52]

4 hours ago, 4bees said:

cannot stand ping irons.  feel like absolute crap, and never could hit them right at all.  never could play their blades so i am talking about their casted irons.  

That must be why the wait time is so long. It takes a long time to manufacture crap into a iron. 🙄

[johnnyjumpjump]

Not a fan of the generous offset in most Ping iron series.  The greater the offset the more I am encouraged (my fsult) to set up with the club face heading left, which causes me to hit a straight pull.

[Ivyguy]

Of all manufacturers, PING is uniquely PING. 
 

Some jive with it some don’t. 

[ColinKelvin]

On 8/16/2022 at 6:06 PM, bodhi555 said:

Playing Devils Advocate for a second, from feedback I've had the i500/525 range aren't entirely typical Ping irons - I know of a couple of big Ping fans who tried them and didn't get on with them for the reasons stated elsewhere in this thread. In the UK we'd call them a bit "Marmite", after the sandwich spread you either love or hate. 

 

I haven't tried them myself however, as I don't like Ping irons very much 🙂 Had a set of both Eye 2 and Zing 2s back in the day, and was never particularly bowled over by the performance. They went ok, but the feel was suboptimal - especially with those horrible grips Pings used to come with with the parallel lines running down the grip - and even the Eye 2s weren't particularly attractive, especially at address. 

 

However every rule has an exception, so when I eventually get round to buying new irons the Blueprints will be getting some serious testing. 

I think this is the nail on the head.  I have played Pings for years and love my iBlades (and before that the i200s).

 

I bought a set of i500s a couple of years ago and hated them.  Tinny sound, clicky feeling like everything was thin - which I think was partly due to the high CG and partly to the thin/springy face.  I sold them on after about 5 or 6 rounds.  I have read/heard that i525s are a bit better in sound and feel, but are basically very similar clubs to the i500s.  As you say, they aren't typical Pings - at all.  They are "players' distance" irons, or whatever the exact description is.

 

I'd be surprised if the OP tried i210s or iBlades and disliked them coming from AP2s.  Yes, they are cast - but they feel pretty soft when hit out of the middle.  I assume i230s are similar.

[elwhippy]

No surprises. I525 is bulky and has wide soles. AP2s are precision instruments. A set of I59s or i210s would have been a better match. 

[Zena]

Only Ping I could ever hit worth a damn was the Blueprints, regardless of shaft. Coming from an MP18 blade, it was bigger and more forgiving and didn’t feel as soft but it was manageable. The iBlades were pretty meh. Anything else is just odd to my eye and I can’t even hit them off mats. Couldn’t even hit a solid 1/2 shot or pitch with an i20. So don’t worry, you’re not the only one.

 

That’s why there are so many manufacturers (even beyond the Big 4/5/6) with so many models to choose from!