My Ping G430 Iron Fitting Experience & my Review after a number of rounds with New G430's

[ZipinZ]

My Story – I’m Cdn hiding from winter in Palm Springs for 3.5 months, were renting at the Desert Princess G&CC in Cat City. I’m retired, 67 years old, my driver S/S is 98-102 mph, my cap is around 10. This winter I’ve noticed I lost some distance, perhaps it’s the elevation here, I’m 1 club less than back home in Central Alberta. My current gamers are Titleist 718 AP2’s/Steelfiber i95 Stiff, ball is Titleist Pro-V1.  

 

A couple of weeks ago I was at the range practicing and seen a Ping Rep packing up his demo day display. I spoke to the fella for a bit and asked if I could hit the new i230 & G430 demo 7 iron with graphite stiff, he put in Alta CB Black & I hit 5-6 balls with each using my Garmin G80 to track the results.  I really liked the look & feel of the i230 but the G430 out performed it with increased ball speed = more distance. I found the G430’s were easy to launch, high & straight. The G430 also out preformed my Titleist 718 AP2’s/Steelfiber i95’s by 3-4 mph better ball speed. Returned the demo’s & asked when/where I could come back and spend more time hitting the G430’s.  Was told a Ping Demo Van would be at the Desert Willow (DW) course next week and try to arrange for an fitting appointment.

 

Feb 21^{st -} I was able to get a 1 hour time slot at the DW Golf Academy for a 1-on-1 fitting with Trackman and a Prof. Ping Fitter at no charge. It was an amazing experience getting to hit the i230 & G430’s with various graphite shafts on an outdoor practice range and seeing your actual ball flight and how they bounce & hold the practice greens. At the end of my session I decided to take advantage of the new tech/jacked up lofts and ordered the G430’s to gain some distance and yea forgiveness. They’re not cheap but they are quality irons & complement my current G425 woods/hybrids. The fitter promised to e-mail me my Trackman numbers, poked him a couple times still waiting. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 11^{th -} picked up my new G430’s, Ping built them with my desired shafts the UST Recoil ES 780 F4 Stiff, +1/2”, 1 up Blue dot, D2 s/w with the Tour Velvet Align Midsize grips. The Pro at the DW Academy checked the length & s/w for me, they're as per my custom order spec. I admit they do look a little chunky & busy compared to my 718 AP2’s. Nevertheless, I spent more than an hour hitting them at their DW practice range, with the Recoil 780’s, they’re real easy to launch, nice high ball flight that go long/straight or a slight draw & stop on greens.

 

EDIT: See my March 16th post with pic's in respect to shaft graphics, I made sure when I custom ordered my set that they were down, something you should not overlook if your buying a custom set. It took Ping 2 weeks to build & ship them to the DW Golf Academy were I picked them up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 14^th, was my first round with my new G430’s at Escena here in Palm Springs, it was a Bty day 75F with little to no wind. After the first few holes I couldn’t believe how good these irons performed on golf course and how forgiving they were on off center miss hits.

 

Played well today broke 80 & hit 10 GIR and 4 others were on the fringe that ended up being 1 putts. What amazed me was I got my distance back, Hole #3 was playing 168 yds, hit 7 iron to about 12 ft below blue pin, the ball stopped less than 2 ft from the divot. I recall from my fitting the backspin was avg. 4600 rpm with a 42* descent angle.

 

This wasn’t a one of, I had the same results on a 6 other greens one bounce & hold, my AP2’s don’t do that. I also experimented with the P/W, was hitting ¾ shots and it’s also amazing, gets the ball up quickly & lands softly, nice bump & run shots.

 

Shot 36/41 = 77 with 1 Birdie, missed a few other opportunities & 1 in the water, no 3 putts, bonus.  I ordered the 4i to P/W, then ended up buying a 46* & 50* wedge last week that should arrive next week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If your sitting on the fence thinking of upgrading, I would recommend you give the G430’s some consideration, you may get some surprising results similar to what I experience today.

 

I plan on updating this thread with my thoughts & experiences over the next month that I’m here in the desert as well when I get back on my home course in Alberta.

 

I would be happy to answer any Q’s.

 

Cheers

 

David

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 19, 2023 by ZipinZ

[SollyinGA]

Thanks for posting this. I’m 53 and have already started thinking about how much effort I’m having to put into my shots to get my distances. It would be nice if I could swing a little easier and not give up the yardage and spin.

 

It’s good to see that the lower spin but increased decent angles have off set the spin loss. I still worry that I couldn’t hold greens from my past experiences. I played P790s for a while and balls would hit and run off the green fairly regularly. 

[Ripken08]

Great post.  I have been considering doing the same thing this year.  Even with the 780 Smacwrap F3s.  What were your typical scores or HC using the AP2s?

[ZipinZ]

10 hours ago, SollyinGA said:

Thanks for posting this. I’m 53 and have already started thinking about how much effort I’m having to put into my shots to get my distances. It would be nice if I could swing a little easier and not give up the yardage and spin.

 

It’s good to see that the lower spin but increased decent angles have off set the spin loss. I still worry that I couldn’t hold greens from my past experiences. I played P790s for a while and balls would hit and run off the green fairly regularly. 

 

That was my concern this winter here in Palm Springs, I noticed I'm loosing distance & having to swing out of my shoes to hit the same yardage as last summer & I'm not getting any younger. Back home our greens were dried out it was difficult holding them, however, here in the desert I didn't have to fix very many divots from my AP2's & the ball was never that close to them, that was another surprise with the G430's, they hit & hold.

 

Cheers

 

D.

 

 

 

[ZipinZ]

3 hours ago, Ripken08 said:

Great post.  I have been considering doing the same thing this year.  Even with the 780 Smacwrap F3s.  What were your typical scores or HC using the AP2s?

 

Tks for the positive feedback. I've been playing Steelfiber i95 Stiff for 5 or more years, I really like them but found I'm struggling to get the same performance I was seeing over the past few years. The Ping fitter dragged out various graphite shafts for me to try, he was very impressed with how the UST Recoil ES 780 F4 Stiff performed and recommended this was the shaft from me. I really like the look & feel of the them, especially the Ion Plating they use, give them an honest try, them may be the right fit for you, too.

 

D.

 

Cut & paste from UST website .....

 

 

SMACWRAP^® is viscoelastic material that is able to bring a high amount of damping (vibration absorption) in composite structures when it is located strategically within a composite structure’s core. SMACWRAP^® optimizes noise and vibration damping at the source in a smart way without any need of add-on damping products. 

 

Recoil Technology provides greater consistency, distance and trajectory control

• Recoil Technology provides optimal spring effect in the walls of the shaft and more efficient energy transfer to the ball for increased velocity and greater distance.

ES = Enhanced Stability for more control and feel

• Stiffer mid and butt produces better shot control
• Softer tip improves feel and trajectory
• Lower torque for improved shot dispersion

 

Ion Plating (IP) creates a stunning and premium finish vs. traditional paint

• The raw shaft is put into a vacuum chamber where metal ions are emitted and bond to the shaft.
• The process takes extra time and is more expensive than traditional methods.
• This extra step is all done in-house, so we are able to ensure tighter control for the best quality.

[ZipinZ]

3 hours ago, Ripken08 said:

Great post.   What were your typical scores or HC using the AP2s?

 

Screenshot of my Garmin Express G80 stat's with my 718 AP2's .... 10 cap. That's why the last round at Escena was a dream round, it's boosted my confidence and I can hardly wait to get back out on the course .... to see if I can do it again.

 

D.

 

 

 

 

[ZipinZ]

Purchasing the G430's, the 4 iron had 1 ARCOSS sensor installed, I scanned it & Ping sent me a free offer to get a set of ARCOSS Smart Sensors all I had to do was pay the $10.00 USPS Priority Shipping.

 

Got them yesterday, have never tried them before & don't know anyone who has them back home.  Reading the Quick Start Guide, I'm not sure these things are very user friendly.  I'm going to install them, just downloaded the app, now to pair them & go from there.  I'm not all that excited about carrying my phone in my pocket to get these things to work, but if they help dial in my irons I'm good.

 

The last pic says to carry them upside down to put them in sleep mode, I walk the course back home with a push cart, this could be a problem.

 

Some pic's .... anyone here use them & willing to share some feedback ?

 

Cheers

 

D.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 16, 2023 by ZipinZ

[ZipinZ]

Afterthought .... I did my research prior to attending my fitting, watched every G430 iron Y-Tube & read every review on the internet. Most of the reviewers were scratch golfers who said they think the G430's will be a great game improvement club for most golfers & are very forgiving on off center hits but they sound very loud.  They may if your in a closed SIM but not on the course.

 

Anyone who has ever owned a Ping driver or wood knows what a Ping sounds like. The G430 irons sound solid, I love the sound of a good center hit, the guys I golfed with yesterday were from Denver, they commented on how good the shots sounded and were also surprised with the results. One of them was planning on buying new irons.

 

As for game improvement, if I can break 80 on my first round with my new sticks .... I'm sold & the AP2's are kicked out of the bag.

 

Cheers

 

D.

Edited March 15, 2023 by ZipinZ

[eric61]

6 minutes ago, ZipinZ said:

Afterthought .... I did my research prior to attending my fitting, watched every G430 iron Y-Tube & read every review on the internet. Most of the reviewers were scratch golfers who said they think the G430's will be a great game improvement club for most golfers are very forgiving on off center hits but they sound very loud.  They may if your in a closed SIM but not on the course.

 

Anyone who has ever owned a Ping driver or wood knows what a Ping sounds like. The G430 irons sound solid, I love the sound of a good center hit, the guys I golfed with yesterday were from Denver, they commented on how good the shots sounded and were also surprised with the results. One of them was planning on buying new irons.

 

As for game improvement, if I can break 80 on my first round with my new sticks .... they sold & the AP2's are kicked out of the bag.

 

Cheers

 

D.

One question for you: What's your "what's in the bag" set-up look like now? 

 

I notice you'd been playing four Vokey SM6 wedges, and saw your comment about ordering the 46 and 50 degree G430 wedges. In addition to the 4 through PW set-up you had in the bag, with the 46, 50, 56 and 60, that's 11 clubs. Plus a putter, driver. Only room for one left, and I know based on the WITB in your signature that you had a G425 3W, 3H and 4H. 

 

I see in the picture you posted another headcover -- guessing that's the 3H? -- and the 50 and 56 degree wedges aren't pictured. But that could just be for testing, etc. Just curious how you've worked it out, or if you're still making decisions on gapping before and after the G430 irons?

Edited March 15, 2023 by eric61

[MilesVJackson]

11 hours ago, SollyinGA said:

Thanks for posting this. I’m 53 and have already started thinking about how much effort I’m having to put into my shots to get my distances. It would be nice if I could swing a little easier and not give up the yardage and spin.

 

 

One thing to keep in mind is that the stronger lofts are the primary reason why the 430s are longer than the op's ap2s.  For instance, the 7-iron loft for the ap2 is 34; the 8-iron loft on the 430s is 33!  When you compare equivalent lofts, the op is probably hitting the ap2s and the 430s the same distance...the clubs just have different numbers on the sole.  That said, I agree the 430s are great clubs...just don't expect them to be longer than another club with the same loft.

[ZipinZ]

14 minutes ago, eric61 said:

One question for you: What's your "what's in the bag" set-up look like now? 

 

I notice you'd been playing four Vokey SM6 wedges. In addition to the 4 through PW set-up you had in the bag, that's 11 clubs. Plus a putter, driver. Only room for one left, and I know based on the WITB in your signature that you had a G425 3W, 3H and 4H. 

 

I see in the picture you posted another headcover -- guessing that's the 3H? -- and the 50 and 56 degree wedges aren't pictured. But that could just be for testing, etc. Just curious how you've worked it out, or if you're still making decisions on gapping before and after the G430 irons?

 

These are in my current inventory, depending on the courses I play I pull out some clubs. I'm going to have to make some tough decisions on my future bag. The new G430 4 iron may replace my 4/22* hybrid or maybe the 4 iron sits on bench. I don't have a problem making 3/4 shots with my wedges, so I'll be experimenting with the new G430 45* & 50* to see how they will work out. My Vokey SM6's are tired, they may be going on vacation with the AP2's, guess we'll see over the next month. 

 

D.

 

Ping G425 Max 10.5* Driver - Tensei Pro Orange 60 Stiff
Ping G425 Max 14.5* 3 Wood - Tour Ad Di8-S
Ping G425 4/22* HYB -Tensei Pro Orange 80S Hybrid
Ping G425 3/19* HYB -Tour AD Di-85S Hybrid
Titleist 718 AP2 5-9i - Steelfiber i95S
Titleist SM6 Steelfiber i110S - 46-50-56-60
Scotty Cameron Studio Select Laguna
 

 

 

Edited March 15, 2023 by ZipinZ

[eldog-in-the-hizouse]

Great post! I love Desert Willow, we usually play Firethorn. 

[Ripken08]

53 minutes ago, MilesVJackson said:

 

One thing to keep in mind is that the stronger lofts are the primary reason why the 430s are longer than the op's ap2s.  For instance, the 7-iron loft for the ap2 is 34; the 8-iron loft on the 430s is 33!  When you compare equivalent lofts, the op is probably hitting the ap2s and the 430s the same distance...the clubs just have different numbers on the sole.  That said, I agree the 430s are great clubs...just don't expect them to be longer than another club with the same loft.

Yes this is true except the trajectory and decent angle are the same as that number iron.  For example the G430 8 iron behaves like a "real" 8 iron in terms of trajectory/decent, but has the distance of a traditional 33-34* 7 iron.

[Ripken08]

53 minutes ago, ZipinZ said:

 

These are in my current inventory, depending on the courses I play I pull out some clubs. I'm going to have to make some tough decisions on my future bag. The new G430 4 iron may replace my 4/22* hybrid or maybe the 4 iron sits on bench. I don't have a problem making 3/4 shots with my wedges, so I'll be experimenting with the new G430 45* & 50* to see how they will work out. My Vokey SM6's are tired, they may be going on vacation with the AP2's, guess we'll see over the next month. 

 

D.

 

Ping G425 Max 10.5* Driver - Tensei Pro Orange 60 Stiff
Ping G425 Max 14.5* 3 Wood - Tour Ad Di8-S
Ping G425 4/22* HYB -Tensei Pro Orange 80S Hybrid
Ping G425 3/19* HYB -Tour AD Di-85S Hybrid
Titleist 718 AP2 5-9i - Steelfiber i95S
Titleist SM6 Steelfiber i110S - 46-50-56-60
Scotty Cameron Studio Select Laguna
 

 

 

The G430 5 iron should replace your 4i/4H at 22?

[puresurfr]

If u get a chance go on over to Indian Wells, I love hitting off their trackman stalls and they have food and beer brought to your stall too and courses are in excellent shape.  I used to hide out at Desert Willow and then moved to PGA West and now my go to spot is Indian Wells......Im hitting the i230s but may sway out a 4/5 I for the 430s

[SollyinGA]

1 hour ago, MilesVJackson said:

 

One thing to keep in mind is that the stronger lofts are the primary reason why the 430s are longer than the op's ap2s.  For instance, the 7-iron loft for the ap2 is 34; the 8-iron loft on the 430s is 33!  When you compare equivalent lofts, the op is probably hitting the ap2s and the 430s the same distance...the clubs just have different numbers on the sole.  That said, I agree the 430s are great clubs...just don't expect them to be longer than another club with the same loft.

Right, I understand that part. The part that troubles me is the lack of spin as an already low spin player with my 223s. Even with my 221s I’m still fairly low spin (5300-5900 with a 7i for example).
 

I also think if I went with something like the G430s I would have some gapping issues with my

wedges that I would have to contend with.

[ZipinZ]

I'm the O/P .... got concerned couldn't find my G430 thread, someone moved it from the "Equipment" to WRX Club Tech" .... which I'm only a hacker.  Happy to see others jumping in with some good comments.

 

D.

[st1800e]

16 hours ago, ZipinZ said:

This winter I’ve noticed I lost some distance, perhaps it’s the elevation here

Yes,  there’s a sign when driving into PS. “Elevation 12 feet”.  Red deer is 2800’ above sea level.  The course I play is about 4000’, and I notice I need a full club more in PS.  
You’ll likely notice a greater increase with those 430’s when you get home.  
 

https://www.titleist.com/teamtitleist/b/tourblog/posts/the-effect-of-altitude-golf-ball-aerodynamics

 

And temperature has an effect too. 

 

[ZipinZ]

2 hours ago, MilesVJackson said:

 

One thing to keep in mind is that the stronger lofts are the primary reason why the 430s are longer than the op's ap2s.  For instance, the 7-iron loft for the ap2 is 34; the 8-iron loft on the 430s is 33!  When you compare equivalent lofts, the op is probably hitting the ap2s and the 430s the same distance...the clubs just have different numbers on the sole.  That said, I agree the 430s are great clubs...just don't expect them to be longer than another club with the same loft.

 

 

That true, as I said they do look a little chunky & busy compared to my 718 AP2’s. 

 

In my case my 7i shaft is shorter than my 6i and I hit more consistent shots with my short irons P/W, 9, 8, & 7 vs my 6, 5, 4 or even hybrids.  If I can achieve 168-170 yd carry with my new G430 7i .... I'm  smiling.

 

I agree the G430's are great irons, from my fitting & first round, they're easy to hit, very forgiving on toe hits and I don't mind the sound at all, the new tech is a bonus.

 

Cheers

 

D.

 

[ZipinZ]

2 hours ago, Ripken08 said:

The G430 5 iron should replace your 4i/4H at 22?

 

Perhaps .... I was hitting both my 5 & 4 on the range really nice, but on my first round at Escena the last Par 3 #17 was playing about 190 yds and the wind started blowing, decided to hit 4i, came up a bit short & right of bunkers.  It's a tough hole, I normally hit 4 hybrid and occasionally hit the green. Guess time will tell which club makes the cut.

 

See ....

 

 

 

 

[ZipinZ]

3 hours ago, puresurfr said:

If u get a chance go on over to Indian Wells, I love hitting off their trackman stalls and they have food and beer brought to your stall too and courses are in excellent shape.  I used to hide out at Desert Willow and then moved to PGA West and now my go to spot is Indian Wells......Im hitting the i230s but may sway out a 4/5 I for the 430s

 

Tks for the tip on Indian wells, I imagine you need a membership to get access as well the royalty treatment, which most likely is over my budget. 

 

I did volunteer this year at the American Express PGA tourney in La Quinta & worked inside the ropes at the putting green & scoring trailer on the Stadium course for 4 days, they sure looked after the volunteers. In addition to free parking, uniform, concert tickets free pass for the Mrs, food & booze at their Happy Hour tent, I was given a 50% Off Certificate to play the PGA West Stadium course, it comes with some restrictions, can't play before noon & 3 day advance booking, as a single, if the wind's not blowing like crazy I'm hoping to get a TT next week while we have more daylight now.

 

Give the G430's a try when you set up & address the ball all that tech on the back is invisible.

 

Cheers

 

D.

Edited March 15, 2023 by ZipinZ

[st1800e]

48 minutes ago, ZipinZ said:

Indian wells

Is a municipal course, not to be confused with the IW country club. Definitely a quality experience.  36 holes, all great.  

[ZipinZ]

On 3/15/2023 at 7:13 AM, Ripken08 said:

Great post.  I have been considering doing the same thing this year.  Even with the 780 Smacwrap F3s. 

 

Ripken08 .... I forgot to include something very important in my first post regarding my fitting & custom ordering my G430 irons/shafts.

 

The UST Recoil ES 780 F4 Stiff, was the best shaft for me, I asked the Ping Fitter to ensure the shaft graphics were down they're too busy to have to look at when you address the ball. Something you and others considering new irons shouldn't overlook.

 

See .....

 

D.

 

 

 

 

You would get real tired of the graphics looking down to hit your shot.

 

 

 

 

 

Much better looking down at Black/Chrome with no graphics.

 

 

Edited March 17, 2023 by ZipinZ

[ZipinZ]

March 16th ... Bty day, mid 70's very little wind, decided to go to the range to work on the swing and experiment with my new G430's. 

 

Made some minor adjustments to my stance & it helped improve my consistency with center hits. I spent most of my time hitting my short irons.  My new 50* wedge was delivered yesterday, my 45* should show up tomorrow. I'm still impressed how easy these new irons launch with a repeatable high & straight ball flight that bounce once & stop.

 

Took a bunch of pic's of my Garmin G80 launch monitor, from what I could see the distance numbers were close to the pin locations I lasered with my rangefinder vs were the balls ended up.

 

Last year my driver S/S was 98-102 mph, it needs more work this year.

 

Remember .... these were range balls, some new most old we know they don't perform as well as B-new Pro-V1's or equal. 

 

Cheers

 

D.

 

 

 

 

 

Started with the 50* wedge ..... my new 115/125 yd club.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next was the P/W .... my new 140/145 yd club.

 

 

 

 

 

Next was the 9i .... my new 150/155 yd club.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next was the 8i ..... my new 160/165 yd club.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hit my 7i - 170/175 yds, 6i - 180/185, 5i - 190/195 & 4i = 200 yds +/-. 

 

Still have room for 3/19* Hybrid, 56* Vokey & my new 2023 Ping Anser putter.  The 60* wedge is on the bench, didn't like it much, anyway.

 

Guess there will be a lot of pressure on the G430 45* wedge that's expected tomorrow to fill in the 130/140 yd gap between my 50* & the P/W.

 

Cheers

 

D.

Edited March 17, 2023 by ZipinZ

[Ripken08]

9 hours ago, ZipinZ said:

 

Ripken08 .... I forgot to include something very important in my first post regarding my fitting & custom ordering my G430 irons/shafts.

 

The UST Recoil ES 780 F4 Stiff, was the best shaft for me, I asked the Ping Fitter to ensure the shaft graphics were down they're too busy to have to look at when you address the ball. Something you and others considering new irons shouldn't overlook.

 

See .....

 

D.

 

 

 

 

You would get real tired of the graphics looking down to hit your shot.

 

 

 

 

 

Much better looking down at Black/Chrome with no graphics.

 

 

Cool..thx!

[RSLP]

Very nice bag and write up!

[ZipinZ]

My new G430 45* wedge arrived this morning, I was fortunate & won it for $86.00 on E-Bay auction. Registered it on the Ping Website, which gives you the build date & all the spec’s, it came with D.G. S300 steel shaft. If I decide to keep the 45 & 50 I plan to send them into Ping and have them reshafted with Recoils & bent 1* up to Blue dot to match my new set.  Off to a St. Paddies pool party, will hit the range tomorrow.

 

More to follow.

 

Cheers

 

D.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 17, 2023 by ZipinZ

[ZipinZ]

"Guess there will be a lot of pressure on the G430 45* wedge that's expected tomorrow to fill in the 130/140 yd gap between my 50* & the P/W."

 

March 19th .... did some range testing of the G430 45* wedge this afternoon, it fills the gap very nicely between my G430 50* & P/W. Was hitting 130-145 yd shots and if I stepped on it up to 150 yds.

 

I could of stayed with my Titleist Vokey SM6 46* vs buying a new G430 45*, but I'm tired of the Steelfibers i110's, I found I have to swing out of my shoes to get the same distance. The G430 wedges are easier to hit & have a better ball flight.  For $86.00 off E-Bay it's a keeper, now I need to get it reshafted with Recoils ES 780's.

 

A few pic's, lazered the White flag it was 150 yds out, I landed all over the front and the one near the stick to the left was my shot.

 

Cheers 

 

David

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That ends my testing now it's time to play ......

 

 

.

Edited March 20, 2023 by ZipinZ

[mikec3672]

Glad they are working out for you, and great to see the pool party references and on course photos. Jealous, lucky (in my Napoleon Dynamite voice)! Our season is just about to start in NJ (and our place in FL is still rented for March, was there for the month of December). BTW, I really liked both courses and the Indian Wells resort when I was there last year (used to be called Hyatt Grand Champions), and the bar and restaurant there, like La Quinta's was awesome food and views.

 

Personally, I could not justify these, as they did not do much better if at all for me, vs my G400's (5-Gap), with Steelfiber i95 R's Soft-Stepped 1X.

 

Hence as a WRX'er would do, I kept the G400's (my travel club, and graduate into club as it's a tad light, I am 58, SS 95-100, medium to quick transition), and got a set of the i230's. Are they about 5+ yards or so shorter? Yes. Do I care. No, as the dispersion/yardage consistency is sublime. To me it says a lot about a set, when the OEM has to add an extra wedge for gapping, and I too was keen to see stated yardage gains, which I did by a touch over the 230's, but barely over the 400's and with the 400's I do not need an extra wedge.

 

G wise, I know there is a lot talk about the holy grail of the G25, and some the G5 (even 15), but for me, nothing touches the G30's (keep a set in FL), and as noted, of the modern G's, the 400's have figured out a way to hang around my bag.

 

But for aesthetics and beauty (crazy to say about a PING right ;-)), I am always drawn to the i series. Owned almost all of them, but for me, the best were the i5's and the i25's. I still have 2 sets (on in NJ and one in FL) of the i25's (Nippon 950GH R, again a bit light for me and a set I will grow into when I drop from 115 range). Like the 230's, the wedges on the 25's are second to none, and have used the U and S and even L of the 25's for years (but with the wedges I go heavier, in the shaft I note below).

 

Current gamers though and my goldilocks shaft after years of fiddling, I am full circle back to a 115 gram shaft in the PX LZ 5.5. Have used it for years SS2X in my wedges, and finally went back and SS the 5.5's 1X in my irons and voila, happy place.

 

I love the 5.5's, as they really are stiff for the most part, perhaps a S-, but when SS1X, they become a goldilocks R+ for me at 115, which is hard to find these days (KBS yes, but don't get on w their shafts).

 

Enjoy the 430's though, glad they are working out.

[ZipinZ]

2 hours ago, mikec3672 said:

Glad they are working out for you, and great to see the pool party references and on course photos. Jealous, lucky (in my Napoleon Dynamite voice)! Our season is just about to start in NJ (and our place in FL is still rented for March, was there for the month of December). BTW, I really liked both courses and the Indian Wells resort when I was there last year (used to be called Hyatt Grand Champions), and the bar and restaurant there, like La Quinta's was awesome food and views.

 

Personally, I could not justify these, as they did not do much better if at all for me, vs my G400's (5-Gap), with Steelfiber i95 R's Soft-Stepped 1X.

 

Hence as a WRX'er would do, I kept the G400's (my travel club, and graduate into club as it's a tad light, I am 58, SS 95-100, medium to quick transition), and got a set of the i230's. Are they about 5+ yards or so shorter? Yes. Do I care. No, as the dispersion/yardage consistency is sublime. To me it says a lot about a set, when the OEM has to add an extra wedge for gapping, and I too was keen to see stated yardage gains, which I did by a touch over the 230's, but barely over the 400's and with the 400's I do not need an extra wedge.

 

G wise, I know there is a lot talk about the holy grail of the G25, and some the G5 (even 15), but for me, nothing touches the G30's (keep a set in FL), and as noted, of the modern G's, the 400's have figured out a way to hang around my bag.

 

But for aesthetics and beauty (crazy to say about a PING right ;-)), I am always drawn to the i series. Owned almost all of them, but for me, the best were the i5's and the i25's. I still have 2 sets (on in NJ and one in FL) of the i25's (Nippon 950GH R, again a bit light for me and a set I will grow into when I drop from 115 range). Like the 230's, the wedges on the 25's are second to none, and have used the U and S and even L of the 25's for years (but with the wedges I go heavier, in the shaft I note below).

 

Current gamers though and my goldilocks shaft after years of fiddling, I am full circle back to a 115 gram shaft in the PX LZ 5.5. Have used it for years SS2X in my wedges, and finally went back and SS the 5.5's 1X in my irons and voila, happy place.

 

I love the 5.5's, as they really are stiff for the most part, perhaps a S-, but when SS1X, they become a goldilocks R+ for me at 115, which is hard to find these days (KBS yes, but don't get on w their shafts).

 

Enjoy the 430's though, glad they are working out.

 

 

Tks for the info ... I'm tired of the Steelfiber i110's, still looking at new shaft options for my wedges, UST website says they discontinued the Recoil 110's, however, there still are a few on E-Bay.  I'd like to try Recoil Dart 105 Wedge shaft, going to stop at the PGA S/S here in Palm Desert to see if they have a demo I could hit.

 

D.