Ping i530 and g730 irons

[Coppertop1880]

I don't have a modern set of irons and have been playing with a set of Ping ISI Becu irons. I like them but started looking for a more modern set and the new i530 and g730 irons have caught my eye. I'm a high handicap player. Typical score for a round of 18 is upper 90's to the 100-110 range. Golf is an escape for me and while I like to shoot par or better, a bogey (or double) doesn't freak me out. 

 

Iron play would be my strength, hitting more good shots than bad. My biggest weakness with irons is that I have a bad tendency to hit behind the ball. Try as I may, I've yet to develop a consistent habit of hitting the ball first, then the ground.

 

I plan on going to the local GolfGalaxy to give both a test drive later this week but wanted you guys' opinions on which is better suited for a high handicapper. I like the looks of the i530 and worry that the g730s will be a bit on the heavy side coming from the ISI irons. I know these are new clubs but anyone with experience with them?

[Gsea]

try the Ping G430

[PJE]

Ping makes forgiving clubs but if you don’t routinely strike the ball first, I’d stay away from the i530s in favor of the G series. You can get away with mishits a little better in a G series iron than with i series irons.  
Personally, I think you should also look at the G430. 
The G430 is an exceptionally easy iron to hit. 

[Coppertop1880]

Thanks. I'll take a look at the G430's. 

Gotta remember that the latest and greatest models doesn't make last year's model obsolete. 

Easy to remember in just looking at my current set up.

 

It's just the i530's look so damn good.

[Nessism]

The i530's are smaller, so they will be a little less forgiving if you miss the center of the face.  All Ping's, are forgiving of hitting behind the ball.  There is only so much a club can help with that, though.

 

I agree with focusing on the G series.  If you buy some, you can join the G-man club here too.  That's reason enough by itself to get them!  

[Binson]

I'd normally also recommend the G series. But, since you've been playing ISI, which are a smaller clubhead by today's standards, it may be worth trying the i530 as well if that's what you're into.

 

Would absolutely recommend a fitting if you're buying brand new.  

[Coppertop1880]

7 minutes ago, Binson said:

I'd normally also recommend the G series. But, since you've been playing ISI, which are a smaller clubhead by today's standards, it may be worth trying the i530 as well if that's what you're into.

 

Would absolutely recommend a fitting if you're buying brand new.  

 

Thanks. I was planning on spending Thursday morning at the golf store to try each out.

 

And agree... a fitting is best practice. I was fitted a few years ago, so I have a baseline. Just need to confirm nothing has changed with me or with a different clubhead.

[prouse25]

I completely agree with you focusing on the G series - either the 430 or 730.  The G series is really really really good.  I am currently a 1.0 index and use a combo of G430 in the long irons and i230 in the shorter irons.  I couldn’t be happier.  I am a strong iron player and have played blades many times in the past.  The G’s are so easy to hit - why look at anything else.  I can shape shots with ease.  When I am a little off, the tech takes over and helps tremendously.  

[Coppertop1880]

33 minutes ago, prouse25 said:

I completely agree with you focusing on the G series - either the 430 or 730.  The G series is really really really good.  I am currently a 1.0 index and use a combo of G430 in the long irons and i230 in the shorter irons.  I couldn’t be happier.  I am a strong iron player and have played blades many times in the past.  The G’s are so easy to hit - why look at anything else.  I can shape shots with ease.  When I am a little off, the tech takes over and helps tremendously.  

 

Not sure if I should have mentioned that my iron set up is 7-PW. When I'm at distances beyond a 7 iron's reach, I use fairway woods (I have 3-9 woods in the bag). Just never hit 3-6 irons very well and have more confidence with the fairway woods.

 

Not sure if my range of irons makes a difference. As you move to a shorter iron, do the i530 and G730 irons become more equal in performance/forgiveness?

[cfmgolf]

I currently play the 525's, but had the G700's and G710's prior to the 525's so as you can see I have had most of the Ping product over the past few years.  I have tried the 530 and the 730 and liked the 530 better.  Mostly the sound for me - I thought the 730 was pretty loud and clicky. Coming from your old Pings this might make a difference to you.  While the 530's are by no means muted, they both have a different sound.  As far as forgiveness is concerned, the reason I moved to the 525's was for this reason.  They did have a smaller footprint than the 700 or 710, but I didn't feel that I lost anything on mishits.  For me that is toeside.  The slightly smaller footprint also made me concentrate just a little bit more and they are better through the rough due to their smaller overall size.  The 430 is also a good choice and you should try all 3.  I do think that the 530 does look the best out of the 3 in my opinion.  Don't worry about the weight of the 730.  Even though they are larger, this doesn't affect their playing weight.    When you get to a proper fitting, pay most attention to the weight of the shafts you are trying as well as the descent angle of the irons.  askgolfnut has some very good youtube videos on these irons and well worth the watch. He swings at all different speeds and also has forgiveness testing for both of these.  You will be quite surprised at how forgiving the 530's are in his videos.  Hope this helps - enjoy whichever new sticks you decide on.  Cheers!

[Dpavs]

My worthless two cents...

 

By all means give the pings a work out off turf but don't be afraid to try other brands too. You might surprise yourself as to what ends up looking best at address and working the best for you. Stay away from mats and stick with hitting off turf if you can. Buy what you like but keep the expectations real. New irons will not likely change your game as much as some lessons but that doesn't really matter IMO at this point from what you have said and new irons can keep things fun. To be honest, at the end of the day for most of us that is what golf should be, fun! Take your time and enjoy the process!

[teedub21]

I will say from a sound/feel standpoint my i530’s are tolerable off mats. Feel/sound way better hitting them on grass. 

[prouse25]

13 hours ago, Coppertop1880 said:

 

Not sure if I should have mentioned that my iron set up is 7-PW. When I'm at distances beyond a 7 iron's reach, I use fairway woods (I have 3-9 woods in the bag). Just never hit 3-6 irons very well and have more confidence with the fairway woods.

 

Not sure if my range of irons makes a difference. As you move to a shorter iron, do the i530 and G730 irons become more equal in performance/forgiveness?

 

The "forgiveness" gap gets much smaller as you move to shorter irons.  This is the primary reason why it's relatively common to have combo or progressive sets of irons.  If you demo the 730's or 430's, you might reevaluate the use of long irons vs fairway / hybrid.  I find the G430 longer irons to be exceptionally easy to hit / high launch / lots of forgiveness.  

 

BTW - my longest iron is now a 5 iron

[bk3318]

I just ordered a set of i530 yesterday, anyone have any experience with current lead times?

[Konklifer]

3 hours ago, bk3318 said:

I just ordered a set of i530 yesterday, anyone have any experience with current lead times?

 

I ordered mine from Discount Dan's: Seventeen days from the time the order was submitted, shipped to DD's, then shipped to my door.

 

If you have an exotic shaft or digital lofts, it will likely be longer.

[AC in TX]

Consider buying used - G425's and I525's are really good and you can buy both, try them out and flip the ones you don't keep.

[Coppertop1880]

Spent a little over an hour at the local Golf Galaxy this morning to try out the i530 and g730 irons (7 iron for each). 

 

Started out with the g730. First swing, ball flight was straight down the center and 169 yards. The irons felt good in the hand and impact was soft. Heavier feel to the irons and a much larger footprint, but not too large. Easily hit three dozen shots with my typical results. Many went towards the center, while many hooked to the left.

 

I've heard a lot of complaints about the noise of the g730 but can't say it was too loud or annoying. The irons look good and if I had to ding Ping on the design, it's the back cavity slot. I can see dirt, grit and grass get in there and be a pain to clean out. I think the g730s look better than the g430s but they do have a wide body. 

 

The i530s were the first blade style irons I've hit in a very long time. First swing, ball flight was straight down the center and 168 yards. The irons looked better on approach than the g730 and you feel impact more. While the g730 felt a bit on the heavy side, the i530s felt as if they were cutting through the air. Hit the same number of shots and had similar results but shots did not drift as far left with the i530s.

 

I can't say the i530s sounded better (or worse) than the g730s but when you hit the ball right, it just had a gratifying feel. The design is clean and it's hard not to walk away from the i530s without saying, "Man that's a nice looking club". 

 

I can look at all the numbers Trackman generates but beyond distance, I don't have a good handle on what the rest mean. I asked a good friend who is a fitter/instructor at Golf Galaxy to compare the numbers and he said comparing the two irons, there wasn't much difference.

 

I have to admit that after trying out the two irons, it was difficult to choose just one. In the end, I made my choice based on looks, feel and what I already have in the bag. The g730s are fantastic clubs but with a set in the bag that I'm already comfortable and confident with, I decided to go with the i530s. It's a club I can hit with some level of success but also grow into. They look great and I have to say, feel better than the g730s (and that's not saying the g730s feel bad). 

 

Once I decided on a iron, we went through the fitting process to confirm lie angles, club length and shaft weight (still black dot with standard lengths). Gotta say I'm a little nervous and excited with this purchase. Nervous because I've never had blades in my bag, excited to learn my way around the clubs.

 

I appreciate all the insight and advice on things.

[tomg1969]

On 4/24/2024 at 12:18 PM, bk3318 said:

I just ordered a set of i530 yesterday, anyone have any experience with current lead times?

I ordered a set on 4/8 and they shipped on 4/18. Pretty good for a set with custom specs and shaft 

[bk3318]

2 hours ago, tomg1969 said:

I ordered a set on 4/8 and they shipped on 4/18. Pretty good for a set with custom specs and shaft 

Thanks I went with Project X Steel so shouldn't be too uncommon of a spec.

[platgof]

I hit both today and the I530 felt so good and are long. The 730 sounded clicky, did not like. My pick is the I530. Hit the I530, G730, and G 430, and let us know. I expect to see the I530 in my bag soon.