New long irons?

[dropngvme20]

mixing the bag

Been playing Ping ISI BeCus for about a decade now. Even as my rounds/year have dropped dramatically over that time I always felt these irons helped to keep my swing honest... perhaps at the expense of some forgiveness.

Now, while I still love the feel of my ISI short irons, I don't feel like I'm getting the distance and forgiveness I would like out my long irons... for example just picking up and smacking a Ping 3I 4 iron versus my ISI reveals a much nicer ball flight and an extra 10 yds.

I'll hit the demo center, but wonder if anyone has suggestions on long irons which retain feel but might offer a little more performance AND forgiveness than my ISIs. My game is in the mid/low-80s these days...

Thanks much.

[2brains]

I have played stainless ISI's and the long irons really are quite forgiving - you might want to try some G2 HL's ... the top line is a little fatter than on the ISI but they definitely look and feel like irons. Easy to hit, they do get the ball up in a hurry and carry far. Although they don't quite feel as iron-like, I've recently defected to Nike iron woods - as far as hybrids go, they don't feel or look as much like a fairway wood and are amazingly easy to hit long and straight. Good luck.

[Geo]

Been playing Ping ISI BeCus for about a decade now. Even as my rounds/year have dropped dramatically over that time I always felt these irons helped to keep my swing honest... perhaps at the expense of some forgiveness.

 

Now, while I still love the feel of my ISI short irons, I don't feel like I'm getting the distance and forgiveness I would like out my long irons... for example just picking up and smacking a Ping 3I 4 iron versus my ISI reveals a much nicer ball flight and an extra 10 yds.

 

I'll hit the demo center, but wonder if anyone has suggestions on long irons which retain feel but might offer a little more performance AND forgiveness than my ISIs. My game is in the mid/low-80s these days...

 

Thanks much.

 

Howdy 20. I just barely added the ISI BeCu's to my bag last month and can definitely understand why they stayed in your's for so long. I think you are going to have a hard time blending some different long irons into your set and have them play similarly. I would imagine that the I5's would be closest in the Ping lineup (probably more perimeter weighing, similar topline, less offset), but appearances will be very different. You would probably have more luck getting a new set of irons altogether, just take your time in the selection process (get fitted, use whatever demo program your local shop might offer, and be very critical during the "no penalty for return" period).

 

What is your priority that is driving the change? Do you want emphasis on distance, forgiveness, or performance? Depending on your definition of performance, it might stand mutually exclusive from forgiveness, but if 10 years have passed since you first started playing those irons, it might be time to get them reshafted (I'm assuming you've regripped them during this time :cheesy: ). With today's shaft technology, even in the steel, I would be surprised if you couldn't find yourself increasing your distance and tightening up your dispersion with a shaft change. Good luck with all that though. :)

 

beruo

[sergizmo]

Why not just try some hybrids or 7 and 9 woods to replace your 3 and 4 irons? They'll give you more height and forgiveness, and you will probably hit them more consistently. You won't find an iron that is noticeably more forgiving and blends nicely with the ISI's anyway, so go for maximum forgiveness. The possible exception to this is the G2HL as mentioned previously, but they still look quite different than your current set.

 

Something like a Slingshot or Big Bertha '02-'06 long iron may work, but those are virtually hybrids anyway.

 

Be sure to demo lots of FW's and hybrids with a variety of shafts if possible. Hybrids in particular can be either love or hate, so try before you buy.

[2brains]

I think beruo may be on to something. You will be hard pressed to find a sweeter iron than the BeCu ISI. If you don't want to go hybrid or high loft fairway wood, a reshaft may be the way to go.

[Ditty_72]

If you want to stay within Ping, you could buy a Ping G5 3 and 4 iron, or the HL irons. Both are very forgiving. If not, buy hybrids or FWs. Both the Ping G5 hybrids and FWs are simply amazing. Best I've ever hit. Ever.

[dropngvme20]

The grass is always greener, eh? :smilie_cally:

 

Playing with reshafting (but the grips have actually been replaced :) ) and maybe a tumble / refinish on the heads sounds like a great idea.

 

I'll do a search on the site, but any suggestions on steel shafts to look into which might be worth exploring? I have the stock ZZ65s on them now and I'm floating the ball pretty high with those on my 7-SW, carrying just 149 with the 7I. For some reason the CS-Lite Stiffs felt really nice in comparison for the 3-5I though and had more carry...

 

My miss is usually thin and a hook... matter of fact, it probably all comes down to swing flaws anyway :cheesy:

 

Thanks again.