Reviewed by: Mike B(Unregistered User)
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Shoots in the 70s Model Reviewed:
Ping i3+ Summary:
I have swung these in the past and always seemed to hit them high and straight. They also inspire confidence at address as well, as they square up beautifully. I bought them from an ebay vendor for $329 with free shipping. They were listed as mint condition, but arrived brand new with the stickers. It was an impulse buy, as the price was too good to pass up. I doubt Ping would be happy at that pricing, as they still sell these new. It didn't bother me, though.
Well, needless to say, I should have tried before I buyed, so to speak. I opted for the CS Lite shafts with Cushion inserts, which were really my only choice. The clubs I hit before had the heavier JZ shaft and might have been a little longer. Shaft weight is supposed to be 109 grams, plus whatever the insert weighs. I wanted them as heavy as possible. Unfortunately, the swingweight feels like a ladies iron. They are so light, that I really never know where the clubhead is and I tend to overswing them. Results are decidedly mixed.
I have lost distance. It is indisputable. It is somewhere in the 7 to 11 yard range, or about a full club compared to my steel ISI's with a JZ shaft. The lofts on the i3+'s are weak, but not *that* weak. They are exactly 0.2 degrees weaker than the ISI's, and that shouldn't mean a thing to me. The clubhead, however, is C9, which is a couple swingweights lighter. That, possibly along with the shaft, is where the distance loss is occurring, imo.
Consider this -- I play Ping Tour wedges and carry a 50, 54, and 58. My 50 degree wedge travels within 3 to 5 yards of my 47.2 degree i3+ PW, on average. That gap was a solid 10 yards against my ISI PW (47 deg). My drive swing speed maxes out at about 94 mph and probably averages 89, so I am not a huge hitter. It is abundantly clear that these irons are short. You can't get away with thin shots, either. The loss is even more exaggerrated on those.
The flip side is that the irons are straighter. I generally feel a good swing produces straight shots, not a club, but these irons defy that logic a bit. They hit higher shots and the ball will not move either way very easily. Tight draws or fades only. Forget intentional sweeping hooks or huge cuts. If I go right, I pushed it or left the face open. If I go left, I pulled it or made a real bad swing. No, they aren't overly "workable", but if you want supreme workability, you probably aren't reading i3+ reviews.
I have hit many excellent shots so far, so all isn't bad. I am stopping 4 irons on a dime. Of course, they are stopping where my 5 iron used to land, but that was covered already. Feel is what you'd expect from this type of club. Hit the sweet spot and its just a littled muted click. Miss the sweet spot and you still get a playable result without stinging the hands.
I am going to experiment with some lead tape on the head and will probably change shafts. If that doesn't work, I will sell them. I wanted to review the clubs out of the box though to be fair. Ping can alter them by changing the weight, but that is really expensive. Tape would do the same thing.
In summary:
Pros: Great look at address, high ball flight, predictably straight with decent swings, lightweight probably good for slower swingers, tremendous value if you know where to look
Cons: Distance loss up to a full club, unimpressive stock shaft, light clubhead weight, tough to work more than a couple yards in either direction
I'd have a hard time recommending these clubs out of the box to a golfer with a harder swing or decent ability (HCP below 10). With some doctoring, they could probably play for anyone. I can see many game improvement features here though, and think they work for a large population of golfers.
Disclaimer: I shoot about 1/3 of my rounds in the high 70's, and the rest in the low 80's. My hcp index is a solid 7.x on average.
Disclaimer 2: The i3+ Blades are supposedly heavier. I have never hit them, but probably should. Customer Service:
Not needed. Similar Products Used:
Ping Eye 2, Ping ISI-S, Ping Zing 2
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