Ping i20 Review

[Hstead]

I know I am a little late to the party, but I am a slow learner what can I say? I recently had a fitting with the Ping rep at our club during a demo day, and then I followed up a couple of times at Dicks on the monitor to make sure etc etc.

 

At first, I thought for certain I would order s56's since I liked that look and I have played blades for several years, most recently Scratch SB-1's and Titleist 690MB's. I had C-taper S+ in both of those sets. I had two fittings in the last couple of years and in both of those fittings I walked away with blades even though I wanted 712 CBs or AR-1's. For some reason I either concentrate more or something, but I hit blades better than the CB or ARs.

 

With Ping it was different, I hit all of the heads, Anser, s56, i20, and even the G25s. I was shocked and how much I liked the feel of the G25. They are a great feeling club and they immediately reminded me of my Eye2's from 22 years ago. I loved the Eye 2's better never got along with any of the other Pings (ISI, etc) and really had dismissed them until now. I ended up hitting the s56 okay, but the i20 and the G25 really stood out. I ended up buying the i20s due to less spin and a lower launch than the G25 which resulted in quite a distance difference for me. Again, I think subconsciously I liked the look of the i20 and just had more confidence in hitting the middle of the face with them.

 

So I finally get them today, take them to the range, and was pleasantly surprised by two things: first the X flex in the CFS is much better than I expected, and second - I loved the short and long iron flights. During the demo and fittings I was only able to hit S flex and 6 and 7 irons. The X flex made a huge difference in bringing the flight down and more straight. The short irons are very workable and really feel like blades to me. They do have a louder click at impact and are firmer feeling, but as far as penetrating flight that is easy to fade and draw, these have blade like or s56 like flights. Starting at the 6 iron, they just start really flying high and long. The 3-6 irons fly much higher than my old blades, and fly higher than the short irons which is wild for me. It is almost like the short irons fly lower than the long irons, but in fact they just reach similar heights at different apexes. My old irons, the 8,9 and PW flew higher than the 3,4,5 etc. Not the case with these i20's, everything is higher from 6 iron up but lower with the 8,9,PW. I really liked that. I also found mishits flew further, which is not unexpected, especially slightly fat shots due to the bounce and wide sole.

 

I can't wait to get these on the course and see if they result in better scores. They are easier to hit, spin less sideways making them straighter, and they fly longer due to stronger lofts and overall design. I just do not understand what took me so long lol? I guess I should have looked at Pings instead of the AP2 and 712 CB or the AR-1? I didn't get the same results with those clubs.

 

I have a set of brand new Nippon Super Peening Blues X flex ready to go in, but I am going to give this CFS a chance.

[Derek666]

Good review, i just took these off my maybe list due to the finish problems i've read about.

Always been a fan of all pings except the G series.

[Str8Shot]

[quote name='Derek666' timestamp='1373669238' post='7443752']
Good review, i just took these off my maybe list due to the finish problems i've read about.

Always been a fan of all pings except the G series.
[/quote]

Do not take them off your list!!! The finish issue is not on all the i20 irons. Just the first go of them in the first 6-9 months I would say. They started remaking them with a better finish that has a non dark grey face after many complaints and them fixing the paint work on the iron heads. They were just sand blasting the faces to make the whole iron head look the same color but they started changing the way the heads were finished in the newer irons but no difference in performance. My Ping i20 heads have the newer finish with no issues like the originals with the faces wearing off but in reality...look how many clubs show face impact markings so it really should not even be much of a big deal when you think about it, but I was a tad bothered by it too so I understand. I know people who have them and took scotch guard pads to the faces and scratched the finish on the faces right off and it looked the same as some who sent them back to Ping who had their faces sand blasted.

Now to the OP with his review....review is spot on. These i20 irons and G25 as posted in many posts by me and others are in Pings top irons they ever made hands down. The CFS shafts feel and perform great for a stock shaft but not all stock shafts are junk! The G25 is awesome too with a more offset and thicker sole but feels nice flushed dead center as does the i20's. They feel just as good as certain forgings do IMO. Not all Endo forgings and such but many other forged irons I hit in my life time or owned felt no better. Ping knocked it out the ball park for both these irons and 2 crowds players and people needing GI iron and they both can really be played by either kind of player.

[59Bassman]

I've had my i20's for almost 3 months now and I've never been happier with an equipment purchase. My GIR are way up, my scores have come down dramatically, and I've got a whole lot more confidence standing over a 150 yard shot now than I did with my old irons (Mizuno MP-52's). I loved the look and feel of the Mizunos, but I just didn't have the game for them. I also tried the Ansers and G25's. The G25's felt good, but the ball flight was WAY too high with my swing. The Ansers were so close to the i20's that I had a hard time telling them apart. So the i20's it was. Great clubs.

[braincramp52]

You guys are driving me nuts! My I20's and Piper C won't be here for another 7 days! The I20's are the perfect blend of everything in my opinion.

[snivlem]

[quote name='Hstead' timestamp='1373668643' post='7443702']
I know I am a little late to the party, but I am a slow learner what can I say? I recently had a fitting with the Ping rep at our club during a demo day, and then I followed up a couple of times at Dicks on the monitor to make sure etc etc.

At first, I thought for certain I would order s56's since I liked that look and I have played blades for several years, most recently Scratch SB-1's and Titleist 690MB's. I had C-taper S+ in both of those sets. I had two fittings in the last couple of years and in both of those fittings I walked away with blades even though I wanted 712 CBs or AR-1's. For some reason I either concentrate more or something, but I hit blades better than the CB or ARs.

With Ping it was different, I hit all of the heads, Anser, s56, i20, and even the G25s. I was shocked and how much I liked the feel of the G25. They are a great feeling club and they immediately reminded me of my Eye2's from 22 years ago. I loved the Eye 2's better never got along with any of the other Pings (ISI, etc) and really had dismissed them until now. I ended up hitting the s56 okay, but the i20 and the G25 really stood out. I ended up buying the i20s due to less spin and a lower launch than the G25 which resulted in quite a distance difference for me. Again, I think subconsciously I liked the look of the i20 and just had more confidence in hitting the middle of the face with them.

So I finally get them today, take them to the range, and was pleasantly surprised by two things: first the X flex in the CFS is much better than I expected, and second - I loved the short and long iron flights. During the demo and fittings I was only able to hit S flex and 6 and 7 irons. The X flex made a huge difference in bringing the flight down and more straight. The short irons are very workable and really feel like blades to me. They do have a louder click at impact and are firmer feeling, but as far as penetrating flight that is easy to fade and draw, these have blade like or s56 like flights. Starting at the 6 iron, they just start really flying high and long. The 3-6 irons fly much higher than my old blades, and fly higher than the short irons which is wild for me. It is almost like the short irons fly lower than the long irons, but in fact they just reach similar heights at different apexes. My old irons, the 8,9 and PW flew higher than the 3,4,5 etc. Not the case with these i20's, everything is higher from 6 iron up but lower with the 8,9,PW. I really liked that. I also found mishits flew further, which is not unexpected, especially slightly fat shots due to the bounce and wide sole.

I can't wait to get these on the course and see if they result in better scores. They are easier to hit, spin less sideways making them straighter, and they fly longer due to stronger lofts and overall design. I just do not understand what took me so long lol? I guess I should have looked at Pings instead of the AP2 and 712 CB or the AR-1? I didn't get the same results with those clubs.

I have a set of brand new Nippon Super Peening Blues X flex ready to go in, but I am going to give this CFS a chance.
[/quote]It seems like you already switched out the shafts? If so, then I'm interested in the pulls

[cz13X4]

I bet these with the nippons would be amazing. I love the spb.

[Minarets]

I love my i20s. I never thought I'd stray from Mizunos. I did and am happy I did so.

[peakposition]

Received my G25 yesterday. Will build them on monday or tuesday with the SPB. As you know I was struggling too with what to go with, i20 or g25. And I could not be more happy with g25. The cfs X shaft can a lot but way too light for me.
Have fun buddy!

[Hstead]

I haven't swapped the shafts just yet, but when I do I will let you know. I love the SP Blue so there are definitely going in. I doubt they come back out either.

[DrInhale]

I originally started with i20 playing them well. Forgiving, accurate, and a nice looking players iron. Great clubs for chipping, 3/4, and full shots. I had a wild hair up my rear so I bought a set of G25s. Even on the sims I was more accurate and slightly longer with the i20s but I thought the more forgivenrss would benefit my game. I only had one good round with the G25s, my GIRs decreased. I am back to my i20s and could not be happier.

[boycer]

[quote name='DrInhale' timestamp='1373771832' post='7450188']
I originally started with i20 playing them well. Forgiving, accurate, and a nice looking players iron. Great clubs for chipping, 3/4, and full shots. I had a wild hair up my rear so I bought a set of G25s. Even on the sims I was more accurate and slightly longer with the i20s but I thought the more forgivenrss would benefit my game. I only had one good round with the G25s, my GIRs decreased. I am back to my i20s and could not be happier.
[/quote]

I am wishing I had my i20s back. Had 4-lw with cfs stiff. Picked up the g25 with recoils and seem to hook them. My elbows feel better though.

[DrInhale]

[quote name='boycer11' timestamp='1373773001' post='7450274']
[quote name='DrInhale' timestamp='1373771832' post='7450188']
I originally started with i20 playing them well. Forgiving, accurate, and a nice looking players iron. Great clubs for chipping, 3/4, and full shots. I had a wild hair up my rear so I bought a set of G25s. Even on the sims I was more accurate and slightly longer with the i20s but I thought the more forgivenrss would benefit my game. I only had one good round with the G25s, my GIRs decreased. I am back to my i20s and could not be happier.
[/quote]

I am wishing I had my i20s back. Had 4-lw with cfs stiff. Picked up the g25 with recoils and seem to hook them. My elbows feel better though.
[/quote]

I found the same issue, hooking easier. I don't know the specifications enough but it is easier to turn over the club causing more hooks compared to the i20s.

[richard t]

Played Eye2s for 20+ years. Loved them. Now the I20s have been in the bag since last fall. Won't be looking at irons for a long, long, time. Love these, maybe more. Nice write up too.

[boycer]

[quote name='DrInhale' timestamp='1373805070' post='7451310']
[quote name='boycer11' timestamp='1373773001' post='7450274']
[quote name='DrInhale' timestamp='1373771832' post='7450188']
I originally started with i20 playing them well. Forgiving, accurate, and a nice looking players iron. Great clubs for chipping, 3/4, and full shots. I had a wild hair up my rear so I bought a set of G25s. Even on the sims I was more accurate and slightly longer with the i20s but I thought the more forgivenrss would benefit my game. I only had one good round with the G25s, my GIRs decreased. I am back to my i20s and could not be happier.
[/quote]

I am wishing I had my i20s back. Had 4-lw with cfs stiff. Picked up the g25 with recoils and seem to hook them. My elbows feel better though.
[/quote]

I found the same issue, hooking easier. I don't know the specifications enough but it is easier to turn over the club causing more hooks compared to the i20s.
[/quote]

Still trying to decide if its the heads, shafts or swing.

[DrInhale]

[quote name='boycer11' timestamp='1373828492' post='7452808']
[quote name='DrInhale' timestamp='1373805070' post='7451310']
[quote name='boycer11' timestamp='1373773001' post='7450274']
[quote name='DrInhale' timestamp='1373771832' post='7450188']
I originally started with i20 playing them well. Forgiving, accurate, and a nice looking players iron. Great clubs for chipping, 3/4, and full shots. I had a wild hair up my rear so I bought a set of G25s. Even on the sims I was more accurate and slightly longer with the i20s but I thought the more forgivenrss would benefit my game. I only had one good round with the G25s, my GIRs decreased. I am back to my i20s and could not be happier.
[/quote]

I am wishing I had my i20s back. Had 4-lw with cfs stiff. Picked up the g25 with recoils and seem to hook them. My elbows feel better though.
[/quote]

I found the same issue, hooking easier. I don't know the specifications enough but it is easier to turn over the club causing more hooks compared to the i20s.
[/quote]

Still trying to decide if its the heads, shafts or swing.
[/quote]

Yeah, I thought it was my swing so I kept trying to work with the irons. No significant change in my swing playing the i20s today. I was so much more accurate especially with my 3/4 shots hitting 72% of my GIR. The G25 were a good lesson showing my swing does not fit the SGI irons.

[Hstead]

I played my first round with them on an unfamiliar course at the beach. I didn't feel like my swing felt good, one of those days, but the ball was flying well. I hit the irons very well today. I missed a 3 iron on the second hole on a par five from 230, slightly heavy, and the ball was just in front of the green, flew about 205 still. That was one of the worst misses. I also missed a 5 iron on a par three, just a big block, but other than that, the ball flew very straight. I kept aiming slightly right thinking I was going to turn the ball over and it would just fly right were I was looking with no draw, which was fine by me. I had one knock down shot with a 7 iron from about 155 and was really please with the flight.

They do not feel as soft as the SB-1s by any means, they have a louder click and are a touch harder, but I really like them. I am anxious to get some more rounds in with them. I think today was the kind of day where the i20s would be quite superior to the SB-1s as the swing did not feel great, wasn't puring the ball, but it was finishing on the green pin high most of the time.

[GeoffDickson]

HStead...a question about the CFS X and S.

What is your swing speed and or distances?

[Hstead]

[quote name='GeoffDickson' timestamp='1373953848' post='7463072']
HStead...a question about the CFS X and S.

What is your swing speed and or distances?
[/quote]

Good question. The last time I was on a FlightScope for a fitting, my 6 iron was around 95-ish and my driver was 117-ish. You know how it goes when you know you have a radar gun on you and a couple of chicks watching, I had to pull the old Tommy Boy and ask them where the gym was. Pretty much swinging out of my shoes which I do not do on the course. I think I even tore the elastic out of my unds on a swing.

I have made some swing changes since then and have gained some distance. I have also switched clubs too, so who knows. I will get on Dan's new Flightscope in the next couple of days and will know exactly what my speeds are now with the changes and new clubs etc. But, I hit my 7 iron around 175-180 and driver close to 300. I know, short for WRX but that is what I hit. The last time on the monitor I was carrying my driver 290-ish when I hit it solid.

[peakposition]

Hstead, do yourself a favour and install the spb's...i do not own a i20 but this is money with my G25...
Seriously never ever had such a great feeling even on misshits, ping and spb are defnitly THE combo of my life so far. Dispersion is so sick i'm still absolutly amazed after the practice session.
I will keep you informed how they perform on course after this weekend.

[Hstead]

Thanks for the feedback peak on the SPB's. I have been practicing pretty hard the last two days at Dan's place and the CSF is way better than I thought it would be. I am anxious to see how the SPB perform though. I have never owned a set before and only hit them during a fitting and really liked them then and have basically wanted a set since.

[GeoffDickson]

[quote name='Hstead' timestamp='1373954093' post='7463076']
[quote name='GeoffDickson' timestamp='1373953848' post='7463072']
HStead...a question about the CFS X and S.

What is your swing speed and or distances?
[/quote]

Good question. The last time I was on a FlightScope for a fitting, my 6 iron was around 95-ish and my driver was 117-ish. You know how it goes when you know you have a radar gun on you and a couple of chicks watching, I had to pull the old Tommy Boy and ask them where the gym was. Pretty much swinging out of my shoes which I do not do on the course. I think I even tore the elastic out of my unds on a swing.

I have made some swing changes since then and have gained some distance. I have also switched clubs too, so who knows. I will get on Dan's new Flightscope in the next couple of days and will know exactly what my speeds are now with the changes and new clubs etc. But, I hit my 7 iron around 175-180 and driver close to 300. I know, short for WRX but that is what I hit. The last time on the monitor I was carrying my driver 290-ish when I hit it solid.
[/quote]

That makes sense. My 7-iron is going 165-175 and I have the CFS S. My SS is about 5mph less than yours.

[Hstead]

I was able to get new numbers on the FlightScope at Dan's place. I was hitting my 7 iron 165-ish, which was in to the wind and range balls, and the ss was around 90 most of the time. The driver was interesting. I could crank it up to 118 or so, but I was not very consistently accurate, so we found that my best driver accuracy was around 110-112 range, with a downward angle of attack around 4 degrees. My smash factor was always higher with a downward attack angle vs when I would zero it out.

Dan always teaches me a ton, but with his new Flightscope, we were able to really work with different attack angles etc and see what works for me. We ended up taking loft off of my driver too, which is a 913 D3 7.5. I had it set to 8.25, but I was launching and spinning it a touch high so he took the loft down and sure enough the spin came down. When I would get my attack angle to -4 or so, the launch would range from 10-12 and the spin was hanging around 2200, ball speeds were high 160's most of the time and I got it into the 170's some I believe. That was trying to keep the swing around 112 or so instead of 118. When we took it to the course, the ProV1x spun less and launched lower than his range balls.

[prsgtrman]

im gaming a hybrid set. i20s pw, 9i 8i 7i and g25's 6i 5i 4i. i dig this set up.

[trouser]

Has anyone gone from the i15 to the 20's that can comment on the forgiveness in regards to a mid cap? I get the impression the i20 leans more towards the S series that the G.

[Guru of the greens]

Are ping replacing the i20 series soon does anyone know?

[prsgtrman]

not sure when but a couple of indicators the i25's are coming out, the price drops and the sketches that have been floating around. i thought there would a 2 year release period so maybe next year?

[Xir]

[quote name='Hstead' timestamp='1373954093' post='7463076']
You know how it goes when you know you have a radar gun on you and a couple of chicks watching, I had to pull the old Tommy Boy and ask them where the gym was. Pretty much swinging out of my shoes which I do not do on the course. [b]I think I even tore the elastic out of my unds on a swing.[/b]
[/quote]

How this line has flown under the radar so far is beyond me but I am cracking up in my office this morning. Thanks for that.

I have a set of i20s w/ CFS Stiff shafts. I really like 'em. They'd still be in my bag if I hadn't gotten a set of MP-32s for Father's Day. I'm really torn as I hit the 32s so well and don't really need a second set of irons lying around, but I really loved the i20s and was looking forward to keeping them for a long time. I should probably sell them, but I don't really want to!

[peakposition]

Have now 4 rounds in with the G25 and the SPB.
I have some wrist problems since a few weeks so my confidence was not the highest.
But I have to say, those shafts and heads are a killer combo, especially at the last weekend, they performed very well. I had a tournament I was playing and a few pressure shots and managed them very very well.
It needs some time to get "fit" to the feeling you have with this combo, especially the feeling of the shaft. But from time to time I had a better feeling and it performs very well.
looking forward for the next few weeks, because it really makes a lot of fun with this combo.

[Hstead]

I have about 6 rounds not in with the SPB's in my i20's. They are not much lower than the CFS in X flex. If anything, I have been surprised at how well I liked the CFS X flex. In hind sight, although I like the SPB's better, for the amount I spent on them, I would have stuck with the CFS stock shafts they are that good. I do like the consistency of the SPB a little better, they are a little smoother feeling.