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OFFICIAL FORUM MEMBER REVIEW - PING i200 IRONS


JBones

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Great start everyone! Looking forward to reading about how these perform when you have more time with them! Also, if anyone wants to go ahead and hit a few shots off the hosel and let me know how they perform from there, that would be great. I still haven't found an iron that does well from there. :) Once they come of with a set that has grooves on the hosel, I'm all in!

 

ps. I refuse to acknowledge the name of the hosel shot (the S#@9k) because the last time I said it out loud, I seemed to be cursed for a few holes.

Couldn't bring myself to hit one on purpose. IF for some reason I catch the hosel I'll write about it. But I can't make myself do it on demand. It scares the you know what out of me.

 

 

- Alan

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Great job on the stage 1's guys.   OPSimpson...love the Buckeye Headcover!!  

:ping-small: G430 Max 10K 

:titelist-small: TSiR1 15.0 Aldlia Ascent 60g

:titelist-small: TSR2 18.0 PX Aldila Ascent 6og

:titelist-small: TSi1 20 Aldila Ascent Shafts R

:titelist-small: T350 5-GW SteelFiber I80 

:titelist-small: SM10 48F/54M and58K

:ping-small: S159 48S/52S/56W/60B

:scotty-cameron-1: Select 5.5 Flowback 35" 

:titelist-small: ProV1  Play number 12

 

 

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I have a question for you Dang3rtown: what type of flight do you get with X flex?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

 

I've always tended to hit the ball pretty high, with these clubs, my ball flight is probably a little higher than with my Hogans. I'm not sure if it's the shafts or the clubs though. Too many variables to say one way or another. On my Hogans I have  KBS Tour 110s in stiff flex. but the clubs are a smaller, forged head. I have Trackman data for both sets of clubs I will try and make sense of when I post stage 2!

Driver:  :ping-small:  G 10.5* W/Tour Stiff 65g Ping Shaft   

Fairway Woods:  :cobra-small:  Cobra F6 13.5*, F6 Baffler 16*  

Irons: Split Set-  :ping-small: i200 3i - 7i ,  :benhogan-small: Ft Worth 15s, 8 (36), 9 (40), PW (44) 

Wedges: :benhogan-small:  TK, 52* & 56*

Putter:  :ping-small: Sigma G Kushin 

Bag:  :ping-small: Hoofer 5way

Balls:  :taylormade-small: TP5/X

 

 

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We need a mod to pin this to the top!

Driver: :callaway-small: Rogue ST Max LS Tensei AV Blue S

3w/5w: :titelist-small: TSi2 Tensei AV Raw Blue S

4h: :mizuno-small: CLK 22* Hybrid Tensei CK Pro Blue 80HY S

Irons 5-PW: :mizuno-small: 223 Steelfiber PR 95 S

Wedges: :cleveland-small: RTX Zipcore Tour Rack 50, 54, 58 Steelfiber PR 105

Putter: LAB Link.1

Ball: :srixon-small: Z-Star Diamond

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Great stage 1 guys, we sure do have some talented people here. Looking forward to stage 2.

 

Sent from my SM-G955U using MyGolfSpy mobile app

WITB:

 

Driver:   :taylormade-small: Sim2 Max w/ Fujikura Motore X F3 shaft

FW Wood:   :cobra-small:  F9 wood 14.5* 

Hybrids:  :taylormade-small: Sim2 Max 3 Hybrid & :nike-small: Vapor Flex 4 hybrid  

Irons:  :srixon-small: Z565 - 7 thru PW & ZU85 - 5 thru 6 with Recoil ZT9 F4 shafts                                            

Wedges:   :cleveland-small: RTX4 52*, 56*, 60* 

Putter:  Scotty Cameron M2 Newport

Ball:  :Snell: Black & :titelist-small: Pro V1

Bag: 2018 MyGolfSpy stand Bag & 2021 Greenside Golf stand bag

 

 

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Damn, Shankster, that's straight golf porn right there!. First you show the nice, rounded bottoms, then all dirty after a roll in the grass, then all wet?? then a group shot?? damn!

 

Then Dang3rTown goes all professional with his shoot! straight out of a catalog. 

 

Good work guys

What's in my  :cleveland-small: bag:

Driver :  :cobra-small: F9 10.5, Fujikura Speeder 757 TR 

Fairway  :cobra-small: F9 15.5° Aldila Rogue White 80X

Hybrid:  :cobra-small: King F7 18° KBS Tour PROTO Hybrid 95 S+

Irons:   :srixon-small: z585 4i - 6i,  z785 7i-PW, Nippon Modus 120X

Wedges:  :cleveland-small: CBX  50.11, 55.11, 60.10  TT DG S400 Black

Putter:  post-53756-150768041262.jpg Honey Badger 34" 

Ball:  :srixon-small: Q-Star Tour

 

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  • SPY VIP

Dang3rtown's i200 - Stage 1 Review

 

attachicon.gifIMG_0171.jpg

 

Hello there fellow spies and lay readers from around the globe! This is dang3rtown aka Jesse, presenting stage one of three, Ping i200 iron review. I would like everyone to know how incredibly grateful I am not only to be chosen but to be a part of such a wonderful online community. I have been a member of many online forums over the years and top to bottom, this is the friendliest, most welcoming and well informed forum on teh interwebs! Because of the high standard you have set, I'm feeling a lot of pressure to deliver a great review that will be both entertaining and informative. Wish me luck, here goes!

 

*Editor's Note: The answers to the following questions have been deemed, “too boring for human consumption” and may cause drowsiness, slurred speech and if read by expectant mothers, may lead to birth defects in children. For your own safety, we must recommend skipping directly to the part with pictures.

The Questions

 

Handicap/average score?

 

According to he NCGA, my current handicap index is a 6.2 and trending downward. I played around a “0” from 1998 until 2001 but took a lot of time off, working on getting back there!

 

Strengths of your game?

 

I'm a good ball striker. Tee to green I can hang with just about anyone. I put a lot of compression on the ball and am under the impression that I can, “work” it. This is not always apparent to observers or my playing partners.

 

 Weakness of your game?

 

Play out of bunkers and hitting the driver. This is painfully apparent to observers, my playing partners and windows bordering the fairways of my home course.

 

Typical ball flight?

 

Medium high, lots of spin, baby fade.

 

Typical miss?

 

My main miss is a push right. Combine this with my fade and things can get ugly, fast! Starts right and then fades right is not a great combination!

 

Current comparable equipment?

 

I'm gaming the Hogan Ft Worth 15 irons right now. The Hogan irons are available in every loft from 20* to 64*. When assembling a set, you pick lofts that suit your game and space them out in 4* increments. Because I have no issues getting the ball in the air, I went with the low trajectory lofts, 24* for my 5i through 44* for my pitching wedge. I have KBS Tour 105, stiff flex shafts and stock Hogan, firm grips. I LOVE these irons. They are a soft, forged steel and sit right between a true blade and a cavity back (technically, they are a cavity back). They have a v-sole which makes for great turf interaction and there is an appreciable bounce even on the lower lofts.

 

Swing tempo?

 

I have a slow, smooth takeaway, almost a pause at the top and an aggressive downswing. Very similar to Hideki Matsuyama.

 

Driver swing speed?

 

I had a trackman session a few weeks ago and was swinging the big dog at 105-110mph all day. I have made a few tweaks since then and may be swinging slightly faster now.

 

What makes you love the game?

 

I love to compete, I love to walk, I love everything about the game. I fulfills my competitive and meditative sides at the same time. It just checks so many boxes for me. It's a walk in the park, a mental and physical challenge, it's competition and relaxation. I think we can all relate to why golf is so special, it's a really, really good walk!

 

How long have you been golfing?

 

I don't recall my first time golfing. My first memories are of going to the range with my father. He had borrowed a clunky VHS camera from the university (he was/is a professor) and had me take video of his swing for analysis back at home. I remember he would hit the shot, then turn to the camera and describe the ball flight for future reference. I began hitting balls at the range somewhat regularly when I was seven or eight years old and imagine I played my first “round” of golf around the age of nine or ten? I played often from then until a few years after high school followed by a long stretch where golf was on the back burner. Finally, after a nearly fifteen years, the golf bug came back with a vengeance.

 

What kind of golfer are you?

 

I'm serious about golf. I practice all aspects of my game regularly. It is in my nature to work towards being good at things. I walk the course and carry my bag, I don't drink while playing and I typically play as a single. That being said, I have a very positive attitude on the course, I don't get mad at poorly struck shots but I get excited by good ones! I am happy to play with scratch golfers or thirty handicap hacks as long as they also have a good attitude. As long as I'm golfing, I'm happy!

 

What's your story?

 

I grew up the son of a university professor. As a youngster, we moved around a lot until he found a tenure track position and we settled in Davis, California. I'm going to give you the TLDR version of everything since then; played semi pro rugby in New Zealand, got injured a bunch. Fell in love with strength training. Got a degree in kinesiology/Parks and Rec, trained athletes, opened a gym, had a baby, started playing a ton of golf again.

  

What region do you play out of?

 

I live in Sacramento, California and play all over the central valley!

 

*Actual Review Stuff*

 

Enough of the boring stuff, let's talk about the goods! A whole box full of the goods aka Ping i200 irons!!! On the morning of May 1st, I had a notification from beloved, forum treasure, “Shankster” indicating the we had, “won the world”. Believing this to be some sort of reference to the movie, “Titanic”, I was confused but happy for Shanks. I may not have seen the movie but I tell you what, that James Cameron is one fine director. Now, because I am not a smart person (just ask my wife!), it took me approximately one hour to realize I had been selected as a tester. I would like to think that I contained my enthusiasm rather well. This video evidence indicates otherwise.

 

The next day, I went through Ping's online fitting process. I tried to look at it just now and I can't seem to locate it on the site so I don't know if it has been removed or is just very difficult to locate. In either case, the online fitting process was fairly straightforward. All you need it a measuring tape and knowledge of your current play. Measurements include wrist to floor length, hand size and height. Based on this, Ping is able to determine your shaft length, lie angle and grip size. If you know much about Ping, you know this isn't anything new. They have been producing clubs to fit every body geometry since way before it was cool. The other questions they ask (typical ball flight, swing speed, handicap, etc.) determine what type of shaft you should pair with your heads. I was a bit surprised to find that an X-Stiff shaft was recommended. I have always played stiff shafts and the thought of going to an X-stiff, without demoing them was a bit scary! I considered asking for the shafts I normally play but decided that in the spirit of testing integrity, I should go with whatever the computer said was best. (note, in addition to x-stiff, it also matched me with Nippon Pro Modus 3 from a pretty solid selection of third party shaft options, both steel and graphite)

 

Trust the process.

 

attachicon.gif9739A94B-A9ED-4A45-8E2F-0D97AADC8719.jpg

 

The other option I went with was the, “Power Loft” specs. Power Loft is an alternative loft sequence. It's very interesting how Ping does this. Instead of just strengthening the lofts by a degree or so all the way through, sort of, “scoop the mids” to use an audio reference. For the 3i and the wedges, there is only a .5* difference. For the 4i, 5i & 9i there is a 1* difference but for the middle of the pack, the 6i, 7i & 8i we get a full 1.5* stronger loft. From what i hear, typically, the power spec is geared toward the game improvement player who wants a bit more distance. I also heard that some good ball strikers go with these loft specs to keep ball flight down. Truthfully, that doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me but what the heck! I'm testing, let's go for it! Power Spec lofts please!!!

 

attachicon.gifA8D21F4F-8B85-41F0-818B-214CAEABD196.jpg

 

Pretty neat.

 

My first impression of the clubs was just how clean they were. They were just flawless. The finish is satin like. Not glossy chrome but not matte either. They are smooth to the touch, smoother than gloss would be, where your hand sticks a bit. It had just enough texture to where your hand just slides across the sole. The club face felt downright tacky to the touch. The milled grooves are sticky. I compared it to the grooves on my Hogans and found them to be similar so perhaps all these new milled faces are comparable. Going back to the finish, at this point I'm not sure how I feel about it. The brushed, satin like coating has just enough texture that I can hear it brushing when it touches another object. When these clubs heads rattle against one another, I can kind of hear the friction as opposed to my forged Hogans which clack together with a satisfying thud (disclaimer, the sound of clubs hitting golf balls is well researched and engineered, the sound of club rattle is probably going way overboard). I noticed this as I held the heads to gather for a photo and it was a bit off putting, like a mild version of nails on a chalk board.

 

attachicon.gifADE2B27E-1082-4A37-AA42-3C0989A8DD79.jpg

Look at these beauties!

 

attachicon.gif0C23BDDB-0BE3-4E73-A74A-5E22530686EC.jpg

 

Feel aside, these are very aesthetically pleasing clubs. The evoke mid century, streamline moderne styling, think Airstream trailer. I love the minimalism, the lack of graphics, just the subtle black paint fills on an otherwise unvarnished steel head. The large, for Ping, black hosel is a beautiful contrast and gives the club a much sleeker silhouette than the clunky look of may earlier Pings.

 

The stock ping grips are very nice. I received the Ping 5L grips. Ping currently offers two, OEM grips, the 5L and the 5L Cord which is your standard, cord grip. Both feature a firm upper and soft lower, similar to the new line of Golf Pride grips. If you have a grip preference, go for it but I have to say, these are nice and if you wore a blindfold, you wouldn't know the difference between these and your 3rd party grip of choice.

 

attachicon.gifIMG_0172.jpg

 

View as seen by Bubba Watson

 

attachicon.gifIMG_0176.jpg

 

In the bag

 

attachicon.gifIMG_0336.jpg

 

Group address

 

attachicon.gif9EB413E5-54AF-4EE6-BABD-656BE5D71C67.jpg

 

Thanks for reading stage one, for stage two, I have some great insights to share, track man data, video and other goodies! Please, ask me lots of questions! I love talking about my experience with these clubs and I hope I can better inform you if this is a club you're interested in!

 

Thanks again,

Jesse

 

Really nice pics

Yo #JustPlayBetter


Follow @GolfSpyMBP

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Really nice pics

 

Thank you sir! I mostly use a Sony RX 100 Mark II. Not full frame but close. I hope to up the ante in stage 2.

Driver:  :ping-small:  G 10.5* W/Tour Stiff 65g Ping Shaft   

Fairway Woods:  :cobra-small:  Cobra F6 13.5*, F6 Baffler 16*  

Irons: Split Set-  :ping-small: i200 3i - 7i ,  :benhogan-small: Ft Worth 15s, 8 (36), 9 (40), PW (44) 

Wedges: :benhogan-small:  TK, 52* & 56*

Putter:  :ping-small: Sigma G Kushin 

Bag:  :ping-small: Hoofer 5way

Balls:  :taylormade-small: TP5/X

 

 

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Great first thoughts folks, these irons weren't on my radar, but I'll definitely have to take a look at them now. Can't wait to read the rest of the reviews!

 

 

:callaway-small: XR Driver Matrix Ozik 8m3 Black Tie Shaft

:cobra-small: King F7 3W UST Mamiya Chrome Elements 7F4 Shaft

:cobra-small: King F7 5W UST Mamiya Chrome Elements 7F4 Shaft

:cobra-small: King F7 4 Hybrid Graphite Designs Tour AD-HY 95 Shaft

PXG 0211 DC 5-PW Mitsubishi MMT 80 Shafts

:cleveland-small: RTX ZIPCORE 50*,54*,58* UST Mamiya Recoil 95 Shafts

:odyssey-small: Metal X Milled #7 with SuperStroke 2.0 grip

:Snell: MTB

 

 



Twitter: @timldotson
Instagram: timldotson
Facebook: TimDotson

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To be honest, the PINGs weren't on my radar either.

Driver: Cobra F9 Speedback (9.0) with Fujikura Atmos 7X (Avalanche White) 

3 Wood: Callaway Epic Sub-Zero (15 degrees) in Rogue Max 75g stiff shaft

Hybrid: Callaway Apex 20 degree with Kurokage 80g Stiff Shaft

Irons: Wilson Staff CB 4-PW in KBS 120 Stiff shafts

Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM6 - 50

              Callaway MD4 - 56 & 60 degrees

Putter: Taylormade TP Collection Soto

Golf Ball: Titliest Pro V1 and Srixon Z-Star 

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The i200's weren't on my radar. The opportunity arose to test these things, so during the application process I read as much as I could about the specs and everything. MGS blog was a great write up. And their visit to the PING HQ was pretty neat.

 

If you search around here there is some amazing stuff for reviews, you'll get a good mix of players, styles, etc. I don't know of a better way to learn about the clubs than from real players, not the super heros on TV.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

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The i200's weren't on my radar. The opportunity arose to test these things, so during the application process I read as much as I could about the specs and everything. MGS blog was a great write up. And their visit to the PING HQ was pretty neat.

 

If you search around here there is some amazing stuff for reviews, you'll get a good mix of players, styles, etc. I don't know of a better way to learn about the clubs than from real players, not the super heros on TV.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

 

I agree with you there Shankster - you get a much more honest opinion from the regular hacker rather than the PGA Tour player whose getting $100k+ from the manufacturer (cough, cough, Rory McIlroy & Taylormade!!!!). The only honest Tour players in my mind at the moment are the ones out of contract (e.g. Nike players) such as Brooks Koepka - most of those guys are going for a set of Mizuno irons, such as the ones that MGS are putting up for testing.

Driver: Cobra F9 Speedback (9.0) with Fujikura Atmos 7X (Avalanche White) 

3 Wood: Callaway Epic Sub-Zero (15 degrees) in Rogue Max 75g stiff shaft

Hybrid: Callaway Apex 20 degree with Kurokage 80g Stiff Shaft

Irons: Wilson Staff CB 4-PW in KBS 120 Stiff shafts

Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM6 - 50

              Callaway MD4 - 56 & 60 degrees

Putter: Taylormade TP Collection Soto

Golf Ball: Titliest Pro V1 and Srixon Z-Star 

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I agree with you there Shankster - you get a much more honest opinion from the regular hacker rather than the PGA Tour player whose getting $100k+ from the manufacturer (cough, cough, Rory McIlroy & Taylormade!!!!). The only honest Tour players in my mind at the moment are the ones out of contract (e.g. Nike players) such as Brooks Koepka - most of those guys are going for a set of Mizuno irons, such as the ones that MGS are putting up for testing.

 

 

- Alan

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I agree with you there Shankster - you get a much more honest opinion from the regular hacker rather than the PGA Tour player whose getting $100k+ from the manufacturer (cough, cough, Rory McIlroy & Taylormade!!!!). The only honest Tour players in my mind at the moment are the ones out of contract (e.g. Nike players) such as Brooks Koepka - most of those guys are going for a set of Mizuno irons, such as the ones that MGS are putting up for testing.

 

No doubt, Mizuno has been the "free agent club of choice" by PGA pros this season but... Koepka might be a slightly different story. The word is, Mizuno actually built the JPX900 with his game in mind and may have been part of a plan to sign him to an equipment contract. Interesting stuff!

Driver:  :ping-small:  G 10.5* W/Tour Stiff 65g Ping Shaft   

Fairway Woods:  :cobra-small:  Cobra F6 13.5*, F6 Baffler 16*  

Irons: Split Set-  :ping-small: i200 3i - 7i ,  :benhogan-small: Ft Worth 15s, 8 (36), 9 (40), PW (44) 

Wedges: :benhogan-small:  TK, 52* & 56*

Putter:  :ping-small: Sigma G Kushin 

Bag:  :ping-small: Hoofer 5way

Balls:  :taylormade-small: TP5/X

 

 

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Hey Spies! I'm putting together my stage 2 review and would love to get some feedback from you as to; any specific questions you would like answered, points of focus, pictures, video, etc. 

Thanks!

Driver:  :ping-small:  G 10.5* W/Tour Stiff 65g Ping Shaft   

Fairway Woods:  :cobra-small:  Cobra F6 13.5*, F6 Baffler 16*  

Irons: Split Set-  :ping-small: i200 3i - 7i ,  :benhogan-small: Ft Worth 15s, 8 (36), 9 (40), PW (44) 

Wedges: :benhogan-small:  TK, 52* & 56*

Putter:  :ping-small: Sigma G Kushin 

Bag:  :ping-small: Hoofer 5way

Balls:  :taylormade-small: TP5/X

 

 

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No doubt, Mizuno has been the "free agent club of choice" by PGA pros this season but... Koepka might be a slightly different story. The word is, Mizuno actually built the JPX900 with his game in mind and may have been part of a plan to sign him to an equipment contract. Interesting stuff!

 

Yeah, I read the GolfWRX article about Koepka & Mizuno. If only we had that kind of relationship with a club manufacturer.

Driver: Cobra F9 Speedback (9.0) with Fujikura Atmos 7X (Avalanche White) 

3 Wood: Callaway Epic Sub-Zero (15 degrees) in Rogue Max 75g stiff shaft

Hybrid: Callaway Apex 20 degree with Kurokage 80g Stiff Shaft

Irons: Wilson Staff CB 4-PW in KBS 120 Stiff shafts

Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM6 - 50

              Callaway MD4 - 56 & 60 degrees

Putter: Taylormade TP Collection Soto

Golf Ball: Titliest Pro V1 and Srixon Z-Star 

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Can't wait for the stage 2 reviews fellas, that's where the money is.

Driver:            :cobra-small: Aerojet 9* | Hzrdus Black Gen 4
Fairway:         :ping-small: G410 3W 13* | Alta CB 65
Hybrid:           :titleist-small: TS2 18* | Tensei AV Blue 70 S
Hybrid:           :ping-small: iCrossover 20* | Kai'li White 80
Irons:              :taylormade-small: P790 5-PW | DG S300
Wedges:         :titleist-small: Vokey SM9 | 52, 56, 60 | DG S200
Putter:            :L.A.B.: Link.1 | Accra x LAB

--- LAB Golf Link.1 Review ---

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Anything special you'd like to see?

 

 

- Alan

Can't think of anything in particular at the moment, I'm really just curious how to they perform compare to your current gamers. These were on my ponder list for quite some time.

Driver:            :cobra-small: Aerojet 9* | Hzrdus Black Gen 4
Fairway:         :ping-small: G410 3W 13* | Alta CB 65
Hybrid:           :titleist-small: TS2 18* | Tensei AV Blue 70 S
Hybrid:           :ping-small: iCrossover 20* | Kai'li White 80
Irons:              :taylormade-small: P790 5-PW | DG S300
Wedges:         :titleist-small: Vokey SM9 | 52, 56, 60 | DG S200
Putter:            :L.A.B.: Link.1 | Accra x LAB

--- LAB Golf Link.1 Review ---

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