Ping i59 Iron £239 per club
GM Verdict
Better-player irons from Ping don’t come around that often and, when they do, there is always a lot to like about the way they look and perform.
The i59 replaces the iblade, which was launched five years ago and held a place in our bag for a couple of years. The i59 looks like a beefed-up Blueprint iron, which is no bad thing, but the shape is very similar to the iblade. Offset, bounce angle and blade length remain the same, but Ping says the sole width has been reduced, although we struggled to see that.
Testing both 7-irons in 34˚ on the Foresight Sports GC2 launch monitor with Titleist Pro V1x golf balls, the data told us that the i59 was delivering the same ball speed, but with a much higher launch angle and less spin. We were, however, testing the i59 in a Project X LS (Low Spin) shaft – one of the new stock options – versus the Dynamic Gold X100 in the iblade.
The i59 carried one yard further on average, but was significantly more consistent.
The difference between our slowest and fastest ball speeds with the i59 was much closer than with the iblade, and left-to-right dispersion was also much tighter.
Testing outdoors, it was clear the i59 was much more user-friendly overall and the high-launch, low-spin combo delivered more carry distance, even into the wind, but only by a few yards.
The extra forgiveness built in widens its appeal compared with the iblade, although the target market is still better players who strike their irons well. The higher flight may be a concern for some, although this could be dialled back via a fitting into one of 11 different no-upcharge shafts.
The premium price is closer to that of the Blueprint and is perhaps warranted given how the i59 looks, feels and performs, although coming in at over £1,600 for a sevenpiece set, it will be tough for some golfers to justify.
“WHAT AN IRON! IT LOOKS AND FEELS LIKE A BLADE, BUT YOUR MARGIN FOR ERROR IS SO MUCH GREATER”
Joel Tadman, GM technical editor