Ping G15 Irons - The Search Is Over

I have known her long ago since she was little, got infatuated with her when she was a young lady and now that she is has grown into a beautiful woman, I want to hold her hands. Here are the Beatles with "I Wanna Hold Your Hands":

She is actually quite good-looking even a little on the meaty side but she is not going to win any beauty contest. I chose brains over beauty. She is understanding, easy-going and forgiving. She gives me direction when I am all lost at sea. She corrects my path and confines it to the straight and narrow. If I were to bring her home to show my mum, mum may think I am crazy doing such things at this age. Mum may even say something like: "Why don't you just take up gardening like everyone else?" I wonder if friends would accept her. She is not loud but she is dainty. She is someone who gets the job done, no matter what. I have this feeling we were meant for one another. She was like custom-made for me. I want to put away my wild swinging days and had chosen stability. I want to settle down and she could be my constant companion. They say love is blind but I'm confident there will be no heart-break. If she always puts me on the dance floor, I'll be deeply in love. I have made a bold decision. The search is over. Wish me well my friends. As a rocker at heart, let me dedicate this beauty from Survivor - "The Search Is Over":


Ladies & Gentlemen, allow me the privilege to introduce you to my darling - the Ping G15 irons. There's "Something" in the way she moves... (yeah, George Harrison's pretty good ya? And Patty Boyd was once a pretty hot chick.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzkhOmKVW08&feature=search and let Robbie Williams serenade you with "She's The One":


G15


What Ping said: G15 technology is about high launch and forgiveness that will benefit the majority. It is about consistency of iron play. The stainless steel Custom Tuning Port (CTP) moves more mass (7 grams) to the perimeter and increases MOI, weight removed from the thin, light club face is redistributed to the toe for added forgiveness and the wider sole gives higher launching shots, distance control and solid feel. Stronger lofts with deeper CG leads to longer shots.

What Golf Magazine Testers said: One of the top irons tested in its class. Reliable and so simple to hit. Forgiving and accurate with tight dispersion. No shots go too far from intended line. Some testers find it longer than their current irons. Straight-hitting sticks. Handles shots from rough with style. Produces repeatable distance (on mishits too) and predictable high, straight ball flight.

What Golf Digest said: (high handicapper) - really easy club to hit, don't have to force a thing. (low handicapper) - looks like something you'd find on your work bench but the hit is impressive. Its' the most forgiving thing I've tried. (mid-handicapper) - has high trajectory, I've hit good shots with other clubs but with this I'm hitting exceptional shots. Comes with an autopilot effect that mitigates operator error. Stronger lofts add distance but not at the expense of shots that need full flaps to stop on the putting surface.

Club Head & Face


The Ping club head is always unique with a shape different from others as you can see here. This is made from 17-4 stainless steel.

















The badge in black and red is a nice touch, a departure from the previous blue in the G5 and the burnt orange in the G10. The word Ping is displayed on the Custom Tuning Port. At least it looks more deadly in appearance like an assassin.















The accentuated toe and wider sole for more extreme perimeter weighting for soaring flight.















Confidence at set up is a conviction. A hefty boot is the order of the day.


















Shafts


We are used to playing stock shaft as standard but increasingly stock shaft has been gravitating to better shafts either by the manufacturers or they get top brand to specially design them. American specs Ping shafts was the TFC129D on the G10 but now this is upgraded as Ping TFC149D. This one here from Japan is designed and supplied by top Japanese shaft maker Graphite Design giving the "Tour AD' here more accuracy and distance. Graphite Design is a top 3 shaft maker in Japan. Again, the black/red combo look smart.















Grip


Nice grip here. I thought it felt just right. I find the markings cool and useful as it is artfully done and lets you know where to place your thumb position or perhaps you wish to adjust it by little, just follow the arrows <<. It is called the ID8 engineered to offer control and feel. It featured eight vertical lines and a well-defined thumb pad to ensure better grip with a firmer texture at the upper portion for better stability, direction and speed. Mine was "Aqua" at -1/64".













Comparison


Grip - I use TaylorMade r7 and the comparison was that while the r7 looks almost the same size, it tapered sharper towards the shaft while the Ping's is more gradual. r7 grip also felt more rubbery. It was measured to the correct dimension of my palm size. Grips that are too think or too thin can result in improper release causing your shots to be deviated.










Club Head & Face - The one on the far left is the Ping G15 and the other r7. Ping top line cuts into the hosel more steeply while the r7 has a more rounded toe. The white line is an useful indicator when setting up to let you know that it is square to the ball towards the target line.









Lie Angle? - I tested the older r7 on the monitor and the observation was that it was too upright for me with the club resting more towards the heel and the toe sticking up a bit. This means that there is a tendency for my shots to go left. The Ping is flatter 2.25 degrees flat.











Sole - These soles are muscular and these muscles will launch your shots into orbit.









Perimeter Weighting - These are the weight that gives you perimeter weighting. From this angle, it offers a more 3-D effect with the Ping (right) pulling wider towards the toe end.










Length - r7 on the left is longer. Stronger loft and longer shaft theoretically leads to longer shots, provided you hit the sweet spot. Ping G15 was measured and custom-fitted to my height and length of my arms. Two persons of the same height can have arms of different length.












Lofts of the r7 is 25 degrees = 5 iron, 28 d = 6 iron, 32 d = 7 iron, 36 d = 8 iron, 40 d = 9 iron, 45 d = PW, 50 d = AW.
Lofts of G15 is 26 d (5 iron), 29 d (6 iron), 32 d (7 iron), 36 d (8 iron), 40 d (9 iron), 45 d (PW), 50 d (AW). Swing weight for G15 is D0 up to 9 iron with the PW at D2. Only the 5 and 6 irons have a one degree difference.
Range
Its heft and top line inspire confidence. The usual time I go to the range are when I am playing real bad or trying new equipment. These things are easy but then all shots at the range feels easy because you are standing on the same spot which is flat and without undulation.















Use the white line below to guide you to target. It has offset for squaring on impact.

















My Review

An important part of Ping is the custom-fitting process. This help to bring consistency to your iron play. In 1966, the USGA outlawed all Ping irons claiming that they provide golfers with unfair advantage (but that was due to a bend on the shaft beneath the grip). G15 is Game Improvement (GI) irons. The G15 conforms ot the latest USGA rules on grooves.
Custom Fit

I was given a measurement of palm for grip size then height and arm's length. I tried all four clubs - the Anser forged, the i15, G15 and Rapture V2. This is to determined which is most suitable. Anser forged gave me less consistent result and while the i15 looked and felt good, it is a better player's club meaning that the sweet spot may be smaller like the size of a 20 cent coin so if you do not hit it sweet the club may think that you are doing shot-shaping and will not self-correct. Rapture V2 touted as Maximum forgiveness and a Super Game Improvement was better but by and large G15 gave me the overall best result and feel since the sweet spot is more enlarged like a 50 cent coin.

It was then time to test for shaft flex so I tried with steel then graphite Firm, Regular and SR and according to what was seen and also reading from the Ping nFLight, it suggested Regular as ordered by the doctor. Finally, again using the nFLight system coupled with tapes pasted on the face and sole it was derived at the "Orange" dot for me as lie angle. Many years back I was fitted for Red dot as a high handicapper which is 0.75 degree flat. Static measurement suggested I could still use Red but from best consistency of what they saw and the computer read, orange was the best option. Orange is 2.25 degrees flat. This meant that previously I have been resting the club with the toe pointing a little upwards causing most shots going to the left. Most of us won't know that as you may not see it at set up.

I opt for this in the hope that it's like flying in Business Class in comfort for 5 hours when golfing rather than doing crazy stuff for Discovery Channel by being dropped from a helicopter into the Amazon forest with nothing in toll. That's what 4-5 hours of golf can be like. Life as in golf is tough enough without fighting your clubs or creating troubles for yourself.

Test

I tested it briefly and can report that these are as reported among the best irons anywhere anytime. They are easy to hit, consistent and reliable. Forgiving with accuracy and tight dispersion is the order of the day. They are straight hitting sticks. You can feel the club head through out the swing and its high trajectory gives a nice landing. These are par 3 killers! They go straight charging at the pin and lands soft. For 2 shorter par 3s, I got a par and birdie. My flight mates already said birdie when they saw the flight screaming towards the pin. Let me tell you that you will also not find a 5 iron that is as easy to play - long, high and straight. With a 5-iron this good, who needs a hybrid? More than just all these, they generate a nice feel and they are so smoooooooooooooth......!

Let Carlos Santana and Rob Thomas show you what smooth is like:


If you think these clubs are big, think again. All game improvements irons are growing bigger like your cars. Look at the latest Callaway X-24 below and you will know what I mean.
















Some folks are afraid to change their clubs for they need time to adjust and they fear it. Not me. There will be an adjustment period for me first of all on distance judgement and until I tame the beast can I give you further reports and updates that I have become an even more fabulous golfer or given up golf and taken up table tennis. I am on honeymoon now. Do not disturb. I'll let you know when the honeymoon is over.


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