Ping Demo Day

Went to a Ping demo yesterday at Sand Martins Golf Club. They had the new range of clubs including the K15 woods and irons, the S56's and the tour W and S wedges as well as I and G15 woods and irons.

I tried everything as is my way and these are my thoughts.

S56 Irons. These are a wonderfully compact head and thin top line.  Although aimed at lower handicappers and pros, these were still pretty forgiving on mishit shots. They only had a stiff shaft and I did find them much heavier than my TP's but they produced a great penetrating flight. A great club if you are good enough but not a viable option for me, certainly with a stiff shaft. If I can get a go with a regular shaft then maybe, just maybe it could be for me

S56 wedge. Another classy shape and as usual with Ping a myriad of loft and bounce options available. I tried a 52 and 58 which match what I have in my own set up. Like the irons I found the wedges too heavy for my liking. A lovely buttery soft feel though but again not a club I'd be consistent with.

Tour W wedge. A slightly lighter feeling club and one I felt more comfy with. A classic shape I could get the ball to check or run out with ease and as good if not better than my TP Z's.

I15 irons. I've had my eyes on these for a while. A chunky club in comparison with the sleek S56. I was set for regular steel shaft with no adjustment +/- in lie angle. I love this club. Very forgiving and in my opinion suitable for anyone from single figures through to mid-teens. It is very easy to hit and doesn't overly punish mishits. Using the Trackman monitor I was hitting the 7 iron 139 yards (landing distance) in a wind blowing slightly into and left to right.

K15 Driver. Designed by Ping to appeal to higher handicappers, this has to be the easiest driver to hit I've ever used. You need to get over the look as the head seems massive behind the ball and it does make a metallic sound . Get past that and you're laughing. It was so easy to hit. Very light compared to Ping drivers of old and if you are struggling with the big dog you must try this out.

K15 irons. Again looking to appeal to higher handicappers and those needing maximum forgiveness these are big chunky irons with a large cavity and the 4 and 5 irons are replaced by hybrids. I hit a standard 7 iron and like the K15 driver it was so easy to hit. The ball flight was way too high for me but again if you need a club to get the ball up and with maximum playability these are for you.

I15 Driver. I was given a 9.5 regular to try. I was a tad nervous as I rarely use anything other than 10.5. It has a very compact head which sits behind the ball beautifully. It is also surprisingly easy to hit. I was hitting 229 yards through the air according to the Trackman launch monitor and hit them very well with a good dispersion. As time was tight (I sneaked on the monitor between appointments) I couldn't tweak the set up to find the optimum for me but I'll definitely be looking to hit it again.

G15 Driver. I really wanted this to be the one. I was getting more distance than the I15 and was up to 235 yards carry but I found it harder to control. Again it might be down to hitting just the standard model and the set up needs tweaking but I actually found it harder to hit than the I15. It has a lovely look to it though and sits great at address.

G15 3/4 woods. Ping are starting to do 4 woods. The theory being that the gap between most 3 and 5 woods in loft is small (standard is 15 for a 3 and 18 or 19 for the 5) and so the 4 wood at 17 allows you to take extra clubs out and give you more versatility. I hit it like a dream both off the tee and the grass. It didn't seem to lose more than about 10 yards on my normal 3 wood and I was getting about the same further than my 5 wood would give me. Definitely an option worth considering. Like the G15 driver I struggled with the 3 wood in terms of control and accuracy and I didn't get on with it. It does sit well behind the ball though and so if you are hunting for a 3 (or 4 wood) then it will be a sound investment for most golfers.

All in all, I think Ping are making some great strides forward. They have always seemed a marmite brand. Lots of people are put off by the chunky look of the irons in particular but the I15 and the S56 go a long way to changing that. Granted the G15 irons look unmistakeably Ping without even having to look at the badge on the back but they too are a very easy to hit club and would suit a vast array of club golfers. In terms of drivers, the I15 in particular was a revelation. Would I buy one? At the moment no purely because my trusty Taylormade Tour Burner is behaving but if I ever need to look for a new driver this would be top of my list.