PING i59 Irons
To be or not to be, that is the question.
We don’t know if Shakespeare was a golfer, but the Bard’s famous line could be applied to the new Ping i59 irons.
Are they forged? Or are they not?
One can argue both ways, depending on your definition of ‘forged.’
That’s because the new Ping i59 irons—which have replaced the five-year old iBlades—feature multi-piece, multi-material construction.
And the piece that actually hits the ball is not forged.
But does that really matter?
Not if you’re a single handicap player looking for some added forgiveness to notch up your performance.
You’ll find the new Ping i59 irons are not only more forgiving than the iBlades, they also provide consistent impact with a solid feel and penetrating ball flight.
And, just in case you’re wondering, they also look awesome.
The Rules on Forged Have Been Rewritten
The old rules for what constitutes ‘forged’ have been rewritten as advances in manufacturing have given OEMs some wiggle room and allowed a multi-material iron to be called ’forged’ even if the part that hits the ball isn’t.
The Ping i59 is that kind of forging.
The club head features three distinct pieces that are swaged and plasma-welded into a single stunning unit.
The body consists of legitimate 1025 carbon steel forging, while the face we mentioned is laser-cut, high strength stainless steel with additional grooves on it.
The third piece is actually the most compelling technological element—an aerospace-grade AlumiCore insert.
A New Technology In The Core
“This is a new technology,” says Ryan Stokke, Ping’s Director of Product design, referring to the AlumiCore insert. “We’re manufacturing individual cores for every single iron loft that are one-third the density of traditional stainless steel.”
In case you’re wondering, one-third is a lot. Roughly 30 grams of material has been removed from the core of each iron and redistributed in the club head. “It’s great for MOI,” Stokke says. “And it has a direct impact on feel.”
The mass freed up by AlumiCore has been shifted to extra tungsten weighting in the toe and heel. This gives the new Ping i59 irons the same MOI as its bigger, older and more perimeter-weighted sibling, the i210.
That’s a great thing to deliver, especially considering the size of this player’s iron and the forged nature of the design.
More Grooves Than Ever
As for that laser-cut, high strength stainless steel face on the new Ping i59 irons, it features more grooves than ever—known as the new Ping MicroMax Grooves.
Ping tightened up the spacing between the grooves on i59, which enabled them to add four more rows of grooves on the face.
Ping has also changed the actual groove geometry on the i59 irons to a 20-degree sidewall from a 16-sidewall in the iBlades.
These groove changes reduce flyers in the short irons, while they maintain spin better in the long irons, something that will show up when players hit out of different conditions.
Great Look & Feel
The new Ping i59 irons have been called, “So sexy, they look like they have been sculpted from a single piece of metal.”
The softness of the finish with gentle lines and edges, and the smoothness of the metal, is quite stunning.
Looking down at address, the addition of more grooves really stands out, while you see a really sleek topline, just as you would expect from a high-end player’s iron.
As for feel, the Ping i59 irons are a definite improvement over the iBlade in terms of strike. They feel smooth, and when the ball leaves the face, you know exactly how you’ve hit it and where it’s going. The feedback is exceptional.
A Fantastic Finish & Multiple Lofts
The new Ping i59 irons feature Ping’s patented Hydropearl 2.0 finish, designed to repel water for a predictable and consistent performance in wet conditions, so you get the same results round after round.
Ping offers the new i59 irons in standard lofts, but they also give you the option of using weaker ‘Retro Spec’ lofts or stronger ‘Power Spec’ lofts.
The stock steel shaft is the Project X LS, which Ping says is for fast-tempo golfers who want lower launch and lower spin. (As we’ve said, this is an iron for better players.)
A Ping AWT (Ascending Weight Technology) 2.0 shaft is also available, Stock graphite choices include Ping Alta CB Slate (Senior, R- and S-flexes), the Alta Distanza Black 40 (Senior only) and the UST Recoil.
The stock grip is Golf Pride’s MCC Arccos in black and white. The Tour Velvet and Tour Velvet Cord are optional.
Test Swing The New Ping i59 Irons
If you’re a better player looking for great forged iron feel with a bit more forgiveness, come swing the new Ping i59 irons in our state-of-the-art indoor fitting bays today.
Our stores feature TrackMan 4 and GCQuad indoor simulators to give you invaluable high-tech feedback as a vital part of our expert custom club fitting process.
You can see all the performance data on the screen as you try these exceptional new irons and we provide you with an expert custom fit. It’s the best way to play your best golf.