Ping i230 Review

Ping spent four years on this iron, and most of that effort went into things you hear rather than see. The elastomer insert behind the face covers roughly a third more area than the i210 it replaces, which kills the residual ring a cast head produces and leaves a dense, quiet thump that no cast iron has any business producing. Tungsten sits in both the heel and the toe of every head, so the stability is better than the compact shape suggests, and the face is thinner through the middle for a small gain in ball speed the company sensibly did not shout about.

Lofts stay traditional, which is why the distance grade is what it is: this iron is built to fly a known yardage, not a flattering one. The sole is narrow with real trailing edge relief and it interacts beautifully with firm turf. At $205 a club it is a fourteen hundred dollar set. For a player who values feedback and control above everything, nothing else comes close.