High Handicapper wanting to purchase a forgiving Ping iron set

[Lance916]

I've narrowed my choices down to Eye 2, Zing 2, or the new K15's.  Any suggestions on which would be best for a high handicapper with a swing speed in the low 90's?

[ochmude]

The K15's do look very nice.  However, I have it on good authority that the Eye2's are the best irons ever created.

Seriously, though, I'm a high handicapper and am toying with the idea of new irons as well.  I've hit Eye2's before and liked them very much, but I would lean more toward the K15's if I were to go the Ping route.

[xxsoultonesxx]

Get some G15's. I bet you could find a set for half of what you'd spend on K15's.

Eye2's are great, too (I own a set 1-PW black dot) but the shafts are very(!) stiff. Also the lofts through the set are very weak (50* PW)

I would go with G15's just because they have a more modern and realistic set of shafts in them for the amateur golfer.

[ochmude]

Oops, sorry, I actually got the G15's and K15's confused.  I agree, I'd go with the G15's over the K15's.

[shades9323]

Look for some Ping Raptures. Both v1 and v2 are great and their most technologically advanced irons.

[Roy Munson]

G10's can be had cheaper than G15's. Same iron with different paint job IMO! Both good game improvement irons.

[rsamsing]

try hitting the taylor made 2.0s.  I thought i was going to purchase g15s until i hit the 2.0s on a simulator.  they were straighter and  longer for me at least.  a close second to the burners were the k15s and then the g15s

[bfn18]

My vote would be the raptures but if you dont want to spend that much money, the g10's and g5's are great as well.

[colnago1331]

Originally Posted by Roy Munson

G10's can be had cheaper than G15's. Same iron with different paint job IMO! Both good game improvement irons.

Due respect, the G15s and G10s are very different animals.

http://thesandtrap.com/b/clubs/ping_g15_iron_review

To the OP - the question is how much do you want to spend.  The Eye2s and Zing2s will cost a fair amount less than G15s.  Owning the Zing2s and having hit the G15s I have to say that if I could afford to I would certainly upgrade.  The technology available in the newer clubs is far beyond that in the Zing2s and Eye2s.  All this being said, why are you limiting yourself to PING?  The Mizuno JPX-800s and Titleist AP1s are certainly worthy competitors in the GI/SGI category and I would definitely recommend you take a look at them along with the G15s.

[Roy Munson]

Originally Posted by bfn18

My vote would be the raptures but if you dont want to spend that much money, the g10's and g5's are great as well.

I tried to get a new set of custom fit G5's back in Feb, unfortunately Ping will not make them anymore because of the groove rule. I went with G10 XG (conforming grooves).

A person wanting G5's would have to buy second hand or find a pro shop that had their custom fit in stock.

[Roy Munson]

Originally Posted by colnago1331

Due respect, the G15s and G10s are very different animals.

http://thesandtrap.com/b/clubs/ping_g15_iron_review

To the OP - the question is how much do you want to spend.  The Eye2s and Zing2s will cost a fair amount less than G15s.  Owning the Zing2s and having hit the G15s I have to say that if I could afford to I would certainly upgrade.  The technology available in the newer clubs is far beyond that in the Zing2s and Eye2s.  All this being said, why are you limiting yourself to PING?  The Mizuno JPX-800s and Titleist AP1s are certainly worthy competitors in the GI/SGI category and I would definitely recommend you take a look at them along with the G15s.

I've read that review before. When I was getting my Ping fitting, I hit g5, g10, and g15. All three basically look and feel the same imo. I think each series gets a wider sole and a degree or two tweak. I'd hate to see how wide the G20's sole will be!

[max power]

I'll cast my vote for the Zing 2s.  Never should have sold my set.  Forgiving, and probably the longest irons I've ever hit with standard lofts (47* PW).  And not just long for the sake of length, consistent distance and high ball flight.  They are a little ugly, and don't set up behind the ball as nice as something with less offset, but they work.

[vikramraju]

My vote is G15s. My dad has a set of those and he is a high handicapper. I tried em out when he was getting them and they are awesome. Real solid feel of the face and very forgiving.

[Recoil]

My father in-law is looking to upgrade so this thread has been super helpful. Thanks

[WUTiger]

Don't get the Ping Zing-2 until you hit some shots with the club. I tried out the original Zings in the 1990s when they came out, and the toe flange produced a lot of draws and hooks.

I played with Eye-2 clones for about 15 years, and they were great clubs. Quit using them mainly because they had stiff shafts, I went to regular. The weaker lofts can be an advantage: a 50* PW means you load up 56* SW, and 60* LW if you want. You can get by with 2 or 3 wedges, gain an extra long club. Quite a few of the actual Ping Eye-2 irons were shafted with a JZ-something if I remember right - so, check out the flex. You could always reshaft if you got heads in good shape. Or, Ping supposedly will make you a new Eye-2 set for a little extra $$.

G15: At a spring golf expo, an area pro who worked as a Ping rep said he was fitting them for everyone from scratch to HDCP in low 20s. He said the key thing was to get the right shaft. Just this one guy's opinion, but G15 seems to be pretty popular.

[billm67]

I just bought a set of Eye2's (3-SW) and I have to say they are a great feeling club.  I was out hitting with my brother last week after I got them and he couldn't believe how nice the ball was coming off the club.  He wanted to know if I was out taking a bunch of lessons.  I told him that it was just that the Ping's were so easy to hit and so forgiving.  I haven't hit any of the newer ones....but I can say that if they are better than the old eye 2's I bought..then they must be incredibly easy to hit.

[wmiller]

I have heard from many that the Eye2s and Eye2+ are the best irons Ping has ever made.

I cannot personally attest to this, but see quite a few sets of these things around here, and no one appears to be having any difficulty with them.

I may have to get some...  :)

[lumpuckeroo]

I would suggest. before buying, that you try and hit them.  While I would not argue that the Ping Eye 2 was a great iron, you would be surprised at just how small the head is compared to the current line of Ping irons or most current GI irons.  Also, as stated in another reply, the shafts on the Ping Eye is much heavier and stiff then current shafts, shaft technology has come a long way since the 80's.  I think the fasination with the Eye 2 gets excalated as time goes on, like the 3 1/2 lb bass you caught 20 years ago is now a 6 lb bass, the Eye 2 was such a huge leap forward in technology.

IMHO, you would be better served to find a GI iron that is current or maybe a previous generation, I think that technology has advanced irons over the last 20 years, as much as the original Eye 2 did when it came out, but in smaller increments so we don't notice the difference as much.