Ping i20 driver question/comparison

The i20 driver would help produce a lower ball flight but it is not as forgiving as your R5 or a G20. I have read that it is one of the best performing drivers on the market but it is not for everyone. As a 17-20 hcp with a medium swing speed there is no reason you shouldnt use the most forgiving driver there is. Try a G20, Nike VRS, or Callaway Razr Black, you cannot go wrong with any of these. Even pros are using more forgiving drivers. Of course if you hit the i20 and hit it well then by all means go for what works for you.

Agree very much with the last post.  My review for the i20 should be out soon, one of the longest drivers I've ever hit.  It's definitely more forgiving than the i15, PING says it's more forgiving than the G15, due to the increased MOI.  It will bring the ball flight down as well as the spin.  Go hit it and see for yourself

You should also try a bunch of shafts. The shaft makes a HUGE difference on whether the ball goes high or low. The only negative is that most after market shafts are very expensive. Just something to think about.

I have owned the I20 since the launch date.  The driver is very forgiving with the tungsten weights in the bottom.  My swing speed is 101 mph so not blistering in any way.  I am 20 yards longer then with my R11tp.  It is a low spin so along with lower ball flight you also see a lot less side spin so I see reduced slice and hook issues.  You cannot sky mark the crown which is my biggest fear with a new driver.  I have hit 4 or so off the crown and it just rubs off.  Mine is a 9.5 and my playing partner who uses the g20 explains my ball flight as "boring".  And I will take boring as i'm rolling past him in the fairway.

try the i20 with the 707d, nice low launching combo.

If you launch the ball WAY too high as you say, then you should take that $400 bucks yould drop on the I20 and get some lessons.  You probably come into the ball too steep and spin it too much.   The right loft and and shaft profile helps but more often than not, a new club isnt the answer.

I'm betting the problem isn't as much launch being too high as much as your spin rates being too high. A different shaft with the same club face would probably help that. I'm about a 5 handicap that consistently swings my driver about 99MPH and I've found an 11 degree driver with a stiff shaft to give me great results. The ball launches high but has a low spin rate so it doesn't balloon and when it lands runs out. If you're going to get a new driver go to a place that has plenty of demo clubs and Trackman or something of the like. 

Here's my review

http://thesandtrap.com/b/clubs/ping_i20_driver_review

I am a 17HC and just purchased an i20 / 10.5 loft with a project x 6.0 shaft.

Swing speed for me is 88 - 93.

I have trouble getting any ball height with any driver.  With the i20 I had improved ball flight and increased drive distance by 30 yards over my R11.

If it looks good at address, feels good when you hit it and you like the results...buy it.

I hit the i20 9.5 for around 100 strokes, ave SS was 102mph. I currently play the Rapture v2 9. I gained 7yds on average but had more of a draw with the i20, neither club is an offset version. I'm only an 18 handicap btw. If I had the extra $400 to buy the i20 I couldn't say I would do it. It launches about the same and felt great for sure, I can't see 7yds as worth the extra money. Perhaps you can find a used Rapture for under $100 like I did?

I am going to get an i20 this year at some point no question.  It's just hands-down the best driver I've ever hit in my life.  The feel and feedback is incredible, the setup lines are great.  Swingweight is perfect for me.  It's the only driver that has ever made me feel comfortable hitting off mats at Golfsmith.  If it can do that, that's pretty damn impressive.   

As far as launch, my shots launch at 16.1 with the i20 compared with 17.4 for the G20, both 9.5 degree heads, stiffest tip shaft I could find.  Spin is so easy to control with the i20.  Tee it high to catch it on the top of the face, normal swing:  2050 RPM.  Tee it medium to catch it in the middle of the face, normal swing 2400 RPM.  What's so great about that is that I can tell immediately where I hit it vertically on the face, how far the shot is going to carry, and how flat the trajectory is going to be.  Getting a little more backspin gives me a little more control when I want to hit driver but the fairways aren't so generous.  Trying to get a little extra distance, I just change the tee height and make a full backswing.  The i20 tells me whether I executed in an instant.  Of course it's long too.  But like most guys, I don't really care about distance and just want more control.  .  G20 may be a touch longer, but the loss of feedback and inferior look at setup isn't worth it to me.

I should point out that my average smash factor for 11 shots with the i20 was 1.46 compared with 1.47 for the G20.  A little higher ball speed with the G20, probably due to the added forgiveness.  I'd say look at your smash factor for making a decision.  If it's below 1.43 or so, consider getting something a little more forgiving.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bunkerputt 

I should point out that my average smash factor for 11 shots with the i20 was 1.46 compared with 1.47 for the G20.  A little higher ball speed with the G20, probably due to the added forgiveness.  I'd say look at your smash factor for making a decision.  If it's below 1.43 or so, consider getting something a little more forgiving.

This is great advice.

I need some advice.  I was all excited to go and pick up an i20, but decided I should see the ball flight first.  The only place I can do that is Golfsmith on I-35 in N Austin.  Problem is the balls are limited flight and there was a headwind, so it's hard to judge performance.  I was getting a ton of height on my shots with some balloon effect.  Results inconclusive.  I took another look at my 11-shot average from a couple of days ago on the launch monitors with the 9.5 degree 707d S.  It wasn't a "great" swing day, but it was good, maybe an 8/10.   274 carry, 297 total, 16.7 launch, 2400 RPM spin, -300 sidespin, peak height 48 yards.  That height seems pretty high to me, probably because the spin is a little too high, even though the launch is on the higher side.  I felt a little uncomfortable with my shots on the range even though they didn't stay airborne that long, maybe 6.5 seconds or so.  It seems like I'm at a crossroads here and need to make a decision about driving strategy before I commit to a club.  I I'm either hitting too "up and out" for the 9.5 707D S, or I need less loft and/or a stiffer shaft if that's going to be my standard driver swing.  I feel pretty comfortable teeing it down just a touch, back an inch and hitting it with less effective loft for a lower shot with a little more spin.  Honestly I could go either way because it doesn't feel like anything more than a setup change to me at this point and just slamming it a little more when I come into impact.  Do you optimize a fitting to bomb it and get more distance, even though that only happens on maybe 20% of my drives?  It seems like that would be smart because it puts the priority on the fairway, then you really bomb it when you want to, as opposed to having a longer standard shot and then just so-so gains when you step on it...  Of course on downwind holes the extra spin would be nice.  I can't imagine how such a shot would carry down here...   Aspiring to be a good player, I would like to know what good players do here.

Also, I tried an 8.5 with the project X black 6.0.  That shaft felt a little too heavy for me, which is odd because it supposedly weighs less.  Of course I hit it with the plastic still on it.  Does that effect the swing weight or spin that much?  I like the weight of the 707D S.  It's just perfect.  I'm guessing the Project X 6.5 might be similar since the torque values are close and the weight is pretty close to the 707D S.

My buddy has been in love with the i20 and everytime we go to the golf shop he goes and swings it in the booth. I brought over the g20 and the head was all huge and clunky but holy **** I crushed that ball straight down the middle like 280 every time. I then realized it was the 10.5 so I went for the 9.5 and couldnt find it. Im saying there may be no harm in the G20 and I actually liked it alot better but before that the i20 did make you feel really comfortable.. IDK what it was but it just gave you confidence but that confidence carried over to the g20 and wow.