PING i20 Irons Review

The new PING i20 irons promise optimized performance through a progressive set design but can they live up to the long line of success of previous i-series irons?

PING i20 BeautyPING’s successful line of G-series irons has focused on maximum forgiveness for all players, but it’s i-series has been geared specifically to players who are looking for a middle ground between the G-series and the blade-like S-series. The i20 irons attempts to satisfy that audience by utilizing a series of designs that make the long irons forgiving and high-launching while blending in more-penetrating mid and short irons offering control for precise shot making. PGA Tour player Mark Wilson won the 2012 Bob Hope Humana Classic the first week he had the new PING i20 irons in the bag. Not a bad introduction for PING’s latest i-series offering. The i20 is for players as good as Mark Wilson all the way to your average mid-handicapper. Following in the tradition of previous models the i20 is a cast golf club with a progressive set design that delivers for a lot of forgiveness with a ton of playability.

It was great for The Sand Trap to meet up with PING Senior Design Engineer Marty Jertson to learn more about these irons at the PGA Show in Orlando this year. Marty not only knows how to design great performing clubs but he can also play himself, qualifying for the Justin Timberlake PGA Tour event twice and qualifying for last year’s PGA Championship. The Sand Trap was able to get some of the finer technology details from that most golfers don’t know about.

PING i20 Driver Review

If you’re in the market for a classic looking, low-spin driver, then the new PING i20 Driver might be the driver to help you to maximize your distance and accuracy.

PING i20 Driver BeautyPING’s 2009 i15 driver was aimed at players ranging from low single digit handicaps to players at the tour level and ran into some design issues. The CoG (center of gravity) was fade biased, and the bulge was too pronounced making it too hard to control even for most tour players. There was a small following of players that loved it because it was lower spinning and since the CoG was closer to the face, the ball came off hot. PING learned from this endeavor when engineering the new PING i20 driver. PING has also been able to broaden the handicap range for the i20 making the i20 a forgiving “players” driver. The newest i-series driver is still targeting players looking for a lower launching, lower spinning driver but with the needed forgiveness that the i15 was lacking.

Benderstik Training Aid Review

The more you practice with feedback, the more ingrained the new motion becomes and the more reliable the new swing. We’ll see how effective the BenderStik training aid is at improving your golf swing.

Benderstik Banner What if I told you that after the first five years of playing golf the odds of lowering your handicap by three strokes or more, is unusually rare? It almost never happens. The reason is because golfers revert back to our old habits. That’s why trying a tip in the latest golf magazine or listening to the Golf Channel doesn’t improve people’s games. Here to help is golf’s new training aid, the Benderstik. It’s designed to help you consistently working on a better motion by giving you instant feedback.

The Benderstik is literally a stick that is adjustable, bendable, and has a large foam ball attached to one end. It can be set it up for each golfer’s individual swing needs and if you revert back, there will be immediate feedback. You can set the Benderstik in the ground and adjust it where your head is against the foam ball to work on keeping your head steady or adjust it to avoid hitting the foam ball in the backswing or followthrough.

Tour Edge Exotics XCG5 Fairway Wood Review

Tour Edge continues its legacy of advanced, well engineered Exotics products. Let’s take a look at the latest in fairway wood technology with the Exotics XCG5.

Tour Edge Exotics Fairway PromoThis seems to be the year where fairway wood technology is the topic of conversation. Top companies are making distance claims, going longer, lighter, adding slots on the crown, slots on the sole to achieve a boost in distance. Tour Edge may not have the big marketing budget of some of these companies but they have a steady history of great fairway woods and the New Exotics XCG5 is one of the hottest, most innovative 3-woods on the market.

Pipoe Review

Pipoe takes a different approach to the massive golf aid market. The Pipoe is a simple, convenient and affordable way to practice and build a foundation to the way you practice.

Pipoe StackSearch the Internet for “golf training aids” and you’ll find a variety of gadgets that attach to your body, your club, the ground, your golf bag, etc. You’ll find flimsy and bulky devices ranging in price from $5 to $500. These training aids usually only fulfill a couple purposes, whether it’s fixing swing plane, ingraining an effective putting stroke, or improving swing speed. Hopefully from this review we’ll see how the Pipoe differs by offering an affordable, multi purpose practice aid to golfers, that can be used for as long as you play the game.

PING Anser Irons Review

There has been a lot of hype about PING’s latest deviation into the realm of forged clubs, we’ll see if it’s warranted.

PING Anser HeroThe Anser carries the same name as one of the early iron models Karsten Solheim produced before he transitioned to the popular investment-casting process. The newest version pushes the forging process to create performance benefits not previously associated with a forged club.

I know PING irons. PING irons aren’t suppose to be forged. When I think of PING irons the following design features come to mind: investment cast, moderate offset, industrial grey Guyson finish, healthy topline, wider soles. The obvious exception is the “S” line but those heads are still cast. With the introduction of the Anser line, PING is moving into new territory.