Ping i25's

[saevel25]

Quote:

The adjustable i25 driver is focused on reduced spin, accurate alignment, and effective shaft fitting for maximizing distance and finding fairways. Tungsten weighting lowers the CG and raises the MOI to increase forgiveness and improve accuracy. This Ti 8-1-1 driver also offers two industry-first design attributes: patented racing stripes on the crown to aid in alignment, and an innovative PWR shaft family that maintains a constant swing weight across every offering.

Demoed this club today

Appearance: The matte black finish is still the best looking driver in golf. Just can't beat it. I love non-glaring drivers. The racing stripes are not very noticeable, but they fit nice. I was worried they would stand out to much, but like ping they have mastered the art of subtlety.

Feel: Kinda crappy feeling really. I think it has to do with the shaft. Cause the i20 was an awesome feeling club. This one doesn't seem to much different.

Shaft: This is were I think Ping absolutely BOMBED I mean nose dive 300 mph into the ground BOMBED this club. The shafts are just TERRIBLE for this club. The i-series has always been a better player line of clubs for Ping. Better players tend to have higher swing speeds. This club does not do well for higher swing speeds. Yes it is lower spin with the clubhead, but the shaft is just crap. I don't know what they did, probably has to do with how they designed the weight distribution to maintain the same swing weight. There is no good feel with this driver. Every shot is very clanky. Nothing like how soft the i20 was. I got maybe 1-2 good soft solid strikes, then the ball is going to far left or to far right. The dispersion is not nearly solid enough.

Honestly if you look at the stats, a torque of 4.6 to 3.7 for their heavier shafts is way to much. Most torques for extra stiff 70+ gram shafts should be 2.5-3.5 degrees. This shaft is way to weak for higher swing speeds. I had the PWR 75 x-stiff. I couldn't go stiffer or stronger with the stock shaft they were offering, and it was totally no stout enough. The shaft totally defeated the purpose of the driver, causing it to spin to much. Honestly I would love to see the numbers for a guy who swings at 100 mph or less. For a line of clubs that is meant for better players, it is does not match.

adjustablility , honestly 0.5 degree change is just crap. Ping just threw it in there just to not look like they are behind the times. Oh well. If they did maybe 0.5 increments for up to 1-1.5 degrees, that would let people really hone in their launch numbers.

Overall I rank this i-series version from ping a C-. I just can't get past the crappy shaft. Golf shaft is what translates everything from the strike to the hands, and these shafts are horrid. I wish I had some custom shafts I could demo in them. I would love to see this club in a Fujikura Speeder, like the SLDR has. I think it would really shine then. If a person has an i20 and wants to upgrade, keep the i20 shaft and put it in the i25.

Honestly I would not recommend this club unless it happens to fit you perfectly.

SADLY DISAPPOINTED BY PING!!!

[WUTiger]

Demoed this club today ...

... I got maybe 1-2 good soft solid strikes, then the ball is going to far left or to far right. The dispersion is not nearly solid enough. ...

Honestly if you look at the stats, a torque of 4.6 to 3.7 for their heavier shafts is way to much. Most torques for extra stiff 70+ gram shafts should be 2.5-3.5 degrees. This shaft is way to weak for higher swing speeds. I had the PWR 75 x-stiff. I couldn't go stiffer or stronger with the stock shaft they were offering, and it was totally no stout enough....

I wish I had some custom shafts I could demo in them. I would love to see this club in a Fujikura Speeder, like the SLDR has. I think it would really shine then. ...

In the TaylorMade SLDR driver family, Fuji shafts come stock.

• The SLDR has a Fuji Speeder 57 (Stiff = 58 gr., Torque = 3.4)
• SLDR TP has Fuji Motore Speeder TS 6.3 TP (Stiff = 65 gr., 2.7 Torque)

In the Ping 2014 online catalog, upgrade shafts include four different Motore Speeder shaft models. Specs range from Stiff , 63 grams/3.6 Torque to XS , 79 grams/2.6 Torque.

Earlier 2013 Ping catalog material includes a mix of Speeder and Motore Speeder shafts, some not listed in the 2014 catalog.

I've had better luck finding shaft variety at golf expos and outdoor demo days, rather than the "sneak previews" at local shops.