A blade makes your golf set look elite and has huge kudos on the first tee. Unfortunately your glory can be short lived if you can’t handle the temperamental characteristics of the low handicap weapon of choice.
In the past the forged blade gave scratch golfers and leading professionals that feel at impact and the ability to work the ball at ease. The downside was there was very little room for error and slight mishits were punished for distance and physically through the reverberation up the shaft.Manufacturers have evolved forged cavity back clubs to give feel and forgiveness but for the elite golfer out there, the blade is still the purest form of golf. It’s way of playing without safety nets and getting an exhilerating challenge from really taking the course on.
Even the bad shots come off
Mizuno and Titleist are renowned for being the front runners in the blade market but now Ping has shaken things up with their new iBlades. The clubs aren’t the purest blade and beat you up for fun after a slight mishit. However, they have the narrow soles, thin top lines, short blade lengths, minimal offset, maximum workability, excellent feedback and a soft feel.
Feel
The soft feel normally comes from being forged but Ping opted for a multi-material, cast body to enhance forgiveness and distance.
So the iBlade has been designed for the purest in mind but has added a few safety features to make sure you still feel the bad shot but enable you to enjoy your round, in many ways. Think of them as having intrusive traction control.
Get use to working the ball
I tested these clubs at Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club as it’s a good track that’s kind to your game. This enabled me more to focus on the clubs instead of panicking about the trouble ahead. My current clubs are the Callaway Forged Apex which give great feel, distance and forgiveness but working the ball never comes into play.
I did notice straight away that the iBlades were about half a club shorter in distance but I wasn’t losing any more when I struck the ball closer to the heel. Now that surprised me as my old Miura blades would have been a good 25% shorter in yardage.
As a result you gain confidence in a quick manner with the iBlade so it doesn’t take long before you start thinking about shot-shaping. This is a thought that only came into my mind when I was playing competitive golf.
Ping iBlade Technology
Ping iBlade high speed Faxe
The thin face (half the thickness of the S55 iron) yields greater ball speeds for increased distance throughout the set with higher overall trajectories and precise control. A hydropearl chrome finish repels water for more control and helps minimize fliers from wet conditions and lies in the rough.
Ping iBlade activated elastomer
The unprecedented feel is achieved through a combination of soft 431 stainless steel and a larger surface area behind the face that houses an elastomer insert. The insert is “activated” at impact, resulting in more vibration damping in your hands for a softer feel and pleasing sound.
Ping iBlade workable sole
Refined bounce angles and ample heel relief, optimised with the same sole width as the S55 iron, produce a workable sole design for confident shot making from all conditions. Further precision comes from the milled tour-spec grooves and precision-machined fly-cut face.
Louis Oosthuizen plays
Ping iBlade 3-PW / Shafts: Dynamic Gold X100 / 1 degree flat / Weight: D1
