Stronger lofts don’t always make for longer iron shots

I go one way and then another when it comes to my golf equipment. I have spells when I seek all the help on offer and embrace anything technology can promise. Then at other times, I am all for finesse and aesthetics. I have just transitioned from Ping i525s to Ping Blueprint S irons. I’ll leave you to work out which way I am leaning currently. 

As a sky-high ball hitter (I’m working on it, I really am), I was naturally drawn to the i500 series of irons several years ago. I knew they were powerful spin killers that would help me to drive the ball forwards rather than upwards. 

And they did. There was also a trade-off in terms of finesse – I knew they didn’t feel quite the same off the face and that the shorter irons were a little less svelte than I would like. You notice these things when playing half shots and – especially – when chipping from tight lies. 

Over time, I became less convinced that I was benefitting much from the additional forgiveness on my bad shots. I also thought my dispersion could be tighter. Both from front to back and also laterally. 

All told, I thought it was time – with the strong encouragement of my traditionalist coach – to go back to something sleeker. 

Ping Blueprint S Irons Review

I knew as soon as I hit the Blueprint S irons in my fitting at Ping’s European headquarters at Gainsborough that I had been missing out on something ethereal. Namely, the sheer joy of a well-struck iron shot from a compact head like these. 

Better still, the data showed the front-to-back dispersion had tightened up significantly. In plain English, all my shots were going a very similar distance. It’s much easier to club when you are not fearful of the occasional bullet air-mailing the green. That was a shot I definitely had in my locker with strong lofted irons. 

I expected the trade-off – because there is always a trade-off when it comes to golf equipment – would be in terms of distance. I had done my homework and was startled by the difference in lofts. It varies throughout the set but let’s concentrate on the 7-iron as an example. 

In the Power Spec, my i525 7-iron loft was 29˚. In the Power Spec, my new Blueprint S 7-iron has 31.5˚of loft.   

That’s pretty much a club’s-worth of difference. I expressed my concern to the fitter, who I know well, and he said the furthest they could go without impacting the integrity of the Blueprint S’s design was a further 0.25˚ stronger. 

I went away excited about the feel and consistency but slightly worried I would hit too many weak, floaty shots. 

And that’s where the surprise came in. In subsequent launch monitor testing with the new clubs, I found is that my Blueprint S irons are actually launching slightly lower than my i525s. My eyes told me it and the data confirmed it. 

At first I was amazed, but when you look at the way each club is built and what it is built to do, it does makes sense.

While it is initially counterintuitive, your average game-improvement iron has weight added to the back of the club. Typically this is low down and sends the ball upwards. 

Conclusion

An iron like the Ping Blueprint S is designed differently and the ball is propelled on a flatter trajectory.  

So even though the loft is higher, the launch angle if anything decreases.  

With a lower launch angle, the ball speed is increased slightly too. This makes sense even with my knowledge of physics. 

Because I hit the ball so high anyway, some of the benefits of game-improvement irons are lost on me. The larger hitting areas can act as a crutch, especially when I am not playing as often as I would like, but I need to accept that they are going to send my approaches into orbit.

I have already seen enough from my Blueprint S irons to know that they are a better fit for me. That’s before you take into account the sheer pleasure a sweet strike brings. 

I am loving the shots around the greens every bit as much as the full ones, and I feel a renewed confidence that I will hit my yardages more often. And with that, I am dashing back to the driving range to dial in my ball-striking. 

• NOW READ: Ping Blueprint S Irons review

What do you think of strong loft golf irons? Would you put them in play or do you prefer something more traditional? Let us know on X!