Review: Ping i200 irons

Our Ping i200 irons review took place at the Golf Shack at Moor Allerton in Leeds.

Our editor Dan Murphy was the best person for our Ping i200 irons review as a long-time Ping player and he had recently been to Tour X in Wigan for a custom-fitting.

He has been fitted into a Nippon NS Pro Modus 3 Tour 120 shaft in X flex.

Dan currently plays the Ping i irons and has had them in the bag for the past 18 months.

His shaft in those was the Project X pxi 6.0 but the fitter recommended he switch to the Nippon to better control his spin.

We monitored the results on Trackman 4 under the watchful eye of our resident pro James Whitaker.

Ping i200 irons – First impressions

Ping i200 irons review hero

Ping have kept us guessing to a certain extent with how the i series was going to develop.

When the i irons were released 18 months ago there was an E1 on the back of the face so we thought they might have just progressed with an E2 this time around.

It doesn’t really matter what they are called. We know the i irons will sit as number two in Pings range of four irons, in-between i-Blade and G with G-Max as their super game-improvement clubs.

There’s a bit more shelf appeal with the i200 compared to i and Dan thinks they look a little bit sleeker behind the ball.

Ping i200 irons review address

It’s a finish closer to that of the i-Blade so again should blend in nicely with the Glide wedges.

Dan is a huge fan of the retro numbering on the sole which was introduced in i-Blade and reminds him of the logo from the 1986 football world cup.

Ping i200 irons – The technology

The new technology in the Ping i200 irons is quite subtle from a aesthetic point of view.

But Ping say they have added more forgiveness while improving the looks sound and feel.

The elastomer behind the face is nearly two times bigger than what featured in i to dampen the vibrations and give a really solid sound and feel.

Ping i200 irons review cut

A thinner face (30 percent thinner than i) means more weight has been distributed to the heel and toe to make the i200 more stable.

Ping say the moment of inertia (MOI, resistance to twisting on impact) has increased by 7 percent compared to i.

The sole has a slightly higher leading edge and there’s more bound which Ping say will improve turf interaction.

There are three stock Ping shafts available in i200 with a further five available for no upcharge. Full details below

Ping i200 irons review – The results

Before Dan starting hitting shots with the Ping i200 I asked him what numbers he was looking for with a 7-iron and he said a carry distance of around 165 yards.

Ans sure enough that was pretty much exactly what we found as you can see below.

Ping i200 irons review numbers

Dan really enjoyed the feel off the face with the Ping i200 and said the contact was just that little bit crisper than with the i.

The consistency of the numbers was very pleasing which is what we have come to expect from Ping.

They are not a company that chases after distance with their irons – consistency is the key for them.

Also, the loft on the i200 7-iron is weaker than i – they’ve moved from 32˚ to 33˚.

Ping i200 irons review specs

We’re used to seeing stronger lofts but Ping say they are trying to get more consistent gapping nearer the top of the bag.

There’s no point in your shorter irons going miles then the 5-iron not going past the 6-iron etc…

So the fact that Ping have slightly increased the carry distance with weaker lofts is testament to their engineering skills.

The ball flight was a little bit higher than Dan would normally see but the distance was perfect and the shaft was controlling the spin.

Ping i200 irons review – NCG verdict

To see Dan’s detailed assessment of the Ping i200 click here.

As Equipment Editor and someone who observed this test very closely I’d say Ping have ticked every box they could have with the i200.

They look better than i, the sound and feel has improved and they can carry the same distance, if not further, despite having weaker lofts in the middle of the set.

Some may still say that they lack the wow factor of a Mizuno or a Titleist iron but anyone who tries to argue with the performance will be easily shot down.