I was joined at Alwoodley by my colleague and fellow scratch golfer Tom Irwin for this Ping Blueprint irons review. Find out what he thinks and how he got on…
Ping Blueprint irons review: Tom’s first impressions
I have always been a bit strange, and I have always been really strange about my choice of irons. I really, really, want to play blades. Consequently, I have got a garage full of Mizuno classics, TP-9s, TP-19s (even writing this is giving me goose bumps), MP-5s, and lots of others. Then, normally after a run of poor results, I move to something at totally the other end of the spectrum.
I played with some Nike Coverts for a couple of years, tempered that slightly with some Ping i200s and am now settled on some Ping iBlades, which have the word ‘blade’ in their name but are actually a cast, slightly helpful cavity-back.
In other words, when it comes to irons, I would love to be able to take the head girl to the prom, and so I shoot for the stars, but end up missing the moon, and taking the comfier, Harry Potter fan from Set 3 English.
So, when Ping announced they were bringing out a genuine forged blade. I could not get into my tux quick enough. Blade, you say? Forged? With Ping’s famous playability? Yes please. I’m your man for a Ping Blueprint irons review.
Ping Blueprint irons review: The technology
The Blueprint irons were influenced by several Ping tour professionals who wanted a blade-style iron which delivered control and workability. This small blade design appeals to the player who puts a premium on workability and trajectory control.
The irons feature shorter blade lengths, less offset and narrow sole widths. A machined tungsten toe screw increases the MOI for additional forgiveness and is combined with an internal heel weight to provide precise swing-weight tuning.
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The new iron is fully forged from 8620 carbon steel which increases durability and quality. A four-step, multi-stage process for the one-piece forging provides very tight dimensional tolerance control within the compact design.
The choice of 8620 carbon steel combined with a head design that concentrates mass through the impact zone delivers a pleasing sound and feel.
Ping staffer and former Open champion Louis Oosthuizen had this to said: “I love the feedback I get and how smoothly they go through the turf from any lie. They’re like no other iron I’ve ever hit. The Blueprint’s workability gives me the control to hit all the shots with the precision I need to win tournaments.”
That’s enough about the tech, how did they perform in Tom’s hands? Our Ping Blueprint irons review continues on the next page…
Ping Blueprint irons review: The results
The biggest thing that was noticeable from the launch monitor numbers is just how tight the front-to-back dispersion (in other words, distance) was with these irons.
They are designed specifically to provide the player with more control which you can clearly see in the data.
In the shorter clubs the Blueprint irons were producing less spin than Tom’s iBlades, however this switched in the 4-iron with the the Blueprint iron spinning over 600rpm more than his current iBlade.
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The longer irons are buttery, have a beautifully thin top line, with not a hint of the sole protruding. Again, there is no offset which fills someone fearing left with loads of confidence and the small head feels like it is going to be workable from any lie.
My Trackman data was a bit annoying as I don’t think I was at my fastest or swinging particularly well, but the front-to-back dispersion from the Blueprint was amazing, less than a yard with the wedges. I lost a bit of distance in the 4-iron, which was ego-bruising.
On the course, in a direct comparison with my iBlade, that tight dispersion was plain to see, and distance performance between my iBlade 4 iron and the Blueprint was very similar.
The launch was definitely lower, and the overall flight more penetrating, with Blueprint, which again I like – we play a lot in the wind.
With so little in the data, and so much on-course good stuff., you would have to say this was a win for Blueprint.
I would love to game these irons. They are my kind of cool. It feels like they are a bladed iron you could use every day. Wife material.
Ping Blueprint irons review: The details
Available: Now
SRP: £219 per iron w/steel shaft
Standard Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold 120 (S300, X100), PING AWT 2.0 (R, S, X)
Aftermarket shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 (R300, S300), True Temper Dynamic Gold (S300, X100), Project X LZ (5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 6.5), True Temper XP95 (R300, S300), Nippon Pro Modus Tour 105 (S, X), KBS Tour (R, S, S+, X) (no upcharge)
More information: Ping website
Best irons 2019
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