If you hadn’t noticed during the recent links swing on tour, players are adopting all sorts of new tools for getting the ball in play off the tee. Ping’s iDi driving iron series is an option for players looking for versatility and trajectory control at the top of their bag.
“We continue to evolve our approach to engineering ‘top-of-the-bag’ clubs for better players,” said John K. Solheim, Ping CEO and president. “We’ve seen excellent success with our Crossover products, and now we’re pushing further into the driving-iron space in a different way, with three lofts designed to provide ball-flight variation to help this level of player hit their precise trajectory windows. The iDi is a great option off the tee and for long approach shots into the green for golfers with higher swing speeds.
The Ping iDi driving irons ($295) come in three loft offerings – 2 (17 degrees), 3 (20 degrees) and 4 (23 degrees). The iDi 2 is a traditional driving iron, delivering low launch and spin. The iDi 3 (mid launch, mid spin) is designed as a driving iron or long-iron replacement while the iDi 4 launches higher with more spin to make it easier to hold greens as a long-iron replacement.
All three lofts produce higher ball speeds thanks to the thin, maraging steel face and lower center-of-gravity position. The chrome-plated face is robotically welded to the 17-4 stainless steel body to provide higher launch for better stopping power.
“We’re especially excited about the technology inside the iDi,” said Solheim. “Our innovation team developed a technology we’re calling inR-Air. It’s literally a small pocket of air that’s inserted into the club that activates on impact to help attenuate the frequencies, greatly improving the feel and sound for this type of iron construction.”
The steel head is deeper front to back and the face is shallower. The iDi is also shorter heel to toe and the lie angle is 1 degree flatter to make it easier to turn over. The fixed hosel allows for all 10 Ping color codes and custom loft adjustments.
PHOTOs COURTESY PING