Ping i15 Irons Review – Are They Forgiving & Good for High Handicappers?

“The Ping i15’s is a progressive set which may make it appealing to a broad array of players.”

Ping i15 Irons Overview

“The Ping i15 irons are over a decade old so it was interesting to find out whether or not they are still any good for high handicap players.”

When the Ping i15 irons came out back in 2009, they were viewed sort of as the successors to the popular G series. The G series had various entries aimed at players of different skill levels. With the Ping i15’s you see that torch being carried on with the new line. The Ping i15 irons are progressive which means offset is more pronounced in the longer irons but diminishes as you work down the set.

It also means that the head profiles are larger in the long irons than in the short irons. This makes the long irons much more manageable. Higher handicappers tend to have a lot of trouble with unwieldy long irons so this feature would appeal to these kinds of players. The shorter irons are significantly more workable which will appeal to mid and low handicappers.

So there’s a little something for everyone with these irons. The Ping i15’s also have naturally weak lofts so launch is kept high. The surprising thing though is that better players will be able to control the launch and get a lower trajectory despite the weak lofts.

Are the Ping i15 Irons Forgiving?

“Many players will notice that even the long irons in this set have relatively thin top lines and soles.”

Compared to the G series at least. This will make them a bit tricky for inexperienced players. However, the Ping i15 irons also feature tungsten inserts in the toes which helps keep the CG low and protects your mis-hits.

Overall, the Ping i15 irons are fairly forgiving – not the most forgiving irons in the Ping catalog but certainly not the most challenging. You get the classic Ping look at address and a great sound at impact.

Are the Ping i15 Irons Good for Beginners & High Handicappers?

“The long irons certainly are. They will give you enough forgiveness while at the same time allowing you to dial in your preferred launch.”

On the other hand, the smaller irons will surely give most beginners and high handicappers some issues. The offset is almost eliminated so unless you have good striking accuracy, you will probably struggle to square up and keep the ball on line.

Our high handicap testers noted that the long irons in this set felt great and were easy to hit with however. Launch was controlled and the ball didn’t balloon out of control on any of our shots. Our high handicappers averaged 163.7 yards with the 5-iron in this set after three swings. Spin rates were kept to an average level (about 2500 RPMs) so that helped out a bit.

Should you Buy the Ping i15’s or the G’s?

“The Ping G irons are a good call for mid to high handicappers as they feature strong perimeter weighting and deep cavity backs.”

The G irons also feature a tuning port that stretches down to the sole. This helps keep the CG nice and low for added forgiveness and launch. Indeed, the G irons launch high – almost too high.

The combination of high launch, deep cavity backs and a forgiving deep cavity back design make the G irons a great choice if what you’re after is pure forgiveness. If however you want a more well-rounded set, check out the Ping i15’s.