Ping i200 Irons Review – What Handicap Are They For? Are They Forgiving?

“The Ping i200 irons were interesting when they came out back in 2017 because they didn’t have the look of game improvement irons; but they certainly had game improvement features.”

Ping K15 Irons Overview

“With premium appointments like 431 stainless steel bodies, you wouldn’t think that these irons would be very accessible to average golfers.”

However, you might be surprised. We certainly were. When we first got our hands on the Ping i200 irons, we could see that they were smaller than some of the other Ping Game improvement irons we have tested (the G425’s excluded).

These irons have more of a muscle back look than a cavity back look; but they still have the tuning port in the back. In this case, the tuning port that has been so common in Ping irons of yesteryear has been shrunk and sank lower towards the sole. Ping claims that the tuning port is lighter so that they could move more mass to the toe and hosel area.

The Ping i200 irons also feature an elastomer insert behind the face. Ping claims that this elastomer insert activates upon impact to dampen vibration and enhance overall feel.

We don’t know about all of that but what we can tell you is that these irons don’t have the traditional Ping feel.

Instead, they feel rather muted or mild which is not at all a bad thing. The sound is a bit different than traditional Ping irons as well and as far as we could tell, a lot of that has to do with the elastomer insert.

Are the Ping i200 Irons Forgiving?

“The Ping i200 has a very thin face that feels and performs more like modern Ping irons than it does older ones.”

The Ping i200 irons yield pretty good distance overall. Our testers were averaging a distance of 159.8 yards after three swings with the 7-iron. So nothing to write home about;but certainly nothing to scoff at either.

It should be noted that many of our testers have moderate to slow swing speeds too. The Ping i200 irons have moderate profiles so they aren’t as chunky as older Ping game improvement irons.

It would seem that the idea for the Ping i200 irons was to create an iron that looked and felt like a performance iron but one that also has some forgiveness features sprinkled in.

At the end of the day, these aren’t the best game improvement irons on the market in 2023. You will still have to be fairly accurate and be able to work the ball a bit to get the best use out of these irons.

That being said, all of our testers loved the contoured sole. The leading edge of this sole cuts through tall turf like it was nothing.

Twisting was not an issue at all with these irons so if the area of forgiveness you are concerned about is playing from the rough, these irons are sure to please.

Are the Ping i200 Irons Good for Beginners & High Handicappers?

“Beginners, probably not. High handicappers? Sure.”

We can see players in the handicap range of about 18-23 getting good use out of these irons because they can provide a moderate increase in distance.

The thin face seems to play very hot when you pure the ball. Also, if you have trouble staying on the fairway, these irons will at least help you out of the cabbage with some semblance of accuracy.

However, there is very little forgiveness if you top the ball or hit near the sole. Your ball will lose a ton of speed and your flight will be erratic. The perimeter weighting does help with lateral misses though.

But the lack of up and down forgiveness and the compact profile are what lead us to conclude that these aren’t great irons for straight up beginners.

Should you Buy the Ping i200’s or the Ping i20’s

“The Ping i20 irons have a similar profile to the Ping i200 irons.”

That’s pretty much where the similarities end though. The Ping i20 irons have a more pronounced cavity back so forgiveness is enhanced through higher MOI. The i20 irons also feel like they have thicker faces than the Ping i200’s.

However, the Ping i20 irons have more offset in the long irons. In fact, the i20 set is progressive with more offset and higher launch in the long irons than in the short irons.

This makes them a bit more playable for a wider range of players seeking more forgiveness from the long irons and better performance from the short irons.

Our opinion is that the Ping i200 irons are better for mid handicappers while the Ping i20s may actually be a better choice for high handicappers.