Ping i230 vs Ping i59 Irons Comparison Overview

Ping i230 vs Ping i59 Irons

For the first half of their existence, Ping was really known for making game improvement irons – and not much else.

Oh how times have changed though. Now, Ping irons are sought after by some of the biggest names on Tour.

Ping still makes great GI irons to be sure; but they also make performance blades that need to be considered if you’re in the market.

Today we are going to be comparing the Ping i230 irons to the Ping i59’s to determine which is the superior performance iron set.

Ping i230 Irons Overview

Ping i230 Irons

“The Ping i230 irons have a compact blade length with an elegantly understated cavity back.”

Keep in mind though that these are cast irons. That will come into play later. The Ping i230 irons feature a 4-layer cavity badge that gives them a very soft feel.

They have a moderate footprint and minimal offset so they look really nice at address.

Ping claims that the activated polymer insert helps the face to flex more and saves weight to be placed low in the head.

From our experience with the Ping i230, we can confirm that the face does indeed feel very active. In fact, too active at times.

The face can be a little erratic and isn’t helped much by the metal-wood flexion of the 431 stainless steel head. So while there is a lot of explosion in these irons, you have to be very accurate with them.

Ping i59 Irons Overview

“The Ping i59 irons are forged – well, at least the heads are.”

The forged 1025 carbon steel bodies match pretty well with the 17-4 stainless steel faces.

You get the same metal-wood flexion as you do with the Ping i230 irons, only with more control.

The Ping i69 irons have the same “MicroMax” grooves as the Ping i230 which make spin control really easy around the pin.

The Ping i59’s are also slightly smaller with very little offset. Overall, the control in the i59 irons was preferred by our testers even as distance was sometimes inferior to that of the Ping i230 irons.

“We like the Ping i230 irons because they play very hot. But it will take a very precise swing to tame.

If you can, you will see significant distance gains and yes, that includes gains over the Ping i59 irons. The i59’s are great; but should be reserved for single-digit handicappers.”

Ping i230 Irons First Impressions

First impressions of the i230’s is that they are definitely players irons.

They have small compact heads which allow players to shape their shots and hit with supreme accuracy.

Higher handicap players won’t be able to hit well at all with these irons but the better players should be hitting them with consistency and tight dispersion.

In terms of improvement from the i210’s, they are longer and the long irons are more compact and player friendly.

The 5 piece construction and the elastomer allow for improved sound and feel with the weight savings used to lower the COG and increase the MOI meaning players should be hitting longer shots with increased workability.

The 4 piece Cavity Badge, Hydropearl finish, Micromax grooves and tungsten weight all improve the forgiveness, control, sound and feel that players can achieve.

Ping i59 Irons First Impressions

The Ping i59 irons felt good off the deck thanks to a strong aluminum insert that enhances feel while pushing the ball for better speeds.

What we were most surprised at though was the forgiveness of these player’s performance irons. Even though the i59’s are smaller, they are comparably forgiving on off-center shots.

A lot of weight is saved at the center of the heads of these clubs thanks to the super thin aluminum. That weight is displaced around the perimeter so you get more distance on strikes away from the sweet spot.

While you still need to be able to make consistent contact with the ball, you get a lot of help at that point even if you aren’t square up to it.

The Ping i59 irons are a good mixture of forgiveness, distance and short-game control. They don’t feel too bad either.

Ping i230 Iron Selling Points

4 Piece Cavity Badge With Elastor
Lower COG and Higher MOI
Heat Treated Stronger Head With Thinner Face
More Compact Long Irons
3 – 5 Yards Extra Carry With Mid Irons
Micromax Grooves For Ultimate Control
Hydropearl 2.0 Finish

Ping i59 Irons Selling Points

These irons have a superior feel with a forged carbon steel body
They feel soft on full swings
Incredibly tight spacing
The machined grooves provide for excellent control
Insane MOI for a player’s iron
Clean muscle back design

Who Are The Ping i230 Irons for?

The Ping 1230’s are for the best players in the game and players that dont strike their irons consistently will have trouble gaming the i230’s, regardless of handicap.

The i210’s earned 45 victories on tour from 2018 to 2022 and the i230’s are set to take over as the most successful irons for the pros in the game from 2023 onwards.

A more player-friendly shaping in the long irons, lower COG, Higher MOI alongside the improved sound, feel and distance is sure to make the i230’s the tour preferred clubs for a whole host of the leading names in the world of golf from 2023 onwards.

The Ping i230 Lofts

Ping i230 Club	Degree Of Loft
3i	19^o
4i	22.5^o
5i	26^o
6i	29.5^o
7i	33^o
8i	37^o
9i	41^o
PW	45^o
UW	^{50 o}
UW2	50^o
SW	54^o
LW	58^o

Distance: 97/100

Forgiveness: 92/100

Accuracy: 98/100

Feel & Control: 98/100

Overall Score: 97/100

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Who are the Ping i59 Irons for?

The Ping i59 irons would be a good fit for anyone looking for a solid combination of forgiveness and greenside control.

This is a very unique set – and for this reason, we feel like the market for them might be rather small. You have to be able to strike the ball consistently with a smaller head but the MOI is ridiculous in these irons.

So they will be great for a smaller niche of players who are probably hovering around the 7, 8 9 handicap range.

The i Family

Of course, the counterpart to the Ping i59 irons are the Ping i210 irons. The bottom line is that the i59 irons have the superior feel and more compact heads.