Are Ping i5 Irons Still Good in 2023? Are They Forgiving for High Handicappers?

Are Ping i5 Irons Still Good in 2023? Are They Forgiving for High Handicappers?

“The Ping i5 irons are a bit outdated in terms of features and technology. However, you shouldn’t discount them if you are looking for a great bargain.”

One thing we noticed about the Ping i5 irons is that there are still a decent amount of golfers who still game them. That alone is a testament to their quality and performance. But are the Ping i5 irons still valid for high handicappers in 2023? The Ping i5’s are more than a decade old and a lot of technology has passed them by.

So we wanted to see if the Ping i5 irons have anything to offer high handicappers in 2023. We tested them and even compared them to newer Ping irons. Take a look at how the Ping i5 irons held up.

Are Ping i5 Irons Still Good?

“When the Ping i5 irons came out, they sort of occupied the middle ground between pure game improvement irons and player’s performance irons.”

As a result, they offered a good balance of control/accuracy and forgiveness. The Ping i5 irons have a square, boxy head profile and compared to the Ping i10 irons, they have thicker soles and top lines.

That’s definitely not to say that the Ping i5 irons are chunky – they certainly are not. Still, you get a moderate sole width and moderate top line width which should look pleasing to a wide array of players. Like any good Ping iron from the early 2000’s, the Ping i5’s feature the custom tuning port.

In the case of the Ping i5, the custom tuning port serves two purposes. Firstly, it helps deaden excess vibration at impact. Secondly, it helps shift the CG nice and low in the club head. Indeed, the Ping i5 irons produce great apex height. Plus, he squared profile makes them nice and forgiving for high handicap players. Yes, the Ping i5 irons are indeed still good and we can totally see why so many players still use them.

Are the Ping i5’s Forgiving for High Handicappers?

“At first, we didn’t expect much from these irons in terms of forgiveness.”

While they are not as compact as say, the Ping i10 irons, they still aren’t huge. Behind the ball, we would say that they sport more of a player’s performance profile. However, we were pleasantly surprised at how forgiving these irons were. Our testers used the 7-iron extensively and in no time at all, were squeezing upwards of 160 yards out of it.

They mentioned that the face felt springy at impact. The data from the launch monitor attested to the hot feel of these irons. We were getting an average ball speed of 111 MPH with the 7-iron. Keep in mind, these are mid and high handicap testers. They had no problem getting good distance out of these irons and we would predict the same results for any high handicapper.

That all being said, the Ping i5’s were very easy to hook. If you are not minding your P’s and Q’s in terms of swing accuracy, you will certainly draw the ball. It’s not a terrible draw – the deviance was about 4 yards on average; but still, it’s something to keep in mind.

The Ping i5’s are mid-size irons. The cavity isn’t too deep; but still deep enough to impart a good amount of forgiveness. They sport a smooth leading edge as well so turf interaction is nice and fluid. Overall, the Ping i5 irons offer a good recipe for high handicappers.

Ping i5 Vs Ping i500 Irons

“The Ping i500 irons are newer and feature a muscle back design.”

The i500’s are blade-style irons that feature a number of upgrades over the Ping i5’s. The most significant upgrade is the material. The Ping i500’s feature forged, maraging steel faces. So right off the bat, they have a softer feel and much better feedback than the stainless steel Ping i5 irons.

The grooves in the short irons are also tighter and sharper than the Ping i5’s. However, in terms of forgiveness, the Ping i5’s are still better. The Ping i500’s are great for low handicappers but don’t offer enough forgiveness to make them viable for high handicappers.

Ping i5 First Impressions

“The mid-size profile of the heads didn’t inspire too much confidence that the Ping i5’s would be forgiving.”

Again though, we were pleasantly surprised. Behind the ball, the Ping i5’s look more like player’s performance irons. And while the short irons do provide a great deal of accuracy and spin control, the Ping i5’s are still forgiving enough to be played by high and mid handicappers.

The feel of these irons isn’t great and they don’t play as long as some modern Ping irons; but the squared profile and mid-size design will endear these irons to players of various skill-levels.

Ping i5 Selling Points

• Stainless steel bodies
• Custom tuning port
• Cavity back design
• Mid-size profile
• Smooth leading edge
• They play well in the rough

Ping i5 Key Technology

The technology that went into these irons is certainly nothing to write home about. However, the basic design elements and sizing still work together very well to offer both forgiveness and workability.

Custom Tuning Port: The Custom tuning port helps pull the CG nice and low to shape towering shots. It also helps to deaden vibration at impact.

Stainless Steel Design: The stainless steel design gives the Ping i5 a stable feel at impact and makes the bodies more stable.

Reduced Offset: Compared to other models like the G5 irons, the Ping i5’s have reduced offset in the short irons. This allows for better spin control and accuracy from tight lies.

Ping i5 Club Specs

Club	Loft	Lie
2 iron	18	58.67
3 iron	21	59.32
4 iron	24	60.02
5 iron	27	60.75
6 iron	30.50	61.50
7 iron	34	62.28
8 iron	38	63.10
9 iron	42	63.95

Who Should Buy the Ping i5 Irons?

“Players within the handicap ranges of 12-25 should be able to benefit from the Ping i5 irons in some way or another.”

We would take it a step further and say that the Ping i5 irons are ideal for mid handicappers. They give you the kind of towering shots and spin control that you need around the pin. They are also very effective from the rough and in tight lies thanks to the smooth leading edge.

In terms of difference and forgiveness, they are really great even if you are a high handicapper. While they are certainly not the longest or most forgiving irons on the market today, you can easily score an entire set for less than $400 so they are still a great overall value.

Our only major gripe about these irons is the feel – especially when compared to modern irons. But that’s a pretty minor drawback in light of the forgiveness, distance and excellent short game performance of these irons. The Ping i5’s are still excellent irons for high handicappers and ideal if you’re a mid handicapper.

Distance: 96/100

Forgiveness: 94/100

Workability: 95/100

Overall Performance: 96/100

Value: 95/100

Overall Score: 96/100