PING S55 Feature Review

Post by Sports writer and 12 handicap golf fanatic Derek Clements.

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Dear Santa,

I was wondering if there is any chance of having a set of Ping S55 irons for Christmas please? I have been a very good boy, and will leave some mince pies and brandy out for you.

 

Thanks

Derek

 

Well, my letter to Santa didn't fall on deaf ears, although I suspect that Professor Ping may have had rather more to do with the shiny new Ping S55 irons that arrived at front door than the old boy with the red suit, the white beard and the reindeer.

 

There has always been something special about Ping and its products, ever since the arrival on the scene of the classic Anser putter that is still used today by many of the world's best players (and has been copied by almost every manufacturer on the planet).

 

Then came the classic cavity-back Ping Eye irons, which, once again, formed the blueprint for just about every game improvement iron that has followed it.

 

Earlier this season, I was fortunate enough to receive a Ping G25 driver for review purposes - a driver that promptly found its way into my bag.

 

The S55 was launched amid considerable fanfare. Ping knew they had something special on their hands, and so did their staff players.

 

Hunter Mahan and Bubba Watson wasted no time in putting a set in their bags - and Watson is a player who takes a lot of convincing when it comes to changing his clubs. It was the first time since 2004 that the American had agreed to play with a new model, so there was a feeling that these irons might be something special - and they are.

 

Watson played a part in helping to design these clubs. He was looking a blade-style design that would allow him to move the ball both ways. And that is precisely what the design team at Ping came up with.

 

If you are a better player, you really don't want to address the ball and look down and see a huge, thick head resting behind your ball. Playability is key, and the S55s inspire confidence - they look superb, and they feel sensational, even on off-centre strikes.

 

The club features a stabilisation bar behind the face - the bar behind the long irons is smaller, to keep the centre of gravity down, while it is larger in the short irons to raise the centre of gravity in order to flight shots lower and provide better control on approach shots.

 

The S55 is made from 17-4 stainless steel and has a thinner face designed to increase ball speed, along with a tungsten weight in the toe of each club to pull the sweet spot more to the center of the hitting area and increase forgiveness.

The centre of gravity position is lower in the long irons, which has allowed Ping to strengthen the lofts by one degree.

The development team at Ping have come up with a great set of irons that all better players will enjoy. I love them - my natural shot is a draw, but the S55 irons will happily impart a fade on the ball too.

Yes, they have joined the G25 driver as a permanent fixture in my golf bag, and I really do still believe in Father Christmas.

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Derek Clements is a sports journalist with a particular passion for golf with over 12 years of experience covering golf and other sports including Chief Sub-Editor on the sports desk of The Sunday Times. To contact Derek email direct via [email protected]

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