PHOENIX – With a focus on golfers looking for new technology engineered for precise control and consistency, PING today introduced the i230 irons and iCrossover. The latest products in PING’s popular “i” series are now available for customization at authorized PING dealers around the world.
“The new i230 irons and iCrossover are for avid players who want to get better,” said John K. Solheim, CEO and President of PING. “With the i230 iron, we packed a lot of performance into one design. It has the precise control and consistency of a players iron with amazing feel while offering the forgiveness of a game improvement iron. It reminds me a lot of the legendary PING EYE2 iron as it will appeal to so many types of players, from Tour pros to everyday golfers. It’s really packed with performance.
“We’ve rebranded our crossover category to the ‘i’ family to appeal to golfers who are most likely playing one of our blade-style irons. The Tour-inspired club head size and sole design along with faster ball speeds help make it transition more seamlessly as an alternative to long irons. We’ve also added hosel adjustability, a highly beneficial innovation that allows golfers to adjust their trajectory in an iron-style design for the first time. We believe this new design will greatly improve its appeal and find its way into many more bags on tour and in other competitive environments.”
i230: A player’s iron that anyone can play
Advances in activated elastomer technology in the i230 iron allowed PING engineers to save significant weight, which is redistributed within the clubhead to position the center of gravity (CG) low for more distance and control, while increasing the moment of inertia (MOI ) to increase. for extra forgiveness. The low CG combines with more face flex to deliver faster ball speeds. The elastomer reinforces the face and provides more consistent flex and energy transfer across the face, resulting in approximately 10 feet more distance in player testing. Its higher MOI is largely due to the tungsten toe and tip weights, which help make it the most forgiving “i” iron yet.
“The i230 iron sits in the middle of our iron offering, so we need to balance a variety of performance attributes,” Solheim said. “It takes the precision and solid feel of a Players iron while offering the forgiveness that many golfers have come to expect from a PING iron. We also want to provide more distance in a predictable and repeatable way to ensure it meets the precise gapping needs of the world’s best players. I’m excited to share our research with you, and early tour feedback confirms we’ve accomplished all that and more. It has a little bit of everything to deliver a lot of performance.”
Pleasant effect experience
Through extensive modal analysis, PING researchers isolated unwanted frequencies within the clubhead and precisely positioned a revised cavity emblem to dampen their impact and ensure a comfortable feel and sound. The four piece badge combines a thin 304 stainless steel cap with an injection molded thermoplastic attached to the cavity with high strength adhesive. The activated elastomer supports the face and sits in a toaster-style pocket hidden behind the multi-material badge, creating a clean and pleasing cavity design.
“Feel is one of the most important attributes of a toy iron,” Solheim said. “Golfers who rely on precise iron play need exceptional feel to control their ball flight. The i230 iron was engineered to provide consistent feel from every club in the set. The soft elastomer and cavity badge work together to ensure they not only feel great but sound even better.”
Tour proven
The long irons (3-5) are slightly more compact than the tour-proven i210 and produce more consistent clubface delivery and accuracy, while the rest of the set features similar blade lengths. The sole design is similar too, with a rounded leading edge and ample bounce to promote smooth interaction with the turf for clean and solid shots. The precision-milled MicroMax grooves deliver consistent ball launch and spin results for more accuracy in the long irons and more control in the short irons and wedges, especially in wet or grassy conditions where the grooves and Hydropearl 2.0 chrome finish help lower Ball launch angle on high shots to ensure spin rates.
“Meeting the needs of our Tour pros who have won with it is an important element of the i230 iron,” said Solheim. “Your validation of this design goes a long way in giving golfers confidence that they too can benefit from its technology. The changes to blade lengths and shaping are very subtle, but aim to improve the playability and accuracy of the entire set, especially the long irons. They inspire a lot of confidence when you look at them in the address position.”
i230 specifications
Multi-material construction: 431 stainless steel body; activated elastomer insert; 304 stainless steel/injection molded TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) cavity badge; Tungsten toe/shaft tip weights; Hydropearl 2.0 finish
AVAILABLE: 3-9, PW, UW in 10 color codes (lie angles). Black color code is standard.
LOFT OPTIONS: Standard, Power Spec and Retro Spec
BEARING CLAMPS: Dynamic Gold 105 (R300, S300) & PING Alta CB Black (SR, R, S)
OPTIONAL BEARING SHAFTS: PING AWT 2.0 (R, S, X), Dynamic Gold (S300, X100), Dynamic Gold 120 (S300, X100), KBS Tour (R, S, X), Nippon NS Pro Mode Tour 105 (R, S, X ). ), Elevate MPH 95 (R, S), UST Recoil 760 ES SMAC (A), 780 (R, S)
STORAGE HANDLE: Lamkin Crossline Black
US MSRP: $205 per steel shafted racquet; $220 per racquet with stock graphite shaft
A player crossover
The iCrossover is designed for high swing speed players looking for long iron alternatives (2XR, 3XR, 4XR) that fit seamlessly into their set while delivering faster ball speeds for distance and higher launch. The sources of high ball speed are the thin maraging steel face and the lower CG position, which is closer to the point of impact to generate more energy transfer. The face is robot welded to the 17-4 stainless steel body with a lower hinged flex point to allow a higher launch for better stopping power. A smaller internal cavity with targeted EVA polymer on the back of the face provides a comfortable feel and sound.
tour-inspired
With a similar sole shape, including the rounded leading edge and ample bounce, the iCrossover fits seamlessly into an i230 iron set in lieu of long irons. Blade lengths are slightly shorter with less offset than previous generation crossovers, making it more compact while still offering a tour-style look. The standard shaft length designs are also approximately 1/4 inch shorter than previous models for easier transition into a set, providing more control and tighter dispersion patterns at a similar distance. The precision-milled MicroMax grooves and matte black Hydropearl 2.0 finish deliver consistent launch and spin results for increased accuracy.
New trajectory tuning 2.0
The first in an iron-style design, the adjustable hosel offers eight settings for loft and lie to dial in a golfer’s desired ball flight. The lightweight hosel is clearly marked for quick and easy adjustments, with a range of ±1.5° loft and lie in various combinations. The default setting is the club’s declared loft at 1.5° upright.
“We looked closely at our fitting and arccos data and found that the vast majority of our crossover users are better players using one of our blade irons,” Solheim said. “So we shifted our focus to designing a crossover that better suited the needs of this type of player. The iCrossover’s performance results were exceptional. Its shape looks great, ball speeds are faster and it sounds very powerful. The addition of the adjustable hosel is a huge benefit to help players at this level dial in their ball flight.”
iCrossover specifications
Multi-material construction: 17-4 stainless steel body; forged maraging steel face; Tungsten toe/shaft tip weights; matte black Hydropearl 2.0 finish
AVAILABLE: 2XR (18° loft) 40 1/8” hrs. Length, 3XR (20°) 39.50″, 4XR (22.5°), 39.00″
TRAJECTORY TUNING 2.0 HOSEL: 8 loft/lie settings
BEARING SHAFT: PING Tour 2.0 Chrome 85 (R, S, X)
OPTIONAL GRAFITE SHAFTS: PING Alta CB Black (SR, R, S), Mitsubishi Kai’Li White 80 (S, X), Project X HZRDUS Smoke Red RDX 70HY (5.5), 80HY (6.0, 6.5)
STORAGE HANDLE: Golf Pride 360 Tour Velvet (Six Sizes)
US MSRP: $275 per racquet with graphite or steel shafts
Contact Pete Samuels at (602) 687-5487 for more information.
PING, i230, iCrossover, MicroMax, Alta, Alta CB, AWT, Power Spec and Retro Spec are registered and unregistered trademarks of Karsten Manufacturing Corporation in the US and other countries. All other trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.
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