Equipment
Spotted: Ping iBlade irons
Ping’s new iBlade irons, the much anticipated successor to the company’s S55 irons, will make their debut at The Players Championship this week.
Ping isn’t releasing any details on its new blade irons until late summer, according to a company representative, but that won’t stop GolfWRXers from speculating. We snapped in-hand photos of each of the new irons (3-PW) here, and have added photos of the 3 iron, 7 iron and Pitching Wedge below.
3 iron
7 Iron
Pitching Wedge
See what GolfWRX Members are saying about Ping’s new iBlade irons in our forum.
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Equipment
Why Rory McIlroy will likely use the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper at the RBC Heritage
Although we spotted Rory McIlroy testing the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper last week during practice rounds at the Masters, he ultimately didn’t decide to use the club in competition.
It seems that will change this week at the 2024 RBC Heritage, played at the short-and-tight Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head.
When asked on Wednesday following his morning Pro-Am if he’d be using the new, nostalgic BRNR Copper this week, McIlroy said, “I think so.”
“I like it,” McIlroy told GolfWRX.com on Tuesday regarding the BRNR. “This would be a good week for it.”
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According to Adrian Rietveld, the Senior Manager of Tour at TaylorMade, the BRNR Mini Driver can help McIlroy position himself properly off the tee at the tight layout.
Here’s what Rietveld told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday:
“For someone like Rory, who’s that long at the top end of the bag, and then you put him on a course like Harbour Town, it’s tough off the tee. It’s tight into the greens, and you have to put yourself in position off the tee to have a shot into the green. It kind of reminds me of Valderrama in Spain, where you can be in the fairway and have no shot into the green.
“I’m caddying for Tommy [Fleetwood] this week, so I was walking the course last night and looking at a few things. There’s just such a small margin for error. You can be standing in the fairway at 300 yards and have a shot, but at 320 you don’t. So if you don’t hit a perfect shot, you could be stuck behind a tree. And then if you’re back at 280, it might be a really tough shot into the small greens.
“So for Rory [with the BRNR], it’s a nice course-specific golf club for him. He’s got both shots with it; he can move it right-to-left or left-to-right. And the main thing about this club has been the accuracy and the dispersion with it. I mean, it’s been amazing for Tommy.
“This was the first event Tommy used a BRNR last year, and I remember talking to him about it, and he said he couldn’t wait to play it at Augusta next year. And he just never took it out of the bag because he’s so comfortable with it, and hitting it off the deck.
“So you look at Rory, and you want to have the tools working to your advantage out here, and the driver could hand-cuff him a bit with all of the shots you’d have to manufacture.”
So, although McIlroy might not be making a permanent switch into the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper, he’s likely to switch into it this week.
His version is lofted at 13.5 degrees, and equipped with a Fujikura Ventus Black 7X shaft.
See more photos of Rory testing the BRNR Mini here
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It seems like the RBC Heritage is full of new gear to be spotted, and you can add TaylorMade’s P-UDI utility irons to that list.
We spotted a 17-degree P-UDI 2-iron in Nick Dunlap’s bag yesterday, and now have some photos of both the 3- and 4-irons. Nick has his P-UDI 2-iron setup with a Project X HZRDUS Black 4th Gen 105g TX shaft.
From what we can tell, this new P-UDI utility iron looks to have some of the usual TaylorMade technology as we can see the Speed Slot on the sole of the club for additional face flexibility. A toe screw is usually used to close off the hollow body design that will probably be filled with a version of TaylorMade’s Speed Foam that is present in the current iron lineup. This hollow body, foam-filled design should offer additional ball speed, soft feel, and sound, as well as an optimized CG for ball flight.
“Forged” is etched into the hosel, so we can assume that either the face, body, or both are forged for a soft and responsive feel. The club looks good from behind and at address, where we can see just a little offset and a topline that I would consider medium thickness. We don’t have the full details on what is under the hood or how many loft options will be available yet.
TaylorMade P-UDI 3-iron – 20°
TaylorMade P-UDI 4-iron – 22°
- Check out the rest of our photos from the 2024 RBC Heritage
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- Collin Morikawa what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. More photos from the event here.
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 LS (9 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 60 TX (45 inches)
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (13.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX
5-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P770 (4), P7MC (5-6), P730 (7-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Mid 115 X100 (4-6), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (7-PW)
Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (50-SB09, 56-LB08), TaylorMade MG4 TW (60-TW11)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: TaylorMade TP Soto
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 2.0
Grips: Golf Pride Z-Grip Cord
Ball: TaylorMade TP5x
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Dave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
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Tiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
Scottie Scheffler WITB 2024 (March)
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Two star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
Joaquin Niemann names 3 PGA Tour events he’d love to play each year ‘in a perfect world’
Spotted: Bettinardi irons at the Arnold Palmer Invitational
Collin Morikawa WITB 2024 (April)
Collin Morikawa what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. More photos from the event here. Driver: TaylorMade...
WITB Time Machine: Jordan Spieth’s winning WITB, 2022 RBC Heritage
At the 2022 RBC Heritage Jordan Spieth defeated Patrick Cantlay on the first playoff hole after nearly holing his greenside...
Jason Day WITB 2024 (April)
Jason Day what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. Driver: Ping G430 LST (9 degrees @10) Shaft: TPT...
Ludvig Åberg WITB 2024 (April)
Ludvig Åberg what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. Driver: Titleist TSR2 (9 degrees, D4 SureFit setting)...
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Pingback: Hot debut: PING Vault putters... - Bernard Daily
golfraven
May 13, 2016 at 6:30 am
I like it when they show the 3 iron but who plays those appart from pros and folks who are playing for 30+years. Though I could see those in the bag but will stick with my i20s till something blows my mind.
Officer Smizzle
May 11, 2016 at 6:05 am
Someone hijacked Double Mocha Man’s name on another article and posted “69” when answering a question from Ron M. about his putter loft…. If anyone knows any details about who did this please let me or golfwrx know (preferably me)
KTM2000
May 11, 2016 at 3:39 am
Amazingly beautiful. If I had the game and wasn’t so fond of my i25 irons I would write the check right now.
Chuck D
May 10, 2016 at 4:01 pm
Let the Summer 2016 arms race begin!! Cleveland? Mizuno? Spalding? Ram? What say you? Even Northwestern “Target’s golf club of the moment” has new irons in the sports department.
Ca
May 11, 2016 at 12:18 am
What a total douche get this girl off the site now
Shank
May 10, 2016 at 3:01 pm
Why are these called “Blade”? Thought just about every blade was forged…
Oh well…marketing at its best!
Christosterone
Jun 23, 2016 at 5:53 pm
Ping uses deflationary protracted recession forging on some irons, especially at their Japanese foundry….
A blade is simply a colloquial term used to broadly define a style of club with a thin(ish) topline, minimal offset(respectively), and a lack of traditional cavity…
Historically it was assumed that a blade would be forged chrome and have very little in terms of angles and then search… That has obviously changed technology and God’s abilities of five decades…was assumed that a blade would be forged chrome and have very little in terms of angles and then search… That has obviously changed our golf sensibilities due to technology over the past 5 decades…
In short, a blade of today could be considered a game improvement iron of the 70s…
Hope that helps
-Christosterone
Insider
May 10, 2016 at 8:58 am
been product testing these for the past 3 months. super clean at address, soft feel, really workable. the leading edge of the club has a lot of turf response.
Billy
May 10, 2016 at 12:08 pm
Forgiveness wise how do they compare to the 55’s?
Insider
May 10, 2016 at 2:50 pm
ap2 type forgiveness/playability tungsten weight horizontally in back semi cavity helps with medium ball flight. improves forgiveness, and just lets the angle of the club face contribute to the flight of the ball.
Insider
May 10, 2016 at 2:54 pm
you obviously play at a pristine country club with a moisture controlled fairway. If you ever play in a dry/hard packed fairway as in desert or river bed areas you will like knowing that the leading edge of the club will enter the turf, and the bounce will bring it back up.
Insider
May 10, 2016 at 11:30 pm
I’m just messing with you. Not even a product tester lol no offense buddy.
Officer Smizzle
May 11, 2016 at 12:56 pm
Lol. Love it!!
Unfortunately I gotta be serious… I’m working Mocha-gate. It’s a case from another article I took over from “deano the hall monitor”… Appreciate any help
SD
May 10, 2016 at 10:32 pm
Smizzle is a douche nozzle
KK
May 9, 2016 at 8:13 pm
Mizuno designers: “Dayum, these suckers are clean.”
KCCO
May 9, 2016 at 7:00 pm
These are insane….wowwww
Pool Party
May 9, 2016 at 4:53 pm
Sorry Bob Parsons!!!
Pool Party
May 9, 2016 at 7:08 pm
🙂
Kevin
May 9, 2016 at 4:35 pm
Perfect, I was looking to snag a set of s55s in the next few months. Ill have to check these out, or get a sweet deal on the s55s.
Nath
May 9, 2016 at 4:30 pm
i like
cgasucks
May 9, 2016 at 2:10 pm
Me likey!!!!
SmokingGun
May 9, 2016 at 1:12 pm
S55 with blank cavity!!! Nothing like forged irons!!!
Benseattle
May 9, 2016 at 6:55 pm
Uh….. Sorry but Ping has never made a forged iron. Where do you get the impression that they are starting now?
KCCO
May 9, 2016 at 7:03 pm
Ummmmm…..not true, anser?
matto
May 9, 2016 at 8:01 pm
-1. Wrong.
David Labbe
May 10, 2016 at 10:31 am
@Benseattle
Do your research.
Benseattle
May 11, 2016 at 5:46 pm
Sorry about that.. it must be what they call “early onset” or a senior moment. What I should have said was “where are the forged Ping Anser irons here in 2016?” Not on the Ping website.
Tim
May 9, 2016 at 12:40 pm
I’ve never been a Ping guy (except I’ve liked a few of their bags and accessories – like my trusty rain hood), but these look awesome. If they don’t add any weird colors or rubber pieces, I’d at least demo them. Ping stuff has always looked a little more industrial than I prefer, but these are stylish while still being clearly “Ping.”
SPANKY
May 9, 2016 at 2:19 pm
sure tool
KK
May 9, 2016 at 8:11 pm
Yup. Tim, you’re that guy.
Nice
May 10, 2016 at 3:02 am
HAHAHAHA ya got her where it hurts! Nice.
Scooter McGavin
May 9, 2016 at 12:04 pm
Several of the FB comments saying how they look just like Glide irons… but that’s what people wanted…
iC
May 9, 2016 at 11:49 am
You mean iCavity.
Not a blade.
Next!
christian
May 10, 2016 at 12:16 am
Ha ha, exactly my thought. And they they will test them agains real blades and marvel about the “forgiveness” they have. Like when they test S55s against blades in the “better player category”
cody
May 9, 2016 at 11:19 am
guessing around a $1200 for 8 club price tag.
Chris
May 9, 2016 at 11:12 am
S55 without the cavity lines and different badging. Not exactly earth shattering
Tyler
May 9, 2016 at 10:33 am
I can’t image the one that comes to retail being this clean. Hopefully they don’t put anything in the cavity/empty space area
JS69
May 9, 2016 at 9:54 am
Meh…
digitalbroccoli
May 9, 2016 at 9:47 am
I’m diggin them. Clean, understated…everything I like about Ping.
iC
May 9, 2016 at 11:50 am
Haha, that was funny
Konklifer
May 9, 2016 at 9:36 am
Did GolfWRX credit @jonathanrwall for this pic?
Greg
May 9, 2016 at 2:31 pm
It wasn’t Jonathan’s photo. The 1st photo posted was a stock photo that Ping sent to all the golf media people
Chuck
May 9, 2016 at 9:35 am
Hope to get specs soon. Lofts, and especially offset #’s.
By late summer, Ping should have full rights to offer DG AMT, right?
Ryan
May 9, 2016 at 9:21 am
So why not the s blade to keep the lines simple? It looks great though. Hopefully they expanded the custom shaft offerings. You couldn’t put a DG in the S55 without an up charge.
Makuakane_Bear
May 9, 2016 at 8:57 am
WOW!!! They look fantastic! If it performs better than my S55s they can take my money!
Christosterone
May 9, 2016 at 8:49 am
soooooo, where do I send my money??
SPANKY
May 9, 2016 at 2:19 pm
why would a hack want those?
Jacob
May 9, 2016 at 8:45 am
Now Apple will have to think up a different name if they start making irons.
MBA-J
May 9, 2016 at 8:39 am
It looks as if they didn’t stray too far away from the aesthetics of the S55, and that’s a good thing. These look fantastic!