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In-hand photos of prototype Ping “Blueprint” irons

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Our Johnny Wunder paid a visit to Ping HQ in Phoenix, and in addition to getting to step inside to company’s legendary gold putter vault, The Gear Dive host got an exclusive in-hand look at Ping’s new prototype Blueprint irons.

While we can’t provide any additional details at present, we do have these photos of a 6-iron for your viewing pleasure.

See what GolfWRX Members are saying about the irons in the forums. 

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23 Comments

23 Comments

  1. Travis

    Dec 25, 2018 at 12:13 pm

    I love the square toe in these. I’m desperate for them to come to retail.

  2. Benny

    Dec 16, 2018 at 8:26 am

    Man I think these look awesome. Love the simple MB style and thin sole. Toes look the cats meow. I am only a Ping driver / bag guy too. Never played thier irons or wedges.
    I will say the comments above are all correct. I bet there is some innovation thats helping AM’s now. I saw a buddy switch to p790’s this summer and go from a 2 to scratch in a month with 20 rounds. He was then hitting his 8i when I was hitting a 6i at 185. So there is some added help in equipment but its unfortunately lost in higher expectations the buyer believes.

    • ogo

      Dec 16, 2018 at 1:47 pm

      If your buddy was now hitting his 8-iron from 185 with his new P790 fake forged clubs that must have messed up distances on the rest of his irons. That must have messed up his game and shot his scoring up up up…. not down. Methinks you lie…. 😮

      • Follow Ogo til the end of the earth

        Dec 16, 2018 at 9:00 pm

        I am with you Ogo, “me thinks” this must be a lie. No one can hit an 8i 185y!!
        I remember watching Rahm win the Careerbuilder against Andrew Landry hit his PW close to 20 yards difference in length.
        First playoff he had around 165 and used his PW.
        Next playoff hole he had around 146 and again used his PW.
        “Me thinks” that’s impossible just like you Ogo. There is just no way someone can do that!
        Plus like you said, it should really mess up Rahm’s distance gaps. How would a great stick be able to manupulate 1x club like that?? Especially with those “fake forged” irons that go so much further than the real forged irons??? Makes no sense Ogo, especially with your wisdom and knowledge saying so…

        • Tony

          Jan 11, 2019 at 3:08 pm

          Look at you calling people liars, it’s entirety possible for what Ogo said. He may have his clubs a degree stronger or even more. The number on the club means nothing these days, pro’s are notorious for having stronger lofts on their clubs. Keyboard critics like yourselves just write for argument sakes, I suggest you get a life.

  3. ogo

    Dec 16, 2018 at 12:14 am

    Blueprint? What kind of stupid name is that for a golf club… something that no longer exists in the engineering drafting world?!!

  4. Steve Cantwell

    Dec 14, 2018 at 11:53 pm

    Club makers must’ve laugh themselves silly leading consumers around by the nose. No set of irons is going to turn a bad golfer into a good golfer. Yet big $$$ are always spent chasing par.

  5. ogo

    Dec 14, 2018 at 7:17 pm

    Forged? Hot forged or cold forged or just coin forged stamping? Biiiig differences.

  6. Tom

    Dec 14, 2018 at 5:35 pm

    Hollow Irons were introduced in the mid 1980’s….they do NOTHING performance-wise just manufacturers trying to fool you out of your money. USGA rules insure NOTHING will perform better! Sellers be Sellin!

  7. HDTVMAN

    Dec 14, 2018 at 12:49 pm

    PING is KING! I hit the G700’s, and like the i500’s and now Blueprint, fantastic look and feel, as I assume the Blueprint are also hollow construction.

  8. Ian

    Dec 14, 2018 at 6:44 am

    It’s a Tour only iron and they are not going public with it. Ping guys can drool but unless you know somebody at HQ or on the Tour truck you won’t get them.

  9. Kimo Kim

    Dec 13, 2018 at 9:33 pm

    So far I have enjoyed all of the ping products. I have played with Pings all my life and would look into these new irons when they come out.
    From Hawaii Kimo

  10. ogo

    Dec 13, 2018 at 8:15 pm

    The PING pièce de résistance irons… throw out all the PINGeyes, the G’s & i’s, everything… because these PING blades will be the last ever set of irons you will every want to own… chock full of new technology, innovation and performance…. 160 yard 9-iron… 225 yard 5-iron… and pinpoint laser accuracy built into every club. It’s over, folks… golf heaven is spelled P_I_N_G … ding-a-ling to you….!!!

  11. Don

    Dec 13, 2018 at 5:52 pm

    Just a copy of Mizuno blades and not all of them were homeruns.

    • Tim

      Dec 13, 2018 at 8:41 pm

      This is a joke right??? How many Mizuno irons have u seen with toe screws?

  12. Christopher Gregus

    Dec 13, 2018 at 5:36 pm

    Why is Ping being so quiet about the general release of this iron? We all know it’ll most likely come out at the Masters….give some of the Ping loyalists some more juice to work with! Beautiful looking iron though! Hopefully it’ll have a better feel than the i500’s 🙂

  13. Curt

    Dec 13, 2018 at 5:17 pm

    Squared off toe, for sure……

  14. Mike Rohmann

    Dec 13, 2018 at 5:14 pm

    That’s a nice looking iron. I think I’d play something like that easily…

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Equipment

Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (4/18/24): Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made

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At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for a Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made.

From the seller: (@DLong72): “Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made. ?: $1150. ?? 100% milled collectors item from the limited releases commemorating when Ping putters won every major in 1988 (88 putters made). This was the model Seve Ballesteros used to win the 1988 Open Championship. Condition is brand new, never gamed, everything is in the original packaging as it came. Putter features the iconic sound slot.

Specs/ Additional Details

-100% Milled, Aluminum/Bronze Alloy (310g)

-Original Anser Design

-PING PP58 Grip

-Putter is built to standard specs.”

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: Ping PLD Limited Anser – 1988 Open Championship – #2 of only 88 Made

This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules

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Inside Collin Morikawa’s recent golf ball, driver, 3-wood, and “Proto” iron changes

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As you probably know by now, Collin Morikawa switched putters after the first round of The Masters, and he ultimately went on to finish T3.

The putter was far from the only change he made last week, however, and his bag is continuing to change this week at the 2024 RBC Heritage.

On the range of The Masters, Morikawa worked closely with Adrian Reitveld, TaylorMade’s Senior Manager of Tour at TaylorMade, to find the perfect driver and 3-wood setups.

Morikawa started off 2024 by switching into TaylorMade’s Qi10 Max driver, but since went back to his faithful TaylorMade SIM – yes, the original SIM from 2020. Somehow, some way, it seems Morikawa always ends up back in that driver, which he used to win the 2020 PGA Championship, and the 2021 Open Championship.

At The Masters, however, Rietveld said the duo found the driver head that allowed “zero compromise” on Morikawa’s preferred fade flight and spin. To match his preferences, they landed on a TaylorMade Qi10 LS 9-degree head, and the lie angle is a touch flatter than his former SIM.

“It’s faster than his gamer, and I think what we found is it fits his desired shot shape, with zero compromise” Rietveld told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the RBC Heritage.

Then, to replace his former SIM rocket 3-wood, Morikawa decided to switch into the TaylorMade Qi10 core model 13.5-degree rocket head, with an adjustable hosel.

“He likes the spin characteristics of that head,” Rietveld said. “Now he’s interesting because with Collin, you can turn up at a tournament, and you look at his 3-wood, and he’s changed the setting. One day there’s more loft on it, one day there’s less loft on it. He’s that type of guy. He’s not scared to use the adjustability of the club.

“And I think he felt our titanium head didn’t spin as low as his original SIM. So we did some work with the other head, just because he liked the feel of it. It was a little high launching, so we fit him into something with less loft. It’s a naughty little piece of equipment.” 

In addition to the driver and fairway wood changes, Morikawa also debuted his new “MySymbol” jersey No. 5 TP5x golf ball at The Masters. Morikawa’s choice of symbols is likely tied to his love of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team.

Not enough changes for you? There’s one more.

On Wednesday at the 2024 RBC Heritage, Morikawa was spotted with a new TaylorMade “Proto” 4-iron in the bag. If you recall, it’s the same model that Rory McIlroy debuted at the 2024 Valero Texas Open.

According to Morikawa, the new Proto 4-iron will replace his old P-770 hollow-bodied 4-iron.

“I used to hit my P-770 on a string, but sometimes the distance would be a little unpredictable,” Morikawa told GolfWRX.com. “This one launches a touch higher, and I feel I can predict the distance better. I know Rory replaced his P-760 with it. I’m liking it so far.” 

See Morikawa’s full WITB from the 2024 RBC Heritage here. 

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Why Rory McIlroy will likely use the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper at the RBC Heritage

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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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