21 replies to this topic

[G.Review]

What do you think?

[Obsessotron]

I wanted to like this driver so much, it is beautiful to look at and has the most solid feeling face I have ever experienced in a driver. It became pretty clear that it was too hard to hit and I had to sell it, I just couldn't turn it over and was losing the ball to the right all of the time. For someone who struggles with hooking, this may be the club for you.

[Pepperturbo]

i15 is a quality driver that has the influence of eye candy.  However, for design reasons it should not be thought of as the every golfers choice.  I've owned open face drivers in the past, and hit an i15.  Hitting it not that big of a deal except if you have swing moments. At times I have brain farts that possibly influence my mechanics.  Its for that reason i15 is NOT a no brainer forgiving driver like its sibling.  It takes attention to swing mechanics to benefit from this head, least as I see it.

[SpinMill75]

First off, this driver is not for the weekend warrior or the guy that plays once a month.  

I really enjoyed this driver.  I was able to test it with several shafts and all of them performed great with this head.  I found that it was very long and workable,nice boring flight,  had a nice sound at impact and the shape was not too large or distracting like the G15.  At address it looked more like a PING Rapture V2 shape.  There has been some neagtive feedback about this club, but all I have to say is that if you have the game for it, the shot shape and the swing....this thing is a beast.

[heisagoalie]

No, this driver does not fit everyone, it is not all that forgiving, and it is fade biased. That being said, I got awesome numbers with it. The head shape is perfect and sleek, and it is LONGGGG!!! I did struggle with hitting it right, but with a lesson and some practice, I can definitely turn it over, and never have problems with drawing it, mostly because the face is square. Now, I am very confident with this driver. If you don't like this, don't worry, the G15 or Rapture V2 are just as good, and a proper fitting will get you into either of these awesome drivers. I will not play any other driver but PING!

[msouder]

Only used this driver late this past fall but I love it!!  Long and solid feel can't wait for spring in Central PA.  I love the fade setup not as severe as you may think.  Give it a try.

[TitlePured]

Anyone play the G15 and i15 for long periods of time?  Major differences between the two?  launch and workability characteristics?  thanks

[zig99]

I just purchased this club haven't had a chance on hitting it on a course yet. i was debating between this club and the 910 d3. i did hit both of these in the simulator and the numbers showed the i15 was the better club a little more accurate for me and about 10 yards longer. i wasn't aware of it be set up with the fade-biased. i normally hit a slight fade the way it is but didn't notice it at all in the simulator. any comments if the fade-biased will affect it that much? swing speed is 110-120 handicap is around 5. thnks

[heisagoalie]

I really don't notice the fade bias, unless I put a sloppy swing on it. If I slice/push it, it seems worse than other drivers, but noone is picking this driver up for it's forgiveness. Enjoy it!

[cdizzleuk]

Tried it today 9.5 stiff, first ever whack with a Ping driver. Really liked it, I'm a bad golfer who struggles with his driving, usually a nasty hook so the slightly open face suited me rather well. Hit it reasonably high, nice trajectory, much straighter and further than my Tour Burner, also 9.5 s. I've always been put off by the look of Ping clubs but this one is gorgeous! The feel was good as was feedback, knew exactly where I hit it. Forgivness was comparable to the Tour Burner and pretty reasonable for a supposedly better player's club. The sound was very unoffensive, though I prefer the crash of the old Cleveland Hibores or Cobras!

[redrockko]

I have been playing a Ping G10 with the Diamana blue upgraded shaft, and the Titleist 909D2. Both great drivers. Last fall I purchased a Ping i15 and was not able to test until recently.

I did hit it indoors on a simulator during the winter and could not believe the numbers. Well I hit it three rounds in NC, then finally got this baby out in Ontario at my home course and all I can say is this driver is a beast. I really thought that the 1deg open face would bother me but no problem at all. This driver has a boring but penetrating ball flight. Very easy to work and is without a doubt the longest driver I have ever owned. I do agree with other comments that it is likely best for a single digit handicap but if you are fighting pulls this driver may be the cure.

Played with members who had the new R11, and I am 10 years older, and was out driving them. The ball just explodes off the face with great feel. I used the New Taylormade Penta TP ball and the Titleist ProV1X. Both gave me about the same numbers off the tee. Difficult to figure out fly yardage because of the cool temperatures we have been playing in but its around 260 minimum. I have had a couple over 300 yds but not sure how much was roll. The penetrating ball flight does seem to produce more roll.


One of my buddies has the new Titleist 910 D2 and I was going to buy one until I hit it against my Ping i15. The Titleist driver has great feel and they always do, but it was 20 yards short of my Ping. I could not believe this, but I tried his driver a few times, same result. Its Ping for me this year. AP2's stay in the bag though.

Note, also played the Titlesit 909 fairways, traded for Ping i15 fairways, same result, Pings are hotter and longer. Also more boring ball flight.

Play well.

[grafstrb]

Good lord, you better be pretty good if you're wanting to put this in your bag.  I tried hitting it the other day and I was all over the place.  Not forgiving enough for me.  Rating withheld.

[dpark]

Obsessotron, on 26 January 2011 - 05:29 PM, said:

I wanted to like this driver so much, it is beautiful to look at and has the most solid feeling face I have ever experienced in a driver. It became pretty clear that it was too hard to hit and I had to sell it, I just couldn't turn it over and was losing the ball to the right all of the time. For someone who struggles with hooking, this may be the club for you.

As someone who gamed the Rapture V1 for 4 years, I would have to agree. This driver was just too finicky for me. I tried a couple of shafts in it and could never get it dialed in for my swing.

[Jamesthegolfguy]

I LOVE my i15. My drives are very high with super high spin that get no roll and are lost left. That was with a cleveland DST tour. I got an i15 8 degree and shafted it up with a RIP 60 X that plays 44.5". BOOM! Low piercing ball flight that rolls for days. Best driver I have ever owned.

[GZS]

My buddy purchased this with the 69g v2 (I believe) x-stiff. I hit it 3 times.

The first with my normal swing.... ballooned.

The second teed way low and back in my stance. I closed the face a good bit at address and tried to draw it a tad. The trajectory and distance were exactly what I was looking for in a driver. Incredibly low, perhaps a bit too low for everyone else but... it bored through the air. DEAD straight. Best of all, 304 yards.

The third teed low again. I did not close the face and gave my normal swing path. The hole location was about 340 out with a slight dogleg right. A HUGE blooming tree was 40 yards from the teebox. You could either tee it up high and go over it with diminishing returns or pull left of it and fade the dogleg. I chose the latter. Perfect fade to the center of the fairway and left me with a 50 yard pitch to the center.

With a different shaft I would LOVE this driver.

[WhiteBettinardi]

I am receiving it in a trade, but it really seems like it's hit or miss, you love it or hate it.

[MARC 34]

I purchased this 8 degree driver new for $180 (it was DEMO never used) with the Axivcore Tour Red 69 X-Flex.  I can say that I have hit my longest drives with this driver (352yds, 332yds).  I owned a Bridgestone J33R 460cc and it was long but I think it was due more to the shaft in it (Fujikura 757 Tour Spec Speeder S-Flex).  ALso had a Ping G15 which I didnt like.

I quickly learned to choke down a bit and keep my hands ahead of the clubhead to get a nice straight low-mid ball flight.  When I want to step on the gas and hit it over 300+ I just set up normally with the ball teed on the left toe, never grounding the club and taking a huge arc-swing.  I think this driver would be better suited to a better shaft though as I feel I can hit the ball even farther/straighter....maybe a Fujikura Rombax 7Z08, Motore Speeder 7.2 or Matrix.

Overall I think its great and I dont have to swing full out to get the distance I need.  Once I learned how to hit a driver I started to realize that its not tough to hit like most people say.

[denver71]

I actually joined the forum specifically to write this review.  Stats.  118 mph average club head with driver.  +0.8 handicap.  Ballstriking not as consistent as it needs to be.  Mizuno MP 63 irons- Love them.  Vokey wedges- Love them.  Edel putter- Best on the market.  Taylormade R11 3 wood - not super long but consistent.  Taylormade Raylor 5 wood- Love it.  Driver......

I have been in the market for a driver for 3 years.  I played the Callaway Big Bertha II for 5+ years and like all golfers do, I turned away from my baby to new technology which began and unending, and until today, unsatisfying search for the mecca.  Low spin, 11 degree launch, and beautiful sound and look.  I have tried every club and shaft combo.   I struggle and always spin drivers at 3000 - 4000 rpm- 6 - 8 degree launch.  The higher the loft, the lower the launch and higher the spin.   This is not a common problem- I bought the R9 superdeep hoping it would be the cure.  Low spin shaft with low spin head led to the worst combo an mishits were awful.  They would go 50% of the distance.  I traded it in this week.  (I took the shaft out of my S9-1 Pro 3 Wood to use as the driver shaft to get more consistency.)

Clubs tried in the last week in my most recent search:  The Callaway RAZR Hawk Tour, 9.5 and 10.5 with all the shafts.  Loved this club.  This was the one I was about to buy.  Definitely an awesome driver.  295 average carry.  3300 rpm with the 10.5 which I like best.

Tour Edge Exotics- great driver, low spin, didn't get the launch with their models.  Definite second.  285 carry average.  rolled out.

Adams speedline- 280 carry average, high spin.  Big misses.

Cobra Amp- 285 carry.  High spin low launch.

Cleveland Classic- 285 carry.  High spin.  Low launch

Taylormade R11- 280 carry.  High spin.  Low Launch.

Ping i15...... 345 carry, 385 roll out first swing.  ????????  The guy in the booth said something with 4 letters.  So did I.  I hit it again.  335 carry, 375 roll out.  I hit 5.  My worst was 301 carry.  My best was 360.  Spin 1500 - 1800 rpm, launch was 11.5 degrees.

I have never seen a driver perform like that, I have never heard a sound like that.  I have never hit a ball like that.  I literally didn't release the club, I bought it on the spot and didn't even know the price.

I am now about to research the 3 wood.  If you have 115 mph + swing and can't figure out why the ball isn't flying with your driver like every other club in your bag, this is your club.  The UST shaft (says Tour S) is unreal.  This is simply the best club I have ever hit.  Felt.  Anything.  Buy it.

[denver71]

My bad.... I should have mentioned it was the 8 degree I bought.  I will acknowledge as well that it is the only 8 degree I have ever hit, and therefore may have seen the 40+ yard carry distance change solely because of the loft.  But, I stand by my comment that it is the best feeling driver I have ever hit and for me, my miss-hit wasn't nearly was bad as other clubs.....  I feel I may be in the market for more wedges!

[denver71]

Last comment on the driver based on the first two rounds with it.  It is easily 20 yards longer than any driver I have it and I don't agree on the fade bias.  I hit a draw all day and it was very easy and very workable.  I cannot say enough good things about this driver.  When you drive a 374 yard hole, you like the driver.

[Halebopp]

I bought the 9.5 i15 with stock TFC stiff this spring and the more I played with it, the more I fell in love. It looks great but performs even better. It's consistent, accurate and long. I did try some others on demo days and for a round during the summer but they were all more unpredictable. Only a used 8-degree Mizuno MP-630 came close as it was longer but the stiff Axivcore shaft was all over the place on a couple of occasions.

[savoyspecial13]

The i15 driver with correct shaft is best performing and feeling driver head I have gamed.  Fade bias is overrated.  Easy to work left and right.   Easily the most consistantly long, low spin/launch head I have hit; high ball speed, ball appears to descend same as it ascends and consistantly lands hot, takes hard bounce and rolls out long.  The i15 is the most underrated driver out there.

Edited by savoyspecial13, 24 December 2012 - 01:39 PM.