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Review: Ping Anser Forged irons

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In golf, Ping is known as a company that produces high-quality cast irons for golfers of all ability levels – everyone from high handicappers to 2012 Masters champ Bubba Watson. Despite the fact that five of the PGA Tour’s Top-10 ranked golfers in Greens in Regulation in 2012 used cast irons, some golfers are convinced that cast irons are inferior to irons that are forged.

While it is unfair to say that cast irons are always inferior to forged irons, cast irons generally have two distinct drawbacks. First, they often feel harsh at impact when compared to forged clubs, which tend to produce a softer feel. Cast irons are also tougher to bend, which can make it hard for golfers to dial in their lofts and lie angles.

Ping recognized the desire of many golfers to play forged irons, which is why the company released its first forged iron in decades in 2011, the Anser Forged. The irons were smaller than most Ping cavity back irons, which made them visually appealing to golfers who preferred the look of a compact iron at address. They also offered the softer feel that forged iron fans wanted

As expected, the Anser Forged were most popular in Japan and Asia, areas where forgings have a much broader appeal. But they were also well received by a small crowd of U.S. golfers who were anxious to finally try a modern forged iron from Ping. Ping received feedback, however that the average golfer had difficulty hitting the Anser Forged long irons high enough for them to be effective. This made the clubs suitable for a very small group of golfers – players who wanted a compact forged iron but didn’t need help hitting the ball higher.

[youtube id=”abn-ZOpzrgM” width=”600″ height=”350″]

In an effort to broaden the appeal of the Anser Forged, Ping re-engineered the irons for 2013. And they set the bar high, setting out to make “the ultimate forged iron.” Like the previous model, the new Anser Forged irons come with a steep price tag (expect to pay between $1300 and $1500 for a stock set). But if you can stomach the cost, you’ll have a set of irons that blend good looks and performance as well as any forged iron available.

Better looks and forgiveness?

The new Anser Forged are longer and more forgiving than the previous Anser Forged irons, especially in the long irons. Engineers made the soles of the long irons wider, which according to Ping senior design engineer Marty Jertson is the easiest way to make an iron fly higher.

But the added sole width came at a cost. Many good players hesitate to play an iron that has a visible sole at address. On the 2011 Ping Anser irons, golfers could only see the top line of the irons at address. But in the 2013 model, the sole is visible behind the top line on the 3 and 4 irons.

*2011 Anser Forged 3 Iron (Left) and the 2013 Anser Forged 3 Iron (right)


Engineers also added more offset to the long irons, another visual aspect that some good players can find unappealing. Offset is the space between the forward portion of the hosel and the front of the clubface. For many good golfers, offset can be a bad word. This is because the more offset a club has, the higher a shot will fly, which can cause problems for good golfers who like to hit low shots.

“The more offset you put on the club, the more the clubhead wants to catch up with the shaft,” Jertson said. “[During the downswing] the head is lagging behind the shaft, but right at impact the head kicks forward and starts to lead the shaft. The offset increases initial launch angle.”

The long irons just don’t have more offset, they also have larger heads to make them more forgiving. Good players might balk at the looks of the revamped 3 and 4 irons, but once they hit them their aesthetics will become less important. Players tempted to replace their long irons with hybrids likely won’t need to with 2013 Anser Forged. The 3 and 4 irons have the distance and forgiveness of many hybrids, but offer the trajectory control and soft feel of a forged iron.

The larger size of the 3 and 4 irons are a special case, however. Jertson and his team felt the extra bulk was worth the added performance. But the rest of the 2013 Anser Forged irons get progressively smaller and have less offset throughout the set. That’s because there are plenty of ways for engineers to add forgiveness without adding bulk.

Big forgiveness, small clubhead

Contrary to what many good golfers believe, thick toplines serve a purpose greater than adding visual confidence at address for less-skilled players. Just as heel-toe weighting adds forgiveness to shots hit on the heel and toe, weight above and below the sweetspot adds forgiveness to shots hit in those areas as well. That’s why Ping thickened the toplines of the Anser Forged irons. But unless you took a caliper and measured the toplines, you wouldn’t know they were any thicker. That’s because Ping engineers shaped the topline in such a way that they could hide mass underneath it. This makes the revamped irons more visually appealing to good players and adds better performance on mishits as well.

Jertson said that all Ping irons are designed to provide maximum forgiveness for their size. Like Ping’s most blade-like iron, the S56, engineers added tungsten weights and the strategically placed bars in the cavity of the irons that add forgiveness and tune the center of gravity. But because the 2013 Anser Forged Irons are larger than the S56 irons, they were able to add forgiveness on a larger scale.

*2011 Anser Forged 7 Iron (left) vs. 2013 Anser Forged 7 Iron (right)


Each of the 2013 Anser Forged irons have an enormous tungsten sole weight that moves the center of gravity lower and deeper for faster ball speeds. The bars in the cavity are also specialized for each iron — on the long irons, they are thinner and extend horizontally for a lower center of gravity. On the short irons, engineers made the bars thicker and more vertical. This makes them more forgiving on shots hit above and below the sweet spot and helps golfers flight the ball as well. All together, the sneaky thick toplines, tungsten soles and strategically placed bars add a huge amount of forgiveness, making the Anser Forged irons play much more forgiving than their sizes indicate.

Miguel Angel Jimenez became the first to win with the 2013 Anser Forged irons at the UBS Hong Kong Open in November 2012 and Hunter Mahan put the irons in his bag at the World Challenge two weeks later. Both players were previously playing the smaller, less-forgiving S56 irons. That’s a testament to how good these irons look, even to the discerning eye of a top tour pro.

Looks: The 3 and 4 irons are a bit on the chunky side, but the 5 iron though pitching wedge look like forged cavity back irons should. While the irons get smaller as they work down the set, they are all larger than blades. But they’re not too much bigger than the S56 and forged cavity back irons aimed at better players.

Playability and Performance: This is where the Anser Forged Irons shine. They’re not too much bigger than the top tier of players irons, but they are much more forgiving. The tungsten weighting and angled bars offer substantial forgiveness and fine-tuned trajectory throughout the set without added bulk.

Flight and distance: Long irons launch easy and won’t balloon for better players with the right shaft. The mid-and-short irons offer workability, and are able to be flighted when necessary. Distance won’t be a problem with these. No problems working the ball, either.

Feel: The irons are forged from 8620 carbon steel, but don’t feel as soft as other forgings because of their multi-material construction and their deeply milled cavities. It’s a “squish” feel at impact — an improvement over the clicky sound of most Ping irons, but definitely not the buttery feel that some forged irons produce.

Cost: The key to getting more forgiveness out of a small, forged clubhead like the new Anser Forged is the deep cavities in the back of the club. They give engineers the ability to redistribute weight in the most optimal places. It took multiple forging and milling steps to get the Anser Forged’s 8620 steel as thin as necessary in certain areas, which is why they’re so expensive.

Bottom Line: If you want one of the highest-quality, highest-performing forged irons on the planet, these irons are for you. If cost is an issue, consider Ping’s i20, which cost around $1000. They don’t feel as good or look as good as the Anser Forged irons, but they’re slightly more playable thanks to a little more offset and a larger blade size.

Click here for more discussion in the “Equipment” forum. 

Click here for more discussion in the “Equipment” forum. 

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19 Comments

19 Comments

  1. Mike

    Jul 6, 2015 at 9:20 pm

    I have a set of ping anser forged irons I bought last year.3 iron through pitching wedge.They have the KBS tour stiff shafts in them.I hit a bucket of balls with them.The 3 iron has never been hit.I bought them last yr.They are white dot which is an inch over regular.I paid 1400 for them.Hit me up if u want to know more
    I need to sell them

  2. carl

    Jul 1, 2013 at 1:28 am

    I bought a set of irons with GRAPHITE shafts. sorry I hate them, if you hit it flush you dont seem to even feel the ball at impact.!! but if you dont hit it flush it sounds and feels aweful.!! They dont seem to have the distance either..I remember now that was why i got rid of my old eye 2’s…short on length for the lofts…10 yds less than most other clubs I have tried. The callaway FTI irons seem to suit me better so I will go back to them..

  3. Chris

    May 2, 2013 at 7:25 pm

    After owning all Titleist for the last 9 nine years, I switched and bought the 2013 Anser irons. Price was not a deterrent, and the performance is amazing.

  4. Robert

    Mar 21, 2013 at 3:48 pm

    Just purchased a set of Anser irons. I’ve played the MP64 and they are a great set, but the long irons a difficult at best to hit. Pings are more forgiving and look great at address and the 4 iron really helps you get the ball in the air. They have a crisp feel to them and it’s easy to move the ball either direction. They have lots of bounce, so it would be easy to increase/decrease the loft and the forging lets you do that. That was the best part, you can take them to the range and really dail in your flight and then change the specs. Can’t do that with the I20 and they also have better feel than the I20 (Unless your’re a pro and have access to unlimited wets and the tour van!). I suppose if you play golf almost everyday, then maybe you can get into the MP64. Practice baby practice…you’ll need it!

  5. MattB

    Feb 11, 2013 at 12:59 pm

    Was reading another article by Rob Miller regarding the anser forged irons, that stated can be ordered with any shaft in ping wrx matrix at no additional cost. Had local pro try to order set with DG Tour issue S400 shafts and Ping wanted a $21 upcharge. Where did you guys get this information from???

    • Challenger

      Mar 3, 2013 at 1:47 am

      I’ve played a bunch of irons including forged offerings from Mizuno, Titleist and Callaway and in the end the Ping Anser was my choice. The best part is I made the right choice and I’m pretty darn happy that I did. Better distance, similar feel and way more forgiving. Looks great looking down at set up and the results are there.

    • MattB

      Mar 3, 2013 at 6:54 am

      UPDATE: The local ping sales rep agreed to supply the DGTI S400 shafts for no upcharge due to all the misinformation I recieved from website as well as Ping customer service.

  6. Tony Lopez

    Feb 8, 2013 at 1:58 pm

    After visiting several retailers hitting the demo 7 iron flush time and time again, cuts and draws as easy as pie, I found a primo set in San Diego a couple of weeks ago. Same trip I hooked up with matching 52 and 58 Anser wedges. The guys bent the lies to my specs no charge. After chopping it around all summer in the mid 80’s, I played these for 3 rounds so far and I am stoked to say, I am back shooting in the low 70’s!!
    Yeah, I like ’em!

  7. Alan

    Jan 7, 2013 at 6:05 pm

    Mine came today, customized from PING WRX. They look impressive and feel even more impressive given the extreme forgiveness. Who wouldn’t put in play the most forgiving, workable forging they could find? Having owned s56’s prior to these, there is no comparison. Sure, the long irons look a bit chunky. However, as most players irons see the longer clubs in the set with little or no bounce, these have as much as 4 degrees and feel remarkable at impact. Easy to launch. They carry long and high but without ballooning or excessive spin. With the correct shaft fitting (flex and kick point), it will be very difficult to ignore the unmatched performance characteristics of this club.

  8. Dominic Chong

    Jan 4, 2013 at 9:49 pm

    Looks like something I would want.
    A forged set from PING should be great.

  9. Leonard

    Dec 20, 2012 at 10:30 pm

    I like mine but admit I waited to find a “preowned” set at a more reasonable price. Got the matching Anser wedges as well.

  10. Lee

    Dec 20, 2012 at 4:41 am

    I’ve tried them and they are nice clubs I admit to being a Ping fan and game I20’s (which for me out perform the Ansers) however if I was going to go back to forged irons the price differential between the Ansers and superb Mizuno MP64’s means only one winner for me.

  11. lefty

    Dec 12, 2012 at 7:50 pm

    I have i20’s which I love but I do not like that weight piece in the back of the earlier Ansers as the i15’s and i10’s had. They will fall out after awhile which I don’t think Ping suspected. The new Anser has much cleaner lines, I could want that club.

  12. pablo

    Dec 11, 2012 at 4:04 pm

    I used ping zings until last year when i upgraded to bridgestone j40 forged, which are the best feeling clubs i’ve ever hit. my gap, sand, and lob wedges are copper ping IST though, as nothing feels as good as those!

  13. Leonard

    Dec 8, 2012 at 11:29 pm

    Cobra Amps more your style Nick? To each his own!

  14. Nick

    Dec 6, 2012 at 4:33 pm

    I’ve never liked the look of Ping irons. They have that 70 year old grandpa look to me.

    • wcmcca

      Jan 12, 2013 at 6:38 pm

      The 70 year old grandpa that takes your lunch money week after week you mean, right Nick?

    • Jack

      Mar 19, 2013 at 12:07 pm

      Except when I hit with them usually they are better shots than with my own set. Must be a sign… But I hate the hosel design on their regular irons

  15. Matthew

    Dec 3, 2012 at 10:54 pm

    I love how Ping tries to enter the “forged” market and still has a HUGE offset on everything.. from a “players” perspective- just looks like a hooker of a club… makes me sick.

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Whats in the Bag

Chesson Hadley WITB 2024 (March)

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Driver: Titleist TSR3 (10 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 70 TX

3-wood: Titleist TSR2+ (14.5 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX

Irons: Titleist T200 (3), Titleist 620 CB (4, 5), Titleist 620 MB (6-PW)
Shafts: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 105 X (3), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-PW)

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-12F, 56-14F), WedgeWorks (60-K)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG 2-Ball
Grip: Odyssey

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Check out more in-hand photos Chesson Hadley’s clubs here.

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Whats in the Bag

Gary Woodland WITB 2024 (March)

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Driver: Cobra Darkspeed X (8 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TZ5 70 M5

  • The white circle that appears at the top of the face a removable sticker that’s used for launch monitor tracking, and Woodland removes it for competition!

3-wood: Cobra Darkspeed X (14 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TZ5 GW100 Prototype

7-wood: Cobra LTDx LS prototype (20 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TZ5 GW100 Prototype

Irons: Wilson Staff (18 degrees), Cobra King MB (4-PW)
Shafts: KBS Tour C-Taper Limited X

Wedges: Cobra SB (48), Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-08F, 56-14F), Cobra King (60)
Shafts: KBS Tour C-Taper Limited X (48 degrees), KBS Tour V-Ten 125

Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 3.0P

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord

See more in-hand photos of Gary Woodland’s WITB in the forums.

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Equipment

Q&A: Martin Trainer on his Bobby Grace “Greg Chalmers” putter, 6.5-degree driver, and “butter knife” 2-iron

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As unbiasedly as I can put it, Martin Trainer has one of the coolest club setups in professional golf. (At some point soon, I’ll put together a top-10 list of “coolest club setups on Tour,” but I know that Trainer will be in the top-10)

What a lineup. He plays a 6.5-degree Wilson prototype driver, a 13-degree Wilson prototype 3-wood, a true blade Wilson Staff Model 2-iron, and a Bobby Grace “Greg Chalmers Commemorative” putter!

 

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I mean, look at this 2-iron from address…

To quote the great author R.L. Stine: “Goosebumps.”

On Wednesday at the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open, I caught up with Trainer to learn more about his bag setup.

Here’s what he had to say:

You have the Internet going crazy over your bag setup, and your putter. Where’d you pick the Bobby Grace-Greg Chalmers putter up? How long have you had it?

MT: This was from when Bobby Grace came to my course in California: Cal Club. And for whatever reason, they just started having them in the shop. So then I took my buddy’s, started using it, and made, like, a million putts in a row, which is how every putter story begins, I guess.

And then, I bought a couple of my own, used it for years, got to the Tour with it, won on Tour with it (the 2019 Puerto Rico Open). Then, about a year later, started using another putter, did that for a couple years, but now it’s back in the bag.

When did it come back in the bag?

MT: December of this past year. So a few months ago.

What year would you say was the first time you threw that in the bag, or, like, when you bought it?

MT: God…Probably, 2016, maybe? 2018?

Do you remember how much you paid for it?

MT: I don’t know, actually. Maybe $100-150 bucks or something. I think that’s the only golf club I’ve bought between high school and now. Well, two, since I bought two of them.

The driver is interesting, too. What went into the prototyping process?

MT: That was a version of the current driver, but it was the prototype that they first came out with for Tour guys to try. And for whatever reason, I just never switched out to the new one.

It’s just 6.5 degrees, right?

MT: Yeah. Very low loft, yeah.

What kind of ball speed do you have with that these days?

MT: Like high 170’s.

Yeah, that’ll work. And then a 2-iron blade? We’re seeing fewer and fewer of those out here.

MT: Yeah. The butter knife.

Very cool thing to have in the bag. Have you done any testing with driving irons? 

MT: Yeah, I used to have a thicker one, but it was a little offset, and I never hit it that well. And then finally, I started messing around with the butter knife. And I remember the first time I looked down at it, I was terrified. And then I ended up getting used to it, putting it in play, and it’s been in place since. It’s a pretty good club for me.

How far do you carry that? 

MT: Like 235.

A good little wind club, I’m sure.

MTL Yeah, exactly. I can hit it very low. It’s great.

I love it. You have people shook looking at that. Thanks for the time, man. 

MT: Absolutely.

To see more photos and discussion of Trainer’s bag, click here.

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