Despite popular belief of mainstream golf fans, not all PGA Tour players use the newest possible technology, especially when it comes to irons.

One of the most popular “old” irons on the PGA Tour are Ping’s S55 models, which were released to the public in November 2013. PGA Tour players such as Bubba Watson, Matthew Fitzpatrick, and Carlos Ortiz still have the irons in their bags.

The S55 irons were cast from 17-4 stainless steel, had a tungsten weight added to the toe section for greater forgiveness, and had a custom tuning port (CTP) made of thermoplastic urethane in the back cavity for a softer feel. Pros and amateurs alike are drawn to the head shapes because they have a blade-like look at address, but with a touch of added forgiveness.

While I was taking photos of Ortiz’s WITB at the 2022 Memorial Tournament presented by Workday on Monday, I was curious to hear why he still has the short irons in his bag; his mixed iron set includes Ping iBlade long irons (3-5) and S55 short irons (6-PW).

Here’s what Ortiz had to say about why he still uses S55 irons:

“I think a lot of guys are still using them, like Bubba. The way they used to make the irons I think were better back then. The (iBlade) long irons, I think they can help you get them up in the air and everything, but the (S55) short irons, you don’t need help getting them up or longer or anything, you just need something reliable…”

“I think it’s the metal, it’s just more consistent. You might not hit it as high or as long, but you don’t need that with the short irons, and I think that’s why a lot of people haven’t really changed. I mean, obviously a lot of guys have used these ones to start, but there’s a big difference between these and the new material. They look exactly the same, it’s just the metal. It doesn’t make any difference. See, the metal they use is completely different…[the iBlade’s], you hit it higher, with less spin, and longer, but it’s not as reliable.”

To Ortiz’s point, as opposed to the Ping S55 irons made from 17-4 stainless steel, the Ping iBlade irons – released to the public in 2016 – were made from a softer and stronger 431 stainless steel. The weight savings of the design, compared to the S55 models, allowed Ping to construct the faces thinner, thus creating more distance.

Like the Ping S55’s, the iBlades also came with a blade-like appearance from address, helping amateurs and pros alike achieve both workability and flight control. While most amateur golfers could use the extra distance and height, Ortiz still prefers the lower-flying control/reliability of the S55 irons.

Of course, Ping has even newer players iron technologies than the iBlade, such as the new i59 and Blueprint Forged models. For now, though, Ortiz and a number of other PGA Tour players are still holding strong with the original S55 irons.

And just to clarify, Ortiz hasn’t been using the same exact heads for 9 years. He changes them out for fresh iron heads when the grooves get low (he says he wears out the 7 and 9-irons the quickest), and he says Ping still has a supply of backups.

Check out Carlos Ortiz’s full 2022 WITB from the Memorial