I’ve used a muscle back style iron for a number of years but have never been a huge fan of these brands irons. I’ve always had better results with something else but have been hearing a lot of good things about these. In this post, I’m going to be comparing the Ping i500 to the Taylormade P790 as well as the Titleist AP3.
Long story short, if I had to pick one of them it would be the Ping i500. All three were actually pretty solid but I got slightly more distance with the Ping and it felt the best at impact.
The Taylormade and Titleist irons were very similar for me and my swing but they aren’t something I’d add to my own bag. A lot of people do use the Taylormade and Titleist irons (more than Ping) but I’m pretty picky when it comes to the way my irons feel.
I’m not saying the Ping irons will be the best for you because they might not be. Everyone is different and everyone likes different things. Go with them a try to see for yourself. That being said, I don’t think I’d use the Ping irons either because I do prefer another model but they were pretty decent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZExTAau-uj4
Who Are These Irons For?
Before we get started, I just quickly wanted to talk about who these irons are for and who should avoid them. I’m sure you’re familiar with cavity back and bladed irons. Cavity backs are for the average golfer while blades are for better golfers.
That’s not always entirely the case, but one thing I will say is that a beginner or high handicap golfer should not use either of these irons. They’re designed for mid to low handicap players and aren’t going to be forgiving enough for the average player.
Taylormade P790 Irons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axukpPr6bE0
This is one of the more popular irons of this style and was designed to improve ball speed. They’ve also improved the MOI which is going to help increase forgiveness and result in more distance on mishits.
I still don’t think they felt as good as the Ping irons but they were just as forgiving and easy to hit (much more than the AP3). The distance consistency on these irons was awesome and even toe or heel shots went a good way.
The amount of spin was very close to the other two irons, the distance was a little more than the AP3, and the forgiveness was just as good as the Ping. Overall, everything was pretty solid.
Titleist AP3 Irons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVtyoa6E0OQ
This is an iron designed to be somewhere between an AP1 and an AP2 iron. An AP1 iron is nice and forgiving and goes a long way but it’s a bit too big and bulky for a lot of golfers. An AP2 is pretty much the opposite. It’s pretty small and a lot of golfers find them pretty tough to hit consistently.
The AP3 is somewhere in the middle and was made to increase ball speed, have the forgiveness, go a long distance, and have the ability to stop the ball on the green. Personally, I like the AP3 a lot more than either of the previous models.
If you like a classic blade iron then you might find these a little big but they’re really not that bad and they’re the size I like myself. There have been a number of tour players using these irons as well so they must be pretty decent.
The numbers I got with these irons were fairly solid. They were pretty close to everything else but I’ll definitely say they don’t feel as solid as the Ping irons. The Titleist irons were a bit harder in my opinion but you might like that.
Ping i500 Irons
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFIASdy1YII
I really like the way these irons look and they did feel the most comfortable to swing. I’ve always liked Ping wedges and drivers and I felt the same way about these. The way they felt at impact was awesome (best of the three) and the distance and forgiveness were top of the list as well (in my experience).
Just looking at the iron you wouldn’t think it’s going to help with distance and forgiveness but it actually does. The distance was super respectable on mishits and my shot dispersion was a lot tighter than other irons I’ve tried in the past.
The amount of spin was pretty much identical to the other two irons, the distance was very similar to the Taylormade (longer than Titleist), and the launch height was the highest of the three (Taylormade was close).
Overall, if I had to pick one of these irons it would be the Ping i500. They were the most consistent for me, traveled the longest, and had a good amount of forgiveness to help on mishits. They also felt the best by far.
I’m not saying they’ll be the best for you because they might not be. It’s always best to try them out for yourself. I will say, these irons aren’t my favorite overall and they aren’t even my favorite from Ping.
Let me know your thoughts and any questions you have. Like this article? Feel free to give it a share!
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