50 Word or Less
Way more forgiveness than expected. Low spin. Ground-breaking fitting options. In other words, everything you’d expect from PING.
Introduction
While virtually every G series driver that PING has released has been a superstar, the i series has been a little more hit-and-miss. Some earlier models were so demanding and fade-biased that they weren’t even played by PING’s PGA Tour staff.
With the i25, PING is putting that in the past and delivering a driver that you will absolutely see both on Tour and at your local course. Combining most of the forgiveness of the G25 with very low spin, the i25 could very well steal much of its big brothers spotlight as well as its spot in golfer’s bags.
Looks
While the i25 stays with the “all black everything” aesthetic that PING has used over the last few years, it does introduce one standout feature: the racing stripe on the crown. Of course, this being PING, that stripe is not there just for looks. The stripe is exactly the width of a golf ball, and it’s designed to help the golfer with alignment.
The footprint of the i25 is slightly smaller than the G25, primarily in that it’s shorter from front to back. This 460cc head is big enough to inspire confidence, but compact enough to be preferred by better players.
Sound & Feel
The sound and feel of the i25 land right in the middle of the spectrum and should be appealing to most golfers. At impact, the volume is average to slightly below average, and the tone is neither bassy nor tinny. The feel is very solid with ample feedback about where you struck the shot. One change over past generations is that there is minimal twisting on mishits. The driver does let you know you missed, but it doesn’t seem to punish you for it.
Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the exceptional feel of the stock shafts. While PING has always used high performing stock shafts, the feel has never suited me. With the PWR family, the shafts are much more lively and smooth with a pronounced kick.
New Fitting Options & Technology
What PING has done in terms of fitting with the i25 is so significant that it merits a separate discussion.
Let’s start with the shaft options. PING has developed a new family of stock shafts, the PWR (Performance, Weighting, and Responsiveness). With three different weights (55, 65, and 75) and a four different flexes (Regular, Stiff, Tour Stiff, Tour X), these shafts cover the entire spectrum of fitting options from low launch/spin, anti-hook to high launch/spin, anti-slice. What’s more, while changing shafts will change the total weight of the club, it will not affect the swing weight.
As if that wasn’t enough, PING has also brought to market an entirely new way to fit golfers for these shafts. Using the SkyPro hardware, an on-club measuring device, PING fitters will be able to determine the best shaft for the golfer with only three swings. Not only does this make fitting quick and easy, it will make fitting available to more golfers since the SkyPro retails for a mere $150 compared to tens of thousands for high quality launch monitors.
Performance
The first thing that I noticed about the i25 driver was that unlike past generations, it is neither unforgiving nor fade-biased. Small mishits get down the fairway just like centered shots do, and big mishits stay in play. For me, this has also been one of the most accurate drivers I’ve tested this year. When I hit the ball on the center of the face, it flew directly down the center of the fairway. I even accomplished an all-time first, hitting a ball 0.00 yards offline on our launch monitor.
I was able to test a couple different shafts in my i25, and I can tell you that getting fit is absolutely crucial. In addition to improving my accuracy, switching from the PWR 65 to the PWR 75 gave me 4 MPH more ball speed, dropped 400 RPMs of spin, and added over 10 yards of total distance.
Conclusion
As someone who likes to get as much forgiveness as possible in their driver, I never thought I’d be gaming a PING i series, but the i25 has me thinking differently. This club delivers ample forgiveness, but keeps the spin very low and very consistent. Most importantly, PING is making high-end fitting available to absolutely everyone with this club and its new fitting technology.
Price and Specs
The PING i25 driver is available in lofts of 8.5°, 9.5°, and 10.5°.
There are 3 stock shafts available: the PWR 55, PWR 65, and PWR 75.
Watch the Video
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i25 Data
Matt Saternus
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Is anyone else about done with crown graphics?
When done tastefully (like Ping) I’ve got no issues with them. Wasn’t a big fan of the R1/Stage 2 graphics. However I’m a big fan of color on drivers, Cobra does it best, but there are others that look good too. The days of plain black were just boring
Now that I think about it I never really had a problem with them until the R1/Stage 2. I’ll still take plain black any day!
I have an R1 and at first I didn’t like the looks but as I hit it, the looks really grow on you. I am looking at getting the i25 and I am loving the way the crown looks at address and when I switched from the stiff flex to the tour x flex in my fitting, it took my spin down a ton and instead of carrying the ball 263 roll out to 285 I went to carry 280 roll out 307. Loving Ping’s new i25.
I’m wondering if you can give me your thoughts on my current situation Matt. I currently have a G10 that I am thinking of changing out. I was at my local Golf Town today and demoed a pile of drivers to see what was up with the new technology.
With my G10 I was hitting the ball anywhere from 240 to 250 but most interestingly, were my spin numbers. Side spin was pretty solid as I play a tiny cut but my backspin off the Ping was terrible. 3300-3500 was not unusual so basically my ball was ballooning with very little roll somewhere around 10 yards. As I said, we tried a number of drivers but nothing seemed to be any better. Spin was too high on all of htem.
Then the fitter shows up with the Ping i25 with an 8.5 degree head and XStiff….yes….Xstiff Ping PWR75 shaft. I told him that there was no way I could hit this club as it would surely be too much club for me to handle. Turns out I was wrong. I hit it a number of times and immediately my spin dropped off considerably. In fact, I hit some balls as low as 1700 rpm but the majority with in the mid 2000s. I was really interested to see that my Launch was also still over 12 degrees. I had a number of drives well over 260 and hit 2 at 275 and 276. Many of these had between 20 and 30 yards of roll. These are foreign numbers to my game.
I am a skeptic by heart but I know we always say teh numbers don’t lie and in this case, they weren’t lying. Launch was good and back spin was really good giving me a more boring flight and added roll. This is where I need the help. I am freaking out thinking that I could put an 8.5 degree driver in my bag but if the numbers are that much better should I care? My swing speed was 98+mph today and ballspeed was 140+. In your honest opinions, does this sound reasonable to you or am I missing something? It’s been a long time since I bought a new driver and I had always believed that lower lofts were for the “big boys” but maybe I am mistaken. I play to a 11 handicap so can get around the course but don’t want to make a huge mistake and get something that clearly is “bigger” than me.
Comments?
Rob,
Assuming the launch monitor you were using is of good quality and properly set up, there’s no reason to believe there’s anything wrong with your fitting.
You absolutely should not care about the loft. Loft is simply a fitting variable as is shaft flex. My guess is that you hit down on the driver quite a bit, and that produces all the spin you mentioned. Thus, you need to take advantage of equipment to get the spin down. I’m the opposite: I hit up, so I can “afford” to play more loft.
I definitely understand your concern since the fitting is so far outside of what you expected. You might want to see if the store will let you try the driver on the course or offer some kind of “playability guarantee” in case the LM results don’t translate to the course.
Hope that helps.
Best,
Matt
That does make sense Matt. The launch monitor looked brand new so I suspect it is the latest and greatest at Golf Town but I will ask them about “guarantees”. Thanks for the reviews by the way. We do enjoy them!
Rob
Great review. Thanks. A couple of questions for you:
First, were those your launch monitor results that you displayed up there?
Second, you mentioned going from the 65 to the 75. Would you mind providing some more details? What were your stats (if not what you posted above)? Swing speed, launch angle, etc.? Which flex did you go from and go to? And what loft did you move from and to? Stuff like that. Just curious.
I love the Ping i25 and am saving up for one right now. I’ve hit just about everything, but only on the indoor launch monitors. Was planning to get fit tomorrow night at an outdoor demo but, of course, we got snow in May! : ) May have to rely on my indoor numbers, which is not a big deal really. We’ll see.
Anyways, thanks again!
Thanks.
Yes, those are my LM numbers.
The 75 gave me better accuracy, slightly lower spin, similar launch. The 10.5 head was used in both shafts, both shafts were Tour Stiff.
I hope you get out from under that snow soon!
Best,
Matt
Thanks for getting back to me! I have had my best results on the monitor with the PWR65 Tour Stiff, but I would love to see how the 75 Tour Stiff might work (I have not been able to find a demo of that one).
By any chance did you do the online Ping fitting? I am curious if the online fitting would have put you in a PWR75 Tour Stiff, as the numbers I have run (admittedly not all possible) through it suggest it is for people driving 320+. If you are not hitting that long, it would be interesting to see what it recommends. Of course, we know online fitting is full of guesstimates, but still interesting.
Anyways, here in Colorado the weather changes in minutes so we’ll be fine. Just bad timing. Supposed to be in the 80’s in a couple of days. LOL!
I just did the PING online fitting and the results were dead on: i25, 10.5, PWR 75.
Based on what I’ve read about PING’s fitting data, a big reason for switching to a heavier shaft is to minimize a draw/hook, which is my issue.
Best,
Matt
Sounds great! Thanks again for the article and feedback. Cheers!
I’ve been using a G5 Driver 9* Aldila NV 65-stiff 350 for a few years. I drive 300-350 yds with slight power fade. looking to get an I25 8.5* and wondering which stock shaft might best suit me.
Dean,
My first question is: if you’re hitting it “300-350” why are you looking to change?
If you are planning to switch, I would recommend being fit. No one can make an informed recommendation without seeing you actually hit the clubs and shafts. If you want the best fitting available, I would recommend Club Champion. If there is not a location near you, any PING fitter should have the different i25 shafts for you to try and a launch monitor to help you compare the results.
Best,
Matt
My sons driver just broke and I am giving mine to him so I can get a new one. I’m not sure of any place to go for testing.
You can find a PING fitter through their website.
Best,
Matt
Early December I went to a fitter and acquired the I25 with the pwr65 shaft. I tried 6 other drivers and kept coming back to the Ping. Five swings on the launch monitor with my old Callaway Diablo Edge showed I was getting 5000 rpm back spin! Drop and stop with zero roll out. (Like I was hitting a 45 inch wedge.) I’m tagging this I25 25 to 40 yards farther with LOTS more roll. I couldn’t believe it. Like the rewiews can attest to..dead center down the fairway. Shortly after I got it, I went to my local muni and by the third hole I was saying to myself…”You gotta be kidding me!” I was standing in the fairways in places downrange I’ve never seen before! Needless to say, I’m beyond elated. Can’t wait for the next round.
That’s great, Joel, glad to hear it! Another example of the value of fitting!
Best,
Matt
I was fit for a Ping G30, 10.5 Reg, Tour 80 shaft due to high spin — yes, I hit down on my drives but trying to fix that. Swing speed is 85-90 mph. Usually hit a fade since I have trouble closing the club face. I am 57 and in good shape.
I want to switch to an I25 for lower spin in the driver head and hopefully get a lighter shaft, even the PWR65, to help increase swing speed and distance. Would this make sense and help my overall distance?
I do have a local fitter, but want to know if this change would actually help.
Thanks
Frank,
There are no guarantees. In theory, a lighter shaft could add something to your swing speed, but it might not. I haven’t tested the i25 head to head with the G30, so I can’t comment on which is lower spin or by how much. I think it is certainly an experiment worth conducting with your fitter.
Best,
Matt
I am currently swinging a Ping G25 Driver with a TFC 189 Tour S-Flex shaft. Would that compare to the Pwr 65 Tour Stiff Flex in the i25 driver?
Jim,
I’m not 100% sure of the specs of either shaft, so I wouldn’t feel good about making any comparisons.
Best,
Matt
i am interested in buying a regular shaft r handed ping i 25 driver how do i do this if you call me 843 836 3320 i would appreciate or inst on how to purchase it
Bob,
We are not club sellers. Any online club seller like Golfsmith should be able to handle this order.
Best,
Matt
I bought the i25 to upgrade my g15. I hit drives very straight with the g15 so I tried to match the shaft specs from my g15 to the i25. Doing so I ended up with the pwr 65. The results are a huge slice no matter what I do. I cannot hit this thing straight no matter what adjustment I make. I am trying to find a place to get fitted properly but was wondering in the mean time if anyone has had this problem and what adjustments they made? If it helps, I am tall and am told I swing fast.
Ryan,
If you’re already on the road to a fitting, the best advice I can offer is to read this and see if it helps: https://pluggedingolf.com/category/instruction/ball-flight-laws/
Best,
Matt
A question if anyone knows – will a shaft from a Ping Anser driver fit straight into an Ping i25 driver ?
Yes, the adapters are the same.