Review: Ping i25 3-wood

Striping it to or from the fairway
3-woods are becoming more and more popular clubs.  For a time I didn’t even hit a 3 wood because I couldn’t find one that worked, and now at times I feel like I could carry two 3-woods because of all the improvements and changes they have recently made.  Ideally I still want one long enough off the tee and easy to hit off the fairway.  Often it seem like one or the other, but with the Ping i25 you get both.  Striping it to or from the the fairway.
Ping’s i series is meant to be the “players” line of clubs.  The i25 3-wood would definitely be considered that in comparison to the G25 3-wood.  It is smaller, shallower and less forgiving, especially for left to right golfers (slicers).  With that said, if you have a decent 3-wood swing, this can really be an amazing club.  What I’m most impressed about is the number of changes from the i20 to the i25.   They didn’t just slap racing strips on the previous model.  The i25 has slightly different shape, adjustability, lower CG, and yes, racing stripes.

 

The racing stripes are the talk about the i25 series and I have to admit, I like them.  I wasn’t certain at first, but after having them in play, the visual connection really help we hit fairways or greens.  Because they are done in muted tones, they are not obnoxious, but instead are just a gentle reminder of hitting down the line.

The biggest improvement I found is the lower CG which creates lower spin.  The tungsten weights are still in the back corners which help create the best feeling 3-wood, but the additional center weight like the G25 3-wood drops some rpms off the spin for straighter longer shots.

My first round was in CA after an extended winter layoff and it certainly showed, especially with the 3-wood.  I struggled hitting it off the deck, but off the tee it was lethal.  The racing stripes  weren’t even as straight as my tee shots with this 3-wood.  I was amazed at how I striped it into the fairway on every tee shot.  Once my swing came around, this thing really shined from the fairway too.  I had 3 eagle looks during my rounds because I reached a couple of the par 5s in 2.  Those eagle looks came because I was able to hit such a straight ball with fairly low spin that chased up onto the greens.

The i25 is an improvement from the i20 3-wood which was in my bag for a long time.  It is longer and straighter.  The feel is about the same, but the results have been better. Flightscope testing shows that it isn’t the longest 3-wood on the market, (look at the new Ping Rapture for that) but it fills the gap between my driver and hybrid nicely.  If a 3-wood gets too long, then why hit it off the tee.  I usually hit my 3-wood off the tee because I want it to be shorter than my driver in order to avoid trouble, at the same time I want it to be really straight for the same reason.

 The stock shaft options are really solid too.  I was impressed by the new line of “off the rack” shaft by Ping.  They offer numerous options.  I went with the 75g Tour Stiff which is the lowest spin and launch in the line-up.  It has great feel and response.  There is really no need for an expensive upgrade with the many options available. 

Ping’s i25 woods are so solid.  This 3-wood is an excellent fairway finder or green finder from the fairway. Check out the Ping i25 3-wood if you want to stripe it to or from the fairway.

Also read my Ping i25 irons review.

For more information: www.ping.com

Quick Hits:
+Amazing feel
+Racing stripe accuracy
+Low CG and spin
+Adjustability
+Great distance

–No very forgiving