In the late 1990s, Karsten Solheim designed the last clubs in his long creative PING career. He poured everything he had learned into the ISI models of clubs. The four of them were the ISI-S stainless steel regular-sized clubheads, the ISI-N with beryllium nickel regular-sized clubheads, the ISI beryllium copper regular-sized clubheads, and the ISI-K stainless steel over-sized clubheads. They came in stiff steel flex shafts, and graphite stiff, regular, and senior (or ladies') flex shafts. I have the ISI-S, ISI-N, and two sets of ISI-K with both steel and graphite shafts. This review is primarily about the oversized K model. They were considered large in 1998, but by today's standards they are not shovels. I found it easy to step up to the K model from the others; the clubs are larger but not disturbingly so. The ISI-S have thicker soles than the ISI-K's, because metal had to be taken out of the S somewhere to make the K with a larger clubhead. Because the mass has been pushed out to the edges of the heel/toe/sole/topline, the ISI-K are very forgiving 100% steel clubs. They do not have the copper or tungsten weights that many of the new irons are using to push the weight back and lower. These clubs were the highest technology of the older all-steel clubheads, and they still work very well today. There is nothing to break or come loose. The goal of PING was to make the clubs as playable as the Eye2 and as forgiving as the Zing, and Karsten succeeded. The casting, assembling, and finishing is top-notch with top-notch materials. The steel JZ-Cushin shafts are True Temper S-300; the steel DGS are True Temper Dynamic Gold S-400. The original G Loomis W54 shafts are stiff Grafalloy Red. The V53 is Grafalloy Red regular flex, the U44 is Grafalloy Red senior flex. G Loomis was purchased by Aldila and the subsequent PING 350 Series shafts were the same Grafalloy Red in three flexes. The grips were top quality Golf Pride or Lamkin. They can be adjusted on a lie/loft machine. Square or U-gooves. I find the ISI-K irons to be about a half club longer in distance because the larger head puts more muscle behind mis-strikes. They do not balloon, but are fairly easy to hit medium trajectory. They generate plenty of backspin, but I have not experienced a lot of sidespin. The bounce on the wedges is large, from 12 to 16-degrees, and the 16-degrees on the Sand Wedge is superb for bunkers. And I have not had any trouble with it from tight turf either. This was when the manufacturers were all going to multiple wedges, and the ISI-K comes in W, W2, S, S2, S3, and L lofts. All increment by 2-3 degrees, so most people marry the 47-deg W with the 54.5-deg S2. The W2 is extremely rare. I play in dry, brick-hard W Texas, so I carry just the W and S. I don't really need the higher lofts of the S2 or L. I did buy them, but I don't carry extra clubs as I am a walker who carries his bag. After testing all the clubs, this 61-yr old senior rates them ISI-K graphite tops, with ISI-K steel and ISI-N graphite second, and ISI-S steel a very close third. I am quite comfortable with any of the models, but I think the ISI-K graphite model is as long as any, plus it does not shock my wrists nor elbows. Comparable designs are the Pixl S4, and the Spalding Custom AeroForce if you can find them. The "plus no plus" Ping Eye2's, the beryllium copper Armour 845BC's, Titleist DCI's, and the Armour 845 titanium irons are a little farther behind.Read full review
I have always liked the look of the ISIs (all versions), and was fascinated with the BeCu and BeNi versions. I picked up a set of the ISI-K irons at a local golf shop that were in the trade-pile; bought 'em for a song. And they have become my favorites, bumping out newer G10s from the bag! I rate them as Excellent -- anytime a product can "one-up" clubs that are many generations more advanced, it should say something. The irons have a 'blade' appearance and the larger heads on the -K series don't impact that negatively. I'm not really good enough to play 'blades' but these are Game-Improvement-Irons masquerading as blades. I have the ISI BeNi irons too, with custom Rifle 'flighted' shafts, but the plain ol' ISI-K with the stock JZ steel in stiff flex just seem to suit my game. The JZ shafts are next-to-lightest of Ping's standard array of steel shafts (CS-Lite being the lightest, ZZ65 being on the other side of the JZs), and having been a graphite player for most of the last 5-6 years, I must say I was surprised that I liked ANY steel shaft. But again, these just fit my game and fit well with the -K heads. I think the wedges are especially good. I really like both the S2 (54.5*) and S3 (57.5*). I have found I can be comfortable with either -- don't need both. Just need to get used to whichever one I'm playing and either swing a little softer or harder to get the desired distance. Both really allow you to open the face up a great deal for 'flop shots' off tighter lies. And I've found both to be excellent out of the sand -- maybe the nod to the S3 for greenside bunker work. I also have found that the longer irons 5-, 4-, 3-, and even 2- are playable for even an average golfer. My usual set up started with hybrids at the 5h (28*) level, but I can hit the 5- no problem for the requisite yardage (175 yards for me). I'm constantly going to be looking for these clubs on eBay now! I just picked up a green-dot set to experiment with a more upright lie -- but I'm thinking that the blue-dot is the right one for me, so that'll become my 'fixture.'Read full review
While these are not today's clubs, for the average to better than average golfer, you will find them easy to hit and very forgiving. I am just past 60 and was not really doing justice to my Cobra iron set (great for me 10 years ago..) so I shopped ebay and found a set of Ping irons in my size and I could not be happier. These are forgiving and you can hit these a mile without any overswinging. Nicely weighted club heads swing into the ball easily and you gotta love that sweet "ping" sound when you connect. I would recommend these to any golfer but especially to those that are a bit older and have lost some of their swing speed, which is my case. Just a great set of irons that make me excited about getting out on the course to see how many fewer shots I can chalk up on my scorecard. Can give your game a whole new attitude!Read full review
Update. Still have my ISIKs and still the same original grips. Yes, they could be replaced but they really do not need to be replaced yet! My iron game is as good as ever. 12 handicap and shot 79 this weekend on my 138 slope rated course mainly due to my mid-iron shots. I have switched divers, putters but no desire to charge my irons still. The PING Fitting Cart Program was established in 1995. Our head club pro at the time in OKC fitted me to my clubs in 1996 using this program and did a great job. STILL one of the best PING irons even made. **************************************************************I was fitted to my ISI-K irons about 6 years ago. One of the BEST golf investments I have ever made. Great irons. Went from +16 to +11 primarily due to my iron play. Still have orig. ping grips on and they are tacky and hold well. I have bought new drivers, putters, etc. but NO desire to buy new irons. Very straight and accurate, high launch angle as well. I think these are the bestRead full review
Glad I purchased these clubs, feel great and easy to hit.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned