Ping’s Blueprint T and S forged irons: 4 things you need to know
The Ping Blueprint S irons feature a new forged pocket for extra forgiveness
Jonathan Wall
Realizing not everyone has the time to consume endless content on club launch day, we’re offering a fresh version of our detailed tech write-ups that hits on the high points. Here’s what you need to know about Ping’s newest Blueprint T and S forged irons, which will be available starting January 25. Tap here to pre-order.
Time for a change
Ping isn’t one to release players’ irons very often, so when they do, there’s typically a big reason behind the change. In the case of the new Blueprint S and T irons, Ping designers felt that they had enough feedback from their stable of Tour players to create a new family of Blueprint irons. The goal, they said, was simple: to deliver a performance and control advantage over the previous generation.
“Our two Blueprint irons represent a new strategy for us in the forged-iron category,” said John Solheim, Ping CEO & president. “With the forged and forgiving cavity-back design of the ‘S’ and the traditional muscle-back shape of the ‘T’, we’re targeting a wider range of golfers who prefer tour-style forged irons. The Blueprint name is a signal to skilled golfers looking for control, precision, and feel from their irons. As the name implies, no details have been overlooked in the development of the new irons. Both models are engineered and manufactured to exacting standards and deliver the performance expected in a Ping iron.”
The S is back!
Theoretically, you can name a golf club whatever you want. But names represent something, and for Ping, the “S” represents something special.
The “S series” dates way back at Ping — all the way to the original S59, which was the company’s first foray into true blade-style clubs.
From there, the S-series irons were a massive success — so successful, in fact, that many on the PGA Tour we still using Ping’s S55 (released in late 2013) up until last year, including uncontracted U.S. Open Winner Matt Fitzpatrick.
But since the initial release of the Blueprint S on tour, many former S55 players including Mackenzie Hughes have made the switch, and many others have nabbed professional victories, including Louis Oosthuizen, who won in back-to-back weeks on the DP World Tour.
Though they might seem similar from afar, the new Blueprint T and S have a more square toe compared to the previous iBlade, which was built into the design thanks to direct feedback from Ping’s tour players.
Technologies and design
When it comes to irons designed for better players, the technologies you find in these clubs are less about distance and height, and more about offering the most control of distance and height to the target player. That doesn’t mean designers haven’t built as much forgiveness as possible into these compact forged irons, it just means they do it without sacrificing the workability players demand.
Both the Blueprint T and S irons are one-piece forging, but what separates the pure blade design of the T from the S is what Ping designers call “precision pocket” forging. Precision pocket forging is a patented technique that allows Ping designers to forge a “pocket” into the cavity of the longer irons (3, 4 and 5-irons) to save 10 grams that can be repositioned around the head for increased stability on mishits.
“The ability to design a pocket into a forged iron in this way is an industry first,” said Solheim. “It’s a brilliant collaboration between Ping engineers and our supplier who thankfully accepted the challenge, and we developed a solution to a never-before-solved problem. Until now, this level of long-iron forgiveness and the forging process have been mutually exclusive. We’re excited to bring this score-lowering technology to golfers.”
This pocket is hidden under an elastomer insert in the cavity of the long irons to promote a truly soft feel at impact that golfers expect from this type of iron.
To add even more consistency, the Blueprint T and S irons come with Ping’s proprietary moisture-wicking HydroPearl 2.0 finish for more consistent spin in wet conditions.
Built to blend
To go along with very similar address profiles, the Blueprint T and S irons share the same standard lofts as each other and Ping’s very popular i230 irons, which allows them to blend seamlessly from club to club when building a combo set.
So whether you’re looking for pure blades, a forged cavity back, or a combo set with some extra forgiveness in the longer irons, Ping has something for you with the new Blueprint T and S irons.
Price and availability
The Ping Blueprint S & T irons are priced at $230 each in steel, with the extra option of graphite in the Blueprint S model for $245. Both irons are available now for preorder through authorized Ping accounts, and you will be able to find them in retail stores starting on January 25.
PING Blueprint S Custom Irons
$212.50
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PING Blueprint T Custom Irons
$212.50
View Product
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