Crossfield: Comparing Ping’s i and iBlade irons
In this video, I test Ping i irons against the company’s new iBlades on Foresight’s GC2 launch monitor with HMT to show you the differences ball flight and dispersion.
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This past Monday, I played in the U.S. Amateur local qualifier at Rock Creek Country Club in Portland, Oregon. A full tee sheet from 7:30 a.m. to 1:55 p.m., the top 11 scores would make it to the U.S. Amateur final qualifying.
I teed off at 10:48 a.m.. With the 7:30 am tee time, you can get a feel for the leaders’ pace, and they were off and running on the challenging setup at Rock Creek.
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Getting to the highlight of the round on the par five 17th, a drive up the left side and 212 yards left to the front hole location. I took out a 5-iron with plans of middle of the green. The ball ended up 8 feet left of the hole, pin high. A slight downhill putt dropped in for an eagle 3 on the 17th. With the cut line looking to be anywhere from -2 to even par. This was the boost I had been waiting for all day.
With making par from the trees on 18, it was time to wait for a potential playoff with a posted score of one under par 71.
Three hours later, it was playoff time. 8 players for 6 spots. I made par on the playoff hole, which was good enough to advance to the U.S. Amateur final qualifying in July. USGA qualifiers sure deliver on all of the emotions in golf!
Club Junkie
Building my 2026 gamer WITB: Ranking the contenders and new putter projects – Club Junkie Podcast
The annual What’s In The Bag build is underway, and on this episode of Club Junkie, Brian breaks down the clubs currently leading the race for a spot in his 2026 gamer setup. From drivers and fairway woods to irons, wedges, and shafts, he ranks the equipment that’s performing best and explains what’s separating the front runners from the rest of the field.
Brian also heads into the workshop to discuss several putter projects currently on the bench. From head options and shaft choices to build ideas and testing plans, he shares what he’s working on and which putters could become serious contenders for the bag this season.
If you’re a gear junkie who loves equipment testing, club building, and the never-ending pursuit of the perfect setup, this episode is for you.
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Club Junkie
Tour Edge Exotics mini driver review + TaylorMade Spider ZT Max first look – Club Junkie
On this episode of Club Junkie, I put the new Tour Edge Exotics Mini Driver to the test and break down the performance, forgiveness, distance, and where it fits compared to a traditional driver or strong fairway wood. If you have been curious about adding a mini driver to the bag, this one is worth a look.
I also dive into the new TaylorMade Spider ZT Max putter that was recently spotted and discuss the growing zero torque putter trend. Plus, there is a closer look at the new Project X Titan Yellow shaft showing up on the PGA Tour and what makes it different from other profiles currently out there.
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A
Aug 5, 2016 at 4:24 pm
Any difference between the iBlade and the S55 (what the iBlade is meant to replace, I believe – if the iSeries was to replace the i25)? I’m guessing other than the subjective element, we can expect much the same given that equipment in the last while has been quite good and matches the ball technology well already.
Dan
Aug 4, 2016 at 8:30 pm
Is the AP2 more comparable to the i blade or i series?
Mat
Aug 4, 2016 at 6:12 pm
Mark, were they standard lofts of 29 and 30.5º respectively?
Rich
Aug 4, 2016 at 4:51 am
Holy crap! Check out those kicks! Who needs head lights? Just strap Crossfield to your bonnet feet first and off you go! 🙂 Just kidding, love your video’s Mark. Always entertaining and informative. Cheers.
PS which puma’s are they BTW?
Jack
Aug 4, 2016 at 1:34 am
Weird that one was blue dot and one red. Did the lie angles not affect your ball flight? Also happy that golfers can now play better looking clubs with similar forgiveness.
Mark Crossfield
Aug 4, 2016 at 2:37 am
No because I understand lie. I would game the red dot if I was playing them ????
Justin
Aug 16, 2016 at 12:24 pm
Any idea why Ping traditionally sends “blue dot” clubs for fitting? I get that it’s 0.75 degrees upright, which is something other than standard. But wouldn’t you think you’d get a better sole reading on a standard “black dot” model? It just seems weird to me