If your handicap index number only has one digit in it, then the Ping S56 Iron Set 3-PW with Steel Shafts might appeal to you. These clubs have been designed for players who put a premium on shot control. The basis of the iron body content is steel but also contains a variable tungsten toe weighting -- designed to position the center of gravity (CGI) for a higher trajectory in the long irons and a more controlled, penetrating ball flight in the short irons. If your previous experience with Ping clubs dates back to the 'Ping Eye2', then you're going to get a completely different look and feel from hitting the S56 model. Built as a modified blade design, the Ping S56 irons provide more feedback on off-center hits than the older perimeter weighted clubs do, but they still include some solid game-improvement technology such as Ping's patent-pending Stabilizing Bar Technology -- this bar is found in each club head, but has a variable width throughout the set to optimize each individual iron's CGI location. Ping has also added a machined face and grooves (rather than a stamped or cast face) to ensure consistent performance and precise control.
The Ping S56 irons are available in both right- and left-hand versions and include options for both shaft model and flex. The choices (both steel) include the KBS Tour or True Temper (TT) Dynamic Gold (my personal favorite) in Regular, Stiff, or Extra-Stiff flex. The KBS Tour shaft option is yet another component of this set designed for the better player. They have a reduced mass and radius throughout each graduated step for optimum stability and maximum energy transfer from the player's hands to the ball. The TT Dynamic Gold shaft is a proven performer and one I have used in my last two sets of irons with great success. The grip is the Ping ID-8 model -- a good all-around rubber grip with a generally firm feel.
If you're a hardcore blade user or expecting the type of manual feedback you get from a muscle-back design, you'll probably be disappointed with the S56 model. The top line is a touch heavy and with the game improvement features built in to this club, you can expect excellent performance, but not necessarily great feedback. This club represents the progression of Ping's continued advancement in design and giving the customer what they want, however. Though designed for the single-digit player, these are worth a look for any decent player in the market for a new set of irons.
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