Equipment
SPOTTED: In-hand photos of Ping i230 irons at The Open, and Stewart Cink’s initial feedback
Two of the hottest posts in our GolfWRX forums right now revolve around the same unreleased set of prototype irons: the Ping i230.
Early photos and speculation surrounding the i230 irons hit the forums in early July when they were spotted on the LPGA Tour and in the bag of Tyrrell Hatton. Stewart Cink and David Lingmerth have also put them in play, leading to increased buzz around the models.
It was way back in 2018 when Ping released its i210 irons, which remain popular choices on the PGA Tour (Viktor Hovland, Matt Fitzpatrick and Joaquin Niemann currently have i210 irons somewhere in the bag), so the hype makes sense. A four-year build up is a long time for a successful tour product, especially one that has wider-ranging appeal than just tour players; the i210 is suitable for low-to-mid handicaps, as well.
Without seeing up-close and in-hand photos of the new i230 irons, though, there was too much to speculate and not enough visual evidence.
Then, at The 2022 Open Championship at St Andrews, GolfWRX was finally able to take in-hand photos of the Ping i230 irons, and capture Stewart Cink’s WITB setup, which included Ping i230’s for his 4-PW, UW.
GolfWRX has also received early word on what Stewart Cink is liking so far about the irons (which could also clear up some of the design speculation in our forums).
Ping Player Development Manager Spencer Rothluebber said:
“Once Stewart saw that the i230s were smaller heel to toe in the long irons, he was instantly excited to play them. He loved the feel and sound, the i230s have a very solid impact experience. He also found the transition to the new iron very easy as the sole design of the i230 compared to the i210 didn’t change.”
For comparison purposes, below are a few side-by-side photos of Stewart Cink’s former i210 8-iron from April 2021, next to his current i230 8-iron.
Clearly, there’s two glaring differences; the i230 appears to have some type of covering on the back cavity, and the i230 has a screw in the toe section of the sole.
I couldn’t track down in-hand photos of Cink’s i210 8-iron for a perfect comparison at address position (I’m sorry!), but I did have a recent photo of Hovland’s i210 7-iron handy:
We’ll keep you informed if and when more details surface about the Ping i230 irons. For now, enjoy more photos below…
Ping i230 8 iron
Ping i230 UW
Neal Shipley was the first to admit that he enjoyed his food while in college. But since his days at Ohio State, he’s slimmed down and earned a PGA Tour Card.
That hasn’t stopped him from having fun with his wedge stampings, though it’s led to some misunderstandings.
On the 54 (degree), we have ‘Big Fudge,'” Shipley told GolfWRX. “It was supposed to be ‘Big Fridge,’ so this happened a little while ago. ‘Big Fridge’ was a nickname between my college teammates and I, with ‘fridge’ meaning stomach, a big stomach.
“We told the Ping guys to put … ‘Big Fridge’ on it, and I think maybe some bad cell service or something, and they thought I said ‘fudge,’ so they put fudge on it.”
On Shipley’s 50-degree he also continues the food theme, this time with his go-to order at the “Golden Arches,” and his stamping “DONS 7.”
“The number 7 meal, the two cheeseburger meal, that was my McDonald’s order, back when I would have McDonald’s frequently,” Shipley shared.
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @raw10628 has a L.A.B. DF3 putter and Masters putter cover up for grabs.
From the listing: “Some great items here today, time to thin out and make room for next set of gear. All prices include shipping.
LAB DF3 Purple 33.5” 68° lie with TPT – $725. LAB Masters release DF3 cover – $150.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4
3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
5-wood: Ping G440 Max (19 degrees @18)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
Hybrid: Ping G440 (23 degrees)
Shaft: Oban Isawa Red Hybrid Shaft 04 Flex 70 Gms
Irons: Srixon ZXi7 (5-P)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i80
Wedges: Cleveland RTZ (50-MID, 54-FULL, 58-MID)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i105
Putter: L.A.B. Golf OZ.1i
Shaft: ACCRA Putter Shaft
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Aaron Rai’s winning WITB: 2026 PGA Championship
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Charles Schwab Challenge Tour Report: MacIntyre, Åberg and Spaun all switch putters, TaylorMade launches new Spider
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Photos from the ShopRite LPGA
Maria Torres WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4 3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4 5-wood: Ping G440...
Eric Cole WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: PXG Lightning Tour Max (9 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 70 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (15 degrees) Shaft:...
Si Woo Kim WITB 2026 (May)
Driver: Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond (8.5 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X Mini driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Mini...
Wyndham Clark’s winning WITB: 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D (10.5 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 60 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D Tour (15 degrees) Shaft: Project...
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ericsokp
Jul 15, 2022 at 8:58 pm
So they’re supposedly shorter (at least in the long irons) heel to toe, with less offset, and thinner toplines … not exactly what I’m looking for so I guess I’ll keep my i210’s.
P.S. Any reason why they “skipped” the i220 name and went wit i230?
Hipster
Jul 18, 2022 at 3:08 pm
Because they will go in line with the new g430 line.
Ray
Jul 15, 2022 at 11:12 am
Looks good at address but the back – not so much. Old 210 looks better from the back
Vinnie
Jul 16, 2022 at 12:56 am
I would say the same thing about your mom, but it’s just as irrelevant.
Craig
Jul 14, 2022 at 6:09 pm
These look nice. Once confirmed what the covering on the back is, hopefully not cheap like the Titleist T200, then will be in my bag.