PING iDi: The Evolution Of The Outstanding iCrossover

For most golfers, a bigger long iron—essentially what a utility iron is—offers only marginal help. These clubs are the least carried in golf for good reason: compared to the alternatives—hybrids and higher-lofted fairway woods—they’re hard to hit, less forgiving and sometimes more frustrating than the long irons they’re meant to replace.

The magic of PING’s iCrossover was different. It cracked the code by being an unusually good option for golfers who couldn’t otherwise hit utility irons while simultaneously working for golfers who already could and just wanted a really good one. That dual appeal has made it stand out in MyGolfSpy testing as a multiple Most Wanted winner and while it’s harder to quantify, it has made the entire category more accessible—perhaps even functional—for average golfers and better players alike.

But the iCrossover had a branding problem. When it first launched, PING was adamant about one thing: “It’s not a driving iron.” The intent was to position a club that was more versatile than a standard driving iron but in trying to be everything to everyone, they may have lost the golfer specifically shopping for a driving iron.

Enter the iDi. PING is rebranding—and dissecting the PING lingo (can we call it PINGO for short?), the name tells the story. You’re getting an i-series (PING’s better player line) driving iron. So yes, PING’s utility is now officially a driving iron although it retains virtually everything that made it more than that.

Sometimes the best innovations come from simply calling things what they are, although there’s plenty more to the iDi story than a name change.

What’s new with iDi

The most obvious change is visual. PING has shortened the blade length by five percent (heel to toe), giving the club a more compact appearance at address. The feedback came directly from tour players and PING’s proving grounds testing group—they wanted something that looked smaller but still substantial enough to inspire confidence.

The shorter blade length serves multiple purposes beyond aesthetics. PING has also widened the sole and refined the bounce design, creating what the company describes as a hybrid-like shaping that reduces turf interaction and helps the club glide through impact while maintaining the ability to hit down on the ball. Combined with flatter lie angles (a degree to degree-and-a-half across the set), these changes help eliminate left-right tendencies—particularly the big left miss—and create a straighter, more predictable ball flight.

Perhaps most notably, PING has shallowed the face profile, allowing for a thinner face design—the thinnest they’ve produced in this utility/driving iron category. Combined with their forged C300 maraging steel face, this translates to improved ball speed and distance.

Three technologies working together

The most innovative addition to the iDi is what PING calls “inR-Air”—an inflated air pocket that’s installed before the covered cavity is attached. Think of it like the air bladder in your NIKE shoes but engineered to solve the vibration and acoustic challenges that come with hollow-body metalwood construction.

The inR-Air system replaces the EVA polymer PING has used historically, touching both the face and internal geometry of the clubhead. It’s designed to attenuate unwanted vibrations while still allowing the high degree of face flex that makes the maraging steel face effective.

Working alongside inR-Air is the iBEAM—an integrally cast section that connects the back flange to the top rail. This beam construction further refines acoustics and impact feel, helping create what PING describes as a muted, crisp impact sensation similar to what precision iron players expect.

The third piece of the puzzle is the covered cavity, an ABS plastic design that’s chrome plated to match the rest of the club. Plastic gets a bad rap but ABS is roughly one-seventh the density of steel so this construction saves significant mass that can be repositioned lower in the head for improved performance.

Performance across the lofts

The iDi is offered in 2- (17°), 3- (20°), and 4-iron (23°) lofts, but PING has tailored each club for specific roles. The 2-iron is positioned as the driving iron of the family—it’s been strengthened to 17 from 18 degrees of loft and produces lower flight with reduced spin. It’s designed for distance and control off the tee.

The 3-iron maintains its loft and provides a balance of distance and height, while the 4-iron has actually been weakened by half a degree to 23, emphasizing height and control for approach shots. If you wanted to argue that one of the iDis still isn’t a driving iron, I suppose it’s the #4.

All three models have been shortened across the board (the 2-iron is 3/8-inch shorter). The goal was to create a smoother, more harmonious transition from the iDi to your iron set.

Fitting and customization

PING has returned to a bonded hosel design, removing the adjustable trajectory tuning hosel from the iCrossover. This provides all the loft and lie flexibility that precision players demand while simplifying the fitting process.

The standard shaft offering is the 2.0 Chrome, but PING is also introducing the 2.0 Black 90—a heavier, low-launch shaft originally developed for the G440 but designed specifically with the iDi in mind. It’s targeted at higher swing speed players who want to optimize launch conditions.

Performance

Performance gains with the iDi are modest but meaningful. PING reports small but significant ball speed improvements across all lofts, with the shorter, more compact design actually helping maintain peak ball speed while providing better shot-to-shot consistency.

From a dispersion standpoint, testing shows approximately 11 percent tighter overall patterns, with fewer errant shots both left and right. The changes particularly help eliminate the shorter, offline shots that can plague utility iron players.

Trajectory-wise, PING has achieved differentiated performance across the set. The 2-iron flights noticeably lower than its predecessor, fulfilling its role as a true driving iron. The 3-iron maintains similar launch characteristics while the 4-iron actually produces higher peak height, emphasizing its role as more of an approach club.

Despite the shorter club lengths, ball speed gains from the thinner face and improved center of gravity positioning help maintain distance while adding control.

The positioning strategy

What makes the iDi particularly interesting is how PING is positioning it within the broader utility category. Rather than replacing fairway woods or hybrids, PING sees the iDi as the optimal choice for specific conditions, particularly when wind is a factor or when maximum distance control is required.

If you’re familiar with my “two in the trunk” strategy, you’ll understand why the iDi might be an outstanding alternative to what’s in your bag most of the time.

The flat-faced design gives players more trajectory control than higher-launching alternatives. When conditions demand precision and distance management—think into-the-wind shots or tight fairways—the iDi offers advantages that hybrids and fairway woods simply can’t match.

Bottom line

The iDi represents PING’s evolution of a winning formula rather than a complete reinvention. The core elements that made the iCrossover successful—high launch, excellent stopping power and ease of use—remain intact. What’s changed is the refinement of those characteristics and the expansion of the club’s appeal to include traditional driving iron players.

For existing iCrossover users, the iDi should feel familiar while offering improved performance. For golfers who’ve been shopping the driving iron category, it presents a compelling option that delivers the playability benefits of the crossover design with the lower flight and increased control they’re seeking.

The PING iDi will be available starting July 17, with fitting clubs arriving at retail July 8. MSRP is $295. Actual street price will be a bit less.

For more information, visit PING.com.

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