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.









