This proves a point I've been making on every club comparison video I watch. There's almost no difference in performance, as long as the loft and shaft length are the same.  Too many times I watch a video comparing old clubs to new ones, or even two new clubs, with completely different lofts.  But because they both have "5" stamped on them, they make it seem like a fair comparison.

My uncle used to say it's not the tools, it's the carpenter.

It would be interesting to see the same test with a new shaft and grip in the Ping.

There is an old video of a Major championship commentated on by the late Peter Alliss and Wayne Riley where a player hits a 5 iron 200yards - Wayne says -"200 yards with a 5 iron, they didn't make 5 irons like that in our day Peter!" Alliss replied - "well they did actually, only they put a 3 on the bottom"
I have stopped playing golf due to a car accident induced back injury - but in the late 90's I always carried a 1 iron, my measured driver distance then was over 300 yards with a simple 11 degree Slazenger titanium club and Graphlex shaft. I hated using Pings because I found the offset difficult to line up.

I still play ISI irons, great clubs!

I used to play Ping ISI Nickel.  Those are the only clubs I ever regretted getting rid of!

Just built myself a set of ping ISI BeCu irons with modern graphite shafts. Loving the feel, distance, forgiveness and looks so far

Back in the day, you didn't really see any other irons like the Pings either!  I remember being a teen in the mid 1970s at our local course, and anyone that had Pings in their bag were obviously both very rich and also very cool.  The Pings Zings & Eye/Eye2 were simply waaaaay ahead of their time.  Karsten Solheim was a bloody genius.

Someone once said that with the Ping Karsten irons the glass was then 95% full. Every effort since then to improve cosmetics and technology are focused only on that last 5%

There is a reason Lee Westwood used his Ping Zing2s forever. . . .

I play a ping 1 iron from 1989 that’s an absolute rocket. 250 in the air easy plus it runs like OJ on I-90. It’s won me many of tournaments and I haven’t found a modern driving iron that out preforms it. I often outdrive peoples $500 drivers with it, it’s just shy of 3 wood distance for me.  The golf ball is the biggest difference from growing up playing in the 90’s to now, not the clubs. Half these modern irons are just jacked up lofts and shaft lengths, even a half inch longer shaft makes a big difference. You basically need 2 pitching wedges now because they’re calling 46*/45* degree irons “pitching wedges”  when 49*\48* used to be pw and 44*\45* used to be a 9 iron. The number on the bottom of your club means nothing.

I think they realized these old ping irons and wedge were so good they needed to make them illegal in order for new clubs to sell. 😂

I still have a set of those beryllium ISI's. Bought them new in 98 after being fitted at Ping in Gainsbourgh. 2 iron to 60 degree wedge. Used them right up until about 6 years ago. I see them in the cupboard sometimes and they bring back memories of some great rounds, with some great friends.

I bought my BeCu Ping ISI irons back in 1998 and played them until spring of 2021.

I still have and use a set of Ping ISI-K's, and see no reason to change them, a feeling reinforced by your video.  The shaft on the 4-iron broke recently so my club pro sent it off to Ping for a new shaft.  Of course they will not have an original shaft so will have to fit a modern equivalent, and I'm looking forward to seeing whether there is any noticeable difference.  I still use the 4-iron but have replaced the 2 and 3 with hybrids.  Thanks for a very interesting video, and for choosing for comparison some older clubs very similar to the ones in my bag!

Striking the ball well James

i still play my ping ISI. wanted them since high school. not copper but i love them

To this day I still play with my Ping Karsten ISI irons. Only thing I ever update is my driver and occasionally my woods/ hybrid. Irons are just fine for me.

I still have my set of Ping ISI beryllium copper irons in the loft. Kind of given up playing golf but kept them just in case I return. Do love them and always have.

@James Robinson Golf
James you should consider doing some merchandise that says "Let's do it and Let's do it now".
It would be your best sellers!
You probably have a bigger following than you realize. I'm in Texas and me and my brother-inlaw haven't seen eachhother or played together in a good while. Last Sunday, about 2 or 3 holess in, In my best British accent I said "Let's do it...and he quickly finished and said "and Let's do it now".
We both laughed and said oh your a James Robinson fan too!
Love your channel, keep up the good work.