PING Introduces Glide 2.0 Wedges

[iacas]

I'm a bit partial to these wedges seeing as how @david_wedzik and I named them… (true story), but I wanted to share this news with y'all…

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PHOENIX (Jan. 18, 2017) – Precision-milled faces with sharper groove edges than any previous PING wedge model dramatically increase spin rates and trajectory control in the new Glide 2.0 wedges, leading to more precise short-game performance from all conditions, PING announced today.

 

“The new Glide 2.0 wedges represent a major breakthrough in performance for a number of reasons, but it’s the new grooves that are most exciting,” said John A. Solheim, PING Chairman & CEO. “As many golfers are aware, we have a lot of knowledge and experience when it comes to evaluating and designing grooves. We worked closely with our tour staff to improve every aspect of the wedges. The players have been very pleased with the increase in spin rates, overall trajectory control, including lower ball flights, and the consistency of the carry distances. Around the greens, they’re impressed with the turf interaction and how the ball is reacting off the face to give them the precision they need to hit it closer.

 

“They’ve also commented how much they appreciate the refined, compact look. When you set the club down -- whether it’s a full swing or a touch shot around the green -- you’re confident you can play the shot. Plus, the feel and sound are incredible,” Solheim said.  “Most of our tour players, including Bubba Watson and Louis Oosthuizen, have already converted to the new wedges. Together with the multiple sole grind options, the new Glide 2.0 wedges offer all golfers a tremendous opportunity to improve their short games.”

 

The Glide 2.0 wedges are available for pre-order today at authorized PING golf shops around the world.

 

An extremely precise wheel-cut milling process developed by PING’s engineering and manufacturing teams enables grooves with a sharper edge radius, which increases interaction with the cover of the ball at impact, creating more friction for improved spin and trajectory control. The grooves in the lower-lofted wedges (46°, 50° & 52°) are milled with a 20° sidewall and a .005” edge radius for optimal full-shot performance. The higher-lofted versions (54°, 56°, 58° & 60°) are milled to a .004” edge radius and a 28° sidewall to impart more spin, especially around the greens.

 

By spacing the precision-milled grooves closer together, PING’s engineers designed the lower- lofted options with one additional groove (compared to the original Glide wedge) to increase spin and control on full shots. The higher-lofted versions feature two more grooves for more spin on chip and pitch shots.  

 

In testing, Tour players are seeing spin-rate increases of 1,000-1,500 rpm on partial shots (40 to 70 yards) and gains of more than 500 rpm on full shots when compared to their current wedges.

 

The soft, 431 stainless steel heads are distinguished by a hydropearl chrome finish, which adds a new level of performance by repelling moisture for reduced sole friction. The lead edges and

sole grinds have been carefully crafted for exceptional surface interaction and versatility, gliding through the turf and sand to enable creativity and shot making. 

 

The patented design has key refinements to the four sole grinds (SS, WS, ES and TS) ensure Glide 2.0 wedges can be fit to a golfer’s divot depth or attack angle and most common turf conditions. 

 

SS GRIND  (46°/12°, 50°/12°, 52°/12°, 54°/12°, 56°/12°, 58°/10°, 60/10°)

An all-purpose mid-bounce sole with heel and trail edge relief to create versatility on touch shots around the green. Ideal for moderate attack angles and divots. Fits most golfers. 

 

WS GRIND (56°/14°, 58°/14°, 60/14°)

Full-sole design that provides turf security for players with a steep angle of attack. The reduced camber and added width prevent the sole from skipping into the ball. 

 

TS GRIND (58°/6°, 60°/6°)

A PING WRX-inspired design based on the Tour-proven half-moon grind. The TS grind facilitates shot making and precision from even the most difficult lies. The heel relief allows shots to be executed with an open face to difficult pins or from firm lies without fear of the lead edge sitting too high. 

 

ES GRIND (54°/8°, 56°/8°, 58°/8°, 60°/8°)

Eye 2-inspired sole design provides the ultimate in bunker performance, resulting from the classic dish profile along with the tapered hosel. A refined lead edge upgrades all-around performance with the iconic ES grind.

 

The Glide 2.0 wedge’s grip and shaft are specifically designed to improve short game performance. The Dyla-wedge grip, which is ¾-inch longer and features a reduced taper, allows golfers to grip down for more versatility and trajectory control. To promote lower launch with enhanced feel, the custom-engineered AWT 2.0 Wedge shaft is optimized in weight (118g), flex and balance. The KBS Tour, Dynamic Gold, N. S. Pro Modus³ 105, XP 95, and Project X are also available at no upcharge.

 

 

Glide 2.0  shaft options

- Stock steel shaft: PING AWT 2.0 Wedge 

- Stock graphite shaft: PING CFS 65/70/80 (Soft R, R, S)

- After-market shaft options (no upcharge): Project X 5.0, 6.0; XP 95 (R300, S300), N.S. Pro Modus³ 105 (S, X), KBS Tour (R, S, X), Dynamic Gold (S300, X100)

 

- U.S. MSRP: $150 per club w/steel shaft; $175 per club w/graphite shaft

 

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[Golfingdad]

I love mine still.  The only thing I want to change in my set is when I get new wedges, I want to get the gap/util to match the 54 and 58 rather than the current one I have that matches the iron set.  I feel like I'd prefer that "scoring club" look on a third club.

Heck, seeing that these things come in 46 degree, maybe I should go for 4 "scoring clubs?" :P

[iacas]

7 minutes ago, Golfingdad said:

Heck, seeing that these things come in 46 degree, maybe I should go for 4 "scoring clubs?" :P

My pitching wedge is the same as my wedges, not my irons…

[Jakester23]

44 minutes ago, iacas said:

My pitching wedge is the same as my wedges, not my irons…

Is this pretty common among better players? My gw and pw match my irons not my wedges.

[iacas]

5 minutes ago, Jakester23 said:

Is this pretty common among better players? My gw and pw match my irons not my wedges.

Maybe?

I like that my pitching wedge doesn't look like my 8-iron. Makes me feel a tad more confident. And since I use it for more types of shots, I like that it's more versatile than a standard iron grind.

[Golfingdad]

6 minutes ago, Jakester23 said:

Is this pretty common among better players? My gw and pw match my irons not my wedges.

I'm currently like you - PW and UW match irons, not wedges.  The reason why I'd like to try switching over with those clubs is basically what Erik said.  To expand on that ... when I look down at my glide wedges (54/58) I'm looking at a club that is begging to be hit with some finesse and close to the hole.  It just looks like a club that should be used to hit the second-to-last shot on the hole each and every time it's used.  An 8 or 9 iron doesn't look like that.  It looks like a club I want to swing hard and, hopefully, get on the green.

It's likely that a switch like this will not bring a very noticeable change in my scoring, which is why I'm in no rush to make the change, but I feel like if anything at all, it would help.  So, why not try it? :)

[dennyjones]

3 hours ago, iacas said:

 

I'm a bit partial to these wedges seeing as how @david_wedzik and I named them… (true story), but I wanted to share this news with y'all…

 

OK...tell the story....

[Wanzo]

1 hour ago, Golfingdad said:

It just looks like a club that should be used to hit the second-to-last shot on the hole each and every time it's used.  An 8 or 9 iron doesn't look like that.  It looks like a club I want to swing hard and, hopefully, get on the green.

Isn't the motto of the new I blade that every club is a scoring club. Such a big part of it is looking down and feeling confident. I think the trend could be to move towards more blended sets. I.e. If you are a ping guy, go as low as you can with the glide wedges, switch to I blade, then to I 200, and possibly a g long iron.  If the gaps work.  

Btw, these wedges look terrific. Excited to try them out sometime this year. 

[billchao]

These look nice and I'm due for some new wedges. My last wedge purchase was a Vokey simply because they offered more bounce and grind options than most other major manufacturers, but I can probably find a combination that works for me here.

[cipher]

I really like how these look.  I like the sole design as well.

[dkolo]

4 hours ago, iacas said:

My pitching wedge is the same as my wedges, not my irons…

I actually bought the Glide 1.0 in 47° because I hated the chunky PW that came in my set. I had borrowed a Nike VRS Combo PW for most of 2016 from a set that was being kept in my house and I began using it for chipping and (imagine!) for pitching, neither of which I felt comfortable doing with my PW matched to my iron set. I wanted a more bladey PW, but with a little bit of cavity and help from tech since I would still hit it full a lot (and my iron play isn't bladed club good). I'm a huge fan of the club because I can do everything I want to do with the club now. I also think it looks awesome. I did change the paint-fill to make it more interesting to me, though. I think I'll get a couple years out of this club, but the 2.0s are, I'm sure, a great club for anyone who is looking for a more delicate, versatile wedge that still offers a fair of help. I know I probably wouldn't have gotten it without the rave reviews from @Golfingdad and the imprimatur of TST

Edited January 24, 2017 by dkolo

[boogielicious]

8 hours ago, billchao said:

These look nice and I'm due for some new wedges. My last wedge purchase was a Vokey simply because they offered more bounce and grind options than most other major manufacturers, but I can probably find a combination that works for me here.

Agree. I like my 54-14 Vokey, but wish it had a grind instead of a full flange.

[Vinny Cap]

I am a Ping guy and love my Ping gear (Woods, Irons, Wedges and Putters) so I will check them out in the spring.  Thanks for the info.

I do want to ask, are these as good or better than the Edel wedges?

[iacas]

4 hours ago, Vinny Cap said:

I do want to ask, are these as good or better than the Edel wedges?

I prefer the Edel still, mostly for the varied grinds with even more "glide" to them.

16 hours ago, dennyjones said:

OK...tell the story....

Not much to tell. In LSW, we mention a few times that we prefer to call bounce "glide" and we're friends with some of the guys and engineers at PING, and they liked what we were saying, so they named the wedges "Glide" wedges after what we'd said in the book.

We filmed Marty J giving us credit at the PGA Show a few years back, and he sent us a signed wedge thanking us for the naming idea.

[billchao]

9 hours ago, boogielicious said:

Agree. I like my 54-14 Vokey, but wish it had a grind instead of a full flange.

I have a 60.08 with the M grind. I'm looking to get a 50/12 with the SS and a 54/08 with the ES in the Glides.

[Jmdmbike]

These Glide 2.0's look really nice. Ping is definitely doing it right and great reviews on theses wedges. Much cleaner look is really appealing across their range of new irons and wedges ?

 

[arturo28mx]

One thing to consider is SWINGWEIGHT. I used the gap wedge that came with my Titleist AP2, but I didn't feel comfortable with it, until I realized it was a swingweight problem. The AP2 gap wedge is D2 but my Cleveland 50 degree wedge is D4 and it just feels much better for me. For me, short wedges need to feel heavy for a good tempo.

[jjfcpa]

I really tried to like RTX-3's but in the end, I ordered a 50* and 56* Ping glide 2.0.  I should have known better since last year I was playing the Ping Glide and got sucked in my the hype that RTX-3's could do me better.  Not the case.  Arrive tomorrow and can't wait.