Ping takes their time in introducing new clubs. They don't announce a release just to have something. They put out something new when they feel it's substantively better -- or more helpful -- for golfers than what's already on shelves.
With that in mind, Ping has announced their new Glide Forged Pro wedges, the successor to the Glide Forged wedges, which have been on the market for three years.
The point of emphasis with the Glide Forged Pro wedges is versatility for a variety of skills levels and in most any conditions.
Perhaps counter-intuitively, however, the Glide Forged Pro is smaller from heel to toe, with the forged 8620 carbon steel head designed to look like it's easy to manipulate for any situation. The face has been treated with a new Emery blast, which is designed to add more texture to the hitting area and deliver more opportunities to create spin and influence a lower launch angle.
The grooves on the wedges through the line are cut to produce situation-specific performance. The 50- and 52-degree lofts have wheel-cut grooves with a 20-degree sidewall to optimize performance on full shots. The 54- through 62-degree options are milled with a 28-degree sidewall and a tighter radius for more spin on finesse shots around the green and from the sand. The Hydropearl 2.0 chrome finish further helps performance, including in wet conditions.
The Glide Forged Pro wedges offer a pair of grind options:
The S grind features moderate bounce and a rounded lead edge that is the more catch-all grind of the two. It's available in seven different loft-bounce configurations from 50- through 60-degree heads.
Additionally, there's a unique 59-degree S-grind head. It features Ping Eye 2-inspired high-toe design with 1.5 degrees less bounce (8 degrees) than the other S-grind heads. The blended hosel helps add to the confidence a player needs to hit the most versatile shots on a high-toe wedge.
The T grind has a narrower sole with approximately 3 degrees less bounce than the S to make it more versatile. It’s available in three lofts (58, 60 and 62 degrees), creating low bounce/high loft combos.
Separately, Ping Wrx offers custom builds with eight unique grind options.
Golfers can further customize their wedges with six stock graphic designs and custom-stamped letters in 13 fill colors.
Ping Glide Forged Pro wedges are available in a variety of shaft options, custom-fit to the player with either stock options or other optional choices. The S grind (50º/10º, 52º/10º, 54º/10º, 56º/10º, 58º/10º, 59º/8º, 60º/10º) and T grind (58º/6º, 60º/6º, 62º/6º) come with a Golf Pride Arccos Lite Tour Velvet 360 stock grip for $217.50 per club in stock steel and $232.50 in stock graphite shafts.
