During the week of the season's final men's major, Ping is introducing its new Ping Glide 3.0 wedges, offering a variety of head shapes and grinds to capture the attention of the widest swath of golfers possible.
The goals with a wedge are clear: more control with spin, better accuracy through distance control and enough versatility for each golfer's game. And, with the Glide 3.0, Ping added another goal of introducing a lighter overall club.
With the Glide 3.0 line, the heads are made from 431 stainless steel backed with a larger and softer Custom Tuning Port elastomer insert -- the same style found in the i210 irons which covers more of the back of the face. With the cavity-style design and the insert, the Glide 3.0 has more MOI while positioning the center of gravity higher to create a more piercing, higher-spinning shot profile. The Hydropearl 2.0 finish is designed to prevent skidding up the face when the ball and club interact with moisture.
The goal was to somewhat conceal all that design with a shaping that looks more appealing to a better player.
Ping's wheel-cut grooves are cut differently based on loft, with the lower-lofted wedges sporting a 0.001-inch higher radius and more of a V-shape for full shots often hit with the clubs. The higher-lofted wedges have an extra half-groove and a more U-shaped groove for more greenside spin.
The whole club is 15 grams lighter overall despite featuring a Dyla-wedge Lite grip with an extra three-quarters of an inch in length for choking down in comfort. The Nippon-designed Ping Z-Z115 wedge shaft has a lower balance point for more control.
The fitting component in the Glide 3.0 come with four different grind options, including a Ping Eye 2-inspired grind that has caught a lot of eyes in the lead up to the introduction.
From Ping themselves, here are the grind descriptions:
- Standard Sole (SS) grind: Mid-bounce sole with heel relief. Engineered for golfers with a moderate angle of attack. Exceptional performance in a variety of turf and sand conditions. Fits most golfers.
- Wide Sole (WS) grind: Most forgiving through the ground. Round and cambered sole with significant bounce. Recommended for golfers with a steep angle of attack who typically play in soft turf and sand conditions.
- Eye2 grind: With the high toe design, it matches the original Eye2 SW sole/face profiles and narrow hosel transition for the ultimate in bunker performance and touch shots near the green.
- Thin Sole (TS) grind: Facilitates precise shot-making and versatility from tight lies. Extreme heel relief with Ping WRX-inspired bounce grind. Ideal for firm conditions and a shallow angle of attack.
The Ping Glide 3.0 wedges are available for $160 each with the Nippon-made Ping Z-Z115 steel shaft and for $180 with the Ping Alta CB Red graphite shaft.
