Our Ping Glide Forged wedges review took place following testing at Leeds Golf Centre and Rudding Park.
We conducted the majority of the test around the greens and in the bunkers at Rudding Park.
When it comes to wedges, we don’t think launch monitor data is going to be that useful.
Wedges are about looks and feel – and chipping the ball close to the hole, obviously.
We are confident we can test them out by eye and feel without the need to pour over launch monitor data which is very strike dependant.
Ping Glide Forged wedges review: First impressions
These irons are quite a bit different to the Glide 2.0 wedges which were released about 18 months ago.
With the Glide Forged we have a compact, sleek, forged players iron which I’m guessing Ping will hope a lot of their staff tour players will gravitate towards.
I always found the Glide wedges to be quite large and confidence inspiring which was good.
But at the same time they lacked that shelf appeal of a Vokey or a Cleveland blade.
We’ve got a similar finish to that on their new i500 and i210 irons (and iBlade, G400, G700) so it’s possible to get a set of irons and wedges which blend together really nicely.
It seems to me that Ping now have a wedge option to compete with the sleeker bladed wedges on the market – for tour players and handicap golfers.
Ping Glide Forged wedges review: The technology
The Ping Glide Forged wedges are much more about looks and feel rather than having any game-changing technology.
They are forged from a soft 8620 carbon steel and have precision-milled, wheel-cut grooves which should add a bit of extra spin.
There’s also a tungsten weight in the toe to help align the CG with common strike patterns.
Ping Glide Forged wedges review: The results
I spent a lot of time chipping around the greens and in the bunkers at Rudding Park.
It gave me the chance to get a good feel for how these wedges would perform when out on the course.
When it comes to full shots, I do find these a bit intimidating but for those delicate chips, these are absolutely lovely.
They do have a really nice soft sound and feel and I could see the ball getting lots of spin and check.
Ping Glide Forged wedges review: NCG verdict
We think this is a good move from Ping as their wedge offering was possibly one area where we thought they could improve.
We love the Glide and Glide 2.0 wedges but we can understand why some players would have preferred to use something else.
Now there is that option.
For me personally, I’d be happier hitting a full 100-115 yard shot with a Glide 2.0 but around the greens there’s no contest.
The looks of the Ping Glide Forged are spot on and they are really good fun to chip with.
We think tour players and handicap golfers now have no excuses for not playing a bag full of Ping clubs.
Ping Glide Forged wedges details
On sale: July 31
SRP: TBC
More information can be found on the Ping website.