Product Reviews
Ping S159 wedge review (new B, H grinds) – Club Junkie Review
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Ping’s new S159 wedges have been widely discussed in the GolfWRX forums since we spotted them on tour late last year. I was fortunate enough to get two of the newest S159 grinds out on the course to put them through their paces around the green. I will admit that some of Ping’s previous wedge offerings never really suited my eye, but that definitely changed with these S159 wedges.
For a more in-depth discussion and a full review, please check out the Club Junkie podcast on all podcast platforms and YouTube below.
Out of the box, I like the clean and simple look that Ping went with. From address, the wedges have had some of the offset removed and the line from the hosel into the leading edge is straight. A lot of wedges with a little offset have a curve, or “hook,” from the hosel to leading edge that I just don’t love. Ping, however, did away with most of that.
Speaking of the leading edge, Ping has gone a little straighter with it as you see very little curve on the lower lofts (like the 52 degree) and just slightly more radius as you get into the lob wedge. I like the simple look with minimal branding on these wedges and the Hydropearl 2.0 chrome finish looks nice while still reducing glare.
Ping added some new grinds and grind options to the S159 line and if you need a place to start with what wedge fits your game the best, Ping’s WebFit app is a quick way to get some suggestions.
I have been hitting the 56 H grind and 60 B grind. The wedges are cast from 8620 carbon steel and have a nice soft feel to them. When you do miss the center, you will get a little more vibration to your hands as well as a more audible click at impact. My miss with a wedge is typically low heel and definitely noticed a firmer feel and louder sound.
Spin on the S159 was very good, and Ping’s use of smaller grooves on the face produced shots that checked up hard from any distance on the green. Now the smaller grooves are a little hard to clean, so I suggest investing in a nice plastic bristled brush. Playing this early in Metro Detroit does not offer you tight, manicured fairway lies, and the S159 wedges were still allowing me to spin the ball back on fuller shots. Shots out of the rough still spun well and were met with very predictable, although shorter, release. I went a little long on a green and had very little green to work with, so I hit a little chip that just landed beyond the fringe and stopped after about one foot, leaving me well short. I didn’t think the wedge could get enough friction on the ball from that deeper rough, but the S159 proved me wrong.
Ball flight is a little higher than the Vokey SM10 wedges on standard shots for me, but you can still flight the ball down easily for a penetrating shot with a lot of spin. Ping states the S159’s shape is tour-inspired, but they do offer some good forgiveness when you don’t hit it perfectly. As I mentioned earlier I tend to miss low heel with my wedges and the S159 would still give me decent launch and spin, producing a solid shot.
Ping S159 56-10 H Grind
I was a little intimidated by this one, as I haven’t played a sand wedge with this little bounce in a long time. I am a steeper swinger and play in soft conditions, so most of my wedges are in the teens when it comes to bounce. However, Ping does describe the H as “A shot-saving option for players with steeper angles of attack who like to manipulate the handle and play with versatility,” so I didn’t need to be so cautious.
The H grind offers good turf interaction on full shots as the course was soft from a few rainy days, but the wedge got through quickly. Divots were just a touch deeper than some of the higher-bounce wedges I have used, but the H got through and out of the turf pretty quickly.
Around the green, the H grind was versatile and allowed you to open the face while the leading edge stayed close to the turf. I don’t open a 56 up a ton, but it was easy to open it slightly and hit a higher-lofted pitch or chip shot around the green. When you went wide open with the H grind in the bunker, it offered good float and slide through firm sand easily and quickly.
Ping S159 60-8 B Grind
This grind was the one I was most excited to try, but I was a little taken aback when I saw how wide the sole was. Now I am light years away from a tour player who can play flop shots off concrete lies, but I like to open the face a little bit. The B grind is wide and only has a little bit of heel and trailing edge relief. As Ping says, the grind is “For a shallow angle of attack and neutral face delivery. Low-bounce design sits low on the turf on square-face shots.”
Now the B grind does have a nice bevel from the leading edge to the sole that is subtle but allows the wedge to be “thumped” into the turf without worrying about digging while playing it square. As Ping says, square shots are great and you have a bit of forgivness if you hit just slightly behind the ball as the B will glide effortlessly across the turf. You can still open the face a little in some more lush and softer conditions. Shots hit very high on the face don’t carry a ton and lose some spin compared to some of the high-toe style wedges.
Bunkers with softer and fluffy sand are where the B grind will thrive as well; the wedge just floats like a pontoon boat through it. I am usually a 56-degree wedge player out of the bunker unless I am short-sided, but I could see myself using the B grind more and more, as it is just easy and consistent.
My final thoughts on Ping’s S159 wedges: They are very versatile and playable for a wide range of golfers. If you are looking for ultimate shotmaking or just some consistent wedges that spin well, these can be both. And now that Ping added some grinds and grind options to the lineup, you should be able to find a two, three, or four-wedge setup that complements your wedge game, swing, and course conditions.
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Product Reviews
Titleist Vokey WedgeWorks L Grind review – Club Junkie Reviews
![](https://www.golfwrx.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/IMG_5298.jpeg.187faabbce8ec503e7d63477433b4c08.jpg)
Titleist Vokey wedges might offer golfers the widest range of sole options to suit any swing type, condition, or shot type out there. Countless professionals use Vokey wedges each week and if you look in the bags at local courses you will see a lot of them in play there as well. While sole options are plentiful, Vokey just released another option, the L grind, for their 58 and 60-degree lob wedges. Listen to the full review, in-depth, on the Club Junkie podcast below or on any podcast platform.
Vokey’s L Grind is a low bounce, 4-degree grind that allows the leading edge to get close to the ground while still offering trailing edge, heel, and toe relief. This sole allows you to get the leading edge of the wedge down on the turf for shots of tight and firm lies. Relief on the wedge is going to allow the player to open the face without that leading edge coming up off the turf so you can hit higher lofted shots easily. This L Grind is only available in Vokey’s Raw finish, so the wedge will rust over time and use.
When you open the box on a Raw Vokey, it is always hard to tell if it is a Tour Chrome as the polish to the raw metal looks that good. Just holding the club in my hand, the L Grind looks a lot like an M Grind with the way they shaped the sole. I won’t lie, I was a bit nervous taking out a wedge with 4 degrees of bounce as I play in Metro Detroit and we rarely find tight and firm lies here. Around our greens is soft and lush with deep rough and bunkers with firmer sand. I tend to get a little steep with my wedges and have always used higher-bounce wedges. This year I was fit into SM10 50.12F, 56.14F, and 60.10S wedges. I thought this L grind was light years from my 60.10S, so I proceeded with caution and took it straight to the course. I had a 58.04L sent to me so I switched up my wedge setup to accommodate that.
Out on the course, I was shocked by the first shot with the 58.04L as it sped through the deep rough, popped the ball in the air, and plopped it into the green. I was short-sided and the ball released past the whole as I expected it to, resting about 8ft away for par. Shots out of the rough, whether partial or closer to full, were easy and drama-free. The L Grind glided through the deeper grass with little extra effort and faster than my S Grind. I rarely got to deep and slid under the ball, but when that did happen the ball came out with some spin and control, holding the green.
Off the fairway is where the L Grind really shined for me as I used it for more shots than I normally would have. I am usually a sand wedge player around the green unless I have to go to the lob for a short sided shot or to carry a bunker. Off the fairway you could just thump the sole of the wedge into the turf and it would quickly slide through, producing a shallower divot than I expected. The divot was honestly not much deeper or bigger than what I see with my 56.14F sand wedge. After the first shot I thought I just hit a good one and I would see additional digging soon, but that wasn’t the case. Partial shots from right off the green to about 40 yards offered great turf interaction. Opening the face was easy and the leading edge staying down gave a poor wedge player confidence to swing a little faster and hit a more solid shot.
Spin, as you would expect from a Vokey wedge, was high and predictable with shots checking up hard upon landing. I really liked playing the ball back in my stance a touch and pressing the wedge forward to hit a low, high spin, shot that checked up hard and then released towards the hole. Out of the trap the L Grind plays well as you can see a good amount of dynamic bounce when you open the face. The float wasn’t as good as my S Grind and if you hit the L Grind fat you could definitely come up short, but the L was very capable out of the firmer traps here.
Overall, the L Grind is a really solid option that is more versatile than its 4-degree bounce description. Players who play in softer conditions or have steeper swings don’t have to shy away from this wedge as I think it plays like a higher bounce sole. I don’t think there is a shot in the book that you can’t hit with this wedge, it is built to do it all.
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Product Reviews
Three Swing Challenge: Testing the Fujikura Ventus Blue powered by VeloCore+
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The first shaft has entered the Three Swing Challenge’s Arena! This week we have the 2024 Fujikura Ventus Blue powered by VeloCore+. Be sure to let us know what you think, and what you want to see tested next!
Why three swings?
Many years ago, the legendary Barney Adams, founder of Adams Golf told us this:
“My formula as a fitter was three shots only. I discounted No. 1 just because it was the first one, counted 100 percent of No. 2 and discounted No. 3 because the player was starting to adjust.”
More on the new Fujikura Ventus Blue here.
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Equipment
Three Swing Challenge: Testing the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond Max driver
![](https://www.golfwrx.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Blank-1024-x-768.png)
Callaway recently released the Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond Max Driver, and BK is ready to see where it stacks up in this week’s Three Swing Challenge!
Why three swings?
Many years ago, the legendary Barney Adams, founder of Adams Golf told us this:
“My formula as a fitter was three shots only. I discounted No. 1 just because it was the first one, counted 100 percent of No. 2 and discounted No. 3 because the player was starting to adjust.”
Read more about the Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond Max driver in our launch piece.
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Nick
Mar 13, 2024 at 10:49 am
Sounds like we have similar steep swings. Would you choose H grind over W grind ?
Brian Knudson
Mar 13, 2024 at 8:01 pm
I think for the 60 I would take the H grind over the W, but the W or B might be best for me in the 56
Tom Newsted
Mar 13, 2024 at 7:19 am
I bought the Eye 2 version of this wedge when it came out. just like the rest of the family its clean and does its job well. I use it as my primary bunker club and wow is it a weapon out of the sand. If you are considering new wedges this year I highly recommend looking at these. I was a long time Vokey guy but these pings are a real option right now.
Brian Knudson
Mar 13, 2024 at 8:02 pm
I wish they made that E sole in the traditional looking wedges. I LOVE the way that E sole is out of the bunker as well!