There are now 17 different loft/bounce combinations available among four different sole grinds in the Ping wedges series, a significant increase from previous models. The feel is improved with a bigger elastomer “custom tuning port” in the rear chamber and the grinds used are a combination of the somewhat compact T and S grinds, the wider profile W and the Eye2-like E grind.
The groove rule was implemented more than a decade ago, but even after all this time, manufacturers of golf wedges are still finding ways to increase the technical prowess of what could otherwise be considered the game’s most utilitarian equipment. Much of the development has gone into finding ways to work around the restrictions on groove shape and sharpness, but there have also been efforts to increase friction in the grooves’ flat areas, move the club’s center of gravity to improve spin, launch, and distance control and provide an alphabet soup of sole grinds to suit players of varying swing styles and playing surfaces. The length of the grip has been increased so that even the shortest swings are more manageable. When it comes to the game’s most important scoring clubs, the new Ping Glide 4.0 wedges focus on what may be more important than anything else: feel.
To that purpose, the Glide 4.0 wedges are made from 8620 carbon steel, which is softer than the 431 steel used in previous generations. Furthermore, the “custom tuning port”—a slug of elastomer located at the device’s base and behind the user’s face—is 36% bigger than it was on the Glide 3.0. Because of this, a greater surface area of the club’s face is supported, resulting in a more satisfying sensation on more swings. The i210 irons use an elastomer with a formulation that corresponds to a Shore hardness of 30 A. The result is a texture roughly in between that of a rubber band and a rubber.
The Glide 4.0, like previous versions, has a machined face with grooves. The high friction emery finish initially seen on Glide Forged Pro models in 2016 may also be seen on the face. Just as its name suggests, emery is an extremely rough substance. Whereas blasting many materials might give a particular texture, this just throws a lot more of it in your face. This allows for more accurate projections of impact angle, launch velocity, and spin rate.
The grooves of the Glide 2.0 wedges are differentiated by loft, with the lower lofts using a groove with a wall angle that is eight degrees more open, revealing a sharper groove edge radius to provide more control on full shots. That’s the secret to more spin on approach shots around the green.
The Glide 4.0 maintains the same loft, bounce, and sole grind options as the Glide 3.0, with significant improvements to each of the sole grind options. The total blade length on both the S and T grinds has been shortened by about.05 inches to give the knives a more compact profile and the transition zones between the hosel and the leading edge have also been simplified. The Glide 4.0’s size is somewhere between that of the Glide Forged Pro and the Glide 3.0, with the W and E grinds having a little higher profile.
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