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The PING Glide 3.0 wedge has been redesigned to be lighter and more forgiving. Forgiveness of a cavity back with the look of a traditional blade wedge. Very high spin. Four unique sole options.
Introduction
PING has hit on a winning formula with their Glide wedges. The original Glide and Glide 2.0 combined forgiveness with great looks and feel.
So, if you’re PING, what do you do with Glide 3.0? You redesign the whole thing: new grip, new shaft, new club head. The result is higher spin and more forgiveness at a lighter weight.
Check out the new PING Glide 4.0 wedges HERE
Looks
PING has mastered the art of designing a wedge that’s high tech but doesn’t look high tech. The entire Glide 3.0 has a brushed silver finish, and while you can see the cavity back and elastomer Custom Tuning Port, it reads as clean and tasteful in the bag.
The three “standard” models of the Glide 3.0 have a classic teardrop shape and compact head size. Their leading edges are rounded substantially in the toe but fairly straight overall.
The fourth sole, the Eye2 Sole, has a shape all its own. Most notable is the high toe, but it also sets itself apart with the sharply sloped top line, thin hosel, and dramatically rounded leading edge.
Sound & Feel
One of the major changes that PING’s engineers made to the Glide 3.0 is making the elastomer Custom Tuning Port longer and softer. This makes the wedge feel soft and solid across even more of the face.
Impact feels crisp and solid. Depending on the ball you use, there’s a slight “click” on perfect strikes. The muted sound doesn’t provide much audio feedback, but it’s easy to locate impact through your hands.
Performance
There’s a lot to talk about here, and we’ll start with the most exciting part: spin. Thanks to a combination of factors, the PING Glide 3.0 is the highest spinning wedge I’ve tested in a long time. To be clear, putting this wedge in the bag isn’t going to magically change your game, but it does create several hundred RPM more than most other wedges.
Part of the spin equation is the new sharper edge radius on the grooves. PING also designed grooves that are appropriate for each loft. In the lower lofted wedges ( 46, 50, 52), the grooves are slightly less aggressive because those wedges are more commonly used on full swings. For the higher lofted wedges, the grooves are more aggressive to create more spin on partial shots. The higher lofted wedges also have an extra 1/2 groove on the bottom of the face to impart more spin.
There are many shaft options (see the spec sheet below for the full list), but I tested with the stock PING Z-Z115, made by Nippon. This shaft has a lower balance point and lighter overall weight. PING states that the lower balance point should provide lower launch with enhanced control and feel. Despite being lighter than my normal wedge shaft, I had excellent control and touch with the Z-Z115.
Redesigning the Glide 3.0 wedge went from “grip-to-grind” according to PING. The new Dyla-wedge Lite grip is 3/4″ longer than a traditional grip and has a reduced taper. This creates more opportunity to choke down on the club for shot making and trajectory control.
Another important element of the Glide 3.0’s performance is forgiveness. A redesigned cavity gives the Glide 3.0 a higher MOI than its predecessors which means it’s more stable on mishits. Cavity back wedges are becoming a more common choice among recreational players and for good reason: we need forgiveness, especially in the short game where every inch counts.
Finally, let’s talk about the sole. What I love about PING’s system is that it has plenty of options, but it’s also easy to understand. Each sole is meaningfully different, and I believe that most players will be able to feel the difference between each grind.
The PING Glide 3.0 offers four different sole grinds: Standard Sole (SS), Wide Sole (WS), Thin Sole (TS), and Eye2 Sole. Standard Sole is a mid-bounce sole with some heel relief. I’ve found this to be ideal for full swings as well as a strong, versatile performer in the short game. The Wide Sole is most resistant to digging, an excellent choice for players who have steep swings or who play in soft conditions. Thin Sole has maximum heel and trailing edge relief, ideal for those with shallow swings. Finally, there’s the classic Eye2 Sole. This version of the Glide 3.0 has a narrow hosel and high toe which makes it ideal for bunker play and touch shots around the green.
Standard Sole is available in every loft, Thin Sole is available in 58 and 60 degrees, and Wide Sole and Eye2 Sole are available in 54, 56, 58, and 60 degrees.
Conclusion
High spin? Check. Forgiveness? Check. Great looks and feel? Check and check. An understandable system for fitting the sole to your swing? Check, again.
The PING Glide 3.0 wedge truly has it all. This is the most complete wedge I’ve tested, and you will certainly find a set making its way into my bag soon.
PING Glide 3.0 Wedge Price & Specs
Matt Saternus
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Any word of a Stealth version in the near future?
Mark,
No word yet. Maybe at the PGA Show for a spring release?
-Matt
The 3.0 has the water dispersing hydro pearl finish. Does the Stealth version (2.0) have the hydro pearl finish?
I have seen some testing of wedge spin in wet vs dry conditions. Some of the differences are remarkable. The hydro pearl finish appears to preserve spin in wet conditions. The Stealth version was a high spin wedge in dry conditions. But in the wet?
David,
The PING website does not mention the Hydro Peal finish on the Stealth 2.0, so I would assume it does not.
-Matt
Matt
Do you have any insight on when the Glide 4.0 will be released? I don’t like the new forged wedge option available from Ping & understand that the Glide 3.0 has been discontinued which I find surprising given that a replacement wedge is not available from Ping.
Fred,
I have no inside information, but it’s possible that a replacement could be coming for early 2022.
Best,
Matt
Matt,
Was curious on your take of these vs the 2.0? With all the prices being slashed on last year models is (in your option) the 3.0 worth’s the $40 extra per wedge?
Thanks
Seth
Seth,
Great question. The first part of my answer is generic: try both, see if one is much better for you. To get into a more specific answer: if you’re going to play the stock shaft, I think there’s more chance for the 3.0 to be worth the extra money. However, if you’re going to swap the shaft out, I would probably save the money and get the 2.0. The stock set up of the 3.0 spins like crazy, which I think most people will really like.
Best,
Matt
Matt,
How would you compare the Glide 3.0 wedges to the Cleveland CBX2 in terms of forgiveness?
Thanks,
John
John,
Unfortunately, I didn’t test the CBX2, so I can’t offer a comparison to the Glide 3.0.
Best,
Matt
? my 17 yr old is a +2, playing Vokey 50-54-58 with 120 XS Nippon shafts, but I getting tired of replacing them since he is a range rat and hits a ton of balls, I am assuming these will hold up much better , also should i have a lighter or less stiff shaft in his wedge setup ?
If he’s playing at a +2, I’m not sure I’d change much. If anything, I would get him in front of a very good fitter to see if a change would be beneficial.
Best,
Matt
Matt, which degrees and corresponding soles do you use for your Glide 3.0s? I know you go up to PW with your PXG Gen3 0311Ts so just curious how you finish out your bag when using the Glides? Thanks
Parker,
50, 55, 60 in the Standard Sole.
Best,
Matt
Hi Matt,
I just ordered a 50* and 54* in both 12bounce standard soles, along with a 58* eye2 grind in an 8bounce. All 3 paired w/ a 44* PXG PW from their Gen 2 XF line.
Played a 46*/50*/56* for years and excited to have newer clubs with more options around the green… but also nervous to have more options… figured the the 50* remains a full swing from 90-100yds out while the 54 and 58 will be used based on lie everywhere inside 90yds. Green side a and play, the Eye2 will be used almost exclusively.
I know it’s all subjecting but wanted to get your thoughts.
Philip,
I’m generally in favor of having more wedges, assuming the player is genuinely focused on their score. More wedges means more stock shafts which is a good thing for golfers at every level.
-Matt
Hi Matt
I’m waiting on my JPX 921 forged irons with Nippon Pro Modus Tour 105 Stiff shafts 5i through Gap Wedge.
I’m pretty sold on the Ping Glide Wedge 3.0…thinking 54 and 58 as the 921 Gap Wedge is 50 deg. I’m conflicted on whether to just go with
a) the same shaft as my irons
b) the same shaft as my irons except the heavier Nippon Tour 120
c) the stock Ping wedge shafts Z-Z115
Any thoughts ?
Cameron
Cameron,
My preference for my clubs is to use the same shafts in the irons and wedges for consistency of feel.
Best,
Matt
Thanks Matt. I’m going to go with that but with the Glide 3.0. I’m not crazy about the Mizuno wedge options.
Hi Matt,
I am playing i3 blade 60 degree wedge. I would like to replace it with the same / similar bounce . What would you suggest ?
Thank you
Charles Ng
Charles,
I don’t know the specs of the i3, so I can’t tell you what would be close. I do think PING’s SS sole is hard to beat as a do-everything wedge.
-Matt
Hi Matt,
I currently play the Modus 105 regular flex in my Srixon Z7 irons — 5-PW. I’m looking at getting a 50, 54 and 58 degree in the Glide wedges. I see that Ping offers at no upcharge the Modus 105 in their custom program. I will go this route with the 50 degree as I will be taking a lot of full swings with this club. Do you think having the 54/58 degree makes sense going with this shaft all through my set or is the stock Nippon shaft a better option? Let me know your thoughts.
Dan,
I prefer to have the same shaft throughout my irons and wedges.
Best,
Matt
I play the i500 irons with 54 and 58 MD5 jaws wedges. Not thrilled with them and was leaning towards the glide 3.0 but really unsure what sole to go with
Tim,
It’s hard to go wrong with the Standard Sole. The other options are really good for the players/situations they fit, but I wouldn’t choose one of those unless I was fit for it or really knew what I needed.
Best,
Matt
Matt,
I just bought a Glide 3.0 Eye 58 loft with 8 degrees of bounce. I live in Florida and play on public courses with a lot of packed down sand traps and hard pan around the greens. Would this wedge be a good fit for those conditions? My other wedges are Callaway MD4 and Jaws with 12 degrees of bounce. I wanted to have 1 wedge with less bounce. I bought this club before reading your review.
Larry,
My experience with the Eye Sole is that it’s more of an anti-dig sole than a “cut through the turf/grass” sole, but that’s just my experience. I would suggest heading to a course when it’s empty, bringing both wedges, and hitting a few extra shots with each wedge to see which performs the way you want in the sand.
Best,
Matt
What would be the best option if I like to open it up, and hit spinny chip shots near the green.
Rob,
Probably the Thin Sole, but I would get fit to confirm that.
-Matt
I sense the Glide 3.0 is a bit..maybe a lot..lighter overall than the original Glide 1.0.
Am I imagining things? Thanks love your reviews!
Strongly recommend the TM mini drivers to be in fairway to use the Ping wedges!😎