I would say Ping is better known for its forgiving drivers and irons rather than its wedges, Eye2 notwithstanding. However, the s159 wedge really boosted its credibility in this category and the brand hopes its replacement, the s259, can cement its place in the conversation when discussing the very best golf wedges money can buy.
I recently got my hands on the S259 wedges to see if the performance could match the premium billing and impress me just as much as the outgoing s159.
One thing that immediately struck me when unboxing these wedges is the continuation of the clean aesthetic established by the s159. I have always loved the tighter groove appearance on Ping wedges, and I was so pleased to see that carried over here.
The 54-62° options feature MicroMax grooves that are tightly spaced, which gives the face a busy, friction-heavy look that just looks as though you're about to rip the cover off the ball (don't worry, you don't).
At address, the head is fairly compact with a smaller footprint, which is something that will definitely please the eye of the better golfer. I personally love the rounded toe - I feel as though it softens the profile and frames the ball beautifully.
Some like a square leading edge but I prefer something slightly more rounded, like on the Vokey SM11 wedges. The lower-lofted wedges (46- 50°) are designed with a straighter leading edge (although I didn’t think it changed a lot as the loft increased), and while this helped in setting the face square to my target, I found them a little too straight for my liking. I find that more curvature helps when manipulating the face to play different shots, but others may disagree.
Under the hood, Ping has utilized an investment-cast 8620 carbon steel head, which contributes to a soft-yet-solid feel at impact. The big story, however, is face technology. The s259 wedges feature wheel-cut grooves that are precision-milled to varying dimensions depending on the loft, and that makes a lot of sense considering the different speeds you will likely swing the different wedges at.
To ensure you can hold greens from anywhere, Ping has applied a friction-adding face blast, something which was also used on the s159 wedges. This texture is designed to deliver launch and spin control from all distances and lies while also improving the durability of the wedges.
It is also worth noting the vast array of options available, considering there are six grind options and 25 loft/grind combinations, close to the 27 available in the Vokey range. These include a newly added 50° and 52° options in the W grind for those with slightly steeper angles of attack looking for a slightly more forgiving wedge.
Ultimately, a wedge can look the part, but it has to perform. I took the s259 indoors on a Foresight Sports GC3 launch monitor to see how it stacked up against the brand new SM11, as well as out on the course using Titleist Pro V1x golf balls to see how they performed from various lies.
The spin retention was impressive throughout the session, which is exactly what you look for when trying to control distance on partial shots. On a standard 50-yard pitch shot, I was generating 7,289 rpm of spin, which was marginally more than the SM11.
This level of stopping power allows you to be aggressive to tight pin positions, knowing the ball will sit down quickly. The launch angle of 28.1°, coupled with a peak height of 25 feet, offered a controlled, yet flatter flight than I was expecting, although marginally higher than the Vokey. This will be appealing for those who play in windy links conditions or just want a touch more control over the ball flight.
Overall, I would say the Ping s259 is a worthy successor to the S159, and I think it could make its way into the bags of non-contracted players, given the strong performance I saw on the launch monitor and on the course.
It retains the visual cues that I came to love on the previous model, particularly the clean look in the bag, the tight groove pattern and the rounded toe profile. While I would personally prefer a slightly softer leading edge, the compact head shape will suit a good player's eye but the performance will extend to a much larger target audience.
Coming in at £190 per club, they're not cheap, but can you put a price on predictable greenside results? Two finishes are available and a Ping Z-Z115 wedge shaft comes as standard.
