PING S159 Wedge Review

PING S159 Wedges Key Features:

• Wheel cut grooves: precision-milled to varying dimensions, depending on loft for optimal launch and spin from every wedge
• Friction Face: a friction-adding face blast to deliver optimal spin rates and control
• Webfit Wedge App: a new fitting app that allows you to quickly figure out exactly which grind you should have on your wedges
• Six grind options: to help deliver an ideal setup dependent on swing and shot type

Following the success of the Glide 4.0 and Glide Forged wedges, PING has upped the ante once more with the introduction of the stunning new S159 range.

Offered in six different grind options and two beautiful finishes, these wedges are designed for the low-to-mid handicap golfer who desires versatility, Tour performance, and sleek looks. 

We were fortunate enough to be sent a set of S159s in the S grind, one of the brand's most versatile options that was developed to suit a variety of techniques and turf conditions. 

To see how the S159s would compete against the best wedges of 2024, we took them down to the coast for a spin at Hunstanton Golf Course. 

Let's get into it.

Player Level

Ideal for mid-to-low handicap golfers, these wedges offer a suitably large profile that provides a very forgiving and confidence-inspiring look at the address. 

The performance levels on offer are Tour standard, meaning they will benefit the best ball strikers in the business as well as those who may struggle to find the centre of the clubface every time. 

PING S159 Wedges Looks and Feel:

In hand, these irons have a very clean design. Our wedges arrived in the 'hero' chrome satin finish, and upon peeling back the plastic wrapper, we were instantly impressed. 

We're big fans of a clean and simple wedge design, and that's exactly what PING has delivered with the S159s

The PING branding is positioned close to the sole, with a thin black line connecting the heel and toe. The main body of the sole is kept completely clean, a choice we applaud. 

Down at address, these wedges also look superb, with a traditional teardrop shape beautifully framing the ball. 

PING has opted for quite a generous head size, which we personally love. The last thing you want when standing over an important chip is a small striking zone, and thankfully, the S159's profile instills confidence rather than takes it away. 

A thin topline and minimal offset also add to the overall profile, which was based on extensive Tour feedback. 

These wedges are superb in terms of feel. Crisp, clean, and very responsive, there is a lot to love about how they feel on both full shots and more delicate chips. 

We tested these wedges extensively at Hunstanton's short game area, and the level of feedback you receive from even the lightest chips and pitches was phenomenal. 

This will inevitably be a huge plus for better players who desire a substantial amount of feedback on scoring shots around the green.

A fresh set of grooves always feels great, but these wedges produced a seriously grippy sensation at impact. As we will discuss later, this also delivered exceptional green side spin. 

All in all, the S159s are some of the best-looking and feeling wedges we have tested this year. PING wedges have always been top-tier, but the brand has done an excellent job of making small refinements to an already excellent product to take it to the next level.

PING S159 Wedges Performance and Forgiveness:

To test out these wedges, we did an extensive short game practice session, a number of rounds, and also an indoor simulator session to get some data to back up our findings. 

Let's start with the short game session. As we already mentioned, the feel of these wedges is very grippy, and when hitting chips and pitches around the green, we experienced an incredible amount of spin on our shots. 

Whether hitting low punchy chips or higher flops, we were able to control rollout with ease. Thanks to the added bounce available with the S grind, there was also plenty of forgiveness on offer for the more tricky shots we attempted to hit. 

Consistency is also key when chipping, and we found that even from our less-than-optimal strikes, these wedges did a fantastic job of saving our contact, leaving us closer to the hole than expected. 

All in all, these wedges performed exceptionally well during our short game session and remained consistent on the course.

Being able to hit good chips during practice is one thing, but out on the course is where it really matters, and the confidence instilled in us by these wedges allowed us to produce some excellent shots under pressure. 

The forgiving profile, excellent turf interaction and consistent spin allowed us to chip with confidence, a saying we don't typically get to say that often. 

Moving back into our longer shots, these wedges once again came up trumps. They produce a relatively flat launch, which we would characterise as mid-to-high. This trajectory allowed us to really attack pins while keeping the ball under the wind, which is an excellent quality, especially when playing windy links courses. 

The level of spin and stopping power was once again on point, and we found that maintaining a consistent tempo and flight couldn't have been easier. 

On full shots, the feel off the face was solid and crisp, and the resulting offline dispersion was also very tight.

All in all, these wedges performed admirably out on the course, but what did the data say?

With the help of a GC Quad, we were able to dig deep into the data, which produced some interesting results.

From 100 yards, these wedges produced roughly 9,000 rpm, which was right around what we would expect from a premium wedge offering.

Interestingly, this spin rate was almost 1,000 rpm lower than that of the Titleist SM10 wedges. 

While less spin may seem like a bad thing on the surface, we did find that the stopping power was almost identical when both wedges landed on the green. The S159s rolled out about two yards on average, while the SM10s were exactly the same.

These findings further cemented our belief that the S159s are some of the best-performing wedges on the market in 2024 and can absolutely compete with Titleist for the accolade of the best wedge of 2024.

Should you buy PING S159 Wedges?

If you are looking to upgrade your wedges in 2024, the PING 159s should certainly be tested at your next fitting. 

With a wide variety of grind options, fantastic looks, and premium performance, the S159s are very difficult to fault.

Another added extra that PING has introduced this year is the Webfit Wedge App. This handy app allows you to take a quick survey that takes no more than 2 minutes, and at the end, it tells you exactly which grind profile you should use. 

This comes in especially handy if you are buying your wedges online. Not everyone has the time for an in-person fitting, and as much as we would recommend it, sometimes it's just not possible. 

What this app does is give you the best possible chance of getting the right clubs to suit your game, and when it comes to scoring clubs like a set of wedges, having the right setup is paramount. 

So, if you're in the market for some new wedges, download the app or head down to your nearest PING retailer to experience just how good these wedges really are. 

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