Ping eye2 SW, why different?

[alexderbez]

Purchased the BECu wedge on eBay but can’t find info on why there is a different bounce off both are eye2s (allegedly)

[Dan Drake]

Ooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhh..................

 

You are in for a treat.  I will let some others who know this information WAY better than I get into the technical side, but what you are holding there is the holy grail.  The + is 53 degrees of loft and has a "V" sole grind that allows for fantastically "nipped" chip and pitch shots, and enough trailing edge relief that you can lay it open a bit if needed.  The "OG" (non +) SW is 57.5 degrees and has heel and toe relief combined with a pre-worn channel in the middle of the sole that allows for a massive amount of versatility if you want to learn to use each of the different parts of the sole.  Combine that with the way the hosels are thinned out and moved a bit, and that makes for what I, and a few others, consider to be the best bunker club ever designed.  

 

And to have them both means that you can, if you so choose, just end your wedge search right now and be done forever.  You are good to go, as long as the groove issue isn't an issue for you.  You have two great lofts and grinds to build an amazing wedge game around.  Oh, and the OG is BeCu, which just makes it cool. 

 

Enjoy!!!

Edited December 17, 2020 by Dan Drake

[LeoLeo99]

6 minutes ago, Dan Drake said:

Ooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhh..................

 

You are in for a treat.  I will let some others who know this information WAY better than I get into the technical side, but what you are holding there is the holy grail.  The + is 53 degrees of loft and has a "V" sole grind that allows for fantastically "nipped" chip and pitch shots, and enough trailing edge relief that you can lay it open a bit if needed.  The "OG" (non +) SW is 57.5 degrees and has heel and toe relief combined with a pre-worn channel in the middle of the sole that allows for a massive amount of versatility if you want to learn to use each of the different parts of the sole.  Combine that with the way the hosels are thinned out and moved a bit, and that makes for what I, and a few others, consider to be the best bunker club ever designed.  

 

And to have them both means that you can, if you so choose, just end your wedge search right now and be done forever.  You are good to go, as long as the groove issue isn't an issue for you.  You have two great lofts and grinds to build an amazing wedge game around.  Oh, and the OG is BeCu, which just makes it cool. 

 

Enjoy!!!

Where do you see the + sign?  To the left of the P in Ping?

[Gsea]

I don’t see a +. S/b like below

[Dan Drake]

@LeoLeo99 Yes, the + is in the cavity on the high toe side, just like @Gsea showed in his pic.  The wedge that @alexderbez has appears to be what is known as a "+ no +" because is is a +, but without the + symbol.  

[nitram]

Its a "+ no +". Considered by some to be the holy grail of the PING EYE 2 irons. It has the old grooves with the "improved" club head design and stronger lofts.

 

Sorry Dan, I posted before I saw your answer.

Edited December 17, 2020 by nitram

[Gsea]

15 minutes ago, Dan Drake said:

@LeoLeo99 Yes, the + is in the cavity on the high toe side, just like @Gsea showed in his pic.  The wedge that @alexderbez has appears to be what is known as a "+ no +" because is is a +, but without the + symbol.  

Thanks for the info, so a + no + is only determined by the sole grind?

[ChipNRun]

Base Ping Eye2 and Eye2 Square Groove were manufactured from 1982 up through 1990, with Eye2 + and other variations following.

 

The BeCu wedge shown has a "pre-worn groove" in the sole, a little convex spoon area. Legend has it that early Eye2SW users wore the groove in naturally through use, and then had Ping clubsmiths grind out such an area on their replacement wedges.

 

Today you see this sole grind configuration in the Ping "Eye2" grind in the Glide wedges, and in the Callaway MD-PM U-grind SWs and LWs.

 

I played an MD-PM 60*/10 for a season. U-grind great for bunkers, and greenside mini-chips, but overall I had trouble with distance control on quarter and half shots. This was more of problem with 60* loft than U-grind.

[Dan Drake]

39 minutes ago, Gsea said:

Thanks for the info, so a + no + is only determined by the sole grind?

I wouldn’t say “only” as there are subtle differences in the club head design.  But yes, the lofts and sole grinds are the two main differences.

[Howie]

The following might be helpful. Found it in an old GolfWrx thread. BTW, if the BeCu SW doesn't work out for you, let me know. Your post motivated me to look through my old wedges and I found the BeCu Eye 2 LW. Might as well get the SW to complement!

 

--Howie

---------------------------------------------

The best and most accurate way to tell the difference between any of the Ping irons is by the US Pat numbers.

 

Pings Eye 2 's manufactured from 1984-1989

US Pat Pending

D276644 &. 4.512.577

 

Ping Eye 2's +no+ manufactured 11/1989 - 4/1990

US Pat Pending

4.512.577 & 4.612.813

 

Ping Eye 2's manufactured 5/1990-Present

US Pat Pending

4.512.577 & 4.621.813

WIth the + symbol added

 

CAUTION: Any club with a raised dimple or drill hole indention on the back of the iron below the Pat. Pending Numbers is an indication that the iron is a replacement club. And would have the conforming grooves on it.

 

 

Here's another way to tell the difference in the Eye2 irons just by looking at the cavity:

 

Ping Eye2 - the oval cavity around the eye has a straight line section that is parallel with the top line of the club

 

 

 

Ping Eye2+ the oval cavity around the eye is a constant oval and never goes parallel to the top line:

 

Eye2 +no+ Same as the Eye2+ above, but without the plus sign in the cavity - constant oval with no section that is parallel with the topline:

[cardoustie]

The + no + is great because it has the old box grooves.  So it is the newer eye 2+ head .. diff. sole grind and stronger loft but with the old grooves that were so controversial and the issue in the PGA Tour vs Ping lawsuit

 

I have the + no + in the S and the L ... wicked clubs.  Incredible weapons from the sand

 

They were not made for very long so good find

 

You can find + no + at a good price on the bay at times if the seller doesn't know what they have

 

The S wedge at 53* is awesome as a gap wedge .. you can then go 57 and 61 in any other old or new Ping models .. though I am partial to the ISI in the nickel heads

 

[cardoustie]

I will also add the Ping Zing 2 are wicked wedges in BeCu in the s3 (57) and L (61)  lofts ... looooove these as well

[8602081]

3 hours ago, Dan Drake said:

Ooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhh..................

 

You are in for a treat.  I will let some others who know this information WAY better than I get into the technical side, but what you are holding there is the holy grail.  The + is 53 degrees of loft and has a "V" sole grind that allows for fantastically "nipped" chip and pitch shots, and enough trailing edge relief that you can lay it open a bit if needed.  The "OG" (non +) SW is 57.5 degrees and has heel and toe relief combined with a pre-worn channel in the middle of the sole that allows for a massive amount of versatility if you want to learn to use each of the different parts of the sole.  Combine that with the way the hosels are thinned out and moved a bit, and that makes for what I, and a few others, consider to be the best bunker club ever designed.  

 

And to have them both means that you can, if you so choose, just end your wedge search right now and be done forever.  You are good to go, as long as the groove issue isn't an issue for you.  You have two great lofts and grinds to build an amazing wedge game around.  Oh, and the OG is BeCu, which just makes it cool. 

 

Enjoy!!!

 

I was digging through my old clubs...  I think I have the "+" BeCu sandwedge..   I'll try it this weekend..

 

[Dan Drake]

9 minutes ago, 8602081 said:

 

I was digging through my old clubs...  I think I have the "+" BeCu sandwedge..   I'll try it this weekend..

 

If you absolutely hate it, let me know.  I know a guy who might offer you well below market value for it! 😂😂😂

[Golfingfanatic]

Slightly different question, but am I right in assuming that the Glide 3.0 Eye2 58* is reasonably similar to the OG "S" posted in the OP?

[scottc25]

I remember I bought my Eye2 irons the Summer of 1990 and just missed the + no + era. Damn it.

[8602081]

18 hours ago, Dan Drake said:

If you absolutely hate it, let me know.  I know a guy who might offer you well below market value for it! 😂😂😂

 

I cleanup the grooves going to try it tomorrow at the course..

I think the grind allows to open the club up to make it into SW or LW..

 

It still has the original Ping grip, which I might replace.

 

 

[herdman]

I have a Zing 2 BeCu sand wedge but is a 52

[nitram]

While it's never been known to win a beauty contest, the variations of the Eye 2 wedges have always been my favorites as I consider them the most versatile wedge I've ever played hands on in 40 years of golf. If the grooves were still legal for tourney play I'd still be bagging them. 

 

So looking at the OP's pictures and being bored awaiting the conference championships to come on while watching the recorded NFR Finals last night made me start a little project. I had 3 Fujikura MCI 125 "Mild" shaft pulls lying on the workbench. I had an old (non-set) Eye 2 BeCU LW and SW and a +no+ SW, pulled the shafts, and re-shafted with the MCI's. As the epoxy dries I'm excited to see how these are gonna perform later today.