Figuring out Ping Eye 2 Wedges

[DCCarpenter]

I’ve been mostly playing Wilson tour blade or fg17 pitching wedge and the r90 sand wedge , pretty comfortable making short shots and uphill/downhill chips with them. No fancy flops but adequate mid handicapper wedge work. 
 

I’ve been trying to get along with the Ping Eye 2 wedges when I play my Eye 2 iron set and failing. Seem to hit everything short with them on short range chips and pitches. Hitting the irons fine. 

 

 I could always throw my other wedges in but these Eye 2 wedges are supposed to be iconic … heck Mickelson just bagged the conforming grooves lob wedge at this year’s PGA .  I must be missing something, any thoughts ?

[cold_war_era_golfer]

5 hours ago, DCCarpenter said:

I’ve been mostly playing Wilson tour blade or fg17 pitching wedge and the r90 sand wedge , pretty comfortable making short shots and uphill/downhill chips with them. No fancy flops but adequate mid handicapper wedge work. 
 

I’ve been trying to get along with the Ping Eye 2 wedges when I play my Eye 2 iron set and failing. Seem to hit everything short with them on short range chips and pitches. Hitting the irons fine. 

 

 I could always throw my other wedges in but these Eye 2 wedges are supposed to be iconic … heck Mickelson just bagged the conforming grooves lob wedge at this year’s PGA .  I must be missing something, any thoughts ?

Man, you’re comfortable with classic Wilson blades you aren’t missing anything!  In fact, you’ve GOT what so many are missing in my opinion.   
 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 29, 2023 by cold_war_era_golfer

[elwhippy]

Stick with the Staffs. Buy more of them. Don't tell your wife. 

[Foozle]

12 hours ago, DCCarpenter said:

I’ve been mostly playing Wilson tour blade or fg17 pitching wedge and the r90 sand wedge , pretty comfortable making short shots and uphill/downhill chips with them. No fancy flops but adequate mid handicapper wedge work. 
 

I’ve been trying to get along with the Ping Eye 2 wedges when I play my Eye 2 iron set and failing. Seem to hit everything short with them on short range chips and pitches. Hitting the irons fine. 

 

 I could always throw my other wedges in but these Eye 2 wedges are supposed to be iconic … heck Mickelson just bagged the conforming grooves lob wedge at this year’s PGA .  I must be missing something, any thoughts ?

I respect their reputation but, like you, I don't get along with Eye 2 wedges.

For me it is the aesthetics at address; large head, heavy top line. At the risk of causing offence, they look like a blunt tool when I am hoping to see and feel a precision instrument for the delicate job in hand.

Before any Ping fans put a contract on my head for such blasphemy, I know that is nonsense and that the grind makes them possibly the most versatile and usable wedges ever made - it is just how I see them in my mind and we all know how much the game of golf is played in our heads!

Like you I regularly game R20 or R90 sand wedges often backed up with Ram Scoring System wedges. They just look right and are more confidence inspiring for me.

[DCCarpenter]

You summed it up well Foozle, I just can't seem to hit a 10 yard short chip to a short sided pin with them, I think the visual is getting to me as I am always hitting it way too softly and short. I think the size is keeping me from making a committed strike. 

 

It's frustrating because I know they are good wedges and I 'should' be able to make them work. 

 

[SnowbirdTom]

Heh, been fighting with my Muzuno T-20 wedges, so they got yanked and tossed in the Ping Eye 2 +/no + W/SW/LW.  My wedge game improved immediately.  Destroying golf ball covers is the downside.  😆  Flipping a 20 yard flop became fun again.

[ezgoer]

Having that much off set with a wedge is strange. I would just play them quit a bit farther back in my stance than a normal wedge. Those deep grooves though. Always wondered if Cleveland or Wilson ever made a square or deep U groove wedge in the EYE 2 period? Seems like other than Ping all the nicer wedges are V grooves. 485 with grooves would be great. 

 

 Just checked my Staff Tour Blade JP SW and it’s traditional. What a wonderful head heavy wedge by the way i just found out yesterday

 

 MacGregor JNP irons were available with both options. I found out after I got mine that they’re square grooved. I only go as low as a PW in that set. Maybe I’ll search out a SW of those. Mine don’t have SG stamped on the head like some do but the hozel has 3 lines. Read somewhere that V grooved JNP’s have 2. 

Edited May 29, 2023 by ezgoer

[LeftyMac]

The grind on the Eye 2 +'s is far better than the original Eye 2's and the lofts were stronger.  Eye 2's were PW-50, SW-57, LW-61    Eye 2 +'s were PW-48.5, SW-53, LW-58

 

[DCCarpenter]

I’m committed to figuring these wedges out , I figured since Phil Mickelson gives them their current play professionally I’d watch his short game video for some ideas.

 

Played around on the par 3 course today with the lob wedge using his hinge and hold method and was an improvement from the result I’d been getting. Going to keep at it in the yard with the chipping net this week and see if I can keep making progress.

 

Also discovered my not matching black dot (my other clubs are blue dot) Eye 2 pitching wedge is 1 1/8” short of what it is supposed to be. Explains some of the struggles I was having with it as well. 

 

[ezgoer]

Have read it’s a common practice for people/stores to paint em black regardless just to sell em as standard. And even if they were adjusted to whatever color they can creep back to original bend if it was adjusted much more than a few colors. Can see the incentive to spreading this rumor if you are a big box golf store. 

[Wham49]

huge spin rate on the pings IMO, they wont run out and will bite quick on the green, I get more spin on the L wedge than any other I have ever used, just have to get used to them, once you do you wil like them, will be hard to get back to another wedge at first 

[NRJyzr]

On 5/30/2023 at 10:53 PM, ezgoer said:

And even if they were adjusted to whatever color they can creep back to original bend if it was adjusted much more than a few colors.

 

This is actually urban myth.  The clubheads don't "rebound" post-bend.  Any such perceived change is almost always due to the clubhead not being clamped securely during the bend, with a portion of the perceived bend actually being clubhead movement in the clamping device.

 

[ezgoer]

Your explanation makes the most sense. Sure there’s a risk of breakage if bending over so many degrees but the memory thing sounded more like a scare tactic. 

[hackinghokie]

I find my biggest challenge with the ping eye 2 wedges to be the spacing between stock lofts. My PW is ~51* and my SW is ~57*. I ended up pulling my other wedges out of the bag besides a 60* and manage to get by okay without a standard 54/56. One of these days I’ll turn the PW down to a 48* or so and re-evaluate. 

Edited July 1, 2023 by hackinghokie