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Ping launches s159 wedges (and WebFit Wedge app)

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We originally spotted Ping’s s159 wedges at last year’s RSM Classic. Today, Ping’s new wedges are heading to retail. The company’s latest tour-inspired wedges are available in 25 loft/grind combinations, which Ping calls its “most extensive and versatile wedge line to date.”

John K. Solheim, Ping CEO & President said s159 wedges, “are already winning on Tour and we’re seeing a lot of players converting to them around the world. They love the clean look, the soft feel and, most importantly, the ability to launch and spin their shots with precise control. With six grinds designed to perform in a variety of playing conditions and techniques, we have a wedge to fit every golfer.”

Ping s159 wedges: Key technology

Ping crafted s159 heads from 8620 carbon steel with a straighter leading edge and refined shape based on player feedback.

  • Ping engineers positioned an elastomer insert behind the wedge face to enhance feel.
  • Engineers also paid close attention to the hosel transition for better blending with Blueprint S and T irons.
  • Ping offers the s159 wedges in two finishes: Hydropearl 2.0 and darker, anti-glare Midnight.

Precision-milled, wheel-cut grooves have been precisely crafted to reduce variations in spin owing to conditions. 54-to-62-degree wedges are configured with tightly spaced MicroMax grooves. Wedges south of 52 degrees have wider grooves with more milling.

“Our R&D team has gained a lot of notoriety for this [“wet and dry”] test, which has revealed remarkable performance results when applied to our last several wedge models,” Solheim said. “A lot of fitters refer to it as the ‘spray-bottle test.’ The s159 consistently leads in the wet testing, out-performing other wedges. Considering it’s rare when a shot doesn’t encounter some level of moisture or loss of friction, this type of control provides a clear and convincing short-game advantage.”

Ping s159 grind details (via Ping)

New “H” or Half-Moon Grind: A shot-saving option for players with steeper angles of attack who like to manipulate the handle and play with versatility. It performs best in softer conditions. Available in 54°, 56°, 58°, 60°

New “B” Grind: For a shallow angle of attack and neutral face delivery. Low-bounce design sits low on the turf on square-face shots, providing forgiveness via the sole width to deliver score-lowering performance in firmer conditions. Available in 58°, 60°

“T” Grind: The most versatile option allows players to manipulate the face for shot-making precision around the greens. Ideal for medium to firm turf conditions, includes a 62-degree option at the request of our tour pros for more versatility. Available in 58°, 60°, 62° (new)

“W” Grind: Maximum forgiveness through the turf. Best fits a steep angle of attack who might also have a lot of handle lean and a player who prefers the look of a specialty wedge but relies on a little more forgiveness in their scoring clubs. Available in 54°, 56°, 58°, 60°

“E” or Eye2 Grind: Continues to be the ultimate bunker club, carrying on a 40-year tradition of helping golfers get up and down from the sand. It plays with relatively low bounce on square or slightly open face shots. Available in 54°, 56°, 58°, 60°

“S” Grind: Fits a wide variety of conditions and techniques. Designed with ample bounce in the mid-section to play full shots and provides greenside versatility due to heel/trail edge relief. New 48-degree option helps in gapping. Available in 46°, 48° (new), 50°, 52°, 54°, 56°, 58°, 60°

Pricing, specs, availability

Stock shafts: Ping Z-Z115 wedge, Ping Alta CB Black (SR, R, S). *several optional stock shafts are available, including offerings from True Temper and KBS

Stock grip: Ping 360 Dyla-Wedge Lite grip

Price: $197 (steel); $212 (graphite)

At retail: Now

WebFit Wedge app

In conjunction with the s159 wedge launch, Ping also announced its new WebFit Wedge app that allows golfers to quickly and easily select a wedge grind via a series of questions about their short game tendencies and typical playing conditions.

“It’s no secret shopping for wedges can be confusing as golfers try to understand all the nuances of a wedge’s design and what’s best for them,” said Solheim. “With our new WebFit Wedge app, our goal is to simplify the process of finding a wedge that fits the golfer while also educating them why a particular grind is best for them. It was developed in-house by our data scientists and relies on our massive collection of wedge data, much of it mined from our relationship with Arccos, to make very precise recommendations.”

“The app doesn’t require downloading, logging in or signing up for anything. It’s a very simple experience but very rewarding for users. It will be accessible via a QR code in golf shops and on ping.com. We strongly encourage golfers to engage the app in their wedge-buying process.”

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  1. Pingback: GolfWRX Members Choice presented by 2nd Swing: Best wedges of 2025 – GolfWRX

  2. Pingback: Ping S159 wedge review (new B, H grinds) — Club Junkie Review – GolfWRX

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Equipment

Why Rickie Fowler is switching to a shorter driver at the PGA Championship

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In a golf world where players are looking to eke out every yard possible, usually by lengthening their drivers to add clubhead speed, there’s one player at the PGA Championship who’s going in the opposite direction. In fact, for Rickie Fowler, his goal off the tee is not about gaining extra distance or yards north to south, but rather about shrinking the misses from east to west. 

Ahead of the PGA Championship and the week prior at the Truist Championship. Fowler mentioned to Cobra Tour Rep Ben Schomin that the driver didn’t quite swing feel the same as everything in the bag. As a result, and with Schomin’s suggestion to try and sync everything up with the big stick, Fowler decided to test out a shorter length shaft. 

“He’s been at 45 (inches), and he’d been at 45 for a few weeks, 44 1/8 (inches) is really is where he is been living really for the most part, for the last couple of years, and is where he is been comfortable,” Schomin told GolfWRX. “It just felt like it was a little long and loose on him.”

Interestingly, Fowler ranks 40th in Driving Accuracy this year on the PGA Tour. It’s his most accurate season with the driver since the start of the decade. But sometimes for players, feel is more important than statistics.

“It was really more of a trying to get the swing to feel the fluidness from club to club to club to try to get it to feel the same,” Schomin added. “And so we took it down to 43 and a quarter, and it was a touch of a ball speed loss, just based on that overall club head speed. But honestly, he squared it up probably a little better. The right miss wasn’t nearly as far. So really, overall down-range dispersion tightened up a fair amount, and he felt confident in swinging it.”

The change in length had Fowler’s caddie, Ricky Romano, beaming at how well he had driven during Tuesday’s practice round at Aronimink. So much so, he was asking Schomin not to suggest changes anymore.

Fowler’s shaft-shortening is one of a few driver adjustments he’s made this season, and to Schomin’s credit, it’s thanks to the fact that he and the rest of the Cobra team had Fowler fit very well into three of the four heads in the Cobra OPTM lineup.

“He had three distinct drivers and the biggest decision was trying to decide which worked best at that time,” Schomin told GolfWRX previously. “He’s played the majority of the season with OPTM X, but has also played a couple of tournaments with OPTM LS. His overall driving stats have been good.”

At the RBC Heritage earlier this spring, Fowler switched drivers, changing from his Cobra OPTM X and into the Tour, low-loft Max K model that Gary Woodland used to win just a few weeks prior.

Now for the PGA Championship, Fowler’s back in the X head, but still using the UST Mamiya LIN-Q PowerCore White 6TX shaft, just a little bit shorter.

“Will he stay there? I’m not sure,” Schomin added. “Could we end up say at like 43 and 7.5 (of an inch). If it’s giving him the same feel of consistency through the bag, then I think we might end up just a touch longer. But if he likes where he is at, he’s confident where he is at, that’s really all that matters.”

If there’s more testing, though, just don’t tell his caddie.

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GolfWRX Launch Report: 2026 Titleist GTS drivers

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What you need to know: As is customary for the Fairhaven-based company, Titleist officially announced today that its GTS drivers are headed to retail, following a successful tour release. The GTS2, GTS3, and GTS4 drivers will be available in golf shops June 11.

Since debuting at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, the new GTS lineup has quickly gained traction on the PGA Tour, with more than 50 players already making the switch to a GTS2, GTS3, or GTS4 driver. Among them are Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth.

Justin Thomas’ Titleist GTS2 driver (Greg Moore, GolfWRX)

According to Titleist, the GTS series builds upon the performance foundation established by the GT Series, while introducing several major technological advancements, including a new Split Mass Frame construction, refined aerodynamics, and an updated Speed Sync face design.

2026 Titleist GTS drivers: What’s new, key technology

Split Mass Frame and thermoform body

At the center of the new GTS lineup is a redesigned internal structure: the Split Mass Frame. This technology works with a full-thermoform body made from Titleist’s Proprietary Matrix Polymer (PMP), a lightweight composite that enables engineers to reposition mass more efficiently throughout the head. Compared to the previous GT generation, GTS drivers feature nearly double the PMP material, increasing from 13 grams to 26 grams, while maintaining the sound and feel preferred by better players.

The weight savings from the thermoform construction allowed Titleist engineers to strategically separate mass placement inside the head. Specifically, more weight is pushed rearward to improve stability and forgiveness, while additional mass is positioned low and forward to optimize speed, launch, and spin.

In short, golfers are able to maintain ball speed and consistency across both centered and off-center strikes.

Faster aerodynamics

Titleist also refined the aerodynamic shaping of the GTS heads to help players generate more clubhead speed.

The tails of the new GTS2 and GTS3 heads have been raised compared to previous models, helping airflow stay attached to the crown and sole longer during the swing. According to Titleist, the improved airflow reduces drag and increases speed without affecting launch conditions or center of gravity placement.

Typically, aerodynamic gains can compromise forgiveness or launch characteristics, but the weight savings from the Split Mass Frame allowed engineers to preserve preferred CG locations.

New Speed Sync face

The new Speed Sync Face design is engineered to improve ball speed retention across a larger portion of the face. A reinforced perimeter structure helps maximize face deflection and COR on centered strikes, while the upper portion of the support ring is opened up to increase speed on high-face impacts, a common strike location for many golfers. The face also features a variable thickness design to preserve speed and performance across a wider impact area.

Expanded adjustability

Each GTS model includes a dual-weighting system to fine-tune launch, spin, and shot shape more precisely than previous generations. GTS2 uses interchangeable forward and aft weights, while GTS3 and GTS4 combine a rear weight with an adjustable forward track weight system.

Tour-inspired face graphics

The new lineup features redesigned high-contrast face graphics to improve alignment and framing at address, according to Titleist. Sharp visual lines are designed to make it easier to center the golf ball and to perceive loft more easily at setup.

Additional model details

GTS2

  • The GTS2 is the most forgiving model, designed for golfers seeking maximum stability and consistent speed across the face.
  • It produces high launch with mid spin and features a larger, confidence-inspiring profile behind the ball.
  • Standard weighting includes an 11-gram forward weight and a 5-gram rear weight, with additional fitting configurations available.

GTS3

  • The GTS3 is aimed at players who want more control over launch, spin, and shot shaping.
  • Compared to GTS2, the GTS3 offers lower launch and spin while featuring a more compact profile and deeper face design preferred by many stronger players.
  • The head features an adjustable forward-track weight system to further fine-tune center of gravity placement.

GTS4

  • The lowest-spinning option in the lineup, GTS4 is built for golfers looking to reduce excessive spin and maximize total distance.
  • Unlike previous “4” models from Titleist, the new GTS4 features a full 460cc profile that improves forgiveness and stability while retaining its low-spin DNA.
  • Like GTS3, it includes a forward track weighting system for precise fitting adjustments.

What Titleist says

“When we talk about driver design, it’s never about the one feature or benefit — it’s about all of them,” said Stephanie Luttrell, Titleist’s Senior Director of Metalwood R&D. “Ball speed, forgiveness, spin stability, adjustability, exceptional sound and feel… these are all attributes that golfers care about. It’s our job to design a lineup that elevates performance across the board without sacrificing in key areas, and we feel we’ve done that with GTS.”

“We know that forward CGs drive speed with great launch and spin characteristics, but you need to be able to do that with an inertial stability that still preserves ball speed, launch and spin consistency on off-center hits,” Luttrell said. “We’ve never before been able to hit these CG positions and inertia properties at the same time, and we’re achieving that because of GTS’ construction.”

Club Junkie’s take

I feel like every time there is a new Titleist wood release, I figure they can’t outdo their previous driver. And every year, I am wrong and impressed with the performance. The GTS fits right into that narrative again, as I didn’t know where Titleist could go from GT, but they pushed the limits again, and my fitting proved the smart people there found ways to improve.

My past four Titleist drivers have been a 2 series as my swing typically requires a little height, spin, and forgiveness so I figured I would just get a new GTS2 and be on my way. During the fitting, I was impressed by the new GTS construction, its added PMP material, and the advanced adjustability on each model. My fitter, Joey, got to work putting together a GTS2 and we started there. The launch and spin were great, and the consistency on misses was very tight. My average ball speed with the GTS went up a little bit as the new Speed Sync face creates more speed away from the center.

Joey then built up a GTS3 in 11 degrees, but I figured this wouldn’t have the stability I needed for tight dispersion on my miss hits. That thought was quickly erased after a few shots, and I really liked the more center start line and reduced draw on the misses I was seeing. We tried a few different settings and shafts to dial in the details in order to get the best fit. Having a forward and rear weight in the head allowed Joey to set up the GTS3 with a heavier rear weight to keep the launch and spin up, while the Sure Fit hosel set flat created a more center start line for me. My misses were not nearly as far left, and I was really impressed with the consistency on the spin and launch when I didn’t hit it in the center.

Titleist again created a wood line in GTS that delivers improvements over previous drivers while keeping the traditional look and feel you expect. More adjustability, better off-center speed, and 3 drivers that are playable over a wider range of players should make these extremely successful in fittings.

Pricing, specs, availability

GTS2 lofts: 8, 9, 10, 11 degrees (RH/LH)

GTS3 lofts: 8, 9, 10, 11 degrees (RH/LH)

GTS4 lofts: 8, 9, 10 (RH/LH)

Featured shafts

  • Project X Titan Black
  • Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White
  • Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Blue
  • Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Red

Premium shafts

  • Graphite Design Tour AD DI
  • Graphite Design Tour AD VF
  • Graphite Design Tour AD FI

Available for fittings and pre-sale now.

In golf shops worldwide beginning June 11.

Price: $699 (standard), $899 (premium)

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Titleist launches new GTS2 and GTS3 fairways

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Titleist has today introduced its new GTS2 and GTS3 fairways.

Lower and deeper center of gravity (CG) positions, new adjustable heel-toe weights and advanced clubface innovations drive total performance in the two tour-proven models.

New GTS fairway technology:

  • Wraparound composite crowns: Unlock lower CG positions for higher launch and lower spin as well as more CG depth for added forgiveness.
  • Refined shapes and profiles: With two distinct setups, with GTS2 featuring a shallower face height and larger address profile compared to GTS3’s deeper face and more compact profile. Both models feature flatter sole designs for better performance off the turf.
  • Dual-weighting systems: The dual-weighting systems allows for personalized performance, with interchangeable heel-toe flat weights helping to fine-tune CG location across the face.
  • A forged L-Cup face design: The new face design is optimized for GTS and works to preserve ball speed, maintain launch conditions and enhance sound and feel on low-face impacts.
  • Tour-inspired polished clubfaces: To help players see more of the clubface at address.

GTS2 Fairway

 

The new GTS2 fairway is designed with a shallower face and a larger profile than GTS3, ideal for players with more sweeping deliveries with their fairway metals.

 

GTS2’s new face height, inspired by tour feedback, was designed shallower than the prior generation GT2 model and more in line with the GT1 fairway. Each loft in GTS2 leverages a shallower profile except for the 13.5-degree, which maintains a slightly taller face.

 

With its new dual-weighting system, the ‘2’ model now has heel-toe CG adjustability.

Lofts: 13.5, 15.0, 16.5, 18.0, 21.0

Dual-weight system: 11-gram weight in heel, 5-gram weight in toe (standard)

GTS3 Fairway

 

The new GTS3 fairway is designed with a deeper face and a more compact profile, ideal for players who hit down on the golf ball more with their fairway metals.

 

New to the GTS3 family is a 21-degree offering, giving players two distinct profiles in Titleist’s 7-wood loft.

 

Instead of the track weight system featured in prior generation ‘3’ models, GTS3 now benefits from adjustable heel-toe flat weights.

Lofts: 15.0, 16.5, 18.0, 21.0

Dual-weight system: 11-gram weight in heel, 5-gram weight in toe (standard)

Price & Availability

The new GTS fairways are available for fittings and pre-sale now and will be in golf shops worldwide beginning June 11 priced at $399 (standard) and $599 (premium).

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