I saw pictures today from the Open and Angel Cabrera's Rapture driver, although this time you could not see through the crown. I am wondering if it is dependent on angle and light, or what? Really gonna have to see this one (not necessarily before I buy it though).
$449.00? What happened to Ping selling clubs for the common folk? I guess the R7425/460 and FT3 are selling well enough to justify another bump in driver prices?
the more i see these, the more i hate the headcovers. I like to tuck the sock into the bag when i put the driver away. with my G2 you can still see the shaft and that really bugs me.
Actually most of the players at the JDC had this driver and fairway woods in their bags. I did not see any rapture irons but I did seeh the NEW S58 irons and they looked sweet.
It was described to me by one of the Tour Players that the markings are not on the crown. He felt as though he was looking thru the crown and seeing the internal weighting of the head. He had hit the club and had only great things to say about it.
Been playing Pings for years up to this year, had all their drivers since 2000. For this one I don't like the graphics on the crown, nor the idea of possibly the back logo being a backweight which might dislodge like the TiSI series. Color combination is not very pleasing and will likely look dated and faded in a year or two when the "lime green" fad wears away (thanks Aldila NV for starting it...). Would rather buy a Cobra HS9 with a better face and more interesting technology, and for around $325 on eBay new you can't go wrong.
i hit the rapture today and it actually felt quite solid , made a nice solid noise unlike other composite crown clubheads. i have never really been a fan of ping but this driver really is quite nice. The rep also told me that the club will have the aldila VS proto as an option but was unsure whether it was an upcharge or not. he also had the fairway woods, S58s, rapture irons and the new wedge. I was only allowed to hit the driver but the s58 irons look sweet.
I like the drivers looks, except for the crown with those weird graphics those seem like they'd be distracting. And I have tried the G5 and hate that half moon.
I hit all the new products on Friday while the Sprinter Van was at my club here in Memphis. First, the Driver is solid. Side by side w/ my G5, ball speed was much better w/ the Rapture and it felt hotter. Did not like the FW wood, but the Hybrid will be a winner, lanches higher w/ less spin and is hotter than the G5. I liked the S58, but I will stick to my I5's. The I-wedge is solid and I will likely replace my 50 and 56 tour wedges w/ the I-wedge models.
Played the Rapture today. It was the 12* head which I didn't mind since I have a problem with low launch anyways. My normal driver is an R540XD Tour with 10.5* of loft. It was a stock Ping shaft and was 44.5" long.
I didn't care for the funny carbon webbing graphics on top at first but after a while you just forget that they are even there. The clubhead feels VERY solid, almost as good as my TM and definitely better than the G2/G5 drivers.
But now the main news: I beat the snot out of this driver!!!! My average carry is 250 with about 10-20 yards of roll. I had drives of 275-295 yards with this club. Launch angle was great and you could see the ball hit and roll in the fairway due to the lower spin. With a bettter shaft I may be able to do even better.
Face is slightly closed which gave me a slight draw which is fine.
The only bad news is the hosel is .350 which means many of the better shafts will be unavailable to be fit into this driver without a shim.
Hit one, in the wrong shaft flex for me indoors..Graphics weren't all that distracting, but the sound/feel was..felt/sounded very similar to the Cally FT3 fushion..launch monitor showed about same ball flight/distance,spin rate,etc..Feel was harsh and sound was different as well..Composites don't work.. Callaway learned the hard way with (C4,FT3) and now it's Ping's turn.. I might be proven wrong on this issue only time will tell
I hit one on saturday with the stock PING shaft (which is the equivalent of a Pro Launch give or take) and although the shaft was too flexible for me the driver was the most solid PING has ever made and It was long. I will get to try the driver with the other stock shaft this weekend (VS Proto). CAN'T WAIT!!!!!
I resently purchased the rapture and was quite suprised at the results after a bit of getting the sound factor out of the way . the graphics are not any problem .distance and feel are the main things that I am intrested in. one feaur the length 45 3/4 inches gives extra yardage but I believe 45 inches is plenty of length and I have reduced mine to that length all in all this is the best ping driver I have ever hit
There are tons of these on the LPGA in use now. Christie Kerr just won the John Q. Hammonds Tulsa stop with a Rapture driver (unpaid non Ping staff )... heard they fly long and straight... She switched to it about a month ago.
Hit one, in the wrong shaft flex for me indoors..Graphics weren't all that distracting, but the sound/feel was..felt/sounded very similar to the Cally FT3 fushion..launch monitor showed about same ball flight/distance,spin rate,etc..Feel was harsh and sound was different as well..Composites don't work.. Callaway learned the hard way with (C4,FT3) and now it's Ping's turn.. I might be proven wrong on this issue only time will tell
But Cobra Comps and the Cleveland Launcher Comps have both enjoyed success on Tour and at retail...
Hit one, in the wrong shaft flex for me indoors..Graphics weren't all that distracting, but the sound/feel was..felt/sounded very similar to the Cally FT3 fushion..launch monitor showed about same ball flight/distance,spin rate,etc..Feel was harsh and sound was different as well..Composites don't work.. Callaway learned the hard way with (C4,FT3) and now it's Ping's turn.. I might be proven wrong on this issue only time will tell
I played with mine in a tournament last Saturday and was paired up with a guy that was hitting a Callaway FT3. After the round the other players made comments on how bad the FT3 sounded. They said that the Rapture sounded great for a composite and all wanted to hit it. Even the guy with the FT3.
My Rapture is 8 to 10 yards longer than my G5. Make sure you get fit for the driver and I blelieve it's a winner. Just look on Tour.
The Rapture sounds toatlly different to me, much better sounding that the ft-3, long and straight. Really solid driver, liked this one much better than the g2/5
I played with a Rapture driver yesterday for the first time, 9 deg. stock shaft, stiff. In my own opinion, it is a much, much better club than the FT-3 I had in bag until yesterday. Even with the stock shaft, I was able to produce the distance I was unable to reach with the FT-3. The sound is a bit more muffled than many drivers, certainly not as loud as the Cobra's, but it is much more "normal" sounding than the full beer can effect of the FT-3. Looks like I am going to hit ebay with the Calloway.
I played with a Rapture driver yesterday for the first time, 9 deg. stock shaft, stiff. In my own opinion, it is a much, much better club than the FT-3 I had in bag until yesterday. Even with the stock shaft, I was able to produce the distance I was unable to reach with the FT-3. The sound is a bit more muffled than many drivers, certainly not as loud as the Cobra's, but it is much more "normal" sounding than the full beer can effect of the FT-3. Looks like I am going to hit ebay with the Calloway.
Can you comment on the trajectory and lofts of the Cally and Rapture? Thanks.
hit a 9* rapture today at a demo day. I hit several different shafts, V2, Comp NT, and hit the Rombax 6W06 shaft the best. carried it 20+ yds further than my 905S 9.5* w/ accra sc65.
liked the way the club felt and the graphics on the crown surprisingly didnt bother me. Much better performance than the other Ping drivers i have hit.
What's the deal with the rediculously light head weights on these drivers?
They are super long playing length too. Obviously if they were 45" or 44.5" long, that head weight would just stink.
I would love to know the R&D story behind this!
A design that long in length is not going to be easy to catch in the center for most players so why make them that long?
Head mass has more effect of velocity then shaft length so why go against what the industry has just discovered.
Shorter length and heavier head mass = club & ball speed with more control so why have a low 190 gram head sitting that far away from you.
If anyone knows the real story,testing, marketing behind this specific design principle I would be greatfull.
I would have to get the crown refinished to use that thing
Maybe it looks good in motion but I don't get the point of the stuff on the crown. The ball I can deal with but not the spider web.
Where would you take it to get it refinished? And how much $$? Sounds like a great idea if it's within reason
I would have to get the crown refinished to use that thing
Maybe it looks good in motion but I don't get the point of the stuff on the crown. The ball I can deal with but not the spider web.
Where would you take it to get it refinished? And how much $$? Sounds like a great idea if it's within reason
I have a G2 refinished in all black by Qualgolf. Quality work and looks great.