
The OFFICIAL PING Anser Driver Fitting & Review Thread
#151
Posted 12 December 2012 - 11:09 PM

#153
Posted 13 December 2012 - 10:20 AM
Well, with uncanny timing, the day I posted my grievance about not having my driver was the day my driver arrived! I ordered the 9.5 head, digitally lofted, with the Diamana 'ahina 70x. Currently I have a 9.5 G20 with a VTS Silver 7X, and I was willing to sacrifice some distance on off-center hits for a tighter overall dispersion. During the wait for my club to arrive, I was able to find another VTS Silver and an Anser adapter, which I built in preparation for testing. Both drivers were digitally lofted to 9.5. I tested the VTS and 'ahina in the Anser head, against the G20/VTS.
Specs in short:
PING G20/Anser, 9.5 (digitally lofted)
44.5"
D3 Swingweight
VTS Silver 7X (for both)
Diamana 'ahina 70x ( in the Anser)
Looks: full marks for this one. It is simple and appealing, and I really dig the no-nonsense impression the adjustment system gives. At address it's hard to tell whether the profile or color is doing it, but the Anser looks a little more compact than the G20.
Ballflight: The ballflight seems a bit more piercing than the G20, and it also holds its line very well. Even mishits did not curve off line as much as I thought they would, being so accustomed to the forgiveness of the G20. I'm going to guess this is due to the Anser being a low-spin head. I never felt like I spun the G20 too much, but occasionally I felt it launched too high. The Anser is back to the mid to mid-high ballflight that I prefer to see. With all the talk about the head launching/spinning so low, I was surprised to see that my normal loft worked just fine.
**I typically go to a range that is boxed in by mature trees, so it's really helpful for comparing ballflight amongst clubs.
Distance: I was not on a launch monitor this time, and was hitting range balls in sub-40 weather, but man..the distance is there alright. I usually land a yard or two short of the back trees at the range and roll into them, but several shots off the Anser hit trees on the fly! (low on the tree, mind you). Again, this was an apples-to-apples comparison with the same shaft and specs...I have to attribute that to the spin reduction in the Anser. I have yet to see if this will yield rollout on the course, because it's December, and fairways are getting furry in MD. Beggars can't choose the weather for winter gold.
Forgiveness: This is kind of a toss up for me. My typical miss is either low on the face or out on the toe, which both hurt either way. Low on the face, the G20 yields more distance than the Anser, but both heads hold the line well (Toto, anyone?). Toe hits, I actually preferred the Anser. The G20 sometimes turns a toe hit into a hooking runner, while the Anser doesn't give it enough heat to do so. For on-course performance, I'd rather have an extra club than risk running out into something bad.
Feel: This is a difficult one to discern, because it was cold and I was under a roof at the range. The echoes alone in this environment make it hard to get a bead on the sound the head makes. Still, the G20/VTS is awesome in the feel department. The Anser sounds different, but time will tell if it grows on me. Not enough to turn me away though. This is my first non-glued driver, so I'm willing to give it time.
Adjustability: Sorry guys, I gotta say N/A on this one. The standard setup worked perfectly. Like I said before, I really like the simplicity in PING's system, and the adapter that I worked with was very easy to install. The wrench works as usual and someone looking at the driver for the first time can figure out how the system works. The installed look is easily the cleanest one that I've seen.
Overall: I'm really looking forward to seeing this thing out on the course. It's looking promising so far though!
A special note on the VTS Silver vs. 'ahina: This one actually surprised me quite a bit. When I hit the Anser demo with an 'ahina, the numbers were very good. However, swinging at the range in 'real life' yielded different results. The 'ahina, while very smooth, tended to leak a little bit to the right on me. Also, the softer butt section felt really different to me. The stiffer tip and butt of the VTS suit my quicker tempo and harder transition better than the Diamana. As for launch and spin, I honestly can't tell much of a difference between these two, and should be considered as alternatives for those who are looking. The trajectory was nearly identical, but it did seem like the VTS got to the apex faster than the 'ahina for me. If it's between these two, I'd suggest you go for the one that feels better or fits your wallet better, because you'd see more difference in adjusting your driver or changing heads.
I may be internally biased to the VTS because I've used it for so long, but I ended up with it after a couple years of trial and error. Maybe I've just found one that fits me well!After two range sessions and a lot of golf balls, the Anser/VTS is taking the spot of my G20.
Edited by GooseHook, 13 December 2012 - 10:25 AM.
#154
Posted 13 December 2012 - 12:24 PM
Spin has always been an issue for me. I think the Anser is the lowest spin head that I've ever hit. The 913/DI7 combo is low spin (2200-2400 when fit) but the Anser is even lower. I would guess that I would be in the 2000-2200 range with the 7.2 TS. The Anser into a stout wind was phenomenal. I could even tee the ball up pretty high and it would still cut through the wind, fight the push and roll out 10-15 yards.
The 7.2 TS does not feel boardy to me at all. Honestly it felt very, very similar to the BB7 that I tested in the 913. The Anser does have a "solid" feel to it and unless you hit it low on the face you get a healthy "thwack" sound. I think it may sound more a bit more hollow than the 913, but both are very solid. Both drivers are good on hits out toward the toe and high on the face, which was an issue with the 910 IMO.
I have two great driver set-ups and I have no desire to get rid of one over the other. The flat black Anser and matte white 7.2 TS look amazing together. I can't wait for warmer weather to see if I can't hit some bombs.
#156
Posted 14 December 2012 - 06:37 PM
Edited by floycota, 14 December 2012 - 06:38 PM.
#157
Posted 15 December 2012 - 10:10 AM
I have to get one of these...........but with winter looming and the mystery of the G25 still to be revealed I'm still holding off.
........it's killing me
#158
Posted 15 December 2012 - 12:37 PM
You know the Trackman driver optimization chart floating around? It has two sets of numbers, "Optimized for carry" and "Optimized total distance." Well, my LM numbers are pretty much right between the two, I believe. So that should translate to some pretty sweet drives.
The other thing I love is how straight the Anser is! Maybe it's because I'm coming from a 445cc RHT with a pretty small profile? I don't know, but it just goes straight. I just feel like I can't hit the Anser offline. I guess we'll see on the course!
Now I need to send my newphew out to shag the field balls! Here's a review I did before I bought one:
http://www.golfwrx.c...ith-lm-numbers/
Edited by indygolfman, 15 December 2012 - 12:42 PM.
#159
Posted 15 December 2012 - 10:58 PM
#161
Posted 25 December 2012 - 08:47 AM
In all, where I'm concerned is I've always been a high ball hitter and stayed with drivers in the 8.5 range. My club guy knows this and I'm curious why he and my wife ordered me a 9.5. I'm looking for someone that has a little experience with this set up that may know how it will perform compared to my r11s. thanks in advance.
#162
Posted 25 December 2012 - 09:02 AM
#166
Posted 26 December 2012 - 11:06 PM
Doc Mcstuffins, on 26 December 2012 - 10:44 PM, said:
SALUKI LEFTY, on 25 December 2012 - 10:30 PM, said:
I play 910 D3 in 8.5 loft with either a Kiyoshi 65 Stiff or Tour AD DI 7 stiff.
Thinking loft = 8.5, shaft either Ahina Stiff, Kiyoshi 65 stiff, or Tour Speeder 7.2 Stiff.
I've got an 8.5 head digitally lofted to 9.2, and a 9.5 head with an XStiff Ahina, BB6, and a Stiff 6.2 Tour Spec. It's hard to recommend anything without knowing your game, but if you like the the Di shaft try a BB. Very similar feel with a flatter ball flight. I think however if you want to fiddle with something new, the Tour Spec is a superb shaft, and looks insane with the matte black head. That shaft just wants to go straight.
Some guys benefit from going up in loft because the head is sooo low spin. I will say that I was fit into a 9.5 910 D3 a few years back and a 9.5 Anser head this time around, so you may be okay just sticking with an 8.5 head.
Thanks man for the reply, that's what I was looking for. Ya, I don't know all my swing stats, I just usually tinker around till I get what I want. Think I'll stay in 8.5 head and can add .5 degree if I need it and alter shafts.
#167
Posted 27 December 2012 - 08:58 AM
#168
Posted 29 December 2012 - 11:19 AM
#169
Posted 29 December 2012 - 08:03 PM
cobrastang, on 29 December 2012 - 11:19 AM, said:
That is true 0.5* each way
#172
Posted 06 January 2013 - 02:12 AM
#173
Posted 18 January 2013 - 02:35 PM
GooseHook, on 13 December 2012 - 10:20 AM, said:
Well, with uncanny timing, the day I posted my grievance about not having my driver was the day my driver arrived! I ordered the 9.5 head, digitally lofted, with the Diamana 'ahina 70x. Currently I have a 9.5 G20 with a VTS Silver 7X, and I was willing to sacrifice some distance on off-center hits for a tighter overall dispersion. During the wait for my club to arrive, I was able to find another VTS Silver and an Anser adapter, which I built in preparation for testing. Both drivers were digitally lofted to 9.5. I tested the VTS and 'ahina in the Anser head, against the G20/VTS.
Specs in short:
PING G20/Anser, 9.5 (digitally lofted)
44.5"
D3 Swingweight
VTS Silver 7X (for both)
Diamana 'ahina 70x ( in the Anser)
Looks: full marks for this one. It is simple and appealing, and I really dig the no-nonsense impression the adjustment system gives. At address it's hard to tell whether the profile or color is doing it, but the Anser looks a little more compact than the G20.
Ballflight: The ballflight seems a bit more piercing than the G20, and it also holds its line very well. Even mishits did not curve off line as much as I thought they would, being so accustomed to the forgiveness of the G20. I'm going to guess this is due to the Anser being a low-spin head. I never felt like I spun the G20 too much, but occasionally I felt it launched too high. The Anser is back to the mid to mid-high ballflight that I prefer to see. With all the talk about the head launching/spinning so low, I was surprised to see that my normal loft worked just fine.
**I typically go to a range that is boxed in by mature trees, so it's really helpful for comparing ballflight amongst clubs.
Distance: I was not on a launch monitor this time, and was hitting range balls in sub-40 weather, but man..the distance is there alright. I usually land a yard or two short of the back trees at the range and roll into them, but several shots off the Anser hit trees on the fly! (low on the tree, mind you). Again, this was an apples-to-apples comparison with the same shaft and specs...I have to attribute that to the spin reduction in the Anser. I have yet to see if this will yield rollout on the course, because it's December, and fairways are getting furry in MD. Beggars can't choose the weather for winter golf.
Forgiveness: This is kind of a toss up for me. My typical miss is either low on the face or out on the toe, which both hurt either way. Low on the face, the G20 yields more distance than the Anser, but both heads hold the line well (Toto, anyone?). Toe hits, I actually preferred the Anser. The G20 sometimes turns a toe hit into a hooking runner, while the Anser doesn't give it enough heat to do so. For on-course performance, I'd rather have an extra club than risk running out into something bad.
Feel: This is a difficult one to discern, because it was cold and I was under a roof at the range. The echoes alone in this environment make it hard to get a bead on the sound the head makes. Still, the G20/VTS is awesome in the feel department. The Anser sounds different, but time will tell if it grows on me. Not enough to turn me away though. This is my first non-glued driver, so I'm willing to give it time.
Adjustability: Sorry guys, I gotta say N/A on this one. The standard setup worked perfectly. Like I said before, I really like the simplicity in PING's system, and the adapter that I worked with was very easy to install. The wrench works as usual and someone looking at the driver for the first time can figure out how the system works. The installed look is easily the cleanest one that I've seen.
Overall: I'm really looking forward to seeing this thing out on the course. It's looking promising so far though!
A special note on the VTS Silver vs. 'ahina: This one actually surprised me quite a bit. When I hit the Anser demo with an 'ahina, the numbers were very good. However, swinging at the range in 'real life' yielded different results. The 'ahina, while very smooth, tended to leak a little bit to the right on me. Also, the softer butt section felt really different to me. The stiffer tip and butt of the VTS suit my quicker tempo and harder transition better than the Diamana. As for launch and spin, I honestly can't tell much of a difference between these two, and should be considered as alternatives for those who are looking. The trajectory was nearly identical, but it did seem like the VTS got to the apex faster than the 'ahina for me. If it's between these two, I'd suggest you go for the one that feels better or fits your wallet better, because you'd see more difference in adjusting your driver or changing heads.
I may be internally biased to the VTS because I've used it for so long, but I ended up with it after a couple years of trial and error. Maybe I've just found one that fits me well!After two range sessions and a lot of golf balls, the Anser/VTS is taking the spot of my G20.
Update:
I had a chance this past weekend to finally get the Anser out on a golf course, and without multiple layers on. It was even more impressive in the real world.
The ballflight does not really want to curve at all, and much to my surprise it is launching higher than my old G20. However, the way it gets to the apex is on a piercing trajectory, and rollout has increased. And this is even at the "-" setting (9.0 degrees).
On Sunday the fairways were wet and in some cases muddy, but the Anser is consistently (and significantly) longer than my old G20 with the same shaft, loft, and specs.
Another golfer I know, who's got quite a lower handicap (but lower swing speed), switched to the Anser last year and needed to go up in loft. I'd say that if you're on the lower end of the swing speed range, start with a higher loft and if you're SS is on the high end, try your "usual" loft.
Edited by GooseHook, 18 January 2013 - 03:19 PM.
#176
Posted 09 February 2013 - 10:44 PM
Well, I got gift cards again this Christmas. I love every other club in my bag (Adams A7 irons with Rifle 6.5, RBZ 3 wood, Nike VR Pro hybrid, Odyssey White Ice putter and Adams wedges including a 64 degree) so i was either using them for $300 worth of balls or trading in my I20 for a new driver. By December though, I was thinking where are the new drivers? The only one I saw was the 913 and I have owned a few Titleist drivers over my nearly 30 years of golfing. Then, boom - everyone came out with a new driver. I went to Golf Galaxy and I hit them all. I thought I would like the Adams Super LS but I did not. I was getting decent numbers with the 913D2 (280-290, ok spin) and I do like the 70 gram Aldila Phenom shaft. I hit Callaway X Hot (hated it), RBZ Stage 2 ( with the stock shaft of 50 grams I was swinging at 118 and geting ok numbers with the TP version) and the Nike Covert Tour. I wanted to hate the Covert Tour but it is a pretty darn good driver. I was hitting The Adams and the Callaway Hot X about 250. the Titleist i was getting out there 280 plus and I love that Phenom. The Covert Tour was an intriguing club. I was hitting it right (high pushes) about 290 but it felt good. I just cannot get over the red though. The same day I could not hit the Adams more than 250, I hit the Anser with a Phenom 50g stiff 302 yards. That was an 8.5. The Anser was on my mind.
Today I went to the range where I buy most of my stuff. It was cold here (30-35 degrees) but the sun was out. I hit the Titleist 913D2 with Phenom stiff first. Nice club but I just did not love it. Next up, was the Anser 10.5 with Ping shaft in a stiff. This club is just easy to hit. The only shaft for me in the Anser is the Ping shaft by the way. The Phenom they offer is only 50 grams. I am 47 but 6'2" about 210 and in decent shape. As I said, with the RBZ, albeit with the 50 gram stiff, my SS was 118, I shoud point out with the more realistic TP shaft in the RBZ Stage2, the SS comes down to 112. The Ahina is just not for me. I had that shaft in an x-stiff in a Titleist 910 and I hit some bombs but that shaft is like a board. Seriously, I would rather have lightweight steel (even at say 43.5 inches long) than the Ahina x-stiff.
I then grabbed a Covert Tour. Damn, I liked that club. That is a good driver and when you hit it, the ball takes off. It is to my knowledge 430 cc in the tour and I learned something today. Smaller heads give me a high pop up miss. How do I know? Next up I hit the Callaway Razr Fit Extreme with a smaller head that looks real small but might be bigger than the Covert Tour. Now, in fairnes, this was the only club they did not have a demo of so they had to tape it up. I believe Phil drove real well the first week he used it. The club is not any good. It does not feel good, misses are all over the place except far and I just do not like it at all.
So, I started alternating with the Anser and the Covert Tour. When you hit the Covert Tour, the ball goes. The Anser though is so very easy to hit. A nice mid flight for me in the 10.5, which is strange, as I have had trouble keeping some 9.5 degree drivers down. After alternating (no not literally one after the other) between the Covert and Anser, it became clear to me that it was going to be an Anser. I walked into the store. Now, this is a smaller shop but he has a decent amount of product as far as stuff that sells like Taylormade stuff. He had at least 8 Ansers but none in 9.5 with the Ping shaft in a stiff. He then tells me that he has a few in the back. He points out what I overlooked which was that he can put the shaft in any head due to the adjustabilty. He comes out and says "oh wait this is an x-stiff they sent me in an 8.5." I told him to wait I had an idea. Put the demo 10.5 in the x-stiff and let me hit a few. I went back out and hit about 5. Wow! Wow! Every single one was a mid high bullet straight where i was aiming. The 10.5 worried me but the x-stiff solves the problem. In fact, this setup felt and worked perfectly. This club is easy to hit. Oh, by the way I hit the G25 at Golf Galaxy. I couldn't get the launch below 17 no matter what I did. I forgot to mention that.
I have not left with a new driver I felt more comfortable with since I bought a Taylormade 320 about 12-13 years ago. Here is the best part. It is early in the year and I just left with a 10.5 driver after 3 decades of hitting 9-9.5. Maybe, my swing is off. Ok, i can tweek this down to a 10 if I have to. I am not tiger Woods. If I end up off .5 degrees, is this really going to hurt me? Plus, while no one likes backspin, my miss is a hook and I would rather have backspin than hook spin. I can truly say this is the best driver out right now. One caveat. I do not seek to work the ball off the tee. I do somewhat with my irons. I cannot comment on workabilty of the Anser as I do not look for such The head does seem big, looks bigger than the I20.
#177
Posted 04 May 2013 - 05:12 PM











