Ping Rapture Driver Review

SirShanksAlot · May 10, 2007

The Ping Rapture driver is probably the most technologically advanced driver that the company has ever produced. Ping has pulled out all the stops here… a composite/titanium head, a “Web Crown” design, robotic plasma welds… all in an effort to make the best driver on the market.

What The Company Saysâ€¦

The entire Ping Rapture line is a display in what Ping can do when they crack open the technology vault. These clubs are loaded with technology and their price tags reflect it.

The biggest technology in the Rapture has to be the composite “web crown”. Essentially this design removes some of the titanium from the crown of the club so additional weight can be moved within the head. The company has inserted lightweight composite material into this web and it has allowed for an additional 20 grams of discretionary weight. Engineers moved this weight towards the sides and back… helping create both additional MOI and a higher launch angle. The addition of this composite material also helps create a more solid sound… something that a lot of newer drivers lack.

Ping has also utilized a variable thickness face in the Rapture. This technology makes the face hotter throughout. The 460CC head is fairly traditional in shape and the club is very appealing to the eye.

Ping has never really been known for their stock shafts and the addition of the Aldila VS Proto (among others) gives golfers a few more options.

What Our Readers Sayâ€¦

Reaction has been pretty good but one glaring comparison seems to rear it’s head. See if you can spot it…

The Rapture was very easy to hit. I enjoyed it’s more traditional look but I think I’ll hang on to my G5 for now.

Love at first sight and at first hit. Still traditional looking as far as 460â€™s go and out performed all the rest easily.

I’m looking forward to your Ping Rapture review, only because I have so much confidence in my G5 driver that it’s hard to imagine an improvement.

A good club but it’s not worth the extra bucks. I’ll take a G5 driver and fairway wood for the same price!

Overall Reader Rating - 70%

What Our Customers Sayâ€¦

There are a lot of things to like about Ping. Their equipment is of good quality, they offer well thought out designs and their fitting system is second to none. They also don’t bring out new clubs for the sake of bringing out new clubs. Over the past few years most of their drivers have been noticeably better than the previous… the G2 was a lot better than it’s predecessors and the G5 was a noticeable improvement over the G2. The extra technology packed into the Rapture should make it a lot better than the G5… but it’s not.

We hear the G5/Rapture comparisons a lot. People want to hit the Rapture but usually leave with the G5… noting that there isn’t enough of a difference to warrant the extra money. Is the Rapture driver a bad club? No. Is it taking a back seat to arguably the best driver Ping has ever made? Yep.

The Rapture’s construction makes it a bit more forgiving than the G5 and robotic tests that we’ve seen peg it as 7 yards longer than the G5… although we haven’t noticed a real difference in distance at our shop. The stock shaft selection in the Rapture is slightly better as the company has elected to only offer the popular Aldila VS Proto in this driver and not in the G5. The club’s sound and feel are great… thanks in part to the composite construction.

The Rapture stacks up well against other drivers on the market although it is priced slightly higher than most. This higher price is one of the biggest knocks that we see… aside from the fact that it’s overall performance mirrors that of the less expensive G5.

We have tagged the 60% rating as “Not My First Choice” and this club seems to fall right in there. The Rapture is a great club but it doesn’t provide enough extra performance for Ping fans to abandon their G5’s. This club would do great if the company cut it’s price by about $100 but we don’t see that happening anytime soon. The addition of the Aldila VS Proto is a good move but it’s not enough to warrant the extra cash. A great driver if you have the money but don’t be surprised if you walk out with a G5 instead!

Overall Customer Rating - 60%

Overall Combined Rating - 65%

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