The OFFICIAL PING Anser Driver Fitting & Review Thread

[heffe78]

Billy Bob's price on the adapters isn't bad but their shipping charges are insane (IMO).

[floycota]

[quote name='heffe78' timestamp='1355371781' post='6060603']
Billy Bob's price on the adapters isn't bad but their shipping charges are insane (IMO).
[/quote]
Shipping was free for me.

[GooseHook]

[b]LONG REVIEW (bear with me):[/b]

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.

[b]Specs in short:[/b]
PING G20/Anser, 9.5 (digitally lofted)
44.5"
D3 Swingweight
VTS Silver 7X (for both)
Diamana 'ahina 70x ( in the Anser)

[b]Looks: [/b]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.

[b]Ballflight: [/b]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]**I typically go to a range that is boxed in by mature trees, so it's really helpful for comparing ballflight amongst clubs. [/i]

[b]Distance: [/b]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.

[b]Forgiveness: [/b]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.

[b]Feel:[/b] 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.

[b]Adjustability:[/b] 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.

[b]Overall: [/b]I'm really looking forward to seeing this thing out on the course. It's looking promising so far though!


[i]A special note on the VTS Silver vs. 'ahina: [/i]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.

[Brettasaurus]

I ordered a Speeder 7.2 TS from Ping to try out in The Anser and despite the weather (low 40s and windy) the combo is ridiculous. I played the front nine hitting my 913D2 9.5 w/DI7 and the back nine with the Anser 10.5 w 7.2 TS. The ball flight is higher on the 913D2, obviously a DI7 is higher launch than the 7.2 but the difference isn't that great given the loft difference. When I was fitted for the 913D2 I was getting a LA of 12-12.4 with the DI7 and 10.2-10.7 with a BB7. The Anser w/7.2 TS fell somewhere in the middle according to my eye.

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.

[GooseHook]

[quote name='Brettasaurus' timestamp='1355419447' post='6062875']
I ordered a Speeder 7.2 TS from Ping to try out in The Anser and despite the weather (low 40s and windy) the combo is ridiculous. I played the front nine hitting my 913D2 9.5 w/DI7 and the back nine with the Anser 10.5 w 7.2 TS. The ball flight is higher on the 913D2, obviously a DI7 is higher launch than the 7.2 but the difference isn't that great given the loft difference. When I was fitted for the 913D2 I was getting a LA of 12-12.4 with the DI7 and 10.2-10.7 with a BB7. The Anser w/7.2 TS fell somewhere in the middle according to my eye.

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. [b]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[/b], 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.
[/quote]

My thoughts exactly. Hits off the sweet spot sound really nice for the Anser, but mishits are particularly loud.

[floycota]

Billy Bob adapter arrived today - I'll be trying a Nunchuk in it.

 

[Night train]

Played yesterday which is pretty rare in the Midwest...........and hit my buddies Anser again.

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

[indygolfman]

So far I've only been able to hit my Anser on a LM and the field behind my house. However, I LOVE it! I'm coming from a Fubuki Alpha shafted RHT, to my Anser w/ 'Ahina. I've had pretty much the best driving year of my life with the RHT (So why change?) but it was always "all carry." I would have drives that backed up a foot or two. The Anser ballflight is MUCH more flat and penetrating. My landing angles have gone from the high 40's/low 50's now down to 36*-42*.

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:

[url="http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/topic/750011-im-a-believer-anser-vs-913d3-vs-i20-with-lm-numbers/"]http://www.golfwrx.c...ith-lm-numbers/[/url]

[wdwfan78]

I went into Golfsmith tonight with the intent of buying a 913. I wanted something I could adjust but the spin on the head was outrageous. Tried a Fast 12 with a Fubuki Alpha and we were looking good. R11s is looking OK, then we switch to the Anser. Try the Blur, and its alright, but then he throws the Ahina in it and it was like everything came together in one moment of clarity. 2600-2800 RPM with nice dispersion. I know its only indoors, but I think this thing is the real deal.

[juanki]

finally got to play the driver in the course, coming from the i15 9.5 axiv red stiff.

Anser 10.5 ahina stiff.

LOOKS
Great looking driver, the shaft and the head go very well together, the crown is so different to a shiny one loke in the 15, head size its seems bigger and/or longer, and it gives you lots of confidence lookig down at it.

PERFORMANCE
I play this in the - setting, i feel i can go at it, this is a very forgiving head, misshits on the heel still go, had one mark in the top toe part and carried almost like a center hit, if you put a good swing, on any part of the face will give you great results, being the top center the best. If you put a bad swing, it will go bad as any driver out there.

CONCLUSSION
im very happy with it, defently better than my old i15, as not always i get the sweet spot and still get good results, out of the round, played 6 holes with it, 1 bad swing, 3 missing the center ( one was a low toe and two high heels) all of them ended in good position short and to the sides but good enough, and got 2 of the best drives in my life, one defenlty longer and strigther than ever before in a particular hole, and the other pretty much the best that i got with the i15. Never had 2 great drives in a round.

Next time ill play the back tees so i can use the anser more times. Great stick.

[cobrastang]

I'm currently hitting a r11s with a DI 7X and like it pretty well. It's a 9* but I have it set to 8.5, (my adapter is a 1 * adapter). My loving wife suprised me with a new Anser 9.5 with the Blur 005 X this morning. Now I was at my buddies golf shop hitting these a month or so ago and he had me on his fitting launch monitor. It appears that the club has been ordered for me as it has a Ping tag on it with my name. I have a few questions that I hope somebody will answer for me. Beside the Fujikura Blur Red 005 X on the tag it says either 80 or 82, it appears more like 80 to me. First, what's this mean? Second, where the loft says 9.5 DEG, it has either a 2 or a Z above DEG with a line going down between the D and E. What's this mean? Last, on the top left of the tag, it says H7, is that something to do with the club?

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.

[Night train]

A lot of people have found they need to go up in loft because the head produces such low spin rates.......good chance it will launch comparably to the 8.5 you're used to.

[SALUKI LEFTY]

Recommend me a setup for Anser driver based on my current driver.

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.

[strick13]

Ah, I may have gotten too much of a shaft. I should've fiddled around with a few different ones. Might try to change out the 'ahina to the blur. Bummer.

[Doc Mcstuffins]

[quote name='SALUKI LEFTY' timestamp='1356492612' post='6117123']
Recommend me a setup for Anser driver based on my current driver.

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.
[/quote]

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.

[SALUKI LEFTY]

[quote name='Doc Mcstuffins' timestamp='1356579889' post='6121713']
[quote name='SALUKI LEFTY' timestamp='1356492612' post='6117123']
Recommend me a setup for Anser driver based on my current driver.

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.
[/quote]

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.
[/quote]

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.

[chickenpotpie]

I hit one of these on a whim at Golfsmith the other day, 9.5 with xstiff ahina shaft. I didn't have my gamer with me, so I couldn't do a direct comparison, but I did hit a few other demos while I was there. I realize the monitors may be juiced slightly (I think I trust the carry and swing/ball speed numbers though), but the Anser was giving me the best carry of anything else I tried. Coming from an i20, the feel was very similar, the launch angle was similar, but the spin was way down. If my wife hadn't been with me on the trip, I might have walked out with it! It was that good.

[cobrastang]

This may have already been answered, but I don't see it anywhere. Does the anser open and close the face along with the loft adjustment. Someone told me that setting an anser to the + will close the face. Setting the anser to - will open the face. Is this true? If so, common sense says it will be square in the neutral setting.

[heffe78]

[quote name='cobrastang' timestamp='1356797962' post='6133855']
This may have already been answered, but I don't see it anywhere. Does the anser open and close the face along with the loft adjustment. Someone told me that setting an anser to the + will close the face. Setting the anser to - will open the face. Is this true? If so, common sense says it will be square in the neutral setting.
[/quote]

That is true 0.5* each way

[Rosco1216]

[quote name='heffe78' timestamp='1356829407' post='6136213']
[quote name='cobrastang' timestamp='1356797962' post='6133855']
This may have already been answered, but I don't see it anywhere. Does the anser open and close the face along with the loft adjustment. Someone told me that setting an anser to the + will close the face. Setting the anser to - will open the face. Is this true? If so, common sense says it will be square in the neutral setting.
[/quote]

That is true 0.5* each way
[/quote]

it will close/open the face between .75-1* (.83* if exact) to get the effective loft change of .5*. Going by the accepted 60% theory.

[minteq]

Has anyone tried the Anser with the Project X black? I really liked the shaft when I tried the I20 and think it would be good in the Anser.

Thanks.

[chrisgilly09]

I got my hands on a proper Proj. X Black 7.0, and have been switching off between that and a Proj. X Blue 7.0 (my baby) this week. They're both very good; the black is supposed to launch higher IIRC, and the head itself is ridiculous.

[GooseHook]

[quote name='GooseHook' timestamp='1355412030' post='6062157']
[b]LONG REVIEW (bear with me):[/b]

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.

[b]Specs in short:[/b]
PING G20/Anser, 9.5 (digitally lofted)
44.5"
D3 Swingweight
VTS Silver 7X (for both)
Diamana 'ahina 70x ( in the Anser)

[b]Looks: [/b]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.

[b]Ballflight: [/b]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]**I typically go to a range that is boxed in by mature trees, so it's really helpful for comparing ballflight amongst clubs. [/i]

[b]Distance: [/b]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.

[b]Forgiveness: [/b]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.

[b]Feel:[/b] 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.

[b]Adjustability:[/b] 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.

[b]Overall: [/b]I'm really looking forward to seeing this thing out on the course. It's looking promising so far though!


[i]A special note on the VTS Silver vs. 'ahina: [/i]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.
[/quote]

[b]Update:[/b]

I had a chance this past weekend to finally get the Anser out on a golf course, [i]and [/i]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.

[Doc Mcstuffins]

Good advice Goose. Definitely do not go down in loft in this head. It's low...low...low spin. Lookin' forward to comparing my Anser to the new G25.

[10&8]

[quote name='Brettasaurus' timestamp='1355419447' post='6062875']
I ordered a Speeder 7.2 TS from Ping to try out in The Anser and despite the weather (low 40s and windy) the combo is ridiculous. I played the front nine hitting my 913D2 9.5 w/DI7 and the back nine with the Anser 10.5 w 7.2 TS. The ball flight is higher on the 913D2, obviously a DI7 is higher launch than the 7.2 but the difference isn't that great given the loft difference. When I was fitted for the 913D2 I was getting a LA of 12-12.4 with the DI7 and 10.2-10.7 with a BB7. The Anser w/7.2 TS fell somewhere in the middle according to my eye.

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.
[/quote]

I was wondering how long it took you to get your order from Ping? I just ordered that exact same combo & have been waiting 10 days so far. I don't even need it yet, won't be golfing for a couple more months, but still antsy nonetheless...

[rmielnick]

I hit the Anser around late September of 2012. I think the setup (which did not matter to me at the time as I had the I20 and wasn't in the market) was a 10.5 (usually get a 9.5) with the Ping X-Stiff shaft. I was impressed at the feel and i was getting a mid ball flight with the 10.5 and the x-stiff. I was pretty sure i was hitting it further than my I20 with the Ping stock shaft in a stiff.
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.

[slide13]

Hit an Anser for the first time today. Been looking at drivers for over a year now but never found one that made me want to pull my 909 D2. Kept trying 910 and now 913 models but they just weren't all that different from my 909. Found a 8.5 Anser in Ahina x-flex and finally had tha ah-ha moment. I had been hitting a used 910 with RIP A70 x-flex and as soon as I picked up the Anser I found 15-20 yards over that 910. Spin was down, just felt better and I was making better contact. Really impressed with this driver and will probably go back and buy it tomorrow I'm thinking.

[Sam-Tee-Time]

I've decided to reward myself with an Anser driver, after (finally) landing a job recently. I've demoed everything out there, and have 100% decided the Anser head is what I want for all reasons given in this thread.

However - I really want an upgraded shaft in this thing, but obviously want to be fitted first. Sorry, this is my 1st time with an adjustable driver, so I had a couple of questions.....

Does anyone have any experience with the [b]OBAN Devotion [/b]shafts in this head?

[b]Must you order custom shafts from Ping?[/b] - or can you just buy a stock setup somewhere, and have a local fitter remove the funny tip and place a different shaft in it? Someone told me this screws up the balance and swingweight of the driver, and it's better to order from Ping directly. Or - does the BillyBob Adaptor work superbly with other shafts?

[b]Dallas/Fort Worth fitter recommendations (with a launch monitor)?[/b] Most guys I've spoken to locally don't know their @ss from a hole-in-the-ground when it comes to proper driver fitting.

Sorry for all the questions - hopefully someone can help! FWIW here are my stats:

105mph Swingspeed
High Spin (I have a slice/over-the-top move)
Current Gamer: Callaway FT-5, Speeder 553, 10*, R-flex (tipped)
Backup: TaylorMade SuperQuad 10.5, Grafalloy Blue R-flex (tipped)

[heffe78]

Sam-Tee-Time - you can heat and pull the stock tip no prob and slam it on another shaft without issue. The Ansers are pretty simple, nothing fancy about the balance stuff you referenced. All the heads weight the same (203-205gm) and then ping just puts the 4 different shafts in. You can re-shaft no prob.

You'll like want the 10.5 and try it at 10. The 9.5 might be too low spin. Those heads are silly low.

Have fun, congrat son the job.