This driver is one of the best. Instills confidence and looks, feels and sound perfect. More forgiving than the G10 we found this head to be the best driver in the ping offering for 2009.
The mass properties of tungsten and titanium are optimized in the Rapture® V2™ Driver to create a high launching, lower spinning driver that delivers the performance expected from a multi-metal design. The visible, dense tungsten weight pads in the back of the lightweight titanium head expand the perimeter weighting and position the center-of-gravity low and away from the face.
The 460cc head is slightly elongated by extending the face height and aggressively sloping the crown. The thin face is precisely machined and plasma-welded to deliver higher ball speeds for greater distance.
Slightly elongated shaped 460cc multi-material head Slightly elongated head profile produces a driver with a higher moment of inertia resulting in straighter drives on off-center hits. The increased "footprint" also inspires more confidence over every drive.
Titanium head with external tungsten weight pads PING engineers have utilized a titanium body and tungsten perimeter weighting to optimize the cneter of gravity location to create a high launch angle and low spin rate as well as increase the moemtn of inertia resulting in longer and straighter drives.
Thin crown design technology Low stress areas are "thinned" resulting in additional discretionary weight that is redistributed into the tungsten perimeter weighting helping to optimize launch and spin along with increasing the moment of inertia
Head designed for powerful sound The multi-material head design is fine tuned using finite element analysis (FEA). FEA is a tool that helps PING engineers optimize the head design in a virtual environment for performance, durability, feel and sound. The finished result is a driver with powerfrul performance and sound.
Thin, machined variable face with robotic plasma weld Precisely machined, thin variable-thickness face leads to exceptional performance including higher ball speed. The Robotic Plasma Weld improves durability and saves weight, which is redistributed in the external tungsten weight pads.
New dual Rapture graphic alignment aid New, visually appealing alignment aid will inspire additional confidence in your game by making sure you are aligned squarely to your target every time.
Driver Specifications
Loft
Length
Offset
Lie
Head Weight
Swingweight
RAPTURE V2®
9.0°
45.75"
No
58.00°
200g
D3
10.5°
45.75"
No
58.00°
200g
D3
12.0°
45.75"
No
58.00°
200g
D3
13.5°
45.75"
No
58.00°
200g
D3
These are design specifications that may vary due to manufacturing tolerances
Standard swingweights for Ladies, Soft R and Regular shafts are 1 point lighter than shown
The Rapture V2 driver is available in both RH and LH models
Pros: -Beautiful aesthetics, confidence inspiring
-Very Forgiving
-Very Long
Cons: -Ping standard length may be to long for some.
Rating: Earlier in the spring I tested a set different offerings including the Taylormade R9 TP and 460 TP, Titleist 909 D2 and D3, Callawy FT9 Tour. At the time the Titleist 909D2 with stock Voodoo (stiff) was what I ended up getting based on the launch numbers.
Though there were days I hit it well, I was pretty inconsistant with the 909D2 (even after a shaft change and decided to look for something else.
After reading a bit about the PING Rapture V2 I decided to give it a shot - it is the easiest change I made in equipment this year. From the first couple drives I could tell it was longer than the 909D2, though obviously being 3/4 of an inch longer was a big part of that the weight and balance of the club does not feel unwieldy. To the contrary this club really match up well with my smooth swing (driver swing speed 110) and I don't feel the need to step on it to get the distance out of it like I did with the 909D2.
Couple things of note:
1. Aesthetics: The driver does instill confidence and sits well behind the ball. Some will like the half moon alignment aid, some may find it distracting.
2. Stock Diamana Blueboard Shaft: I really like the performance of this shaft. Some will aruge it's not the aftermarket version so can't be as good but having played the aftermarket the playing performance is on par with it. Very good medium flight that levels off nicely and provides me some roll.
3. Forgiveness and feedback: One of the most forgiving drivers I have hit. Slightly offcenter results in minimal distance loss but you still get feedback in terms of feel and sound. Offcenter hits a bit more twangy compared to the solid thump of center hits.
4. Distance: Like I menetioned earlier the standard letnght is 45.75" and too some that is longer than they are used to playing. Before cutting it down I would recommend to everyone to try it at that length - I think PING did a great job in balancing the Rapture V2 and it's hard to explain but it doesn't feel over long. Resutlt for me has been consistanly longer drives without the feel of coming out of my shoes to get there.
Conclusion: This is a great offering that should be considered by anyone in the market for a new driver.
Personal Info:
Handicap: 2.5
Driver swing speed: 110-115
8 iron distance: 160
5 iron distance: 200
Average carry with with the Rapture V2: 260
Long and forgiving; Blueboard shaft is smooth as butter
Cons:
Pricey retail, but you can get them mint for under $250
Rating:
I am a driver nut but this driver has stuck in my bag for over a year now, despite multiple attempts to drive it out -- Ping G10 w/BB, Nike 5900 with ProLaunch Platinum, and even the new Ping G15. This driver just feels good. It hits longer than it's predecessor (Ping G10 with ProLaunch Red) by 10 yards (for me).
I find the Blueboard shaft plays for me a bit stiffer for flex, which means the R in this fits well with my slightly-faster-than-Regular 94-97MPH swing speed. Miss hits (toe or heel) still have plenty of distance. If you have path issues, this club will slightly minimize the hook/slice effect, but it won't correct it. This is good news if you like to work the ball, because you can still do that.
I recently tip-trimmed mine just a bit (3/8") and have seen an improvement in my ability to control the club (firmer, shorter) without losing much distance (3-4 yards).
I really like the NTS grip that comes standard -- this is the grip I put on everything. You can go without a glove, which improves feel -- and it won't rip your hands to shreds.
While I'm giving the G15s a try, it's likely that the V2 will remain my club. I've not used a driver this long, or this satisfactorily -- especially have the minor changes. The V2 is a real winner.
Very Striaght,and ccurate Looks great behind the ball
Cons:
Head weight when reshafting was light.
Rating:
My Driver Specs: 10.5 shafted w/ aldila NVS 75 cut to 45"
My swing speed is 107. Hncp-3.
Over the last couple years I have gone through at least 5 drivers and never found one that did eveything wanted: Long but not accurate, Acurate but not long and so on and so on but this driver has done everything i have always expected in a driver.
A big thing for me is also visual and this driver sets up square in any loft and the alignment marker on the crown is just enoug to help without being a distraction.
The ball flight is high but even in windy conditions there is very little distance lost because the spin is low and because its quite easy to control the trajectory. Also even though the ball flight is high the spin remains low so when it hits the fairway is runs like a rabbit on speed.
I have found that with this driver I was hitting it places i was never hitting it before.I know it has been said many times before but thanks to my Bushnell 1500 it was easy to compare the distances with my other driver.
The PING Rapture V2 when fitted properly gained me an easy 10-13 yards in the air. This was achieved by going up in loft and finding the right shaft flex and weight. I had used the MP600, and J33 460 both is 9.5 but no mater what shaft i was never able to get the ball speed and accuracy that i got out the the Rapture V2.
My average number with the Rapture are:
BS: 157,LA: 15 and spin- 2400, i know i could get slightly lower spin by using a different shaft but i never seem to keep the same control and even though some may find it high it offers the best control and still gets plenty of roll.
I built and fit clubs for a living and can easily say that this driver can be fit to so many golfers and i highly recomend it and would put it up against any new driver on the market.
this driver is long, straight, and forgiving.........but not as forgiving as my ft-iq callaway driver. i enjoyed hitting this though. highly reccomended for anybody.
Lost the recent battle for the driver position in my bag to the G15. Great driver, LONG, just not quite as forgiving as the G15. For me at least. Beautiful sound off the face.
Long and straight but workable. The sound is soft.
Cons:
Sound is too quiet. Must be beaten senseless.
Rating:
I decided it was time to get a new driver when the Bridgestone ball fitting measured my swing speed at 108-110. That was a nice step up from the last measurement of 98-102. I bought this club because of launch monitor performance in the shop. But I could not hit it for beans when I took it to the course. I gave it a timeout, but then gave it another shot at a Ping demo day. Sure enough, on the range it was longer with tighter dispersion and an hour later on the course it was short and Army golf again. At the turn, I said "F it" and started rediculously full swings and then it was stupid straight and looooong. The "S" shaft is stiffer than all my other "S" drivers. The sound took some getting used to. It's understated. You boom one and it barely squeaks. There has to be some magic in this club because I don't feel like I'm swinging hard any more and my best shots are pushing past 325. That's not supposed to be possible, but I'll take the eagles and run. Prices just dropped. Stop drooling and go get one.
