Equipment: Ping Ready for Rapture ... and more

The driver pictured at right is the Ping Rapture driver, part of a the Ping Rapture series that is a complement to Ping's popular G5 lineup. The Ping Rapture line includes, in addition to the driver, fairway woods, hybrids and irons. Here's a roundup of the new Ping products.

Anyone in the market for a comfortable pair of golf shoes should check out Alias Footwear's offerings. The four models in Alias Footwear's lineup of golf shoes are among the most comfortable we've tried. They look snazzy and feel more like a comfortable set of athletic shoes, and the price is great, too. More on Alias Footwear golf shoes

Below the fold is news on the GC Series of irons from Bridgestone, several new models of the Odyssey White Hot XG putters, and a high-performance shaft from Graphite Design. So keep reading ...

• Bridgestone GC Series Irons: The "GC" in the Bridgestone GC Series Irons stands for "gravity chamber." The "gravity chamber" on the back of each iron head is an area from which weight has been removed in order to be repositioned to other areas to help achieve deeper center of gravity and higher MOI.

The GC.MID irons are geared to golfers who seek the feel desired by better players but with plenty of forgiveness. "Gravity disks" on the soles of the clubs are positioned for a higher ball flight and more forgiveness in long irons, progressing to a flatter trajectory and more control in short irons.

The GC.OS set is for golfers seeking maximum forgiveness. In this set, the gravity disks are positioned in the extreme corners of the back cavity of the clubhead.

Both sets come with an MSRP of $699 with steel shafts or $799 with graphite shafts. Bridgestone Web site

• Odyssey White Hot XG Putters: Odyssey is adding four new models to its White Hot XG putter lineup, including the #9 model used by Phil Mickelson. The new models are the #5 Center Shafted, #8 Center Shafted, #9 and a 2-Ball model. In addition, a left-handed version of the #7 model, the most popular of the original White Hot XG Putters, also is being introduced. Odyssey White Hot XG Web site

• GDI Pershing Shaft: The latest high-performance shaft from Graphite Design International is called the Pershing (pictured above). Five models are offered to match up with golfers from those slower-swingers who need a lightweight, flexible shaft to highly skilled players who desire a heavier, firmer shaft. Each model is designed to match well with today's larger, high-performance clubheads, and include features such as low to mid kickpoints and lively tips; torque ranging from 3.0 to 6.0; and a low-resin, ultra-high-modulus construction. The GDI Pershing shafts range in price from $120 to $127. Graphite Design Web site

Photos courtesy of Ping Golf and Graphite Design International, respectively, and used with permission