Review: Ping Rapture V2 Driver

Pros

• Great look
• Easy to get airborne
• Compact-looking head

Cons

• Steep retail price
• Longer shaft may be harder to control

Whoever said that a sequel never lives up to the original hasn't hit the Ping Rapture V2 driver. This addition - part of Ping's 2009 lineup - to the Ping line of clubs comes on the heels of the company's tremendously successful introduction in Fall 2007 of the G10 and Rapture lines.

With a slightly elongated face profile and high-technology mix of titanium body with tungsten weights, the V2 capitalizes on the clubfitters' holy grail of high launch, low spin. The Rapture V2 does this with performance and style. Dual Tungsten weights do the job of keeping weight low and deep in the head, to help get the ball airborne.

The first noticeable difference from the original Rapture driver is the racy lime green color on the shaft and the soleplate. But the changes aren't merely cosmetic. In what Hollywood might call a plot twist, Ping has equipped the V2 with a super lightweight stock 939 shaft in L through X flexes. With a shaft weight of 47 grams and a 45.75-inch finished length, this makes the V2 one of the lightest and longest drivers on the market. Making a cameo in this sequel is the stock upgrade of a Mitsubishi Diamana Blueboard shaft. At 63 grams, this ultra-premium shaft lowers spin and launch for players who want a little beefier shaft than the 939.

Ping has kept the crown in the more traditional pear shape of the original Rapture - good news for those who want their 460cc disguised as a smaller headed driver.

By expanding the height of the face and elongating clubhead dimensions, Ping has enlarged the sweet spot on the clubface and provided a very hot face, providing tremendous ball velocity regardless of player skill level.

I was able to test the V2 with the stock 939 shaft. Using a Bushnell Medalist rangefinder, I could closely approximate my distances. Overall, using a Bridgestone B-330S ball for control, I found the V2 to be about 5-8 yards longer on similarly struck drives up against Ping's G10 driver. The loft on both drivers was 10.5 degrees and the flex was stiff on both.

The sound off the tee was pleasing. Not a "tink" or hollow sound, but more of a solid quality sound. I found the V2 trajectory to be a little quicker-launching through the "ideal window" about 10-20 yards off the tee. Once airborne, the V2 trajectory seemed to flatten out quicker than the G10. I attribute this to the lower spin that Ping has engineered into the club. The net result is a bit more roll once the ball hit the ground. And we can all use some more roll.

All in all, Ping engineers have captured the hot face of the G10 and the solid sound and feel of the original Rapture and put it into the V2 package.

At $500 MSRP, the ticket price might be a concern for value-seeking golfers, but there is enough performance and forgiveness to make this an award-winner for all levels of golfer. In short, the Ping Rapture V2 driver as the sequel should certainly be a smash hit.