PING delivers with new Rapture driver

The new Rapture V2 driver is the best I've hit in six years of trying equipment.

The Rapture V2 is part of a huge new product introduction from PING that includes new Rapture titanium irons aimed at high handicappers, a new line of weighted putters and a “players' iron,” the S57, that is reported as forgiving as some of PING's traditionally easy-to-hit offerings.

But now the driver.

The Rapture V2 driver (and fairway and hybrid) uses multi-metal technology. It's a 460cc club with a titanium body. It's got weight pads in the back, near the heel and the toe. PING claims this delivers the low-spin, high launch recipe that golfers are after. And it offers the $500 club in lofts from 9 to 13.5 degrees with a stock PING shaft or an otherwise expensive Mitsubishi Diamana Blue.

Enough of that mumbo-jumbo. This thing sits dead square behind the ball and has a little neon green half-moon alignment aid. Even at nearly 46 inches long, this monster is as easy to hit as any square driver I've tried and as long as anything I've tried. Best of all, it's so straight. I was hitting balls on the range that simply went straight, straight, straight. I couldn't work it much, but to be honest, I am not trying to work the ball much when I play golf. I want to hit it straight and hit it far.

The V2 does that. It's got a silly smooth feel and inspires confidence. The price tag will scare some away, but I think you should at least give this one a try. It's knocked the old Nike Sumo2 5900 out as my favorite club. In fact, this is my favorite driver ever.

I can't say the same about the fairway woods and hybrids. Those are both made from a stainless steel body with tungsten sole plates. They felt tinny at impact. They were awful easy to hit, and I suspect once I get used to the different sound and feel, these could be winners, too. So I'll come back and give you a longer term look at those. I couldn't wait, though, to tell you about the V2 driver.

New Equipment Notes

Scotty Cameron by Titleist is debuting four new Studio Select putters, doubling the current number of offerings. The Fastback 1, Squareback 1, Newport 2.6 and Newport 2.7 have been precision milled with circular weights in the heel and toe that allows each model to be offered in five different length and weight combinations. Suggest retail price is $325.

Golf designer Linda Hipp and her company, LIJA (lijastyle.com), have debuted four sportswear collections for Spring 2009 showcasing dynamic prints, elegant silhouettes, rich fabrics and superior fits for women golfers throughout an extensive range of technical and cotton-based pieces. Titled High Society, Barefoot in the Park, An American in Paris and Roman Holiday were inspired by the glamour of Hollywood's Golden Age and the American Spirit of the 1950s. The line, priced from $65 to $135, includes more than 200 pieces.

Aeotech's new SteelFiber i125 iron shaft is a ‘pro-weighted' composite design that is designed to play like steel. The additional weight is not achieved by adding more graphite — which Aeotech says makes the shaft walls too thick and creates a ‘boardy' feel — but by adding more metal fiber which has five times the density (weight) of graphite. Info? http://www.aerotechgolfshafts.com.