Ping Rapture 3 Wood Review

If you struggle with your driver and have been saving up for some new kit this year, Ping may have created the perfect club for you. The Rapture 3-wood is a premium club aimed at golfers seeking a versatile driver alternative or hotter-faced 3-wood.

At 13 degrees and with a 219cc head, the Rapture is essentially a 2-wood aiming to provide more spin and therefore accuracy than a driver without giving up too many yards. At 43.5 inches, it’s half-an-inch longer than the i25 3-wood and like the i25, loft can be adjusted up or down half a degree via the hosel. Like the rest of Ping’s wood line-up, it comes in a matt black finish.

A tall, variable-thickness face made of high-strength beta titanium (30% stronger than standard titanium) enlarges the hitting surface for increased forgiveness while accelerating ball speeds to generate distance. Almost 25% of head mass is found in the tungsten sole plate, which positions the centre of gravity much lower in the head, further improving energy transfer for higher ball speed and less spin.

“The weighting properties of titanium and tungsten provide our engineers a lot of opportunities to improve performance,” said John Solheim, Ping Chairman & CEO. 

“We expect golfers who have more success with a 3-wood style club to use the Rapture,” Ping designer Marty Jertson told TG. “It’s very long off the tee due to the hot face and easy to control, so it works well as a driver alternative. Plus, you can hit it off the fairway.”

Tested
First hit: Joel Tadman, 3 hcp: “Unbelievably hot and solid off the face, more so than any other wood I’ve hit. It was only a few yards behind my i25 driver with a similar flight. It’s like having a driver that goes straighter with less effort – but it’s pricey.” Watch our first hit video of the Ping Rapture 3 Wood above.

Details: Available now for pre-ordering from Ping-authorised golf shops.