The Ping Rapture Irons are a product of years of research and development dedicated to making a game improving iron as technologically advanced as possible. I was at a Ping Demo Day held at another course in the area, and was able to demo a set of the Rapture irons.
As with the other items in the Rapture line, the irons are made of a multi material blend. The frame of the iron is cast from 17-4 stainless steel, this creates a heavier body that boosts stability. The face is a titanium insert that generates maximum ball speed for increased initial ball speed for added distance. The titanium face is also lighter than the steel frame which allows 25 grams of discretionary weight to be moved to the perimeter,this helps to raise the moment of inertia to increase forgiveness on off center hits. Since the hosel is such a large percentage of the total weight of the club head, a tungsten weight is inserted in the toe of the club to balance the hosel weight. This helps to increase stability on shots hit out on the toe. Since titanium feels a little harsher than traditional steel, the tuning port on the back of the face has been enlarged, this provides more surface area contact to help dampen vibrations. The elastomer used in the tuning port of the Rapture is softer than that used in any other iron to help create the sound and feel that players prefer. A moderate off set helps to complete the game improvement design, it gives the player a greater window of time to square the club head through the impact area.
The first thing that I noticed on the range was the oversized club head. While slightly larger than I am accustomed to, it was not a ridiculously over sized head, and the top line was not as thick as some of the other game improvement irons on the market. The weighting was nice, as you could feel the club head throughout the swing, which is another area where some game improvement clubs are lacking. The wider sole and moderate offset do help get the ball in the air, the wider sole also allows you to be a little less than precise with making contact with the golf ball.
Distance wise, these clubs are a little longer than the other Ping lines, the titanium face insert does increase the ball speed. The feel was very soft, softer than other titanium faced irons available. Part of what helped create the soft feel was the fact that the club head was so stable that you felt like you hit every shot solidly. This stability of the club head promotes a high straight ball flight, the trade off is that you are not able to control the shape of your shots. I had to struggle to hit a fade and tended to overhook the ball when trying to hit a draw. The one other area that I found to be a bit lacking was the spin control. Since the ball came off of the face so quickly, I was not able to get as much spin on the shorter irons, this will hurt when playing courses with firmer greens.
I would definitely recommend this set to a higher handicap player, or a mid handicap player that has some difficulty hitting the ball consistently. They are not intended for players looking to work the golf ball, but the longer irons would serve well as long iron replacements for the better player as well.
As with the other items in the Rapture line, the irons are made of a multi material blend. The frame of the iron is cast from 17-4 stainless steel, this creates a heavier body that boosts stability. The face is a titanium insert that generates maximum ball speed for increased initial ball speed for added distance. The titanium face is also lighter than the steel frame which allows 25 grams of discretionary weight to be moved to the perimeter,this helps to raise the moment of inertia to increase forgiveness on off center hits. Since the hosel is such a large percentage of the total weight of the club head, a tungsten weight is inserted in the toe of the club to balance the hosel weight. This helps to increase stability on shots hit out on the toe. Since titanium feels a little harsher than traditional steel, the tuning port on the back of the face has been enlarged, this provides more surface area contact to help dampen vibrations. The elastomer used in the tuning port of the Rapture is softer than that used in any other iron to help create the sound and feel that players prefer. A moderate off set helps to complete the game improvement design, it gives the player a greater window of time to square the club head through the impact area.
The first thing that I noticed on the range was the oversized club head. While slightly larger than I am accustomed to, it was not a ridiculously over sized head, and the top line was not as thick as some of the other game improvement irons on the market. The weighting was nice, as you could feel the club head throughout the swing, which is another area where some game improvement clubs are lacking. The wider sole and moderate offset do help get the ball in the air, the wider sole also allows you to be a little less than precise with making contact with the golf ball.
Distance wise, these clubs are a little longer than the other Ping lines, the titanium face insert does increase the ball speed. The feel was very soft, softer than other titanium faced irons available. Part of what helped create the soft feel was the fact that the club head was so stable that you felt like you hit every shot solidly. This stability of the club head promotes a high straight ball flight, the trade off is that you are not able to control the shape of your shots. I had to struggle to hit a fade and tended to overhook the ball when trying to hit a draw. The one other area that I found to be a bit lacking was the spin control. Since the ball came off of the face so quickly, I was not able to get as much spin on the shorter irons, this will hurt when playing courses with firmer greens.
I would definitely recommend this set to a higher handicap player, or a mid handicap player that has some difficulty hitting the ball consistently. They are not intended for players looking to work the golf ball, but the longer irons would serve well as long iron replacements for the better player as well.
No comments:
Post a Comment