Is the Ping Rapture V2 Driver Still Good? Is it Forgiving for High Handicappers?
“With the Ping Rapture V2, you’re looking at a beefy 460cc driver that in its time, was intended to be one of the most forgiving drivers on the market.”
It’s no secret that Ping golf clubs are expensive. However, you don’t always have to buy the latest and greatest models in order to lower your score. If you are in the market for a quality game improvement driver but don’t want to spend a ton of money, the Ping Rapture V2 driver may be perfect for you.
The Ping Rapture V2 debuted back in 2008. A lot of you may be thinking ‘can a driver that’s almost 15 years old be any good for high handicappers in 2023?’ We had the same question. That’s why we took the Ping Rapture V2 out to the range for a new round of testing.
Is the Ping Rapture V2 Driver Still Good?
“For high handicappers, absolutely.”
“While it lacks a lot of the bells and whistles of newer GI drivers (the Taylormade SIM2 comes to mind), it has all the fundamentals covered.”
For instance, let’s start with weight. The head weight of the Ping Rapture V2 is 200 grams. While overall weight will depend on what shaft you fit it with, 200 grams is light enough to help high handicappers improve their club head speed.
The light weight comes from the fact that the Ping Rapture V2 has a full titanium head. Some of the weight savings have been repositioned to the rear of the head in the form of crescent-shaped weight pads.
The rear positioning really helps to increase MOI and make sure that your ball speed is preserved over more of the face.
Is the Ping Rapture V2 Forgiving for High Handicappers?
“One of the features of the Ping Rapture V2 is an elongated face.”
The deep profile of the Ping Rapture V2 driver’s face allows the player to work the ball more effectively up and down. But more importantly; it allows for better forgiveness on low-face shots.
We tested the Ping Rapture V2 and found that low face shots lost an average of 2.1 MPH ball speed compared to shots hit face-center. It may not sound that impressive on paper but in practice it meant that our mis-hits were going almost as far as our pure hits.
The Ping Rapture V2 is also perimeter weighted to increase lateral forgiveness. Really, the only thing missing that would make the Ping Rapture V2 a perfect GI driver is a face that plays hot. It is a variable thickness face; but it feels a bit lifeless on impact.
Ping Rapture V2 Vs Ping Rapture
“The Ping Rapture V2 was preceded in 2006 by the launch of the original Rapture driver.”
The Ping Rapture (original) had a composite head design that was composed of titanium and graphite. When comparing the heads of these two drivers, you can actually see that the Ping Rapture V2 driver head is longer from front to back.
You can also see that the face profile of the Ping Rapture V2 driver is deeper than the original Rapture. Ping certainly enhanced playability and forgiveness in the Ping Rapture V2.
Ping Rapture V2 First Impressions
“You can see at address that the Ping Rapture V2 is big and beefy.”
The head looks almost illegal at address; but rest assured, it is a legal 460cc’s. The Ping Rapture V2 launches high almost immediately. The light weight head makes it easy to find the sweet spot after only a couple of shots. Overall it’s a very comfortable driver to swing and it will help you get a lot of air under your drive.
Ping Rapture V2 Selling Points
- All titanium head design
- External weight pads
- Perimeter weighted
- Variable face thickness
- Square face angle
- Available lofts from 9° to 13.5°
Ping Rapture V2 Key Features
“We see some pretty basic yet effective features in the Ping Rapture V2.”
External Weight Pads: Weight pads in the rear of the head help drive the CG down and promote high launch.
Elongated Head Shape: The larger head (from front to back) helps expand the hitting zone of the face.
Variable Face Thickness: The face thickness has been optimized to put more power behind the sweet spot and to be thinner and more forgiving in common mis-hit zones.
What Handicap is it for?
“The Ping Rapture V2 would be great for 15-25 handicap players.”
It offers a surprising amount of side-to-side workability that mid handicappers will appreciate. At the same time, it affords enough forgiveness to be effective for high handicap players who need more forgiveness. Plus, it has the launch that high handicappers need.
Ping Rapture V2 Driver Options
- Mitsubishi Diamana Blue S63 (stiff flex shaft)
- Ping TFC 939D (regular flex shaft)
- Grafalloy Blue (regular flex shaft)
- Fujikura Vista Pro 60 (stiff flex shaft)
- Ping TFC 909D (Stiff flex shaft)
Who Should Buy the Ping Rapture V2 Driver?
“The Ping Rapture V2 driver would be a good choice for anyone looking for a driver that emphasizes forgiveness above all else.”
Yes, the Ping Rapture V2 did help most of our testers increase their average club head speed; but that’s sort of burying the lead with this driver. The main attraction is the excellent forgiveness this club affords.
Whether you tend to draw or fade the ball, the Ping Rapture V2 should help you square the face better than the driver you’re currently using. Low-face mis-hits are almost not an issue with this driver too.
Basically, if you are really trying to break 100 this season and you need help in the long game department to do so, the Ping Rapture V2 driver is definitely worth a look. Plus, it’s sold for a very reasonable price these days so you really don’t have much to lose.
Distance: 96/100
Forgiveness: 97/100
Workability: 95/100
Overall Performance: 96/100
Value: 97/100
Overall Score: 97/100
Aidan is a low-handicap golfer who came from over 110 to breaking 80 in less than 1 year.
Aidan has become obsessed with becoming a scratch golfer and plays golf on every possible occasion, even in the snow!
