50 Words or Less
The PING Rapture Fairway Wood is the longest of the new “fairway drivers.” Great looks, sound, and feel.
Introduction
There are lots of “fairway drivers” out there this year. They all claim to be long, and many are, but if you really want distance, you want a fairway wood made out of the same stuff your driver is made of: titanium. The PING Rapture is that club. At 13°, 219 ccs, and 43.5 inches, it should prove easier to control than a driver, but it still packs loads of distance.
Looks
The PING Rapture’s look borrows heavily from other current PING metal woods. The crown has the matte black finish which kills glare and looks stealthy. It also has the same alignment aid as the G25 and i25. The main feature of the sole is the large tungsten plate, but the branding is very minimal.
In terms of size, the Rapture is decidedly larger than a typical fairway wood, but well proportioned. If anything, it’s a little larger from back to front. The face is not extremely deep, but it frames the ball really well and provides lots of confidence at address.
Sound & Feel
The Rapture has a great impact sound, but it’s a little hard to describe. It’s fairly quiet – the Rapture will scare your friends with how far it goes, not with the volume of the hit. The pitch of the impact sound is medium – not low or high – and it has almost no metallic quality to it. In fact, it sounds a little more wooden. That may seem odd, but trust me when I tell you that this unique sound is very enjoyable.
A very interesting aspect of this club’s feel is the extreme counter balancing. The proprietary TFC 949 shaft weighs under 60 grams in stiff flex, but I would have never guessed that it was so light because there’s plenty of weight in the hands.
Performance
Many of the other “fairway drivers” have produced numbers that are driver-like, but they’ve all given up something to my gamer driver. On the days that I tested the PING Rapture, it gave up absolutely nothing. Based on my testing, this is unquestionably the longest fairway wood of 2014. The spin is low, the launch is medium (relative to the 13 degree loft), so you get a strong medium-high trajectory with plenty of roll. Additionally, because of the shorter shaft and increased loft, it’s easier to find the fairway.
On the course, the Rapture was great. I was so excited to play it that I took it out before I had even tried it on the range or launch monitor. By the 5th or 6th hole, my driver was going south so I pulled out the Rapture, and my driver got the rest of the day off. One thing that I found on the course is that the face of the Rapture is deep enough that you can hit different trajectories with different tee heights. If you tee it a little higher, you’ll get higher launch to optimize your distance. If you put the ball just barely off the ground, you can hit knee-high stingers that look awesome and roll for days. I did try to hit the Rapture off the turf a couple times, and found that it was fairly easy to elevate given the very low loft. I would not recommend this play for golfers who struggle with their fairway woods, but if you’re a good fairway wood player, the Rapture won’t give you any difficulty.
The one knock on this club is that it is only available in one loft – 13°. Since this is more of a niche offering, that’s a pretty small knock, but I do think there are golfers who would love the ball speed and performance that the Rapture delivers with more loft.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a driver replacement, the PING Rapture is the best of the year. It’s accurate, long, forgiving, and tons of fun to hit. Though it may be a little harder to find one to demo, your effort will definitely be rewarded.
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He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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35 Comments
Hi Matt,
your X2 hot 3DEEP carried further and the club is almost half the price?
Ranan,
You’re a very careful reader!
If you look at the numbers carefully, you’ll notice that my club speed was significantly higher with the Callaway than the PING. A number of factors have conspired lately and my swing speed is down…hopefully not permanently! My statement that the PING is longer is based on the fact that the PING was as long as my driver in all the testing I did whereas the Callaway was shorter than my driver at that time. You’ll also notice that the PING launched higher, spun less, and had more ball speed relative to club head speed. Both are long, but I found the PING longer for me and I believe the titanium face and low spin will make it longer for most golfers.
Best,
Matt
why can I not find the fairway wood rapture for sale anywhere yet in 2016. I cannot even find it on the ping website..did it hit the market yet. can you identify a supplier.
Mark,
The Rapture came out in 2014. It’s unlikely you’ll find a new one easily. You might try eBay.
Best,
Matt
i use a 3-wood on my 2nd shots often as i am a 62 yr old bogie golfer.
i presently use a EC 3 & 5 wood which are titanium, deep face clubs.
i am pretty good at hitting them off the turf or off good lies in low/medium rough.
my other fairway woods are olimars in high degrees (never went to hybrids) 22, 26 & 30 degrees, which i also hit decently.
i obviously need to modernize these woods.
can i use the Rapture 3-wood as i use my ERC now?
if i’m used to deep face fairway woods can i use this off from the fairway or good lies in the rough?
don’t mind spending the money for a club i’ll hit a lot & keep a while but don’t want to be disappointed if i spend the money & can’t hit it like i do the ERc.
Greg,
Thanks for the question. I don’t see any reason why a good fairway wood player, especially one used to a deeper-faced club, couldn’t use the Rapture off the fairway and good lies in the rough. The only reservation would be the loft, or lack thereof, since it’s only offered in 13*.
I hope that helps.
Best,
Matt
great review.
i am looking to modernize my fairway woods.
i presently use an ERC which is titanium & deep face like this Rapture.
i am 62 yrs old & am a bogie golfer.
i actually hit the ERCs well, better than many from all kinds of lies & hit them often on my 2nd shots from both fairway lies & good lies in moderate rough.
can i do the same with the Rapture.
don’t mind spending the money but want to make sure i will use it off the turf like i do with the ERCs now.
Which one is more workable? Can you draw or slice when you need to or does the lack of spin restrict that?
Steve,
I’m sorry, but I’m not sure what you’re comparing the Rapture to when you ask “Which one is more workable?”
I didn’t have any issue hitting draws or fades (and some hooks and slices) with the Rapture.
Your question about low spin clubs is a good one, and I can’t honestly say that I know the answer. I can see it both ways. If I come across a definitive answer, I will post it here.
Best,
Matt
Great review. I have a Ping G25 3wood, which i use frequently off the tee.
Is the Rapture significantly longer than the 3wood ?
Best,
Frank
Frank,
I think that the Rapture will be longer for most people because it’s lower spin. That said, lower spin may not be beneficial if it comes at the cost of higher launch. As always, the best answer is a good fitting, but you may be able to find the Rapture at a “worth a try” price on the used market now.
Best,
Matt
Matt, I’m 61 years old, have been playing 5 years and usually shoot between 85 and 95. I will par 4 or 5 holes , birdie one and blow 4, the rest are bogies. My driver is a Ping Rapture and it is awesome. I have a Ping fairway wood 4 (GD fairway club recommendation about 4 years ago). I need a 3 Fairway wood. Would you recommend the Ping 3 wood with my senior club speed swing and game?
Cordially, David
David,
My first question would be: how do you intend to use this fairway wood, off the turf or off the tee? If you’re hitting it primarily off the turf, I think there are better choices out there. If you’re hitting it off the tee, I think it’s worth a try. Depending on your swing speed and impact characteristics, it may be too low spinning to provide optimal distance, but it would be worth a look.
Best,
Matt
And Happy New Year Matt!
Matt, I need a 3 wood for off the turf. Could you recommendations? Thanks David
You can’t go wrong with the PING G30. It’s super versatile, easy to hit, and plenty long.
Best,
Matt
Matt, So here is a follow up: I went to try the Ping G30 Fairway Wood 3. The golf shop Pro got me to take a dozen swings in my boots & jeans after sitting at a desk all day. I did not hit the G30 well, I felt it that I was uncomfortable and not stretched out as I usually am when I play. He suggested changing the shaft from the Regular it came with to a Seniors shaft. So here is some more data: my Ping Rapture driver’s shaft is a TFC 909d Regular (230 yards to 270 yards rollout) my Ping 4 G15 Fairway wood is a TFC 149 F Regular shaft (180 Yards to 220 yards rollout) my Mizuno 3 Hybrid shaft is Dynalite Gold SL R300 (170 to 190). I hit all of them 75-80% of the time pretty dang straight. And now the question: Should I get the Ping G30 Fairway Wood 3 w a Regular or Seniors shaft? Sorry about the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Cordially David
David,
Let me start with a question: if the 4W is going only 10 yards shorter than the driver, is there a need for a 3W?
To answer your question, I would not get the G30 3W until you have a chance to hit it under proper conditions. It sounds like you have a place where you can demo the clubs with a launch monitor, so I would go there on a day when your body and attire are ready for golf and then make the decision.
Best,
Matt
Matt, I really have to push the 4w to get 220 out if it,and as a result usually end up slicing the shot. Further, I have this par 3 hole and the green is about 215 away from the whites. There are of course other opportunities for me to use a 3w, i.e. I slice my driver etc. Thanks for the help, I’ll focus on getting an opportunity to swing the club w a monitor. Thanks David
Hi Matt
I play off 5 & I have a Ping 10.5 G25 driver with an upgrade Fujikura Blur stiff shaft.Ive had it a year or so and it goes great.I now also have the Ping Rapture with a regular shaft which goes almost as far off the tee but can also be used off a half decent fairway lie giving a low- medium flight. It is seriously long.Thanks for the review and video.
Best
Phil
Matt, I went to the shop to try the G30 FW 3 w both the reg shaft and SR shaft. I walked out w The SR shaft and the loft set to 15 1/2 degrees. I’ve had the club out twice now, and it is awesome! !!! I look for opportunities to use it. Thanks for talking with me. Drct
Great to hear! Thanks for letting me know.
-Matt
Being left handed my options are somewhat restricted. I have been an avid Ping player for years and have never really got on with the modern size of their drivers so when the Rapture was introduced it seemed the perfect option off the tee. I’ve tried through my Ping rep to get one of them to try but it seems that it is near impossible. I’m not in the position to lay out in excess of £300 for one without seeing if it’s suitable and Ping’s only suggestion was to go to Ping and try one there a trip of almost 400 miles. Do you have any other suggestions?
Ned,
Unfortunately, I don’t have a better thought. The Rapture is a niche club and is now a slightly older product, so availability, especially in LH, is going to be scarce.
Best,
Matt
Excellent discussion. I am a high handicapper who uses a K15 3 wood off the tee. Would the Rapture 3 wood be as forgiving as my K15?
Jeff,
I think there would be some difficulty in making that transition because the K15 has a lot of draw bias in it and the Rapture does not. As far as overall forgiveness, they may be comparable, but that directional bias difference is important.
Best,
Matt
i just bough a rapture left handed 3 wood the only problem iam having is that i have to coach down on the shaft then there is no problem hitting off the turf
right now i hit my taylormade burner minn driver 229 off tee off turf 180-220 i seam to be comingup short on long par three 206 yd
Matt, I just wanted to thank you for this review. I bought this club shortly after reading this (leap of faith without hitting it). I don’t see another club coming along to replace it. It’s been an absolute monster off the deck for me. I’m glad I stepped up at the time, because last I checked, they’re rare and still $200 plus used on eBay. Take care
Scott,
Great to hear! I hope it continues to perform well for you.
Best,
Matt
Matt, I struggle hitting a driver straight, so I tee off with an old Ping Tisi Tec 14 degree 3 wood with an Aldila NV stiff shaft. It’s got nice weight, I can swing it fast and hit it straight, but my distance is inconsistent (200 to 250 yards). I want to get a stronger and larger 3 wood to give me a little more distance and consistency. Which do you think is better the Rapture or the G Stretch?
Tim,
It all comes down to fit. If you want the best club for you, you need to try both and be fitted for the best shaft.
Best,
Matt
i bought one of these with a reg shaft but broke the shaft i cant get a replacement anywhere im thinking of puting a diamana thump 6r shaft on it as i have one on my 5 wood and hit it well any recommendations ???
David,
If you’ve found that shaft to work well for you in other FWs, I’m sure it will work in the Rapture assuming it’s installed appropriately.
Best,
Matt