Big Driver Test 2007
Ping Rapture
The Ping Rapture posed our professionals some problems in identifying what type of golfer the club is aimed towards. It’s traditional shape is somewhat detracted by a ‘spiders web’ pattern on top of the clubhead which may put off the better player. We have therefore placed it somewhere between the low and mid handicap categories.
The club performed no better than average, and it was decided that this was largely down to the standard Ping shaft, which was poor.
This driver is going to appeal to the avid Ping fans out there, of which there are many, but it was noted that anyone considering purchase should look into a custom fit shaft in order to get the best performance out of it.
The club sits well at address, gives good feedback as to where the ball has been hit on the face, but is not so forgiving. Like many of the drivers on test the ball needs to be hit at the top of the face for best results. Ultimately it lacked in the excitement department.
For
➲ It’s a Ping!
➲ Sits well at address
Against
➲ Standard Ping shaft is very poor
➲ Head stylings will put many off
Conclusion
If you are an avid fan of Ping and intend to purchase the Rapture, ensure that you are fitted for a custom shaft in order to get the best performance out of it.
Callaway Fusion FT-5
It could be argued that the FT-5 was born from a lack of confidence in how golfers would react to the unusual looks of the FT-i; but the shape of the head combined with a slightly lower lie angle and shorter shaft are sufficient differences to warrant it’s existence.
It was noted to be a significant improvement over its predecessor, the FT-3, but the panel were agreed that this club was not up to the standards set by the FT-i due to a somewhat soft feel from the face on impact.
This could be attributed to the shaft, and therefore a stiffer variant or the tour version may well solve the problem.
A curved marking drawn on top of the club was also distracting, and the panel felt this would be better as a straight line in order to aid player alignment.
Overall performance was good, but given that the FT-i was one of the best drivers on test made it difficult to recommend, and unimpressive in comparison.
For
➲ Multitude of fitting options
➲ Flat lie angle
➲ Traditional looks
Against
➲ Curved markings on head
➲ Slightly soft feel at impact
Conclusion
For those who want a more traditional looking Callaway driver, but the fact our testers agreed that the FT-i is no gimmick means this comes a distant second choice.
Bang Golf Bang-O-Matic
The Bang-O-Matic by Bang Golf currently holds the World’s longest drive of 539 yards, and the Woman’s World long drive record of 362 yards.
The manufacturer claims that their unique Flow Alignment System transfers 94% of the energy into directional energy, making for straighter and greater drives. Given their records who could argue with them?
At address the clubhead appears similar in size to the TaylorMade R7 below, but has an extremely deep face which means that it needs to be teed up high. This could be off putting to some, and might take a bit of getting use to.
A good quality shaft goes deep into the clubhead, which gives both excellent feel and sound.
Performance was also good, though our pros were unable to set any new long drive records!
A solid driver then, which is worth a look at if you are a skilled player.
For
➲ Good feel and sound
➲ Reputation of long drive records
Against
➲ Needs to be teed very high
Conclusion
One for the better player seeking a solid alternative to the major manufacturers, and comes in a variety of set-up options.
TaylorMade R7 Superquad
A very different beast to the Burner offered by the same manufacturer, the R7 utilises their Moveable Weight Technology (MWT).
Our panel agreed that the R7 had the most solid feel of any of the clubs on test, combined with extremely appealing looks. Of all the clubs on test, the R7 was also the easiest to shape the ball with.
On the downside there are no options to adjust the lie angle, which is fixed at 59 degrees. Though in reality the club does not sit as upright as this might suggest, given that the R7 Superquad is obviously aimed towards the low handicap player makes it an important oversight on the manufacturers behalf. The club did feel quite heavy in comparison to the others, and therefore might not be suited to everybody (though tinkering with the MWT could help).
But despite these concerns, all of the professionals were extremely taken by this club, concluding that it is ‘a real golf club for real golfers.’
For
➲ Modern looks, traditional shape
➲ Extremely solid feel
➲ Easy to shape the ball
Against
➲ May be too heavy for some
➲ No options for lie angle
Conclusion
Only the fact that this driver is aimed towards the golf purist prevents it from getting our Editor’s Choice Award on this particular test. An excellent club.
