Thoughts on the Ping rapture hybrid?

Hey Chris, I Love Ping. I'm a Ping Girl, have got a variety of Pings in and out of my bag. Ping Rapture V2 Driver, Ping G10 Driver, Ping G15 4wood, Ping G10 5wood, Ping G10 Hybrid 21 Ping 5,7,9,W G5 irons, Ping G5i Craze E Putter and have had G2 irons and the Ping G15 driver.

I don't have the Rapture hybrid, but as you can see, I know Ping and have used a variety of their clubs. Would I recommend a Hybrid....if you haven't got a hybrid in your bag then I certainly would. I have to pay for all my clubs too and Ping is one of the more expensive brands and the rapture is one of the most expensive Ping models. Honestly I think you'll have just as much success and comfort with the G10 or G15 hybrid and save a few $$'s. These hybrid clubs are a heck of a lot easier to hit than your long irons and great for hitting out of the rough unlike a 5 wood.

If your having trouble with the $$$, there are other brands that are less expensive, but still great quality, I'm also fond of Callaway, I've had a 24degree hybrid X for what seems like forever, don't know what I'd do without it. So take some time to hit some other clubs TM, Callaway, Nike the G10/G15 and see what feels the best, you could also ask them to put you on a launch monitor to track your hits and see which club is working the best for you. You can generally save some $$$ by good shopping....ebay.com high seller ratings and feedback.

Good Luck.

Make sure it fits with the rest of your set. If you have an 18* 5w, there's no point in buying the 18* model, unless you want to get rid of the 5w. Same goes with the irons- if you have a 20* 3i, there's a good chance the 21* hybrid will likely hit the ball as far, if not farther. Yes, the 3i has less loft and which would theoretically mean more distance, but it's been proven that a hybrid will hit the ball farther than a similarly lofted iron, by quite a bit.

So, there's the issue of what you want the club to be. Some like their hybrids to be more fairway wood-like (lighter, longer shaft; most likely a graphite shaft), others like a more iron-like hybrid (shorter, heavier shaft; could be either graphite or steel). Either way, you're going to have to get the club retro-fitted by a fitter. Buying it "off the rack" won't guarantee success, and may end up hurting your game.

You can buy the club with confidence, so long as the loft spacing is good with the rest of your clubs and you go through with the retro-fitting. The original Rapture was/is a solid club. It doesn't get the recognition that the G-series did, but it's still solid.

I've got me a 20 degree rapture hybrid and I hit it great. It's made more for getting the ball up in the air and stopping when it hits on the green (if you go for it). I'm 14 to by the way so if you swing around 111+ then its perfect for you.