Coming this month, PING has announced two new products, the Ketsch putter and the Rapture 3 wood. PINGs new putter incorporates the company’s True Roll technology as well as providing a very high MOI all in a package that the company says is easy to aim and fits nearly any stroke. The new Rapture 3 wood is a great option for those who are looking for a driver alternative off the tee or want a hotter-faced fairway wood.
Ketsch Putter
The Ketsch putter is the company’s newest flat stick to utilize True Roll (TR) technology. This technology uses grooves of varying depths across the face to improve consistency no matter where the ball is struck. The grooves on the putters face are deepest in the center and shallow out from there, and according to studies done by PING this increases ball-speed consistency by 50% compared to putters without TR technology. Of course, PING’s TR technology isn’t exactly new at this point it is by no means the only feature of the new putter. The head of the Ketsch is made from lightweight aluminum and features a 17-4 steel sole weight giving the mallet a high MOI and boosting its forgiveness and stability. PING says that the Ketsch is one of the easiest putters to aim as it features three white alignment lines which contrast against the dark body of the putter. While all golfers see and align differently, PING chairman and CEO John Solheim says, ” Our research shows that the head shape promotes extremely consistent alignment for the majority of golfers. Those factors, combined with our revolutionary variable-depth grooves and a high MOI, will help golfers putt more consistently.”
The Ketsch is offered in a couple of different variations. Golfers will be able to choose a model with a fixed-length shaft (standard is 35 inches), or they can upgrade to a variable length model. The variable length model can be adjusted from 31 inches all the way up to 38 inches. Over the last few years, PING has also become big on fitting the putter to the individuals stroke, and with the Ketsch there are three different shaft bends available to fit those with a straight, slight arc, or strong arc stroke. The fixed length model will run $220; the variable-length model is an additional $35.
Rapture 3 Wood
For golfers looking for either an alternative to the driver off the tee or just a hotter-face 3 wood, the company has the new Rapture 3 wood. The club comes with a loft of 13 degrees and features a multi-material design. The body of the club is composed of Ti 8-1-1 titanium body, a beta-titanium face, and tungsten sole plates. The face, which is tall and features an extreme-variable-thickness design, has a large hitting surface and has increased forgiveness. The sole plate contain nearly 25% of the head mass lowering the clubs CG; according to PING this helps to further improve energy transfer for higher ball speed as well as reduce spin. While the stated loft of the club is 13°, that can be adjusted either 1/2° up or down using Trajectory Tuning technology.
The stock shaft for the new Rapture 3 wood is PING’s proprietary TFC 949. This shaft has a high balance point and according to Solheim allowed the company to produce a club with a standard length shaft (43 1/2 inches) while increasing the mass of the head; in return, without any more effort, the golfer is able to deliver more power to the ball. The club is available in R, S, and X flex and has a MSRP of $495.