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Ping Anser Driver Review

Martin Hopley
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The Ping Anser driver sees Ping move into the world of adjustable drivers and they have taken their own approach to doing this. John Solheim said to the designers that they could do it provided they did not change the head weight. This required some serious pen chewing, but the boffins came up with an adjustable hosel design that weighs the same as the previous hosel.

However the slimline hosel can only move 0.5 degrees up or down which is the smallest increment on the market.This can have a big effect though as we found out on the launch monitor when delofting the club by 0.5 degrees opened the face and we lost distance with a slight fade on our drives. The manufacturing tolerances are +/- 0.5 degrees so with the adjustable hosel you should have every loft covered. As with all adjustable drivers, they should be viewed as having a built in tour truck for a one time custom fitting and the Ping Anser driver comes into this category.

The aim is to 'tune' the club to the golfer rather than 'adjust' it and the combination of loft and 4 standard shaft options does make performance differences you can see, so a proper custom fitting is essential.The 460cc titanium Anser head has a fractionally bigger footprint and face than the Ping i20 driver, but is smaller and less forgiving than the Ping G20 driver.

The Anser driver delivers a lower spinning flight than the i20, but launches the ball higher so, in theory, you should get more distance. This is because the construction features a stiffer sole than the other Ping drivers - a welcome side benefit of the adjustable design.On the range the Anser driver was a joy to hit and the tuning options for shaft and loft did make a difference.

The sound and feel was everything you would expect from a Ping driver and combined with the menacing dark looks the Anser driver will be worth the premium price for better players looking for a quality adjustable driver.

Golfalot Rating: 5 stars
Overall Rating - 5 stars:
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Ping Anser Driver - Product Details

UK Launch16 August 2012
USA Launch16 August 2012
Handicap Range
Low
High
GolferMens
Hand AvailabilityLeft, Right
Left Handed Lofts9.5°, 10.5°
Right Handed Lofts8.5°, 9.5°, 10.5°, 12.5°
MaterialTitanium
Shaft TypesSteel
Shaft FlexLight, Regular, Stiff, X Stiff
Manufacturer's WebsitePing Website

User Reviews

Jinsok Spieth
August 2017

Well, I've been on a difficult mission: high- launch, low-spin, forgiving. Obviously this is hard because low-spin is often less forgiving. If I go forgiving, I lose distance be a use of spin. I was at the range inquiring in their "used clubs" section. The guy said take this out for a drive. WOW. WOW. WOW. I hit about 5 balls and said, how much. It's coming home with me. We tested it on GC2 to just confirm...well I was impressed. 1500 rpm, 12 degree launch, 150 ball speed, total 276 yards.....being 15 and on the golf team, this was important. I knew it was the best. It's so much more forgiving for low-spin, adds monstrous length, feels like a powerhouse and sounds exceptional. Basically, it's so good, just rid the M1 and buy this. The only Con I can see is the little adjustability, but it performed so well when dialled in, that I didn't care. Just wanted to get out with it as soon as possible. BUY THIS! You won't be disappointed.

March 2017

Just bought a used and love it. It hits straight, smooth and solid contact. It even is very very very forgiving on mishits for the most part. The sound is different than most drivers with a thicker "ting" but it's uniquely great. The matte black looks slick and couldn't be happier with my choice. I am between an 8-12 handicap depending on the course and the day. Now I am down around 3-5 with consistent drives. I recommend it!

August 2016

This is the best driver I have hit in a long while. I gamed a Taylormade R580 for years. Then it went south, most likely because I stopped playing golf with any consistency. In the last year and a half I have had an Adams Super LS driver (hot club), a Cleveland Custom driver, a Ping i25 driver, and the TaylorMade SLDR driver. At times I hit all of these well but not consistently. I bought a Ping Anser 10.5 degree loft driver with the regular flex shaft and I am able to hit this longer and much more consistently. This is the only review I have ever written on on golf club. I am not hitting it 40 yards longer like so called reviews on other clubs, but it is longer and more accurate than my previous drivers. I would highly recommend this club for the 4 to 10 handicap player.

February 2016

I bought a Ping Anser driver several year's back and it was the best thing I ever did. Bought the 8.5 with a pro shaft and I've been hitting it longer than ever. I'm now usually 35 to 50 yards in the fairway ahead of my playing partners. The following year I bought the Ping Anser 3 wood and it has given me 20-30 more yards and going as far as others with their driver. I rate the Ping Anser over the G series and would like to see more of the same in Pings future designs.

pisteskier
December 2012

I have been looking for a Matt black headed driver for a while but those I have tried such as the i20 and the Diablo Octane Tour just weren't forgiving enough. I got good distance but lost out on accuracy.

I went to a Ping demo day to try the Anser and came away having bought one.

The stats showed that it added more than 20yds carry to my current driver and it was very consistent. I like the fact that the shafts are slightly shorter than most of the competition which I find gives me much more control without losing any distance. In the end I settled on a 12 degree head with a stiff Fujikura Blur Red shaft.

The club looks fantastic behind the ball and just inspires confidence. It sounds really good on well hit shots with a slightly dull but very satisfying sound.

My driving has never been so consistent and I am getting over 230yds carry which is a revelation.

I would never have paid as much as I did for a driver but it now seems like a very cheap way to have transformed my game. This driver is very forgiving, long and looks wonderful. I smile every time I take it out the bag.

Jamie Kennedy
August 2012

I'll be honest, my first impression of the Ping Anser driver was that is looks very similar to the i20.

Almost identical face and crown graphics. I thought here is yet another driver that has been renamed and rebranded. I was wrong.

The difference is in the sole and the hosel. The adjustability is a nice touch and it's good to see Ping join in with this feature.

You can tell that Ping were cautious of affecting the weight and feel of the club, so the hosel is very small and the adjustability is minimal. Would love to adjust it more than 0.5 degree either way, but nevertheless, it is fun to play around with the ball flight.

The feel and sound is where it makes it mark. Compared to the i20, the Ping Anser seems more stable and heavier through impact. This may be due to the new weight configuration on the sole. The sole or footprint is larger, moving more weight back in the head, and you can feel the difference through impact.

I liked the i20, but I really like the Anser. The shaft options make this a must-try for any low handicap player looking for a new driver. If this is Ping just dipping their toe into the pool of adjustability, I cannot wait to see what comes next.

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