Ping Tour 65 Shaft Review – Specs, Flex, Weight
Some of the most reliable manufacturers have been behind Ping shafts. So much so that used Ping shafts are still a hot commodity.
Perhaps the most notable Ping shaft is the Tour line.
The Ping Tour 65 is a lightweight graphite shaft that allows you to easily adjust loft. I usually don’t do too well with lightweight driver shafts so I was really interested to see what the Ping Tour 65 would do for my swing. Find out everything you need to know about the Ping Tour 65 shaft in the following review.
Ping Tour 65 Shaft Overview
The Ping Tour 65 has an interesting design. It almost doesn’t look like a graphite shaft at all.
It has a reflective finish with very wispy, almost indiscernible “Ping” lettering in the midsection. Somehow it looks nondescript and alluring at the same time.
The Ping Tour 65 has a mid/low bend point. I was surprised at how stable this shaft was given its weight. The bend point isn’t really subtle; but it doesn’t make the shaft feel out of control either. I personally would have liked a stiffer-feeling shaft but I could see why so many players like this one.
It felt very light throughout my swing. I didn’t feel like it was putting a hitch in my backswing. It felt comfortable going up. In the transition, the Ping Tour 65 feels very smooth – no hitches. On my downswing it was fast and I could feel the club head accelerate through the ball. On my follow through, the Ping Tour 65 felt comfortable and not taxing like heavier shafts can be.
Overall it wasn’t a perfect fit for me but it felt really nice. Furthermore, the Ping Tour 65 is likely to be a perfect fit for a lot of slower swing speed players.
Why is the Ping Tour 65 So Popular?
The Ping Tour 65 is still so popular because it is one of the most stable lightweight shafts you can find.
The Ping Tour 65 is also very versatile. The adjustable loft technology allows you to adjust your flight to suit your tempo.
How Does the Ping Tour 65 Perform?
The feel of a shaft is very important because if you aren’t comfortable with how a shaft feels, you won’t swing comfortably.
But the numbers are also very important. Let’s start with spin. The Ping Tour 65 produced spin rates that were consistently in the 2300-2500 RPM range. Not exactly low spinning but subjectively low considering the weight of this shaft.
The spin gave my shots a little more shape than I like off the tee but again, nothing outrageous. For the most part, I was still able to hit my usual draw; but there were a couple of drives that came dangerously close to becoming pulls.
My launch angles were on the steep side; but again, that’s pretty much what I was expecting. I was getting launches at 14+ degrees on a regular basis. The lowest I was able to achieve was 12 degrees. But remember that you can adjust the loft of this shaft.
Now onto the all-important distance. My average carry distance once testing was over was 257.7 yards. I was definitely leaving yards on the table because of the high launch and relatively high spin numbers. But if you are the kind of player who struggles to get the ball up, the launch should be perfect for you.
Shaft Specs
Specs | Ping Tour 65 |
Available flexes | Regular, stiff, extra stiff |
Weight | 55g, 65g, 75g |
Butt | .600” |
Tip | .355” |
Length | 46” |
What Flexes Are Available? What Swing Speeds Do They Suit?
Regular would be a good fit for players in the 70-75 MPH swing speed range. Stiff is good for 76-85 MPH swingers. Extra stiff may be suitable for 86-90 MPH swingers.
What Weights Are Available? What Swing Speeds Do They Suit?
The 55g version would only work for sub 70 MPH swingers. The 65g version should be a good fit for 70-80 MPH swingers. The 75g version may work for 81-85 MPH swingers.