The post InsideGOLF exclusive: Robot-testing the all-new Callaway Rogue ST driver family appeared first on Golf.

The post InsideGOLF exclusive: Robot-testing the all-new Callaway Rogue ST driver family appeared first on Golf.

We robot-tested the new line of Callaway Rogue ST drivers to learn more about the performance benefits of each model. Here’s what we uncovered.

The post InsideGOLF exclusive: Robot-testing the all-new Callaway Rogue ST driver family appeared first on Golf.

The post FIRST LOOK: Callaway Rogue ST drivers, fairway woods and hybrids appeared first on Golf.

The post FIRST LOOK: Callaway Rogue ST drivers, fairway woods and hybrids appeared first on Golf.

With its new line of Rogue ST drivers, Callaway has once again pushed the limits of speed and forgiveness by using a design process that combines Artificial Intelligence (A.I.), real player data, Tour feedback and human brainpower.

While A.I. sounds new-age, the Rogue ST isn’t Callaway’s first foray into the use of A.I. The company has been using a system of computer development for years – its previous Mavrik and Epic Speed families, for example, were created with A.I. assistance.

Its 2022 Rogue ST drivers, however, are even smarter and more advanced. The company is now using A.I. in different ways to improve parameters such as speed, forgiveness, launch and spin, and optimizing them for different players.

The goal for Callaway was to develop a line of drivers that produces more distance and stability for a variety of golfers, which meant developing each head and face individually. The Rogue ST family features four separate driver models: Max, Max D (draw-biased), Max LS (a lower, more penetrating ball flight), and Triple Diamond LS (a more compact, lower-spinning head with a fade bias).

Before we dive a bit deeper into the differences between the Rogue ST heads, let’s dive into the commonalities.

First off, the “ST” stands for Speed Tuned. That shows Callaway was focused on cranking up the speed in these Rogue ST heads. So, yes, the faces are made faster. Really, though, the back-weighted Tungsten structure is arguably the most innovative and influential technology used in the driver heads.

With the goal of creating extreme perimeter weighting, Callaway developed a “Tungsten Speed Cartridge” in the very rearward section of the head.

Here’s how the Tungsten Speed Cartridge works: A dense Tungsten weight, which weighs in at 20-26 grams, sits in a urethane structure to help drive the center of gravity (CG) back. The weights are different depending on the individual head models, helping to put weight where it’s most optimal in each head. Overall, the heavy Tungsten weight and complicated structure work to move weight away from the face and reduce twisting at impact. For golfers, that means you don’t lose as much speed on off-center shots.

For additional speed and stability, Callaway has also updated its popular Jailbreak technology — a structure that sits behind the face and connects the sole to the crown. The vertical bars on the Jailbreak Speedframe in the Rogue ST are more slender, but the horizontal portions are stiffer, especially lower on the face. This helped Callaway reduce overall weight from the frame, but still retain the benefits of Jailbreak at impact.

The Rogue ST also features a brand-new Flash Face SS22 face design.

With the Rogue ST, Callaway relied on A.I. to help construct different faces for each of its four driver models, optimizing each for speed, launch and spin. Using data input from real players, Callaway’s A.I. helped develop faces that have varying levels of thickness to maximize performance where (and when) it’s needed.

More specifically, Callaway directed the A.I. to reduce spin in each face by 100 rpm, meaning golfers can expect a slightly more penetrating ball flight that doesn’t balloon in the air and lose distance. 

The smart A.I. faces, matte carbon composite crowns and carbon sole plates are bonded to what Callaway calls a Unibody Construction, which is made of titanium. The unibody doesn’t have uniform stiffness throughout, though. Certain sections of the body structure have been made stiffer to maximize stability at impact.

Overall, each head has been designed to drive weight lower and more rearward. That’s why the back portion of the sole sits lower to the ground than in previous Epic Speed drivers, which used Callaway’s higher-sitting “Cyclone” shape and had a more forward CG. The reason for the new Rogue ST shape, according to Callaway, is to create more forgiveness and “speed robustness” for the player.

As previously mentioned, there are four different Rogue ST models, which are each selling for $549.99 and become available at retail on February 18, 2022. They come with the option of Project X Cypher, Mitsubishi Tensei AV Blue and Mitsubishi Tensei White stock shafts.

Here’s a brief breakdown of each driver model:

Rogue ST Max (8-11, 9.5-12.5 and 11-14 degrees): The Max is the most forgiving head in the lineup, and has a slight draw bias built-in. It comes with a 26-gram tungsten head weight in the back and is designed to fit the swing of most golfers.

Rogue ST Max LS (8-11 and 9.5-12.5 degrees): Compared to the Max driver, the Max LS will have lower spin, more workability, and a more neutral trajectory bias. It comes with a 23-gram Tungsten weight that helps move CG slightly forward compared to the standard Max head.

Rogue ST Max D (8-11, 9.5-12.5 and 11-14 degrees): The Max D is a forgiving head that has a built-in draw bias and upright lie angle. There’s internal and external draw weighting (with a 20-gram Tungsten weight), and it has an elongated head shape for more forgiveness.

Rogue ST Max Triple Diamond LS (8-11 and 9.5-12.5 degrees): Callaway’s Triple Diamond head shapes were formerly a tour-only or limited release option, but they’re now part of the initial retail launch. The Triple Diamond LS is the lowest spinning Rogue ST model, has a 450cc compact head shape, comes with a neutral-to-fade bias and a 20-gram Tungsten weight in the sole.

Rogue ST fairway woods

Like the drivers, the Rogue ST fairway woods also use Jailbreak technology, except the tech looks quite different.

The Rogue ST fairway woods use what Callaway calls Batwing technology, which has Jailbreak structures that sit behind the edges of the heel and toe sections. This allowed Callaway to keep the faces flexible for speed, but also established greater stability due to the separated structures.

Also, like the drivers, the Rogue ST fairways use a Tungsten Speed Cartridge in the sole, except it is not in the rearward portion of the head. In the fairways, the Tungsten weights are placed closer to the face to reduce spin and increase ball speed. The weighting helps establish low and forward CG, helping especially with shots hit low on the face (in fairway woods, low on the face is where most of the misses occur).

Callaway’s Rogue ST fairways also use A.I. optimization on their C300 face cups to enhance speed, launch and spin on each head model.

Each of the Rogue ST models will be available for $349.99 starting February 18. Here’s a brief breakdown of what each model does and how they differ:

Rogue ST Max (15, 16.5, 18, 20, 21, 24 and 27 degrees): This is a high-launching model built with forgiveness and a neutral ball flight to fit the widest range of players.

Rogue ST Max D (16, 19 and 22 degrees): This is the highest launching option, and most draw-biased for golfers who need help reducing a slice.

Rogue ST LS (13.5, 15, 16.5 and 18 degrees): This is the lowest launching and spinning head, and it produces a neutral flight trajectory.

Rogue ST hybrids

As with the Rogue ST fairway woods, the hybrids use Jailbreak technology in the toe and heel sections to enhance both speed and forgiveness. There’s also Tungsten weighting in the toe section to help move weight lower in the heads.

The A.I.-designed 455 face cups have also been reduced by 130 rpm per head on average and launch angle has increased by 1.5 degrees. For golfers, that means they’re slightly higher launching and lower spinning to increase distance.

Like the drivers and fairway woods, there are multiple Rogue ST hybrid models: a Max, a Max OS, Max OS Lite, and a Pro.

The Max will produce the longest distances, and it’s made for the most all-around performance suiting a wide range of golfers. The Max OS has a larger shape, wide sole, and is made for higher launch conditions. The Max OS Lite is made for mostly seniors and women, while the Pro version has a shallow shape, enhanced camber and neutral CG for iron-like workability that better players desire.

Each of the hybrid heads will sell for $279.99 starting on February 18, 2022.

Want to overhaul your bag for 2021? Find a fitting location near you at GOLF’s affiliate company True Spec Golf. For more on the latest gear news and information, check out our latest Fully Equipped podcast below!

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The post Callaway Rogue ST driver: Our experts’ review from ClubTest 2022 appeared first on Golf.

The post Callaway Rogue ST driver: Our experts’ review from ClubTest 2022 appeared first on Golf.

GOLF’s Jonathan Wall and Andrew Tursky take a closer look at the technology behind the new Callaway Rogue ST driver, and what golfers can expect from its performance.

The post Callaway Rogue ST driver: Our experts’ review from ClubTest 2022 appeared first on Golf.

The post Inside a Callaway Epic driver fitting: 3 things I learned from my swing data appeared first on Golf.

The post Inside a Callaway Epic driver fitting: 3 things I learned from my swing data appeared first on Golf.

Writing about golf for a living does not, as it turns out, automatically make you a better golfer. Nor does it make you fitter, stronger or more pliable. But it does occasionally give you chances to make smarter decisions about the game you do have.

Enter my recent trip to Callaway HQ, a golfer’s playground in Carlsbad, Calif., where they ran me through a test of their latest line of drivers: the Epic Speed, the Epic Max LS and the Triple Diamond LS.

For background, I’m a former college golfer who spent a couple years battling on the mini-tour circuit before switching to the far more heroic task of writing for the website you’re currently reading. I used to think of myself as someone who hit it fairly far but as I stare down my 30th birthday have started to come to terms with words like “crafty,” “clever” or “consistent” as positive identifiers instead of anything power-related. Sigh.

So I arrived in Carlsbad with some trepidation. But I left encouraged, enlightened and empowered (literally) with a new weapon. If you’re thinking about getting fit, here are three things I’d recommend:

1. Check your ego at the door

Your car door, the pro shop, entrance to the range, whatever. It’s just not useful. My perception of how far I carry the ball — what Max Homa calls “the biggest lie in golf” will only hold you back from facing reality. Here’s what he said on the Russillo Show last year:

“My Dad will hit one 4-iron in his life 220 yards, and then every time he’s 220 hits 4-iron and tells people he hits 4-iron 220. It’s like, ‘Dude, you just don’t. That’s not your normal number. Yes, it could happen, but you could also play golf on a hill, you could hit it way down that hill and yes, the ball will go farther.’”

Try your best to take that advice. If you want to hit it further, we can work on that! But you’re not going to suddenly make Bryson gains mid-fitting. Be yourself.

2. Relax

Remember, your fitter has seen better players than you and he or she has seen worse players than you, too. There’s no judgment happening here. It’s natural to feel self-conscious, but seriously — there’s no point.

Unless you, too, happen to be on camera for your fitting (like I was in the video above), think of it like a doctor’s appointment. Your records aren’t suddenly going to be released into the wild. Your shot dispersion is safe with your fitter, and your fitter is here to help.

Gear

So relax! Get a swig of water. Have a proper warm-up. (This bit’s important; if you’re anything like me, your swing will speed up as you get warm.) This isn’t a test where you’re trying to remember the answers. Instead you’re just showing the fitter your normal swing. The closer to “reality” you show them, the more effective the fitting will be. Once you get going, it’s fun. You’re picking out a new toy, after all.

3. Trust the numbers

I liked the looks of the Epic Speed Triple Diamond LS the best. If I’d walked into a golf shop and picked one without hitting it, that would have been my selection. The profile is slightly smaller and more visually appealing. But it wasn’t the club for me.

Instead, the Epic Max LS was the better fit. A winter in soggy Seattle has transformed my tee shots into moon-balls, which launch high but spin too much, costing me distance. I hit the Epic Speed first but was still spinning it too much. But the “LS” in Epic Max LS stands for Low Spin, and sure enough the launch and trajectory improved immediately. My ball speed jumped into the low-to-mid 160s, which won’t soon be challenging Phil Mickelson in the “bombs” category anytime soon but was reliably a few ticks higher than the other two clubs. My contact was far more consistent with the Epic Max LS than the Triple Diamond, and so we had a clear winner.

Feel is important. The look of your club is important. The sound is, too. But the numbers don’t lie, and a proper fitting will collect enough data to show the right driver for you.

You can see more from the fitting in the video above.

Want a driver fitting of your own? Find a fitting location near you at GOLF’s affiliate company True Spec Golf.

The post Inside a Callaway Epic driver fitting: 3 things I learned from my swing data appeared first on Golf.

The post Inside a Callaway Epic driver fitting: 3 things I learned from my swing data appeared first on Golf.

The post Inside a Callaway Epic driver fitting: 3 things I learned from my swing data appeared first on Golf.

Shopping for a Callaway Epic driver? Start with a fitting. GOLF’s Dylan Dethier takes you inside his recent Epic fitting at Callaway headquarters.

The post Inside a Callaway Epic driver fitting: 3 things I learned from my swing data appeared first on Golf.

The post The driver that’s fueling Xander Schauffele’s latest hot streak appeared first on Golf.

The post The driver that’s fueling Xander Schauffele’s latest hot streak appeared first on Golf.

Welcome to Spotted on Tour, where we’ll highlight buzzy apparel, gear, gadgets and more that caught our eye over the weekend. Better yet, we’ll help you get your hands on your own.

He hasn’t broken through with a win quite yet, which makes it easy to forget that Xander Schauffele is on something of a heater.

Since the U.S. Open in September (the first event of the 2021 Tour season), Schauffele has been red-hot. His finishes during that span feature no wins, but a bevy of top results — 5th, 2nd, T17, T17, T5, T2, T2. No, your eyes do not deceive you — Xander Schauffele has gone five months since his last sub-T20 finish. Not half-bad for the former PGA Tour rookie of the year … or his bank account.

After almost half a year in contention, Xander says the catalyst behind his recent run on success is something simple. He says if he’s thinking about his score, that’s bad news. He’s at his best when he’s able to simplify his mindset.

“I never really felt [like I turned] a corner,” he said at the Waste Management Phoenix Open last weekend, where he recorded another runner-up finish. “I just hung in there. I just stayed patient and worried about — whenever I’m playing really good golf I really have no idea what my score is at. Just kind of worry about every single shot, I get lost in my zone or whatever you want to call it.”

But getting into the zone is one thing, staying there for longer than a handful of rounds is something completely different. And this year, Schaufelle is staying there: He ranks second on Tour in Strokes Gained, and no lower than 31st in any of the individual strokes gained categories.

Among the X-Man’s X-factors in the early part of 2021 has been his new gear, including a Callaway Epic Speed driver that he has been striping with confidence. “There’s really nothing like the ball speed,” Schaufelle told GOLF.com earlier this year. “You can tell that there’s something different about the design, and it’s so consistently long.”

At the Waste Management Phoenix Open, Schauffele finished second in the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, a ranking helped by a 357-yard bomb on No. 15 on Thursday. But Schauffele wasn’t just hitting it long, he was also hitting it straight — he finished 8th at the Waste Management in driving accuracy.

“I’m excited I’m playing well,” Schauffele said after the fourth round. “I think the game is getting to a better level. Today just a few short-game shots kind of cost me, and I think that’s the big hole in my game.”

His driving, on the other hand, appears to be sorted.

Want to overhaul your own bag for 2021? Visit the expert fitters at our sister company, True Spec Golf. 

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The post The driver that’s fueling Xander Schauffele’s latest hot streak appeared first on Golf.