The post Winner’s bag: Xander Schauffele’s equipment at the 2022 Scottish Open appeared first on Golf.

The post Winner’s bag: Xander Schauffele’s equipment at the 2022 Scottish Open appeared first on Golf.

Xander Schauffele held on to win the Scottish Open by one shot over Kurt Kitayama. Take a closer look at his equipment setup, including some new Callaway gear that was added earlier this year.

Driver: Callaway Rogue ST Triple Diamond S (Mitsubishi Chemical Kaili White 70TX shaft), 10.5 degrees

3-wood: Callaway Epic Speed Triple Diamond (Mitsubishi Chemical Kaili White 70TX shaft), 15 degrees

Irons: Mizuno MP-20 HMB (3-iron; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shaft), Callaway Apex TCB (4-PW; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts)

Wedges: Callaway Jaws Raw (52 degrees; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts), Titleist Vokey Design SM6 (56 degrees; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shaft) Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (60K degrees; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shaft)

Putter: Odyssey Odyssey O-Works 7CH Red (SuperStroke Traxion 2.0 Tour grip)

Ball: Callaway Chrome Soft X LS

Grips: Golf Pride New Decade Multi Compound

Want to overhaul your bag for 2022? 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.

The post Winner’s bag: Xander Schauffele’s equipment at the 2022 Scottish Open appeared first on Golf.

The post Where do U.S. Open golf balls come from? For Callaway stars, right here in Massachusetts appeared first on Golf.

The post Where do U.S. Open golf balls come from? For Callaway stars, right here in Massachusetts appeared first on Golf.

U.S. Open frontrunners Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele swear by their 2022 Chrome Soft golf balls, made not too far from where they’re competing for a major title this week. At the Callaway golf ball plant in Chicopee, Mass., employees take great pride in their process and the pros who use them.

GOLF editors Dylan Dethier and Claire Rogers visited the Western Mass. plant in the lead up to the U.S. Open at The Country Club, learning how a golf ball gets made from start to finish.

The post Where do U.S. Open golf balls come from? For Callaway stars, right here in Massachusetts appeared first on Golf.

The post From start to finish, watch how golf balls are made at Callaway’s facility here in the U.S. appeared first on Golf.

The post From start to finish, watch how golf balls are made at Callaway’s facility here in the U.S. appeared first on Golf.

On an exclusive tour of the Callaway golf ball plant in Chicopee, Mass., watch the step-by-step process of making a ball from rubber mixing to painting and packaging. GOLF’s Dylan Dethier and Claire Rogers find a new appreciation for every golf ball’s journey.

The post From start to finish, watch how golf balls are made at Callaway’s facility here in the U.S. appeared first on Golf.

The post ClubTest 2022: Callaway Rogue ST hybrids tested and reviewed appeared first on Golf.

The post ClubTest 2022: Callaway Rogue ST hybrids tested and reviewed appeared first on Golf.

This year’s ClubTest is bigger and better than ever. To help you make sense of the mountain of high-tech new clubs on the market, we put all of the latest offerings from the top golf club manufacturers to the ultimate test. Below you will find the test results and a complete review of Callaway’s Rogue ST hybrids.

You can find the full list of ClubTest hybrids here.

Want to overhaul your bag for 2022? Find a fitting location near you at GOLF’s affiliate company True Spec Golf.

Callaway Rogue ST Review

We tested: Rogue ST Max: 18°, 20°, 23°, 26°; Rogue ST Max OS: 19°, 21°, 24°, 27°, 30°, 33°; Rogue ST Pro: 18°, 20°, 23°; Rogue ST Max OS Lite: 21°, 24°, 27°, 30°, 33°, 36°

Our take: There’s a wide spectrum of clubhead designs in the Rogue ST hybrid lineup, but there’s one thing they have in common: forgiveness. While the four heads are made for different flight trajectories, our testers repeatedly found their mishits to stay on target without losing distance. The Rogue ST Max OS Lite, specifically, was especially high launching, helping even slower speed players hit moon balls.

Callaway Rogue ST Max hybrids

Callaway continues to push the boundary of hybrid performance with the all-new Rogue ST. Industry-leading innovations like an all-new Jailbreak ST, high strength A.I.-designed Face Cup and precision tungsten weighting are engineered for speed and forgiveness.

$279.99 from Fairway Jockey

The details: A new Jailbreak technology is the likely culprit for our testers finding increased accuracy with the Rogue ST hybrids. The new tech features square-like shapes that sit behind the toe and heel sections of the A.I. optimized faces to stiffen the structure on mishits. Additionally, heavy Tungsten weighting in the toe section helps center overall weight in the heads, making them extra fast and stable. The Pro is the lowest launching, Max and Max OS are for mid-launch trajectories, and the Max OS Lite is a lightweight head designed for high launch.

The post ClubTest 2022: Callaway Rogue ST hybrids tested and reviewed appeared first on Golf.

The post Inside Jon Rahm’s golf bag: 7 things I noticed while inspecting his club appeared first on Golf.

The post Inside Jon Rahm’s golf bag: 7 things I noticed while inspecting his club appeared first on Golf.

Jon Rahm completely overhauled his equipment setup and didn’t skip a beat when he made the jump from TaylorMade to Callaway at the beginning of 2021. The U.S. Open Championship Trophy resting comfortably inside his Scottsdale, Arizona, residence is all the proof you need.

Working closely with Callaway Tour team and engineers, Rahm has found an equipment setup that’s built to handle pressure-packed situations. During last week’s Farmers Insurance Open, GOLF.com was granted access to take in-hand photos of every club in Rahm’s bag, including a few recent additions.

Below are 7 things that stuck out to me as I inspected his Callaway setup.

Some variables don’t change

As much as we preach treating every fitting as a blank slate and leaving biases at the door, having the ability to eliminate variables during the session can make things a lot easier. In Jon Rahm’s case, the driver shaft isn’t changing — along with the irons shafts — when he starts testing new Callaway product.

Knowing you need to find a head that benefits, in Rahm’s case, an Aldila Tour Green 75TX driver shaft can cut down on the search process.

“It definitely makes things easier when we’re doing a driver fitting with Jon,” said Jacob Davidson, Callaway’s PGA Tour Manager. “Your first goal is to eliminate variables. If you have too many variables, it can make things difficult to figure out. For Rahm, he’s not changing that [Aldila] shaft. He knows that shaft and has played great with that shaft. He’s made that clear that he doesn’t want to change.”

When you have a shaft that’s working, make the clubhead adapt to the surroundings. Recreational golfers can learn a thing or two from Rahm on how to treat a reliable shaft during a gear fitting.

Stock setup

Rahm’s Callaway Rogue ST Triple Diamond LS driver is set up for high launch and low spin. It’s not uncommon for pros to play a 10.5-degree head and turn the loft down to hit a fade, but Rahm’s more than content playing his driver in the standard loft, neutral face angle setting. The neutral setting allows him to work the ball in both directions.

Adding hot melt inside the head is one way to change launch, flight and spin characteristics without adjusting the loft sleeve, but unless you have a reliable certified club-builder at the ready, the best way to alter any of the above characteristics is via the loft sleeve. In Rahm’s case, he doesn’t see the need to do a ton of tinkering to the driver.

Wiggle room

Even one of the best ball-strikers in the world doesn’t hit it out of the dead center every time. Rahm has relied on a cavity-back iron for years and even prefers a touch of offset in the head to help him square it up on mishits. The small cavity on the Callaway Apex TCB also allows him to get away with the occasional miss when the heart starts racing on Sunday afternoon.

If golf’s top-ranked player is happy using a set of cavity-back irons, you have permission to do the same.

Tiger gear

Rahm’s respect for Tiger is well documented. Following his Sunday singles win over the 15-time major winner at the 2018 Ryder Cup, Rahm discussed the magnitude of the moment and the chance to play against one of his idols.

“All year long I was looking forward to the day I was going to play with Tiger Woods, and it didn’t happen until singles at the Ryder Cup,” Rahm said in an interview with GOLF.com. “It wasn’t the best time, because there’s a lot that comes into play with Tiger, right, a lot of memories I have, as he is one the people I grew up idolizing.”

Knowing Rahm’s admiration for Tiger, it seems fitting that he plays a piece of gear that Woods put on the map — a traditional pistol-style rubber putter grip. For Tiger, it’s a Ping PP58 grip. For Rahm, it’s an Odyssey version that bears many of the same hallmarks.

The smaller grip is designed to get the hands more engaged in the stroke, as opposed to a larger version that places more of an emphasis on the larger muscle, thereby reducing wrist movement.

Custom grinds

In a video Callaway’s Johnny Wunder posted on Instagram late last year, Jon Rahm nips a low spinner from a precarious lie at the Ely Callaway Performance Center that checks hard and backtracks towards the hole. The wedge used to execute the shot is the one in the above photo. Master wedge craftsman Roger Cleveland is the mastermind behind this custom 60-degree Callaway Jaws wedge.

Rahm is surgical around the greens, but even the best wedge players in the world can use a bit of leading edge relief, especially on squared-up shots. Removing material from the sole allows the leading edge to impact the turf efficiently without digging. In other words, it keeps Rahm from chunking it on tight lies.

Free it up

Years ago, I noticed Jason Day had gone away from a putter with an alignment line on the head. It got me wondering why a pro would opt for a “naked” putter free of lines or dots to help zero-in on his target after years of success with a line.

“I couldn’t quite see the line anymore,” Day said. “Normally when I’m over the putt I can see the line from the ball to the hole. Well, I couldn’t see it rolling and tracking, and that’s how I’ve always read putts.”

Rahm lives by the same KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) principle with his Odyssey White Hot OG Rossie S mallet. Instead of fixating on multiple alignment aids to find the perfect line to the hole, Rahm relies on his otherworldly feel to match up line and speed. It’s very Seve-esque.

Custom gear

As you’d expect, Rahm carries some clubs that you wouldn’t be able to find at your local golf shop — at least not in their current form. For example, Rahm’s 22-degree Callaway X Forged UT is a retail option, but the overall cavity design and plating differs from what you’d find in the Spaniard’s bag. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

When you’re a golf rockstar, custom gear is an option. In Rahm’s case, his version has more of a blade-like profile and happens to be made from raw carbon steel. Hence, the rusting and patina you see on the head. Rahm’s version is just as reliable as the retail head, but sometimes pros want a certain look and feel that simply isn’t part of the retail offerings. This is where it’s good to have a tour card in your back pocket.

The post Inside Jon Rahm’s golf bag: 7 things I noticed while inspecting his club appeared first on Golf.

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’s Rogue ST iron line comes in four high-performing models appeared first on Golf.

The post FIRST LOOK: Callaway’s Rogue ST iron line comes in four high-performing models appeared first on Golf.

There aren’t many quiet moments at Callaway Golf headquarters in Carlsbad, Calif. — after all, how could there be? With a self-imposed mandate of delivering innovation to golfers every 12 months, the gears of progress churn quickly.

This year’s line of Rogue ST irons is no different. The brand-new line packs a serious technological punch, providing speed and distance jumps across its four offerings: the Pro, MAX, MAX OS and MAX Lite. The Rogue ST irons are meant to serve as a successor to the Mavrik line, but borrow some inspiration from last year’s Apex 21s, as well.

At the heart of this year’s update is the all-new 450 A.I. Face Cup, a piece of performance-boosting tech Callaway is introducing to the golf industry with the Rogue ST line. The 450 A.I. Face Cup blends Callaway’s Flash Face Cup technology with high-strength 450 steel — a shift in material that provides both improved consistency and better ballspeeds throughout the set.

Gear

The sturdier composition of the face comes in addition to an all-new face design, courtesy of Callaway’s A.I. Face Optimization. This space-age tech provides a unique, artificial intelligence-generated face shape for each model in order to improve individual performance, and has been updated in the Rogue ST since its maiden voyage with the Mavrik line. Also returning are Callaway’s patented urethane microspheres, which are pushed further up the face to improve sound and feel.

The advancements are all in an effort to improve performance at impact, an endeavor aided by a major boost of high-density tungsten to juice launch conditions (an increase of as much as 62 grams, or 260 percent, over the Mavrik line, depending upon the model).

The Rogue ST irons will start at $999, and will be available for retail on Feb. 18 — the same date as the remainder of Callaway’s new Rogue ST driver, fairway woods and hybrids. Below, find a brief breakdown of each iron model.

Rogue ST Pro

A players’ iron through and through, expect to see the Rogue ST Pro in the hands of Callaway staffers as soon as this week at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. Long story short: the Pro features all the technology included above crunched into an impossibly compact hollow-body construction.

Rogue ST MAX

The swiss-army knife of the Rogue ST line, the MAX is a do-it-all option built for mid-to-high handicappers. With the MAX, players will find refined shot-shaping capabilities in addition to improved speed and forgiveness … or in other words, the ideal package for a player looking to send their game to the next level.

Rogue ST MAX OS

The MAX OS is a high handicapper’s dream — the most-forgiving and highest-launching offering in the Rogue ST Family. Extra-wide soles and a thicker topline help boost confidence at address and ballstriking consistency at impact.

Rogue ST MAX Lite

Compared to the MAX OS, the MAX Lite is strikingly similar, spare for one key difference: it’s much lighter. For high handicappers and players with slow swing speeds, the MAX Lite offers a forgiving package with an increased emphasis on playability.

Want to overhaul your bag for 2021? Find a fitting location near you at GOLF’s affiliate company True Spec Golf. 

The post FIRST LOOK: Callaway’s Rogue ST iron line comes in four high-performing models 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!

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

The post Callaway continues investment in Entertainment Golf, this time in Five Iron appeared first on Golf.

The post Callaway continues investment in Entertainment Golf, this time in Five Iron appeared first on Golf.

Nothing in golf has quite revolutionized the game publicly than the sector of Entertainment Golf. Don’t know what that is? It’s the corner of the golf world where TopGolf lives. Where Popstroke earns its revenue. Where the social aspects of bowling mesh with the gentleman’s game of golf. 

The simulator golf world is smack dab in the center of Entertainment Golf, and one of the successful branches of simulator golf is a brand called Five Iron Golf.

The upstart company that launched just four years ago in Manhattan has spread to seven cities and 10 locations around the world, and just this week secured a $30 million investment from golf-behemoth Callaway. Not much detail about the investment was shared, but CEO Chip Brewer did hint at some aspects of it in the press release. 

News

“Five Iron Golf has built a strong brand and leadership position in the evolving indoor golf market by creating technology-driven, eye-catching venues appealing to avid golfers, pure entertainment seekers, and everyone in between,” Brewer said. “This innovative business aligns with Callaway’s belief that the future of golf will be more accessible and inclusive. The partnership includes a non-exclusive marketing agreement that provides Callaway the ability to continue to develop relationships with golfers wherever they engage with the sport and a valuable opportunity for strategic collaboration that will benefit both brands.”

That last line is an important one. Callaway has made continuous strides in recent years investing in brands like the aforementioned TopGolf where Callaway can continually be inserted “wherever [golfers] engage with the sport.” Want rental clubs at Five Iron? Callaway’s nicest and newest equipment will be part of the offerings. And perhaps much more than that. 

At its core, Five Iron Golf was launched as a simulator bay- and instruction-focused business, but it now also doubles as an engaging events space with club-fittings, adult leagues and memberships. In addition to the 10 worldwide locations already established by Five Iron, seven more are on the way, including on in downtown Chicago and another in Seattle.

As for Callaway, this is just the latest investment that company has made in golf brands it sees potential in. Other brands like OGIO, Odyssey and TravisMathew are included under Callaway umbrella.

The post Callaway continues investment in Entertainment Golf, this time in Five Iron appeared first on Golf.

The post Proving Ground: Can Callaway’s ‘Epic Super Hybrid’ actually replace a fairway wood? appeared first on Golf.

The post Proving Ground: Can Callaway’s ‘Epic Super Hybrid’ actually replace a fairway wood? appeared first on Golf.

I have a problem club in my golf bag right now. Or, as GOLF’s Fully Equipped podcast co-host Kris McCormack would say, I have a “rat in the bag.”

A rat in the bag is a club that gives you trouble almost every time. It’s the club that as soon as you pull it out of the bag, you just know something is going to go wrong.

For me, that club is the 3-iron. Once upon a time when I was a better ball striker and produced more speed, I relished the opportunity to hit long irons off the fairway to attack par-5’s in two shots.

It hurts to admit, but as my game becomes less precise, hitting 3-iron off the deck just isn’t as fun as it used to be. I’m not hitting it as high, far or as accurately as I did years ago.

So, when I’m around 230 yards out, I’m hesitant rather than confident. I need to find a replacement that I’m comfortable hitting off the turf to start attacking greens from long distances again.

Hybrids

As a golfer who tends to hit a hook, and primarily plays a draw, hybrids have always been a worrisome club. Their left-biased trajectories produce a big hook when I miss it, bringing loads of trouble into play. That has left me testing high-lofted fairways recently, which has been a growing trend on the PGA Tour. So far, though, I haven’t found a 7-wood that produces enough accuracy off the turf to warrant a switch; and I tend to hit them a bit too high.

When GOLF’s managing editor Jonathan Wall recently wrote about a new club called the Callaway Epic Super Hybrid, however, I’ll admit I was a bit intrigued.

Essentially, the Epic Super Hybrid is a second-generation design that has a slightly larger footprint than your typical hybrid, and it’s souped up with technology. It has tungsten in the toe and heel for forgiveness, a Flash Face for ball speed, a Triaxial carbon crown, A.I. Velocity Blades in the sole, and it’s designed to reduce the classic left-biased trajectory of a hybrid that had me shook in the past. And, coming in a range of lofts (16, 18, 21, 24 and 27 degrees), it’s also designed to compete against fairway woods.

Here’s how Callaway’s Senior Vice President of R&D Dr. Alan Hocknell describes the club:

“There’d been definite evidence in the market feedback from better players that some of our hybrids just didn’t suit them…they didn’t want the hybrid to go left. They wanted a wood-replacement-type-club. A lot of better players gravitated towards the club’s stronger loft. But we also found another audience there looking for the same characteristics. Maybe not as high head speed a player, but someone looking to replace a 5-wood or longer clubs in and around that part of the bag with those hybrids, because they were very forgiving. There were cries to expand that concept, and that’s what we’ve chosen to do here.”

It sounded like an option that could be exactly what I’m looking for, but the only way to know for sure was to take it to the Proving Ground.

For this test, I took Callaway’s new Super Epic Hybrid over to True Spec Golf in Scottsdale where I hit it against a slew of other popular options. Below, I’ll take you through the results and discuss my findings.

The Clubs

This Proving Ground test was fairly simple. I hit 5 shots with each club, eliminating any obvious outliers along the way, and I measured each shot with a Foresight GC Quad launch monitor. With the help of True Spec Golf’s fitters, I dialed in each setup with similar shaft profiles and head lofts to reduce variables. Below are the clubs I used.

Callaway Epic Super Hybrid (21 degrees; Graphite Design Tour AD TSG prototype shaft) at 40.25 inches.

Callaway Super Hybrid first-generation (21 degrees; Graphite Design Tour AD TSG prototype shaft) at 40.25 inches

A popular 7-wood on the marketplace (21 degrees; Graphite Design Tour AD TSG prototype shaft) at 42 inches

A popular normal-sized hybrid on the marketplace (21 degrees; Graphite Design Tour AD TSG prototype shaft) at 40.25 inches

My gamer 3-iron (21 degrees; KBS Tour C-Taper 130X shaft)

For the purpose of showing my distance gapping at the top-end of my iron set, I also hit my gamer 4-iron. The goal with distance gapping is to ensure you don’t have two clubs that go the same distance. You don’t want to waste space in your bag since you only get 14 clubs, as per the USGA rules.

The Results

My Takeaways

Since my 4-iron was traveling 215 yards on average, I’m searching for a club that goes 230-plus. Ideally, I’m looking for a club that provides me confidence that I can hit it consistently off the turf, and gives me control when trying to hit a green from long distances. This isn’t an area of the bag that I simply want to hit it as far as I can, so I’m looking for that controlled 230-240 window.

It’s important to keep in mind that you should consult your local trusted fitter or teaching professional to conduct your own testing since every golfer is different. Below, I’ll give my brief thoughts on each club I tested and what I’m seeing in the numbers.

Callaway Epic Super Hybrid: Unlike a “normal” hybrid, the Epic Super Hybrid seemed to sit more like an iron with its tapered topline, while still having loads of mass to inspire confidence in the strike. It has almost a fairway wood size, but a more palatable look to my eye at address. While I did miss the center of the face on a few shots, it produced a penetrating, accurate ball flight that didn’t hook off the planet, or even go left of target at all. Compared to the 3-iron, it had more than 700 rpm of spin, meaning it will have better stopping power on the greens, and it carried 6 yards farther.

The “normal” hybrid: Honestly, I feel like the numbers are pretty good for how uneasy I felt hitting the hybrid. The smaller footprint compared to the Epic Super Hybrid, and more curved face, left me just waiting for a bad miss left. Overall, it flew a touch lower and touch shorter than the Epic Super Hybrid, and went a bit shorter than my 3-iron overall. Not as bad as I thought, but reaffirmed my hybrid fears.

7-Wood: Since the 7-wood measures 1.5 inches longer and has a touch larger head, it was a given that it’d produce slightly faster ball speeds. That’s not necessarily a bad thing if I could control it, but I tended to miss this one a little too far left for my liking. While it produced 10 yards of distance more than my 3-iron, it just didn’t provide the accuracy I wanted. Although it launched higher and went farther than Epic Super Hybrid, the misses were a bit too severe. The extra distance wouldn’t be worth it to me.

Callaway Super Hybrid first-generation: I was shocked at just how much higher this launched (12.6 degrees vs. 9.3 degrees) than the new Epic Super Hybrid at the same loft and with the same shaft. For some, that could be a great thing. A higher trajectory can really help golfers who need more height on their shots to produce distance and accuracy. For me, though, the window was a bit too high; I’d be concerned about overall control, especially in the wind. While it ended up averaging more overall distance than the new Epic Super Hybrid, I’d be hesitant to put this in the bag. It even flew higher than the 7-wood!

Callaway Epic Super Hybrid

Get your own Callaway Epic Super Hybrid today!

$399.99 from Fairway Jockey

3-iron: As expected, this produced the slowest ball speed and lowest spin rate in the test, and it left me a bit concerned with stopping power when going at the green (it was rolling out 21 yards on average). While I actually hit it relatively straight, and it nearly kept up distance-wise, a few of my mishits reminded me why I’m scared these days to pull the 3-iron. I felt significantly more comfortable hitting the 4-iron, and most of the other clubs in the test.

Final Thoughts

First of all, this test proved once again how important it is to experiment with products for yourself to see how they actually perform. Things never go exactly as planned, and the results can be eye-opening.

For me, I walked away from this test knowing for a fact that I have to replace my 3-iron. Also, an objective look at the results shows the new Epic Super Hybrid produced the best combination of long and straight shots with ample stopping power. More importantly, though, I felt comfortable that I’d make clean contact with the Epic Super Hybrid compared to a long iron or fairway wood, and that it wouldn’t dive to the left if I missed it.

In a category that has a lot of different options ranging from long irons to fairway woods, it seems this club has found an intriguing middle ground (especially for golfers like me who tend to miss left).

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!

The post Proving Ground: Can Callaway’s ‘Epic Super Hybrid’ actually replace a fairway wood? appeared first on Golf.