Ultra-light weight, hi-tech and premium priced are all apt descriptors of Callaway Golf’s newest club family, the new Epic Max Star game-improvement category clubs targeted for slower swing speed players.
Fast Facts Callaway Epic Max Star
Driver
Ultra-light 260g (head 186g)
Jailbreak Speed Frame
Flash Face
Carbon fiber crown & toe panel
Draw bias
Sliding 9g sole weight
Fixed hosel
Stock lofts: 10.5°, 12°
Stock shaft: 46-inch ATTAS Speed T1100 (36g)
Stock grip: Winn Dri-Tac Lite (25g)
Retail Nov. 4, 2021–$699.99
Fairway woods
Carbon fiber crown
Flash Face SS21
Angled internal Jailbreak A.I. Velocity Blades
Interchangeable 5 and 12g sole weights
Fixed hosel
Stock lofts: 3-W 15°, 5-W 18°, 7-W 21°, 9-W 23°
Stock shaft: ATTAS Speed
Stock grip: Winn Dri-Tac Lite
Retail Nov. 4, 2021–$429.99
Hybrids
Carbon fiber crown
Flash Face SS21
Internal Jailbreak A.I. Velocity Blades
Tungsten sole weights
Fixed hosel
Stock lofts: 3-H (17°) through 8-H (32°)
Retail Nov. 4, 2021–$349.99
Irons
Flash Face Cup
Hollow body construction
1025 mild carbon steel
Tungsten weighting imbedded in urethane microspheres
PVD Black Plasma finish
5-iron 23°, pitching wedge 42ׄ°
Stock shaft: ATTAS Speed
Stock grip: Winn Dri-Tac Lite
Retail Nov. 4, 2021–$349.99 each
WYNTK
For the past several years Callaway has recognized the segment of the club-buying market of recreational players with slow to moderate swing speed (less than 90 mph) wanting the best design, technology, and construction and who don’t mind paying a premium price. Since the 2019 model year the entry in this category had been the well-received Epic Flash Star family which has now been replaced by the new Epic MAX Star family of woods, hybrids and irons.
The idea of ultra-lightweight is carried out in all the family members most significantly the driver which is 11-grams lighter than the Epic Flash Star driver and a whopping 52-grams less than last years Epic Max driver. Weight was dropped from not only the clubhead (286-grams) but also the shaft which is just 36-grams and the grip at 25-grams.
Even the glue holding it all together is precisely metered to ensure just the proper amount.
The drover’s Jailbreak construction of internal stiffeners, designed using artificial intelligence software, is a frame within the clubhead with horizontal components near the crown and the sole—not just the vertical rods of previous designs. Therefore, the head has stiffness in the vertical direction as it did with the old rods but now also horizontally and was first seen in the 2021 Epic drivers.
The sliding sole weight of the Epic Max Star driver is 9-grams and used to produce a fade or draw bias, but an interesting addition is a carbon fiber panel in the sole near the toe for even more draw bias potential since players using this type of club tend to slice.
Being very light helps slower swing speed players produce more clubhead mph and therefore more distance and similar thinking was used for the designs of the Epic Max Star fairway woods, hybrids, and irons—lighter is faster.
As expected, the irons have lots of offset, strong lofts with great looks and a very pleasing black PVD finish.
Pricing for the Epic Max Star driver is the same as the old Epic Flash Star driver however fairway woods are $30 per club higher, and hybrids and irons are $25 per club more than the comparable Epic Flash Star models.
