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Best round in years for me. 33-37 - 70 I’m feeling really good tonight - really good - this used to be home of the LPGA’s St Pete Open, too. Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

lets open with the first 9 iron hit from 138, I thought it was going in.. so what are they you ask? MP 5’s, with MP25’s in the 3,4, and 5 iron. buttah. Enjoy the eye candy...

Beautiful day for golf on the Colorado Front Range and we got in a loop at Saddleback Golf Course. My first time at this track and it was a lot of fun. It’s pretty fair off most tees with tricky greens and they have it in good shape. Conditions were soft and tee balls weren’t rolling at all. (-4) 68 for DLK today - highlights: clean card and another tidy stat line for the Bettinardi SS38 Armlock (28 total). Looks even better against 15/18 GIR. But the real highlight of the day was that my playing partner was @TR1PTIK! He’s in town for work and we’re hoping to get out a few times while he’s around. In a nutshell, a really nice person with a really nice golf swing - a better player than he appears on paper. I don’t want to talk about my 4 foot birdie putt on 18 that didn’t even sniff the hole. I didn’t think to snap any pics but @TR1PTIK may have snapped some course pics.

What a fun day yesterday! I was completely wiped after the round. I still haven't filled out my score for 18 to even know what I shot (lol), but I know I hit a wall on the 13th or 14th hole. My day started around 1:30AM CST yesterday and I WAS STRUGGLING... Regardless of what my scorecard says though, it was a great day. @downlowkey was not only kind enough to meet up for a round, but is also lending me a push cart for the week! I had a blast teeing it up with him and getting to experience golf at elevation. I think we will definitely be getting together a couple more times this week and I can't wait. I certainly could have (and probably should have) taken a lot more pictures, but here are a few from an absolutely gorgeous day on the course...

Just a little teaser photo of the Cobra set working on their suntan yesterday. I'm cannot wait to share with you how this set is going to destroy lives, wreck dreams, and leave no room for hope @Nunfa0 @bardle @Bucky CC @robertson153

Spent about 2 hours on the range this morning dialing in the driver and changing some settings. The most optimal solution for me was to put the weight in the back and go to +1° in the Draw setting. I was just hitting bombs. I hit 11 in a row in between about a 30 yd channel that I picked out. Hopefully I can take this on to the course as I feel like drivers been really holding me back recently.

Fingers sweaty. Butterflies in the stomach. Type type type type, click. Click type click. It's done. I've officially registered to play on the SoMD Amateur. Here we go over the top of this crazy roller coaster. Am I making too big of a deal about this? Definitely. But I'm going to do my best here to create some entertaining content for the rest of you. I play in a weekly league that gives a nice bit of drama but there's nothing like a stroke play event. The SoMD Amateur is the biggest of these events that comes to the local area. Last time I played was (I think) was 7 years ago. Every summer since, I've considered it and ultimately backed out for one reason or another. Between kids, jobs, the price, and realistic self-assessments, I just couldn't justify entry. This year, those things are balanced enough that I'M DOING IT! God, so nervous. Here's the deets: Location: Breton Bay Golf & Country Club - LINK Dates: 28-30 June Format: 54-hole Stroke Play, putt it all the way down play all the rules Divisions: Regular Flighted, plus Sr and Jr. Player Pool: 250-300 Golfers Last time I played, attrition got the best of me. I rarely play 2 days in a row, much less 3. I entered as a 15 and was placed in the 4th flight (championship + 5 total). Shooting 89, 92, 108 landed me in the middle of the pack of some 25-30 golfers in my flight. That year was also when I took the infamous 17 on a single hole READ HERE. This year, I'm entering as a 12 which may bump me into the 3rd or 2nd flight depending on entries. If I can shoot 3 rounds in the 80's and break 85 once, I'll be a happy camper. Leading up to the event, I'll add some posts for the practice plan, course management strategy, WITB, and whatever else comes up. Obviously, you won't get live streams during the rounds but I'll be sure to check in with some short recaps after each round and a overall wrap-up once it's done. For now, wish me luck

Decided to go play a few holes today for the first time since surgery. Played 4 holes. Knee feels fine. Shin is a bit sore. Bogeyed all 4 holes (a par 5, a par 3, and 2 par 4s). Hit the driver well 2 of 3 times. Irons distance was as expected but pulled all of them except one. Putting, meh (no real focus). Good start.

Looking good! Maybe get Studque over there to pressure wash your deck! It takes him like 36 seconds!

Interesting weekend for me. It seems that my new pain for the year is my wrists; both of them, but my right wrist is particularly sore. Not sure what caused it, but they have been sore for over a week. I can still play, but certain mishits with the driver will make me wince. Saturday my wife and I played with a father/son twosome that I have seen at the course before. BTW, the dad had PXG irons; first time I've seen them. Because of my wrists, most drives were push rights; just can't close the club face. I didn't count, but I wasn't in very many fairways. I was also in 5 greenside bunkers. As for the rest of my game, I shot 79 with 26 putts (I only had 11 putts on the front nine); chip-in birdie on #6 and stuffed a 6i approach on #7 to a foot. Today was a better driving day; hit 11/13 fairways but couldn't buy a putt. Shot 84. I was only +4 on the front nine, but +8 on the back nine. The 95º temp got to me today.

Current State of my Game Really wanted to do a course overview first but Arccos has a number of the tee boxes in weird places. I sent an email to help them get that straight. In the meantime, here's a baseline for where my game stands: First off, my gapping. There's no glaring gaps so I feel like I'm playing the correct set. I'm getting to the point where I'm feeling good about my yardages but there's still work to go to slim those ranges down. Invariably, there'll be wiggle room due to changing conditions. Thanks to the stats, I've focused much harder on driving and approach over the past 6 months and those overall numbers are trending downward. Two big areas I need to continue improving on is 1) accept risk off the tee and still deliver and 2) execute the easy shots from the fairway. BTW: Yes I entered the tourney as a 12 and yes Arccos shows me at 10.3. For those that use Arccos, you'll know that the overall HC tends to be a little lower than real life. Off the tee, I've got a nasty habit of trying to baby it into the fairway by taking less than driver. Testing the G410 Plus has inspired me to pull the big dog every chance I get and the results have been showing. My ball flight is a fade but I sometimes get in front and hook it wide left. While that fairway % isn't overly impressive, it's up quite a bit from this time last year. Thanks to advice here, I've been really trying to take more club coming into greens. For the most part, it's helped as I've raised my GIR by 3% but there's still a ways to go. Clubbing up and launching it into the woods is a big deterrent. In case it's not obvious, I'm pretty hot and cold in this stat. Not really from round to round, but DEFINITELY throughout a single round. I could hole out over a bunker then bunt one that barely gets onto the green with the pin 50ft away. IMO, club selection plays a key role here because I'm too quick to pull the 56* where a PW would be the better play. Sample size in Arccos for Sand is small so I'm gonna skip over that and go to putting. Quick BLUF is that I'm just as streaky from the sand as I am chipping. I never thought I was a good putter until Arccos told me I was. Funny how that worked because my confidence increased and made me even better. If I had to attribute it to anything, I'd put it on a putter test I did 2 years ago that really got me rolling smooth. Mid-spring I made a putter switch that drove my cap upwards with multiple 3-putts per round so I switched back and it's been coming back down. Generally speaking, this is my only stat that hovers in the "+" range; it's just a little higher now due to the failed experiment. Well there you have it. Here's the kind of player that I'll be taking to the tourney. Like many people in my HC bracket, streaky fits the description well. Here's hoping for a hot streak.

Here I sit catching up on nonsense I've missed over the last few days and you post this?!?! How dare you post actual golf-related stuff in this thread....?

I would like to thank MGS and Callaway for the opportunity to test the Epic Flash Sub Zero, it is my first testing opportunity and a fun and enjoyable process. I was able to get in 24 rounds and multiple range sessions since the club arrived. Hosel adjustments and the adjustable perimeter weighting were tested in almost all positions (I didn’t test in max loft with weight in full fade position). The results will speak for themselves. LOOKS I was able to get my hands on the driver well before it was released to the public through our local Callaway rep and my first thought was gawd that is a terrible combination. I still feel this way about the color combination. It is just not my cup of tea, in fact the headcover was described by someone at my club as an ugly paint can. Luckily my Dodger blue cover replaces this, it is just paint fill after all and pretty easily changeable if you desire, or for some more coin Callaway can do it for you. The colors aside the rest of the club is gorgeous. The carbon crown is glorious and transitions beautifully to the face. The crescent on the top helps with overall alignment and the deeper face screams bomb me at address. Durability is normal. There are a few scratches on the face, but nothing out of the ordinary. Score: 8 out of 10 Sound and Feel I have always been unbiased by sound and feel. Don’t get me wrong they add to a club, but I am strictly performance based. If it works, I don’t care about sound or feel. The first time I hit the Flash it left a ringing in my ears. My first thought was wow that was something. Of course, it was with range rocks so it was a different sound than I would hear playing. The sound has grown on me so much so that I don’t even notice it. It is definitely high pitched and tingy and extremely different from the previous gamer. Score: 6 out of 10 Basic Characteristics When I got fit, I was not swinging great but the CHS and ball speed numbers were fantastic. My instructor/fitter told me I am not going to put you in a different shaft to help with dispersion at the cost of ball speed. Well, he was right, first drive I hit on the course was in the fairway at 299. I would bottle that one and hit it on every hole if I could. As you know Callaway employed AI to create the face of the Epic Flash in order to increase ball speed and I can say without a doubt it worked! I have been consistently achieving distances that I reached when I was 25 (I am 42 now). But that distance doesn’t just equate to perfect swings. Where the Flash really shines is off center hits. There is always some distance drop off when not struck sweetly but not anything I have seen with any other driver. My low range stats show that I am longer on mishits than I was on average with my previous gamer. Let me repeat that; I AM LONGER ON THE BOTTOM RANGE THAN PREVIOUS GAMER WAS IN MIDDLE RANGE. 17 yards on low range, 11 yards on smart range and 4 yards on high range. Just incredible! It is not like my gamer was old either it was a Rogue Sub Zero. So, from one generation of driver I have seen a huge increase across the board. Distance and forgiveness are part of the equation but accuracy and how all three combines to performance when the pressure gets ratcheted up are really what I look for in a driver. If you read my stage one you know left is death for me, it has always been, and probably always be the miss that gets me in trouble. The first tourney I played in with the Flash was at Del Monte GC, the ninth hole is a par 5 with OB left. In order to have any shot at the green you have to hit it down the left side. Standing on the tee box I picked out a tree on the left that is about 3 yards from OB and against my better judgement I trusted it. The results were close to perfection. The ball went exactly where I wanted to, no left, very little side spin. The Flash comes through again. My fairway accuracy is actually down a little compared to the Rogue but the majority of that comes from me not knowing where to actually start the ball to take in to account the lack of side spin and overall distance I am getting. The lack of side spin does lead to a little bit lack of workability. I am still able to move the ball some but not near as much as I have been able to with previous drivers. This is both good and bad, while the spin negates some workability it in turns leads to an overall straighter ball flight. With the perimeter weighting track, it is easy to adjust the ball flight on any given day to suit your needs of that course. The track is also placed in such a way that for me, the flight moved significantly with just the tiniest of adjustments. Score: 19 out of 20 On Course Performance There is not really much to say here. If you followed along on the thread you’ve seen the results that all testers have gotten. The Flash is the best driver I have probably ever played, and I have played many. There have been a few bad driving rounds over the last 24 but they are few and far between and there is nothing a club could do to fix that. The year of the driver has produced! Overall, I don’t think there has been a round that I have played that I have not been impressed with the Flash. I have shorter clubs into every hole. Two par 4’s that I haven’t been on in over 18 years, I was able to drive. My driving handicap has come down almost 6 full shots according to Arccos. Nothing different just a driver change. That is incredible, and it is still trending down. With the increase of distance my scores haven’t dropped significantly but are much more consistent than they have ever been. I have a much tighter range and expect the low scores to be lower as the season progresses and the rain stops. One major aspect that stands out to me is the driver at address. It sits wonderfully behind the ball and increases confidence when playing. . I really like the deeper face and any extra boost in confidence is bonus. Overall the club just flat out performs. Score: 30 out of 30 Miscellaneous My club has roughly 160 members 17 of them are now playing the Flash partly based of the results I have had with it. It is now normal to hear my playing partners shaking their heads on multiple tee boxes. That is always a wonderful result. I even had someone I don’t play with comment on how well I have been driving it. Which means I’m famous, just saying. The Opti-fit adaptor that Callaway uses is IMO the best on the market. It allows every adjustment to be made without changing the orientation of the shaft. This is a big plus when it comes to grips, shaft graphics or puring. Score: 10 out of 10 Play it or Trade It As of right now it is an emphatic play it for me. The results have been amazing and completely unexpected. I assumed there would be some improvement from the prior generation, but nowhere near what I have seen. It would be a buy for me if you would’ve told me I would pick up 10-15 yards even at $529, which falls in line with other drivers in the market, and unfortunately that $500 driver is now the norm. If you are in the market for a driver, I would make a strong recommendation to try The Epic Flash. The Sub Zero I tested is definitely the lower spin option, It fits nicely with my swing and if you are a higher spin player it is a great option. Score: 20 out of 20 Conclusion There are not enough superlatives to describe the Epic Flash Sub Zero and how I feel about. I am stunned at the performance. It has been an incredible addition to my bag and will be a key player in helping me reach my goal of scratch. Thank you Callaway, fellow spies and MGS!! Total score: 93 out of 100

Stage 2 Official Review 6/2/2019 Callaway Epic Flash Sub Zero by sirchunksalot It's been a joy and an honor to have been selected as a reviewer for the Callaway Epic Flash Sub Zero driver. Thank you MyGolfSpy and to everyone who's followed along and been active in this conversation. In what could be considered The Year of the Driver, what makes the Callaway a worthy winner of the Most Wanted Driver of 2019? I was lucky enough to find out along with a phenomenal group of testers to see what the Epic Flash line is all about. For this test, I really wanted to see if this driver was as long and accurate as they claimed. I wanted to know if the technology would perform as described, and if the Flash Face was a breakthrough or another flash in the pan. After 12 range sessions, 13 rounds, and hitting driver on 127 holes, here's what I think. Looks The Sub Zero looks amazing at address, the dark coloring with the subtle lines at the front and back of the head give it a nice touch. I really like the bold Callaway chevron that they chose to add as an alignment aid as it basically says to me "Your ball is going this way". I love the carbon fiber on the back portion of the crown, it's barely noticeable looking down at it, but I think up close it gives a nice contrast. I like the graphics on the face of the club that give the impression of a bullseye, it really gives an accurate idea of where the ball struck after the swing or when using spray powder. The Golf Pride Align grip that is half white and half black pairs well with the Project X Even Flow Green shaft to really coordinate the colors looking down at the club. I do regret not knowing that the logo on the shaft would be facing down, as having it up would have been absolutely beautiful. What I'm not too fond of is the color combination that Callaway decided to go with for the bottom of the club, green and yellow. I can't say that I associate these colors with Epic, Flash, or Sub Zero. I more associate them with exit signs (Right turn here), the Andon board at work, and the Green Bay Packers. I'm married to a woman from the Chicago area, so that's a no go like the Florida Gators or Alabama Crimson Tide colors for a guy from Tennessee. Looks (8/10) Sound and Feel My first experience with the sound of the Sub Zero was in a hitting bay at my fitting and it was LOUD. Getting out on the range, the sound was more muted but still a little louder than I like. Coming from a Ping G400 LST, which produced a nice, muted crack I found that I wasn't exactly in love with the sound the Callaway was producing. On some hits, it sounded a little tinny to me. Once I put spray powder on it I noticed a heel bias to my hits and that might have been a culprit in the higher pitched ting I was hearing. Now the sound is better to my ears, but it's not the auditory nirvana of the Ping. When struck in the sweet spot, the Callaway feels like the ball isn't even there: it's gold. On off center hits, the driver head feels just a little stiff. My thought is the two bars that Callaway uses, their Jailbreak technology, it stabilizes the head and that makes it feel more rigid. The G400 had more of a feel that the ball was mashing into the face and it felt like you could feel the trampoline effect. To the Callaway's credit, I've only had one shot that felt completely horrible. I was on the 250 yard par 4 12th hole at Waterville and hit a couple of shots to see if I could reach the green and hit one well on the heel and it stung. Other than that, I really like the feel. I can definitely tell where I've contacted the face and they managed to not really punish my hands with vibrating feedback on heel or toe biased hits. The overall feel is just not quite as good as what the Ping brings to the table, but it's not offensive. Sound and Feel (8/10) Basic Characteristics For me, the Epic Flash Sub Zero is a high launching machine, paired with the Project X Even Flow Green shaft it really his the ball high. I believe in the adage "hit it high and let it fly". There's a hole at one of the courses I play, Chatata Valley, that the 5th hole requires either a fade or a shot over the trees to be in good position on the fairway and I'm not afraid to try to fly them. I'm not that good at shaping shots, so I pretty much let what my swing is doing that day dictate what I do. I have seen that the driver can move the ball in both directions, but this guy can't do it on command. If you were to look at my driving stats, you wouldn't be too impressed with my accuracy. I miss more left than I hit the fairway. I've been playing a tight course for most of the test with a lot of fairways between 20 and 25 yards wide. I've been pleased to see smaller misses on average than with any other driver I've gamed, I'm still getting shots from just off the short grass that still have a line to advance. This driver hits bombs! I've had a personal best (271) and several over 250. It's also pretty forgiving on shots on the heel and toe, it seems like the toe loses less distance than the heel. A good toe shot has given me drives in the 240-250 range, the heel has delivered shots 225-235. High and low strikes seem to lose more distance, bringing drives below 200 yards. This is the first driver I've had that has both an adjustable hosel and a sliding weight. It's easy to tweak the settings, just loosen the bolt on the head, turn the adjustments where you want, put the head back on, and tighten. The sliding weight is as simple as loosening, sliding, and tightening. I've played with the settings, adjusting both the sliding weight and the hosel into extreme draw positions and lowering the loft to nine degrees. My current setting is neutral, 10.5 degrees, with the sliding weight 1/3 of the way into draw. I have more confidence in my driving than I have in years. I don't play in tournaments, but in games with my friends I have no doubt that I'm going to go home with the bragging rights. There's really nothing with this driver that I can think of that they can do to improve on it. Basic Characteristics (20/20) On Course Performance Coming into this test, I had just recently bought a new Ping G400 LST and seriously had doubts that Callaway had made a driver that could outperform the matte black beauty I was sporting on the course. I'm not afraid to admit when I'm wrong. The Callaway Epic Flash Sub Zero performs. I'm hitting longer drives than ever, I've hit my four longest drives EVER since putting it in the bag. I'm hitting less club into greens, a lot of holes it's driver then a wedge. Granted, I've played a shorter course than normal for most of my rounds just for the simple fact it's a tighter driving track. I will say I'm hitting fewer fairways, but the misses are smaller than usual. In fact, I also shot my lowest round ever (89) with the Sub Zero. I only hit 4/13 fairways, but all of my drives left me with good looks to advance my second shots toward the green. If I hadn't drove my tee shot down the middle of the fairway on 3 and into the creek, my score would have been better. I'm not going to sit here and tell you that every shot was perfect, but going into this test I was struggling with some swing flaws (pulls, pull hooks, pop ups) that have been plaguing me, but this driver wants to hit the ball straight. Callaway has always been a brand that I respected. I almost bought a set of the Rogue irons back in October, but the Cobra F8's performed as good as them. Plus, given the fact they received rave reviews here on the forum, they went in the bag. As far as this driver goes, I think Callaway has hit the bullseye with Jailbreak, Flash Face, and the Opti-fit hosel. I don't know how they can improve on what they did this year, but if they do, it's going to be a beast! Statistically, I'm only shooting about 1.25 strokes better a round with this driver. Looking at my Arccos stats, you'll see that both my overall and driving handicaps have gone down and my chipping and approach have gone up. Good drives can only do so much when you're shanking, chunking, and blading shots when it comes to improving scores. But, the Epic Flash Sub Zero is putting me into positions, if taken advantage of, that will help me score lower. On Course Performance (30/30) Miscellaneous When it comes to the big picture, Callaway almost hit every major detail to make this a perfect club for me. In life, sometimes the small things can make or break a good impression. So, how did Callaway do with the more minor details? It was packaged well, I didn't notice any blemishes on the head, shaft, or grip. They sent along a wrench, an instruction booklet, and a headcover. A couple of things about the headcover, it's a little bigger than the one for my G400 and still had the look of the Jamaican bobsled team. In fact, when I took it out of the package I tossed it at my wife while shouting "Cool Runnings!". One of the things I really love about what Callaway did with this club was to offer the Golf Pride Align grip standard. I know I mentioned it earlier, but I just love how good this grip goes with the club. For the majority of this test I've played solo after work or been paired with another golfer. Getting to play with my normal buddies after several rounds was great, they're not used to seeing me hit bombs. Their reaction was priceless when I sent my first drive 253. Miscellaneous (9/10) Play It or Trade It My original plan was to play this club for about three rounds to get to know it and then compare it in alternating shots with the Ping. After those three rounds the only time I have hit my Ping was to do the sound comparison video and one drive on the course. I guess you could say the Callaway is firmly in the bag. I can't deny the fact that my driving stats are better with the Sub Zero leading off. I'm still not hitting fairways as well as I would like, but considering my swing has been a mess it puts me in better positions to score. I was initially worried the better player tag that's associated with the Sub Zero line would be a problem with my playing ability, but it's been both long and forgiving. I'm hitting longer drives and definitely have more confidence off the tee. I know it's the new normal, but the price point of $549 is a bit steep. Would I have bought this driver knowing beforehand how good it works for me? Without a doubt. I am a believer that if this driver can help a high handicapper like me that it can benefit all golfers with at least moderate skills. It's definitely found a home in my bag. Play It or Trade It (20/20) Conclusion Callaway has got a winner with the Epic Flash Sub Zero. It delivers distance and forgiveness, even for a hacker like me. It's not quite perfect, as the sound and color combination are not the best. It's not horrible in either respect, but could use a bit of tweaking. But, man, does it perform! I've shot my lowest round ever and also hit the four longest drives of my life. Flash Face is legit, I'm not the most consistent ball striker, but I'm seeing better performance on my mis-hits. Anyone looking for a new driver should definitely put it on their list of clubs to try. Final Score (95/100)

Stage Two - The Review 6/3/2019 Callaway Epic Flash Driver – Official MGS Forum Review by edingc The results are in! I’ve had a wonderful spring season testing the Callaway Epic Flash, and I’m now the guy at the range who empties almost an entire bucket with the driver. Since getting my hands on this beauty, I’ve played 10 rounds of golf and hit several hundred range balls. I’ve tried two different stock option shafts, and I had my first ever Trackman experience to look at some launch monitor numbers. Again, a huge thank you goes out to Callaway and MyGolfSpy for the awesome testing opportunity. I hope my reviews and insight have been helpful for everyone. So, did the Epic Flash and its much-hyped “Flash Face” AI-driven face technology live up to expectations? Looks Looks are always subjective, but to me the Epic Flash is an extremely beautiful club. The general shape of the head is very pleasing, and the club doesn’t look too large or elongated despite its volume. The crown is stunning. I prefer a more matte finish, but the faded-in carbon fiber crown adds just enough depth from the top-down view. From above, the club is very subdued and not a shiny mass. I felt confident when looking down at the driver. The bottom of the club is much more busy with more emphasis on color and lines. I don’t have a problem with this at all, but choosing such a polarizing color scheme is a big head scratcher. Offering a more basic scheme (a la the Ping G410’s beautiful combo of red, black and gray) would have been been a better choice for mass appeal. The adjustable weight track is nestled into the rear bottom of the club and works well within the overall shape of the head. The stock MCC Align grip with the green alignment rib continues the green color scheme. I enjoy the flashiness (no pun intended!) and don’t see any reason to penalize the club’s score in this category much for it. Score: 9 (out of 10 points) Sound and Feel The sound is arguably the most polarizing aspect of the Epic Flash based on feedback I’ve read around the internet. To be honest, I didn’t notice the sound until reading other comments in this thread. Below is the video I made several weeks ago comparing the Epic Flash to a few other drivers I had available to test. The sound to me is very metallic, which I’ve discovered is a sound many do not enjoy. I don’t notice the sound at all in open spaces like the driving range. In tighter spaces, such as a few tree-lined tee boxes on my home course, the sound is much easier to notice as it echos off of the surrounding objects. As far as feel goes, I’ve never hit a driver that has felt so effortlessly explosive. As we’ve all mentioned in our updates, a good swing just launches the ball down the fairway. Callaway also has done a great job of allowing the club to provide adequate feedback on mishits despite the new face technology. I have a tendency for heel hits, and you most definitely know when you miss the sweet spot. After a while, the sound grows on you. It never detracted much from my opinion of the club. And when the feel and results are so good, you stop caring about how it sounds. Realistically, the club scores 10 for feel and six for sound. I’ve split the difference here. Score: 8 (out of 10 points) Basic Characteristics The Epic Flash features a wide array of adjustability, loft options and stock shaft choices to fit a range of players. I have a very steep out-to-in swing that I’m constantly working to correct, so during my initial fitting I was fit into the HZRDUS Smoke 6.0 shaft, the lowest spinning stock option. Through further experimentation on the range, I found turning the head down to 9.5 degrees from the stock 10.5 degree setting resulted in better ball flight for me. When I’m swinging well with the Epic Flash I get a predictable baby fade/cut. With other drivers, this was often a big slice even on my better swings. A few weeks ago I went for a Trackman fitting to confirm my original specifications, which I detailed in an update. Based on my swing at the moment, having the OptiFit adapter in draw position is a must. I may also look into grabbing a HZRDUS Yellow 6.0 shaft, one of the no upcharge options, based on the results of that fitting. Throughout my many range sessions I tinkered with both the hosel and weight positions and they definitely influence ball flight, even for a higher handicapper like myself. As I mentioned above, having the hosel and weight in the draw positions help me to play a baby fade rather than a slice. The Flash Face technology is where the Epic Flash shines the most. At most, a poorly-struck shot lost 10-15 yards carry. And while I’m not the most accurate of drivers, the Epic Flash kept me within reasonable distance of the fairway on even some of my worst swings. The biggest surprise for me was how much I enjoy the stock MCC Align grip. The ribbed grip makes it easy to ensure correct club face alignment every swing. I was certain I would hate the grip when I first received the club. I also tried the Epic Flash Sub Zero head for fun during my fittings, but even that could not prevent overspinning my drives with my steep swing. Goes to show that even the best technology can’t overcome a bad swing! All together, the Epic Flash is a beast. Score: 19 (out of 20 points) On Course Performance I played seven of my 10 testing rounds at my “home” course, which features many narrow fairways lined with trees. I opted to hit driver on every hole that wasn’t a par 3, which works out to be 15 of the 18 holes. I’m glad I played aggressively because it allowed the Epic Flash to shine. I tracked my rounds on GAME Golf to give me an accurate estimation of driving distance. What I found astounded me - my best drives carried 235-240 yards! In previous years, I could not have dreamed of seeing that kind of carry distance. (A note about carry/total distance: Almost all of my shots this spring have been carry with little or no rollout due to extremely wet conditions. Forecast looks like we may finally get some drier weather soon.) The Epic Flash was a monster on several holes this spring. The fourth hole at my home course is a shorter, but tight dogleg right. I had several great results on this hole, playing a beautiful baby fade right around the dogleg, leaving me a wedge into the green multiple times. During one of my last rounds I hit the heel on this particular hole. The Epic Flash still kept the ball in a playable position and the distance allowed me to hit a low runner under trees to get to the green. Outstanding! At around 6,200 yards, my home course isn’t long by any means. However, thanks to my improved distance, I’ve eliminated having to hit several clubs from my bag. On many of the shorter holes, I can now hit driver and a wedge to reach the green. For example, hole five is a straight-away par 4. I fire away with the Epic Flash and leave a little flip wedge from within 75 yards. Comparing myself to a model 15 handicap (roughly what I am), GAME Golf’s Insights feature shows that driving is currently the strongest part of my game. I shot my first sub-40 nine holes ever with the Epic Flash in my bag, and my “good” scores have trended into the low 40s this spring. I have broken 90 three times so far this year. The last time I broke 90 was during college in 2009 when I played three or four times a week! I know the Epic Flash is a big contributor to my successes so far this season. Score: 30 (out of 30 points) Miscellaneous I only played two rounds with other people during my testing. During one round with my father-in-law, he remarked how much better and farther I was hitting my driver compared to last year. I let my brother-in-law tee off with the Epic Flash during another round, and all he could say after a single swing was, “That felt so good.” Callaway nailed my submitted specifications, and they got the driver to me quickly and packaged well. The included wrench works as expected. I love the head cover. The shape makes it much easier to get on/off than the sock-style headcovers I’ve had in the past. And despite its white color scheme, it has not yet picked up much, if any, dirtiness from being put on the ground during range sessions and while on the tee box. Major kudos to Callaway for such a great accessory. Durability has been good so far. I have hit a few shots where I was sure there would be an “idiot mark” on the crown, but the paint has held up well with no major visual blemishes to note. Score: 10 (out of 10 points) Play it or Trade it? The Epic Flash has done wonders for my game. When my swing is right, it’s an absolute beast. And when my swing isn’t right, the Epic Flash packs in so much forgiveness that I can still have reasonable second shots. I will also continue to monitor my shaft situation as I work on my swing to see if something like the HZRDUS Yellow would be a good purchase for my game. I’m by no means a low-handicapper, but with the Epic Flash in my hands I feel like I’m going to hit the fairway more often than not. I would recommend this driver to anyone who wants the utmost in forgiveness, but also wants to be rewarded for hitting it in the center of the club face. I would expect the Epic Flash to work for a wide range of golfers because of the lethal combo of distance and forgiveness. Like almost every other competing driver, the Epic Flash is priced around the $500 mark ($529.99). If you’re in the market for a new driver in 2019, definitely be sure to check out this Callaway offering. The uniqueness of the Flash Face technology definitely sets it apart from the other brands at this price point. Score: 20 (out of 20 points) Conclusion I mentioned in my stage one review I was searching for a driver that would give me confidence even when I wasn’t swinging my best. The Callaway Epic Flash exceeded my expectations in this regard. Hitting my driver is fun again. Even my mishits fly further and straighter than they have in the past. And the club feels so darn smooth. Callaway took a huge step forward with the Flash Face technology. The ability to maintain ball speeds on mishits will benefit every golfer regardless of handicap. Having the wonderfully-designed OptiFit hosel and a sliding weight that actually impacts ball flight adds to the awesomeness of the club. We’ve had exceptionally wet weather in Michigan so far this year. I’m very excited to see how the Epic Flash continues to impress me as the courses dry out and as I continue to improve. I will be sure to keep this thread updated as the season progresses. If you’re looking to purchase a new driver this golf season, the Callaway Epic Flash should be on the top of your “must try” list. Final Score: 96 (out of 100 points)

Callaway Epic Flash – Official MGS Forum Review by yungkory Testing Results After 11 rounds (63 shots) tracked using Arccos this past month, and a couple of range sessions, I can say that I am thoroughly impressed by Epic Flash. I’m going to try to do my best to NOT sound like the biggest Callaway fanboy (I’m not) for the rest of this review, but this driver truly has me smiling from ear to ear. Looks (9 out of 10 points) The shape, to my eye, really looks like it’s ready to launch the ball at address. It’s more stretched back compared to something like the pear-shaped TS3. The graphics on top are very subtle and you almost can’t see them unless you’re in the sun. I love the glossy look, the fade of the carbon fiber as you move to the perimeter is very sleek, and the subtle green/yellow outer paint is a nice little touch. Combined with that simple Callaway Chervon sign for alignment, the driver looks phenomenal and not overly busy down by the ball. However, the underside is a completely different story, and the only reason I didn’t give it a 10 for looks. I know for some, it doesn’t matter much because you never see it, but it didn’t feel “right” to give it a perfect score if I thought there was room for improvement. I was never a fan of the green/yellow colorway, it looks okay in moderation (like the pinstripes around the perimeter) but the amount of Green Bay Packer green and gold is just not my cup of tea. From the back you can see more of the carbon weave which I still think looks great, and after 11 rounds the face has held up nicely as well. Sound & Feel (8 out of 10 points) There’s been a lot of discussion about the sound of the driver throughout this thread, with a lot of different opinions. Since this is so subjective, it’s not hard to believe that each of us could totally hear a different sound. To my ears, the sound is more of a “crack” than a metallic sound – like the difference between a wooden baseball bat and a metal one. Of course, it still has a bit of a metal sound since it’s made of metal, but I think the carbon crown mutes it nicely and does a good job of changing the acoustics. No one is going to snap their neck to look your way at the range, but your playing partners are going to know when you’ve struck the middle when it sings the national anthem of BOOMTOWN, USA. Absolutely no issues with the sound for me. The feel across the face – and believe that I’ve tested all parts of the face – is pretty soft overall. It’s very easy for me to tell where on the face that I’ve hit it, and the sweet spot feels very springy letting you know immediately when you’ve middled one. I like being able to tell where on the face I’m striking it because it helps me make slight adjustments mid-round. It’s not Mizuno butter forged soft, but it’s just soft enough to not feel cheap, while still feeling like it’s firm enough to really send one deep. I took points off because I was expecting something so “revolutionary” as Flash face to give me some different feelings, but it didn’t. Basic Characteristics (20 out of 20 points) Yes, I’m giving this driver a perfect score for this section. Compared to my TS2 (which I sold after 2 rounds and one range session) this driver is higher, longer, and a ton more accurate. I’ll admit that TS2 didn’t really stand a fair chance due to an ill-fitting shaft, but the results that I’ve gotten from Flash are enough to where I don’t even care to try anything else currently on the market – and that’s saying something coming from a driver ho. Trajectory wise, it has a degree of loft more than my TS2 did, but the height difference seems MUCH higher than my previous driver. I don’t hit up on the ball much, 1-2* on average, but I’m getting such a nice flight and the ball just seems to stay in the air forever now. Workability isn’t really my “thing” as someone who floats between a 9-11 handicap, so I don’t have much to say on this. Most of the time when I try to hit a cut with this driver, it just turns my draw straight. As I mentioned in my stage 1, my swing path was 8* to the right when I went to my fitting, and with some help he got me to 3*. I’m not really one to try and fight my tendencies, and if I were really required to hit a cut, I’d reach for a fairway wood. Accuracy is leaps and bounds improved over TS2. According to Arccos I have hit 53.5% of fairways, and my average dispersion left to right is 22 yards. Honestly, it feels like I’ve hit more than half of the fairways in the last 8 rounds that I’ve gamed this driver, but it’s hard to argue with the numbers. I’m taking dead aim off the tee box and swinging completely free trusting that if I do my part, the driver is going to do its part. I’ve lost one ball over my last 8 rounds off the tee since bagging Flash, one. I made that one count though, I blocked it like 50 miles right into some beachy pine trees! Distance on average is up, and my personal bests have been huge. Arccos has my smart distance at 271 which is on par with what I’ve seen floating around the Internet when comparing swing speed to carry numbers. This also ties into the forgiveness of the driver. It feels like as long as you hit it somewhere on the face, you’re not punished too much. My big miss is a low heel shot and even those are getting out ~250, and not missing fairway by much if at all. They will have some shape to them, but they’re findable. Adjustability is an option, but I haven’t tinkered with it much because it has just been working so well. I’ve tested lowering the loft down to 9.5, but it feels like too low of a launch and I’m not getting an optimized carry. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any LM access to get numbers now that I’ve found my swing with driver, but during my fitting 10.5 was optimal for my club head speed and delivery conditions. I’d rather let the driver do the work for me, rather than putting more effort into swinging up into the ball – even if it means I might squeak out a few more yards. On-Course Performance (30 out of 30 points) If you’ve been following the thread, you’ve probably already seen the success that I’ve had on course with this driver. As I mentioned, average distance is up, and it has allowed me shorter clubs into greens where I play. Case in point, #1 at the muni we play most-often after work. It’s about 300y depending where the tees are. Normally I would play a draw off of the tree in the middle of the fairway because most often, I end up left of the bunker with about 50-60y left for my 2nd. One of the very first rounds with Flash in the bag, I nearly drove the green, left it about 4 feet short of the fringe. Same goes for the 4th hole (#1 handicap) which plays all uphill and normally into the wind. On my previous best drives I’d have around 150y remaining which is a stock 8i depending on how strong the winds are. In my most recent round, I had a wedge left which is absolutely the shortest distance left between my last 3 drivers (OG Epic, Ping G400, and TS2) before Flash. Back to the overall performance, as I said distance is up, and dispersion has been great. I fought a left miss with TS2 that I absolutely hated. Now, my miss is right, and overall dispersion is actually pretty good at 23 yards IMO: I give it an honest 30 points because there’s absolutely nothing – short of it actually hitting the ball for me – that I feel I could further ask from this driver. I've always gotten along with Callaway drivers, but this has honestly been an improvement over the OG Epic for me, even with a stock no-charge shaft. The only thing I would change about this driver would be the color scheme, but that's very superficial and wouldn't keep me from purchasing this if I were in the market for a new driver. One thing I do wonder though, is why they took out the "Boeing" speed step thingys? I mentioned it in Stage 1, but I still don't have an answer. I think they helped further frame the ball at address and help setup to target. I haven't seen an overall improvement of scores since bagging the Flash, but it's mostly because I forgot how to hit an iron after falling for this club. Miscellaneous (5 out of 10 points) I do have one negative thing to say about the club, and it was during the building/shipping part of the test. As I mentioned in my Stage 1, I was custom fit but told the fitter I could only select from the no-charge options. In the end he decided I should tip the Tensei an inch and that was the order that MGS put in. However, when it arrived, it was the wrong shaft that was tipped. It took another 10 days or so to get the correct shaft, but it wasn't trimmed from the tip. Could it be because they're assembled in Mexico? Not sure, but it was off-putting, especially since it put the mods through some more work to get the correct club for me to test. Play it or Trade it? (20 out of 20 points) The TS2 was replaced within week 2 of my testing. The maximum distance isn't much further than TS2, but the consistency of distance is up, and dispersion tighter. Whether or not that is due to Flash Face isn't something I have been able to deduce, but I'll just let the numbers speak for themselves. I think this driver could benefit anyone who doesn't hit too much up, or down on the ball, but has a relatively-flat AoA due to the mid-spin characteristics I saw in my fitting and throughout testing. Even if you're not a "high" spin player, I think the Epic Flash is 100% worthy of a test during your fitting. The price is right in line with most other OEM's, and their selection of no-charge shafts should cover all types of swings. Conclusion The Epic Flash is no joke of a driver. I can't specifically test and validate Flash Face because I'm a human and can't hit every millimeter of the face, but as a whole this driver is a beast. I have no doubt in my mind that once I find the rest of my game again, that this driver will play a key role in me getting my cap down Final Score: (92 out of 100 points)

Hole #3 at Boise Ranch. Taken right before I scalped right it into the water...again! 5'th straight round with wet shots from this one. Can't seem to overcome the mental block with it... Went on to make a stupid 6. Then on the very next hole, a par-5, I was on in 3..! Made par...

Shot 3 over on a 61 playing the backs. That yardage is my drive on the last hole and below that is my approach after the drive. That's about how my drives were playing all day and that makes me happy. Most importantly though was who I played the round with! That's my daughter Kaylen. She's my golf bud. the more I practice, the luckier I seem to get..

Anyone out there that likes art, I know this is a golf site but as I am in everything else I am talking about my other passion. As an introduction here is my latest painting Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

It's funny you say that because I actually have her come to the green and "help" me read the putts. She has her own little putter that she'll use on the greens too. I'm probably gonna get her swinging some clubs this year. Can't wait!. She also does a fantastic job raking up the bunker!

Played 9 and as for right now nothing stronger than 6 iron. Tempted to try longer clubs but resisting the urge. Shot 45, 9 over and feel pretty good with that right now. Hope to start playing hybrids & driver next week. Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Had a great (for me anyway) round going for the first 9 yesterday with just 3 of us playing a little match-play together. Only had one "other" on that damn par-3 3'rd (water off the tee again and posted a 6...), made 1 par and the rest were bogies for a +10 45 and I won all but 2-holes. Then the back 9 started and shall not be commented upon other than saying I was bushed after playing 9 the day before and being on the range both Thursday & Friday evenings. Wound up at an even 100. Driver was on point pretty much all day while I teed up every shot from the right side of the boxes and played to my fade shape. Had a couple of absolute bombs (hole #1 went 245 & hole # 15 255!). Don't have my card in front of me currently, but I think I had 7/13 FIR (2 of those were with FW's) but my GIR sucked with only 2...Gotta get that better. Putting was...OK, but I didn't really make any longer than 10-ft...once, though my speed was fairly on point and lags were better than norm though most still were out of the 3' "gimme" zone. I need work here too for sure.

54 holes yesterday, I’m beat. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Mr. Last Time Zone checking in, Stage 2 up!

Stage 2 ready for your viewing pleasure. It has been a great experience, especially seeing results of my fellow testers. Great job guys. 2019 bombsquad!!

Hey-oh! My stage two is up as well! We had more rain on Saturday and the course was closed this morning, so no new golfing updates. So excited to get the Epic Flash out on Tuesday and for my scramble on Wednesday.

Wasn't able to get out and play this weekend, so nothing new to report on the golfing front. But, for your reading pleasure, my Stage 2 is up!

The boss finally decided it was time for us to play this course. We have a tee time on Friday at 10. I am yet to play this, but it is highly ranked in Michigan, and looks to be a brute. I am hoping to keep it under 80... Hole by hole after round photos and round recap will be posted. This is a bucket list course for me. It’s a premium price tag to what I’m used to paying so my expectations are high. Stay tuned...

I just want to say thanks to all of you who have been involved in this thread, every one of you have been great commenting, asking questions, and being encouraging. @B.Boston I'm really surprised, too. The G400 LST is a phenomenal driver, I think it all comes down to consistency. The Flash just his the ball straight, most of my left misses were just pulls with no side movement. The Ping just had a tendency to want to slice a bit. I sometimes wonder if I might eventually want to reshaft it to a stiff and see what happens. On the color, I'll agree with@edingc and@yungkory that the combination is good - in moderation. Too much is just not the best look, but as @GolfSpyStroker said, at least it's on the bottom. When it all comes down to it, the performance trumps looks. Sent from my SM-G955U using MyGolfSpy mobile app

This was so much fun. Glad you enjoyed it. I'm a numbers person so getting to see everyone's stats is very satisfying. Thanks for the kind words, PA! Thanks for chiming in. Love the interaction we've had in this thread, not only between us but also our readers. I will clarify a bit on the color scheme. I love the loud head cover, and I'm not completely hating on the color scheme choice. I like to be loud with my color choices in golf attire (a rather vibrant coral color has made its way into my wordrobe lately), so the head cover and club are natural extensions of that. What I dislike is the amount of color used on the bottom. The green and yellow are fine, and as @yungkory pointed out, they look great on the crown. But there is just so much green on the bottom. Callaway should have added more chrome or black instead, and left the green and yellow to just accent colors.

I get errors saying missing link or no access rights when I click the links. But skipping back to the top seemed to work. At any rate, I ended up reading them on my computer! Haha Great job on all the stage 2s. Callaway certainly had a performer on their hands and it looks like The staff selected some good MGSers to thoroughly review them. @sirchunksalot I’m slightly shocked that the Flash So handily beat out your G400 LST. That club seems to already gained Classic status with its cult following. Let me know if you need somewhere to send it! Haha Great job testers! Thanks for your honest feedback and backing it all up with some great numbers! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for the kind words. It is interesting that we all had basically the same take on colors and the sound. Both colors are horrible and the headcover makes it worse. My guess is that if the performance wasn't as great as it is, those two things could be a deal breaker. I have thought about doing some paint fill but I'm a little OCD so not sure if I could handle it if it wasn't perfect. I would imagine that in the not to distant future it won't be just Callaway doing AI, it will be everyone.

great job on the stage 2's gents! very impressive. It seems you all had a great time and generally noticed the same things - color scheme/sound. Funny that no one liked the color scheme they chose. I wonder who came up with it? They really should stick with the basic red/white/blue colors. Good thing it's just on the bottom of the club so you can't see it at address. Wonder if any of you guys would entertain changing the paint fill to something else? Was it the green? the yellow? or the combination of both? Needless to say - if this is the first driver built on AI and with all the success, I don't see how Callaway goes away from it.

Here is the information that we shared on social media. A few important notes... I randomly picked a variety of other clubs for comparison. There's no rhyme or reason for why anyone is or isn't included. We have never made any claims that our clubs are "better" than someone else's. We think that the Sub 70 products perform similar to anything else out there though.

Had to get in a 9 hole match yesterday for my league as the person I was playing against isn't going to be able to make it for the actual round. So I showed up to the course and realized I had forgotten my shoes. Turned around and few home and back. A bit late for the tee time, but I got off. Definitely more rushed than I ever like to be. I bogeyed the first hole and went on from there. Ended up shooting 2 under with 4 birdies and 2 bogeys (hole 1 and 3). Had to give my opponent 5 shots for the round and he played well carding a 40. But I won the overall match by 1 with my 34....taking 7 of 11 points. Crazy how well I had to play to win, but most guys in the league seem to really step up their game when they play me. So tonight I'll play for skins and green balls.

100% fake - do not chance it. Better off buying used clubs from globalgolf, 2ndswinggolf, callawaygolfpreowned, etc from a couple years ago and have something that is actually decent quality.

Shot 80 on Saturday. Extremely disappointed because it was easily one of the best driving days I've ever had. But I had absolutely 0 feel for partial wedges and chips. I.e.. Hit a drive about 330 down the right side, had a 46 yard pitch to the hole. I hit it about 60. Then I had a nasty chip coming back down the green, hit it off the front. Chip it on the green to about 5 foot, miss the bogey putt and tap in for a double bogey 6, after being 46 yards to the hole after my drive. That was the mantra of my day. My putter, as can tell from the missed 5 footer above, was way off too. I couldn't get a feel for the speed and was leaving them short or running them past comfortable tap in range on the way back.

72 7/14 fir 10/18 gir 27 putts Brought the Cameron out today and actually got a few putts to drop. Didn’t hit it great but misses were in good spots, although I did lose another ball in the rough. Went back and reteed, knocked 2nd to 10 feet and drained it. Was pretty pleased with that.

Pandora must know my Fantasy Golf situation because Tom Petty keeps coming on. I'm Freeeeeee Free Falllliiinnggg Oh! 1-10 in the last 3 weeks just isn't gonna get it done. This has been a depressing slide from 1 to 7 in Digest. It's been a pretty even mixture of bad managerial decisions and studs not showing up. Here's hoping the back half of the season is kinder to me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Played yesterday and just practiced today. Rough start yesterday and was six over after 4. Two doubles and two bogies. Managed to right the ship and played the last 14 holes in even par. Missed a six footer on 18 to shoot one under on the back. With the way I putted it was a miracle I broke 90. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah, great range session for us today. Regards, Team Bardle Sent from my iPad using MyGolfSpy

Today’s round 44/40 for a 84 4/14 FIR 3/18 GIR 27 putts This is my lowest number of putts over 18 holes in my golfing career! I went back to the Scotty 5w from a couple years ago and have never had this much confidence with the flat stick. Fairways could have been better but unfortunately as soon as I got a feel for the new m3 driver the old shaft broke on me. Got a new one coming and should be here this week! As far as GIR go I couldn’t fit my irons today to save my life. Good thing I put in an app for the Lynx Prowler VT’s! I have a feeling that par for 9 holes is in reach this year! Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Wait a second, you're supposed to do that? Hope I don't forget how! They do a good job making the first tee extra nerve wracking with a speaker blasting "Now on the tee, from........" for all the people hanging around waiting to go off or chilling to spectate.

I think it might be like a fungus and is starting to grow on me a little. Honestly, I think Callaway should have went with a green the color of faded dollar bills because this thing is money. Sent from my SM-G955U using MyGolfSpy mobile app

Yougun Sandhill Crane, Mon & Dad we’re watching closely.IMG_3492.HEIC Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

OK, I take everything back that I said nice about my fellow testers. How can you like that color??

looking forward to reading your stage 2 reviews! nice work guys.

Someone's been looking at Lefty's twitter account!

This was such a great post. Thanks for sharing it. One reason it's so great is you had no problem saying you were initially influenced by the marketing of TaylorMade and Callaway. Being that we--golf forum readers---represent less than 1% of the golf playing/buying public, we have been informed enough to not always fall for the hype but look for real data and get fit. I see it si many times in our Pro Shop people go straight for the M5/M6 and ask which one Rory or DJ is playing. Kudos to you and your fitter for taking the time to find what worked best for you. Both your finalist drivers are excellent and you couldn't have gone wrong with either one. The TS2 is plenty forgiving in its own right as well as long as any other current driver out there. When I tested it against the G410 on Trackman, they were very very close. Enjoy the new stick and keep us updated on it.