Epic Driver

[PMookie]

I was with my pro to get a short game lesson and he had me hit my driver on TrackMan to check the numbers . Although I was missing some right AND left, my smash factor and ball speed numbers were excellent. I averaged 1.50 smash and hit 1.51 and even 1.52 a number of times. I was getting as high as 164 ball speed. He said we need to change the shaft to improve dispersion, but this Sub Zero head is legit!

 

 

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[PlaidJacket]

I'll be most interested in reading the reviews from the Testers. I have my eye on the Epic for next year perhaps. Theoo said... SLDR beater? I guess we'll see. I play a 2014 SLDR and can't put it down. So far for me nothing I've tried can beat it. Longest and most accurate driver I've ever owned. And... my SLDR is completely OTR!! So much for driver fitting eh?

I currently play with three guys that have the EPIC. Not sure which version. But I'll have to say they are not driving the ball as well (accuracy & distance) from my observations. Which is good. LOL I do know that two guys grabbed them off the rack and hit the door while one guy had some basic fitting/adjusting done but still a stock/OTR shaft. So, I'll just continue to watch their journey and listen to their comments for a while. I have mixed thoughts on the sound. Some days I like it and other days I don't.

[yungkory]

Picking mine up tomorrow. So excited! Loved it when I was getting fit, hope it's the same when I take it out to test tomorrow on the range.

[yungkory]

Played my first round with the Epic in my bag last Saturday. First time hitting it since my "fitting" at the demo and I'm in love all over again.

 

I've been playing since I was very young, played high school golf, and played a little bit after high school. Real life got me caught up in its evil web, so I stopped playing regularly from 2006 until about 3 months ago. Aside from a few range sessions, my only interaction with golf was a random tournament I played about 6 years ago when I started my career.

 

I missed the whole bit where getting custom fit became more accessible to the everyday golfer, and man, it's so fun! So, having no previous knowledge of how a fitting goes, I stepped up to the plate at a demo day at a nearby range. Having never been fit previously, I never really knew how hard I swung, so when I bought my previous driver, I just bought something off the rack (Big Bertha 454 R-flex). The fitter had me hit my current driver at the time and immediately said I need a stiffer shaft and that I just clocked at 107 mph. It was quite a shock to me because I felt I always had a normal tempo. The first difference I noticed after a few swings with the s-flex was that it was difficult to slice now. Seemed like every effort I made resulted in a 5y fade at most. What a difference already!

 

Since I was pushing 110, the main rep suggested I try an x-stiff, but the results were that I was pulling everything left. Probably because "I couldn't feel the clubhead and wasn't delivering it to the ball." His words - I honestly have no idea what my hands do in my swing, and I made a post about it a few minutes ago. We worked through a couple of the other s-flex shaft options, but ultimately the best performing one for me was the stock HZRDUS (lucky me because no upcharge!) so I went with that.

 

Back to the course performance - I couldn't be happier. I have never, in the history of playing golf, hit a draw off the tee or even slightly pulled the ball left. I've always played a fade which would turn into a slice if I caught it out of the heel. I am 100% convinced now that everyone should get fit for their driver shaft. It's amazing what kind of dispersion I get now. I hit all but 2 fairways last round. One I pulled left and it hit a tree and only the golf gods know what happened to that ball, the other just faded off to the right. The rest of them were in play, and about 30 yards further now that I wasn't compensating for the fade. I even out drove my friend (who won the state championship in high school) on one of the holes which is insane.

 

I honestly wish that my TaylorMade M1/M2 fitting was as good as this was. They had no trackman, no gc2, no analytics at all. Just handed me a bunch of different shafts and watched me hit them. Made slight adjustments, handed me another to whack, etc. I'd love to have been able to truly put the two heads against each other and really find out how it holds up (especially because I really liked the sound of the M2) but I am 100% satisfied with my purchase -- even got a nice $100 off.

 

Long story short - go get fit. Regardless if you're looking at an Epic, an M1/M2, Ping G, etc. get fit for it. Even if it isn't a fitting at a fitting center - you do such a disservice to your game by playing the wrong equipment. To be honest, I like the trackman on the actual range setup best. Hitting into a simulator just isn't the same for me.

[Thatginger96]

I took the epic demo the club where I work has out for a round the other day since I've always wanted to try it. It was just ok for me. I was left unimpressed and glad I didn't put out the money for it. It just sounds too high for me. Felt amazing though.

 

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[Captain Shankapotamus]

I've spoke to a golf pro and he gave me great insight about lower spin and a few yards gained after seeing several players and himself perform with it....I've also seen reviews and statistical info that really just provides only MAYBE a yard gained or two. I think most if not all of the cost is driven by the branding and marketing of the club allowing it to be priced so high. 

 

Independently and without bias, I collected a few numbers from pro golfer Rick Shiels as he provides equiptment reviews with GC2 tech and consistent swing and performance. From his numbers and using retail price, I basically calculated the most boom for your buck as far as dollars spent per yards for the newer drivers this year. 

 

The EPIC doesn't really standout as anything epic to be honest, but I'm sure it is still a great driver.

Driver Boom For Your Buck - Sheet1.pdf

[yungkory]

I've spoke to a golf pro and he gave me great insight about lower spin and a few yards gained after seeing several players and himself perform with it....I've also seen reviews and statistical info that really just provides only MAYBE a yard gained or two. I think most if not all of the cost is driven by the branding and marketing of the club allowing it to be priced so high. 

 

Independently and without bias, I collected a few numbers from pro golfer Rick Shiels as he provides equiptment reviews with GC2 tech and consistent swing and performance. From his numbers and using retail price, I basically calculated the most boom for your buck as far as dollars spent per yards for the newer drivers this year. 

 

The EPIC doesn't really standout as anything epic to be honest, but I'm sure it is still a great driver.

 

Yeah, technology can't beat physics. If drivers improved drastically, the high swing guys would be hitting 400 yard drives by now.

 

That said, I think there are better head/shaft setups for each person's swing. With my old Bertha 454, I was lucky to scrape the 250y range - I was losing a lot of distance because of high spin, and high side spin. The shaft was too whippy, the face didn't feel like it had any spring to it, it just didn't suit me and I picked it up off the rack way back in 2006. After being fit into my Epic, I drove a green from 320 yesterday. There is absolutely no chance that I do this with my previous driver setup, purely because it didn't fit my swing.

 

So, in my opinion, the reason people are "leaving yards behind" or whatever the Epic marketing slogan thing is, is purely because of fit. Can you be fit into any and every driver, and have the same outcome? That's something I'd like to know. I did a fitting with the M1/M2 like I mentioned earlier in the thread, but it was a half-@$$ effort and they had no analytics to help dial in the numbers, they just made adjustments and changed shafts, and watched me slap balls down the range for 30 minutes.

[Yankeefan27]

IMO, the new drivers each year are marginally better but not enough to make a difference from one year to the next. When we start talking about 3-4 years then I can see a difference.

 

I think the driver wars will continue until all the manufacturers introduce a consistent COR across the entire face. The technology is probably already there but it would be corporate suicide to release their "best" driver. Instead new features trickle out one at a time. Ultimately, when COR and MOI reach their max it will just come down to aerodynamics, and stock shaft availability

 

 

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[chisag]

I'll be most interested in reading the reviews from the Testers. I have my eye on the Epic for next year perhaps. Theoo said... SLDR beater? I guess we'll see. I play a 2014 SLDR and can't put it down. So far for me nothing I've tried can beat it. Longest and most accurate driver I've ever owned. And... my SLDR is completely OTR!! So much for driver fitting eh?

I currently play with three guys that have the EPIC. Not sure which version. But I'll have to say they are not driving the ball as well (accuracy & distance) from my observations. Which is good. LOL I do know that two guys grabbed them off the rack and hit the door while one guy had some basic fitting/adjusting done but still a stock/OTR shaft. So, I'll just continue to watch their journey and listen to their comments for a while. I have mixed thoughts on the sound. Some days I like it and other days I don't.

 

 

... Kinda surprised you wouldn't love the sound and feel of the Epic as it reminds me of my old persimmon drivers. So dense and solid feeling. As far as performance I hit a nice but nothing special drive the first time I played it putting a very conservative swing on it. 2nd drive was too high into a 20 mph wind so I dialed it down 1* and the next drive I was good and warmed up so I let loose ... and it snapped at the adaptor. LOL, 3 drives was all I got. Callaway sent the PGA Superstore a new Rogue Max shaft as they swapped one out of stock for me but I have not had a chance to play it yet.

 

... I am guessing you saw Couples win the Champions event this past weekend and he is still playing his SLDR so I think that says something.  

[Hackabilly]

I appreciate people buying the new stuff every year so I can afford it when it is 1-5 years old but still better than what I have. If they don't buy the new stuff there won't be used stuff for me to buy at a steep discount.

 

just starting to build my set

irons: Adams pro A12 3-pw KBS tour

woods: zenith orbiter 3 and 5

driver: Bombtech Grenade 9* Stiff

wedges: tour edge 56*

[PlaidJacket]

Chisag... I think you're right about the sound of the Epic. I'd hadn't equated the sound to persimmon. Maybe it's because I haven't heard that sound in a long time. This weekend some of the guys I play with that have an Epic will probably be there so I'll take another listen.

Honestly if I were in the market for a new driver it'd be at the top at this time only because I like the look of it. I've never hit one. Probably won't think of a new driver until this winter or next spring.

[PAgolfer2017]

7 weeks later and I get a UPS notification that I have a shipment from Callaway coming tomorrow! Believe it's the Blacked out Epic from Callaway Customs!

 

 

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[TBT]

I'm trying heard to resist the urge to get one of these, I hit the demo really well.

[chisag]

... Cobra has been making as good a driver (or better) as any OEM for quite a few years now. I usually have several new drivers every year but the Cobra Fly Z just refuses to leave my bag. The combination of spin, trajectory, feel, sound and forgiveness just hasn't been beat.  And there have been many challengers. I also bought a Fly Z for my 23 yr old son that carries it 280-290 under normal conditions and put a Nunchuk in it for him. He won't even consider hitting another driver. 

 

... One of my favorite quotes "That's bold talk for a one eyed fat man" doesn't really fit but I think you get the point and the Epic has replaced my trusty Fly Z that has taken on all comers for 3 years now. I am hitting the Epic longer, a few seriously longer and so far it seems just as forgiving as my Fly Z. Combined with the best feel and sound I have ever heard/felt in a modern driver and I have a new driver. Painted the green accents white to match my Rogue Black shaft and it looks pretty good too. 

[PMookie]

Finally got the correct shaft in my Sub Zero!!!!! Great numbers today!!!

 

 

 

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[Mr_Theoo]

Finally got the correct shaft in my Sub Zero!!!!! Great numbers today!!!

IMG_3283.PNG IMG_3284.PNG

 

 

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What shaft?

[PMookie]

What shaft?

Hzrdus Black 75g, 6.5 stiffness

 

 

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[Shankster]

I picked one of these up yesterday... really fits the eye. It was set up perfectly for my eye test. Not appearing open or closed at address. It wanted me to send one into orbit. Might give it a chance after all. Preferred the G400 from the top though. Didn't hit either of them.

 

 

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[null]

You bought it without hitting it?

[Shankster]

Me? I didn't buy anything yet. Still on the search.

 

 

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[Shankster]

Picked up as in "looked" at.

 

 

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[null]

Oh haha. Picked up to me means bought

[Shankster]

Oh haha. Picked up to me means bought

Usually does for me too.

 

 

- Alan

[yungkory]

I picked one of these up yesterday... really fits the eye. It was set up perfectly for my eye test. Not appearing open or closed at address. It wanted me to send one into orbit. Might give it a chance after all. Preferred the G400 from the top though. Didn't hit either of them.

 

 

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I thought you hated carbon