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2019 Official Forum Member Review-Callaway Epic Flash Drivers


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Nice start guys, thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Taylor Made Stealth 2 10.5 Diamana S plus 60  Aldila  R flex   - 42.25 inches 

SMT 4 wood bassara R flex, four wood head, 3 wood shaft

Ping G410 7, 9 wood  Alta 65 R flex

Srixon ZX5 MK II  5-GW - UST recoil Dart 65 R flex

India 52,56 (60 pending)  UST recoil 75's R flex  

Evon roll ER 5 32 inches

It's our offseason so auditioning candidates - looking for that right mix of low spin long, more spin around the greens - TBD   

 

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First question for you guys, will this driver save every one of us?
Right now, I think it's trying to destroy me. It's been a tale of whatever day it is for me. I've had three range sessions and two rounds with it. My first time at the range, I hit four balls into places I've never been able to reach. My next time was average, hit more bad than good. This last time I came out feeling pretty positive.

The first round with the Epic Flash Sub Zero was phenomenal! Shot 93, a personal best where I hit 6/13 fairways and the ones I missed didn't penalize me too much. My second round, a week later, I couldn't do anything right. I hit 4/13 correct fairways and left myself a lot of shots under branches that I managed to hit. I developed a bad hook that was just killing my round. I couldn't hit anything that day, from driver to wedge. I'm going to chalk that up to just a bad day.

One of the things I will say about the Callaway is out scorches the ball. It just feels like the ball rockets off the face. I'm heading out in a bit to play nine and see how it goes.

Sent from my SM-G955U using MyGolfSpy mobile app

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I played nine holes after work, and I think I'm starting to get a better feel for the Epic Flash. I only hit 2/7 fairways, but most of my misses were close. I had the lowest driving handicap for a round that I've had since tracking with Arccos. Screenshot_20190410-194919.jpeg
I pretty much was able to eliminate most of my shots left, and the ones that did go right weren't huge banana balls.

Hit one off the toe on number 7 and still feel the Epic Flash Sub Zero gave me great distance on a bad hit.
Screenshot_20190410-195532-01.jpeg

I did proceed to live up to my name on the second shot and and got a little chunky with my 7 iron.

Sent from my SM-G955U using MyGolfSpy mobile app

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6 rounds tracked with Epic Flash, fairway percentage is up and my miss left has been dropped significantly. Also the smart distance is a few yards longer, but all that pales in comparison to the 10 yards I have gained on the low range. That is an enormous jump on balls missing the center.8C636E3D-182A-4145-959C-010D5811F873.jpeg.94d5911c9f74ecc9063dcebab82d2b8a.jpeg0CE7BB5E-B547-40DC-B655-C697D69EAE73.jpeg.1ed938e1ce91cbe3d3ee2500a3329fc4.jpeg

On Sunday I was hitting the ball about as good as I can. The 13th hole is a 506 yard par 5. The last bunker is 284 carry. I took dead aim at the center of it, the result is below.2DC51E71-9292-4918-B8C9-E31E4C44B434.thumb.jpeg.050d4be4145107c25f697f22a3022976.jpeg

When hit flush this thing is a rocket.

:taylormade-small:     Stealth 2+ 9 (Diamana PD 60 S 45") 

image.png.dee92ef6cebb2ac4a3883744fc248f12.png     Stealth 2+ 15 (Diamana PD 70 S 43")

:ping-small:          G425 19 (Raijin 2.0 85x)

:ping-small:          G425 22 (Raijin 2.0 85x)

:srixon-small:            ZX7 5-9 (KBS C Taper S)

:titleist-small:            Vokey SM9 45 10 F (KBS 610)

 :titleist-small:           Vokey SM9 49 08 F (KBS 610)

 :titleist-small:           Vokey SM9 55 08 M (KBS 610)

 :titleist-small:           Vokey SM9 59 04 T (KBS 610)

:taylormade-small:     Spider GT Splitback 34"

 :titleist-small:           ProV1 #23

Twitter             @THEZIPR23

 

"One thing Golf has taught me, is that my muscles have no memory."

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6 rounds tracked with Epic Flash, fairway percentage is up and my miss left has been dropped significantly. Also the smart distance is a few yards longer, but all that pales in comparison to the 10 yards I have gained on the low range. That is an enormous jump on balls missing the center.8C636E3D-182A-4145-959C-010D5811F873.jpeg.94d5911c9f74ecc9063dcebab82d2b8a.jpeg0CE7BB5E-B547-40DC-B655-C697D69EAE73.jpeg.1ed938e1ce91cbe3d3ee2500a3329fc4.jpeg
On Sunday I was hitting the ball about as good as I can. The 13th hole is a 506 yard par 5. The last bunker is 284 carry. I took dead aim at the center of it, the result is below.2DC51E71-9292-4918-B8C9-E31E4C44B434.thumb.jpeg.050d4be4145107c25f697f22a3022976.jpeg
When hit flush this thing is a rocket.
BDZ!!

In other news, I'm looking forward to Friday, and playing on Saturday!!!
Screenshot_20190410-152320.jpeg

Sent from my Pixel 3 using MyGolfSpy mobile app

Driver: :callaway-small: Rogue ST Max LS Tensei AV Blue S

3w/5w: :titelist-small: TSi2 Tensei AV Raw Blue S

4h: :mizuno-small: CLK 22* Hybrid Tensei CK Pro Blue 80HY S

Irons 5-PW: :mizuno-small: 223 Steelfiber PR 95 S

Wedges: :cleveland-small: RTX Zipcore Tour Rack 50, 54, 58 Steelfiber PR 105

Putter: LAB Link.1

Ball: :srixon-small: Z-Star Diamond

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Great stage 1s guys. Question for THEZIPR23, why did they dial down a 10.5 to 9.5 for you? Do they not offer a 9.5? Or dial up a 9? Thanks


Sent from my iPad using MyGolfSpy

Wedgie

 

Driver - XXIO X Driver 9.5

:cleveland-small: - Launcher Turbo 2 hybrid

:cobra-small: - F9 One Length 3-L

:EVNROLL: - ER 1.2

Top Flite Gamer

Play Right

 

 

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57 minutes ago, Wedgie said:

Great stage 1s guys. Question for THEZIPR23, why did they dial down a 10.5 to 9.5 for you? Do they not offer a 9.5? Or dial up a 9? Thanks


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9 & 10.5 are the options. We started with 10.5 because my gamer was launching a hair on low side and my miss is low on club face. The Flash set at 10.5 it was too high. Set it at 9.5 and launch was perfect, between 12-14*. It was the least amount of combinations I have tried during a fitting. The first combo he put together was it and the numbers were exactly what we were looking for. 

:taylormade-small:     Stealth 2+ 9 (Diamana PD 60 S 45") 

image.png.dee92ef6cebb2ac4a3883744fc248f12.png     Stealth 2+ 15 (Diamana PD 70 S 43")

:ping-small:          G425 19 (Raijin 2.0 85x)

:ping-small:          G425 22 (Raijin 2.0 85x)

:srixon-small:            ZX7 5-9 (KBS C Taper S)

:titleist-small:            Vokey SM9 45 10 F (KBS 610)

 :titleist-small:           Vokey SM9 49 08 F (KBS 610)

 :titleist-small:           Vokey SM9 55 08 M (KBS 610)

 :titleist-small:           Vokey SM9 59 04 T (KBS 610)

:taylormade-small:     Spider GT Splitback 34"

 :titleist-small:           ProV1 #23

Twitter             @THEZIPR23

 

"One thing Golf has taught me, is that my muscles have no memory."

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12 minutes ago, THEZIPR23 said:

9 & 10.5 are the options. We started with 10.5 because my gamer was launching a hair on low side and my miss is low on club face. The Flash set at 10.5 it was too high. Set it at 9.5 and launch was perfect, between 12-14*. It was the least amount of combinations I have tried during a fitting. The first combo he put together was it and the numbers were exactly what we were looking for. 

To add to this, it probably helps you more to decrease loft since that opens the face up. IIRC, your miss is normally left? My fitter said the same thing to me and had me hitting the 10.5 turned down to 9.5 as well as the sliding weight in the toe.

Driver: :callaway-small: Rogue ST Max LS Tensei AV Blue S

3w/5w: :titelist-small: TSi2 Tensei AV Raw Blue S

4h: :mizuno-small: CLK 22* Hybrid Tensei CK Pro Blue 80HY S

Irons 5-PW: :mizuno-small: 223 Steelfiber PR 95 S

Wedges: :cleveland-small: RTX Zipcore Tour Rack 50, 54, 58 Steelfiber PR 105

Putter: LAB Link.1

Ball: :srixon-small: Z-Star Diamond

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Awesome start, guys! 

Driver:  :callaway-small:Epic Speed 9* (set -1) MMT 70X
3W:bridgestone-small: Tour B JGR Recoil 760ES
3H, 4H: :bridgestone-small: Tour B JGR 19*, 23* Recoil 780ES
4-AW:bridgestone-small: Tour B JGR HF2 Modus3 Tour 105
SW: :cleveland-small: RTX Zipcore Black Satin 54*
LW:Sub70: TAIII Black 58*
Putter:ping-small: Scottsdale TR Senita
Bag: BigMax Dri Active Lite
Ball:taylormade-small: TP5x or :titleist-small: AVX (yellow)
Pushcart: BigMax iQ+

Testing Complete, Final Review PostedSub70 TAIII Forged Wedges

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Since my backyard currently looks like this:

snow.jpg.dcc4c1c129aaaa80f1af5cedc76ae773.jpg

I'll just leave this from my (much warmer) range session on Tuesday:

swingcaddie.jpg.c1f759a6b4c61e303ab760f20a64e668.jpg

I texted my brother-in-law, who knows my game really well, and all he could respond was, "Holy s---."

That was the best ball of the day, but I had plenty in the 230-240 carry range, which if translated to the course would be huge!

@Berg Ryman, apologies for being Flash Gordon illiterate!

 

Unofficial WHS Handicap: 7.5 / Anti-Cap: 13.0 (Last Updated Feb. 19, 2024)

Driver: callaway_logo.png.3dd18aa65544000dd0ea3901697a8261.png Callaway Paradym TD (10.5°, -1/N), 45.75", Fujikura Motore X F1 6X | Fitting Post
3 Wood: 
cobra_logo.png.190908c8b4518eec87c087429e4343ee.png Cobra RadSpeed Big Tour (14.5°), 43", Fujikura Motore X F1 7X
20° Hybrid: PXG_Logo.png.8401024d1fb8aec46f0e790c1aa5b80c.png PXG 0211 (2020 Model), 40.25", Mitsubishi Tensei AV RAW White 90X
4 Utility: 
cobra_logo.png.190908c8b4518eec87c087429e4343ee.png Cobra KING Utility (2020 Model), 38.5", Aerotech SteelFiber i110cw Stiff
5-PW:
logo-Ben-Hogan-large.png.98d743ae5487285c6406a1e30a0a63b5.png Ben Hogan PTx Pro, 37" 7 Iron, Aerotech SteelFiber i125cw Stiff | Club Champion Fitting
50°, 54°, 58°:
231036130_Edel_Golf_Logo_v2_grandecopy.png.13cc76b963f8dd59f06d04b1e8df2827.png Edel SMS, V Grind, Nippon Modus 125 Wedge| Official Review Thread
Putter:
image.png.49fcc172a1ed0010d930fbe1c5dc8b79.png L.A.B. Golf DF 2.1, 36", 68°, Black with Custom Sightlines, BGT Stability Tour, L.A.B. Press II 3° | Unofficial Review
Grips: 
stargrip.png.4285948f41f1409613266e7803f0bbaa.png Star Sidewinder, Undersized with Custom Tape Build-Up
Ball: :Snell:Snell MTB-X Optic Yellow

Tracked By: shotscope.png.4a7089f2bddff325285b1266a61dda03.png  Shot Scope H4
Bag: :1590477705_SunMountain: Personalized 2020 Sun Mountain Sync
Riding On: 
image.png.1db52ce91db040317a9ac580f1df8de8.pngBag Boy Nitron | Official Review Thread

WITB? | 2022 Reviewer Edel SMS Wedges | 2021 Reviewer Maxfli Tour and Tour X Balls2020 Participant #CobraConnect Challenge | 2019 Reviewer Callaway Epic Flash Driver

 

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Nice start fellas! Tried the flashy face myself when I was in Florida, but it was way too spiny for me. Looking forward to seeing how you all fare. 

In the bag:
Driver: :titelist-small: TSR2 Project X HZRDUS Black 5.5
Fairway: :callaway-small: Apex UW 19° & 21° Project X HZRDUS Smoke RDX Black 5.5

Irons: :mizuno-small: JPX 923 HMP 5-PW UST Mamiya Recoil 95 F4
Wedges: :mizuno-small: T-22 Denim Copper 48°, 52° & 56° UST Mamiya Recoil 95 F4
Putter :Sub70: Sycamore 005 Wide Blade
Bag: 
:Ogio: Alpha Convoy 514
Balls: :callaway-small: Chrome Soft X

Cart: :CaddyTek: CaddyLite ONE Ver. 8


God Bless America🇺🇸, God save the King🇬🇧, God defend New Zealand🇳🇿 and thank Christ for Australia🇦🇺!

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3 hours ago, MattF said:

Nice start fellas! Tried the flashy face myself when I was in Florida, but it was way too spiny for me. Looking forward to seeing how you all fare. 

Did you try the Sub Zero?

:taylormade-small:     Stealth 2+ 9 (Diamana PD 60 S 45") 

image.png.dee92ef6cebb2ac4a3883744fc248f12.png     Stealth 2+ 15 (Diamana PD 70 S 43")

:ping-small:          G425 19 (Raijin 2.0 85x)

:ping-small:          G425 22 (Raijin 2.0 85x)

:srixon-small:            ZX7 5-9 (KBS C Taper S)

:titleist-small:            Vokey SM9 45 10 F (KBS 610)

 :titleist-small:           Vokey SM9 49 08 F (KBS 610)

 :titleist-small:           Vokey SM9 55 08 M (KBS 610)

 :titleist-small:           Vokey SM9 59 04 T (KBS 610)

:taylormade-small:     Spider GT Splitback 34"

 :titleist-small:           ProV1 #23

Twitter             @THEZIPR23

 

"One thing Golf has taught me, is that my muscles have no memory."

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Did you try the Sub Zero?
I'm wondering the same thing, I'm generally a pretty high spin guy and was amazed at how low the Sub Zero was. I will preface that with the fact I'm not the most consistent person when it comes to a repeatable swing, but I noticed my spin was hanging around the low 2000's.

It's supposed to rain all weekend, but I'm going to hit up a launch monitor on Monday when I have to go to Chattanooga to turn in my lease car. I'll get some numbers then.

Sent from my SM-G955U using MyGolfSpy mobile app

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49 minutes ago, THEZIPR23 said:

Did you try the Sub Zero?

No I did not, the M5 I ended up with just plain works for me.

In the bag:
Driver: :titelist-small: TSR2 Project X HZRDUS Black 5.5
Fairway: :callaway-small: Apex UW 19° & 21° Project X HZRDUS Smoke RDX Black 5.5

Irons: :mizuno-small: JPX 923 HMP 5-PW UST Mamiya Recoil 95 F4
Wedges: :mizuno-small: T-22 Denim Copper 48°, 52° & 56° UST Mamiya Recoil 95 F4
Putter :Sub70: Sycamore 005 Wide Blade
Bag: 
:Ogio: Alpha Convoy 514
Balls: :callaway-small: Chrome Soft X

Cart: :CaddyTek: CaddyLite ONE Ver. 8


God Bless America🇺🇸, God save the King🇬🇧, God defend New Zealand🇳🇿 and thank Christ for Australia🇦🇺!

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I got a quick 9 in last night, didn't have Arccos up and running as I was not ready when a group asked me to join them for back nine. Our 12th hole is 315 straightaway. The fairway has a valley in it so landing area just short of green is into an up slope. Normal drive for me I will have 20-40 yards left. Slight wind behind and I let one go, flushed it right at flag stick. It just never stopped! Ending up about 15 yards OVER the green. It has been years since I have hit that green and never have I been over it. 

Every round I play this driver continues to amaze me. 

Weather is perfect here right now, will be able to play next 3 days so look for those updates. I am going to try moving the weight in the track a little bit more towards the middle as the ball is starting about 5 yards right of where I like to see it. 

:taylormade-small:     Stealth 2+ 9 (Diamana PD 60 S 45") 

image.png.dee92ef6cebb2ac4a3883744fc248f12.png     Stealth 2+ 15 (Diamana PD 70 S 43")

:ping-small:          G425 19 (Raijin 2.0 85x)

:ping-small:          G425 22 (Raijin 2.0 85x)

:srixon-small:            ZX7 5-9 (KBS C Taper S)

:titleist-small:            Vokey SM9 45 10 F (KBS 610)

 :titleist-small:           Vokey SM9 49 08 F (KBS 610)

 :titleist-small:           Vokey SM9 55 08 M (KBS 610)

 :titleist-small:           Vokey SM9 59 04 T (KBS 610)

:taylormade-small:     Spider GT Splitback 34"

 :titleist-small:           ProV1 #23

Twitter             @THEZIPR23

 

"One thing Golf has taught me, is that my muscles have no memory."

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...How are you guys liking the sound of the driver?  I haven't hit a lot of Callaway drivers but the ones I did hit sound a little ting-y to me vs a crack sound....

DriverCobra  Aerojet LS
Woods-
Cobra  LTD 3w 15*, 5W 19*,  F9 24* 
Irons- XXIO X (6-A)

Wedges- Callaway Jaws Raw (54/58)

Putter- Bettinardi BB56
Ball- Maxfli Tour X/Wilson Triad
Buggy- Clicgear 4.0
Bag- Callaway Org 14/Fairway C

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20 minutes ago, GolfSpy Stroker said:

...How are you guys liking the sound of the driver?  I haven't hit a lot of Callaway drivers but the ones I did hit sound a little ting-y to me vs a crack sound....

Honestly I hate it. It is better than the Epic and the Rogue in the fact that those two were very dull sounding. The Flash is very tingy and loud. There have been more than one shot that leave a little ringing in my ears. I was on the range the other day and my buddy said he really liked the sound of it. I questioned him and had him hit it. He handed it back to me as he was playing with his ear. He said it is way loud when hitting it. 

But the results are so good right now I don't really care...

:taylormade-small:     Stealth 2+ 9 (Diamana PD 60 S 45") 

image.png.dee92ef6cebb2ac4a3883744fc248f12.png     Stealth 2+ 15 (Diamana PD 70 S 43")

:ping-small:          G425 19 (Raijin 2.0 85x)

:ping-small:          G425 22 (Raijin 2.0 85x)

:srixon-small:            ZX7 5-9 (KBS C Taper S)

:titleist-small:            Vokey SM9 45 10 F (KBS 610)

 :titleist-small:           Vokey SM9 49 08 F (KBS 610)

 :titleist-small:           Vokey SM9 55 08 M (KBS 610)

 :titleist-small:           Vokey SM9 59 04 T (KBS 610)

:taylormade-small:     Spider GT Splitback 34"

 :titleist-small:           ProV1 #23

Twitter             @THEZIPR23

 

"One thing Golf has taught me, is that my muscles have no memory."

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21 minutes ago, GolfSpy Stroker said:

...How are you guys liking the sound of the driver?  I haven't hit a lot of Callaway drivers but the ones I did hit sound a little ting-y to me vs a crack sound....

I'll have a more experienced answer after tomorrow but I just heard Phil whack his and wow, it sounds very tinny

Driver: :callaway-small: Rogue ST Max LS Tensei AV Blue S

3w/5w: :titelist-small: TSi2 Tensei AV Raw Blue S

4h: :mizuno-small: CLK 22* Hybrid Tensei CK Pro Blue 80HY S

Irons 5-PW: :mizuno-small: 223 Steelfiber PR 95 S

Wedges: :cleveland-small: RTX Zipcore Tour Rack 50, 54, 58 Steelfiber PR 105

Putter: LAB Link.1

Ball: :srixon-small: Z-Star Diamond

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9 minutes ago, jlukes said:

i think phil is using a rogue sz at the masters.

2a82d77f-a018-4d6d-bf2e-31cec9848ab4-phi

🤯🤯🤯🤯

Driver: :callaway-small: Rogue ST Max LS Tensei AV Blue S

3w/5w: :titelist-small: TSi2 Tensei AV Raw Blue S

4h: :mizuno-small: CLK 22* Hybrid Tensei CK Pro Blue 80HY S

Irons 5-PW: :mizuno-small: 223 Steelfiber PR 95 S

Wedges: :cleveland-small: RTX Zipcore Tour Rack 50, 54, 58 Steelfiber PR 105

Putter: LAB Link.1

Ball: :srixon-small: Z-Star Diamond

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45 minutes ago, THEZIPR23 said:

Honestly I hate it. It is better than the Epic and the Rogue in the fact that those two were very dull sounding. The Flash is very tingy and loud. There have been more than one shot that leave a little ringing in my ears. I was on the range the other day and my buddy said he really liked the sound of it. I questioned him and had him hit it. He handed it back to me as he was playing with his ear. He said it is way loud when hitting it. 

But the results are so good right now I don't really care...

Funny, because I really like the sound. To each their own. Next week I'll bring out the Cobra F6 and compare the two. I would describe it as a "muted ping." But maybe my mind is playing tricks on me.

Unofficial WHS Handicap: 7.5 / Anti-Cap: 13.0 (Last Updated Feb. 19, 2024)

Driver: callaway_logo.png.3dd18aa65544000dd0ea3901697a8261.png Callaway Paradym TD (10.5°, -1/N), 45.75", Fujikura Motore X F1 6X | Fitting Post
3 Wood: 
cobra_logo.png.190908c8b4518eec87c087429e4343ee.png Cobra RadSpeed Big Tour (14.5°), 43", Fujikura Motore X F1 7X
20° Hybrid: PXG_Logo.png.8401024d1fb8aec46f0e790c1aa5b80c.png PXG 0211 (2020 Model), 40.25", Mitsubishi Tensei AV RAW White 90X
4 Utility: 
cobra_logo.png.190908c8b4518eec87c087429e4343ee.png Cobra KING Utility (2020 Model), 38.5", Aerotech SteelFiber i110cw Stiff
5-PW:
logo-Ben-Hogan-large.png.98d743ae5487285c6406a1e30a0a63b5.png Ben Hogan PTx Pro, 37" 7 Iron, Aerotech SteelFiber i125cw Stiff | Club Champion Fitting
50°, 54°, 58°:
231036130_Edel_Golf_Logo_v2_grandecopy.png.13cc76b963f8dd59f06d04b1e8df2827.png Edel SMS, V Grind, Nippon Modus 125 Wedge| Official Review Thread
Putter:
image.png.49fcc172a1ed0010d930fbe1c5dc8b79.png L.A.B. Golf DF 2.1, 36", 68°, Black with Custom Sightlines, BGT Stability Tour, L.A.B. Press II 3° | Unofficial Review
Grips: 
stargrip.png.4285948f41f1409613266e7803f0bbaa.png Star Sidewinder, Undersized with Custom Tape Build-Up
Ball: :Snell:Snell MTB-X Optic Yellow

Tracked By: shotscope.png.4a7089f2bddff325285b1266a61dda03.png  Shot Scope H4
Bag: :1590477705_SunMountain: Personalized 2020 Sun Mountain Sync
Riding On: 
image.png.1db52ce91db040317a9ac580f1df8de8.pngBag Boy Nitron | Official Review Thread

WITB? | 2022 Reviewer Edel SMS Wedges | 2021 Reviewer Maxfli Tour and Tour X Balls2020 Participant #CobraConnect Challenge | 2019 Reviewer Callaway Epic Flash Driver

 

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...How are you guys liking the sound of the driver?  I haven't hit a lot of Callaway drivers but the ones I did hit sound a little ting-y to me vs a crack sound....
I'm not exactly fond of it. I really hated it at the fitting, being indoors at a bay really amplified the sound. I've softened my stance since hitting outdoors, but it's still not the audio nirvana of my Ping G400 LST, but it's also not as tinny as the Burner Superfast 2.0 that I've gamed the last few years.

Sent from my SM-G955U using MyGolfSpy mobile app

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On 4/9/2019 at 12:21 PM, yungkory said:

Callaway Epic Flash Review – yungkory

core-tech-test-4-compressor.png.097e04e45e0280c8c657a01d1019a0a5.png

Intro

 

First and foremost, thank you to MGS and the forum staff for selecting me to review the 2019 Most Wanted driver! There’s nothing quite like the feeling of waking up and seeing one of the moderators has sent you a private message with a title like “Callaway Epic Flash Testers!”

For those who don’t know me, my name is Kory and I’m lucky to call Hawaii my home.  Growing up in a family of golfers, I’ve been playing since a very young age, maybe since I was around 5.  I had some clubs that an uncle of mine chopped down and slapped some grips on and would join my stepdad on the range.  Living in Las Vegas at the time, when I was around the age of 10 was when I really started to understand the concepts of hitting down into the ball instead of trying to sweep it, thinking about the next shot, etc., and started to break 100 from the ladies’ tees.  I played golf year-round by spending my winter breaks here in Hawaii, but never competitively, just as a means to spend time with my family.  I lost my love for golf during and after college, but after some friends dragged me back onto the course 2 years ago, I’ve been fully obsessed all over again.  My playing partners range from former D1 collegiate golfer and High School State Champ, to people who have been playing for only a year and shoot in the 100s, but I am not the type to really care who I’m playing with.  I’m on the course to have a good time, and whether I’m playing well or not, I enjoy myself. 

I’ve never joined a club, so I’ve never had an “official” handicap, but I typically shoot 80-83 and play courses around 6300-6500 yards comfortably.  18 Birdies currently has me at a 9 hdcp, but since I was selected for the test, I’ve purchased Arccos and will be using that to measure my game moving forward.  One of my strengths is being able to generate a decent amount of clubhead speed for my size, but I struggle with consistency and lack of an ability to hole makeable putts.  My driver swing speed averages 103-105 mph when I’m swinging well, and I’ve been told that I have a very smooth tempo.  I’ve been quoted many times by my friends saying that “I play golf to hit driver.” It’s undoubtedly my favorite club, and if you put me on a course that requires me to hit irons off the tee for position, I’m not going to have a good time.  I’ll look for any excuse to let the big dog eat, and that usually lands me in the soup on those courses, so I tend to avoid those courses whenever I can.

 

My typical ball flight is a mid-height (or what I consider to be mid-height) draw, and my miss is a block when I get stuck, or an over draw/hook when I flip to compensate.  I’ve been working on moving my path a little more out-to-in since my Flash fitting (more on this later).

Current WITB:

witb_coverson.thumb.jpg.946fb3707a0c0abc3b6cb49ef8b8fbbe.jpg

witb.thumb.jpg.8644325df1871b3acd98d461aa31532b.jpg

As I mentioned, I love hitting driver and testing them for my game.  I probably enjoy it a little too much if you consider the fact that I’ve changed three times in the last 2 years since I joined MGS.  It’s not that any of these drivers were terrible, I just gained something over the previous one each time I tested.  A list of my drivers since 2017 (all of them were fit in some capacity, either custom at my local shop, or at a range demo day):

·         Callaway GBB Epic

·         Ping G400 Max

·         Titleist TS2

Now that we’ve gotten ME out of the way, let’s talk about the Epic Flash!

First Impressions

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This year, it’s all about Flash Face, a new club face that Callaway has employed a super computer to build.  It looks like a rainy day on the Doppler radar to me, but being someone who works in the tech industry, I believe in computers.  To quote Callaway directly, they’ve used AI and Machine learning to “give computer systems the ability to “learn” with data without being explicitly programmed.  Through Machine Learning our computers cycled through 15,000 face iterations, learning from each one, before arriving at Flash Face.” In layman’s terms, this means that they avoided having to physically build 15,000 versions of the driver to arrive at the final, most-optimal face.  If you think about it, that’s actually a pretty good idea if you’re trying to find the theoretical fastest driver face.

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Having played the original iteration of the Epic, this is a familiar-looking design to me.  It has the same shiny-black crown that fades into a carbon fiber towards the back, and I love how open and lofty it looks – it really appears like it will have zero issues launching the ball.  What is missing are the small “bumps” on top that they collaborated with Boeing on to increase aerodynamics in their previous models.  Interesting in their quest to be the speediest, they left those out? Maybe it was marketing hype all along? On the bottom, they’ve shortened the adjustable weight track and painted it quite possibly the ugliest color combination I have ever seen.  I get it, yellow is fast, like a Lamborghini, but with that dark green? It’s not going to stop me from bagging it if it outperforms my current gamer, but I don’t know anyone outside of Wisconsin who would order this color combination if they had a whole color palette to choose from.  The face has some crazy high-tech mumbo jumbo going on with the crop-circle looking sweet spot that I’m not crazy for, but once I take it back it’s out of sight, out of mind.

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The shaft I was fit into was the Mitsubishi Tensei AV Blue 60 in stiff flex, tipped 1”.  I liked the feeling of this shaft in previous demos/fittings (it’s also offered as a no-charge upgrade in the TS line) but I always felt like it was a little whippy, and that always scares me into thinking I’m going to spray it all over the course.  My fitting was done at Aloha Golf Center here on Oahu, by a Certified Callaway Custom fitter, and he recommended we tip the shaft an inch after he frequency tested the one I had been swinging.  He also helped me a little bit on my swing path, which was 8* in-to-out at the time, and was able to get me to 3* with a pretty simple swing thought (thanks Joey!). I was swinging about 1* up and not presenting much loft, so he decided that 10.5* of loft would suit me best until I work on hitting up into the ball more.

My goal for this review is to provide my fellow spies with as much practical data as I can.  Launch monitors and raw data are great, but as a spy friend of mine once said – we play golf on a course, not a simulator.  I plan to leverage Arccos to help me see if there’s a measurable difference over my current gamer, and to put Flash Face through the paces while I hit balls out of every part of the club face (on purpose of course 😉).

Ok so I can't figure out how to quote- but any right thinking Minnesotan knows those are Northstars colors!😉

Edited by AH1980MN
Quote

WITB: 

Adams 9064LS 9.5* (until I cracked the face)

Adams Super LS 17*

Adams XTD Ti 23*

Wilson Staff Ci7 4-PW

Adams wedges: 52/7 56/13 60/7

Wilson Staff Infinite Southside putter/Odyssey DualForce 660 putter

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Played 18 today on a course I'll just call, "The local pasture." Nice thing is that there are plenty of holes that driver is the correct club choice, my other option (we had a lot of rain Thursday/Friday and many courses were closed) would have only had one or two holes that a driver would have been the good play.

The Epic Flash continues to amaze me for its forgiveness. It was very cold and wet today, my swing was mostly trash, and yet I don't feel like I was overly punished for making bad swings. I maybe lose 10-15 yards distance on my most severe mishits, and they still land pretty darn near the fairway. 

My range session earlier this week had me hitting in the 230+ carry range, today my best effort was 224 with no roll according to GAME Golf. Like I said, I was not swinging well with my driver and long irons.

However, on the 280-yard, par-4 12th hole, I hit the two most pure drives I have ever hit with the Epic Flash (and perhaps with any club). Unfortunately, the first drive sailed left into the trees, and my second drive was my provisional, which I piped right down the left side of the fairway. I found my first ball (lucky bounce), which ended up going 171 yards. I then lasered my provisional and figure carry+roll to be in the 250-260 range. 🤩

I wish I could adequately describe the feeling and sound of those two hits, and I unfortunately couldn't recreate them the rest of the round. Just a really smooth feel from the Epic Flash and Hzrdus shaft.

Speaking of sound, I paid closer attention today, and I will admit there is a "tinny" sound as the other reviewers have pointed out. I noticed it really only on a few hits -- it's definitely easy to forget about the sound when you're watching your ball fly down the fairway!

 

Unofficial WHS Handicap: 7.5 / Anti-Cap: 13.0 (Last Updated Feb. 19, 2024)

Driver: callaway_logo.png.3dd18aa65544000dd0ea3901697a8261.png Callaway Paradym TD (10.5°, -1/N), 45.75", Fujikura Motore X F1 6X | Fitting Post
3 Wood: 
cobra_logo.png.190908c8b4518eec87c087429e4343ee.png Cobra RadSpeed Big Tour (14.5°), 43", Fujikura Motore X F1 7X
20° Hybrid: PXG_Logo.png.8401024d1fb8aec46f0e790c1aa5b80c.png PXG 0211 (2020 Model), 40.25", Mitsubishi Tensei AV RAW White 90X
4 Utility: 
cobra_logo.png.190908c8b4518eec87c087429e4343ee.png Cobra KING Utility (2020 Model), 38.5", Aerotech SteelFiber i110cw Stiff
5-PW:
logo-Ben-Hogan-large.png.98d743ae5487285c6406a1e30a0a63b5.png Ben Hogan PTx Pro, 37" 7 Iron, Aerotech SteelFiber i125cw Stiff | Club Champion Fitting
50°, 54°, 58°:
231036130_Edel_Golf_Logo_v2_grandecopy.png.13cc76b963f8dd59f06d04b1e8df2827.png Edel SMS, V Grind, Nippon Modus 125 Wedge| Official Review Thread
Putter:
image.png.49fcc172a1ed0010d930fbe1c5dc8b79.png L.A.B. Golf DF 2.1, 36", 68°, Black with Custom Sightlines, BGT Stability Tour, L.A.B. Press II 3° | Unofficial Review
Grips: 
stargrip.png.4285948f41f1409613266e7803f0bbaa.png Star Sidewinder, Undersized with Custom Tape Build-Up
Ball: :Snell:Snell MTB-X Optic Yellow

Tracked By: shotscope.png.4a7089f2bddff325285b1266a61dda03.png  Shot Scope H4
Bag: :1590477705_SunMountain: Personalized 2020 Sun Mountain Sync
Riding On: 
image.png.1db52ce91db040317a9ac580f1df8de8.pngBag Boy Nitron | Official Review Thread

WITB? | 2022 Reviewer Edel SMS Wedges | 2021 Reviewer Maxfli Tour and Tour X Balls2020 Participant #CobraConnect Challenge | 2019 Reviewer Callaway Epic Flash Driver

 

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Went to the range today to work with the Epic Flash Sub Zero and I think I've about got it dialed in. I adjusted the sliding weight to the full draw position to counteract the left to right flight that I've been seeing.

When struck right, this thing is a beast! There's a bush at the end of the range that sits at 250 yards, according to Google Earth. I was able to hit a couple of shots to it. 20190413_210223-01.jpeg
One of the things I noticed while there was my backswing has gotten out of hand and it was not allowing me to sequence properly. I shortened it and was able to involve my lower body, increase speed, and hit closer to the sweet spot. I even had one swing hit 100 mph on the swing speed radar! 20190413_172803-01.jpeg


Sent from my SM-G955U using MyGolfSpy mobile app

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First round in the books with Flash. It's an absolute monster.

The course I played today doesn't have a range so my warmup consisted of swinging a couple of wedges together to loosen up. First tee was striped, nice mid-high draw. I forgot the Arccos sensor, but manually entered the distance in by standing next to the ball and pressing "edit" then selecting my 2W, so take this however you want, but I'd say it's decently accurate:

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What I like most is only missing 20% to the left. I know that the misses left today were me and I don't have to feel like I'm fighting to keep it from turning over.

A 273 smart distance is something I'll gladly take at my SS, especially today where the winds were up at what felt like 20-25 mph sustained, and higher gusts.

 

On 4/12/2019 at 7:32 AM, GolfSpy Stroker said:

...How are you guys liking the sound of the driver?  I haven't hit a lot of Callaway drivers but the ones I did hit sound a little ting-y to me vs a crack sound....

 

My subjective opinion -- it's not loud at all. In terms of "metallic sounding" vs. a "crack" it's definitely metal/titanium sounding even with the carbon crown, but it's not losing any points in the sound department with me. Feel is great too and I can tell when I'm hitting heel or toe side. Yeah, I hit it all over the face, on purpose of course!

Driver: :callaway-small: Rogue ST Max LS Tensei AV Blue S

3w/5w: :titelist-small: TSi2 Tensei AV Raw Blue S

4h: :mizuno-small: CLK 22* Hybrid Tensei CK Pro Blue 80HY S

Irons 5-PW: :mizuno-small: 223 Steelfiber PR 95 S

Wedges: :cleveland-small: RTX Zipcore Tour Rack 50, 54, 58 Steelfiber PR 105

Putter: LAB Link.1

Ball: :srixon-small: Z-Star Diamond

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Woke up to four inches of snow this morning. 😭

Warmer weather is on the way, but so is more rain. Looking like Sunday will be my only opportunity to play this week. I was hoping to hit the range to compare sounds with the various drivers in my possession, but I guess that'll be postponed until next week!

Unofficial WHS Handicap: 7.5 / Anti-Cap: 13.0 (Last Updated Feb. 19, 2024)

Driver: callaway_logo.png.3dd18aa65544000dd0ea3901697a8261.png Callaway Paradym TD (10.5°, -1/N), 45.75", Fujikura Motore X F1 6X | Fitting Post
3 Wood: 
cobra_logo.png.190908c8b4518eec87c087429e4343ee.png Cobra RadSpeed Big Tour (14.5°), 43", Fujikura Motore X F1 7X
20° Hybrid: PXG_Logo.png.8401024d1fb8aec46f0e790c1aa5b80c.png PXG 0211 (2020 Model), 40.25", Mitsubishi Tensei AV RAW White 90X
4 Utility: 
cobra_logo.png.190908c8b4518eec87c087429e4343ee.png Cobra KING Utility (2020 Model), 38.5", Aerotech SteelFiber i110cw Stiff
5-PW:
logo-Ben-Hogan-large.png.98d743ae5487285c6406a1e30a0a63b5.png Ben Hogan PTx Pro, 37" 7 Iron, Aerotech SteelFiber i125cw Stiff | Club Champion Fitting
50°, 54°, 58°:
231036130_Edel_Golf_Logo_v2_grandecopy.png.13cc76b963f8dd59f06d04b1e8df2827.png Edel SMS, V Grind, Nippon Modus 125 Wedge| Official Review Thread
Putter:
image.png.49fcc172a1ed0010d930fbe1c5dc8b79.png L.A.B. Golf DF 2.1, 36", 68°, Black with Custom Sightlines, BGT Stability Tour, L.A.B. Press II 3° | Unofficial Review
Grips: 
stargrip.png.4285948f41f1409613266e7803f0bbaa.png Star Sidewinder, Undersized with Custom Tape Build-Up
Ball: :Snell:Snell MTB-X Optic Yellow

Tracked By: shotscope.png.4a7089f2bddff325285b1266a61dda03.png  Shot Scope H4
Bag: :1590477705_SunMountain: Personalized 2020 Sun Mountain Sync
Riding On: 
image.png.1db52ce91db040317a9ac580f1df8de8.pngBag Boy Nitron | Official Review Thread

WITB? | 2022 Reviewer Edel SMS Wedges | 2021 Reviewer Maxfli Tour and Tour X Balls2020 Participant #CobraConnect Challenge | 2019 Reviewer Callaway Epic Flash Driver

 

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On ‎4‎/‎11‎/‎2019 at 12:22 PM, MattF said:

No I did not, the M5 I ended up with just plain works for me.

This is interesting - I've done two tru fits in the past 6 weeks because my driver SS jumped a little bit.  On the first one I entered 92 mph and 3 up on the second one 94 mph (my average now) and 3 up. 

The first one gave me the Epic Flash Sub zero as my preferred club and the Srixon driver number 2 (but I would have no interest in it as there would be no apparent distance gain over any other driver, just accuracy - big whoop there as I'm very accurate with driver right now.)

 

The second one gave me the M6 as top choice and the M5 as number 2 -

I will finally be going for a fitting next week when I'm on vacation - will try the Flash Sub zero, M6 and after that whatever the fitter suggests - I know that I get too spiny at times and it seems like I am right now with my Ping - so I will also want to see if I can't get more out of what I have by lofting down all the way and trying a different shaft.

How much difference in spin is there between the Epic Flash and Sub Zero heads?  Also isn't the Sub Zero smaller?  I like the little more compact look of my G400.  (I keep saying that Shankster is robbing off on me)

Taylor Made Stealth 2 10.5 Diamana S plus 60  Aldila  R flex   - 42.25 inches 

SMT 4 wood bassara R flex, four wood head, 3 wood shaft

Ping G410 7, 9 wood  Alta 65 R flex

Srixon ZX5 MK II  5-GW - UST recoil Dart 65 R flex

India 52,56 (60 pending)  UST recoil 75's R flex  

Evon roll ER 5 32 inches

It's our offseason so auditioning candidates - looking for that right mix of low spin long, more spin around the greens - TBD   

 

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I got in my 3 rounds this weekend, windy but otherwise perfect weather wise. Friday I hit the ball everywhere (not the club me!), Saturday I hit the driver great and Sunday it was a combo of both. I am still amazed by the misses. They are an astounding difference between the Rogue and Epic Flash. My low range on Arccos is now up 22 yards over previous gamer. High end range is up 14 yards. To me those are mind blowing increases across the board. 

I did move the sliding weight around a little bit. It definitely changes the dynamics of the club. I will be continuing to tinker with it. With the track being from toe to heel there are many different options and weight positions to dial it in. Love having that option. 

:taylormade-small:     Stealth 2+ 9 (Diamana PD 60 S 45") 

image.png.dee92ef6cebb2ac4a3883744fc248f12.png     Stealth 2+ 15 (Diamana PD 70 S 43")

:ping-small:          G425 19 (Raijin 2.0 85x)

:ping-small:          G425 22 (Raijin 2.0 85x)

:srixon-small:            ZX7 5-9 (KBS C Taper S)

:titleist-small:            Vokey SM9 45 10 F (KBS 610)

 :titleist-small:           Vokey SM9 49 08 F (KBS 610)

 :titleist-small:           Vokey SM9 55 08 M (KBS 610)

 :titleist-small:           Vokey SM9 59 04 T (KBS 610)

:taylormade-small:     Spider GT Splitback 34"

 :titleist-small:           ProV1 #23

Twitter             @THEZIPR23

 

"One thing Golf has taught me, is that my muscles have no memory."

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