2019 Official Forum Member Review-Callaway Epic Flash Drivers

[THEZIPR23]

1 hour ago, revkev said:

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)

They are both 460 cc heads. Unfortunately I don't know the hard numbers between the heads spin wise. I will say that with the shape of the SZ, looking down on club at address it doesn't set up as a monster. It is a deep head and looks great behind ball. IMO it has a footprint of an older traditional driver. 

[MattF]

1 hour ago, revkev said:

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 -

My True fit gave me the M6 as the top choice and the TS2 as the number 2, but the monitor showed different in regards to spin...some of my drives were nearly at 4,000 rpm and we got the M5 down to a more acceptable 2,500-2,600 rpm.

[sirchunksalot]

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)

I want to say there's about 300 to 500 rpm difference between the two, with the Sub Zero being the lower spin option. I also think the Sub Zero is 445 cc's. I've been gaming the Ping G400 LST for the last couple of months, and when I put them side-by-side, I couldn't see a size difference.



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[yungkory]

4 hours ago, revkev said:

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)

Very interesting indeed. For me, I benefit from a little more spin because I'm only 1* up into the ball on average, at 150-152 mph ball speed and 13* of launch

1 hour ago, sirchunksalot said:

 

 

I want to say there's about 300 to 500 rpm difference between the two, with the Sub Zero being the lower spin option. I also think the Sub Zero is 445 cc's. I've been gaming the Ping G400 LST for the last couple of months, and when I put them side-by-side, I couldn't see a size difference.



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I confirmed on the website that the SZ is also 460cc

[sirchunksalot]

I confirmed on the website that the SZ is also 460cc

Thanks for that, I had read an article that stated the head for the Sub Zero was smaller.
But upon checking out the website, I found out that I was misinformed.

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[THEZIPR23]

I won't be doing any "testing" this week as I have a qualifier on Friday (big one for me, NCGA 4 Ball, Championship is at Spyglass). As you can tell by my results to date the Flash will be in the bag. I moved the weight back to where it was when I got fitted, at least I know where the miss is. Excited to see what the results will be in Tournament setting. Tourney's are always different, so first real test. 

Fellow testers are you seeing same results on mishits that I am? I have seen some results on well hit balls but curious on the mishits. 

[edingc]

36 minutes ago, THEZIPR23 said:

Fellow testers are you seeing same results on mishits that I am? I have seen some results on well hit balls but curious on the mishits. 

My swing hasn't been terribly great so far this season, so I've experienced plenty of less than perfect balls. I would say the Epic Flash does an exceptional job of keeping the ball in a playable position while minimizing the distance loss. I don't have a ton of hard numbers, but I would say 10-15 yards max loss (though my swing speed is less than yours).

I've hit one duck hook, but cannot get this thing to slice at the moment. Weight is straight back, standard 10.5* settings. 

Regarding the sizing, here's a couple poorly-lit pictures (sorry, basement lighting) comparing the top view of the Epic Flash to a Cobra F6 and a Cobra AMP I have available:

 

Very similar sizes, and a pleasing shape for sure. Also reinforces the sexiness of the carbon fiber crown.

[THEZIPR23]

13 minutes ago, edingc said:

My swing hasn't been terribly great so far this season, so I've experienced plenty of less than perfect balls. I would say the Epic Flash does an exceptional job of keeping the ball in a playable position while minimizing the distance loss. I don't have a ton of hard numbers, but I would say 10-15 yards max loss (though my swing speed is less than yours).

I've hit one duck hook, but cannot get this thing to slice at the moment. Weight is straight back, standard 10.5* settings. 

Regarding the sizing, here's a couple poorly-lit pictures (sorry, basement lighting) comparing the top view of the Epic Flash to a Cobra F6 and a Cobra AMP I have available:

 

Very similar sizes, and a pleasing shape for sure. Also reinforces the sexiness of the carbon fiber crown.

Early in the season for you so understandable on the swing. Your results do fall in line with what I am seeing. And you are correct the side spin or lack there of is pretty spectacular. 

[sirchunksalot]

I've seen a few that have gone pretty far offline, one way or the other. I'm chalking that up to a bad swing, I've had a major lack of confidence in my game the last couple of times I've been out. Popped one up on the first hole last round that went a whopping 127. My last trip to the range was great! I was able to correct problems with my grip (too weak), my shoulder angle (too parallel), and my backswing (too long). I'm feeling a lot more confident that I'll see better results the next time I hit the course.

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[yungkory]

3 hours ago, THEZIPR23 said:

I won't be doing any "testing" this week as I have a qualifier on Friday (big one for me, NCGA 4 Ball, Championship is at Spyglass). As you can tell by my results to date the Flash will be in the bag. I moved the weight back to where it was when I got fitted, at least I know where the miss is. Excited to see what the results will be in Tournament setting. Tourney's are always different, so first real test. 

Fellow testers are you seeing same results on mishits that I am? I have seen some results on well hit balls but curious on the mishits. 

I hit one on the heel that ended up being a butter cut and still going like 270 total. Overall I'm really satisfied with the performance during my first round and I think it's a much better fit for me than TS2 was. I'm much more consistent with it, but it's more of a poorly-fit shaft in TS2 than either of the heads being better than the other IMO.

 

edit: good luck at your qualifier!

[STUDque]

This is going to be a fun group to follow. Great start guys. For those interested, all 4 are on Arccos so you can see them shot by shot. You don't need to own an Arccos set to download the app and follow players so it's worth a look. You KNOW I'm following them so I can spy on the test vs. test drive off. 

Are you all finding that your fitting choices were correct? Always interested to hear how fittings work out for guys that hadn't done it before. 

[yungkory]

4 hours ago, GolfSpy STUDque said:

This is going to be a fun group to follow. Great start guys. For those interested, all 4 are on Arccos so you can see them shot by shot. You don't need to own an Arccos set to download the app and follow players so it's worth a look. You KNOW I'm following them so I can spy on the test vs. test drive off. 

Are you all finding that your fitting choices were correct? Always interested to hear how fittings work out for guys that hadn't done it before. 

Well, after Callaway failed (TWICE) to send me the shaft I was fit for, with the correct trimming instructions, I've given up. Correct shaft but not tipped like the fitter suggested, but whatever. Maybe I'll put that $100 I spent towards an aftermarket shaft later. Small sample size but overall I'm very happy with distance and dispersion with the current setup

[Kanoito]

2 hours ago, yungkory said:

Well, after Callaway failed (TWICE) to send me the shaft I was fit for, with the correct trimming instructions, I've given up. Correct shaft but not tipped like the fitter suggested, but whatever. Maybe I'll put that $100 I spent towards an aftermarket shaft later. Small sample size but overall I'm very happy with distance and dispersion with the current setup

That's pretty sad, unable to get it correctly after 2 tries. Wonder how much difference that 1" makes?
Sweet Stage 1 everyone, look forward to more insight!

[yungkory]

1 minute ago, Kanoito said:

That's pretty sad, unable to get it correctly after 2 tries. Wonder how much difference that 1" makes?
Sweet Stage 1 everyone, look forward to more insight!

Probably doesn't make much of a difference performance wise, only feel. It's only annoying because I paid for the fitting and they goofed twice. Whatever, it's in the past, and now I have $100 credit at the shop since I didn't purchase anything.

[sirchunksalot]

Are you all finding that your fitting choices were correct? Always interested to hear how fittings work out for guys that hadn't done it before. 

I'm really happy with the overall fitting, even though my stats aren't showing much of an improvement. Actually, if you check out my Arccos stats you'll see I'm hitting less fairways. What the app doesn't tell you is that my misses are less extreme. I believe if I can get a better handle on my swing, this driver will be a beast. It doesn't matter how good the fitting or the technology in the club, a bad swing will produce a bad result.

I'm starting to see more and more I like on the range, now if I can take that swing on the course...

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[russtopherb]

The lack of side to side flight really intrigues me with these reviews so far, I can miss on both sides with equal abandon so having a driver that just wants to go straight or with a tiny curve definitely peaks my interest. Keep the info coming!!

[edingc]

 

1 hour ago, sirchunksalot said:

I'm really happy with the overall fitting, even though my stats aren't showing much of an improvement. Actually, if you check out my Arccos stats you'll see I'm hitting less fairways. What the app doesn't tell you is that my misses are less extreme. I believe if I can get a better handle on my swing, this driver will be a beast. It doesn't matter how good the fitting or the technology in the club, a bad swing will produce a bad result.

I'm starting to see more and more I like on the range, now if I can take that swing on the course...

I don't think I could have said it better. I'm no where near as consistent as @yungkory or @THEZIPR23, but when I put a good swing on the ball, the Epic Flash feels awesome and the numbers are amazing.

9 hours ago, GolfSpy STUDque said:

This is going to be a fun group to follow. Great start guys. For those interested, all 4 are on Arccos so you can see them shot by shot. You don't need to own an Arccos set to download the app and follow players so it's worth a look. You KNOW I'm following them so I can spy on the test vs. test drive off. 

I'm the unfortunate oddball on GAME Golf, but my rounds are public and can be viewed without an app here. 

9 hours ago, GolfSpy STUDque said:

Are you all finding that your fitting choices were correct? Always interested to hear how fittings work out for guys that hadn't done it before. 

I think my fitting was correct. I'm loving the decision to go +2 wraps. I did really like the feel of the Tensei Blue, it felt a little more responsive than the HZRDUS Smoke does, so that'd be my only question mark if I did it again. The shaft choice may be something to address down the road. But as I mentioned above, a good swing makes the ball fly far and straight, so I'm still loving the current combo.

As far as fairways hit, I don't hit many. But most of my misses are a few yards left or right. In the three 18-hole rounds I've played with the Epic Flash so far, I can't recall having a terrible second shot on any hole because of my drive. That's a major improvement for me.

[THEZIPR23]

14 hours ago, GolfSpy STUDque said:

This is going to be a fun group to follow. Great start guys. For those interested, all 4 are on Arccos so you can see them shot by shot. You don't need to own an Arccos set to download the app and follow players so it's worth a look. You KNOW I'm following them so I can spy on the test vs. test drive off. 

Are you all finding that your fitting choices were correct? Always interested to hear how fittings work out for guys that hadn't done it before. 

I was worried at first, but after hitting it I am very pleased. It is very nice to see a stock shaft option that I am able to hit consistently. 

[THEZIPR23]

6 hours ago, sirchunksalot said:

 

I'm really happy with the overall fitting, even though my stats aren't showing much of an improvement. Actually, if you check out my Arccos stats you'll see I'm hitting less fairways. What the app doesn't tell you is that my misses are less extreme. I believe if I can get a better handle on my swing, this driver will be a beast. It doesn't matter how good the fitting or the technology in the club, a bad swing will produce a bad result.

I'm starting to see more and more I like on the range, now if I can take that swing on the course...

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My fairway percentage is coming down some too. I am sure it will normalize as I get more rounds in. But the stats don't always tell the whole story. The shots that have missed the fairway have not been trouble. 

[yungkory]

 
I think my fitting was correct. I'm loving the decision to go +2 wraps. I did really like the feel of the Tensei Blue, it felt a little more responsive than the HZRDUS Smoke does, so that'd be my only question mark if I did it again. The shaft choice may be something to address down the road. But as I mentioned above, a good swing makes the ball fly far and straight, so I'm still loving the current combo.
As far as fairways hit, I don't hit many. But most of my misses are a few yards left or right. In the three 18-hole rounds I've played with the Epic Flash so far, I can't recall having a terrible second shot on any hole because of my drive. That's a major improvement for me.

That was the issue I had with Tensei Blue, it felt whippy. It is definitely the best for my swing out of the other stock options though. I don't load the HZRDUS Smoke enough to get decent efficiency, and it was evident in my fitting because I gained almost 3 mph of clubhead speed on some swings after he built up the Flash. The profile of the Tensei definitely suits me better.

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[PMookie]

I’m curious to see if the SZ testers are seeing some nice dispersion reduction vs current gamers.


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[THEZIPR23]

57 minutes ago, PMookie said:

I’m curious to see if the SZ testers are seeing some nice dispersion reduction vs current gamers.


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My previous gamer was Rogue SZ, so similar profiles. That being said the dispersion is less and the miss hits are better. There has not been one drive that I have thought it should have been in a different place than where it was. I can still miss but even with the miss I am not in major trouble. And I have pretty much eliminated the left miss, something I have been trying to do since I picked up a club.

[PMookie]

My previous gamer was Rogue SZ, so similar profiles. That being said the dispersion is less and the miss hits are better. There has not been one drive that I have thought it should have been in a different place than where it was. I can still miss but even with the miss I am not in major trouble. And I have pretty much eliminated the left miss, something I have been trying to do since I picked up a club.

That’s great to hear! It’s what I saw in my fitting.


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[sirchunksalot]

I’m curious to see if the SZ testers are seeing some nice dispersion reduction vs current gamers.


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Here's what I'm seeing as far as dispersion goes. Arrow is showing a five yard difference between the Sub Zero and the G400 LST. Remember, too, that I haven't exactly had the most repeatable swing since my first round and have been working to find it. For how I've been hitting the ball, I'm impressed.
Sub Zero
Ping

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[sirchunksalot]

I went and played today after work to see if all my range work would reap any benefits. I was only able to play 14 holes, due to having to pick up supper for the family. Fortunately, there's a local course that is under new ownership that has a single price whether you play nine or eighteen.

 

I hit 5/10 fairways and averaged 215 off the tee. For any of you who follow me on Arccos, you know my average drive is around 200. I've struggled with my swing, hitting down on the ball and having several pop up. It took a few holes to really get the handle on what I needed to do, as I had adjusted the loft down to 9.5 to see how that worked out.

 

My shot of the day came on the 250 yard par 4 12th.

Keep in mind, I was playing into a 15-20 mph wind. I striped my drive, a nice fade.

I landed just short of the green, but this was the closest I've come to driving it. It wasn't my longest drive of the day, but the Epic Flash still got me 221 into a head wind.

We're supposed to be getting storms the next few days, so this weekend is pretty much a no go, but I'm really excited about what I'm seeing.

 

 

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[ole gray]

I'm enjoying the info coming out of this group!  Keep up the great work guys..... 

[goaliewales14]

On 4/9/2019 at 1:21 PM, yungkory said:

On the bottom, they’ve shortened the adjustable weight track and painted it quite possibly the ugliest color combination I have ever seen.

(Sorry guys just getting to this review)  Could not agree more with this comment!!  I'll be curious if you guys get used to the sound as well.  For me this driver did perform, but I couldn't look at it or hit it without cringing each time. 

[yungkory]

Flash is still going DEEP and I like how little curvature there is on my ball now. I'm not used to it not moving left, and I need to adjust my aim a little now. I'm pretty sure I can just take aim dead center and with the weight in the toe the ball will start right and baby draw back towards center. If it doesn't, hopefully at worst I'll be right edge depending on fairway width.

I didn't have Arccos up today because it didn't have the correct yardages and par numbers, and I got butthurt and turned it off. Hit 4/6 fairways and one of the misses was a bomb down the left that kicked further left than I think it should've ended.

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[sirchunksalot]

(Sorry guys just getting to this review)  Could not agree more with this comment!!  I'll be curious if you guys get used to the sound as well.  For me this driver did perform, but I couldn't look at it or hit it without cringing each time. 

The sound definitely takes some getting used to but I don't find it as bad as when I got it. I guess it helps that my previous gamer, before the Ping, was a TaylorMade Burner Superfast 2.0 and I was accustomed to a tinny sound.

I'm contractually obligated to not like the color scheme since my wife is from the Chicago area. I love the look of the crown when it's behind the ball, the colors are pretty subtle there so I don't notice them.

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[yungkory]

The sound definitely takes some getting used to but I don't find it as bad as when I got it. I guess it helps that my previous gamer, before the Ping, was a TaylorMade Burner Superfast 2.0 and I was accustomed to a tinny sound.

I'm contractually obligated to not like the color scheme since my wife is from the Chicago area. I love the look of the crown when it's behind the ball, the colors are pretty subtle there so I don't notice them.

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With the amount of comments I'm reading about the sound it's really making me wonder if I ever hit the middle lol. I really don't think it sounds that loud/bad but I know this is a personal thing.

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