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Epon AF-901 driving iron (19 degrees, Mach Tech UT370 S-Flex Shaft)

The Epon AF-901 is the next generation of hybrid clubs. Referred to as a “driving iron”, this club is unlike any other type of club on the market. This club sits on the ground just like a regular iron, which is a major plus when it comes to aiming. I like the thin top line and wide bottom sole is visible when the club head rests on the turf. If an oversized iron head but on some weight, it would look like this. When you set the club down behind a ball, this club actually looks as though it has way more loft than it actually does. This is makes it look like a very easy club to hit, which it is. If you can’t get a ball off the ground with this club, I don’t know if there is a club out there for you. I noticed that the ball jumped up in the air very quickly after impact. Even slightly down hill lies were not a problem. The high trajectory I got with this club allowed me to attack some flag sticks from new distances. It does however favor a slightly drawing ball flight. I had to work very hard to try to get the ball to fade. If you are looking to play a fade, this club may not be your top choice. This club is definitely friendly to off center hits. Balls struck on the lower half of the club face still somehow managed to get good air time. The compact head design allows the club to flow through various lies from the rough. I also found it surprisingly easy to pick a clean shot out of a fairway bunker with this driving iron. This would be one club I can very proudly recommend to anyone.

Rating Scale

Aesthetics
I loved the way this club sat on the ground. It has a very unique designed head which, I believe the majority of the golf population will like. It also looks like it is easy to hit, which it is. This club will make you believe you can hit a solid shot before you swing it.
Rating – 4.5

Feel
This club felt solid and gave me feedback right at impact. It is not the softest feeling, but it made me feel like I really hit something. It felt very hot coming off of the club face, but lets the golf ball land very softly into greens. Rating - 4



Forgiveness
This “driving iron” was very friendly to off center hits. I was able to get the ball off of the ground very quickly off of many situations. I was able to get good trajectory on the ball even on slightly down hill lies. Rating – 4

Distance
This club produced a nice and high trajectory consistently. The distance I got out of this club was about the same as a traditional 5 wood. I did have a hard time keeping the ball low, so into the wind I saw a significant loss in distance Rating– 3.75

Accuracy
This club allowed me to hit a slight draw every time. I was able to hit targets with a draw every time, but I did have a hard time trying to shape a fade. I did like how I was able to get a consistent ball flight every time. Rating - 4

Overall Rating -4.05

Thanks for the great review. I was wondering...what type of shaft would go best and which one would you recommend?

Sorry for the late reply on this. This was one club where I really liked the stock MachLine UT370 shafts that came with it. The MachLine graphite shafts are a bit on the weak side as far as flex goes, but I was really able to feel the club head throughout my swing with this shaft. (which I like) I have not found a shaft that goes better with this club as of yet. If I come across one I will post it right away. If you feel like you are feeling too much weight in the head, I would recommend trying out the Fujikura Rombax series shafts. They have a full line made for utility clubs and a selection of slightly heavier shafts as well.

Any comments, questions, concerns, just let me know. Thanks.