Callaway EPIC Forged Driver Review

All of our customers EPIC Forged drivers have shipped!  Today i decided to take the wraps off of mine which is shafted with the new Fujikura Evolution IV 569 in stiff flex.   Follow the jump for my first impressions after some range time and a very wet 9 holes.  Follow the Jump…

I am familiar with the EPIC Star and the Sub Zero Callaway drivers as they were sent to us for testing by one of our vendors.  All around they are good clubs but I do not see any gain in my driving distance as others are reporting across the web.  Basically what we have here is an epic designed for better feel and it does an outstanding job at that.   It’s a little softer,  more crunchy and you can feel it grab the ball before letting it go.

Forgiveness is similar to the Epic Star,  it is more forgiving than the sub zero version and not as workable.   The FORGED model has a slightly higher launch than the sub zero and seems to stay straighter.   That said many of our testers who play a natural draw were able to cut this one and draw with ease so its design does not really cater to the outside in player vs the inside out player.

This club does have a draw bias,  it does not feature an adjustable loft/lie angle which is a big plus to me.  I never cared for adjustable hosels.  At address, the face looks a little closed to my eye.  The Chevron logo and those other crown accents need to go.  its all a bit cheesy.  So why are people going crazy over these?  I think its because it is FORGED and features an SP700 face which is about the best you can do on a driver nowadays along with DAT55G.

The Evolution IV shaft by Fujikura is a stud,  it keeps the trajectory mid/high the spin down and squares the club face up really easily.  for faster tempos and people who need a stiffer tip go up in flex or to the 661.  The Evolution IV series is one of the best tech and material shafts you can buy for the money.

All in all, I felt this is just another good driver,  the distance is on par with other top clubs we review and feel is really good.   It’s forgiving no doubt but does it really feel like a Japanese driver?  Yes and No is the answer to that.  the face and sound seem JDM but the look of it is totally not.  I think that the buzz around this club is raising expectations to a level that it can’t reach.  It reminds me of the EPIC star with a nice feel and sound and tilted to the average player over the senior player.  In my opinion, if they just released this club in the USA all black without any alignment on the top it would be more appealing.

I do like the shape of address and the face,  this club would be a top contender if not for the aesthetics.  Hope you enjoyed my quick impressions.