It’s time to go Rogue, or perhaps as Callaway is phrasing it, “Think Speed. Go Rogue.”
After a release cycle away, where Callaway introduced the Mavrik lineup, Rogue is back, but if you are thinking it’s just another “off year release” that isn’t Epic, you might want to reassess that.
Callaway is pulling no punches here, and though the Rogue line may have a slightly different target in some respects than Epic, this is still them bringing all of their innovations to the table alongside some new ones.
What better place to start than drivers, so let’s get into it!
While the Rogue name is back, there is no denying a lot has changed. Where metalwoods are concerned, the name of the game is stability, and Callaway is utilizing its most extreme weighting technology combined with every other tech which they have pioneered and continue to evolve.
Foremost, every single club in the new Rogue lineup has a unique A.I. face which now takes even more parameters into consideration like speed, launch, and spin robustness through a new optimization formula which means an even more refined face. Make no mistake, Callaway is not at all exaggerating when they say no one is doing club design like they are, and no one is using A.I. like they are.
These drivers have the most extreme weighting tech the company has ever used in a driver, they are using a “Tungsten Speed Cartridge” which uses up to 26g of MIM’d Tungsten, and folks that is a lot of tungsten. This is placed at the very extreme edge of the driver in order to increase speed on off center hits through “ball speed robustness”, which is fancy for minimizing the loss when you miss. Of course, this also helps with making the head more resistant to twisting.
Each driver is also using the new “Speed Tuned Jailbreak Speedframe” which is like what was used in Epic, except more slender with the same balance and stiffness, though some priority is given to further stiffening the lower part of the head.
Finally, the shaping here is a departure from the Cyclone shaping of the Mavrik release, that has gone in favor of a more rearward CG through the use of a “low tail” which looks pretty familiar to be honest, but this does follow the current trend, so it makes a lot of sense to see. It doesn’t mean Cyclone was wrong, this is just a different way to make things happen. This is part of the unibody frame construction that takes from F1 in the notion of making as much of the head one piece as possible while keeping it smooth and thin. It is finished out in all the Rogue drivers with Triaxial Carbon on both the crown and sole.
Even bolder than the tech perhaps, is that Callaway is bringing four different drivers to the Rogue ST MAX lineup. Yes, four.
Callaway Rogue ST MAX D Driver
This one is the most draw biased of the four drivers, it is the club for those who tend to struggle with a slice and need as much shot shape correction as they can get. This naturally has a draw weighted CG and a closed face orientation with the largest footprint to provide the forgiveness, elevation, and directional correction that golfers need without excessive spin.
The MAX D comes in three lofts (9°, 10.5°, 12°) and utilizes the OptiFit adapter. All three heads are also available in RH and LH.
Rogue ST Max Driver Rogue ST Max Driver
Callaway Rogue ST MAX Driver
This is the “sweetspot” driver of the lineup which will fit the largest number of golfers in the segment. It does have a slight draw bias because, believe it or not, that is what most of us need, and this offers the best combination of forgiveness and distance. The Rogue ST Max has the highest MOI of the four models and is somewhat larger but designed to still fit the eye of even the most discerning golfers.
The MAX has three base loft options (9°, 10.5°, 12°) with each using the OptiFit adapter and being available in both RH and LH.
Rogue ST Max LS Driver Rogue ST Max LS Driver
Callaway Rogue ST MAX LS Driver
Ah yes, the Rogue which is aimed at the slightly better player, the golfer which wants to see the ball go right and left at times and can use a more neutral overall bias to do just that. The MAX LS maintains a very high overall MOI thanks to the Tungsten Speed Cartridge but also keeps a lower launch angle and spin rate than the MAX.
The MAX LS also uses the Callaway OptiFit adapter in two loft options (9° and 10.5°) which also are available in both RH and LH.
Rogue ST Max Triple Diamond LS Driver Rogue ST Max Triple Diamond LS Driver
Callaway Rogue ST Triple Diamond LS
Yes, for those who clamor with every single Callaway metalwood release, for this driver release, the Triple Diamond is a regular part of the lineup. Well, as regular as it can be. The Triple Diamond is a 450cc head making it the smallest of the four and has the lowest spin profile with the most neutral to fade bias of the four options. While it still offers all the design bells and whistles of the others, there is no doubt the Triple Diamond is for the smallest segment.
Availability here is in two lofts (9° and 10.5°) with the OptiFit adapter and in both RH an LH.
While it will come as no surprise, Callaway, through their internal and external testing, believes they have created four drivers that will each lead their specific segment in performance. A bold take, absolutely, but the crew at Callaway have never been short of confidence, which they typically back up well.
The Details
Standard shaft options are as follows:
- Lightweight/Womens – Project X Cypher Black (40g, 50g)
- Mid Offering – Mitsubishi Tensei AV Blue (50g, 60g, 70g)
- Low Offering – Mitsubishi Tensei AV White (60g, 70g, 80g)
The Rogue ST drivers will be priced at $549.99 and hit retail on 2/18/22. Be sure to keep a keen eye on the THP Community as we will have a lot of feedback beginning today as 12 forum members already have these in hand!
I will find the little green piece and weigh it for you tomorrow. I found my post in the second driver thread and never put that detail in there. I should be able to get that for you tomorrow.
Even knowing what’s coming next year from Callaway, It will be tough to replace next year, playing 9* RogueST Max LS ??? had originally bought the triple ? RogueST but it was replaced by the max LS more forgiving and a fairway finder for me, ? sitting in the closet needs a new home.
I know I’m all for testing the new stuff and upgrading if it does better but I’d be hard pressed with the performances I’m seeing of this year’s lineup.
You’ll like, I have the red 64F in mine at 9* D setting green dot adapter. Love it Actually own 2 of them 1” different
that’s similar to what I’mdoing.
6F4, going into the MaxLS at 9 -1/D
testing the GC3 tomorrow, so this will also get tested!
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100% for 18??! Holy cow! Well done!
Yep! ? for 18 holes today! It felt amazing!
death rattle and adapter came loose.
how did this go?
I haven’t done that! Impressive!
Probably a fluke. But I’ll take it that 1 time for sure!
I made some swing tweaks and started focusing on hitting up and swinging hard. Ended up bombing one 292 on the sim which is by far the longest driver I’ve ever had on a simulator…and that’s with the Max…the forgiving driver. Unfortunately I lost the long drive by 1 yard but I’ll take that all day
Impressive increases!
You should have seen the increases from my old driver! I’ll take 250-260 all day with some off swings with this driver. That was about my max distance with my old one
I missed this when you first posted. That’s impressive. My best over the last 2 seasons is 13/14 and I’ve done that 3 times on 3 different courses.
That is awesome! 13/14 3 times on 3 different courses is LEGIT! No wonder you are Mr. Fairway! I don’t think I’ll do that again, but I will sure try!
Well that excites me
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I’m still within the 15 day period with CPO. I’m considering if I want to try an LS, but have 2 questions.
1). how does it compare from a forgiveness perspective.
2) Any significant difference in how a Tensei Blue 55 and 65 other than weight? The LS only comes in the 65 gram version.
Thanks in advance!
i started out in the max last year (i think with the blue 55) but moved into the LS (for no reason at all) and found it to be just as forgiving. it doesn’t matter what a club is designed to do, my swing can negate that so if the LS is less forgiving, i don’t believe it…my longest drives have been with the Max LS (compared to the standard rogue, stealth and LTDx LS). i don’t know what the impact of the 55 vs 65 is so i won’t comment on that. i played the ADHD5S and was really happy with that combo but am currently in the MMT60S and i feel like that might just be better for me…i haven’t re-tipped the ADHD5S to put back into the rogue so once i get around to that, i guess we’ll see…i don’t know if any of this has helped but…yeah.
The thought the LS was less forgiving but I am hitting a cut off the tee. The left misses makes a lot of sense to go with LS. @RealPretendPsychic went ?????? to completely get rid of the left misses.
@mantan I’m a 9ish handicap with a bunch of scores in the 90’s this past season. Aka I’m all over the club face. The triple diamond eliminated the left side for me and allowed me to take advantage of that confidence. Even if I gave up some forgiveness, the triple diamond is plenty forgiving versus the Mavrik driver I had been playing.
9* triple diamond is great for me. Low spin and surprisingly forgiving over the face. Just picking it up after months without swiping, I was hammering it yesterday. I’m not looking to change much, if anything, in the bag this season, but the LS 3D is far and away the most secure club in the bag.
The LS came on in Wednesday. It had a quick range session on Thursday and its first round yesterday. It seems to fit the bill. Nothing hard left. Essentially a small draw or pretty straight. The only drive I hooked was one I just got too quick with. And it was still ‘playable’ not a disaster.
The shafts was fine. Other than being slightly heavier, no big difference. When I got fit for my PXG driver last year, I tend to do better with lighter shafts. They were limited in shafts they had in stock, so I didn’t hit the Tensei there.
I got fit into a Project X Cypher. By pure coincidence (fitter didn’t know), I have that shaft in my Cleveland Halo Hy-wood (18*) and 4H. I absolutely love it in those clubs. It launches long and straight. But after a brief honeymoon period, I couldn’t hit it consistently with a driver. Big hooks or pushes. When I tried to make adjustments, I’d get a big push slice. I was driving myself crazy trying to ‘dial it in’..even after a lesson with my instructor. It was frustrating because I was hitting my other clubs really well (for me.)
It was night and day when I got the Rogue Max in my hand. I don’t think a head would make a huge difference. I just think the Cypher X was a bad fit for me. The Tensei works well, but would love to find that shaft that I KNEW was a good fit.
So, I guess I don’t know what cemented means…
I see you ended up going with the LS and already have a round under your belt with it. I think you’re going to love it. I was fit for the LS to keep the hook shot out of my game. I ended up playing half a season in the Max and the right side of the course (I’m a lefty) was always in my mind. LS takes that out of play for me.
But you will lose a LITTLE forgiveness with the LS. I even went back to the max for a few rounds just to get the forgiveness back when my swing went to crap for a couple weeks this last year.
Overall though, I think you’re going to love the LS
I could see that. The LS is fairly forgiving, but not in the elite tier of REALLY forgiving drivers. I’d been in such a dark place with my driver that it feels like a big improvement.
I mean I think that’s just the trade off for going a little lower spin. But don’t think the LS won’t save your ass most of the time ?
I use the whole face and there are plenty of times the ball is dead straight and hardly moves even from toe and heel shots and still gets an amount of distance it has no right to. I adore my LS and had the best driving of the year (besides those two weeks) with it
I hear ya. My misses yesterday were minor pushes. I can live with those all day long. Hit a couple of toe draws that gave me more distance than I deserved. That’s the main thing I want. The big duck hook or the push slice when I change my swing too much to try to avoid are the ones. When I’m playing well I want the driver to be a weapon, but the main thing I want from it is to ‘do no harm.’
Haha you can share if you want. I just saw it though and congrats!
Guess it’s time to put another golf ball in a glass of bourbon!!
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