“Driver DNA in a Hybrid”
That’s quite the bold claim, but then again, Callaway has never shied away from the bold. If anything, they run headlong into the fray seeking to be the bold.
Two years ago, they did that with the introduction of the Super Hybrid. In 2021, they’re bringing it back, and this time they are throwing everything at it.
2021 Callaway Epic Super Hybrid
The original Super Hybrid was the prime example of, in my opinion, Callaway when they are at their best. A fall release which isn’t attached to any major line and instead can be aimed at a specific segment of golfers, a niche if you will. For the Super Hybrid, it was for better players who wanted a fairway wood replacement with launch and power, but without the left bias that anything other than a utility iron typically carries. The release was a hit, even at the price it came in at, so naturally this time there will be more of everything, more tech, more accessibility, more playability, more distance, and yes, more money.
When I say Callaway is throwing everything at this one, I mean it. Literally every major technical design feature is in play here, in a hybrid. The body remains titanium which is what allows so much to be packed into this one, the material offers strength and stiffness at the lowest possible weight, a key with this kind of speed potential. The face is also titanium with all the A.I. design optimization which Callaway is leads the industry.
Of course, the Jailbreak A.I. Velocity blades are here as well, and with the new angled and widened position within the head it means there is even more allowance for the face to flex and produce massive ball speeds while still keeping the vertical stiffness intact to maximize energy transfer. Add in the Triaxial Carbon crown which puts even more weight savings in play and the most extreme tungsten weighting (up to 90g) Callaway has ever put into a hybrid, literally custom shaped for the head design, then you have the checklist that is unparalleled in the entire segment.
With all the tech, it’s easy to lose sight of some important aspects. First, according to Callaway this is a more robust offering than the first version. There is a higher MOI, more spin potential in the right places, and more overall playability while still holding true to the tenets of the original. Oh, and their internal testing has even shown it to go toe to toe with the rocket launching Epic Speed Fairways, which is crazy to think about.
It is nice that the message here remains, this is a multi-objective club. But to make it more so, they are expanding the loft options from 16° to 27°. Interestingly, Callaway has recognized the different needs within that loft range, so there are two different head and face shapes within the single line. First, the 16° and 18° appeal more as the fairway replacements and as such have more camber across the leading edge as well as a symmetrical looking crown that peaks in the center. On the other hand, the 21°, 24°, and 27° have a squarer toe accompanied by a crown that peaks towards the toe looking more iron like overall. It’s a savvy progression decision which both expands the playability while staying true to its roots.
Naturally, the Opti-Fit 3 adapter is being utilized here as the adjustable sole weight in order to really dial in the club to one’s specific needs. The stock pairing here will be the Aerotech Steelfiber FC Hyrbid shaft in 60g (Light), 70g (R, S), and 80g (X). For initial reference, the 16° plays 41.5” stock, and the 27° at 39”. Additionally, the 18°, 21°, and 24° are also available in LH.
Now, the heavy part of the conversation that will 100% be the conversation driver most focus on, for better or worse. The 2021 Epic Super Hybrid comes with a price tag of $399.99, and no, you did not read that incorrectly. So yes, that is one heck of a price tag, and I won’t sit here and try to get you to rationalize it, but what I will say is there is little doubt this is the most technologically advanced hybrid ever made. Is that worth it? Well, only you can answer that when you get out and hit them to see for yourself. Stay tuned to THP as we will have much more with the new Callaway Epic Super Hybrid to come.
The Details
Availability: 8/26/21 Pre-Order, 9/9/21 Retail
Lofts: 16°, 18°, 21°, 24°, 27°
Shaft: Aerotech Steelfiber FC Hybrid (60g, 70g, 80g)
Price: $399.99
I stupidly forgot my little flight monitor so no numbers for today, but I put probably 25-30 shots on it and never topped one which I’d say is already a massive improvement over my 5W. I could definitely get over the top with it and slice, but overall I was VERY happy with what I saw. I thought it played great off of the tee, and I’m super excited to play a round with it.
I think that the D setting will be beneficial.
The Arcoss smart distance for my 17* super hybrid is 241 yards, which happens to be the same smart distance as the 15* Epic Flash fairway it replaced. Fairway is maybe a touch longer but Super Hybrid is much more consistent.
It definitely feels really good when it comes off the face, but I just have so much spin right now.
I went with the 18° because I was scared to
go with the 16°.
First thoughts when receiving it is it’s beefy and looks more like a compact fairway wood.
Since I’m not a launch monitor guy or even a range guy the first time I swung it was on the course yesterday.
I left the setting at standard and neutral but will more than likely move it to draw and possibly -1 but I wanted to see how it was without adjusting first since I’ve had the dreaded pull hook on hybrids in the past.
Didn’t have an opportunity to use it on the front 9 but I took the plastic off the head walking onto the 10th tee box. I put a nice smooth swing on it that had just a small fade which is the perfect shot for that hole. It probably went 215ish.
Immediately I liked the club.
I’ve been battling a nagging shoulder issue which has been hurting my distance so I didn’t see any crazy numbers but of the 3 swings I made with it yesterday I really like 2 of them. 3rd one was a top that still made it about 110 yards and most importantly went straight.
I’ve struggled with hybrids in the past and the way this one looks at address suits my eye better than what I’ve used before so I will be excited to get some more experience with it.
Thanks again @JasonFinleyCG for the opportunity to try this one out.
View attachment 9052419
View attachment 9052420
That looks so nice! Congrats on the win!
It sounds like a solid first outing with it. I’m looking forward to hearing how it works for you in the future rounds.
Love that you removed the plastic wrapper on the course in the middle of the round. Happy to hear that you like it so far. Best of luck in the future with the hybrid.
Thanks. That’s been a go to move since 2008.
Thanks. This is an opportunity to try a club that I probably wouldn’t have because of the price.
I’ve never gotten along with hybrids in the past so reaching to get one at the normal $279 price point seemed high let alone $399 but there is something about the shape at address that gave me more confidence than what I usually have with hybrids.
Just smile when you play with the hybrid realizing how it made it’s way into your bag. And remember back to the great time we had at the Dream Foursomes.
Whether one pays membership dues or modern, high green and cart fees, there’s no getting out of this game cheaply.
It’s not as egalitarian as it was a few decades ago, and seem to be retreating back toward being an elitist game.
I could be completely wrong. That’s just my strong impression.
Consequently, spending four grand on a set of clubs isn’t that unreasonable compared to all the other expenses of playing.
It’s a lot cheaper than having a motorcycle on which to cruise around, and lots of people have those. Boats, too.
But if you’re the type to do it every two or three years, that becomes a different story.
You need to have a measure of means for that.
If you like the Super Hybrid, consider buying the Super Hybrid. It looks like a great club.
All five are about two grand. Just keep them for a few years.
You went with the 18? right? Did you stick with the steelfiber?
I’m trying to get to an actual range since we’re having a bit of a warm streak, but we’ll see how that goes with work. I really want to see how this stacks up to the UW off the tee. I feel like the UW might be a touch easier off the deck, but in the 16/17? range, it’s mostly a secondary tee shot option for me. They’re both pretty wicked distance wise.
Yes. That is my exact setup. I dropped a flex in the SteelFiber based on my fitting only because of how I swing that particular club which is not real aggressive.
What yardage range are you using this for? I have the 18* also and it’s been so flexible for me that I feel comfortable hitting it anywhere from 225-245. I haven’t had a club I could do that with confidently before.
I was actually thinking about this kind of a setup this week. I really want to try a UW but there’s no way I’m replacing the Super Hybrid. I’m just not sure how well those would work together flipped like that.
In the spot above the 4 iron I am looking for something for long approach shots. Something with a high ball flight and some spin to be able to hold a green. So I’m thinking UW.
In the spot behind driver I’m looking for something that can be a second option off the tee as well as hit as far as possible when I’m a long way out. The lower spin nature of the super hybrid would fit that better.
For me it’s 215 to 225
I will say when I get ahold of this I’m getting about 10-15 yards more. I got one out there 225 yesterday which is far for a guy that only average 225 with his normal driver. I’m going to continue to put some reps in with this thing, but it’s not quite my secret weapon yet.
Saw your post and thought I’d share … I just ordered a left handed 18 degree Callaway Epic Super Hybrid in regular flex, but the shaft I ordered is the new hybrid shaft that’s in the Epic Max Star line (UST MAMIYA ATTAS SPEED SERIES T1100 50 IR/HYB GRAPHITE). I currently have in my bag the Epic Flash Star (d, 3w, 5w, 3-6h) and Epic Forged Star (7-sw) from two years ago, and I’m hoping this shaft will be a good match with the other clubs in my bag AND allow me to pick/choose my set-up depending on the course I’m playing.
Mike
MPM1960
Having the 16? ESH and the 17? UW, I’d say that these have been pretty interchangeable for me. They’re the same length and the ESH is actually a half degree lower lie. The hybrids do get a bit more upright as you ascend the lofts, but you’re talking a fraction of a degree. Same with the length. It’s all pretty close.
This is basically how I’m trying to get my setup as well. Coming from 3 & 4 hybrids, trying to see if the UW options can get me a little diversity from further out. Time will tell. The Super hybrid for me is absolutely a pure distance club. So far it’s still winning, gut the 17? UW is no slouch either.
Can’t wait to hear how it works out for you! I actually went with the Catalyst myself as I’m just not comfortable with steel fiber anything. If the Super Hybrid wins out, I’ll probably take a look at some other options but the Catalyst has been working out great so far.
All I have is super hybrid vs mavrik pro in an earlier post
Makes no difference, at all, as long as the gapping works. I LOVE my 16°. Not a fan of 3-woods.
put a bad move on the first swing but then put two out there past 250 with a piercing draw.
slowly put the club back and repeated that i didn’t need a $400 hybrid that I would use once a round.
Trust me friend, you find reasons to use it more than that. I used this off the tee a lot because I was so good with it. Yes, price is steep but they’ll be hitting CPO at some point in the near future I would think…
thats a good call.
I may mess with shafts here a bit as my swing comes into form for the season, but man this thing is a bomber.
this is good feedback to see. The Super Hybrid is such a beast off the tee but I’ve been very happy with how versatile it was for me last season. I felt like I could use this club anywhere from 225 to 245 yards. That’s a gap I have struggled to fill the last couple of years so it has been huge for me to have that.
Seeing your comment about trying different shafts makes me realize that I never experimented with putting a Fairway wood shaft in this last year. I need to do that at some point to see how it would be off the tee for me on tight courses where I need accuracy that I probably wouldn’t get with my driver.
I think that was what most surprised me. It’s not surprising that I was reasonably comfortable with it off the tee, but I had no qualms whatsoever pulling it out from fairway or the rough as well. Just so easy to hit.
Yeah, I have the same shaft in it now that I have in my Mav hybrids that let me move the ball pretty well without having to swing too hard. I’ve found this combo to launch really well. Off the tee, this club puts me in driver distance ranges when I nail one off the tee. The success I’ve seen in the sim off the deck though makes me hopeful that it’ll get some shots on longer par 5s this year. In all honesty I should probably just leave it as is… But I like to tinker.
I’ve been so tempted to go hit the UW after seeing so much positive feedback about it but I just can’t imagine it would help me any more than what this does. I’m sure I will at some point but right now I just don’t feel the rush to try it because of how good this has been.
This has me intrigued because of the great feedback.
Full faith it’s a boner off the tee and the folks who speak to it‘s ability off the deck are the ones that really have my attention…
It’s good off the tee as you’d expect but it really impresses me off the deck. I have no qualms using this off a tight fairway or the rough. They just nailed this club for me, to be standing 225 out and actually expect to put my shot on the green. The forgiveness is also outstanding. The one swing I took with it in Georgia for the Project X Mizuno experience was chunked to hell, and flew straight as an arrow 200 yards. And when I say chunked I mean divot the size of a beaver ?
I know the UW thread is getting most of the love, but try as I might to oust this one during the offseason with a 17? UW the Super Hybrid just keeps winning. It is exceptional off the tee. I’ve been working with hitting it off the deck a little in the offseason and honestly find it easier than the UW for that as well. Don’t know that it would be very good for me out of the rough at 16? but I’m usually a little gun shy there unless I’ve got a great lie. Will probably keep both in the rotation as the season starts but so far the ESH is in the early lead for me personally.
It was a total monster for me this weekend. As good as I’ve hit a hybrid since the original Super hybrid and I am SO excited about it!!
It’s actually so versatile that I’m thinking about taking my Apex Hybrid out of the bag and using this to cover the 215-245 gap so I can try either a UW or Rogue 3 wood.
How has it been off the deck for you. I’m looking at 5w options and I forgot about this club. I normally use 5w off the deck, and was curious.
It’s been fantastic. I’ve weirdly had better luck off the deck with this than I have any hybrid or fairway wood I’ve had. That’s one of the big reasons I’ve liked it so much is because it’s so easy for me to elevate and hit straight and I’m still getting fairway wood type of distance.
I have struggled with hybrids in the past but this one seems a little different and that would be my primary use, with the exception of really long par 3s (200-220)
I know I’m not normal, but I find the ESH easier to hit off the deck than the UW for some reason. I have no logical explanation, just is what it is. ????