Callaway Epic Forged Irons

[Iceman!]

No idea, I have zero inside information on future Callaway releases, but it would not surprise me to see an update to the Rogue line in 2020 or possibly a new line that is priced $200-300 less than the Apex line. A Pro model, a GI and an SGI around the $800-1000 price point would make sense.

I was think more about all of the Iron lines and the confusion for the consumer or maybe it's like General Motors
Cadillac, Buick and Chevy with models in each line.

 

[McLovin]

I know that was a mistype, but I so want there to be a bro model instead of a pro model... like each club has a bottle opener on the back of the club and maybe each club is a different letter of the greek alphabet instead of a number?

lmao i thought the same thing!!!


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[mancest]

I was think more about all of the Iron lines and the confusion for the consumer or maybe it's like General Motors
Cadillac, Buick and Chevy with models in each line.

It is interesting and only tangentially related to this topic, but there are a couple ways of doing it. Callaway like most other OEMs has all their clubs (except putters) under the same brands, then has different lines as you mention.

for Woods they seem to have slotted it down to (Epic and Rogue) and Irons they seem to have more with Epic being the ultra premium line, Apex being the flag ship, Bertha as the super game improvement and Rogue as the more the entry level line that covers the most golfers.

There are other methods of doing this (there is another OEM that has its GI and SGI lines and putter wedges under one brand, its premium clubs under another and then its general to players clubs under another.

There are pluses and minuses to both, but my guess is that the "lunatic fringe" as forum members of THP have been dubbed will be able to distinguish between the lines under the same brand, while the general consumer is going to recognize the brand only and won't really care which model or which line they are purchasing, but will look for a price point that fits their budget and clubs that fit their eye.

This is all total speculation based on a few conversations and many hours on this message board.

Back to Epic Forged!

 

[radiman]

lmao i thought the same thing!!!


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I say we petition Callaway to release the Bro model. The set can come with a free tank top and gym membership.

 

[Snickerdog]

I say we petition Callaway to release the Bro model. The set can come with a free tank top and gym membership.

:laughing:

 

[aljaklaw]

It is interesting and only tangentially related to this topic, but there are a couple ways of doing it. Callaway like most other OEMs has all their clubs (except putters) under the same brands, then has different lines as you mention.

for Woods they seem to have slotted it down to (Epic and Rogue) and Irons they seem to have more with Epic being the ultra premium line, Apex being the flag ship, Bertha as the super game improvement and Rogue as the more the entry level line that covers the most golfers.

There are other methods of doing this (there is another OEM that has its GI and SGI lines and putter wedges under one brand, its premium clubs under another and then its general to players clubs under another.

There are pluses and minuses to both, but my guess is that the "lunatic fringe" as forum members of THP have been dubbed will be able to distinguish between the lines under the same brand, while the general consumer is going to recognize the brand only and won't really care which model or which line they are purchasing, but will look for a price point that fits their budget and clubs that fit their eye.

This is all total speculation based on a few conversations and many hours on this message board.

Back to Epic Forged!

don't forget the X series line and Strata

 

[Bryndom]

These clubs just went on pre-sale, yet, I’m surprised more people aren’t posting videos of reviews or fittings like TXG did (which was an awesome review).

I’ll be interested to see how things shape out as more people get their hands on them

 

[Tenputt]

I just got back from hitting the 7 iron at my local PGA Superstore. They did not have many shaft options. I tried an XP 95 stiff and a Project X LZ 95 6.0. The launch was high, given the strong loft. The spin was crazy low for me. The store’s monitors did not give descent angle, which was disappointing. The carry was very long, as we all have heard. They felt great. It’s going to be an interesting release to watch.

 

[Molten]

I just got back from hitting the 7 iron at my local PGA Superstore. They did not have many shaft options. I tried an XP 95 stiff and a Project X LZ 95 6.0. The launch was high, given the strong loft. The spin was crazy low for me. The store’s monitors did not give descent angle, which was disappointing. The carry was very long, as we all have heard. They felt great. It’s going to be an interesting release to watch.

Lower spin than your many, many sets? Any close comparisons?

 

[Tenputt]

Lower spin than your many, many sets? Any close comparisons?

My many, many sets... Hilarious!!! I didn’t give it a real thorough workout, but the closest comparison I would make based on my few swings this evening would be a lower spinning F9 iron, with much better feel.

 

[Molten]

My many, many sets... Hilarious!!! I didn’t give it a real thorough workout, but the closest comparison I would make based on my few swings this evening would be a lower spinning F9 iron, with much better feel.

I like the better feeling part. Dislike the lower spinning.

 

[jim54]

looks like I will not do the demo today, booked the demo prior to booking the actual golf and I doubt we will play a 3 hr round. might reschedule for next weekend.

 

[McLovin]

My many, many sets... Hilarious!!! I didn’t give it a real thorough workout, but the closest comparison I would make based on my few swings this evening would be a lower spinning F9 iron, with much better feel.

was it about the same size as the f9? how was the offset?

i’m getting a real tmb vibe from the black part on the back. i think the tmb is a beautiful iron, and this looks great too.


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[HarryPotter]

was it about the same size as the f9? how was the offset?

i’m getting a real tmb vibe from the black part on the back. i think the tmb is a beautiful iron, and this looks great too.


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With the lofts what they are , I’m thinking maybe the 4 and 5 epic forged could make great long iron / driving irons coupled with the apex for me. Pretty much 3/4 iron ... don’t know if I can do the lower spinning in the whole set.

Could look really badass with the smoke apex....


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[chriso97]

I love the look of these.

And I just watched the txg video, all I can say is WOW ... Would be interested to see how this compares to my apex pros. I have a feeling they would be more suitable for me (and I love my apex pros)



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[mikeg_74]

The excitement for these is high (as it should be), but the Steelfiber pairing is a head scratcher. I know these are the “FC” version, but they’ve usually played very harsh for me.

I know listening to the podcast any shaft is available at no up charge and hopefully those who buy these get fit because it would suck if someone dropped the coin on these without swinging the steelfiber pairing.

 

[Tenputt]

was it about the same size as the f9? how was the offset?

i’m getting a real tmb vibe from the black part on the back. i think the tmb is a beautiful iron, and this looks great too.


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To me, the profile, size, etc. was very much like the og Epic iron (not the Pro). However, it looks so much better. I can see where you might see the resemblance to the TMB. I wish I had spent more time looking at it closely and taking some photos. I was in a bit of a hurry and just took 10 or 15 swings and was on my way.

 

[mpeterson]

The excitement for these is high (as it should be), but the Steelfiber pairing is a head scratcher. I know these are the “FC” version, but they’ve usually played very harsh for me.

I know listening to the podcast any shaft is available at no up charge and hopefully those who buy these get fit because it would suck if someone dropped the coin on these without swinging the steelfiber pairing.

The tip on the FC is much more active. These feel smoother than the i series.

 

[radiman]

Alright. I got a chance to go in and hit the demo 7 iron. They only had the steelfiber stiff shaft for me. Felt alright but a little light and not quite as stable as I'd like. But, it was too far off.

Their LM didn't seem to be lined up quite right and it was hard for me to figure out which way straight was, so keep that in mind when looking at my wide dispersion

Didn't have time to hit it against my 7 iron as I was not in the market to buy and didn't want to take up too much of their time as there were a couple people looking to get in and hit some stuff.

In terms of feel, I thought they felt softer than what I was expecting. Not as dull as a traditional Forged design. But, not as clicky and hollow as say a Ping i500. The ball really felt like it exploded off the face. Very powerful feel.

Looks are pretty nice too. It's thicker than what I'm currently playing, but it's also in a much different category. The top line is surprisingly thin vs other distance clubs. Didn't have time to take pics, but there already some good ones here.

My current 7 iron would be my 180-185 club, while my 6 iron would be 200-205. On my best strikes, this was carrying as far as my 5 iron. Since I don't have a lot of time on LM's in the past, I'm not sure what spin and decent angles I'd expect to see with my 7. I suspect the spin is a great deal less with the Epic Forged.

I talked to them about getting an hour on their LM to get some baseline numbers so I have an idea what to expect at the Grandaddy this December. Hopefully I'll get in the next week or two and would be able to provide a better comparison at that time.

Anyways, my numbers are below. Dispersion was wonky as I struggled to find the LM's center line. Also, this has no real club data. With the pre - defined smash being what it is, I think it's putting my swing speed higher than it actually is. Given how this club felt at Impact, I'd be shocked if the real smash wasn't higher.

Also, the label was left at what the last customer was testing.

I'll add this. These aren't going to be a fit for me as the distance gain is actually too much. But, I'm super excited at the possibility of the 4 iron replacing my X Forged UT 3 iron.

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[McLovin]

radi- am i reading that right? it’s 35 yards longer in carry than your gamer 7i?!


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[radiman]

radi- am i reading that right? it’s 35 yards longer in carry than your gamer 7i?!


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It would seem to be on its best strikes. But, I'd really have to get it in a LM to confirm.

Average would be about 20-25 yards longer.

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[McLovin]

It would seem to be on its best strikes. But, I'd really have to get it in a LM to confirm.

Average would be about 20-25 yards longer.

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pretty cool that you’re seeing exactly what dnevs said in the podcast.


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[radiman]

pretty cool that you’re seeing exactly what dnevs said in the podcast.


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I'm honestly in awe. I mean, if you are a guy looking to gain a ton of yards, which a lot of people are, these babies deliver.

I'm sitting here trying to envision what my bag would look like if I had a set like this. Honestly, I'd probably stop at a 6 iron, maybe go from 5 iron right to 3 wood. Maybe add a hybrid? I don't know, lol.

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[clarkgriswold]

Headed up to the demo day to check out the epic flash irons and hybrids today. I'll seperate the feedback into their respective threads.

Epic Forged Irons.

Gave these a shot today and tried them against the Apex Forged. It was an outside demo day so was able to hit off the grass. It was pretty busy so I wanted to be respectful of their time, since I'll have my chance in December, and others were waiting.

They had the full kit straight off the presses so I gave the steel fibers a go in the Xflex. Two things were immediately noticeable. They were light, and I could immediately pickup the added shaft length on the 7 iron. The club itself did feel pretty good, but i was definitely have trouble finding the center of the face. Most likely due to several factors (mainly me) but I wouldn't take my 30 minutes as any reflection of their performance, I'm sure if there was more time to dial in the lie angle I would have had better results.

For me the flight was really high and long, I think many people will like the gains. There was a guy next to me probably in his late 60s-early 70s, and he was chatting with the fitter and he mentioned he usually hit his 7 iron about 130-135ish. He was on the trackman and the rep said, "Well you just carried that one 155". Take it for what you will, but he seemed happy with the result.

Some visual thoughts, the offset wasn't as much as I was expecting, it was a bit more than I like but nothing that would put me off. Super shiny chrome, fresh out of the box, if you like that, you'll like these, overall fit and finish was nice. Also they came with Callaway branded GP align grips, so if that's your thing you'll like these too.

One thing I noticed was that the back/bottom black piece does go around the sole of the club, and there is groove that picked up quite a bit of dirt, nothing a tee wouldn't solve, but if you take deep divots a towel might not be enough.

I definitely would like to try these in a steel shaft similar to what I play to see how the differences were. In the steel fiber setup they were just too light for my liking, and when i tried the Apex in my normal shaft they felt a bit better.

Here are bunch of pics.

 

[McLovin]

they look beautiful in those pics! good thoughts clark. curious to see whether any of our guys get fit to these in december.


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