Callaway Epic Forged Irons

[HackerFish]

IMO, this club really points to the flaws in how we evaluate clubs. Having some pro hit balls repeatedly in the center and giving his evaluation doesn't add much. Having amateurs say that "this club with a 7 on the bottom of it goes further than this other club with a 7 on it" doesn't add much value either.

The youtubers should intentionally hit the ball high and low, in and out to check variation versus a center hit. Based on what I am reading, this club would do very well in that test.

The amateurs should pick a few distances. Say 150 and 175 and see if the new club set lets them more accurately get that distance than their current one regardless of which number you are using. Based on what I am reading, the accuracy at those distances with the epic forged would be improved for a lot of people but only due to the off center hits and not due to the fact that a 5 is now a 7.

Of course, all of that is a pain in the ass in practice, which is why people don't do it.

 

[jubess]

I may just order a set blind, got them built and I will call my Callaway guy Tuesday from chile and see what he can do as far as delivery time.
I have a lot of experience with steetfiber i95 so these fc 90 should be a decent fit and I suspect will play a bit softer than the i95 stiff which I had to soft step to make work.

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I recommend you call Discount Dan’s before you Er. I ordered a set and saved a TON! Set arrives Tuesday.

 

[tomcat]

I'm of the mindset that if I can get a set gapped properly, I don't care what the number on the club says. If I need my 150 yard club, I'm reaching for my 150 yard club. I've never encountered a spot where I'm required to only hit a 9 iron. No, I just need a 125 yard club, regardless what the number on the club says.

 

[Bryndom]

I recommend you call Discount Dan’s before you Er. I ordered a set and saved a TON! Set arrives Tuesday.

Let us know how they look/perform!

Surprised Discount Dan's already had some at discount given they just came out..

 

[Wildcat]

I'm of the mindset that if I can get a set gapped properly, I don't care what the number on the club says. If I need my 150 yard club, I'm reaching for my 150 yard club. I've never encountered a spot where I'm required to only hit a 9 iron. No, I just need a 125 yard club, regardless what the number on the club says.

This is my mindset currently. I ordered a blind set and picked them up yesterday. Had to work yesterday but will definitely hit the range this afternoon.

I ordered the same specs as my Apex irons (with the Catalyst 80 stiff shafts). Visually standing over the clubs they look very similar although the top line of the Epic is thicker (but not by much). The standard lengths and lofts are very different when looking at a 7 vs 7. But that doesn't bother me.

What I'm looking for is less dispersion on all shots, from all distances. My guess is that I don't need to work the ball as much as I think. My go to shot is a draw with my irons. Problem is it doesn't all always draw (25%) or I pull or hook it (5%). If these are going to give me more confidence hitting the ball straighter, I'm thinking I'll hit more greens, even with miss hits.

We will see, if they don't work, I can always go back to a set of the Apex. But that's why golf is fun.

 

[McLovin]

I'm of the mindset that if I can get a set gapped properly, I don't care what the number on the club says. If I need my 150 yard club, I'm reaching for my 150 yard club. I've never encountered a spot where I'm required to only hit a 9 iron. No, I just need a 125 yard club, regardless what the number on the club says.

you stop with your logic and reason. you stop it right now!

but yeah, you're 100% correct here. a set like this could certainly cause some gapping issues at the bottom depending on which set the buyer is transitioning from. but that could be said of any number of sets. i know i've picked up some yards with my cf19, and i'm having to cover a wider range of distances with my aw vs my next club at 56*.

 

[Iceman!]

Got to be honest, really interested in these irons.
Could be a set I could own for awhile and change out the shafts as I "age"

 

[Bryndom]

yeah, these are so very tempting... i have a garage of old stuff I can use the trade in stuff from Callaway but tempted to wait until next year (though the trade in prices will come down) and I get the 50% add on for Trade Ins and there may be a few sets in CPO....

Decisions, decisionss...

 

[BigDill]

I ordered the same specs as my Apex irons (with the Catalyst 80 stiff shafts).

Really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this combination, as it would be my preferred choice without the benefit of having a fitting.

 

[Iceman!]

So are these irons a little "Flatter" than Rogue X i.e. EF at 61* and Rogue X at 62.5*?
Offset is more on EF .33* vs. .27* for a 7i

 

[zbeekner4]

Got my first look at the Epic Forged Irons yesterday in the PGA superstore. Was pleasantly surprised with the thin top line. This is the apex pro PW on the left and Epic PW on the right. I will say that once you get to the 7iron, the irons get slightly larger but I was impressed overall.

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[Snickerdog]

Got my first look at the Epic Forged Irons yesterday in the PGA superstore. Was pleasantly surprised with the thin top line. This is the apex pro PW on the left and Epic PW on the right. I will say that once you get to the 7iron, the irons get slightly larger but I was impressed overall.

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Both look great!!! However, the minimal offset on the Apex is more appealing.

 

[jim54]

So doing some far away hotel noodling (in chile) of the set and if the distance gains are in the 10 yd range (thinking conservatively) since I already play the .50 over and my APEX pros are all adjusted 2* strong. So the tech in the head is going to have to be what gives me the distance not loft or length imo.

I could drop the 11 wood and go 5-AW and cover pretty much everything, expecting to hit more greens (ha) takes away the need for more wedges

 

[Tenputt]

So doing some far away hotel noodling (in chile) of the set and if the distance gains are in the 10 yd range (thinking conservatively) since I already play the .50 over and my APEX pros are all adjusted 2* strong. So the tech in the head is going to have to be what gives me the distance not loft or length imo.

I could drop the 11 wood and go 5-AW and cover pretty much everything, expecting to hit more greens (ha) takes away the need for more wedges

It would be fun to see comparisons by people in your situation in real playing conditions, as opposed to dry ball data. In the end, I doubt you would see much more than 10 yards difference, but the issue would be whether the 10 yards are easy to gain and the dispersion remains as good as or better.

 

[jim54]

Callaway is making this easy, I sure wish I had taken the time to demo them so I could be more confident in the shaft choice.

But if I order before Thursday they are offering a 50% trade bonus...

So pull the trigger with the steelfiber 90 or Catalyst 100, tough choice and whichever one I make I would always wonder about the other one. And of course no way to try them before Thursday in Chile...

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[Scrap22]

I hit these yesterday. PGA tour SS had the Callaway rep there, but unfortunately he didnt have the entire fitting cart, only a couple shafts at standard length. The issue I thought may surface was the shaft length. I stuggled finding good hand position on the longer shaft compared to my shorter, fitted shafts I play. The good news is that there is a demo day happening this Saturday and the Callaway rep (very cool guy) said he would have everything there. I will be headed there Saturday.

My first thoughts seeing and hitting in person:

- The heads are smaller than I expected. WIth all the tech packed into these, I guess I expected a slightly bigger head. Not really the case.
- Club is really good looking in person.
- I hit my 7 iron (Mizuno JPX 900 HM) 5-6 shots to get a gauge on what the monitor was reading for yardage/height, etc. All good shots and made me feel good about comparing initially.
- As mentioned, I struggled finding center of club because of the longer shaft. Seemed to be fat or skinny on the first shots. I tried to adjust and hit a some ok and some decent. Again, I am very much looking forward to hitting Saturday when he will have different shaft lengths.
- Since I was having issues, this actually gave me a really good sense of what mis-hits would be like. Bottomline, yardage and dispersion was not bad at all. Very forgiving. Trust me, I explored the entire face of that club and ball speeds, distance and dispersion was very good.
- The loft decrease was definitely noticable, but something about the head makes it very minimal impact on thoughts.
- Carry on my 7 iron was between 150-155 and the Epic Forged was 15-20 yards longer, even with less than perfect strikes.
- The telling story (and determining factor of if I will pull the trigger on these) will be trying my shaft specs in these on Saturday. I am defintiely encouraged that these are a possibility.
- The forgiveness is clearly there, It will just be a decision based on performance gains with appropriate shaft length and not just a distance gain at the expense of consistent lesser yardages with reliable dispersion.

Have a great week.

 

[RNG]

Can they not be ordered with shorter shafts and have the swing weight adjusted appropriately???

 

[Snickerdog]

I hit these yesterday. PGA tour SS had the Callaway rep there, but unfortunately he didnt have the entire fitting cart, only a couple shafts at standard length. The issue I thought may surface was the shaft length. I stuggled finding good hand position on the longer shaft compared to my shorter, fitted shafts I play. The good news is that there is a demo day happening this Saturday and the Callaway rep (very cool guy) said he would have everything there. I will be headed there Saturday.

My first thoughts seeing and hitting in person:

- The heads are smaller than I expected. WIth all the tech packed into these, I guess I expected a slightly bigger head. Not really the case.
- Club is really good looking in person.
- I hit my 7 iron (Mizuno JPX 900 HM) 5-6 shots to get a gauge on what the monitor was reading for yardage/height, etc. All good shots and made me feel good about comparing initially.
- As mentioned, I struggled finding center of club because of the longer shaft. Seemed to be fat or skinny on the first shots. I tried to adjust and hit a some ok and some decent. Again, I am very much looking forward to hitting Saturday when he will have different shaft lengths.
- Since I was having issues, this actually gave me a really good sense of what mis-hits would be like. Bottomline, yardage and dispersion was not bad at all. Very forgiving. Trust me, I explored the entire face of that club and ball speeds, distance and dispersion was very good.
- The loft decrease was definitely noticable, but something about the head makes it very minimal impact on thoughts.
- Carry on my 7 iron was between 150-155 and the Epic Forged was 15-20 yards longer, even with less than perfect strikes.
- The telling story (and determining factor of if I will pull the trigger on these) will be trying my shaft specs in these on Saturday. I am defintiely encouraged that these are a possibility.
- The forgiveness is clearly there, It will just be a decision based on performance gains with appropriate shaft length and not just a distance gain at the expense of consistent lesser yardages with reliable dispersion.

Have a great week.

Good info!!!!

 

[Scarnici]

Was able to spend some time with these today and boy are they a gorgeous club. The package looks incredible. Im sure it has been said before but size wise they seemed to fall right in between the Apex and the Apex pros.
Feel was great. I only hit the stock shaft and the extra length just did not work for me. I was finding the middle of the club face but I had a hell of a time launching the 7 iron like I should be able too. The forgiveness is real with this set and I proved that to myself today. I would love to give these a shot with a shorter shaft. Im sure at some point I will

 

[Scrap22]

Can they not be ordered with shorter shafts and have the swing weight adjusted appropriately???

You can get any spec on shafts. It is just the 'stock' shafts that are longer and that is what I was struggling with. I am short and ny irons are 1/2" short. This what was so good for me when I finally got fit for irons a few years back. I didnt have to keep guessing on where my grip should be on the shaft. Hitting these stock shafts reminded me of when I hit 'off the rack' irons. The Callaway rep was really cool and he gave me confidence that by visiting him with his entire fitting cart would give a better picture for me on what these beasts can do. It just goes to show that there really is no substitute for not being fit.

This is the curse of being short (along with not being able to slam a basketball or get **** from high cabinets without ladder) is that the shaft lengths are super critical for me personally to feel comfortable.

 

[Wildcat]

Went to the range last night with my new set 4-AW w Catalyst 80 stiff flex shafts. My previous irons were the Apex CF 19 (PW - 3) with the exact same shafts but I have hit or played the Rogue Pro (AW - 4), Rogue X (4,5,6 irons) and Epic (4,5,6 irons) in the past. Here are my first impressions:

Looks: These irons are just smoke. Beautiful. The top line is thinner than I expected. It is very close to the Apex. These look more like a players iron than a game improvement iron when standing over the ball.

Sound and Feel: The sound and feel is good but not as good as the Apex for me. I would say that the sound and feel compares favorably with the Rogue Pros. Personally, sound and feel are not at the top of the list of importance for me but if it is these may not be for you. They feel and sound better than the previous Epics or something like the Rogue X but these are are not the same as the Apex.

Distance: I know I know. Super jacked lofts. But there is no comparison. This set is almost like a combo set for me. AW - 7 and 6 - 4 felt different to me. AW - 7 all flew high and with so much carry (about a club and half more). 6 - 4 are just straight rocket launchers (more carry but lower ball flight than I'm used to). I tried to flight these highers but was just unable to. This might be a problem with my swing or just the first time out with the clubs. My concern is holding greens but can't determine that at the range (going to try to get out after work and tee it up tonight). The 4 iron was hard to hit at first off the turf, but off a tee this thing is for sure my driving iron of the future. Couldn't believe the distance.

Forgiveness: I don't believe there is a comparison. I hit a lot of balls yesterday and did not hook one. This is not the norm for me. Draws seem to straighten out mid flight. The dispersion was just amazing both distance and left/right.

Workability: Similar to the Distance portion. AW -7 are much more workable than the 6 - 4. Again I found these to not be as workable as the Apex.

I was not able to determine spin and the ability to hold greens without getting out to the course, which I hope to today. Overall I'm really excited. It takes me a while to get comfortable with irons and these will be no different. I will have to change my course management with these irons I feel. I'm thinking it will be for the better.

Will try my best to answer any questions about these irons.

 

[Wildcat]

I hit these yesterday. PGA tour SS had the Callaway rep there, but unfortunately he didnt have the entire fitting cart, only a couple shafts at standard length. The issue I thought may surface was the shaft length. I stuggled finding good hand position on the longer shaft compared to my shorter, fitted shafts I play. The good news is that there is a demo day happening this Saturday and the Callaway rep (very cool guy) said he would have everything there. I will be headed there Saturday.

My first thoughts seeing and hitting in person:

- The heads are smaller than I expected. WIth all the tech packed into these, I guess I expected a slightly bigger head. Not really the case.
- Club is really good looking in person.
- I hit my 7 iron (Mizuno JPX 900 HM) 5-6 shots to get a gauge on what the monitor was reading for yardage/height, etc. All good shots and made me feel good about comparing initially.
- As mentioned, I struggled finding center of club because of the longer shaft. Seemed to be fat or skinny on the first shots. I tried to adjust and hit a some ok and some decent. Again, I am very much looking forward to hitting Saturday when he will have different shaft lengths.
- Since I was having issues, this actually gave me a really good sense of what mis-hits would be like. Bottomline, yardage and dispersion was not bad at all. Very forgiving. Trust me, I explored the entire face of that club and ball speeds, distance and dispersion was very good.
- The loft decrease was definitely noticable, but something about the head makes it very minimal impact on thoughts.
- Carry on my 7 iron was between 150-155 and the Epic Forged was 15-20 yards longer, even with less than perfect strikes.
- The telling story (and determining factor of if I will pull the trigger on these) will be trying my shaft specs in these on Saturday. I am defintiely encouraged that these are a possibility.
- The forgiveness is clearly there, It will just be a decision based on performance gains with appropriate shaft length and not just a distance gain at the expense of consistent lesser yardages with reliable dispersion.

Have a great week.

I ordered the Epic irons at standard length (as that was what I was fit for in the past). They are not only longer but also feel longer at setup. I found myself choking down on almost all my shots.

 

[McLovin]

Sound and Feel: The sound and feel is good but not as good as the Apex for me. I would say that the sound and feel compares favorably with the Rogue Pros.

first of all, excellent post and feedback! very appreciated as these are definitely interesting to a lot of people.

that said, i don't love reading the above. rogue pro feel was very lacking for me. i enjoy the feel of my apex, but wouldn't kick a little more softness out of bed for eating crackers.

the more i think about these, the less i think they would work for me. but i'll be excited to follow your ongoing feedback.

 

[jim54]

Great feedback and just what I wanted to hear, I actually liked the Rogue pros and seeing you got a club and half with the same shafts is excellent. I am leaning hard towards the steelfiber 90FC to try something different and maybe gain some more height which is always good in the longer irons.

I talked with my cally rep and these are .370 parallel which makes me shy away from the Catalyst since I did not like the feel of the 80 catalyst parallel and figure the 100 maybe the same way.

Now to convince myself this is a good idea before Thursday...

Went to the range last night with my new set 4-AW w Catalyst 80 stiff flex shafts. My previous irons were the Apex CF 19 (PW - 3) with the exact same shafts but I have hit or played the Rogue Pro (AW - 4), Rogue X (4,5,6 irons) and Epic (4,5,6 irons) in the past. Here are my first impressions:

Looks: These irons are just smoke. Beautiful. The top line is thinner than I expected. It is very close to the Apex. These look more like a players iron than a game improvement iron when standing over the ball.

Sound and Feel: The sound and feel is good but not as good as the Apex for me. I would say that the sound and feel compares favorably with the Rogue Pros. Personally, sound and feel are not at the top of the list of importance for me but if it is these may not be for you. They feel and sound better than the previous Epics or something like the Rogue X but these are are not the same as the Apex.

Distance: I know I know. Super jacked lofts. But there is no comparison. This set is almost like a combo set for me. AW - 7 and 6 - 4 felt different to me. AW - 7 all flew high and with so much carry (about a club and half more). 6 - 4 are just straight rocket launchers (more carry but lower ball flight than I'm used to). I tried to flight these highers but was just unable to. This might be a problem with my swing or just the first time out with the clubs. My concern is holding greens but can't determine that at the range (going to try to get out after work and tee it up tonight). The 4 iron was hard to hit at first off the turf, but off a tee this thing is for sure my driving iron of the future. Couldn't believe the distance.

Forgiveness: I don't believe there is a comparison. I hit a lot of balls yesterday and did not hook one. This is not the norm for me. Draws seem to straighten out mid flight. The dispersion was just amazing both distance and left/right.

Workability: Similar to the Distance portion. AW -7 are much more workable than the 6 - 4. Again I found these to not be as workable as the Apex.

I was not able to determine spin and the ability to hold greens without getting out to the course, which I hope to today. Overall I'm really excited. It takes me a while to get comfortable with irons and these will be no different. I will have to change my course management with these irons I feel. I'm thinking it will be for the better.

Will try my best to answer any questions about these irons.

 

[Iceman!]

Something “Epic” happened to me today:

Added a GW as well.
Same shafts as my Rogue X Irons.