Oh don't get me wrong, really close and shaft dependent
Callaway Epic Speed and Epic Max Drivers and Fairway Woods
Oh don't get me wrong, really close and shaft dependent
jeffrey r
Active member
Another excellent round today with the Epic Max. Hit most fairways, or close to it. This really does avoid big trouble, either left or right. It plays very nicely with the Rogue White 60, so anybody who has that shaft around from the Mavrik days, give it a go with the Epics. YMMV.
I put some impact tape on the Epic Max LS today and was surprised to see my pattern on the low heel side of center. I lived on the high toe with the Mavrik and this would explain why my miss has changed from a hook to a knuckle ball push fade. I used the same Tensei Pro Orange in both heads. I went back to my normal tee height and set up with the ball in the center at address and my pattern shifted towards the middle of the face. I have set up on the heel for quite a while now to avoid the toe hook.
So getting my swing back. Once I get warmed up I am pounding the LS. If I’m not warm it’s a little wonky. I don’t think that’s the head, but the shaft. It’s a stiffer flex this year and once I get loose and am rotating I am hitting it well. I just need to start warming up before I play. I love the driver and when you hit the sweet spot you know it!
Once I figured out my ball position (was playing it waaaaay too far back, thanks first round of the year) I was pleased with the Max LS, and the Speed 3 wood. I will say that the flash face seems to work very well on both. One drive in particular I caught way off the toe, almost missing the face, and I was rewarded with a mid trajectory tight little draw that carried where my good drives with the GBB would. I had two shots off the deck with the 3 wood, and had great distance. One I hit so far off the heel it should have ended right of right, but it stayed straight and got me in position for an up and down par. I need to spend more time with them to get the spring kinks out, but that flash face definitely works as intended.
Ventus Blue... simply amazing!
Ventus Blue... simply amazing!
I thought I saw them on Billy Bobs. But maybe not.
Looks like your best bet would be to procure a 2nd head and borrow the weight from it.
Club Champion has the kits in stock. My fitter used it to dial in my swingweight.
gawd i freaking LOVE the epic max. it is so damn forgiving, isn't draw biased at all for me. i don't mind the shape, and the im10 50s continues to impress. i didn't have a single bad miss with driver all day, and some that were downright beautiful. high and straight. my missed fairways were just off, very playable. so freaking good!
Hoping to go pick up my Epic Max LS this weekend. My first use will be next Tuesday for my first week of golf league. Normally, we'd start the season with a scramble, but apparently we're going straight into regular league play, so it won't be quite so easy going. I guess I better remember everything my coach has taught me! 
The Max LS has solidified it's position. Finally got a round with fairways that were not muddy and decent temps in the upper 60s. Played a relatively short course so only 6 drivers today. However the first hole, slightly downhill with a slightly supporting cross breeze, was a boomer. The longest measured drive I have ever hit: 358 yards. Averaged 302 yards across 6 shots for the day. This thing will be a beast in the drier summer months.
- Staff
- #1,560
I’ve added an Epic Max LS w/ a Patterson Kinetixx Velocity D30 shaft to the bag.
Looking forward to getting back out and putting this combo into play...
First outing with the Epic Speed 9° this morning.
Range time first and it was hitting into a WNW wind at 15-18mph.
Started out with +1/N and felt good but was still a bit lower than I need. Bumped it up to +2/N and boom the flight I was looking for but not ballooning at all. Was holding small draws into the wind with good distance.
First hole I decide on aggressive line to clear the corner of the pond and did so by 20 yards and on edge of fairway nice small draw.
Second hole same small draw left center of the fairway.
I had two fairways today that I went long on but wasn't in trouble.
Only had 2 drives go right on me, one small fade and one that I just got crazy over the top and sliced to the previous fairways (had a good lie for my second shot though)
The stock shaft plays a little bit stiffer than a reg flex to me but feels good.
Overall a good first outing on the course and feel that the Speed is a better driver than the Mavrik SZ for me.
Range time first and it was hitting into a WNW wind at 15-18mph.
Started out with +1/N and felt good but was still a bit lower than I need. Bumped it up to +2/N and boom the flight I was looking for but not ballooning at all. Was holding small draws into the wind with good distance.
First hole I decide on aggressive line to clear the corner of the pond and did so by 20 yards and on edge of fairway nice small draw.
Second hole same small draw left center of the fairway.
I had two fairways today that I went long on but wasn't in trouble.
Only had 2 drives go right on me, one small fade and one that I just got crazy over the top and sliced to the previous fairways (had a good lie for my second shot though
)The stock shaft plays a little bit stiffer than a reg flex to me but feels good.
Overall a good first outing on the course and feel that the Speed is a better driver than the Mavrik SZ for me.
Okay, so I've been experimenting with aftermarket weights in the Epic Speed. The original weight was very light.Shaft is a Riptide 60 at 45 inches. BillyBobs had the 11g weight, ordered it and when installed, the driver was at D7 until I put some lead tape at the bottom of the grip to get it to D6 or so. Thought the shaft might snap with all that weight.
I played 9 holes with it and the driver was extremely straight with distance. But D7 seems heavy for a guy who's had a Ping at D4 for 3.5 yrs.Last week, I ordered an 8g weight from GolfWorks - came in and after installing, taking off the lead tape at the bottom of the grip, it is about D5. Will see what it does on the range tomorrow.
- Moderator
- #1,563
Thanks for pointing this out! Was looking for a bit more weight without lead tape and this is perfect
Oh, I should add to the above -- I ordered a Accra FX 2.0 200 series driver shaft for the EPIC MAX 9 degree from Will Peoples and it came in. And no, I can't find aftermarket weights for the Max.Shaft is a mid-mid profile at 64g and 3.6 torque. I usually go lighter in weight for driver (although the Ping was at 68g) but the 55g shaft was 5.0 torque and I am more comfortable with a lower torque number. And since playing the 200 series in SIM Ti 5 wood (75g) and SIM Max 4 hybrid (85g), which are both 10-15g heavier than I usually play, I was impressed with the energy of the shaft, which is made in Japan.
Oh, and sometimes heavier is better as it makes some people employ more muscle and you get better results from the swing. For some, lighter is better. Find out who you are. I'm still deciding.
At 45 inches and a few strips of lead tape behind the face and in back, it measures out at D5.
Grand Stranded
Keep grinding… you never know
Any more thoughts on the Epic Max as compared to the Speed?
Shaft is a Riptide 60 at 45 inches. BillyBobs had the 11g weight, ordered it and when installed, the driver was at D7 until I put some lead tape at the bottom of the grip to get it to D6 or so. Thought the shaft might snap with all that weight.
Last week, I ordered an 8g weight from GolfWorks - came in and after installing, taking off the lead tape at the bottom of the grip, it is about D5. Will see what it does on the range tomorrow.
ive only hit the Max, and all the talk about the Speed has me thinking.... (I have way too much idle time with back issues right now... thinking about things like this gets costly)
Edit
as soon as I posted this you posted about your Max, lol
Didn't get to the range today
- Tomorrow, I will get to the range, will use the same shaft and compare. Today, I decided to hand wash my two cars and get errands done and it was a beautiful day. Wheels take forever to clean. 
Wife wants me to take her tomorrow and I'm kind of golfed out, so I grabbed a heavy counterbalance shaft, put a 17g weight in the head of the Speed, and figured I'd try to bomb a couple to have a little fun. I'm actually a little curious to try it now though. Not sure what kind of launch I'm going to get like that, and I'm curious to hear if it sounds different.
Are you able to take a picture for me of the heavenwood at address with a ball please. I’m super keen to get either an epic Max 5w or heavenwood as my longest/only fairway this year.
Thanks.
I picked up my 9 degree Max LS with 60g MMT stiff shaft and all black Golf Pride Tour Velvet Align with Callaway logo today. What a sharp looking club.
My coach has me starting out with a -1 and D hosel settings along with the weight in the draw position. I guess he wants me to hit a draw.
One question about the Optifit hosel. With the -1 loft setting, does that open the face? Obviously, the D makes it more upright, and the sliding weight also providing more draw influence.
My coach has me starting out with a -1 and D hosel settings along with the weight in the draw position. I guess he wants me to hit a draw.
One question about the Optifit hosel. With the -1 loft setting, does that open the face? Obviously, the D makes it more upright, and the sliding weight also providing more draw influence.
I picked up my 9 degree Max LS with 60g MMT stiff shaft and all black Golf Pride Tour Velvet Align with Callaway logo today. What a sharp looking club.
My coach has me starting out with a -1 and D hosel settings along with the weight in the draw position. I guess he wants me to hit a draw.
One question about the Optifit hosel. With the -1 loft setting, does that open the face? Obviously, the D makes it more upright, and the sliding weight also providing more draw influence.
correct. -1 will open the face.
News from the range in an endless quest for speed and fairways.
One learns a lot from experimenting. Shaft, driver, swing weight - everything is a balance and what works for one driver does not work for another.
Set Speed and Max in stock settings.
Max 9 degrees @ 45 inches in the Accra 200 series shaft and lead tape at D5. Wasn't happy with it, kept smothering it more than straightening it. Stripped off the lead tape and voila - higher and straight. Discovered that lead tape also muted the natural sound of the Max - it had felt more like the Speed. Without the lead tape, the sound was obvious and was a mid pitch but not loud, just more obvious. The Speed is too muted for some - to me, it's soft.
The Accra 200 series versus Riptide - Accra is a bit tighter, the Riptide feels smoother/softer. Need to start taking data at my next lesson.
The Max is more forgiving than Speed - one can tell (once the lead tape was stripped off the Max to get it to approx. D4). But maybe it's the Speed/Riptide Combo, it still bombs straight, high and feels soft (to me) even at D5. The Golfworx 8g weight fits well in the Speed as did the 11g from BillyBobs.
Still working on my swing, I did notice that I need 2X a week at the range while working on a new swing or not.
I like both of these drivers. Still early in the game at what I'm going to do with them in terms of shaft and setup - need Trackman data.
In two weeks, another lesson and on Trackman- and will look at what TPT has for a shaft. They have a new Blue line that is lighter.
One learns a lot from experimenting. Shaft, driver, swing weight - everything is a balance and what works for one driver does not work for another.
Set Speed and Max in stock settings.
Max 9 degrees @ 45 inches in the Accra 200 series shaft and lead tape at D5. Wasn't happy with it, kept smothering it more than straightening it. Stripped off the lead tape and voila - higher and straight. Discovered that lead tape also muted the natural sound of the Max - it had felt more like the Speed. Without the lead tape, the sound was obvious and was a mid pitch but not loud, just more obvious. The Speed is too muted for some - to me, it's soft.
The Accra 200 series versus Riptide - Accra is a bit tighter, the Riptide feels smoother/softer. Need to start taking data at my next lesson.
The Max is more forgiving than Speed - one can tell (once the lead tape was stripped off the Max to get it to approx. D4). But maybe it's the Speed/Riptide Combo, it still bombs straight, high and feels soft (to me) even at D5. The Golfworx 8g weight fits well in the Speed as did the 11g from BillyBobs.
Still working on my swing, I did notice that I need 2X a week at the range while working on a new swing or not.
I like both of these drivers. Still early in the game at what I'm going to do with them in terms of shaft and setup - need Trackman data.
In two weeks, another lesson and on Trackman- and will look at what TPT has for a shaft. They have a new Blue line that is lighter.
Last edited:
Villn
Member
- Joined
- Apr 11, 2021
- Messages
- 78
- Reaction score
- 53
I definitely can. I'm currently at work but I will get you a shot in the AM. I have a 11am tee time. The Heavenwood looks almost identical to the 3 wood at address.
If you are only going to take one I would probably take the 5W. That loft is right in-between the two. I do hit the heavenwood off a tee though on longer par 3s. The head size will be smaller in the 5W and a slightly shorter shaft. Hell, I'd even consider taking a longer shaft length in the 5w if it was my only FW club.
The epic speed in 9* is just an unreal driver for me - incredibly forgiving where with the epic flash, my "bad swing" it would balloon slice off the moon - with this driver it is more of a push but still in play.