Callaway Epic 21 Driver Review – “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”That’s what I thought last year when I saw that Callaway had moved away from the Epic name to introduce the new Mavrik metal woods.
In my opinion, ‘Epic’ is the perfect descriptive word for a golf club, whereas the fact that Mavrik was spelt wrong annoyed me a little and I don’t think it really represented the average golfer either. I don’t think as many people could relate to it.
A maverick is said to be ‘an unorthodox or independent minded person’… but I’d say most golfers like to fit in rather than being different, don’t they?
For me, the first Epic Driver moved the needle in terms of the brash name, and most importantly the performance backed it up, it worked. When I was on Tour, it made me jealous of the Callaway Staff players as I new it was hot.
I even remember trying one out on the range at the Ladies Scottish Open in 2017 as everyone was raving about the speed of it, telling me how ‘Epic’ it really was!
The Epic name is back for 2021, and these drivers are once again gunning for the top spot as the number one driver in the game. After a strong end to 2020 for Titleist with the introduction of TSi, Callaway need to come out fighting in the new year.
They’ve made a good start to that by announcing Jon Rahm as their new main man and will be praying that he adds a major to his already impressive trophy collection very soon. Whilst you will probably see him with a new Epic headcover in his bag, it’s more likely to be the proto Triple Diamond which isn’t available for mere mortals like you and me to try.
What’s It All About?
Callaway’s big message with these new drivers is that they are “framing the future of speed” by combining their AI and Jailbreak with a brand new Speed Frame to increase distance for everyone. So it’s not only Phil Mickleson who is going to be hitting bombs in 2021.
As with all Callaway releases these days, you get the benefits of their AI super-computer in the Callaway factory, which runs through thousands of different design simulations in order to find the setup that best provides maximum ball speed and forgiveness.
This produces the Flash Face SS21, which we saw in last year’s Mavrik Drivers, with a unique and individual design for every single head and loft in the range in order to improve ball speed and ‘spin robustness’.
The new Jailbreak Speed Frame not only provides a stiffened body vertically but also improves stability in the horizontal and torsional direction too, which is said to keep ball speeds up across a wider area of the face.
This new frame is clearly visible on the sole of the club as there are now four framed medallions, rather than the two on previous models.
The Epic Speed Driver boasts a new Cyclone Aero shape which is designed to promote less drag, with the Triaxial carbon crown covering a larger portion of the crown and the toe. This makes the head much lighter than a titanium head and so this means that Callaway can distribute weight elsewhere in the head to improve MOI.
As always with Callaway drivers you get the benefit of the Optifit hosel, which allows you to change lofts, lie angle and shot shape to best suit your own swing characteristics. This can also be done without having to rotate the shaft.
At Golfalot we were also sent the exploding heads of the new Epic so that we could see all of the different components of the driver head. I think the Jailbreak technology makes a lot of sense because the bars immediately remind me of stability and strength, and the design just looks like it’s clearly going to make things more stable.
It’s also pretty cool to feel all of the lumps and bumps on the driver face to show that each Flash Face is different to another. Equipment manufacturers always talk about making things lighter and the effect of a carbon crown, but when you actually get the chance to hold one then you’ll appreciate just how light they really are.
There are 3 different models available in the new Epic range:
Epic Speed Driver – This replaces the Epic Flash Driver, and whilst also having a 460cc head it differs in shape from the Max S due to a ‘taller ribbon and flatter crown’ which is said to make it the fastest head in the Epic family.
This driver will be suited to a wide range of players and has a more medium spin rate which is less fade-biased due to more weight being redistributed towards the heel. A Triaxial toe patch also helps to add a little bit of draw bias. It is available in 9, 10.5 and 12 degrees.
Epic Max LS Driver – This replaces the Epic Flash Sub Zero and is aimed at mid to low handicap golfers who are looking for lower spin combined with more workability but still retain high workability. It is Callaway’s most fade-biased driver with adjustable perimeter weighting that they say can alter ball flight by up to 13 yards. The lofts available are 9 and 10 degrees.
Epic Max Driver – This is the most forgiving Epic driver, with the Triaxial Carbon crown saving 19 grams compared to a titanium head in order to produce a deeper CG, even more draw bias and a higher MOI for straighter drives.
The adjustable perimeter weighting allows the 17g weight to be moved across the head to promote the desired ball flight, and combined with the Optifit hosel it can enhance shot shape correction by up to 20 yards. This may not be a long driver, but it will help with those slice shots and if you hit more fairways, your ball should run out further anyway. The Epic Max is available in 9, 10.5 and 12 degrees.
Callaway also offer a customisation option in order to change the colours of your driver head, so for a minimal upcharge you can opt away from the Epic’s distinctive lime green and white.
The Test
I visited the Belfry in December to take my first look and swings with the Epic range around the PGA National. I then was sent the fitting pack from Callaway where I fitted myself into the correct shaft and tried the drivers inside at LSH Auto, Mercedes Benz Stockport using Trackman 4 and Titleist Pro V1x balls.
I then decided my favourite head and took the club for some more extensive testing during my rounds of golf over Christmas and New Year.
You can watch my full review via the Golfalot YouTube channel here: