The end of the calendar year is the most exciting for golf gearheads. Players are switching equipment companies, OEMs are prepping to launch their new lines and social media is a wasteland of equipment rumors and blurry pictures of unreleased clubs.
However, one of the most anticipated clubs of 2019 has popped up this week on the USGA conforming list, giving those clamoring for confirmation their first look at officially-released photos of the successor to Callaway’s wildly popular Rogue and Rogue Sub Zero drivers.
Here’s what we know about Callaway’s soon-to-be-released Epic Flash and Epic Flash Sub Zero drivers… ? https://t.co/hlGYK13DGS pic.twitter.com/X3Y9eBg5vV
— GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) December 4, 2018
The Callaway Epic Flash and Epic Flash Sub Zero look to be a mixture of each of the Carlsbad, California-based companies last two driver releases, the Epic and the Rogue.
The biggest change from this past year’s Rogue to this coming year’s Epic Flash is the return of the sliding weight on the back of the clubhead. According to Golf.com’s Jonathan Wall, the weight serves two purposes: altering shot shape and lining up the center of gravity with an individual players’ most common impact location, which increases ball speed.
So, what can you expect from the Epic Flash? During a conversation on the No Laying Up podcast, PGA Tour pro Ollie Schniederjans said the unnamed driver gave him a ridiculous uptick in ball speed.
“It’s been amazing,” Schniederjans said. “I posted some results I had with the new driver a few weeks ago. I picked up five miles per hour of ball speed, which is insane.
“That’s like a pitcher in the MLB who throws a 91- or 92-mile-per-hour fastball seeing 94 on the radar — you never see that; it’s a complete game changer — this is like going from 92 to 96.”
Three versions of the Epic Flash were on the conforming list, which means there will be Tour-specific models produced as well.
Expect to start seeing Epic Flash drivers in the bag of many Callaway staffers beginning in January at Kapalua.
