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In this review, I’ll be taking a look at the Callaway Epic Flash driver.
Machine learning and artificial intelligence was used by Callaway engineers to create what they call the Flash Face, a design that produces even faster ball speeds in the center of the face.
So, how does this Flash Face really perform in practice? Is it an overhyped gimmick, or does it deliver the goods? And is the Epic Flash driver worth its price tag?
Read on to find out what you need to know to make an informed purchase.
Note: Unless otherwise stated, stock shafts and stock grips are used when evaluating this club. In most cases, the golf clubs reviewed on Golfstead are acquired temporarily for testing purposes and are not purchased. The review that follows is based on the personal experience and research of the author. Because everyone’s swing and body are different, results with a particular club may differ from person to person.
What are the reviews like?
The Epic Flash driver, touted as being “the only driver awarded 20 out of 20 stars in the 2019 Golf Digest Hot List”, has been received extremely well by consumers and critics.
It received an average rating of 4.8/5 (93% recommended) on the official Callaway website, which, considering the number of reviews, is pretty darn impressive.
It also has the same rating on Callaway Golf Pre-Owned and 4.9/5 on Global Golf. Almost all of the well-known critics have given the Epic Flash at least a 4.5/5 rating.
What People Like
- solid hits produce insane ball speed
- better forgiveness than previous Callaway offerings
- easy to hit with a straight ball flight
- great feel
- sliding weight affords a lot of adjustability
What People Don’t Like
- some players don’t like how the sweet spot sets up closer to the heel
- expensive
What are the features?
Flash Face Technology
The Epic Flash is the first line of drivers to feature Callaway’s breakthrough Flash Face.
Basically, Callaway’s engineers used a supercomputer and machine learning to come up with more than 15,000 prototypes for a fast face. It learned from each one, and eventually arrived at what is now known as the Flash Face.
The face design is complex, with waves and peaks, and is quite different from anything Callaway has ever done before (like VFT).
The end result is a center region of the face that produces unprecedented ball speeds and hence distance.
Jailbreak Technology
The latest and greatest iteration of Jailbreak, introduced in the previous Rogue driver, makes a return.
Jailbreak consists of titanium bars that vertically connect the crown and sole. This places more impact load on the face, further increasing ball speeds.
T2C Triaxial Carbon
We’ve seen Callaway’s triaxial carbon composite material before. Now, the crown features T2C, a lighter carbon triaxial fabric that has a tighter weave.
This enables even more weight savings, which are distributed in the head to raise the MOI. This, of course, results in more forgiveness.
Adjustable Perimeter Weighting
Just like the previous Epic driver, the Epic Flash features a sliding weight (now 16g) on the sole. Adjusting this promotes fade and draw biases as desired.
Stock Info
The Epic Flash driver is available in 9°, 10.5°, and 12° standard lofts at 460 CC. Also available is the women’s Epic Flash driver in the same lofts.
Every Epic Flash driver comes with an Optifit hosel that allows you to adjust loft and lie. The loft settings are -1, +1, 0 and +2. The lie settings are N (neutral) and D (draw), giving a total of 8 possible configurations.
To adjust the driver, just loosen the screw until the head comes off the hosel, adjust the settings, and screw the head back on.
You can choose from several premium aftermarket graphite shafts including Project X Even Flow Green 40/50, Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 60/70, and the Mitsubishi Tensei AV Blue 60.
If you’re interested, full information on the driver, shafts, grips and their specs can be found on the CGPO website.
Below are the specs of the Epic Flash driver. Click or zoom to enlarge.
How does the driver perform?
Distance
We all know that the Epic Flash is long, but how long exactly?
Well, it’s pretty darn long, and it’s definitely up there among the longest drivers I’ve tested. In comparison to the Rogue, I was hitting it about 10 yards longer on average, which is really good.
Just know that exact distance results will vary from golfer to golfer depending on the configuration of the club and your swing. If you find that the ball is flying a bit too high, for example, try reducing the loft setting.
Forgiveness
Let me start off by saying that the forgiveness on mis-hits is definitely better than the previous Epic driver. It rivals the Rogue driver, and I would say that it’s even a bit better.
It’s easy to see why: the latest iterations of Jailbreak and the new T2C fabric really push this driver up there on the “most forgiving” list.
During my testing, a good majority of my strikes that didn’t hit the sweet spot managed to stay in the fairway, and we’re talking about 25-40 yard widths here.
It’s not at the absolute top in terms of driver forgiveness that I’ve ever seen, but it doesn’t have to be. You can even adjust the sliding weight if you feel that you have a consistent miss.
Playability/Trajectory
The playability of the Epic Flash is good. In terms of workability, I could tell practically no difference in comparison to the Rogue.
Similar to the Rogue, I found the ball flight to be straight and fairly high. Adjusting the sliding weight had a noticeable impact on my ball flight.
I found the weighting with the stock shaft to be very comfortable, and this gave me the confidence to really go at it. This is just me though — slower swingers should take care not to get a shaft that’s too heavy, as this can negatively affect feel and performance.
The Epic Flash falls in the game-improvement category, and hence it’s ideal for mid to high handicappers.
What about look, sound & feel?
The Look
Compared to the Rogue, the Epic Flash has a bit more of an elongated crown. The alignment aid and sweet spot appear to set up a touch closer to the heel, which can be a positive or negative depending on who you ask.
Moving on to the shape of the face, I would say that it’s sort of a hybrid between the Rogue and the GBB Epic. Compared to the Rogue, it’s a touch taller and more stout.
The crown has a fairly large alignment aid and a new white stripe from top to bottom. The sole design sports green and yellow accents with a bold “Epic” logo splashed across the center.
Overall, I have no problems with the setup at address and think it can inspire a lot of confidence. As an added bonus, the headcover matches the design of the driver beautifully.
The Sound & Feel
It really is an amazing experience when you hit the sweet spot with the Epic Flash. The feel is very solid, satisfying, and explosive all at the same time, while the sound isn’t too hollow nor is it too muted.
Given the amount of forgiveness built into this driver, you would think that the mis-hit feedback would be lacking. Surprisingly, this is largely not the case.
Even though mis-hits retain decent feel, you can still isolate the location of impact through your hands and by taking note of the sound.
All things considered, this is one of the best-feeling drivers from address to follow-through that I’ve ever played.
Where should I buy the Epic Flash driver online?
The Epic Flash driver is now more than a couple seasons old, so you can no longer order it from the official Callaway website.
The best you can do now is look at Callaway Golf Pre-Owned (great money saver) or pick up a steeply discounted set (new or used) on eBay.
For example, CGPO has a fairly large selection of used drivers with a 12-month warranty, 90-day buy-back policy, and headcover included.
You can optionally look at the listings on GG or another golf store.
Conclusion
Callaway continues to deliver with each new driver release, building upon the previous models and turning weaknesses into strengths.
The result is the Epic Flash driver, which is crazy long, exceptionally forgiving, and easy to hit. The Flash Face is not a gimmick; it works.
If you’re looking for a modern, top-of-the-line driver with the best performance, and your budget is high enough, you should seriously consider the Epic Flash, especially if you’re a mid or high handicapper.
Even better players can have great success with this driver.
Are you interested in the Epic Flash driver? Have you tried it yet? What have your results been? Let us know in the comments below.
I just purchased this driver and kept the same shaft out of my GBB (previous model) black Kuro Kage stiff as it gave me good numbers on the simulator. I have just taken it out on course and I’m easily 10-20m further. My side spin numbers are in the low 100’s and even when I miss hit it the results are ridiculous. Unless I do an absolutely awful swing my miss hit still go straight and good distance. I do think this club is well worth a look.
Glad to hear you’re having great results with it!
What are the swing speeds,for golfer with this,slower swing
It’s impossible for me to say what your swing speed will be.