Callaway’s “Show-Stopping” Epic Driver is Conforming

By: Tony Covey

Callaway's hotly anticipated Great Big Bertha Epic Driver has made its way to the USGA's Conforming Club's List, and surprise, there's not one, or even two, there are three versions. Would you expect anything less from Callaway?

In fairness, 1) there's nothing wrong with having three versions of a single driver if those versions provide a breadth of fitting options, or create opportunities at multiple price points, and 2) we can't be certain all three models will make it to retail.

Is it Really Epic?

If you're just hearing about Epic for the first time, where have you been? Also, what you need to know is that the key technology is what Callaway calls "Jailbreak." Presumably, the name is Callaway's clever way of suggesting it has broken free from the USGA's CT/COR limit (or at least worked around it).

While Callaway isn't talking (yet), what we've been told is that the company observed higher average ball speeds from Alpha Series (gravity core) drivers. Apparently, the speed differences were traced to the core structure itself, the important bit being that it directly attached the sole and the crown. Jailbreak appears to do the same thing with the noteworthy difference being that the connection is made closer to the face using a pair of metal (presumably titanium) rods.

If all of this sounds like nonsense, we get it, but a cursory look at our data from the previous three driver tests does validate the suggestion on higher ball speeds on gravity core drivers. It's true that speed didn't always lead to greater distance (launch and spin also contribute), but the raw numbers do lend some credence to the idea. Whether or not creating a driver that focuses on the crown/sole connection produces significantly better performance remains to be seen.

Still, it's a hell of a story.

New on the USGA Conforming Clubs List

Here are the three new Callaway heads deemed conforming by the

GBB Epic (Standard)

We expect the standard GBB Epic (as if anything named Epic could be standard) mainstream, fat part of the bell curve model. We expect middle of the road CG coupled with track weighting and an Optifit hosel.

GBB Epic Star

The surprise on the list. Our best guess; a glued hosel and a potentially lower price point. Possibly a low/back CG (forgiveness) story.

GBB Epic Sub Zero

Last season Sub Zero was a sub-460cc forward CG driver designed for faster swingers with a descending angle of attack. It was most definitely a forward CG design. My gut tells me Callaway won't be quite as aggressive this time, but this will undoubtedly be the low/forward CG offering that some better (or at least more aggressive) swingers crave.

A Show Stopper?

Earlier this month, Golf Digest published Six Takeaways from the 2017 Hot List Summit. We have every reason to believe the final point serves as a teaser for the Great Big Bertha Epic. Here's what the Digest team had to say:

We're certainly a bit dubious of any quote attributed to a scientist, but the buzz on Epic from the fitters and other that have had the opportunity to hit it are real. We've heard stories of 3-5 MPH comparative ball speed, which, if you want to throw a ballpark average at it, would translate to that mythical 10 More Yards that we haven't heard much about lately.

Arguably the greatest testament to a certified show-stopper's true dominance in the market would be a lone Gold Medal in the Hot List's driver category. Would Digest be so bold? Would it publish supporting data, or will it, in the interest of happy advertisers (and logo licensing) hedge as it always does? We're betting that when the rubber meets that particular road, Epic will be but one of many gold medalists, but if the hype is real, you can bet we'll sort it out during our Most Wanted Testing.

For now, Epic is positioned is the most intriguing new driver of 2017. The chatter suggests it's potentially game-changing. That remains to be seen, as does much of the competition in the marketplace. We expect the official story of TaylorMade's 2017 M1 to be released in the coming days, and we don't yet know what, if anything, PING will offer up, but *IF* somehow Epic is what the early chatter suggests, 2017 could be the year that Callaway takes over as the #1 selling metalwoods brand.

Who said the 5 Year War was over?