Lose Weight to Gain Yards—with Callaway’s Epic Star

Callaway comes out with a lightweight version of the best-selling Epic driver.

By Tony Dear

Callaway Epic Star Driver

Callaway’s Epic driver, which we covered in January, has been a big hit this year, to say the least.

The most popular driver of 2017 by far, the Epic helped Callaway (NYSE: ELY) to Q1 sales of $309m—a 13% increase from the year before.

The club’s “jailbreak technology”—two titanium bars connecting the sole to the crown—stabilizes impact, thus preventing energy loss and increasing ball speed.

Capitalizing on the club’s success, Callaway last week introduced the Epic Star. It’s not so much a successor to the original version, but more of a sidekick.

At just 283g, the Epic Star is a lightweight version of the 305g mother club.  Callaway released it in Japan at the same time as the Epic in the US.  The company decided to release it in America, however, as it is convinced a strong market exists for a driver this light.

The weight is saved in a number of ways. First, the sliding weight on the sole of the club weighs 11g instead of 17g. The fixed hosel is 7g lighter than the Epic’s OptiFit hosel. The Mitsubishi Rayon Grand Bassara shaft weighs just 39g (Callaway’s first ever under-40g shaft), and the 41g J200 Golf Pride grip saves a few more.

The Epic Star is thus ideal for golfers with moderate to slow swingspeed—65mph to 95mph. The 9.7g Triaxial Carbon Crown helps lower the CG, making it easier for slower swingers to get the ball airborne and carry further. At $700, the Epic Star costs $200 more than the Epic, proving less is more.

Also available are the Epic Star fairway woods, hybrids and irons, all of which are lightweight and designed to enable the golfer achieve faster ball speeds. The irons feature an Exo-Cage, a 360 Cup Face, a lightweight, hollow hosel which helps move the CG closer to the middle of the clubface, and tungsten inside the clubhead which also optimizes location of the CG.

Epic Star clubs will be in stores September 29.

Callaway Epic Star Driver

Driver
$700
Available in: 10.5° and 12°

Epic Star Fairway Woods

Fairway Woods
$400
Available in: 3 (15°), 5 (18°), and 7 (21°)

Callaway Epic Star Hybrid

Hybrids
$300
Available in: 3 (18°), 4 (20°), and 5 (23°)

Callaway Epic Star irons

Irons
$300/club
Available in: 4-9 PW, AW, GW

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