Today Callaway Golf has officially announced it’s Epic Star lineup, and OMG, I can’t wait to read your comments.
The Star franchise isn’t so much new as it is new to you. Like our USA version of the Epic, the Epic Star has occupied the #1 Driver spot in the Japanese market for most of 2017. That’s relevant here because the demands of the Japanese market aren’t dissimilar from those of our senior market.
The majority golfer in Japan is one who doesn’t generate a ton of swing speed, and like golfers over here, he craves more distance, sometimes desperately so. Japanese consumers aren’t adverse to dropping comparatively big bucks in search of a few more yards either, especially if the club’s aesthetics are adequately audacious. That’s where Epic Star’s gold paint comes in.
Lightweight, distance focused, and blinged-out in black PVD (irons) and gold, Epic Star is a Japan Spec product brought back to the USA. Callaway is game to find out if what sells over there can find a receptive, though admittedly niche market in the USA – and I suspect its competitors will be watching closely.
The Star Audience
In simple terms, the Epic Star is designed for players looking for an ultra-premium experience in a lightweight package. The obvious translation is that it’s intended for slower swing speed players who have near PXG-level money to spend on golf clubs.
The performance story is simple; less weight equals more distance. To that end, compared with the standard Epic lineup, everything in the Star family is lighter and by extension, faster. Heads tweaked, shaft weights, grip weights, and even sliding weights, all reduced. Where Epic is adjustable, the Star line is glued.
With all of that weight-savings comes a higher cost, and so here’s your punchline.
- Driver: $699.99
- Fairway Woods: $399.99
- Hybrids: $299.99
- Irons: $300
In case there’s any confusion, that’s per club pricing.
I know…I feel like a dramatic pause might be warranted, but for now, let’s accept that Ultra-Premium doesn’t come cheap and move on.
Epic Star Driver
As we’ve touched on already, the story here is weight savings. That’s not to say Epic Star isn’t loaded with Epic technology. Jailbreak (ball speed), Speed Step Crown (aerodynamics), and Adjustable Perimeter Weighting (shot shape correction) are all included.
Callaway’s goal was to keep everything that makes Epic, well…Epic, while reducing the overall weight of the club. To that end, Epic Star’s sliding weight has been reduced from 17 grams to 11. The stock shaft, a Japanese made, Ultra-Premium Grand Bassara from Mitsubishi, weighs in at 39 grams* (sorta). Additional weight is saved by using a narrower diameter Golf Grip J200 grip (previously only available in Japan). Finally, by eliminating the adjustable hosel, Callaway saved yet another 7 grams.
All of this speaks to the larger story of more distance derived from lighter weight and ultimately more clubhead speed.
The Epic Star Driver is available in 10.5° and 12° models.
Retail Price – $699.
Epic Star Fairway
Unsurprisingly, the story of the Epic Star fairway, and really, the entire lineup, mirrors that of the driver. Weight is saved through a lighter shaft, lighter grip, and a glued hosel. Prices are raised because of….frankly; I’m not sure.
The Epic Star fairway is available in three lofts (15°, 18°, and 21°).
Retail Price – $399.
Epic Star Hybrid
Simply put, the Epic Star is an Epic hybrid, only lighter…and stronger (lofts)…and longer (shafts). As with the driver and fairway, the core technology is the same. You’ve got a Hyper Speed face cup, a Triaxial carbon crown, and a Tungsten MIM’d standing wave for optimal CG placement.
Adjustability is out (weight savings) and a lightweight (50 gram) Bassara shaft is in.
Noteworthy are the stronger lofts – 18° (#3), 20° (#4), and 23° (#5) and the longer shafts. I’ll save you the hassle of looking it up; subtract one from the club designation and the lofts match the standard Epic, eg. Epic’s #2 is Star’s #3 and so on.
Retail Price – $299
Epic Star Irons
Rounding out the lineup is the Star variant of the already ultra-premium priced Epic irons. Filed under Yup, the technology, which includes Exo-Cage construction, MIM’d Tungsten-infused standing wave, and a light weight hollow hosel is consistent with the standard Epic Iron.
The notable differences are the stock shaft, where Callaway is using the ultralight (and ultra-premium) 55-gram Grand Bassara. Callaway is stating that the Epic Star is more strongly lofted than the Epic, and while that’s technically true by the numbers, what Callaway has done is bump the specs to the tune of one full club.
Loft for loft, the Star’s 4-iron matches the Epic’s 18° 3-Iron, 5 matches 4, 6 matches 5 and on down we go until we get to the Star’s 39° PW, which necessitates a 44° AW, and a 49° GW. Everything provided by Callaway suggests the same heads with new paint and new numbers stamped on the sole.
Why would Callaway do that?
Lower lofted heads within any variable length set weigh less than the higher lofted ones (a 3-iron head weighs less than a 4-iron head), and reduced lofts produce more distance. Shaft lengths are consistent with Epic as well, provided you compare Star to the loft equivalent version of standard Epic irons. In case you missed it, the same rules apply with the aforementioned hybrids.
Remember, the Epic Star story is 99% weight and distance (and 1% gold paint).
It may sound a bit unwieldy, and I have real concerns about green stopping power, but we also shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that the target audience isn’t a guy who sprays the ball, it’s the guy looking to gain distance perhaps by any means necessary. Within that field of view, Callaway’s stamp switcharoo, coupled with the new (and Ultra-Premium shaft) shaft does make everything lighter, and that’s the ultimate goal here.
Retail Price: $300 (per irons)
My 2 10 Cents
Other than the Grand Basara shaft, I can find nothing in what Callaway has conveyed that justifies so much as a $1 price increase over the current Epic line. Frankly, Epic Star should probably cost less. Unlike its closest competitor in the premium for seniors space, XXIO – which can at least make the argument that every aspect of its product has been engineered for the target audience – Callaway appears to be repainting and repurposing for a new audience, rather than doing any actual re-engineering for it.
What’s the justification? It’s the shaft, and you might be getting it.
Aftermarket cost for the Grand Basara is about $500 – and unlike most of Callaway’s other stock options within the Epic metalwood lineup, this one appears to be the real deal version. There is an argument to be made for added value, but I wonder how many fitters out there routinely fit their senior clientele into $500 shafts.
Is value added where it isn’t needed actually value?
If weight is the argument, then yes, lighter is often better for seniors. With that said, I’d be remiss not to point out that the aftermarket Grand Barasara 39 has an actual weight of 43 grams in Lite flex and 45 grams in regular. For the sake of comparison the Diamana Green M+40, which is one of the stock options for the standard Epic and should produce similar launch characteristics, has an actual weight of 44 grams in light and 45 grams in regular.
You tell me: Is Made in Japan craftsmanship, ION plating, and 1-gram weight savings enough to justify a $200 price bump in spite of the loss of adjustability?
I’m not sold on the ultralight grip either. While the weight savings offered by the narrow diameter J200 grip fit perfectly within the Epic Star story, I’m not sure how well it fits the target demographic. The reality is that as the mythology around grip sizing has been torn down, we’re seeing seniors move to bigger grips, which often prove more comfortable for arthritic hands.
I’m similarly unimpressed by the Epic Star hybrids and irons. To be sure, I’m not questioning the performance of any portion of the current Epic line, but again, a significant cost increase over what’s been on the market for months is attributable only to a lighter shaft, lighter grip, and some manipulation of the numbers stamped on the bottom of the club. The engineering and the technology are the same. The numbers, the paint, and of course, the ultra-premium shaft are what’s different.
Does any of that completely justify the price bump?
The upside here is that Epic Star will have limited distribution; custom fitters and green grass, so the overwhelming majority of Epic Star buyers will be fit into the club, and will presumably walk away with a club that performs well for them. For any game Epic Star changes for the better, it’s worth every penny.
That said, I’d wager that most could do every bit as well for a two to three hundred dollars less. Whether that’s a standard Epic with a lighter weight and a less than ultra-premium shaft (regular premium should work just fine), or something like Cobra’s senior-focused FMax line depends on the golfer…and the fitter.
It’s your money, spend it however you’d like – always, but at the very least, understand what it is you’re buying.
The Callaway Epic Star lineup is available beginning September 29th. For more information, visit CallawayGolf.com.
Mike
2 years agoI’d LOVE to hit the driver (& fairway). But then I’m a demo-day junkie, like a kid at toys-r-us! When it comes to all these club claims, I believe everyone & I believe no one. I just bought a set of irons & on the course they played no better (even worse) than my previous set (& that was after being ‘fitted’ at the local golf store). Luckily I dumped them on ebay w/ only a minimal loss. These club companies & stores are there to SELL you new stuff, not to hear how good your 3-yr old driver is working!
Illini Mike
2 years agoI Tried the Epic line at a local demo day. I’m 50 and battling back issues from this game I love and recently went from my TM R9’s with stiff KBS 90 to PING G25’s with Reg KBS90 and then to TM RSI 1’s with the Reax 90 reg shafts. All clubs were fitted 1* up in steel, all 7-irons were played at 150-155 yards and my handicap has stayed somewhere between a 5.7 and 7.5 index over the last five years. All clubs were played with 5-10 yard fade as that’s about all I can produce even after hours of range time and lessons to straighten out the ball flight. I’m an average iron player. I then hit the Epic line with the Recoil ES760 F3 regular graphite shaft and noticed straighter ball flight and longer distances. It was a little thick in the top line but enjoyable to hit but not enough improvement to drop another $1,800.00 on. Distances were probably 5 yards longer if not a little more. I then picked up the lonely Epic Star club, only one seven iron was available with the Grand Bassara 55 regular shaft, stock flat lie. I hit this club for an hour. 7-irons went 165-170 and as high as my 9-irons. I didn’t want to be the guy hitting the senior club but dammit it looked good, felt good and launched straight shots that dropped from the sky. I know the lofts are jacked but with the higher ball flight I didn’t even notice. I was longer and straighter and it felt good. The 5-SW 8-club set was quoted at $2,400.00. Damn you Callaway. The fitter mentioned that the line was aimed to compete with PXG? You’re not PXG. And why change the color and make it different from the Epic line at all? I’d buy this set for $1,500.00, keep it in the same look as the Epic line and call it Epic-S or put a * symbol at the end of the name. Get the 55 gram shaft in a finish to match the Recoil shafts that keeps us looking like we’re hitting steel with our undercover graphite. Keep us slower swing speeders in the same group as the younger 170 yard pounding 8-iron youngsters with 10.7 indexes. I’m not ready to drive the vette with the handicap sticker so help us out, the market is waiting and we probably have a coupon.
HARLEY
2 years agoI just found this site. I did some homework on the Epic Star series and came to the exact same conclusion as your article. Good work.
Terry (TMAC)
2 years agoSo let me get this straight………They took away adjustability (which is needed by most seniors because they will adjust to higher lofts as they slow down), they toss on a skinny grip (that most people will probably change out – especially seniors with stiff fingers who usually prefer fatter grips), and they significantly raised the price for all of this – while going after seniors who are on fixed incomes hoping they will pay the upcharge????
Good luck with that Callaway! LOL
Richard Branson
2 years agoI totally agreed with TMAC until I tried the Epic Star Hybrids. Maybe it’s just a function of the clubs fitting my specific needs, but these are much better than my Epic Hybrids. I hit them much higher and straighter. I have the Epic Star 7 hybrid, which obviously is a “jacked up” 6 from the Epic Hybrid line. Just longer and higher.
dick erdmann
2 years agoIf they can sell their new product for that price so be it and good for them. As in some other premium sets, it seems the only real differential from normal folk clubs is the price. I do find it funny that all the “longer distance club advertisement” really is nothing more than playing smoke and mirrors with the lofts.
Magnus01
2 years agoCallaway has had the number one irons for years. The Epic driver is way ahead if the competition in every measurable way as well. Let’s not start getting gimmicky by slapping some gold paint on an existing product, changing a shaft and calling it innovative. You guys are better than that. I love my Epic driver and wouldn’t trade it for anything on the market. And my Steelhead Pros have brought my scores down dramatically. I have shot 3 sub 80 rounds with them this year. I have never done that. So stop trying to chase PXG and stick with what you know. There’s nothing special about PXG. They just cost more. If PXG were than special then they’re players would be winning every tournament. Hate to see you guys fall into the gimmick trap like Taylormade.
Dennis Beach
2 years agoCallaway had the golf world by the you know what!! Now, not so sure. Is there someone from TM on the Callaway board of directors calling the shots? I will play my 2010 Callaway clubs until they can’t hit a ball!!! I have a Diablo Octane driver and its as long as anything my buddys buy now, and my X20’s do a fine job. I am 61, and I had to replace stock shaft on my driver, and I went heavier than I had. Went from 55g to 78g, and shortened shaft from 46 to 42, and gained control of my driver which was prone to fits of wildness. Won’t be buying anything for a while except balls-which I try different balls every year.
Mark
2 years agoDid Callaway hire Taylormade staff? Yes, yes they did. Most recently I remember a nice man by the name of Sean Toulon. Before that it was a marketing executive and subsequently the guy who runs Odyssey now. They are all incestuous like the old European royal dynasties.
greg p
2 years agoCan I borrow a mirror? I want to see if I look that stupid.
John Carey
2 years agoInteresting read. XXIO has been leading the way in this category for 17+ years. With amazing results.
10shot
2 years agoNot sure if those clubs will sell well. I shot archery in the professional circuit for 27 years. Bow manufacture did the same thing, achery retailers loved it. Help move used bows u know the trade-ins. 700.00 for a Calaway driver, no name wants Tour Edge 250.00 per club for black, really.
I do wish them well
xjohnx
2 years agoAll the average golfers complaining about the price of this driver is the equivalent of an able-bodied man complaining about the cost of one of those custom built handicap accessible vans with the automatic ramps.
saveva
2 years agowith all these golf equipment companies going premium, it sure feel as if contrary to all expressed outrage (usually only a small % makes the most noise) they realized that there’s a significant market for premium clubs that PXG unveiled. I know that the fitter who fitted my PXGs has been very busy fitting PXGs and now the incumbents want in.
dcorun
2 years agoLike an earlier comment, check out Cleveland Golf’s new lineup. GI irons and SGI irons. A driver with a fixed hosel, a new streamline HiBore head and additional technology. FW woods and hybrids. I’m looking at the Launcher HB irons which remind me of my old set of HiBore irons. They may not fit everyone’s look for an iron but, if they perform like the old ones, goodbye Callaway. $800 for a set with a real deal Miyazaki C. Kua shaft.
Monty Martin
2 years agoTony, a few years back, I purchased a Cleveland Driver with a 39 gram shaft made by Miyazaki I think. I don’t have the driver in front of me and I am old and forgetful, but I am pretty sure I am right. At the time I was fitted for this I was approaching 70 years of age but I still had a swing speed of 92. The light weight shaft increased my swing speed to 97. The nice part about the club was there was no big increase in price for this shaft. I was told some time later by a Cleveland Rep. that they were no longer able to use that shaft because the manufacturer was upset they were selling the club so cheap. Wether this was true or not I have no idea all I know is I am still using this driver and still hitting the ball well most of the time.
10shot
2 years agoI hope I follow your swing speed at 70+. Enjoy your golf Monty
John Doe
2 years agoStronger lofts, longer shafts, fancy visual, marketing story…. Let’s not pretend we’re being caught off-guard by this everyone. Innovation in the golf business now means building a TV studio on Rutherford Road and making your marketing team a bunch of cartoons since the rest of it is a lost cause. Until the USGA takes the handcuffs off these club designers, there is simply no reason to buy a brand new golf club. See y’all at the Mercedes certified pre-owned lot!
huh
2 years agoexcept it’s not even that, it’s literally just changing the stamping, removing adjustability, and putting in a “premium” upgrade shaft
a sucker is born every minute
GilB
2 years agoI don’t need to curse out loud to express my disbelief in the cost per club but I guess the Japanese golfer has more disposable income to buy more expensive clubs than the golfers here in the states. Callaway is just smart in capitalizing on this market and making the most out of it. I could not afford these clubs so I’ll be satisfied with what I can afford. I love the look of a Rolls Royce too but I drive my Toyota for this very same reason. It gets me to where I want to go.
Robert Dwyer
2 years agoCleveland Golf may just have scooped (to use a newspaper term) Cleveland with it’s new Launcher driver designed specifically for players with lower swing speeds and at only $299/per club they just might beat the snot out of Callaway.
bobbyk
2 years agoBeen down the lightweight thing before with Cleveland and it didn’t help me at all.
But I don’t blame them for trying. There will always be folks (especially old folks) with a lot of money to spend, whether on a car or a golf club, so there’s no reason not to try to stick it to them. Somebody will bite…
Steve S
2 years agoUnless they are to Japanese COR specs most seniors won’t bother…..
retired04
2 years agoAre you kidding me???? Just buy Ben Hogan High Loft set of irons-used- that start with the 47* PW, call the 47 your long gap wedge, the 43 your short gap wedge, the 39* your wedge, etc.. and you have the same lofts-just call them whatever you want-and they will be +1/2″. And, for a hell of a lot less $$$ you get a premium forging moderately heel/toe weighted that is a thing of beauty and feel. Seniors like me only carry 6 or 7I thru the wedges anyway. Lightweight? Put a set of 45-50g shafts in them, let them swing lite (faster, right) and still be a fraction of the $$$.
Albert Eng
2 years agoCallaway is f’ing out of it’s mind. $699 Sweet Jesus!
KM
2 years agoIn Japan $1000 drivers are the norm.
werekong
2 years agoThat’s supposed to make me feel better?
DaveMac
2 years agoTony, full credit for pointing out this price swindle. It’s up to us consumers to stop this madness by NOT BUYING this product range.
Bill Lewis
2 years agoSaturday R20 sand wedge with dots in the face instead of lines. I played with this club for 15 years. I hit four pitch shots that were in the leather. I haven’t done that in 10 years or more. I think I’ll leave my new 175.00 wedge at home next time I play
Ronald Kuntoro
2 years agokinda honma look with the goldish color 🙁
Brucep
2 years agoEpic nonsense I think.
My old Callaway Hawkeye driver sends the ball within five yards of the last three latest Callaway drivers I have tried.
For me as a mid handicap golfer why would I spend more than twentyfive percent of my annual club membership fee to gain a questionable five yards which may not even be down the middle?
No brainer I believe.
Simms
2 years agoMost 3 or 4 year old model drivers will send the ball down the fairway within 5 yards of the the new $500 drivers…but it is 5 yards man at only $100 a yard….and they are spending millions trying to figure out why golf is loosing golfers.
Guy Crawford
2 years agoThis is why you follow and read MyGolf Spy reviews. You get the truth without the marketing BS.
Minnesota Golfer
2 years agoGreat write up. Callaway gonna be pissed off pretty bad, and they may refuse to participate in future MyGolfSpy club tests. Sad.
Gordon
2 years agoNot interested….
saveva
2 years agolove the color combo – wish I can get the sub zero in this color scheme
sam
2 years agoGoodbye Callaway. I am done with you and all your lies.
Tom Duckworth
2 years agoI find myself liking Callaway less and less the more they bring out “product” like this.
Mike
2 years agoWow Callaway has joined the narcissistic PXG genre of I cost the most so ergo I must be the best-duh.. One of the biggest reason golf continues to loss players is cost of golfing to include equipment. Imagine if you are a new player and you spent $1,000+/- for equipment,but you still don’t play very well and the game is frustrating to you. Along come PXG and Callaway telling you that you need to spend $4000+ to have a good game. You can’t afford that and you have all this angst and in frustration you give up the game and tell all your buddies the game is outrageously expensive and hard. Again more customers who don’t give it a chance. Manufacturers should be promoting traiming. In fact a great marketing ploy could be buy a set from us and we’ll give you 5 group lessons from a PGA teacher. Make a golfer feel like the companies want you to succeed at this great game, not give you a tool that is hard to use.
Don
2 years agoNo.
Dave
2 years agoEpic Star sounds like new space junk sold to kids at wal-mart . Seriously though really the cost is getting out of line for these products. Calloway is now the second Taylormade every two months your new is old. I’ll stick with my mizuno still the best made and half the price.
bill
2 years agoIs it just me, or does the Epic iron look very similar to the older “Fusion” iron?
GeneK
2 years agoRemember when bonded hosels meant cost savings?
Boggey55
2 years agoFools and their money are soon parted!!!
Joe
2 years agoThis is the norm for Asia. Its a status symbol. When working in Vietnam, South Korea, and Malaysia, the guys I played with all had Honma or other expensive clubs in the bag. The light club thing is also an Asia thing. The clubs I borrowed or rented were insanely light and mostly graphite shafted irons. Can’t really complain as I got to play some awesome coursels
gunmetal
2 years agoWhat a great write up! I can imagine Harry won’t be real pleased, but way to call it like it really is. Is this the first “PW” to break 40?
Here’s a great way to get $500 of value – get custom fit for a shaft that meets your individual needs. As a former fitter, I can promise you that there are options for everyone at $100, $200, $300 and even $500 that will do wonders. Strip the paint and you won’t be able to tell which one is $100 and which is $500. Incidentally, the standard Epic with its adjustable hosel, makes that process pretty easy.
Kenny B
2 years agoIs this the first “PW” to break 40?
No, Bridgestone JGR Hybrid irons has a 38* PW1 that came out a couple of years ago.
Ryan
2 years agoCallaway looks almost desperate to do something…..
I think this is a bad move that should backfire on them.
Shame on them.
Kevin
2 years agoI don’t know what I’m laughing harder at: the paint job or an 8 hybrid built that approximates my 6 iron specs.
Shadow
2 years agoExcellent article calling out Callaway on this series of clubs!
TL
2 years agoI’m not convinced lighter is better or longer–lighter means you lose all sensation of where the club or club face is located or sensation of swinging rather than “flinging”
Lynyrd
2 years agoMarket from a few Collectors and well-to-do New Orleans Saints fans….
robin
2 years agoCallaway should be tried for senior abuse .
Dan
2 years agoEpic Rip-off
10shot
2 years agoWins internet 🙂
Bob
2 years agoSlapping a lightweight grip and shaft on a club doesn’t make it a premium lightweight offering. XXIO has been making lightweight clubs for 10 generations and by making their own shafts and grips in house, they truly have a better product in this space.
Callaway is once again flooding the market with more product and not taking the same kind of heat for it as Taylor Made.
Their luck will eventually run out, it’s not easy to stay on top in the business.
Ben Guy
2 years agoI’ll stick to my PXGs then
Daniel Hazelhurst
2 years agoRip off
Mca Kev
2 years agoFor fu$k sake, off to ebay for the shaft
Johnny Cowboy
2 years agoI like the look but I hope they don’t sell
Ryan
2 years agoSounds like Callaway is trying to rip off some seniors. “Epic star” as a name is laughable. Love callaway and their apex irons but come on.
Scott
2 years agoThe answer to the question is no.