A follow-up to the hugely successful Callaway Epic driver, the Rogue driver features Callaway’s famous Jailbreak technology, and is marketed as a very forgiving driver that can achieve considerable distance, but is it a worthy follow-up?
Today, we’ll be attempting to answer that question by reviewing the Callaway Rogue Driver, seeing if it lives up to the Epic, and if it’s the driver for you. Let’s get into it!
Callaway Rogue Driver: First Impressions
Callaway Rogue Driver
Look
The Rogue driver has a 4600 CC triangular head that is pretty symmetrical, but is a little shorter from back to front when compared to the Epic.
However, it has the same gloss back and carbon fiber than the Epic. Admittedly not everybody is a fan of gloss finishes because they tend to show up marks and smudges, but it’s hard to deny the Rogue looks attractive out of the box.
We were particularly impressed by the solid design. The branding is simple, and the blue accents stand out without being too distracting.
Sound And Feel
The Callaway Rogue is a game-improvement driver, and with game-improvement drivers one of the concessions you expect is regarding sound and feel.
What game-improvement drivers lack in these areas they are supposed to make up for in the distances achieved and their forgiveness.
But while the Rogue is lacking in tactile feedback, it still has a rather impressive sound and feel. Stable is the name of the game with the Rogue.
It’s hard to find a more solid driver! Plus, the sound of the sweet spot strikes are so undeniably satisfying that you’ll relish every hit. Surprisingly, missed hits have a similar feel to sweet spot hits. It’s just the sound that’s different.
A missed hit will produce a hollower sound as you move away from the center, and this is all you have to go on when you’re trying to figure out where you made contact on the face.
Callaway Rogue Driver Features
Jailbreak Technology And X-Face VFT
Probably the biggest selling point of the Rogue, Jailbreak technology is basically a series of titanium bars that have an hourglass shape and create a powerful connection between the crown and the sole.
This creates a stiffening effect between the crown and the sole, and lets the face take a lot more impact, which in turn produces faster ball speeds.
Jailbreak Technology comes together with X-Face Variable Face Thickness, or VFT architecture, and this affects the flexibility of the face and improves ball speeds across a wider area of the face. Jailbreak Technology combined with X-Face VFT produces ball speeds and distances you won’t see anywhere else.
Triaxial Carbon Crown
The Rogue features Callaway’s triaxial carbon composite material that is lightweight while being incredibly strong – which makes the driver a lot easier to carry around!
And the triaxial carbon crown of the Rogue is currently the largest produced for any Callaway driver.
A lot of weight has been redistributed to the perimeter of the head, thereby significantly improving the MOI, or Moment of Inertia.
More MOI prevents the clubhead from twisting on an off-center hit, allowing you to achieve the distance and direction you desire. This all makes for a more forgiving driver!
Boeing Aero Package
The Callaway metal-woods that preceded the Rogue featured Speed Step technology, which was a collaborative effort between Callaway and Boeing.
Callaway and Boeing joined forces with the Rogue to rework the geometry of the leading edge, which has resulted in improved airflow and clubhead speed.
Callaway Rogue Driver Performance
Distance
The Rogue has a similar distance to the Epic, if not a tad longer. Still, what distance you achieve will vary from golfer to golfer and will all depend on your swing, and how the club is configured.
However, once you’ve dialed a good ball flight, you’re sure to be impressed. There is a lot of carry and rollout, and plenty to be happy with!
Forgiveness
What makes the Rogue stand out is that it matches the distance reached by Callaway’s longest drivers such as the Epic while being totally forgiving.
This is of course thanks to the Jailbreak technology, triaxial carbon crown, and VFT, which all maintain direction and ball speed away from the sweet spot. It may be one of the most forgiving drivers you come across.
If you find that your missed hits occur in the same spot on the face, then you can play around with your loft and lie settings to get the best results. While there is no sliding weight that lets you change the CG, you won’t miss it too much.
Playability/Trajectory
The playability of the Rogue is nothing short of excellent. The ball flight is straight and pretty high, and the Rogue did encourage a draw.
With the stock shaft the driver is a little too light, so if you have a high swing speed you may not see the results you want, but if you’re a mid-to-high handicapper the Callaway Rogue is sure to be your new best friend!
Of course, it’s not as workable as the Epic, but this isn’t too much of an issue.
What Are Customers Saying About The Callaway Rogue Driver?
The Rogue driver has exceptionally positive reviews, both from customers and critics. It was a gold medal winner on the 2018 Golf Digest Hot List, and on the official Callaway website has a wealth of positive reviews.
Let’s take a closer look at what customers praised, as well as what they weren’t so crazy about.
What The Rogue Does Well
- It’s incredibly forgiving.
- Excellent ball speeds and distance.
- Solid, sturdy feel.
- Draw version helps to prevent slicing.
What Could Be Better About The Rogue
- A little too expensive.
- Not enough adjustability when it comes to a sliding weight.
Frequently Asked Questions
Truthfully, it’s a tough call. Both clubs are forgiving, and the Callaway is on par with the Epic rather than exceeding it completely.
If you want to tune out an aspect of your trajectory, the sliding weights offered by the Epic can make a big difference to the shape of your shot.
But when it comes to the specs and if you’ll get the ball on its way, then the Rogue driver is hugely forgiving and delivers on performance. It has a lot of the technology elements of the Epic, and is an improvement on some of them.
Yes, this could be a suitable driver for handicappers. Everybody starts with a high handicap, and it doesn’t make a lot of sense to go for a subpar driver because you feel you’re not advanced enough for a better one.
Ultimately, doing that makes it harder for you to improve.
Rather, clubs that are difficult to hit are not suitable for high handicappers, so clubs that are easy to hit and are very forgiving are more suitable.
Plus, just because a club is more comfortable to hit doesn’t mean it’s solely a club for beginners. With a good driver, even if it’s a bit more advanced than what you need, you’re still able to improve your game.
You’ll find you’re soon moving out of that high handicap zone and becoming a mid-handicapper, and whatever club helps you improve is one you should carry with you for as long as possible.
Conclusion
Callaway has hit it out of the park again with the Rogue driver. It is certainly a worthy follow-up to the Epic, with incredible forgiveness to rival that of the Epic. It also has a sleek, bold look, and it’s hard to find a driver that is more solid and stable!
So is the Callaway Rogue Driver for you? Well, that depends on a few things, namely would you like to achieve more distance, more consistency, or both?
Or are you looking for a driver to give you a boost of confidence? Maybe you’re focused on blending out that tricky slide?
If you’re looking for a driver that can solve all these problems, or even just one of them, then the Callaway Rogue is the one for you.
The Jailbreak technology gets the ball flying high, with a carry that is nothing to scoff at. If length is your chief concern, then you can’t really ask for a better driver.
It also has you covered in the consistency department too. Now, if you hit a really thin or fat one, then no club can really do anything about that, but if you’re a bit weary about struggling to find the sweet spot, then the X-Face VFT architecture can get you out of that rut easily. You can get satisfactory results without finding the perfect middle every time.
The Rogue driver is an appealing option to both mid and high-handicappers. However, bear in mind that due to the light weight and higher spin due to the MOI, if you’re a fast swinger who naturally hits high then you may run into some issues. Just remember to dial in your loft and lie settings, and you’re sure to have a blast with the Callaway Rogue Driver!
After failing to hit a curveball, Ryan turned to golf more seriously as a teen. He played in high school in and around Scottsdale, Arizona before taking a break through college and his 20s. Today, Ryan spends his weekends playing Torrey Pines as a San Diego resident, working to chip away at his single-digit handicap.
While he's had great mentors along the way, much of Ryan's game improvement has been from study of the game itself. Ryan hopes to give these keys to success to other golfers through his work here at Better Golf Online.
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