We are at the start of the new calendar year and that means the release of new golf equipment! For 2019, Callaway Golf is bringing back the Epic name and have announced the Epic Flash driver. A few players have put it in play and last week, the new driver has already powered Xander Schauffele to his fourth PGA Tour victory after shooting lights out in the final round of the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Maui.
As with all new product releases, the incorporation of new technology is a huge selling feature. For the Epic Flash driver, this technology is the Flash Face. Flash Face is developed using Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning and “consists of dozens of subtle ripples flowing from heel to toe that provide golfers with more ball speed for more distance.”
To Callaway’s knowledge, A.I. has not been used in the golf equipment industry before. With A.I. and “Machine Learning,” which is “a field of computer science that uses statistical techniques to give computer systems the ability to “learn” with data without being explicitly programmed,” Callaway was able to create the sophisticated architecture of Flash Face after its computers “cycled through 15,000 face iterations, learning from each one” before arriving at its finished product. Its result is “a radically different face design to promote faster ball speed in the center region of the face.”
In addition to the new technology, the Epic Flash also employs its patented Jailbreak Technology, that also promotes faster ball speed. This is achieved with two internal jailbreak bars that “stiffens and stabilizes the crown and sole, placing more impact load on the face to promote faster ball speed.” Adjustable perimeter weighting is also found on the Epic Flash driver to assist in ball flight control and its sliding 16-gram weight allow golfers to “easily promote draws, fades or a straighter flight.”
To promote forgiveness in the driver, a new lighter triaxial carbon fabric called T2C is used on the crown. Because of its tighter weave, the T2C Triaxial Carbon Crown is able to save weight and redistribute it “within the head to raise MOI for exceptional forgiveness on off-center hits.”
A low spin head design is also available in the Epic Flash Sub Zero driver. In this model, its “advanced head shape and internal weighting create a rare combination of high MOI and low spin in a player’s driver, resulting in more forgiveness and longer distance.” We’ve already had the opportunity to do on-course testing with the Epic Flash Sub Zero and cannot say enough good things about the performance, sound and feel. Both of these Epic Flash driver models will have premium stock shaft options as per below.
STANDARD
Project X Even Flow Green
40G – Light / Regular (Women’s)
50G – Light / Regular/Stiff
Mitsubishi Tensei AV Blue
60G – Regular / Stiff / Extra Stiff
Project X HZRDUS Smoke
60G – Regular / Stiff
70G – Stiff / Extra Stiff
SUBZERO
Project X Evenflow Green
50G – Adjustable / Stiff / Extra Stiff
Mitsubishi Tensei AV Blue
60G – Regular / Stiff / Extra Stiff
70G – Stiff / Extra Stiff
Project X HZRDUS Smoke
60G – Stiff / Extra Stiff
70G – Stiff / Extra Stiff
Source: Callaway Golf
