Expert Review: Callaway Rogue ST Max OS Lite Irons
All photos courtesy of Billy Estes
About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the iron set, which I tested for one day in August of 2022
My take
The Callaway Rogue ST Max OS Lite Iron Set would be my first recommendation for most high, or even mid handicappers, looking for added distance and massive forgiveness. The standout feature of this iron is its weighting and overall feel. The Max OS iron is a heavier iron but the Lite changes all the weighting and balance of the club, making it feel more perfectly balanced. I absolutely love this iron.
Callaway Rogue ST Max OS Lite Irons
- We price match
- Returnable
About the club I tested
- Model: 2022 Callaway Rogue Max OS Lite Iron Set
- Loft setting: 7 iron, loft setting 31.5
- Shaft type: Project X Cypher 50g
- Shaft flex: 5.0 Light (Regular flex)
About me
- Average score: 72.3
- Handicap: +3
- Experience: Over 20 years of playing golf, 6 years playing professionally
- Right/Left-handed: Left-handed
- Typical ball flight: Low to mid draw stock shot
- Golf ball used: Titleist Pro V1
- Club swing speed: 118mph with a driver
Test conditions
- When I tested the club: August 2022
- Days tested: One morning of testing, for about an hour
- Where I’ve used it: An outdoor hitting facility (Shingle Creek Golf Academy in Orlando, Florida) with flightscope technology to track ball flight numbers.
- Weather and wind conditions: Early morning, sunny conditions
How it performs
What I was looking for
I wanted to test the Lite version because I liked the Callaway Rogue Max OS iron but I thought it was a little too heavy overall, especially in the head weight.
Why I chose this club
I chose to test this club because I wanted to find a balanced, lighter version to the Rogue Max OS iron. I think the Lite version provides this, as it is a great forgiving iron for the high and mid handicap golfer. It’s similar to the TaylorMade SIM2 Max iron but is a better, lighter feeling club.
What I love about it
- Distance: This is a distance club that will definitely increase the yardages of golfers looking to gain distance.
- Forgiveness: It is a very forgiving club that gives players a lot of confidence in knowing that they can put a swing on the club and not suffer really bad shots. With a thicker top line at address, and maximum offset to help square an open face (for all the slicers out there), forgiveness is definitely a focus in this iron. Also, the wide sole helps glide the iron through the ground, making chucks and thins a non-factor.
- Feel: The best quality of this iron is the feel. I absolutely loved the feel and balance of the club. Going to the Lite version of the Rogue ST Max OS is definitely key.
- Sound: For a larger-faced iron, I thought the sound was pretty pleasing which surprised me. It makes an almost muted sound that was not the hard, clanky sound of most large-head game improvement irons. For players who like feedback from sound and quality of centeredness, this club may not be the best choice. That muted sound and quiet impact all over the face make it difficult to detect an off hit.
- Shaft Feel: I tried the graphite version of this iron shaft and I liked the way the feel matched with the head. For a slower swinger of the golf club, I would look towards the graphite shaft. The stock Project X Cypher Black 50 shaft is a great stock option but Callaway offers the custom Aerotech graphite shafts in 70 and 90 grams. For the more high-end player, these shafts will tighten the club’s twisting at impact and give a tad more stability during the swing and at impact.
- Shaft Performance: This shaft performs very great and has a great launching ball flight. I really was skeptical of graphite shafts but for mid to low swing speeds I think it is a great option. Even at faster swing speeds, I really didn't notice any lack of feel, especially at impact. This is a very stable and controlled shaft that felt like it would be very consistent in terms of predictability.
- Launch Angle: It provides a great mid to high launch which, for the high handicapper, is perfect.
Issues I’ve encountered
- Aesthetic Appeal: I'm not a fan of the larger top line and the larger head profile but for a high handicapper I don’t think that will be a problem. The confidence from the wide sole, large offset, and thick top line will make golfers feel like they can’t miss a shot.
Best shot with this club
Hitting this iron, I was so impressed by the balance created in the weighting of this club set. Usually when an iron goes to a lite version they tend to mess with the head weight while keeping the shaft the same. This makes the head incredibly lighter which messes up the feel of the club. Callaway did not make that mistake here and, from a spec and weighting perspective, nailed it. In testing it, I felt that I could swing the OS Lite faster and it would not get out of balance.
Value for the money vs. other options
This is where it gets interesting because on the market there is no light (lite) version of any of the high handicapper game improvement irons. In that way, Callaway has positioned this as a club with unparalleled value. Its price also adds to this worthy value. I would compare these irons to the PING G425 irons and the TaylorMade SIM2 Max irons. The PINGs are similar in weight but are progressive weighted clubs. Golfers may find that the PW (pitching wedge) and 9 irons are a little heavier than the 6 iron, which could change the feel. The TaylorMade SIM2 Max irons are the most similar to the Rogue ST Max OS Lite iron set in weighting, but with a smaller sweet spot for such a forgiving club. In my opinion, the Callaway set’s larger sweet spot and forgiveness is unmatched in the market.
Final verdict
Overall I absolutely love this club set for the high handicapper, and even the mid handicap player. I was so impressed with the feel of the club as well as with its performance in distance and forgiveness. I believe this iron set could be a game changer for the high handicap golfer.
Callaway Rogue ST Max OS Lite Irons
- We price match
- Returnable