About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the driver, which I purchased with my own money in May of 2023.

My take

I recently bought the Callaway Epic Speed Driver to upgrade my older Callaway Rogue. It is good for low to mid-handicap players whose miss tends toward the toe and those who don’t want to try and shape their shots much. This club helps me take out the miss to the right side of the fairway. The Callaway Epic Speed has a pleasing, solid feel when struck on the center and a large sweet spot that minimizes distance loss. In addition, the ball carries almost as far as my best center strikes on toe-side strikes. Unfortunately, I find it tough to slice the ball with this club.

About the club I own

• Model: Callaway Epic Speed 2021
• Loft setting: 9°
• Shaft type: Project X Evenflow Blue
• Shaft flex: Stiff

About me

• Average score: 82
• Handicap: 11
• Experience: 30+ years of playing golf; dedicated the last five years.
• Right/Left-Handed: Right-Handed
• Typical ball flight: Mid-launch
• Golf ball used: Titleist, Srixon, Top-Flite
• Club swing speed: 105-110mph

Test conditions

• When I bought the club: May 2023
• Days tested: 14
• Where I’ve used it: Creekside Training Center, Swan Lake Resort Golf Course
• Weather and wind: Sunny and around 70° days with the wind at 5-10mph both for and against shots

How it performs

What I was looking for

I was looking for a driver that would find the fairway more often at an affordable price without losing distance.

Why I chose this club

I played the Callaway Rogue in the past and wanted to try out some newer Callaway technology before investing in a 2023 release club. I selected the Callaway Epic Speed Driver because I could compare it easily to my old Callaway Rogue.

What I love about it

• Distance: This club is faster and longer than the Callaway Rogue. The AI design improves the performance of this driver. However, low heel strikes are a killer, penalizing me 50 to 75 yards, and head low and left.
• Forgiveness: The Callaway Epic Speed is more forgiving for shots off the toe because of the larger sweet spot on the toe side. If someone has a toe strike tendency, they will love this.
• Adjustability: The Optifit Hosel helps those who want to draw the ball more (anti-slice). It is tough to slice this club.
• Shaft Feel: I love the Evenflow Blue shaft paired with this clubhead. This shaft is a carryover from my Callaway Rogue.
• Shaft Performance: Nice to swing with a good “pop” through the ball.
• Aesthetic Appeal: The compact appearance of the Callaway Epic Speed at address seems more appealing to my eye than the Rogue.
• Launch Angle: Medium launch creates a piercing trajectory that I love.
• Spin: The lower spin of the Callaway Epic Speed is better than my other Callaway driver heads and my Mizuno—comparable spin to my Titleist 917D2, but the Epic Speed has 20 yards of added punch.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Sound: The sound of a strike is a little high-pitched and doesn't seem to match the firm feel of a good strike.
• Workability: There is a tendency for this club to pull shots even when trying to force a slice. However, this driver is a consistent fairway finder (not perfect), but the AI design definitely improved dispersion versus prior models.
• Other: There is no sliding weight track to tune in a draw or fade.

Best shot with this club

My best drive so far was a 275 yards slight push to the right fairway on a par 4. If it had kept traveling and had not gotten caught up in the rough, this might have been 300 yards.

Value for the money vs. other options

A generation or two removed from the latest Callaway Paradym model, this is a very good option for distance and straighter drives at a reasonable price versus the comparable Titleist Tsi3 or TaylorMade SIM2.

Final verdict

This club squeezes out extra distance without feeling like one has to give it everything in the tank. The Callaway Epic Speed is an affordable distance gamer for players whose normal pattern is a little right of center.