Review: Callaway Rogue ST Max Irons
By Curated Experts
Alan Gregory and Matt Jones
Callaway Rogue ST Max Irons
from:$499.95
$714.30
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13 photos
The Curated Take
4.2/5
The Callaway Rogue ST Max Irons are well-suited for high-handicap golfers seeking a confidence-boosting, forgiving, and powerful iron. These irons offer excellent forgiveness and a large clubhead, which can help golfers achieve straight shots and maximize distance. These irons are designed to prioritize straight and long ball flights, making them ideal for players who need help with consistency and distance but are less concerned about shaping shots.
Ideal for
- Large clubhead inspires confidence
- Very forgiving
- Powerful ball flight with long-distance
Not ideal for
- Very little workability
- Might be too large for some
Forgiveness
These irons incorporate AI-designed Flash Face technology to help maintain ball speed and spin rates across the face, which is very important for a golfer in need of super game...Read more
These clubs are so forgiving on heel and toe strikes that there is almost no distance loss. Players can still miss left and right, but the distance loss is pretty...Read more
Feel
A super game improvement club is designed for maximum forgiveness and strong ball speeds and distance. These traits tend to trump elements like feel and workability, and these irons are...Read more
The feel is good when the ball is struck in the center of the face. However, I know that the toe and heel strike isn't perfect. The distance is still...Read more
Workability
The ability to shape shots right to left or left to right is something typically seen in blades and other styles of irons aimed at the more advanced player who...Read more
I find it difficult to work the ball from left to right, but I have a natural draw-shot shape. This design is great for a player with a natural fade...Read more
Distance
The strong lofts, low center of gravity, and stability of the heads are all designed to promote not only ease of use but high, low spinning shots that, combined with...Read more
I hit the 4-iron just as far as my 4-hybrid. That is crazy long, as hybrids are longer in length and should be easier to hit farther. These clubs have...Read more
Sound
If someone expects these game improvement irons to have a hollow, loud sound when struck, they are in for a pleasant surprise. The sound on a good strike was lower...Read more
I prefer a traditional sound and these deliver. It's enough to know when I hit the ball pure and when I don't. The tempo of my swing might slow down...Read more
Curated Experts are not sponsored by brands. Their reviews are based on their honest experiences testing products.
Alan Gregory
Matt Jones
About the irons
- Model: Callaway Rogue ST Max Irons
Test conditions
- Where I tested these: I tested a set of the Callaway Rogue ST Max irons at a local golf retailer that features a GC Quad in a dedicated fitting bay.
- How many times I've used it: 1
Expert Reviews of the Callaway Rogue ST Max Irons
Alan Gregory When testing the Callaway Rogue ST Max Irons, I was impressed by how well the ball flew, even if I struck it low or off the toe a bit. The performance ranks them high as super game improvement irons, with strong lofts delivering fast ball speeds with a spin on the low end, which increased the average distance over my gamer clubs. The combination of the AI-designed Flash Face Cup and tungsten weighting helped create a stable clubhead that resulted in straight shots, healthy launch angles, and a feeling that they were easy clubs to hit.
With quite a bit of offset, a thick top line, and a large overall head size, there is no hiding the fact that they're great game improvement irons. This set will certainly help a high-handicapper hit straighter shots, but the looks and lack of workability and functional spin would be a turn-off for a more advanced player. But for the right person, these are excellent clubs.
Matt Jones After testing the Callaway Rogue ST Max irons, my first thought was "speed." These clubs are rockets; they effortlessly launch the ball high and far. They are a little bulkier when looking down at them from the top. In the simulator, I was about 12 yards longer in these irons than my current irons. They are stronger lofted than most traditionally lofted clubs, but that is the norm with game improvement irons. Callaway Rogue uses tungsten in the clubheads to make them heavier and lower their center of gravity, making it easier to launch the ball high and help compress it.
These clubs may not be for players who tend to draw the ball already, as they have a draw bias, and it is not easy to shape the ball in both directions. Overall, if players are looking for some slice correction and a lot more distance, these clubs will deliver!
Product Specs
| Iron Set Type | Iron Set |
| Player type | Game improvement |
| Used (Y/N) | No |
| Club Type | Irons |
| Model year | 2022 |
| Swing weight | D2 |
| Item | Club length | Lie angle | Loft degrees | Offset degrees | Swing weight (graphite) | Swing weight (steel) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 38.875'' | 60.5° | 18.5° | 7mm | D0 | D2 |
| 5 | 38.25'' | 61.25° | 21.5° | 6.8mm | D0 | D2 |
| 6 | 37.625'' | 62° | 24.5° | 6.4mm | D0 | D2 |
| 7 | 37'' | 62.5° | 27.5° | 6.1mm | D0 | D2 |
| 8 | 36.5'' | 63° | 32° | 5.8mm | D0 | D2 |
| 9 | 36'' | 63.5° | 36.5° | 5.3mm | D0 | D2 |
| PW | 35.75'' | 64° | 41° | 4.8mm | D0 | D2 |
| AW | 35.5'' | 64° | 46° | 4.3mm | D0 | D2 |
| GW | 35.25'' | 64° | 51° | 3.7mm | D0 | D2 |
| SW | 35'' | 64° | 56° | 3.2mm | D0 | D2 |
Review Ratings
Averaged between reviewers, view below how all experts voted.
Forgiveness
5/5
Alan Gregory gave 5 of 5 stars. These irons incorporate AI-designed Flash Face technology to help maintain ball speed and spin rates across the face, which is very important for a golfer in need of super game improvement irons, as they tend to be very inconsistent with their strike locations on the face, rarely hitting the sweet spot. The tungsten in the clubheads helps stabilize the face and helps with good launch angles and straight ball flight.
Matt Jones gave 5 of 5 stars. These clubs are so forgiving on heel and toe strikes that there is almost no distance loss. Players can still miss left and right, but the distance loss is pretty minimal. These clubs are kind of heavy, but it feels like it's easy to take it to the top and let the club do the work from that point on.
Feel
4/5
Alan Gregory gave 4 of 5 stars. A super game improvement club is designed for maximum forgiveness and strong ball speeds and distance. These traits tend to trump elements like feel and workability, and these irons are no different. The good rating here is more because the clubs did not feel clicky, but the misses were not very pronounced either, so feedback on bad strikes was minimal.
Matt Jones gave 4 of 5 stars. The feel is good when the ball is struck in the center of the face. However, I know that the toe and heel strike isn't perfect. The distance is still good, but the feel is not as good. The clubs feel heavy in the hand, but the added weight makes it easier to get the ball out of thick rough.
Workability
2/5
Alan Gregory gave 2 of 5 stars. The ability to shape shots right to left or left to right is something typically seen in blades and other styles of irons aimed at the more advanced player who doesn't struggle with swing dynamics or poor strike patterns on the face. So, the fact that the workability of the Rogue ST Max irons is poor shouldn't be a surprise because it's not what these clubs are made to do. If I were a high handicap golfer looking for an easy-to-hit and forgiving set of irons, I would not be concerned that I can't call on a draw or fade on command.
Matt Jones gave 2 of 5 stars. I find it difficult to work the ball from left to right, but I have a natural draw-shot shape. This design is great for a player with a natural fade or slice. These clubs will help minimize the slice with an offset design and perimeter weighting that helps promote a draw bias. This is especially true in the Max OS model.
Distance
5/5
Alan Gregory gave 5 of 5 stars. The strong lofts, low center of gravity, and stability of the heads are all designed to promote not only ease of use but high, low spinning shots that, combined with the fast ball speeds, lead to ball flights that feature strong carry and roll out, resulting in long shots.
Matt Jones gave 5 of 5 stars. I hit the 4-iron just as far as my 4-hybrid. That is crazy long, as hybrids are longer in length and should be easier to hit farther. These clubs have stronger lofts, so the stronger lofts can partially explain the distance gain, but they still hit the ball height because of the tungsten weight in the sole of the clubs, which helps launch the ball higher.
Sound
5/5
Alan Gregory gave 4 of 5 stars. If someone expects these game improvement irons to have a hollow, loud sound when struck, they are in for a pleasant surprise. The sound on a good strike was lower pitched than expected, and mishits never sounded overly clicky. While not as good sounding as a higher-performing iron, the Rogue ST Max irons were not off-putting, and their category was quite good.
Matt Jones gave 5 of 5 stars. I prefer a traditional sound and these deliver. It's enough to know when I hit the ball pure and when I don't. The tempo of my swing might slow down a touch as the clubs feel heavier, but when I come down, that amount of mass into the ball feels unrivaled.
FAQs
What do you love about this product?
Alan Gregory These Callaway Rogue ST Max Irons are a super game improvement club. As such, they are easy to hit, and the distance, even on mishits, is impressive. That's what I loved the most about hitting these irons: I felt like every swing would result in a straight shot, or at least shots that didn't stray very far from my target line.
Matt Jones Forgiveness. These clubs are hot across the face and exceptionally long regardless of where I hit them on the clubface. They are stronger lofted, so keep that in mind when selecting wedges to pair with this set.
What was your favorite moment with this gear?
Alan Gregory My favorite moment when testing the Callaway Rogue ST Max Irons was when I hit a mid iron off the extreme toe end of the club and looked up at the simulator screen expecting a low spinning hook peeling off to the left. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to see a draw with good height carrying nearly as far as a pure strike. Needless to say, I was shocked to see that my ball had stayed on the driving range and hadn't flown into the woods on the left-hand side.
Why did you choose this product?
Alan Gregory As a 12-handicap golfer in my mid-50s, I have started to gravitate toward clubs that will make the game easier to play and easier on my body. At this time, I play a set of Srion ZX4s, which are considered game improvement irons. So, at this point in my career, I would not choose to purchase and play the Callaway Rogue ST Max Irons, but I think that once I get into my mid-60s, I will go for a set of super game improvement irons. Something with the Rogue ST Max irons' quality and performance would catch my interest.
Matt Jones I wanted to test this product out so I could better understand who these clubs would be good for. The answer is anyone who wants to hit the ball further and fights a little fade from left to right. These clubs are easy to hit, albeit on the heavy side; they have no problem getting the ball airborne.
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Alan Gregory
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