Mavrik Apex Steelhead Epic Rogue - how to distinguish?

[Justsomeguy]

Looking for a used slash new to me set, and want to give something Callaway a shot.

As I understand it, the steelheads are strong loft and cheapest, the rogues are next up the line with the 3 separate varietals based on loft strength, Epic I'm not sure but they preceded the Rogue line, Apex is the players set with forgiveness, and no clue on the Mavrik other than being latest and greatest.

Not looking to spend a grand so Mavrik is prob out, but where do all these sets intersect? And any notable shaft options?

Thanks.

[DMartini]

i will get the ball rolling... with Apex CF16, used them for a couple of years when they were released in 2016, fantastic clubs, still have a 5-SW set im deciding what shafts to throw in to get them back in a summer carry bag setup, juiced lofts but easy to hit. from what i have been told will play similar to the AP1 you have in your sig as far as feel playablity, ball interaction etc, have nothing but praise for these irons, will go down in the history books as one of Callys greatest irons IMO.

i have a set of Steelhead XRs in 3-9i, while i give them credit for being what they are, they are supercharged shovels and they are kinda hard to use around the green, i think from memory the 3i is 18* of loft, so that club is like a RPG launcher the ball shoots off the face and flies into distance with ease, would recommend XR Steelhead to a senior gent or young guy just starting out.

shaft is personal preference IMO.

[Mr Smooth]

I’m in your handicap range, driver swing speed around 90, smooth transition, and am a sweeper, taking little to no divot. The steelhead xr work great for me. Amazingly forgiving. Not that bad looking of a game-improvement shovel. I agree with the comment about the wedges - the pw is good for full swings, but do not like the aw, sw, and lw so got different wedges for around the green

[Justsomeguy]

I'm looking to go back to steel this time around. Hoping for a good standard option.

The Ap1's I'm coming from aren't too chunky considering. I wouldn't want to go chunkier.

Steelhead pro vs other models?

And how do they differ from rogue and epic?

[bvanlieu]

The Pro line is smaller and usually better lofts (still on the strong side of course :D ) . I was close to getting the XR Pros a few years back but the P770s won me over in feel. I was coming from Ping Eye 2's for near 20 years so a bit larger iron wasn't a concern to me.

 

The Epic has a lot more tech in the head for that same model year. Rogue kind of went under the radar (lot of irons in the line really) in 2018 and are all good clubs but you must like the look of them to be happy. I don't consider any of them shovels but that's just me.

 

For a mid capper: honestly they all will be good solid choices and it comes down usually to looks, feels, and brand loyalty at that point.

 

If I had to be pressed to rate them : Epic>Rogue>XR in terms of forgiveness by a smidge, the trade off is spin/working ball a bit.

[callawayjay]

Don’t sleep on the rogue pros. Really solid golf club.

[Justsomeguy]

So are the Rogues basically the strong version of Epics?

[callawayjay]

No. Epic was top tier. Rogues were their low tier. With apex in the middle. I played rogue pros for 2 years and played some great golf with them. I’m a 7 and probably only hit my driver 235. I don’t swing hard and the pros were very easy to hit with a very small profile

[Justsomeguy]

What made the epic their best set of clubs?

was there really that much more technology I thought Apex was the top.

[Justsomeguy]

Also - how are the recoils?

[Warrior42111]

So I went from the Steelheads to the Apex 19. Also had a shaft change and distance is pretty similar maybe 5 yards a club shorter.

Apex face is a bit shorter of course, and that means less forgiveness as you'll be closer to the heel or toe. To be honest set up looks doesn't matter to me, I know it does for some but I can't really give a difference as I never really looked at it that way.

Honestly having played both you can't go wrong with either with the proper shaft and set up.

[HuskyFan]

Apex CF16 - 2016 game improvement iron with a forged body, but I think the face is cast

Steelhead - 2017 game improvement iron

Epic - 2017 game improvement iron with all the tech Callaway could throw at it

Rogue - 2018 game improvement iron with a some trickle down tech from Epic

All irons have cup face (except Apex only has it in the 3i-7i), and the Epic and Rogue have tungsten in the head. I've only hit the Apex, Epic, and Rogue, and it's been a while, but if I remember correctly the Epic and Rogue are true game improvement irons, while the Apex trends towards the players side (though still very much a game improvement iron).

The Steelhead, Epic, and Rogue also have "Pro" models that are essentially smaller versions of the irons, but with the same tech as the non-pro models. The Apex Pro is a fully forged iron and I don't think it has cup face at all. Hope this helps.

[trilerian]

I game the steelhead xr with a kbs tour V shaft. My setup is a high launching low spin form of crazy! I'm not a fast swinger, usually around 82mph with a 7i, but I carry my set 7i 170yds. Launch right about 20* and 6000 rpm spin. They are quite forgiving on thin hits which is nice, and toe hits still get out there. My set is AW-5i, and I play the 4h as well. The rogues are just newer, with the standard rogues having the same lofts. The Mavriks being the newest are stronger lofts. I've been to the hitting bays many times since getting fitted for these, and I haven't found something yet that outperforms.

[Justsomeguy]

What shafts are you guys using?

[callawayjay]

Epic had more technology inside the head. My recoils are fantastic on the pros. Very good combo

[Justsomeguy]

Well I did it. Went steelhead xr with f3 recoils. 660 weight. I'm already in love. Shaft is a much better feel than what I was working with.

[1Mordrid1]

Awesome and congrats. For the prices you can find on them, they are hard to beat.

I played the Steelhead XR for over a year and they were forgiving and VERY LONG. At the time I loved them because I struggled with ballooning short irons, and with the progressive center of gravity, it helped me keep the 8-AW from overspinning and going way too high. Hope you enjoy them.

[Justsomeguy]

Thanks man. I'm already thrilled. Was gonna get out for 9 on what might be my last covid Friday, but started raining. Maybe tomorrow.

Got the recoil f3 660. They feel great. Don't know much about the shafts, but for a guy who hits driver 220 without crazy circumstances, R flex mid weight couldn't be too bad.

[DMartini]

wow that was quick, you dont mess around.

 

[Justsomeguy]

Gotta maximize my covid golf!

[callawayjay]

Play the 760s F3 and you will enjoy them

[Justsomeguy]

I have the 660. So far love em.

[ChipNRun]

From my experience hitting the Callaway line the past few years:

Steelhead XR Pro: easy to hit, a bit better control than the base Steelhead XR. Only problem: the dark tint reportedly isn't too durable (cosmetic).Rogue Pro, Rogue, Rogue X: First, forget the X... ball goes a long way, distance varies stroke to stroke. Many do well with Rogue 4i-5i, Rogue Pro the rest of the way.Mavrik family: Don't be afraid to try the Marvik Max. Has HIGHER lofts than Mavrik. In Mav and MavM 7i side-by-side, the higher-lofted MavM flew higher and a CLUB LONGER in distance.Epic models: Think upscale, designed to compete with Miura and XPG. OK clubs, if you have $$ to burn.Apex: intended to be a notch above the Steelhead/Rogue/Mavrik. If they fly well and the price is right, go with Apex.

[cmatthews77]

As a guy with a bag full of Callaway gear I’ll give you my opinion and rundown of Callaway product lines...

First... Callaway currently is trying to blend product release cycle with best if both worlds. Meaning they are a) constantly releasing new products (like Taylor Made) while at the same time b) slowing the release cycle on individual products (like Titleist).

The Apex iron line (and X Forged) has stuck around now for a while and is generally updated every 2-3 years. Both are premium product while they have a rotating annual product that changes branding each year (XR, Steelhead, Rogue, Mavrik) and comes at a slightly lower price point. Technology wise they may introduce something in the Apex line and then trickle it out in next release products. The Epic line is a straight PXG copy and while ok products not worth the premium price point in my opinion

With all that being said...

You can’t go wrong with a preowned set of Apex or X Forged line irons. If you’re a good player or prefer a players cavity they Apex Pro or X Forged are great options depending on preference. The 2018 Apex MBs are fantastic also as a semi-demanding muscleback.

The regular Apex (non-pro) clubs are forgiving distance irons in still a slightly compact appealing package. Generally they’re short blade length size wise like a players iron but with wider soles and more cavity, etc. They may be “Forged” in name but generally it’s a multi-piece iron. Feels fine but not soft like the pro versions or X Forged.

Their annual release stuff... XR, Steelhead, Rogue and now Mavrik are all decent products. Lower price point new than the Apex lines. Cast not Forged and come in pro and regular editions. All strong lofted. Id probably place a pro version of these lines in between the regular Apex and Apex Pro. Guy I know that owns a golf retail business played the Rogue Pro iron for a while and he can play whatever he wants so that tells me it’s a decent product (he changes every year though).

Personally (for me) I wouldn’t like having an iron that I knew branding wise was done in a year so I prefer the Apex line or X Forged. I play the Apex Pro (from 2016) 5-7 with the Apex MB (2018) 8-PW and they blend great. I like that they’re still “current” even though there is a newer model Apex Pro on the market. That’s just me though.

Probably not a ton of difference between Rogue Pro and Mavrik Pro but I don’t have personal experience. Also probably not much difference between the 2016 Apex and the newer 2019 version.

In summary... buy what you like the look of and find a good deal on and enjoy. I’d recommend a set of 2016 Apex irons overall for the average/decent golfer as a GREAT overall iron option. Can’t go wrong with those. They’re long; forgiving and appealing in the bag.