Callaway Epic, Epic Pro Irons and Epic Hybrids: In-Hand Photos

[lil'mike]

I don't mind the looks of the irons if they preform and really like the looks of the hybrid. That said, they are out of my price range but I will hit them just to compare to my current setup to see if they live up the the hype and price to me anyway!

 

I think that it is a very low percentage of folks that will buy these are this price and for the ones that will consider these, they will also be looking at the other high end ones like PXG to compare to. For us part time golfers that try to play twice a week will be glad that they already bought irons before everyone makes them at this price point!

 

It seems like a very small percentage of golfers that Callaway will be counting on to buy and support this product line and pay for their R&D plus make them profits. Of course since most clubs are made in China now even by all the other companies, then maybe it means higher profit margins so they don't have to sell so many sets! IDK.

[Brianbigoats]

I bet if they were $175 they would sell well but $250 is pushing it a little far, Plus the lofts are crazy strong The Pro 5 iron is the same loft as my 4 iron. I also think it make Callaway look like they are jumping on the bandwagon that PXG started.

[cane700]

Its amazing how Callaway can make an iron that looks like a big box store special and then charge just as much as a miura!

 

Errrrr... not a fan!

 

+1

 

#miurab4epic

 

I don't understand comments like this. Really? The price tag is acceptable when it's a club with no tech in it but it comes from one particular country. Then that price is unacceptable when you actually get some tech for your money but it's made by a domestic company? This has to be purely a brand preference thing right? Like BMW vs Mercedes?

 

If by domestic you mean China, you should know that I live in the US. There is no tech that will save a bad swing. This so called "tech" is no more than the ability to swing weight the club. Something that Ping has been doing in their irons for years at realistic prices. At least with miura you're getting a forged work of art.

 

 

[scythe23]

Dang that is pricey. It's tough for me to even look at irons at that price point when I can get irons from Mizuno, Titleist ect... that are one generation old with upgraded shafts and look almost new for the price of one and a half Epic Irons lol. I will admit that I always look for a good deal before I buy but good lord you can be blind and find an equal club for half the price. Oh well to each his own

[scrap22]

http://cmp.callawaygolf.com/epic-irons

[eldog-in-the-hizouse]

This reminds me of the old Fusion stuff from 10 years ago or so. At the time it was crazy expensive. I really don't see this stuff doing well. Looks-wise or price-wise. Good luck to them though!

[golfer07840]

Does anyone know the price point and release dates of these clubs, specifically the hybrids?

 

Hybrids are $279.99, irons are $250 each for steel or $280 each for graphite.

Holy God.

 

I write this as I'm at a 53k a yr college with my 2nd daughter.

 

Think I'm keeping my RzrX clubs for awhile.

[SheriffBooth]

I'd wager that, to a certain extent, these are a "halo" club for Callaway. As others have said, similar to the FT and Fusion irons of the mid-2000's. They'll sell a number of sets to folks that are able to pay, but they also serve as a symbol for Callaway and their ability to create a technology filled product, perhaps pushing consumers to other Callaway products even though the price point is too steep for the irons themselves.

[dicko999]

At first glance, I thought the irons were the old Nickent 4DX series from several years ago.

[cane700]

I'd wager that, to a certain extent, these are a "halo" club for Callaway. As others have said, similar to the FT and Fusion irons of the mid-2000's. They'll sell a number of sets to folks that are able to pay, but they also serve as a symbol for Callaway and their ability to create a technology filled product, perhaps pushing consumers to other Callaway products even though the price point is too steep for the irons themselves.

This is probably the correct assessment. Their customer base is not going to drop big coin on clubs when they've been buying off the rack for $500.

[duffer987]

I'd wager that, to a certain extent, these are a "halo" club for Callaway. As others have said, similar to the FT and Fusion irons of the mid-2000's. They'll sell a number of sets to folks that are able to pay, but they also serve as a symbol for Callaway and their ability to create a technology filled product, perhaps pushing consumers to other Callaway products even though the price point is too steep for the irons themselves.

This is probably the correct assessment. Their customer base is not going to drop big coin on clubs when they've been buying off the rack for $500.

 

The "halo" should at least be appealing/aspirational though. The new Acura NSX or the Lexus LFA when it was introduced, for example.

These Epic irons are like Dodge choosing the Caravan as its halo ;)

[cmatthews77]

how is it possible the same guys who put out the apex MB came out with these....?

 

not even in the same ballpark. #shank.

 

Exactly!

#epicfail

[cmatthews77]

I'd wager that, to a certain extent, these are a "halo" club for Callaway. As others have said, similar to the FT and Fusion irons of the mid-2000's. They'll sell a number of sets to folks that are able to pay, but they also serve as a symbol for Callaway and their ability to create a technology filled product, perhaps pushing consumers to other Callaway products even though the price point is too steep for the irons themselves.

 

OR

 

They cause Callaway fan boys like myself to immediately go get fit for Mizuno or Srixon

[graciedoggy]

well i have last years sub zero xr16 driver and just got a sub zero Epic 13* 3 wood...PX hzrdus shafts --i love the line ...now to find a 5 wood..!!! if i sell my basement full of clubs i'll get the irons!!!

[cmatthews77]

How the Epic Irons came about....

 

Callaway Board Meeting, Q1Financial Review: "Great work team, this Epic Driver has been a big success. How do we keep these revenue projections up?" Someone in room: "let's make an Epic iron"

 

Board to CEO: Make an Epic Iron released before June.

CEO to Harry: "We need an Epic iron line before June".

Harry to Doc Hoc: "Doc, we have to have an Epic iron line before June"

Doc Hoc: "What? Why?"

Harry: "We just have to. Driver still doing well. Board thinks they can repeat this momentum for Q2 with irons".

Doc: "No way. Won't work."

Harry: "I know. Oh... and they have to be $250 per club".

Doc: WTF Harry?

Harry: Look Doc, don't sweat this. Gather the team and let's meet in my office in an hour...

 

An hour later...

 

Harry: "Ok team, we've got to get an Epic iron line out by June".

*Notable mumbling heard around the room

What have we not done yet?

Someone on marketing team: "Tungsten"

Doc: "We've done Tungsten inserts in the Apex line"

Harry: "What if we could call it a Tungsten injection. That may work. Doc spin me something around injected Tungsten and what that would do"

What else?

Mkt Intern: "I mean we've already put the face cups in the Apex"

Harry: "Is that all we've got?"

Silence from room...

Harry: Ok listen. Just go to the drawing board and take the injected tungsten story and the cup face welded to the body and come up with some new name we can call this process. Let's reconvene in two weeks".

 

Harry to CEO: "I'm going to need double the video budget for this".

CEO: "Why Harry? We've already tripled the marketing budget this year"

Harry: "I know but you've demanded an Epic iron line by June and we've got nothing. This is going to take some epic story telling"

CEO: "Fine Harry just get it done by June"

 

Two weeks later... in marketing board room...

Harry: "Ok team, what have we got..."

Doc: "Harry, check this out- "Energy Lensing"

Harry: Sounds cool. What is it?

Doc: It's the new name we call putting the face cup in the body of the iron

Harry: Love it. What else we got?

Silence from the room...

Harry: Fine. Let's see the design...

Doc: "Here she is (unveils the Epic iron design)"

Harry: "That's what we've got. It looks like the Fusion design. Maybe a little X2Hot also"

Marketing Intern: "Well we were going to use this badging on next fall's XR Fusion irons but we just pushed it up here and changed the color scheme to Epic"

Harry: "Da*nit! This thing has got to look premium!!!! We're charging $250 for this thing!

Doc: "Harry you didn't mention that in the meeting!

*Rumblings around the room

Doc: "We can re-design it. Just give us 2 more weeks.

Harry: We don't have 2 weeks. I need final drafts to get the marketing materials out in time for a pre-June release"

Doc: "Well Harry. I mean.... we could.... ummm...."

Harry: "Ok guys everyone settle down. Take the black part and make it look like the carbon material on the driver so it at least looks consistent with that. Maybe that'll pass. Oh and curve some metal across there so it looks like the 'jailbreak'. Meeting dismissed. Doc you stay.

 

Harry to Doc: "Look. I got us twice the video production budget for this thing. Write me some copy on what our engineering staff and production look like."

Doc: I'm not sure I understand?

Harry: I mean anything and everything we've got. How many engineers do we have now? How long is the production process. Get all that too me. I've got to sell this thing in this video. Oh and forward me that PXG ad copy we've been laughing about.

 

Two weeks later:

CEO to Harry: "Harry, I've got to admit you've done it again"

Harry: "I'm not confident this is going to work."

CEO: "Doesnt matter. Board loves it. Great work. You should have heard them laughing about the "no restrictions on materials line". Great stuff. This is approved.

Harry: "Ok. Well let me know what else you need"

[south_side_lefty]

How the Epic Irons came about....

 

Callaway Board Meeting, Q1Financial Review: "Great work team, this Epic Driver has been a big success. How do we keep these revenue projections up?" Someone in room: "let's make an Epic iron"

 

Board to CEO: Make an Epic Iron released before June.

CEO to Harry: "We need an Epic iron line before June".

Harry to Doc Hoc: "Doc, we have to have an Epic iron line before June"

Doc Hoc: "What? Why?"

Harry: "We just have to. Driver still doing well. Board thinks they can repeat this momentum for Q2 with irons".

Doc: "No way. Won't work."

Harry: "I know. Oh... and they have to be $250 per club".

Doc: WTF Harry?

Harry: Look Doc, don't sweat this. Gather the team and let's meet in my office in an hour...

 

An hour later...

 

Harry: "Ok team, we've got to get an Epic iron line out by June".

*Notable mumbling heard around the room

What have we not done yet?

Someone on marketing team: "Tungsten"

Doc: "We've done Tungsten inserts in the Apex line"

Harry: "What if we could call it a Tungsten injection. That may work. Doc spin me something around injected Tungsten and what that would do"

What else?

Mkt Intern: "I mean we've already put the face cups in the Apex"

Harry: "Is that all we've got?"

Silence from room...

Harry: Ok listen. Just go to the drawing board and take the injected tungsten story and the cup face welded to the body and come up with some new name we can call this process. Let's reconvene in two weeks".

 

Harry to CEO: "I'm going to need double the video budget for this".

CEO: "Why Harry? We've already tripled the marketing budget this year"

Harry: "I know but you've demanded an Epic iron line by June and we've got nothing. This is going to take some epic story telling"

CEO: "Fine Harry just get it done by June"

 

Two weeks later... in marketing board room...

Harry: "Ok team, what have we got..."

Doc: "Harry, check this out- "Energy Lensing"

Harry: Sounds cool. What is it?

Doc: It's the new name we call putting the face cup in the body of the iron

Harry: Love it. What else we got?

Silence from the room...

Harry: Fine. Let's see the design...

Doc: "Here she is (unveils the Epic iron design)"

Harry: "That's what we've got. It looks like the Fusion design. Maybe a little X2Hot also"

Marketing Intern: "Well we were going to use this badging on next fall's XR Fusion irons but we just pushed it up here and changed the color scheme to Epic"

Harry: "Da*nit! This thing has got to look premium!!!! We're charging $250 for this thing!

Doc: "Harry you didn't mention that in the meeting!

*Rumblings around the room

Doc: "We can re-design it. Just give us 2 more weeks.

Harry: We don't have 2 weeks. I need final drafts to get the marketing materials out in time for a pre-June release"

Doc: "Well Harry. I mean.... we could.... ummm...."

Harry: "Ok guys everyone settle down. Take the black part and make it look like the carbon material on the driver so it at least looks consistent with that. Maybe that'll pass. Oh and curve some metal across there so it looks like the 'jailbreak'. Meeting dismissed. Doc you stay.

 

Harry to Doc: "Look. I got us twice the video production budget for this thing. Write me some copy on what our engineering staff and production look like."

Doc: I'm not sure I understand?

Harry: I mean anything and everything we've got. How many engineers do we have now? How long is the production process. Get all that too me. I've got to sell this thing in this video. Oh and forward me that PXG ad copy we've been laughing about.

 

Two weeks later:

CEO to Harry: "Harry, I've got to admit you've done it again"

Harry: "I'm not confident this is going to work."

CEO: "Doesnt matter. Board loves it. Great work. You should have heard them laughing about the "no restrictions on materials line". Great stuff. This is approved.

Harry: "Ok. Well let me know what else you need"

 

I also have a full Callaway bag (yeah,even the bag) and this doesn't really bother me. It's as though these incredibly high priced and not terribly aesthetic irons are now causing you personal embarrassment. And like, a LOT of embarrassment.

[caloge]

Seems like these miss the mark. It follows the formula: Manufacturer claims infinite R&D budget to justify massive price akin to pxg and Titleist c16, and produces something that looks different and tells an intriguing story. Problem ultimately is that both PXG and Titleist produced a set of iron that looked unique appealing and expensive. These do not look expensive, and really dont look substantially different than many of Callaways past crazier GI offerings,

 

As has been said before in this thread, I dont really Callaway produced anything here to justify the price, but sales are the ultimate judge. How you could be in the market for "exotic" irons and pick these over a set of c16's or 0311s is hard to grasp.

[CCTxGolf]

I'd wager that, to a certain extent, these are a "halo" club for Callaway. As others have said, similar to the FT and Fusion irons of the mid-2000's. They'll sell a number of sets to folks that are able to pay, but they also serve as a symbol for Callaway and their ability to create a technology filled product, perhaps pushing consumers to other Callaway products even though the price point is too steep for the irons themselves.

 

OR

 

They cause Callaway fan boys like myself to immediately go get fit for Mizuno or Srixon

 

Haha! I've been on the srixon website at lunch and am thinking of a fitting this weekend. 765 and 965 combo looking very appealing now that I have no desire to look into the new Callaway offering. I'm sure we are not the only ones.

[Bob57]

Its amazing how Callaway can make an iron that looks like a big box store special and then charge just as much as a miura!

 

Errrrr... not a fan!

 

Guess you haven't seen the latest GI irons Miura has put out (genesis) since being bought. They are so ugly Miura doesn't put their name on them but prices them hideously..

[Bob57]

Seems like these miss the mark. It follows the formula: Manufacturer claims infinite R&D budget to justify massive price akin to pxg and Titleist c16, and produces something that looks different and tells an intriguing story. Problem ultimately is that both PXG and Titleist produced a set of iron that looked unique appealing and expensive. These do not look expensive, and really dont look substantially different than many of Callaways past crazier GI offerings,

 

As has been said before in this thread, I dont really Callaway produced anything here to justify the price, but sales are the ultimate judge. How you could be in the market for "exotic" irons and pick these over a set of c16's or 0311s is hard to grasp.

 

PXG appealing with its perimeter lined with screws? $3,000 for a set of clubs that advertises itself as a forged club yet doesn't feature a forged face. Maybe you are supposed to literally hit the ball on the screws for that forged feeling. C16 looks good? I owned a set and while they indeed did perform they were less than appealing to look down at. The Callaway XR steelhead Pros run circles around both PXG and C16s performance wise. Plus the black finish far outlasts that "drill bit" black finish on the PXGs..the BS on the epics is no less believable than the crap published on the PXGs and C16s.

[Llortamaisey]

The great thing about the Epic line and the C16 line is that you will be able to get them slightly used for a third or a quarter of the price. The $1100 C16 driver can be had in great shape now for $400, and it's barely a year old. That's way better than the PXG stuff, which seems to go up in price if it's used. I don't think we can complain about the Epic pricing since it will drop drastically on the resale market.

[jongalt55]

This looks a lot like Callaway's jump-the-shark moment. The past several years have proven that golf evolves, it doesn't change overnight. That's why RBZ and R11 worked, but R1, Stage 2, Lethal and "rocketballz-ier" didn't. It's also why the majority of golfers aren't out there dressed like Al Czervik. The only times revolutionary change has been widely adopted have been when it produces revolutionary results (i.e., the first metalwood, the rubber core ball, even the original RBZ). Where a company defies the mainstream too broadly without that kind of revolutionary "got to have it" product, it fails (see TM examples above, Nike's failure to gain market share with their unconventional "covert" tech, etc.). None of these new "distance" tech irons are revolutionary. They decrease loft and justify it by using weight distribution to create higher launch angles, none of which changes the fact that they've dramatically decreased spin, making their irons longer, but less able to hold greens. In short, they may be longer, but they're less playable. Now Callaway apparently expects consumers to buy that same "length" story and pay twice as much for a fairly garish looking product. If they're aiming for the same "luxury goods" segment PXG is targeting, they missed the mark. When was the last time you saw a luxury car (audi, bmw, mercedes, lexus, infinity, jaguar, etc.) a significant percentage of the population would describe as garish or off-putting? You don't. Luxury goods are described by words like sculpted, polished and refined. That's where PXG is hitting the mark. And it is also where Callaway missed it with the Epic irons. I can't think that these will be any sort of significant success outside of hardcore Callaway homers...

 

I can just hear the average club member's response to their buddy's new Epic irons--"looks good on you though..." :rolleyes:

[BForrester]

I think I threw up in my mouth a little bit.

[Farrow]

Its amazing how Callaway can make an iron that looks like a big box store special and then charge just as much as a miura!

 

Errrrr... not a fan!

 

+1

 

#miurab4epic

 

I don't understand comments like this. Really? The price tag is acceptable when it's a club with no tech in it but it comes from one particular country. Then that price is unacceptable when you actually get some tech for your money but it's made by a domestic company? This has to be purely a brand preference thing right? Like BMW vs Mercedes?

 

If by domestic you mean China, you should know that I live in the US. There is no tech that will save a bad swing. This so called "tech" is no more than the ability to swing weight the club. Something that Ping has been doing in their irons for years at realistic prices. At least with miura you're getting a forged work of art.

 

Yes most manufacturers produce their clubs in China, but Callaway is a US company. That's what I mean by domestic. So basically what you're saying is the price should be driven purely by aesthetic? Nobody is saying tech will save a bad swing, but it can minimize the damage from that bad swing. You don't get that with the majority of Miura models. At that point you're just paying for a name, not performance. Personally, I'd rather have a set that helps me shoot lower scores while swinging them than a set that just looks pretty sitting in my bag.

[madaboutgolf]

irons not for me looks wise..and priced for lotto winners ?

[karlkaspian]

Has Callaway ever had an iron (from a set) priced at $250 before? Curious.

[maowv]

How the Epic Irons came about....

 

Callaway Board Meeting, Q1Financial Review: "Great work team, this Epic Driver has been a big success. How do we keep these revenue projections up?" Someone in room: "let's make an Epic iron"

 

Board to CEO: Make an Epic Iron released before June.

CEO to Harry: "We need an Epic iron line before June".

Harry to Doc Hoc: "Doc, we have to have an Epic iron line before June"

Doc Hoc: "What? Why?"

Harry: "We just have to. Driver still doing well. Board thinks they can repeat this momentum for Q2 with irons".

Doc: "No way. Won't work."

Harry: "I know. Oh... and they have to be $250 per club".

Doc: WTF Harry?

Harry: Look Doc, don't sweat this. Gather the team and let's meet in my office in an hour...

 

An hour later...

 

Harry: "Ok team, we've got to get an Epic iron line out by June".

*Notable mumbling heard around the room

What have we not done yet?

Someone on marketing team: "Tungsten"

Doc: "We've done Tungsten inserts in the Apex line"

Harry: "What if we could call it a Tungsten injection. That may work. Doc spin me something around injected Tungsten and what that would do"

What else?

Mkt Intern: "I mean we've already put the face cups in the Apex"

Harry: "Is that all we've got?"

Silence from room...

Harry: Ok listen. Just go to the drawing board and take the injected tungsten story and the cup face welded to the body and come up with some new name we can call this process. Let's reconvene in two weeks".

 

Harry to CEO: "I'm going to need double the video budget for this".

CEO: "Why Harry? We've already tripled the marketing budget this year"

Harry: "I know but you've demanded an Epic iron line by June and we've got nothing. This is going to take some epic story telling"

CEO: "Fine Harry just get it done by June"

 

Two weeks later... in marketing board room...

Harry: "Ok team, what have we got..."

Doc: "Harry, check this out- "Energy Lensing"

Harry: Sounds cool. What is it?

Doc: It's the new name we call putting the face cup in the body of the iron

Harry: Love it. What else we got?

Silence from the room...

Harry: Fine. Let's see the design...

Doc: "Here she is (unveils the Epic iron design)"

Harry: "That's what we've got. It looks like the Fusion design. Maybe a little X2Hot also"

Marketing Intern: "Well we were going to use this badging on next fall's XR Fusion irons but we just pushed it up here and changed the color scheme to Epic"

Harry: "Da*nit! This thing has got to look premium!!!! We're charging $250 for this thing!

Doc: "Harry you didn't mention that in the meeting!

*Rumblings around the room

Doc: "We can re-design it. Just give us 2 more weeks.

Harry: We don't have 2 weeks. I need final drafts to get the marketing materials out in time for a pre-June release"

Doc: "Well Harry. I mean.... we could.... ummm...."

Harry: "Ok guys everyone settle down. Take the black part and make it look like the carbon material on the driver so it at least looks consistent with that. Maybe that'll pass. Oh and curve some metal across there so it looks like the 'jailbreak'. Meeting dismissed. Doc you stay.

 

Harry to Doc: "Look. I got us twice the video production budget for this thing. Write me some copy on what our engineering staff and production look like."

Doc: I'm not sure I understand?

Harry: I mean anything and everything we've got. How many engineers do we have now? How long is the production process. Get all that too me. I've got to sell this thing in this video. Oh and forward me that PXG ad copy we've been laughing about.

 

Two weeks later:

CEO to Harry: "Harry, I've got to admit you've done it again"

Harry: "I'm not confident this is going to work."

CEO: "Doesnt matter. Board loves it. Great work. You should have heard them laughing about the "no restrictions on materials line". Great stuff. This is approved.

Harry: "Ok. Well let me know what else you need"

 

The most Epic thing about today's release is this post. Everything else is equal to reheating all the leftovers found in the back of the fridge and then charging French cuisine prices for it. At least this write-up is original and hilarious.

 

These irons are the golf equivalent to Arthur Fonzarelli on water skis in his leather jacket.

[gunmetal]

Pretty soon someone is going to be able to sell a $2000 set of irons that says "Made in the USA"....and still make a profit.

[cafe_racer]

[mixxedbag]

Definitely the day their "resurgence" has jumped the shark, although some could argue earlier, but tough to with the #1 tag. We'll be seeing a new #1 this year anyways. Besides, what's #1 doesn't matter to anyone unless you're getting a cut of it. I see a lot of Callaway fanboys on Twitter etc caught up in the Callaway circle jerk where they just love every word Harry or Chad say, doesn't make sense to me.