Callaway epic flash? is this legit? (New Pics added Pg 1)

[woods991]

two wins for 2019 so far so I would say legit!

[Les Strokes]

Tested the Flash SZ vs my Rogue and LTD Pro indoors today. Got very good numbers with it, quite comparable to my clubs. Solid strikes feel great. I'm a straight hitter so dispersion doesn't really enter into the equation.

 

Overall a very good driver. And the one I hit was not loud at all.

[tgg27]

I have had my flash sub zero for a few weeks. I ordered it at D5 and it came in at D6. I certainly can't tell the difference in one swing weight point so it is fine. The sound of mine is very muted. Almost sounds dead to me but it definitely goes. This is the first callaway sub zero that I have felt comfortable with on the course. I am still dialing everything in but the results have been good so far. Fairly easy to work both ways and go high or low. It looks a little upright to my eye but I play everything 3 flat. I just got a red dot adapter today so hopefully that helps the look for me.

[3_Jack_Par]

I bought a Flash Subzero head off ebay a couple weeks ago, and played one round with it while I was in Los Angeles last week, and I wasn't wowed by the performance (mainly because it tended to turn over left, and my normal shot shape is a fade) in that first round, but I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that the swingweight is really light. I checked it when I got back, and it came out at C9 (I play my driver at 44"). I checked the weights, and the slider in the head I have is one of the 12g ones. I sent a question to Callaway customer service via their website, asking if I could get heavier weights, and they responded that I should all the customer service line. I did that, and after giving them a very short explanation, they are sending me a 16 and 20 gram sliding weight to try out, no charge. Callaway customer service has always been top notch in my experience, and it's good to see that's still the case. I still don't know if I'll be bagging the Flash SZ long-term -- I'll be testing it against my Epic SZ on trackman in a couple of weeks, and I should have the weights by then, so I can do a fair comparison.

[SDL]

I bought a Flash Subzero head off ebay a couple weeks ago, and played one round with it while I was in Los Angeles last week, and I wasn't wowed by the performance (mainly because it tended to turn over left, and my normal shot shape is a fade) in that first round, but I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that the swingweight is really light. I checked it when I got back, and it came out at C9 (I play my driver at 44"). I checked the weights, and the slider in the head I have is one of the 12g ones. I sent a question to Callaway customer service via their website, asking if I could get heavier weights, and they responded that I should all the customer service line. I did that, and after giving them a very short explanation, they are sending me a 16 and 20 gram sliding weight to try out, no charge. Callaway customer service has always been top notch in my experience, and it's good to see that's still the case. I still don't know if I'll be bagging the Flash SZ long-term -- I'll be testing it against my Epic SZ on trackman in a couple of weeks, and I should have the weights by then, so I can do a fair comparison.

 

Did you try to adjust shot shape a bit by adjusting the placement of the sliding weight?

[3_Jack_Par]

I bought a Flash Subzero head off ebay a couple weeks ago, and played one round with it while I was in Los Angeles last week, and I wasn't wowed by the performance (mainly because it tended to turn over left, and my normal shot shape is a fade) in that first round, but I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that the swingweight is really light. I checked it when I got back, and it came out at C9 (I play my driver at 44"). I checked the weights, and the slider in the head I have is one of the 12g ones. I sent a question to Callaway customer service via their website, asking if I could get heavier weights, and they responded that I should all the customer service line. I did that, and after giving them a very short explanation, they are sending me a 16 and 20 gram sliding weight to try out, no charge. Callaway customer service has always been top notch in my experience, and it's good to see that's still the case. I still don't know if I'll be bagging the Flash SZ long-term -- I'll be testing it against my Epic SZ on trackman in a couple of weeks, and I should have the weights by then, so I can do a fair comparison.

 

Did you try to adjust shot shape a bit by adjusting the placement of the sliding weight?

I didn’t have a ton of time on the range to experiment, and I found when I hit a demo a week or two prior that moving the weight really affected the balance of the club in a way that didn’t feel right to me. I play the Epic SZ in the draw/-1 setting and that gives me a pretty consistent L to R ball flight, on the range, I noted the tendency for the Flash SZ to go left, so I switched it to N/-1 before starting the round.

It was by no means a thorough test, and I’m not drawing any conclusions from a few shots with limited flight range balls and 8 or 9 tee shots on the golf course, especially given:

1st time ever hitting the head was that day

1st round in about 6 weeks (and only hitting any balls twice between)

C9 swingweight

 

I’ve already bought the head, so I’m planning to put it through a much more rigorous process of testing and optimizing the settings before I draw any real conclusions.

 

[Terry Gold]

I've had mine (SZ) for one range session and one round and for whatever reason the sound is certainly more muted than the one I hit during testing indoors.

 

Neither sounded offensive, but the one I ended up buying the sound was more agreeable to my ears outside on the course.

 

What are the chances the difference was attributable to a 'hotter' face on the test fitting head?

 

(The answer better be 'none'!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

[SDL]

I bought a Flash Subzero head off ebay a couple weeks ago, and played one round with it while I was in Los Angeles last week, and I wasn't wowed by the performance (mainly because it tended to turn over left, and my normal shot shape is a fade) in that first round, but I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that the swingweight is really light. I checked it when I got back, and it came out at C9 (I play my driver at 44"). I checked the weights, and the slider in the head I have is one of the 12g ones. I sent a question to Callaway customer service via their website, asking if I could get heavier weights, and they responded that I should all the customer service line. I did that, and after giving them a very short explanation, they are sending me a 16 and 20 gram sliding weight to try out, no charge. Callaway customer service has always been top notch in my experience, and it's good to see that's still the case. I still don't know if I'll be bagging the Flash SZ long-term -- I'll be testing it against my Epic SZ on trackman in a couple of weeks, and I should have the weights by then, so I can do a fair comparison.

 

Did you try to adjust shot shape a bit by adjusting the placement of the sliding weight?

I didn't have a ton of time on the range to experiment, and I found when I hit a demo a week or two prior that moving the weight really affected the balance of the club in a way that didn't feel right to me. I play the Epic SZ in the draw/-1 setting and that gives me a pretty consistent L to R ball flight, on the range, I noted the tendency for the Flash SZ to go left, so I switched it to N/-1 before starting the round.

It was by no means a thorough test, and I'm not drawing any conclusions from a few shots with limited flight range balls and 8 or 9 tee shots on the golf course, especially given:

1st time ever hitting the head was that day

1st round in about 6 weeks (and only hitting any balls twice between)

C9 swingweight

 

I've already bought the head, so I'm planning to put it through a much more rigorous process of testing and optimizing the settings before I draw any real conclusions.

 

Makes sense. Once you have the heavier weights and more time to experiment, you should be able to figure out how to make the EFSZ perform better. I hope you don't have to resort to switching shafts since that could turn into a more involved (and expensive) fitting process.

[EaglesGolf99]

My Flash, on it's way back from Continental!

[Warrick]

looks way better without the yellow.

[jgolf215]

Received my custom Epic Flash Sub Zero yesterday. Order said it would take 3-4 weeks but I received it in 7 days.

That looks awesome!

[EaglesGolf99]

Thanks!

[SwooshLT]

Picked up this bad boy yesterday....Edwin Watts offered 50% bonus on trades and I walked out with this driver including the limited headcover....no cash involved!

 

I'm not a high swing speed player anymore but I do prefer more compact looking heads.This driver personifies my impression of what a driver should look like at address.

 

Never used prior sub iterations fearing the fade bias-ness .....well with this shaft combo and the APW track , workability is not an issue....more than my M3 from 18....a lot of talk about the sound and I can comfortably say THAT is not an issue....not as muted as F9 ; just a solid, explosive, pleasing sound...unsure about overall distance gains as the 1st round was on an unfamiliar course and very windy but today I'll play my home track and should see if there is any positive or negative yardages....from the range perspective it appeared to add 10yd over current gamer (jpx900) but that's with range balls mind you....will report back this afternoon

 

 

 

 

 

[3_Jack_Par]

Makes sense. Once you have the heavier weights and more time to experiment, you should be able to figure out how to make the EFSZ perform better. I hope you don't have to resort to switching shafts since that could turn into a more involved (and expensive) fitting process.

I won't even get into messing with shafts. If the Flash can't beat my old Epic with the same shaft, I'm not going to spend a bunch of time and money chasing performance that may not be there. I was fiddling around in the basement, and found that the weights from my original Epic SZ fit in the front weight port, so I popped in the 12g weight in the Flash, and it brought the swingweight up to around D4-D5. I also shifted the sliding weight into the fade position, and just from holding it and waggling it a bit, it doesn't seem to have that unstable feeling that I was noticing when I had moved it to the fade setting with the demo head (using my shaft). I'm going to try to get over to the range today to see how this affects ball flight.

[radiman]

Makes sense. Once you have the heavier weights and more time to experiment, you should be able to figure out how to make the EFSZ perform better. I hope you don't have to resort to switching shafts since that could turn into a more involved (and expensive) fitting process.

I won't even get into messing with shafts. If the Flash can't beat my old Epic with the same shaft, I'm not going to spend a bunch of time and money chasing performance that may not be there. I was fiddling around in the basement, and found that the weights from my original Epic SZ fit in the front weight port, so I popped in the 12g weight in the Flash, and it brought the swingweight up to around D4-D5. I also shifted the sliding weight into the fade position, and just from holding it and waggling it a bit, it doesn't seem to have that unstable feeling that I was noticing when I had moved it to the fade setting with the demo head (using my shaft). I'm going to try to get over to the range today to see how this affects ball flight.

 

What's your playing length? I'm thinking about picking up some old Epic SZ weights to play around with. Just curious what is working for others.

[3_Jack_Par]

Makes sense. Once you have the heavier weights and more time to experiment, you should be able to figure out how to make the EFSZ perform better. I hope you don't have to resort to switching shafts since that could turn into a more involved (and expensive) fitting process.

I won't even get into messing with shafts. If the Flash can't beat my old Epic with the same shaft, I'm not going to spend a bunch of time and money chasing performance that may not be there. I was fiddling around in the basement, and found that the weights from my original Epic SZ fit in the front weight port, so I popped in the 12g weight in the Flash, and it brought the swingweight up to around D4-D5. I also shifted the sliding weight into the fade position, and just from holding it and waggling it a bit, it doesn't seem to have that unstable feeling that I was noticing when I had moved it to the fade setting with the demo head (using my shaft). I'm going to try to get over to the range today to see how this affects ball flight.

 

What's your playing length? I'm thinking about picking up some old Epic SZ weights to play around with. Just curious what is working for others.

I play mine at 44". Adding 10g brings it up around 5 SW points, which is what I would expect. D4 is probably the heaviest I'd want to be with my driver.

[3_Jack_Par]

Much like when I tried the heavier weight forward with the original Epic SZ, I found that hitting the Flash SZ with the 12g weight in it is too much for me. 2-way miss, and I think it also made it even louder. For me, at least, that's not the answer. Hoping to get the heavier sliding weights in to try next week.

[SwooshLT]

Picked up this bad yesterday....Edwin Watts offered 50% bonus on trades and I walked out with this driver including the limited headcover....no cash involved!

 

I'm not a high swing speed player anymore but I do prefer more compact looking heads.This driver personifies my impression of what a driver should look like at address.

 

Never used prior sub iterations fearing the fade bias-ness .....well with this shaft combo and the APW track , workability is not an issue....more than my M3 from 18....a lot of talk about the sound and I can comfortably say THAT is not an issue....not as muted as F9 ; just a solid, explosive, pleasing sound...unsure about overall distance gains as the 1st round was on an unfamiliar course and very windy but today I'll play my home track and should see if there is any positive or negative yardages....from the range perspective it appeared to add 10yd over current gamer (jpx900) but that's with range balls mind you....will report back this afternoon

 

 

 

 

 

 

If M3 low spin monster and JPX900 reliability had a baby, it would be a CALLAWAY EPIC FLASH SUB ZERO DRIVER!

 

Got your attention? You might ask why would THOSE be the drivers used in comparison.....well for this old lefty chop, the 2 aforementioned drivers gave me the most confidence, satisfaction and overall performance.... UNTIL NOW.....

 

M3 succeeded the 900 a year ago roughly with raw ,unabashed distance.....with roll , I saw some near 300yd'ers...... as Crossfield would say; KNUCKLEBALL!

 

But strangely , well scientifically the M3 takes a lot to get that performance day in and day out....trying countless shafts, I yearned to see that bomb dropping distance but what actually happened was over swung flares and toe hooks.....jpx900 was the anti-M3....the chicken soup for the soul driver.....soothing , relaxing, reliable......yeah well that got old quickly......I did say the 2019 crop wouldn't draw me in and the reviews weren't that impressive on YouTube.....small gains for 500? Nah, I'll grind it out.

 

After another round of feeling REALLY short off the tee, I dragged my butt to PGA TOUR SUPERSTORE and decided to make the swings.....not expecting ANYTHING to shake out.....M5, TS3, ST190, F9 n EFSZ.

 

M5 just had no spin, TS3 was decent but didn't like the shaft selection, ST190 spun.....so now we F9 and Flash....F9 was centered all day while FSZ was not but kept up even passing F9.....came back the following strictly to hit both again but this time FLASH SUB ZERO would get the Evenflow green 5.5 ......respectable member here raved about it with similar speed #'s.

 

So back in the sim, F9 is just piping every drive....atomos tour spec 6 regular......make slight adjustment to optifit sleeve and now FSZ is not only middle of the club face but 10yds over F9.....

 

Local Edwin watts is giving 50% bonus on trades......I walk-in with a bouquet of clubs and walk out with new driver , sleeve of chrome soft flash edition AND a second headcover! I asked if the limited edition black/white was still available so my guy threw it in.....

Being lefty meant that they wouldn't have 3wd in regular flex BUT Dick's had one in stock!

 

1st round story above;

2nd round things got better....playing my "home" course I shot one over 73 with 12 fairways and 15 greens.....yep couldn't make a damn thing.....but the driver was in places the jpx900 only wished.....

 

M3 distance with control and reliability of a spinny jpx900 driver.....15-30 yds over jpx900 which equates to same as M3 but much more control....

 

Oh I'm in a 9* head lofted up....don't find it difficult to turn but I'm a natural cutter....M3 wouldn't even dream of turning....jpx900 easy to shape.....

 

More to come

 

And the 3wd? Good LAWD! Rocket off the tee.....but that's another thread

[4rheel]

Wanted to give my quick take on my Epic Flash SZ 9* Speeder 569 TR combo after some course play. Got in a few rounds now with it against my 2017 M2 tour issue 9.5* head. Wasn’t Apple to Apples comparison but close enough for me since the shaft is similar in spec (KK XT50).

 

The EPSZ was super straight for me on the course and the main reason I got one after some sim time (the M5 and F9 both went left for me, all with Smoke 60 shafts). I felt I could really go after it and not lose it left. I really enjoyed looking down at as I missed an all black head.

 

Sadly, my M2 was longer and without really losing any dispersion to the EFSZ.

[BostonWRX]

Callaway guys will like this. Cobra guys not so much

 

[Z1ggy16]

I got fit into Rogue SZ last year and it was a machine paired up with a VA Comp Raijin 74X. Didn't buy because hate glued heads for the most part. Now that Flash has adjustable neck.... I think I may be seeing a SZ in my future and maybe also a regular 5w for those few courses which have chances of going for par 5's in 2.

[sparkyh]

Just got the Flash SZ, had it on the range last night and sounded terrible with range balls. Out on the course this morning with pro v1x and it sounds much better, not that bad at all and quite muted. Headweight is really light though so will have to lead tape it for now, does anyone know if the epic sliding weights fit in this driver?

[SwooshLT]

Just got the Flash SZ, had it on the range last night and sounded terrible with range balls. Out on the course this morning with pro v1x and it sounds much better, not that bad at all and quite muted. Headweight is really light though so will have to lead tape it for now, does anyone know if the epic sliding weights fit in this driver?

 

 

You can Callaway customer service and get a 14,16 or 20g weight for the APW track

[sparkyh]

Just got the Flash SZ, had it on the range last night and sounded terrible with range balls. Out on the course this morning with pro v1x and it sounds much better, not that bad at all and quite muted. Headweight is really light though so will have to lead tape it for now, does anyone know if the epic sliding weights fit in this driver?

 

 

You can Callaway customer service and get a 14,16 or 20g weight for the APW track

 

I'm in the UK so not that easy unfortunately, they will only sell through an authorised callaway dealer, i can go that route but its easier to order online and miss out the middle man. So that's why i was asking the question - do the sliding weights from the old epic fit the new epic flash head? Anyone tried yet?

[jmac13]

Just got the Flash SZ, had it on the range last night and sounded terrible with range balls. Out on the course this morning with pro v1x and it sounds much better, not that bad at all and quite muted. Headweight is really light though so will have to lead tape it for now, does anyone know if the epic sliding weights fit in this driver?

 

I just checked and yes the sliding weight on the original Epic will fit in the Epic Flash. The screw in weights from the Rogue SZ and Epic SZ will also fit into the front port of the EFSZ.

 

Other findings of note:

 

My EFSZ has a head weight of 181g with weights removed (2g front weight/12g slider)

 

My Rogue SZ was 178g with weights removed (2/14)

 

Original Epic was 176g with slider removed (16g)

 

I prefer my driver head weights to be somewhere between 200-207g so I am going to tinker (yeah, it’s what we do). I have a 17g round weight, so I am going to remove the slider completely. That will put it at 198g and should set it up more like the Rogue SZ with heavy weight forward. Then I will put both sliders in the back of the EFSZ which will put it right at 210g and should make it a much more forgiving driver. Will report back with skytrak data from an average joe. My typical ball speed is right at 140 mph with the driver.

 

As far as first session comparing the EFSZ vs the original Epic, ball speed was an average of just 1 mph faster. Launch was 1/2* higher and spun about 300 rpm less on the EFSZ for a carry difference of an average of 4-5 yards longer. Dispersion was negligible. Settings and shafts were the same (10* draw on both/used both stock Tensei Blue AV and GD ADDI6)

[SwooshLT]

Picked up this bad yesterday....Edwin Watts offered 50% bonus on trades and I walked out with this driver including the limited headcover....no cash involved!

 

I'm not a high swing speed player anymore but I do prefer more compact looking heads.This driver personifies my impression of what a driver should look like at address.

 

Never used prior sub iterations fearing the fade bias-ness .....well with this shaft combo and the APW track , workability is not an issue....more than my M3 from 18....a lot of talk about the sound and I can comfortably say THAT is not an issue....not as muted as F9 ; just a solid, explosive, pleasing sound...unsure about overall distance gains as the 1st round was on an unfamiliar course and very windy but today I'll play my home track and should see if there is any positive or negative yardages....from the range perspective it appeared to add 10yd over current gamer (jpx900) but that's with range balls mind you....will report back this afternoon

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just the perfect driver for me.....I'm a slower speed ,accurate type who needs distance but not willing to sacrifice looks or feel....the setup at address is impeccable.

 

I'm also a cutter of the driver....normally I aim right edge or just off and play it back to the middle (lefty) now with this epic flash sub zero, it's more aim right center at worse....13/14 fwys last round....

 

The confidence gained is allowing me to free and swing a bit harder(don't have much in reserve mind you) and that serves to increase launch and distance.....probably my best driver in recent memory combining looks ,distance and accuracy.

[sparkyh]

Brilliant, thanks for the info, going onto eBay for some cheap weights.

[jmac13]

So, I had a Skytrak session with the EFSZ this afternoon and tinkered with weights in both front and back. I did not feel particularly fast for me as I am recovering from a bout with strep throat this week but I soldiered on. My findings were that the head is faster by about 2 mph with only a heavy round weight (tried both a 13g and 17g) in the front and no sliding weight in the back. It is also by far the loudest this way. I was at 10* and got a launch averaging between 14-14.5 and spin was averaging around 2000. Ball speed was 143 and carry average was 238 and total was 267. Dispersion wasn’t great and there is absolutely no way I could game it that way because it was so loud.

 

I also tried it with both sliding weights (16/12) and the 2g in the front. It was a freaking sledge hammer (211g). Ball speed average was 139, launch and spin was not much different (1/2* lower launch/spin up 150) but I did set the loft down a degree to 9. Carry distance averaged 231 with 258 total. The sound and feel was absolutely perfect with both sliders. It’s amazing how much the sound changes between no sliders and two sliders.

 

With the head only weighing 181g, I think two 8g sliders with a 5g forward weight would be a good balance and will help the sound immensely. I actually have a 5g round and the Epic slider is 16g and for some reason I didn’t think to try that combo but it will be the first one I try in my next session. I still believe the two sliders at lesser weight will change the sound more than the one 16g slider. I think this head is a winner especially if you have some extra weights to play with or you are a higher swing speed player and can put a heavy weight in the front and have some ear plugs. Hope this helps.

[youngdad]

300+ total yds, not sure what the carry was, it depended on launch angle and spin for each strike. I would sometimes get ones that came out low, felt like crap, fell out of the sky, and then ran for miles for crap carry but a good total distance number, but obviously not what I would want in game play. Not sure what is used for the friction factor on the fairway. In reality it all depends on firmness of fairway and how short the grass is.

I guess for that matter, carry is the more important number in fitting. But some idea of rollout matters. 2 drives both with 280 carry will end totally different if there is a significant difference in spin or launch.

 

Nothing was "jacked up"N I can try to get the printout that shows the avg carry, launch, spin, clubhead and ball speed etc if you want me to prove it, though I don't really feel like I need to prove anything to you. Just was excited to post my fitting experience and my new Flash romance. First time properly fit for a driver in 7 years.

 

I am not asking you to prove anything. And based on your numbers posted, that launch monitor is way jacked up. Big Time!

 

Your numbers:

 

CH Speed: 102

Back Spin: 1966

Launch Angle: 16.00

Distance: 296.6 yds

Offline: -14.8 Left (This included swings before putting the weight over to the fade bias. This number was coming down with each swing with it on fade bias as they were generally missing left in neutral)

Descent Angle: 39.60

 

 

You are not going to get 297y out of 102mph swing. You can use flightscope optimizer to prove it:

 

https://flightscope....tory-optimizer/

 

Your carry is 247y with those numbers. And with soft ground you get 251y total, medium at 256y, and hard ground you get 273y. No where near 297y. Note: I assumed a rather generous, albeit reasonable smash factor of 1.47 and 150mph ball speed (but even a perfect smash of 1.50 and hard ground doesn't even get you over 280y). You are in Comox, so I put in near sea level. At 6000 feet above sea level (if you play golf in the mountains), you might get close to 300y with those numbers.

 

I was just trying to help you understand that the launch monitor is jacked up and giving you really bad info. You can choose to ignore my posts, and that is your prerogative.

 

Good luck with your purchase. I hope you do hit them 300y+ on the course.

 

I live in Edmonton now. But fitting was done indoors.

I just emailed my coach to see if there was any elevation factor or anything else that would jack up the numbers...

 

So finally getting back on that fitting question.

Here is what my coach said.

 

"As for the simulator we have them set at or just below Edmonton elevation and for me they are very consistent as to what I do outside."

 

So from this article I get the formula for figuring out how much distance gain I am getting being in Edmonton: https://www.titleist...all-performance

 

Please check my math, and if anybody has another verified formula, let me know.

Edmonton is approx 2120 ft above sea level

297 x 0.00116 = 2.4592. So I gain about 2.46% yardage over sea level

297 / 1.024592 = 289.9 yards. So I gain about 7-8 yards compared to sea level.

 

Anyway I am pumped about my driver, which is on its way from the Customs lab. I went with all black Flash head with red medallions, Tensei 65 X flex, and Tourvelvet Align grip midsize.

I was surprised at my fitting. Thought I would be SZ head with a low spinning stiff shaft. Nope. Standard Flash head, X flex shaft.

Get fit by a pro.

 

Edit: The font on my email quote was/is tiny!

Edit: fixed!

[tdk8180]

Yes