Callaway Rogue Sub Zero Driver Review
Callaway builds on the amazing success of the Callaway Epic Sub Zero Driver to create an even better driver. With improved Jailbreak technology, the Rogue Sub Zero Driver is truly is an amazing club. The Callaway Rogue Sub Zero Driver is an excellent choice for any player.
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New for Callaway in 2018 is the Rogue family of drivers and they are already attracting a lot of attention. 2017’s Callaway’s GBB Epic was hugely successful and the Rogue is the next evolution in Callaway drivers that builds on that success. The GBB Epic has been a proven and successful driver. According to Callaway, it is the #1 selling driver in the US. In fact, in a GolfWRX Members’ Choice poll the GBB Epic Sub Zero version and GBB Epic standard version were chosen as the #1 and #2 drivers for 2017.
Likely due to this success, Callaway decided not to go for a radical redesign for the new Rogue drivers. Two of the critical features of the Rogue, Jailbreak and Variable Face Thickness (VFT) technologies, were used by Callaway before; however, they really worked on tweaking them in the Rogue Driver to get them to work together providing even greater ball speed and distance. Jailbreak technology in the Rogue uses titanium rods in an hourglass shape rather than the vertical rods found in the GBB Epic. This increased the stiffness and improved the weight by 25%. The new VFT feature, X-Face, strategically varies the thickness of the face of the driver in the center and perimeter to improve forgiveness for off-center hits and increase ball speed for longer drives.
Golf Digest justifiably chose the Rogue as one of its 2018 Hot List Gold Medal winners. The Rogue improves on the GBB Epic to provide even faster ball speed and more forgiveness. These performance features make this driver ideal for golfers who have mid to high handicaps and are looking for more ball speed off of the tee.
The Rogue Driver comes in 3 versions – the Rogue, the Rogue Draw, and the Rogue Sub-Zero. The Rogue is the standard version. The Draw differs from the standard by including an additional weight in the heel that adjusts the center of gravity and creates a draw bias to combat slices. The Sub-Zero has the same features but in a smaller form and with interchangeable weights to create lower spin and more forgiveness. The Sub-Zero is aimed more at the low handicap golfer and tour pros, but many average golfers also prefer it.
To learn more about the Rogue family lineup, we have performed a comprehensive review on each of the various versions, including the Rogue Driver, Rogue Draw Driver, and the Rogue Sub Zero Driver. Please take a look and let us know what you think about these amazing clubs
Key Features
- The Rogue Sub-Zero includes GBB Epic’s Jailbreak technology for increased ball speed. Jailbreak optimizes performance of the head at impact by stiffening the connection between the crown and sole of the head of the club with improved hourglass-shaped titanium rods to improve energy transfer to the ball.
- X-Face VFT strategically varies the thickness at over 100 points across the face to resemble an x-shape, with the thickest part in the center and reduced thickness around the outside. This feature promotes faster ball speeds on off-center hits and is complemented by the Jailbreak technology.
- Callaway and Boeing again collaborated on the aerodynamic Speed Step technology for the geometry of the head of the Rogue Sub-Zero driver. They optimized the aerodynamics of the leading edge to help with faster swing speeds.
Rogue Sub Zero Driver Detailed Review
Design and Technology
Callaway wanted to get the most out of golfers’ drives by focusing on faster ball speed and faster swing speed when designing the Rogue Sub-Zero. The combination of Jailbreak and X-Face VFT stimulate faster ball speeds for both on and off-center strikes. The aerodynamic Speed Step design increases the swing speed by optimizing airflow around the leading edge of the club face. For low handicap and consistent golfers, the Rogue Sub-Zero comes with interchangeable weights to customize spin rate and launch angle for each unique golfer.
Callaway first introduced Jailbreak technology with the GBB Epic in 2017. The Epic used vertical metal rods to connect the crown and sole of the head of the club to stiffen the connection allowing the face to take on higher loads, leading to higher ball speeds. Callaway went with titanium hourglass-shaped rods in the Rogue which provides increased strength, 25% less weight, and makes X-Face VFT technology possible.
Callaway’s X-Face VFT tactically alters the face thickness across various point on the club face to improve forgiveness for off-center hits. Callaway analyzed ball simulated ball impacts at over 100 locations on the face to calculate the necessary thickness at those points for straighter drives. With X-Face VFT, the club face flexes faster on off-center hits. This increases forgiveness when the ball is struck off-center and promotes faster ball speeds.
In 2016, Callaway first partnered with Boeing for the aerodynamic design of the XR 16 driver. The collaboration focused on the club head’s path during downswing and through the ball impact. They also analyzed various acceleration points in the downswing and clubhead’s rotation. Boeing’s advanced modeling software was used to optimize air flow over the crown and reduce drag. The solution they came up with was a Speed Step trigger near the top edge of the face. The Rogue family uses a refined version of that same Speed Step design. The new Speed Step is more efficient and further increases club head speed. On the Rogue, Callaway also incorporates their Triaxial Carbon Crown to add strength while reducing weight. The weight is redistributed around the perimeter, significantly improving the moment of inertia and forgiveness.
Unlike the Rogue and Rogue Draw, the Rogue Sub-Zero has a smaller form factor and includes two interchangeable weights to help golfers tailor the spin rate and launch angle to their unique strengths and weakness. The 2g and 14g weights can either be positioned with the 14g up front for the lowest spin, or near the back to improve forgiveness by increasing the moment of inertia and launch angle. The lowest spin setting reduces spin for the Rogue Sub-Zero by about 200 rpm, which is also about 300 rpm less than for the standard Rogue and the Epic Sub-Zero.
Callaway builds on the amazing success of the Callaway Epic Sub Zero Driver to create an even better driver. With improved Jailbreak technology, the Rogue Sub Zero Driver is truly is an amazing club. The Callaway Rogue Sub Zero Driver is an excellent choice for any player.
- Jailbreak technology and X-Face VFT complement each other to achieve faster ball speeds and farther drives
- The industry-leading Boeing Aero design helps drivers achieve faster head speeds
- The Rogue Sub-Zero includes 2 adjustable weights used for spin and trajectory control
- The smaller form and adjustability is more beneficial for lower handicap golfers who can hit consistently
- For golfers that already have the Epic, it may not be enough of an improvement
- It does not provide the slice correction of the Rogue Draw for those players that need
Specs
Callaway offers a robust selection of shaft options for the Rogue Sub-Zero Driver, including several premium aftermarket shafts, including the Aldila Synergy, Project X EvenFlow, and Project X HZRDS Yellow. These shafts are also available in 50g, 65g, and 75g weights.
Callaway Optifit technology uses a hosel with an upper and lower cog that can be adjusted to create 8 different loft and lie combinations. Loft can be adjusted one degree at a time from one degree below the stated loft up to two degrees above the stated loft. The lie varies between neutral and draw.
Conclusion
The Rogue Sub-Zero is getting a lot of excitement as the follow up tour-level driver for the hugely successful Epic Sub-Zero. The Rogue Sub-Zero builds on the proven successes of the Epic to provide faster ball speeds, faster swings, and adjustability in a slightly smaller form factor from the rest of the Rogue family. The Rogue Sub-Zero includes advanced Jailbreak technology with carefully engineered X-Face VFT to increase ball speed and forgiveness. The aerodynamic design of the Rogue Sub-Zero driver also improves head speeds by optimizing air flow and reducing drag. The adjustable weights further allow golfers to tailor the spin and launch to their individual game. The Rogue Sub-Zero improves upon what made the Epic Sub-Zero driver so good and rather than attempt a complete redesign of the highly acclaimed driver, Callaway was able to make advances in proven technologies. The Rogue Sub-Zero is likely best for lower handicap consistent amateurs and pros, but even average golfers looking for lower spin and longer drives are already hot for the Sub-Zero.
Rogue Sub Zero Driver Video Review
How Does the Rogue Sub Zero Driver Compare?
TaylorMade M3 Driver
The TaylorMade M3 Driver is one of most technologically advanced drivers ever produced and is engineered to expand the sweet spot, maximizing forgiveness, and allowing for personalized adjustment of the ball flight. It is meant to replace TaylorMade’s M1 Driver and builds on the innovations and technology that made that driver a success. See our TaylorMade M1 Driver review here to learn more. The TaylorMade M3 signature feature is its innovative new Twist Face design that uses a novel corrective curvature on the face of the club to add forgiveness and help drives go straighter. A Hammerhead slot further adds to the forgiveness while also increasing ball speed to help extend drives further down the fairway. Lastly, a new Y-Track movable weight system allows adjustments to optimize ball flight. These all combine to help get the most out of drives, making them straighter and longer than before. The TaylorMade M3 Driver is truly an amazing club that is perfect for the low to mid handicap golfer looking to improve their performance on the course.
TaylorMade M4 Driver
The TaylorMade M4 Driver is one of most technologically advanced drivers ever produced, improving power and forgiveness. As with the TaylorMade M3 Driver, it improves on the driver’s forgiveness and helps drives to go further by implementing two of the same technologies found in the M3 Driver: a new Twist Face design and a Hammerhead slot. Twist Face takes the face of the club and slightly twists it to create a bulge and roll in just the right areas to correct for human tendencies when striking the ball off-center and results in straighter drives. It is meant to replace TaylorMade’s M2 Driver and builds on the innovations and technology that made that driver a success. See our TaylorMade M2 Driver review here to learn more. The Hammerhead slot is similar to the Speed Pocket found in the M2 Driver but is further refined to increase forgiveness and ball speed, pushing drives even further down the fairway. Lastly, the M4 also features a Geocoustic design that contributes to a larger sweet spot and magnifies the sound and feel of drives. The M4 Driver is genuinely a carefully engineered club that is perfect for low to mid handicap golfer looking to improve their performance on the course while also providing the freedom that comes with not needing to adjust any weight positions.
GX7 Golf Club
The GX7 Golf Club is amazing little club, even though it is “As Seen on TV”. We all know that the hardest part of golf is being consistent, especially when we are hitting off of the tee box. That is why the pros are the pros, and we are amateurs. But have you ever wondered if the reason why you are not consistent when hitting off the tee box is because you are using the same golf club that the pros use, and not a golf club made for amateurs. Well this is the exact theory behind the GX7 Golf Club. A golf club made for amateurs that provides the hitting consistency of a pro. So if you can get over the fact that the GX7 is a “As Seen on TV” Golf Club, you might be amazed by what this little club can do. The GX7 Golf Club is a great driver for a high handicap golfer looking to improve their game both on and off the tee box.
Specification: Callaway Rogue Sub Zero Driver Review
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