Callaway Rogue ST drivers Review

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  • At a glance

  • TG Rating 5 out of 5
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  • RRP £479.00

What we say...

The Callaway Rogue ST drivers offer conventional forgiveness within four ultra-personalized models.

Personalized performance is nothing new in the world of golf drivers. Over the years golf club engineers and designers have come to understand one driver is simply not enough to offer all golfers optimal speed, spin, and forgiveness, as everyone genuinely hits the ball differently.

The thinking’s led to major manufacturers offering three or four different driver models so all golfers get the opportunity to dial in either low spin, more forgiveness, or draw biased performance. And it’s that simple personalized performance idea Callaway have taken inspiration from to develop their new 2022 Rogue ST Drivers. Each of the four new models is specifically Speed Tuned to better suit its intended golfer than ever before.

Callaway consistently produce some of the best golf drivers available.

Callaway say Rogue ST drivers are an evolution over the popular 2018 Rogue drivers not a replacement of the 2021 Epic Speed or 2020 Mavrik (which came at forgiveness in an unconventional way, thanks to a forward CG for increased ball speed and spin robust face to manage dispersion), so don’t expect any big meaty speed or distance claims over the two preceding models.

Callaway-Rogue-ST-Drivers

Instead, Callaway have taken a Formula 1 approach whilst designing the ST drivers, exploring how every single parameter can be optimized to incrementally nudge and push the rules of maximum distance and stability to higher levels.

Updates for 2022 include a new Jailbreak Speed Frame behind the face. Callaway say the design is stiffer at the bottom and more flexible at the top, to improve flex and energy transfer, and the company looked at 10 different titanium alloys before finding a material that could cope with the stresses of impacting a golf ball at 100+mph.

A new Unibody construction was inspired by studying the construction of F1 cars, it means the Rogue ST heads are more consistently constructed than previous models, they’re also better at containing impact energy and returning it to the golf ball too.

A new tungsten speed cartridge (which ranges in weight from 26g – 20g) at the back of the head, delivers extreme perimeter weighting performance within the family.      

WATCH: Best 2022 Driver video

Meet the Callaway Rogue ST drivers

Callaway Rogue ST Max driver

RRP: £479

Lofts: 9° / 10.5° / 12°

Stock shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei AV White / Mitsubishi Tensei AV Blue, Project X Cypher

Callawa-Rogue-ST-Max-driver

The Rogue ST Max is the family’s most forgiving model. Callaway say it will make up 55 – 60% of all Rogue ST sales in 2022. Callaway are urging punters to see the three Max models as a mechano set of drivers. Each has a traditional stretched wide confidence inspiring head shape, and a tweaked center of gravity location for either lowering spin, upping MOI or counteracting a distance draining slice.

Compared to the previous Epic Speed the Max cuts backspin by 250 RPM, adds 1mph of ball speed, which equates to 3 yards of extra distance, and gives an 11% tighter down range dispersion.

Callaway say there’s a touch of draw bias built in (but nowhere near as much as the slice busting Rogue ST Max D), so it suits all levels of golfer well. Callaway reckon the Max is a little easier to hit straight than Ping’s G425 Max, which has no draw bias built in.

A 26g tungsten Speed Cartridge (the copper-coloured section at the back of the head) means golfers get an MOI of 9000+ gcm2, where the Mavrik from two years ago was 7500gcm2, so golfers can expect extra ball speed protection when shots don’t hit the centre of the face. 

Verdict: Callaway Rogue ST Max driver

In a year when tons of club golfers will be excited and blinkered by the carbon fiber tech wrapped up in the face of TaylorMade’s new Stealth driver, it’s easy to forget hybrid titanium face and carbon fiber crown and sole panel drivers are right at their peak (TaylorMade would of course say they’ve plateaued hence why they’ve moved on). Lessons learned from 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation models have now rolled into this years drivers like the Rogue ST Max. And based on the Max’s impressive performance, you really shouldn’t give up on titanium faces just yet.

Callaway-Rogue-ST-Max-Driver

Within the forgiving driver category the ST Max is an outstanding model. It was our test pro’s longest forgiving driver by 5 yards (which is a significant amount at his speed and ability), but it’s not just raw power with no forgiveness. The model was tied 2nd fastest in terms of ball speed and 3rd best at protecting carry distance drop off (9 yards / 3.2%), which is really beneficial when it comes to on course consistency and driving reliability.

The ST Max is a phenomenal driver, its wide stretched body, with new matt black crown manages to look super desirable at address. But what’s really clever is Callaway building in a touch of draw bias to this model. The idea will help improve ball speeds for slight heel strikers and give a hand to many golfers in attaining the ball flight shape they dream of.  

How the Callaway Rogue ST Max compares to other forgiving drivers in data (shots hit by TG test pro Neil Wain)

Callaway-Rogue-ST-Max-Driver-data

Callaway Rogue ST Max LS driver

RRP: £479

Lofts: 9° / 10.5°

Stock shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei AV White

Callaway-Rogue-ST-Max-LS-Driver

Like all four ST drivers (and each different loft) the lower spin LS has different artificially intelligent designed patterns on the back of the face to optimize ball speed from the typical impact locations of each loft and model. Callaway say the tech gives marginal gains over competitors and since starting to use AI in 2019 they’ve got better at asking the computer to optimize loft, launch, and spin.

Each generation wrings out extra performance that wouldn’t have been possible before AI. The tech allows Callaway to make the LS very speed and spin robust, so on and off-centre hits fly consistent distances.

TaylorMade-Stealth-Driver

It used to be common thinking in running circles that big men, were slow men, but Callaway say thanks to the LS having a shorter head from front to back and an aggressive aerodynamic shape (with a sloping crown from front to back) this just isn’t the case with the latest Max LS driver.

The LS is a high MOI driver that’s built to lower spin for extra distance. Expect a strong, lower more penetrating trajectory, with more shot shaping capacity and a more neutral (straight) ball flight than the Rogue ST Max. An excellent choice for bombers who also want a degree of shot shaping capability, Callaway say the LS typically falls into the hands of mid to low handicap golfers.   

Callaway-Rogue-ST-Max-LS-Driver

Verdict: Callaway Rogue ST Max LS driver

Golf equipment has moved on massively since Callaway last gave their 2013 X Hot driver a matt paintjob (it was dark grey not black), but we’re loving the return for this seasons Rogue ST. In the eyes of Equipment Ed Simon Daddow the LS is his favorite looking driver of the category as the matt black finish and cracking head shape look so playable and inviting to hit, even though it’s a low spin model. 

Our test pro didn’t quite hit the same heights as he did with the standard Rogue ST Max, even though we tested both models with exactly the same shaft. Our pro’s slightly downward attack angle saw the model giving up 2.9 mph of ball speed and 12 yards of carry distance to its more forgiving sibling (the Callaway Rogue ST Max). It’s highly likely though for more neutral and upwards driver strikers these numbers could well be reversed.

What’s important is the LS is a lovely low spin driver this year. If you happen to be a more consistent striker, and don’t spray shots all over the face, and you want to chase distance through lowering spin then the model should definitely be on your short list to try in 2022.     

How the Callaway Rogue ST Max LS compares to other low spin drivers in data (shots hit by TG test pro Neil Wain)

Callaway-Rogue-ST-Max-LS-driver-data

Callaway Rogue ST Max D driver     

RRP: £479

Lofts: 9° / 10.5° / 12°

Stock shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei AV Blue, Project X Cypher

Callaway-Rogue-ST-Max-D-Driver

Thanks to extra heel weighting the ST Max D is the family’s most draw biased model. Hopefully slicers already understand they’re distance impaired (as slice spin hovers up power going off line rather than travelling towards to the target), but Callaway’s most draw enabled driver the Rogue ST Max D is set-up to counteract that slice spin, and keep golfers on the mown grass more often.

Callaway say the Max D has less face progression, so there’s more time to square the face at impact. A more upright lie angle helps start shots further left of the target, there’s a forgiving stretched address profile and internal and external weighting to create maximum shot shape correction.

A 20g Tungsten Speed Cartridge also ensures high MOI performance for maximum forgiveness performance on off-centre hits.

Verdict: Callaway Rogue ST Max D driver

With Callaway’s Rogue ST Max driver having a smidgeon of draw bias built in this year we reckon a ton of golfers will choose that model this year over the Max D. Just remember if you’re anywhere close to having a severe slice you should definitely look at the Max D instead.

Callaway have been really good for a few years now at setting up their driver heads differently to cater for varying target golfers. It’s an idea they say they’ve taken to the max to ensure very personalized performance this year. The Max D is noticeably wider from front to back (than the standard Rogue ST Max), which for less confident drivers should boost confidence, and within the draw category nobody can argue this isn’t a very good looking driver.

The Max D’s performance was solidly out in front of Simon’s current driver (by 0.4mph ball speed and 3 yards of carry distance), which on any normal year would represent a reasonable switch, it wasn’t though quite enough to match the Stealth HD in 2022.     

How the Callaway Rogue ST Max D compares to other draw drivers in data (shots hit by TG Equipment Editor Simon Daddow). The highlighted red Ping G400 SFT was Simon’s gamer driver when the test was completed.   

Callaway-Rogue-ST-Max-D-Driver

What you need to know about the Callaway Rogue ST drivers

Don’t get shafted

90% of Callaway drivers are sold with stock shafts, which in part is down to installing true after-market models as stock lines. But because Rogue ST is all about personalized performance Callaway have optimized each driver model with its own stock shaft.

The ST Max LS comes with a higher bend point, and lower launching Mitsubishi Tensei AV White. The ST Max will be mostly decked out with a higher launching, more active tip Tensei AV Blue, while thanks to targeting speed the ST Max D comes with a lighter Project X Cypher.

Callaway-Rogue-ST-Max-LS-Driver

What goes on tour, need not stay on tour

It’s no secret Callaway like other manufacturers create ‘tour only’ driver models that are only accessible to their elite tour staff. In 2021 Jon Rahm and Phil Mickelson won the US Open and PGA Championship respectively, and Xander Schauffele won an Olympic Gold Medal, and they were all playing Callaway Epic Speed Triple Diamond drivers, a model that wasn’t available to the public. Thanks to an influx of interest in Triple Diamond, for 2022 Callaway are bringing the Rogue ST Triple Diamond LS to retail.

Before you get too excited though remember who this model is aimed at. Callaway say the Triple Diamond is a tour-proven, 450cc (it’s smaller than the standard Rogue ST Max), low-spin option for better players. The model is the lowest-spinning Rogue ST driver and it comes decked out with a neutral-to-fade bias which Callaway say makes it a great anti-left driver.

Callaway-Rogue-ST-Triple-Diamond-LS-Driver

Compared to the previous Sub Zero the Triple Diamond has a deeper face, more sole relief and a higher skirt, which means its MOI is nudging 8000+ gcm2 whereas the Rogue ST Max is a full 1000 points higher at 9000+ gcm2. Think very seriously before plumping for a Triple Diamond on the grounds of just lowering spin or because the best players in the world use them.

Details: Callaway Rogue ST Triple Diamond LS driver

RRP: £479

Lofts: 9° / 10.5°

Stock shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei AV White

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Product Information

Callaway Rogue ST Max driver

RRP: £479

Lofts: 9° / 10.5° / 12°

Stock shafts:

Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei AV White 60

Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei AV Blue 50

Project X Cypher

Stock grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 

Adjustable hosel: Yes (-1°/+2°)

Callaway Rogue ST Max LS driver

RRP: £479

Lofts: 9° / 10.5°

Stock shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei AV White

Stock grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 

Adjustable hosel: Yes (-1°/+2°)

Callaway Rogue ST Max D driver

RRP: £479

Lofts: 9° / 10.5° / 12°

Stock shafts:

Mitsubishi Tensei AV Blue

Project X Cypher

Stock grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360

Adjustable hosel: Yes (-1°/+2°)

Callaway Rogue ST Triple Diamond LS driver

RRP: £479

Lofts: 9° / 10.5°

Stock shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei AV White

Stock grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 

Adjustable hosel: Yes (-1°/+2°)

Visit the Callaway Golf website here

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