50 Words or Less
The Callaway Rogue driver is unbelievably stable. No shot feels like a mishit. Great ball speed, tight dispersion.
Introduction
Any time a company releases a truly excellent piece of gear, my mind immediately jumps to wondering, “How are they going to top this?” That question was front of mind when I was playing the Epic driver last year, but the Rogue driver proves that Callaway was up to the task. They added to their Jailbreak Technology with Rogue’s high MOI shape to make a head that produces huge ball speed and great accuracy.
Looks
Like most of Callaway’s most forgiving drivers, the Rogue has a symmetrical, triangular shape. This design is noticeably longer from front to back than the Epic driver, and that’s a key to enhancing the forgiveness.
One thing that surprised me is the face height. Typically drivers with a larger footprint have a shallower face, but the Rogue appears to have a fairly tall face. For me, that’s a big confidence booster at address.
The Rogue shares the gloss black/carbon fiber head with the Epic, which is a great look. The blue that Callaway chose for the Rogue line is unique and eye-catching, and it’s used perfectly throughout the club. For my money, no one can touch Callaway for making a complete club, grip-to-head, that’s as aesthetically dialed in.
Sound & Feel
After shoveling half a foot of snow, I stepped out of the cold and into the hitting bay, made a few warm-up swings, and started pounding balls with the Rogue driver. My first three swings felt pretty pure, but the sound wasn’t thrilling – a hollow, metallic “crack.”
On my fourth swing, it was entirely different – a rock-solid “thwack” that felt like it might tear a hole in the screen. What changed? Only the fourth ball found the center of the face, but the Rogue is so stable, I couldn’t tell that the first three were mishits.
The Rogue’s tremendous stability means there’s not a lot of feedback through your hands, but the sound will let you know which shots were pure.
Performance
If you guessed that this section was going to lead with forgiveness and stability, pat yourself on the back, you’re correct. The Rogue driver is so stable at impact, it feels crazy to talk about anything else. It’s as good as any driver I’ve ever hit in terms of retaining ball speed on mishits.
Equally important, it keeps every drive in play. During my testing, I was producing very consistent path and face-to-path numbers, but my impact locations were erratic. The Rogue did not seem to care at all, producing powerful draw after powerful draw.
The added stability compared to the Epic does come at one cost: the sliding weight. The Rogue still has an adjustable hosel which allows you to tweak the loft and lie angle, but you can’t move the center of gravity. I think this is a trade well worth making for the vast majority of golfers.
All of Callaway’s Rogue drivers offer a variety of stock shaft options. You can choose from the Aldila Quaranta and Synergy or the Project X EvenFlow and HZRDUS Yellow. The weights range from 40 grams all the way to 70 grams. There is a large gap from shaft to shaft not only weight but also feel. Make sure you work with a fitter to find the best one for you.
Conclusion
After being sincerely impressed with the Epic drivers last year, I was anticipating a “good, not great” offering from Callaway this year. I was completely wrong. I’m even more impressed with the Rogue driver than I was with the Epic. The way that it keeps every shot in play and maximizes distance on mishits is exceptional, and it’s going to get serious consideration for my bag…if this snow ever melts.
Buy the Callaway Rogue Driver HERE
Callaway Rogue Driver Price & Specs
Callaway Rogue Driver Price and Specs
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Callaway Rogue LM Data
Matt Saternus
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Did you find the Rogue more forgiving and get better ball speeds than the G400 which was also reviewed very high as well? Thanks for the constant reviews
Blake,
I haven’t pitted them head to head yet, but they’re the top 2 in my mind.
Best,
Matt
I have the Epic with the HZRDUS shaft and it hits like a dream. Will try the Rogue sometime down the road and would assume that it is awesome as well. Thanks for the review.
To the extent you have tried the Big Bertha Fusion driver from last year, would you consider this a successor? Would you compare the stability as comparable or better?
MK,
I think the Fusion is a reasonable comparison in that both have a triangular shape and are forgiving. No Callaway driver I’ve ever hit is as stable as the Rogue.
Best,
Matt
Thanks – I currently game the fusion and based on this I can’t wait to see how it compares head to head in a fitting. Great article as always!
Hi Matt,
Thanks for your review. I am wondering how could the forgiveness and stability of Rogue compare to Cobra F9 with standard setting (not on lower spin setting)
Chakra,
I don’t have any experience with the F9, but Matt Meeker gamed one very effectively.
Best,
Matt
I just took advantage of the Callaway trade in program and traded my Epic for a new Rogue! I was so impressed with th Epic that I didn’t think I could ever find a better driver. Then Callaway released the Rogue and I found a new “girlfriend.” Of course right after I made the trade our early spring turned to winter again, so I was only able to play twice, and hit balls twice, but I love the Rogue! Love the looks, love the sound and the distance! Very excited for the season to begin so I can play with it regularly!
In an unfair fight, I pitted the G400 9/TPT Series 17 LKP against the Rogue 9/Synergy – 15 more yrds with G400. I’ve found the Ping more neutral and the issue is getting that face closed consistently, but with Callaway drivers, including Epic, I haven’t had that issue. Need to look at Rogue over the next few months with a fitted shaft.
Hi,
What shaf did you test this with? Thanks!
EvenFlow Blue.
I live in las Vegas. Where can I go 2 c these great drivers? Truly interested. Seriously!!!!
Anthony,
Any golf retailer ought to have the Callaway Rogue drivers.
Best,
Matt
Just purchased the Rogue Driver. It was on close out so I thought. What do I have to lose for $299? Was playing the Callaway XR16 which I was absolutely pounding. Long carry, big distance. I wasn’t looking for more distance, the XR was giving me plenty. I wanted more stability on mishits. That’s what I was told the Rogue would do. Thus far I’ve only hit it on the range but, I found an immediate difference. The Rogue seemed to be much more forgiving on mishits. More carry, more overall distance when I’m on the toe or heel. This is going to be the difference between the short grass and the rough on mishits. Exactly what I wanted! Still getting used to it but so far so good. BTW, I have been playing the Rogue 3 and 4 fairway for over a year and absolutely love them too!
And what about sound and feel? I have a Xr16 pro. What you think compares to Rogue?
Hello Matt. Excellent review, thanks. Just purchased Roque Draw 10.5 w/ Sr. Flex 40G. I’m 66 & swing speed is really getting slower each year. Is there an advantage to cut 1″ off shaft for me? I did not get fitted but probably should?
Thanks,
Jim
Jim,
Fitting is certainly key to maximizing your distance. As for cutting an inch off the driver, check this out: https://pluggedingolf.com/are-shorter-driver-shafts-more-accurate-golf-myths-unplugged/
Best,
Matt
Hi Matt
I hope all is well. I am a fan and have read most of your driver reviews as I appreciate your insight and your swing speed is very similar to my own. Having said that, it appears to me the callaway rouge 2018 is the best performing club/review I have seen you post (other than perhaps the g410/425)? Do you have any insight on this? I obviously love this club and am still gaming it (also had the mavrik) but am curious your take on this model vs models now 4 years newer. I hope you have a chance to respond and appreciate your input . Keep up the good work!
Thanks, Mike
Mike,
Year over year, I think the improvements and adjustments are incremental. Spin goes up a little or down, fits some players better, worse for others. Over four years, I think you may see some objective “good for everyone” improvement that’s a little more noticeable. Hope that’s helpful.
Best,
Matt