by Patrick Aretha, Club Fitter
The new Rogue ST family represents Callaway’s next step in their quest to create the fastest, most stable drivers and fairways possible. At the beginning of this evolution, Callaway created “Jailbreak” technology utilizing vertical bars behind the face to keep the crown and the sole of the driver head from being pushed away from each other thus retaining more energy in the face of the club. Next, A.I. technology was applied in 2021 with the newly designed Epic series. This made each club uniquely designed to optimize overall performance. Year after year, Callaway has continued to further innovate with consumers in mind, and the new Rogue ST lineup is as complete as ever. 2022 models include the Triple Diamond LS (Low-Spin), Max, Max LS and a draw-biased Max head. The fairways include Max, a new LS model and a draw-biased version as well.
Callaway continues the use of their OptiFit hosel giving players and club fitters the ability to change loft (-1*, +1* & +2*) and also to adjust lie angle (“D” for draw) for fewer misses to the right. As a fitter, this allows us to optimize the club’s launch conditions for each golfer individually.
Jailbreak A.I. Speed Frame – Previous Jailbreak architectures stiffened the body in the vertical direction. By applying Artificial Intelligence, this new structure is designed to enhance horizontal and torsional stability to promote an increase in ball speeds across the face
Speed Tuned A.I. Face – Specifically engineered to optimize the Jailbreak Speed Frame, promoting fast speeds across a more expansive area. Each face and each head geometry are uniquely enhanced in Rogue ST
*NEW* Tungsten Speed Cartridge – Increases speed on off-center hits. It also adds stability at impact and enhances MOI
*NEW* Unibody Construction – The Triaxial Carbon crown and sole allow for weight savings that could be moved to the bottom of the club for a lower, deeper center of gravity promoting low spin and high launch characteristics. Additionally, this one piece design increases stability, saves even more weight, and adds forgiveness
DRIVER BREAKDOWN
ROGUE ST TRIPLE DIAMOND-LS
The new Rogue ST Triple-Diamond LS is Callaway’s Tour proven driver head, and is touted as their fastest driver ever produced. As mentioned earlier, Callaway is building off of previous generations of innovation, bringing together their Jailbreak and A.I. technology in conjunction with a new Tungsten Speed Cartridge, and most notably the new Unibody construction. Due to its improved shape and its advanced composite design, the Rogue ST allows for less drag and a more stable club head for heightened club speed with less effort and directional forgiveness for better accuracy. This driver is a low spin option, has a 6g weight screw positioned low and towards the front of the face with a neutral to fade bias (57* lie angle at neutral) in a compact 450cc head.
Unibody Construction – The Triaxial Carbon crown and sole allow for weight savings that could be moved to the bottom of the club for a lower, deeper center of gravity promoting low spin and high launch characteristics. Additionally, this one piece design increases stability, saves even more weight, and adds forgiveness.
- The advanced aerodynamic head construction promotes lower drag for higher head speed. The taller ribbon and flatter crown are engineered for a precise and more aerodynamic shape that can help golfers generate more speed from their swing
Tungsten Speed Cartridge – (12g) Increases speed on off-center hits. It also adds stability at impact and enhances MOI.
- Proprietary Triaxial carbon covers a larger portion of the crown and toe, leading to weight savings of over 16 grams vs. a titanium crown. Callaway engineers have redistributed that saved weight to enhance forgiveness versus previous Epic designs
ROGUE ST MAX
The Rogue ST Max will be the driver in this lineup that fits the needs of most golfers. It is the most forgiving clubhead in the Rogue family, and creates higher, straighter ball flights through a low and deep center of gravity from its larger overall footprint. Unlike the Epic series, though, the new model does not have an adjustable CG slide. Instead, Callaway has opted for an inherently semi-draw biased clubhead design with a fixed Tungsten Speed Cartridge in a 460cc head. Compared to the Triple Diamond, the deeper CG of a larger clubhead promotes less curve on miss hits while maintaining optimum energy transfer. At neutral the ST Max has a more upright lie angle of 59* for even greater yardage on heel miss hits and hopefully minimizing right misses.
Technology packed into the ST Max:
- Jailbreak A.I. Speed Frame – Previous Jailbreak architectures stiffened the body in the vertical direction. By applying Artificial Intelligence, this new structure is designed to enhance horizontal and torsional stability to promote an increase in ball speeds across the face
- Speed Tuned A.I. Face – Specifically engineered to optimize the Jailbreak Speed Frame, promoting fast speeds across a more expansive area. Each face and each head geometry are uniquely enhanced in Rogue ST Max
- Tungsten Speed Cartridge – (12g) Increases speed on off-center hits. It also adds stability at impact and enhances MOI
- Unibody Construction – The Triaxial Carbon crown and sole allow for weight savings that could be moved to the bottom of the club for a lower, deeper center of gravity promoting low spin and high launch characteristics. Additionally, this one piece design increases stability, saves even more weight, and adds forgiveness
ROGUE ST MAX-D
The Rogue ST Max-D (“Draw-Biased) is the driver Callaway has designed for golfers who require a high level draw bias in their clubs. It is built for very high MOI (moment of inertia), with a more upright lie angle of 60*, reduced face progression, and internal/external draw weighting. Additionally, the stretched profile of the clubhead at address helps golfers maximize their shot shaping correction. Compared to the ST Max, this also has a deeper CG in a 460cc size promoting less curve on miss hits while maintaining better energy transfer.
Notable Technology in Rogue ST Max-D:
- Tungsten Speed Cartridge – (9g) Increases speed on off-center hits. It also adds stability at impact and enhances MOI
- Unibody Construction – In the case of the draw biased model, Callaway has built this clubhead with more internal draw weighting, as well as the addition of an external 2g weight screw in the heel
ROGUE ST MAX-LS
The Rogue ST Max-LS (“Low Spin”) will be a great option for many mid to low handicap players with the need for a high MOI clubhead that is lower spinning, and produces a stronger trajectory. Players will notice a more neutral ball flight compared to that of the ST Max and ST Max-D due partially because of the flatter lie angle at 57* (same as the ST Triple Diamond LS). The more forward CG makes the LS slightly less stable than the ST MAX, allowing for more workability but less forgiveness on miss hits. To be clear the ST MAX-LS is still extremely forgiving because of it’s higher MOI profile in a larger 460cc head with the 12g Tungsten Speed Cartridge.
Notable Technology packed into the ST Max LS:
- Tungsten Speed Cartridge – (12g) Increases speed on off-center hits. It also adds stability at impact and enhances MOI
- Unibody Construction – In the case of the Low Spin biased model, Callaway has built this clubhead for a more neutral ball flight compared to the Max and Max-D, It does not have any additional external weighting, and the lie angle is the same as the Triple Diamond LS at 57*
Test Results:
Driver | Ball Speed | Launch Angle | Spin Rate | Spin Axis | Carry | Total |
ROGUE LS | 162.2 mph | 13.5* | 2152 rpm | +1.6 | 279.2 yds | 302.9 yds |
ROGUE MAX | 162.7 mph | 13.8* | 2241 rpm | -7.8 | 277.6 yds | 300.6 yds |
ROGUE MAX LS | 166.1mph | 13.3* | 1955rpm | -3.4 | 287.5yds | 312.9 yds |
ROGUE MAX D | 162.4 mph | 12.7* | 2194 rpm | -6.7 | 276.5 yds | 301.3 yds |
The Takeaway
Callaway has produced very efficient drivers once again. They generate great ball speeds with low spinning capabilities in all four Rogue heads. Rogue ST MAX is the highest launching and highest spinning head with mild draw bias at neutral. Notably, Rogue ST MAX LS has comparable launch angles, and unsurprisingly spins the least, allowing the player with greater club head speed to gain control and distance. Rogue Triple Diamond is the most neutral flight out of the family with less of a progresive face and flatter lie angle (spin axis +1.6). According to Callaway’s specs, it’s not surprising that Rogue Max and Rogue Max D are the most draw biased due to the head shape and more upright lie angle plus internal and external weighting in the Draw model. With these drivers offering a wide array of features there is a good chance that any one of these drivers can fit most players. To see what Rogue ST can do for you, schedule your next driver fitting in The Cluboratory at Miles of Golf.