Callaway Golf Epic Sub Zero Fairway Wood Review - PGAPappas 12 Days of Christmas DAY 11 Giveaway

Move over Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, Torry Holt and the rest of the 2000 St. Louis Rams, there's a new "Greatest Show on Turf" in town.  Callaway Golf's GBB Epic Sub Zero fairway woods are attack oriented clubs that run circles around the course with burner speed.  They eat up massive chunks of yardage from the fairway and the tee, and every time you take a swing, they put big shot potential in your hands. 

 

I should tell you right away the Epic Sub Zero fairway woods don't feature the jailbreak technology included in the Epic drivers, the face is too shallow for rugged titanium bars.  But trust me, it's nothing to stress out about.  The SZ still fires with the power of a .357 Magnum thanks to its lightweight triaxial crown and Callaway's latest generation Hyper Speed Face Cup. 

The weight saved with a lighter crown lowers CG and increases MOI, which means your shots will launch like intercontinental ballistic missiles from a variety of lies.  The thinner face rebounds more efficiently at impact, and that increases ball speeds as close as possible to USGA limits across the entire face, particularly towards the bottom. 

 

 

Two adjustable weights in the sole can be swapped around to change launch and spin rates.  Putting the heavier 22 gram weight in the front and the lighter 3 gram weight in the back delivers a low-spin, low-launch trajectory.  Conversely, switching their locations so the 3 gram weight is in the front and the 22 gram weight is in the back creates a mid-spin, higher launch trajectory. 

The adjustable weight technology probably offers more benefits for medium-to-high speed swingers however, so a few quick words about that are in order.  With the heavier 22 gram weight set in the back port, that's going to be the most forgiving setting, and any swing speed will see the rewards immediately.  Phenomenal distances, soft landings, and misses around the center that keep flying straight and true are made to order. 

 

 

When the heavier weight gets moved to the front however, different swing speeds will likely see very different results.  Medium-to-high speed swingers will hit some of the longest shots of their lives with flat, penetrating trajectories that look and feel Empyrean.  Slow swingers on the other hand will find it extremely difficult to reach a peak height that's necessary to maximize your carry and distance.   Essentially for slow swingers, the only real weight option is keeping the 22 gram weight in the back.  Of course that's not a bad thing, as the Epic Sub Zero is still going to outperform other woods on the market in terms of raw distance and forgiveness. 

 

 

Finally, since shape and sound is really all about preference and what characteristics you're most looking for in a fairway wood, I'll use the Steelhead XR 15* as a comparison since I just wrote a review about it. 

The Epic Sub Zero sits flatter than the Steelhead and has less camber on the sole.  Theoretically at least, that means the Steelhead will be more versatile from a variety of lies, but I had no trouble cutting through thick rough or hitting from uneven lies with the Sub Zero. 

 

 

The Epic Sub Zero struts a more traditional pear-shaped head with a face that's shallower than the Steelhead with a moderately smaller profile.  I found the Steelhead to be a bit more stable than the Sub Zero, but the SZ was easier to shape shots.  The Steelhead is slightly more compact than the SZ, though both are easy to launch (particularly when the SZ heavy weight is set in the back), and they share a similar clean, click resonance, with the SZ sounding more muted and the Steelhead being higher pitched. 

 

 

If you're looking for a fairway wood that puts a premium on monstrous distance, effectively doubles as a mini-driver, and performs magnificently from a variety of lies, you'll be hard pressed to find a wood that can outperform the Epic Sub Zero. It was hands down my favorite fairway wood to hit this season. 

PROS 

Better distance than any fairway wood on the market 
Great option for players who struggle with driver off the tee 
Reliable and impressive performance from a variety of tough lies 
Fujikura PRO shaft turbocharges Sub Zero technology

CONS 
Shorter face might lead inconsistent hitters to pop the ball up sometimes off the tee or in deeper rough 

 

 

 

I hope everyone has a great Christmas Eve tonight and is spending it with loved ones, friends, and family.  Remember, there are three different ways to win the daily gifts this year: retweet my giveaway announcement and follow all on twitter, like and follow all on Instagram, and comment in the section below here on my blog in the daily review/giveaway articles.  See you tomorrow for DAY 12!