First hit: Callaway GBB Epic driver

Our Callaway GBB Epic driver review started in Las Vegas where I was kindly invited by the guys at Callaway to the launch of the new drivers and fairway woods.

There I had a hit with the new products and got a few numbers off Trackman as well as an interview with Callaway’s main man Dr Alan Hocknell.

We have arrived..@NCGmagazine pic.twitter.com/YggMh7xsqe

— Craig Middleton (@CMiddletonNCG) November 21, 2016

We concluded our review back home in the colder surroundings of The Shack.

This review of the new GBB Epic driver was done on very much a ‘first hit’ basis by a 13 handicap golfer.

You can check out some of our other more in depth reviews a little further down the page where our anonymous big hitter compares the two new drivers as well as last years Great Big Bertha model..

Callaway GBB Epic driver review – First impressions

There’s an instant wow factor with the Epic driver, the colours really make the club stand out and with a name like Epic you really expect this driver to stand out from the rest.

Apart from the colour though the GBB Epic has quite a simplistic design and has some similarities to last year’s Great Big Bertha.

The sliding weight track is back but due to the weight saving in the head, Callaway have added a heavier weight (17g) compared to the 10g weight in last year’s model.

The major difference you notice when comparing to the Great Big Bertha is the shiny finish you get on the Epic compared to the matte finish of last years.

Personally, looking down at address I think the GBB Epic has a more premium look to it and I do really like the shiny glossy finish to the crown.

My first hit with the new Callaway products was in Las Vegas, and initial impressions were that I was getting a lot more distance and better ball speed compared to my gamer driver back home.

Great day at TPC Las Vegas with @CallawayGolfEU some brilliant new products on there way… Check out these numbers! pic.twitter.com/TgERqrlNrf

— Craig Middleton (@CMiddletonNCG) November 22, 2016

But I didn’t want to get too excited. I was hitting in nice weather conditions so thought it would be for the best to do a more in depth review back home in the cold winter weather.

Callaway GBB Epic driver review – The technology

There’s no question that with the introduction of a revolutionary new technology Callaway have produced a better performing driver here.

Jailbreak technology promises faster ball speed with increased distance. The two titanium bars behind the club face work together to reduce how much the sole and the crown of the club deflect through impact.

The clubhead features Callaway’s latest titanium Exo-Cage meaning that almost half of the head’s surface (46%) contains triaxal carbon with the crown weighing less than 10g and the sole just 5.8%.

These weight savings means that this is the lightest crown ever designed in a Callaway driver.

Epic’s increased shot- shape control comes from the sliding track weight system. In the new model the track is shorter compared to previous models and has a heavier sliding weight.

This heavier weight helps increase MOI in the driver as well as offering 21 yards of shot-shaping which is a 22% increase from the Great Big Bertha.

Callaway GBB Epic driver review – The results/NCG verdict

At the start of my fitting session out on the range at TPC Las Vegas we noticed a bit of a fade which is very common for me.

After a few tweaks, noticeably moving the sliding weight all the way across into the maximum draw setting, my shot shape was completely different and if anything, producing more of a draw shot.

Out in Vegas I hit four shots on Trackman with an average carry of about 260 with a total of 280.

Bu in order to make it a fair and honest review I wanted to look more closely at the numbers I got back in the cold weather in England.

I was very pleased with the results, despite not hitting it great on the day I still managed to average over 270 yards in total distance.

What was also very pleasing was my spin rate was down.

I am known for having a very high spin rate with the driver so to see some shots result in less than 1800rpm is definite cause for optimism.

To have a driver that gives me a lower launch, with a lower spin rate and a longer carry and total distance is just what I’ve been looking for.

The Callaway GBB Epic driver gives me all of this things.

As a 13 handicapper my obvious target is to get down to single figures, and with this driver in the bag I feel a lot more confident than I did without it.

Despite a quite expensive price I can’t give any faults with the performance or the look of this driver. It has a very premium feel and is giving me about 20 yards extra distance.