How does Callaway’s new draw-biased driver perform? Find out in our Callaway Rogue ST Max D driver review.
NCG SUMMARY
The Callaway Rogue ST Max D driver is draw-biased, but subtly in a way that doesn’t shout, ‘I need some help with my slice’, which I like.
The head has a larger profile than the standard Max model which makes you feel like the face is huge and you don’t need a perfect swing to get the ball in play.
This is perfect for golfers who are looking for the best performance out of the club but need help stopping the ball from curving so much offline. It has a great sound and performs well on off-centre strikes.
PROS
- Long on centre hits
- Even the worst strikes had a reasonable outcome
- The muted sound is brilliant
CONS
- A slight draw bias doesn’t suit all players
Callaway Rogue ST Max D driver review: First Impressions
I usually stay well clear of draw-biased drivers as I have a memory bank full of low left shots that sometimes give me nightmares. I was pleasantly surprised when I sat the Rogue ST Max D behind the ball as you can barely tell it has any draw bias, and it looks very similar to the Rogue ST Max which I loved.
Callaway Rogue ST Max D driver review: NCG Verdict
Callaway has built this for players who want maximum forgiveness from the driver, so for the sake of the testing I ‘deliberately’ made some pretty bad swings which produced some terrible strikes. I was really impressed with how the ball speed stayed high, the strike still felt solid, and the outcomes were very good. I only hit one shot which would have missed a fairway and the strike was so far out of the heel that I nearly missed it. So far I am impressed.
Along with all the new technology that features in the rest of the Rogue ST driver lineup, which you can read about here, the Callaway Rogue ST Max D driver has a 2-gram weight in the sole positioned towards the heel of the club.
This moves the centre of gravity to a place that makes the driver draw biased. Sometimes this can ruin the feel of the driver on centre strikes, but this isn’t the case with the Rogue ST Max D. Middle strikes not only feel great, but they perform just as you would hope with very competitive ball speeds and carry distances.
I’d be happy with the performance of this driver out on the course. The 254-yard average carry distance I achieved includes a couple of really poor hits, and the shots pretty much all had a draw shape to them. I’m happy that I know what’s coming when I make a swing. This is huge for me as a player as there is nothing worse than standing over a golf ball and not knowing where it is going.
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The Callaway Rogue ST Max driver head features the heaviest tungsten weight compared to the other drivers in this year’s lineup. I could definitely feel the heavier head in my backswing, but at impact, the driver felt so solid and stable that I have to say I quite liked it.
This is a club that all faders of the ball should try when next looking at a new driver. Historically in my opinion draw based drivers haven’t been anything like as good as the ‘standard’ option, but Callaway have done a brilliant job with this. It has a solid sound and feel, and the draw tech actually works.
This is perfect for golfers who are looking for the best performance out of the club but need help stopping the ball from curving so much offline. It has a great sound and performs well on off-centre strikes.
- RELATED: Callaway Rogue ST Triple Diamond LS driver review
- RELATED: Callaway Rogue ST Max driver review
Callaway Rogue ST Max D driver review: The Details
Available: Now
RRP: £479
Lofts: 9 degrees, 10.5 degrees, 12 degrees
Shafts:
Project X Cypher Black 40 Graphite: Light, Regular
Mitsubishi Tensei AV Blue 65 Graphite: Regular, Stiff
Mitsubishi Tensei AV White 65 Graphite: Stiff, X Stiff
More information: Callaway Website
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