Callaway Epic Speed Driver

Callaway introduced a new a take on their highly-acclaimed Jailbreak technology in their 2021 Epic lineup. Through continued AI development, Jailbreak has evolved from two bars helping vertical stability in the club head to a new Jailbreak Frame that creates horizontal stability as well. The Callaway Epic Speed driver utilizes the new Jailbreak Frame to create more ball speed and more forgiveness in a mid launch/spin package.

Quick shout out to Dallas Golf Company for partnering with us on this review. Make sure you hit them up for your online golf retail needs, or stop in their shop if you’re in the Dallas area!

The Looks

From address, the Callaway Epic Speed driver has a more moderate footprint even though it still comes in at 460cc. The shape is fairly traditional with the toe sitting a touch higher due to a slightly deeper face. While I would by no means call the Epic Speed a deep-face driver, it certainly isn’t shallow either. Also worth noting is the new “Cyclone Aero” head shape. This head shape has a flatter crown and is designed in such a way to be more aerodynamic. In turn, the club should have less drag creating more club speed for bigger distances.

Consistent with the last few generations of Callaway drivers, the Epic Speed has a black Triaxial carbon crown. While it looks super cool, the carbon fiber has a very real functional purpose. By using Triaxial carbon throughout the club head, Callaway is able to save weight which they can strategically locate to different areas to improve forgiveness. In the case of the Epic Speed, there’s also a carbon toe panel which helps the club close a bit quicker to give it a very slight draw bias.

How Does it Feel?

The concept of Callaway’s Jailbreak is to make the club head more rigid so less energy is wasted in retaining its shape at impact. Instead of spending energy “returning back to form”, the energy can be transferred back into the ball for greater speeds. By using the new Jailbreak Frame, the Epic Speed driver definitely feels more solid and you can literally feel that sensation in your hands at impact.

Pair the Jailbreak Frame with the titanium AI-designed Flash Face SS21 and you have a very precise and solid feel. You know exactly where you’re hitting the ball on the face and can really feel it jump off of the club when you catch one in its generous sweet spot.

How Does it Sound?

Matching the Callaway Epic Speed driver’s solid and precise feel is its sound. The sound is a muted, but firm crack that has a pleasant combination of titanium and carbon fiber tones. The carbon fiber to metal ratio and rigid construction of the head does a great job of removing any metallic “pings”. Make a good swing and you get a strong “whap” at impact.

On-Course Performance

Though the Callaway Epic Speed driver is supposed to be a mid-launch/spin option, my experience was more on the low/low side. Don’t get me wrong, that’s perfectly fine, and I had my longest drive I’ve seen on a launch monitor in quite some time, but I was definitely finding a lower launch and spin than I typically find in a driver. This worked out for me just fine as I felt I had a lot of control over the ball with a powerful flight. With a little bit of OptiFit adjustment, and maybe a different shaft option (I used my own Ventus Blue), I likely could have found a little more launch and spin to add some carry. That said, the numbers above are definitely more than serviceable and the tight ball control I had made me quite comfortable with the setup I was testing.

Final Thoughts – Callaway Epic Speed Driver

Based on my testing of the Callaway Epic Speed driver, I’m confident in saying that the new Jailbreak Frame delivers on its promise. The club head is noticeably more rigid from previous Callaway models and my ball speeds were definitely strong. If you’ve been into Callaway drivers since Jailbreak was first introduced, you won’t be disappointed with this generation of Epics. The power and control produced by the Jailbreak Frame is definitely a big step forward for Callaway and worth the upgrade.

Stock Callaway Epic Speed Driver Specs

Previous Next