Fairway woods are a very important yet sometimes overlooked aspect of a golfer’s game. They are a very versatile club and one of the easiest clubs in the bag for many golfers to hit.
While their length works against them, the sweeping motion of the swing along with the larger head and additional forgiveness allow many beginning golfers to have more confidence with fairway woods than irons or wedges.
The Callaway Rogue fairway woods are some of the most forgiving on the market, especially when they first came out, and therefore some of the most popular.
The first time you hold these clubs in your hands, you feel the weight and you can almost see the forgiveness of these woods. The following is a Callaway Rogue Fairway Wood Review that will explain some of the features of these clubs as well as compare them with other similar fairway woods.
Things to Consider Before Buying The Callaway Rogue Fairway Wood
The Rogue fairway woods are long, forgiving, and aesthetically pleasing. When you set these woods next to a golf ball on the turf, you get as much confidence from these clubs as any other out there.
They are big, but they are longer than they are massive, and that long look makes them more aerodynamic with a higher MOI and deeper center of gravity.
The bottom line is that the Rogue fairway woods are as forgiving in the woods market as the Rogue driver is in the driver market. They are built to be forgiving and easy to hit. The launch is really high and the leading edge helps you to make great contact with the ball off the turf.
(check out this article to get an in depth review of the Rogue hybrids)
The size and shape of the head help it to perform off the tee as well. When you look at the bottom of the club, you can actually see where some of the weights are placed for that solid feel and deep and low center of gravity.
You also get the Speed Step technology that Boeing teamed up with Callaway to create, making the Rogue one of the most forgiving product lines out there.
Pros
- The new jailbreak bars are light enough to fit and positively effect the Rogue fairway woods. Jailbreak transfers more energy to the ball and gives you extra distance.
- This is a really solid feeling and sounding wood.
- The lack of adjustability adds to the consistency and feel of the Rogue.
- The Speed Step technology is still there making these woods some of the most aerodynamic out there.
- Ultra-thin face cup technology adds to ball speed as well.
- The center of gravity is positioned specifically and purposefully for each loft in each club to help with MOI, launch, and ease.
- The crown of the club is really lightweight carbon which leaves weight to either be added elsewhere or saved.
- Almost any loft from a 3+ all the way up to an 11 wood.
- Great stock shaft options.
- A good price for a really good club.
Cons
- There is no adjustability, even in the hosel.
- Not built for shot shaping, at all.
- AI in newer Callaway models was a game changer and it has not made its way to the Rogue line yet.
Callaway Rogue Fairway Wood Features and Benefits
Construction (4.5 out of 5)
Head
The head looks and technology of this club are really good. The green outline colors against the black clubhead are visually pleasing, and the size of the fairway woods are perfect.
They are long and big without being overly bulky. The best part of the head of this club is the technology contained within it. The jailbreak technology has been the envy of other club manufacturers for years now, and it is still getting better.
The Speed Step design, precision placed center of gravity, carbon crown, and the hyperspeed cup face all make this one of the fastest and most forgiving clubs on the market. The head of the Rogue fairway woods are almost a work of art as the manufacturers pack a lot of technology into a smaller club.
Shaft Options
The shaft options are really high end for stock shafts. There are 4 to choose from just like what you find with the Rogue driver. Each successive shaft goes up in weight by about 10g. If you are looking for speed and distance, go with the Aldila Quaranta at 40g, but if you need more control and firmness really any of the other shafts would be better. Here are the stock shaft options along with their weight:
- Aldila Quaranta at 40g
- Aldila Synergy 50g
- Project X EvenFlow 60g
- Project X Hzrdus at 70g
Club Specs
-
- Hand: Left or Right
- Clubs/Lofts: 3+ wood (13.5 degrees), 3 wood (15 degrees), 4 wood (17 degrees), 5 wood (19 degrees), Heaven Wood (20 degrees), 7 wood (21 degrees), 9 wood (23 degrees), 11 wood (25 degrees)
- Lie Angle: 55 degrees to 59.5 degrees
- Head Volume: 140cc to 170cc
- Length: 41” to 43”
- Swing Weight: D2
- Shafts: Aldila Quaranta, Aldila Synergy, Project X EvenFlow,Project X Hzrdus
- Shaft Stifness: A, R, S, X, and women’s
- Grip: Callaway Men’s Universal, Lamkin Women’s Comfort
Performance (4.5 out of 5)
Forgiveness
The Rogue fairway woods are some of the most forgiving clubs out there. If you struggle to make center strikes consistently, the Rogue fairway woods will help your “off center” shots go straighter and longer. The main purpose of even creating the Rogue brand was to take the success of the Epic driver and woods and make them even more forgiving. The sweet spot is huge, the center of gravity is low and back, and the clubs are easy to hit.
Control/Shot Shaping
If you are looking more for control and shot shaping ability, then these are probably not the fairway woods best suited for your game. They are built for speed and forgiveness, and that means they travel straighter and with less spin, especially side spin.
Distance
If forgiveness is the prime objective of these clubs, distance is a very close second. Jailbreak technology, speed step design, and the ultra thin cup face all work together to provide effortless distance and to give you that good distance even on mishits. These clubs are firm with good feel and sound, and they can really get the ball off the ground and in a good position to score. The fairway woods have pretty much the same technology as the highly acclaimed Rogue driver and you know you will be getting that in your fairway woods.
Looks/Feel/Sound (4 out of 5)
Sometimes with a lot of carbon in the head of the club, you get a hollow sound and less feel rather than the solid feel and sound that most players like. The Rogue is different. I think because it is such a solidly built club, even with that extra carbon up top, the sound and feel are positives for this club. Usually, the more forgiving the golf club, the worse the sound and feel. That is not the case for these Rogue fairway woods.
Cost (3 out of 5)
When they first came out, they were priced at an almost out of reach $300. While that is still probably the MSRP, you can usually find these clubs for about $200 and even that may be too high based on the price of the other clubs out there.
Alternatives To The Callaway Rogue Fairway Wood
Callaway Epic Flash
The Epic Flash fairway woods incorporate proven Callaway technology including Jailbreak and Face Cup technology in an ultra-lightweight package. The lightweight head and lightweight grip make it a very controllable club as well as a very fast one.
That increased clubhead speed is seen very clearly in the extra distance you get with these clubs. The newest iteration of the Epic Flash is all about ball speed and distance. From the lightweight design to the cup face and everything in between, this club is about speed.
The Flash Face Technology that was created by Artificial Intelligence (AI) has allowed Callaway to develop an extremely thin club face with an architecture that was built for speed. It transfers optimal energy to the ball and the ball comes out hot.
The Speed Step technology developed in corroboration with Boeing combines incredible aerodynamics with lightweight construction for high end club head speed. Last, but certainly not least, the famous jailbreak technology makes this one of the longest woods out there.
Pros
- The Flash Face technology gives you the highest possible ball speed.
- It is one of the lightest clubs on the market which also increases the swing speed and subsequent ball speed and distance.
- Another “speed” feature is the jailbreak technology that supports your shots and increases your distance.
- The steel face cup is ultra thin and hot and helps transfer energy from club to ball.
- Some of the best stock shaft options out there.
- You can find them in almost any loft you could want.
Cons
- Not as technologically advanced as the newer Mavrik fairway woods.
- The sound at impact is difficult to get used to.
- Can fly too high for a fairway wood for some golfers.
Callaway Mavrik Max
With the Mavrik Max, Callaway brought its Artificial Intelligence (AI) and resulting Flash Face Technology to their fairway woods and they never looked back.
The release of the Mavrik Max driver was highly anticipated and equally successful, so it is only logical that they would turn that technology to their fairway woods as well.
The result is a larger head, a more forgiving face, increased ball speed, and a better launch that previous Callaway offerings. If you like the higher lofted woods, you can find pretty much any loft you want with the Mavrik line.
On top of all of that, they look great at setup and are very easy to align no matter where you are on the course. The Mavrik Max is a very technologically advanced club that looks great at setup, is very forgiving, and gives you really good distance.
Pros
- Increased distance.
- A high launch and great control.
- A large sweet spot which provides forgiveness usually reserved for game improvement clubs.
- The jailbreak technology is something that other manufacturers are still trying to keep up with in terms of speed and distance in a wood.
- Very easy to hit.
- The leading edge is one of the best at cutting through the turf and making solid contact with the ball.
- The design is made for an easy and high launch.
- AI technology allows each club to be made to precise specifications.
- 7 different lofts available from a 3-wood to an 11-wood.
- Very long and very straight.
- A huge sweet spot makes these fairway woods good for any skill level.
- They feel great in your hands and sound great at impact.
- Solid feel at impact.
Cons
- If you have a natural draw or hook this club may not help.
- It is a large club with a large head that not all players like in a fairway wood.
- On the expensive side.
Fianl Thoughts On The Callaway Rogue Fairway Wood Review
(Overall Rating: 4 out of 5)
The Rogue fairway woods are some of the best out there if you are looking for forgiveness and length, and that is probably about 90% of golfers out there. They are great for higher handicap players because they launch high and are very easy to hit.
While higher swing speeds suit these clubs better, there is enough added distance features to really help any skill level. The heads are big, the leading edge is top notch, they are very aerodynamic, and the technology in the head and face of these woods will match any other on the market.
If you need a forgiving set of fairway woods that give you some added distance, the Callaway Rogue is definitely worth a look.
