Callaway Rogue ST MAX Driver Review | Best Golf Driver of 2022

The new Callaway Rogue ST MAX driver is without question the No.1 driver that GolfMagic has tested this season.

Why? Well it is full of forgiveness, armed with accuracy and packed full of power.

Related: Best Golf Drivers 2022

No other driver that GolfMagic’s Equipment Editor Alex Lodge has tested this season has delivered on all three fronts quite like this one from Callaway.

This is the perfect premium new golf driver for mid-handicap golfers and also high-handicap golfers.

BUYER'S GUIDE: BEST GOLF DRIVERS 2022 - ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

What is the Callaway Rogue ST Max driver all about?

Callaway Rogue ST Max is the flagship club of a new range from the brand that is made up of Rogue ST MAX LS, Rogue ST MAX D and Rogue Triple Diamond LS drivers.

The company has delved back into their Rogue name having used it in previous years. They have associated this new release with the style of Formula 1 cars and the refinement of their vehicles. 

Instead of releasing a brand new golf driver for 2022, Callaway has gone back in time and refined an old model from 2018.

Only they have made it twice as good.

Callaway has introduced a new Tungsten Speed Cartridge that is positioned low and deep into the club face to improve ball speed robustness.

What is ball speed robustness, you say? 

Well, this helps to maintain ball speed on off-centre hits… something no doubt many of you mid to high handicap golfers out there will love the sound of right now!

Callaway has also used very clever patented A.I. Jailbreak Speed Frame technology to provide you with even more speed across the entire face, no matter where you hit the ball at impact. It also gives you less spin and as much forgiveness as possible.

WATCH OUR FULL CALLAWAY ROGUE ST MAX DRIVER REVIEW:

Which golfers should use a Callaway Rogue ST MAX driver? 

Essentially you can put any golf swing on the new Callaway Rogue ST MAX driver and it will help you get as close to the middle of the fairway as possible. 

We of course cannot guarantee you will find the short grass each and every time with this club, but we can assure you it will work its hardest for you. 

The Callaway ST MAX driver can be used by any golfer in all honesty, but we highly recommend it for game improvement players with a mid to high handicap. At least that is the range we think will reap the greatest reward from this driver.

Which Callaway Rogue ST MAX driver is right for you? 

Here's a helpful table to help you decide with of the four new Callaway drivers are best suited to your game: 

Looks 

In terms of its looks, we love the fresh gold and black colour scheme. It’s very classy indeed and will make you the envy of your playing partners on the tee. We also think it’s a lot better in design than the Epic Speed of last year, too.

The crown of the clubhead is a little longer and larger and it just looks much more forgiving before you have even let loose with it.

Sound and Feel

Sound and feel are very much personal preferences, but for us the sound of this driver is much more pleasing to the ears than last year’s Epic Speed, which we consider is quite tinny at impact.

This time around with the Rogue ST MAX driver, we noted much more of a “pop” sound at impact time and time again.

The feel of this driver was particularly stable and also very satisfying. It made us keep wanting to come back for more. There was also great feedback to be had from the feel at impact, which is perfect for game-improvement players looking to improve.

Performance: Distance, Ball Speed, Accuracy and Forgiveness 

Although we found the spin rate was a little high during our lengthy testing session that saw us crush more than 1,000 golf balls with this driver, the ball speeds were very consistent across the board - and that is key for its target audience.

While we say this is not the longest golf driver we have tested this season, it is still right up there in the distance stakes - and that is hard to find in the market when you consider just how accurate and forgiving it is, too. 

Alex’s average ball speed with this driver was around the 175mph mark, which is a solid 2mph increase on his normal ball speed. 

Furthermore, his carry distance stood at a very solid average of 307 yards, with his total distance measuring 325 yards.

To put this into perspective, that is at least a five-yard gain on his average distance with the Epic Speed driver of last year, and a considerable gain on the Rogue driver of four years ago, but that is to be expected given the advances in driver technology since 2018. 

But the most important thing to note in our test was Alex’s accuracy with this driver. 

The offline dispersion with this club is as good as anything we have hit all year, and it will be a very tough task for Callaway to beat this again in 12 months time.

The club’s slight draw bias is perfect for keeping you in line. At times it felt like there were bumpers down both sides of the fairway during our testing session.

Squiffy, off-centre strikes with this driver still produced a good offline dispersion and consistent ball speed, and this is why we consider it a game-improvement driver that caters for such a broad range of golf handicaps. 

This driver is available in 9, 10 and 12.5 degree options. 

Verdict

There is no doubt about it. This is the No.1 golf driver of 2022 for GolfMagic. 

This is the most forgiving golf driver we have tested this season, and certainly ever from Callaway. 

If you are a mid-handicap golfer or even a high-handicap golfer, you will most certainly want to welcome the Rogue ST Max driver into your life, or at least test it out before considering your options. 

Yes it’s a tad pricey and at the top end of the market at £479, but can you really put a price on straighter, longer drives? 

Much of that will depend on how seriously you take the sport, and how quickly you want to improve your golf driving.