A few years ago, Dr Alan Hocknell, the head of Callaway’s R&D department, was given free rein and an unlimited budget to design the best iron he could imagine.
Hocknell's vision was to produce an iron for better players that provided a level of workability, but incorporated all the ball speed-enhancing technology normally found in game improvement irons.
The project to design and build ‘Alan’s iron’, as it was referred to internally at Callaway, was groundbreaking, innovative and above all, resulted in the company making its finest set of irons to date - Callaway Epic irons and Callaway Epic Pro irons.
Performance wise, the Callaway Epic and Epic Pro irons have delivered the exceptional results you’d expect from a premium iron. The small and sleek iron shape promotes workability but still offers ample forgiveness, all the while achieving higher ball speeds and greater distances off the clubface.
As catchy as ‘Alan’s Iron’ is, performance like that is worthy of Callaway’s Epic label.
BEHIND THE EPIC TECHNOLOGY
The Callaway Epic and Epic Pro irons initiated a number of firsts for the company, and new manufacturing procedures had to be developed to fulfil certain elements of Hocknell's design.
First off, the Exo Cage cast-steel structure at the heart of the Callaway Epic and Epic Pro irons was tweaked to further strengthen and stiffen the club, particularly around the sole and topline.
This promotes what Callaway calls 'energy lensing' by allowing the face to flex more at impact and absorb more loading. It works in a similar way to the Jailbreak technology used in the popular Callaway Epic drivers.
Added to that, a revision of the 360 Face Cup technology employed in the Epic and Epic Pro irons has a reduced the face component's rim thickness to only 1mm at its thinnest point, subsequently producing greater flexibility in the clubface.
The Exo Cage and Face Cup work in unison to deliver a first for Callaway. The 3-7 irons in the Epic and Epic Pro are maxed out on the COR limit, the first time Callaway has had so many irons in a set on the COR bubble.
The improvement in impact efficiency translates into ball speed and distance gains while minimising ball speed loss for off-centre strikes, in particular for low and near-the-toe impacts.
MiM...What an Epic Idea!
A new manufacturing technique called Metal Injection Moulding (MIM) was utilised to give unprecedented control over the centre of gravity in each iron.
MIM involves combining a fine powder of high-density Tungsten and steel and baking it at 2500 degrees for 41 hours to make precision-shaped parts, just like the weighting component used in each Callaway Epic and Epic Pro iron.
The MIM Tungsten weight makes up Callaway's Internal Standing Wave section (used to pinpoint the centre of gravity and adjust launch and spin parameters) and is custom made for each iron. It is located low and toward the toe in the long irons to promote a high launch and longer carry and graduates through the set to a higher CG in the short irons to increase control and accuracy.
Thirty per cent of weight in the 3-8 irons is able to be located in the Internal Standing Wave thanks to the precision of the MIM manufacturing process, which is useful for efficiently altering the centre of gravity in a small-sized clubhead.
The Callaway Epic and Epic Pro irons contain a significant quantity of Tungsten, which is 80 per cent denser than steel, through the set - 664g of the metal in the Epic set and 621g in the Epic Pro
For more EPIC information - Click here
EPIC VS EPIC PRO - THE DIFFERENCE
While most club manufacturers offer a 'pro' version of their latest irons with a smaller head and top line for greater workability, the Callaway Epic Pro was the club Alan Hocknell designed as his original offering.
The Epic and Epic Pro irons share the same internal technology but the Epic irons have been modified to sport slightly larger clubfaces, a thicker topline and sole, higher lofts and more offset to increase the forgiveness factor at the expense of some workability.
AN EPIC FINISH
Every Epic iron takes 65 days to make, with over 100 technicians handling each head in a manufacturing process that involves 200 steps and inspections.
Callaway Epic and Epic Pro irons are milled to precision and are laser welded robotically to ensure high performance, consistency and precise control over COR, CG and MOI.
Callaway Epic irons can be fitted with a choice of Rifle Project X LZ 95 steel shafts or UST Mamiya Recoil 760/780 EX graphite shafts. Golf Pride New Decade Platinum grips come standard with both shafts.
The Callaway Epic Pro irons are fitted with the Rifle Project X LZ 95 steel shafts and Golf Pride New Decade Platinum grips.
Callaway Epic irons and Callaway Epic Pro irons are due for release on June 23 and can be pre-ordered from GolfBox.
ORDER YOUR CALLAWAY EPIC IRONS HERE
Callaway Epic Pro Irons 5-PW - Click to Order
Callaway Epic Pro Irons 4-PW - Click to Order
Callaway Epic Irons 4-PW,SW - Click to Order
Callaway Epic Irons 5-PW,SW - Click to Order
Callaway Epic Irons 4-PW - Click to Order
