Rogue ST Fairway Wood Showdown: Rogue ST MAX VS Rogue ST LS

Picking the right 3-wood can be a serious challenge; as Ian mentioned in the video, it’s the lowest lofted club we have to hit off the ground, which can lead to disaster for many players if you don’t choose wisely.

The fairway wood journey has been quite the ride for me this year. In my case, the journey took a bit longer than expected. It wasn’t a performance issue per se but almost a case of too many good options. In the nuance, I found the answer, and believe me when I say that a switch could happen at any point…that’s how stiff the competition was.

This is what the testing looked like leading up to this video, it was pretty interesting…

All Tests were on TrackMan

Rogue ST Max

Click the link to Purchase:
Rogue ST Max Fairway Woods

Specs:
Loft: 15@14
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 7X (Tipped 1, 43 inches, D1, 57 lie)

This 3-wood worked off the tee, tight lies, off the floor, etc. This club’s shallow profile and higher MOI profile made it a mindless option. What I liked most about it (which drew comparisons to the Rogue ST Max D driver) was its simplicity. I had one shot with it, high draws. That was it. The spin was there, launch, carry, ball speed, etc. Like our Rogue ST line of drivers, the head stability (thx to Jailbreak and Batwing Technolgy) really stands out. YES, they are fast heads, but the start lines and spin windows on mis-hits were stupendous.

The Data: 25 Shots Tracked with 20 used for AVG.

Ball Speed: 153.2
Max Ball Speed: 156.9
Launch: 12.3
Carry; 253.6
Max Carry: 259.7
Spin: 3476RPM
Land Angle: 44
Peak Height: 91

Solid across the board with one exception, when I tried to hit anything LOW or with some fade spin, it simply wasn’t possible. So there are concessions I had to make for that simplicity. Not a bad thing, BUT I do need ONE club in my bag that I can cut when needed. Usually, that falls on the 3-wood.

Rogue ST LS

Click the link to Purchase:
Rogue ST LS Fairway Woods

Specs:
Loft: 15@16
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 7X (Tipped 1, 43 inches, D1, 56 lie)

The Rogue ST LS head is fascinating. At first glance, with the deeper face profile, it appears that it might be a challenge to launch, and the LS (IE Low Spin) on the nameplate can be intimidating for some. It’s not. This 3-wood is not only FAST, but it launches VERY easily. It performs like something in the higher MOI category. I’m a player that tends to pop out of the shot, and the miss becomes center thin, BUT with Rogue ST LS, those misses still got in the air with a bit of ball speed. It’s almost like Rogue Sub Zero, and Rogue ST Max had a kid. I actually had to loft up to dial back the distance. That’s key because now I have a deep-faced 3-wood presenting some loft AND still flys like something in the 13.5-15 range in part to the more forward CG and the stability of the head from Batwing Tech. On TOUR, how it sits is HUGE. Players like to see some loft as it encourages them to hit down with the confidence that spin and launch will stay in the right window. So now we have a stable head with loft that’s Mid-High launch and keeps the spin integrity in check…

Folks that’s a borderline unicorn for better players…

Angle of attack with a fairway wood should always stay closer to zero, with many players like Jon Rahm, for example, getting into the -1/-2 zip code.

The Data: 25 Shots Tracked with 20 used for AVG.

Ball Speed: 153.8
Max Ball Speed: 154.9
Launch: 11.4
Carry; 255.1
Max Carry: 256
Spin: 3391RPM
Land Angle: 45
Peak Height: 89FT

AND I can fade this club with ease without sacrificing ball speed and spin (watch the video for an example)

So why Rogue ST LS?

For me, it was two main things.

1) The launch and spin stayed in a TIGHT window regardless of the shot shape.
2) I can hit this one flat when I need to. Rogue ST Max didn’t have this shot for me; the more I hit down on the Max, the more launch I would get. Crazy right?

Make no mistake, BOTH of these heads could work just fine, but now, having some time to get on course with the Rogue ST LS and to see the shots I’m able to hit, I know the test garnered the proper result, and my session with Ian confirmed it. Picking a 3-wood is a process, and it’s one you should put some stock in. Finding a good one could mean 4 or 5 years (10+ like Henrik) of great shots, OR it could mean complete disaster. I’ve had both happen in my days, so I’m speaking from experience:)

Happy Hunting

JDub