WARNING! PSA about Rogue ST max 24 Scam

[popp]

CR version Tensei

 

[Par4Nate]

Someone please educate me on the TM issue with the Sim2.  I had two of the original Sim2 Max drivers with the KuroKage 606 Silver Series stiff shafts, which I loved.  One broke and I couldn’t find anymore of those shafts and I always want at least one back up driver, so I bought a leftover Sim2 Max driver with the Fujikura Ventus blue shaft (it does not say Velocore).  Other than the shaft, the drivers appear identical in all respects. Further, after a range session getting used to the new shaft, I hit both drivers almost identically, same distance, same dispersion.  I can feel a difference in the KuroKage, but they perform the same.  If anything, the Ventus shafted drivers are actually slightly longer for me.  I actually bought another with the Ventus blue shaft and it too performs the same.  What is supposedly wrong with those drivers?

[circa3182]

2 hours ago, Par4Nate said:

Someone please educate me on the TM issue with the Sim2.  I had two of the original Sim2 Max drivers with the KuroKage 606 Silver Series stiff shafts, which I loved.  One broke and I couldn’t find anymore of those shafts and I always want at least one back up driver, so I bought a leftover Sim2 Max driver with the Fujikura Ventus blue shaft (it does not say Velocore).  Other than the shaft, the drivers appear identical in all respects. Further, after a range session getting used to the new shaft, I hit both drivers almost identically, same distance, same dispersion.  I can feel a difference in the KuroKage, but they perform the same.  If anything, the Ventus shafted drivers are actually slightly longer for me.  I actually bought another with the Ventus blue shaft and it too performs the same.  What is supposedly wrong with those drivers?

Nothing is wrong with them. Some people are complaining it’s misleading that they offer stock with a Ventus shaft that’s not velocore. I don’t take issue with it as it’s a fine shaft for what it is and anyone that knows enough about a Ventus Velocore shaft to care should know that no OEM is offering it without an up charge. 

[Par4Nate]

11 minutes ago, circa3182 said:

Nothing is wrong with them. Some people are complaining it’s misleading that they offer stock with a Ventus shaft that’s not velocore. I don’t take issue with it as it’s a fine shaft for what it is and anyone that knows enough about a Ventus Velocore shaft to care should know that no OEM is offering it without an up charge. 

 

Ah, got it.  Thanks!

[krugA]

Started by thinking you where crazy, but...

 

Now im just glad is saw this post.  Just about to buy(because i love the look) on dormy where the short description is:
The Callaway Rogue ST Max 24 is a new production of Callaway's previous successful Rogue ST series, which was first launched in 2022. There are more similarities than differences, and with its forgiving characteristics and high ball speed, it suits a wide range of golfers who want a stable fairway club.

 

This is just crazy.. Not you, thank you!
 

[barlowc]

I too am glad I found this post! And I wanted to share some side-by-side pictures.

 

One of the pictures below shows my OG Rogue ST MAX driver compared to a Rogue ST '24 MAX which I recently got directly from Callaway. No Carbon Fiber on the sole. No Jailbreak AI Speed Frame. No Flash Face SS22.

 

The other picture shows my OG Rogue ST MAX 5 wood compared to a Rogue ST '24 MAX which I also recently got directly from Callaway. No removable Tungsten Speed Cartridge. No Jailbreak ST. No Flash Face SS22.

 

The Mitsubishi Tensei CR shaft versus the OG's AV doesn't necessarily bother me from a product standpoint. Neither does the Non-Velocore Fujikura Ventus offering. It's not uncommon for shaft brands/models to have variations and I think it's reasonable to expect buyers to pay attention to those details.

 

What does bother me is what I consider the attempt to trick customers into thinking these '24 clubs are the same as previous OG supply. Take the fairway woods' Tungsten Speed Cartridge as one example. In the '24 models they went to the extent of painting the area and putting in fake screws to make it look like the OG's removable weight. It definitely leaves a bad taste in my mouth and I consider myself a Callaway loyalist playing Rogue ST woods, Apex irons, JAWS wedges, and an Ai One putter.

[BallerNate]

Just a PSA that I was just at my go-to Golf shop, Golf Town, here in Canada.

 

And unfortunately Golf Town, and Callaway, are still selling these knock-off garbage clubs and scamming people for a quick buck.

 

When I bought one over the Winter and fell for the scam, I swore I’d never buy another Callaway club.

 

That decision has aged well…I can’t believe these are still being sold. 🤮🤮🤮 

Edited June 14 by BallerNate

[MickeyTankBank]

Still not a scam

[cardia10]

11 hours ago, MickeyTankBank said:

Still not a scam

You can write $100 on a 20 dollar bill but that doesn’t make it $100. 

[ASN21]

On 6/14/2025 at 4:40 PM, BallerNate said:

Just a PSA that I was just at my go-to Golf shop, Golf Town, here in Canada.

 

And unfortunately Golf Town, and Callaway, are still selling these knock-off garbage clubs and scamming people for a quick buck.

 

When I bought one over the Winter and fell for the scam, I swore I’d never buy another Callaway club.

 

That decision has aged well…I can’t believe these are still being sold. 🤮🤮🤮 

[BallerNate]

Oh boy…same shenanigans still going on for these clone threads huh?

 

Oh well, the OP and I did our best to raise awareness, and that’s all we can do at the end of the day.

 

I’ll definitely never buy another product from Callaway though, or speak positively about their company ever again.

[MickeyTankBank]

Yup, you're still obsessing over something that was your own fault. You even took another picture that helps show that these new models are obviously different than the original clubs. You got the original Max D right there with the Jailbreak that the new model doesn't have. Self burns are rare but fun to watch.

[jlevitt9]

1 hour ago, MickeyTankBank said:

Yup, you're still obsessing over something that was your own fault. You even took another picture that helps show that these new models are obviously different than the original clubs. You got the original Max D right there with the Jailbreak that the new model doesn't have. Self burns are rare but fun to watch.

It's extraordinarily disingenuous.  I think you're missing the forest for the trees here. 99% of weekend golfers think they're buying the same club pros used/that are advertised in all the magazines and online. It's not scammy, but scummy. 

[MickeyTankBank]

1 hour ago, jlevitt9 said:

It's extraordinarily disingenuous.  I think you're missing the forest for the trees here. 99% of weekend golfers think they're buying the same club pros used/that are advertised in all the magazines and online. It's not scammy, but scummy. 

 

You can literally look at them and see the difference

[jlevitt9]

1 hour ago, MickeyTankBank said:

 

You can literally look at them and see the difference

 

You can. Can the average John/Jane Doe with $300 to spend on a new driver? Why did they paint on the speedbreak on the fairway woods? Again, not a scam, but disingenuous AF. 

 

I wonder what you'd say if one of your friends came to you and said they bought a new Rogue Driver like they saw in the magazine and on TV...would you tell them it's a watered down version that is made with less quality materials? Would you say "oh well, should have been more careful" if they acted frustrated or perplexed?

Edited June 18 by jlevitt9

[MickeyTankBank]

53 minutes ago, jlevitt9 said:

 

You can. Can the average John/Jane Doe with $300 to spend on a new driver? Why did they paint on the speedbreak on the fairway woods? Again, not a scam, but disingenuous AF. 

 

I wonder what you'd say if one of your friends came to you and said they bought a new Rogue Driver like they saw in the magazine and on TV...would you tell them it's a watered down version that is made with less quality materials? Would you say "oh well, should have been more careful" if they acted frustrated or perplexed?

 

Yup, that's exactly what I'd tell them. Probably laugh a little bit and use some more colorful language, but that's the jist of it. 

 

They are smart enough to fix it, move on with their lives, and laugh about it cause mistakes happen.

 

They wouldn't be obsessing over it months later, that's for sure. 

[JMB3]

7 hours ago, MickeyTankBank said:

Yup, you're still obsessing over something that was your own fault. You even took another picture that helps show that these new models are obviously different than the original clubs. You got the original Max D right there with the Jailbreak that the new model doesn't have. Self burns are rare but fun to watch.

Nate wasn’t the only one to bump the thread.  Potential purchasers who were grateful to have found this thread did too. It served its purpose well.

 

For whatever reason, you seem as obsessed with this thread as anyone. 

Edited June 18 by JMB3

[MickeyTankBank]

17 minutes ago, JMB3 said:

Nate wasn’t the only one to bump the thread.  Potential purchasers who were grateful to have found this thread did too. It served its purpose well.

 

For whatever reason, you seem as obsessed with this thread as anyone. 

 

People keep responding to me. Asking me questions about my friends and trying to scold me.

[cardia10]

16 hours ago, MickeyTankBank said:

 

You can literally look at them and see the difference

Then why would Callaway intentionally keep the same name knowing that it is a different club. They are playing on the marketing and many consumers lack of knowledge to sell them an inferior product. You think you are getting something solid, but get stuck with that Big Bursar....

[straightshot7]

38 minutes ago, cardia10 said:

Then why would Callaway intentionally keep the same name knowing that it is a different club. They are playing on the marketing and many consumers lack of knowledge to sell them an inferior product. You think you are getting something solid, but get stuck with that Big Bursar....

 

It is 100% deceptive marketing. The question is how much of it was just laziness on Callaway's part and how much is intentional. 

 

But it seems like they must have realized that this driver looks very similar to the original, lol.

 

It would be very annoying if other OEM's started putting out a lot of "clones". 

[MickeyTankBank]

59 minutes ago, cardia10 said:

Then why would Callaway intentionally keep the same name knowing that it is a different club. They are playing on the marketing and many consumers lack of knowledge to sell them an inferior product. You think you are getting something solid, but get stuck with that Big Bursar....

 

Why would anyone buy something without doing any sort of research?

[I'_rather_be_golfing]

3 hours ago, MickeyTankBank said:

 

Why would anyone buy something without doing any sort of research?

Exactly, those are the type of people they are looking for. It's a scummy marketing ploy. It's like they sat in a meeting and said "they won't know the difference". Even myself missed the finer details between the 2 models. To some its obvious. While to others it's not. 

[jlevitt9]

37 minutes ago, I'_rather_be_golfing said:

Exactly, those are the type of people they are looking for. It's a scummy marketing ploy. It's like they sat in a meeting and said "they won't know the difference". Even myself missed the finer details between the 2 models. To some its obvious. While to others it's not. 

At this point the Mickey dude is trolling, I'm convinced, lol. 

[Jeff58]

1 hour ago, jlevitt9 said:

At this point the Mickey dude is trolling, I'm convinced, lol. 

I’m not so sure about that. @MickeyTankBank24 sounds like the real deal to me.

[MickeyTankBank]

2 hours ago, I'_rather_be_golfing said:

Exactly, those are the type of people they are looking for. It's a scummy marketing ploy. It's like they sat in a meeting and said "they won't know the difference". Even myself missed the finer details between the 2 models. To some its obvious. While to others it's not. 

 

So be it then. It's not like this is anything new. Been happening for many years.

[I'_rather_be_golfing]

25 minutes ago, MickeyTankBank said:

 

So be it then. It's not like this is anything new. Been happening for many years.

Yes you are absolutely right. But it opened my eyes. 

[straightshot7]

4 hours ago, MickeyTankBank said:

 

So be it then. It's not like this is anything new. Been happening for many years.

 

Can you give us a different, recent example of a major golf OEM doing this? 

 

Something equivalent - where an avid golfer bought the item thinking it was the original, but it was some kind of inferior clone? 

 

And, even if it is common, do you think it is right?

 

I don't understand why you're downplaying this. It's not a big deal but it certainly isn't a good thing.

 

There are laws about truth in advertising. The efficiency and fairness of the economy actually depends on truth in advertising. So a major golf OEM essentially lying or deceiving their customers shouldn't be considered just "normal".

Edited June 19 by straightshot7

[MickeyTankBank]

On 1/24/2025 at 9:44 AM, third-times-a-charm said:

Taylormade did this as well with the SIM Max clubs.

 

Callaway also did it previously with the "Mavrik 22" line.

 

Yes, they cheapen a 3-year old club and sell it at big box stores.

 

39 minutes ago, straightshot7 said:

 

Can you give us a different, recent example of a major golf OEM doing this? 

 

Something equivalent - where an avid golfer bought the item thinking it was the original, but it was some kind of inferior clone? 

 

And, even if it is common, do you think it is right?

 

I don't understand why you're downplaying this. It's not a big deal but it certainly isn't a good thing.

 

There are laws about truth in advertising. The efficiency and fairness of the economy actually depends on truth in advertising. So a major golf OEM essentially lying or deceiving their customers shouldn't be considered just "normal".

 

Pretty sure I remember TaylorMade doing this with one of the M lines too. 

 

Doesn't matter what anyone thinks is right. It's a thing companies do. They are pretty easy to spot as not being the original if you take a minute to look at them. 

 

No one should be walking into a store and just buying a driver off the rack as an impulse buy anyway. If you do, you get what you get. 

[I'_rather_be_golfing]

9 hours ago, MickeyTankBank said:

 

 

Pretty sure I remember TaylorMade doing this with one of the M lines too. 

 

Doesn't matter what anyone thinks is right. It's a thing companies do. They are pretty easy to spot as not being the original if you take a minute to look at them. 

 

No one should be walking into a store and just buying a driver off the rack as an impulse buy anyway. If you do, you get what you get. 

It's not just about what others think is right. It's also getting the word out for others that don't know or don't know what to look for. For all we know. A customer can walk into a store and ask for help. And be told yeah they are the same driver. And the whole time they think they have the actual higher end model. You keep saying its very easy to spot. It's very easy to see the difference. Yes it's easy to spot for people that know exactly what they are looking for. But someone like myself that buys equipment over and over and over missed this particular Callaway driver differences. But you keep riding this train of nonsense. 

[MickeyTankBank]

2 hours ago, I'_rather_be_golfing said:

It's not just about what others think is right. It's also getting the word out for others that don't know or don't know what to look for. For all we know. A customer can walk into a store and ask for help. And be told yeah they are the same driver. And the whole time they think they have the actual higher end model. You keep saying its very easy to spot. It's very easy to see the difference. Yes it's easy to spot for people that know exactly what they are looking for. But someone like myself that buys equipment over and over and over missed this particular Callaway driver differences. But you keep riding this train of nonsense. 

 

There is a difference in letting people know and starting a vendetta and obsessing over it. Arguing with mods about where you think the thread should be on the forum to the point of making multiple threads. Exaggerating what is actually going with words like "scam". Making your entire life revolve around something because you feel like you were personally wronged long after the issue was resolved.