Best Callaway Driver Shafts for a Rogue ST MAX

So far, Callaway’s Paradym drivers have stolen the show in 2023, at least in terms of buzz and coverage.

That doesn’t mean they’re the only Callaway drivers worth a look. Callaway’s Rogue ST MAX drivers deserve just as much visibility.

Along with what Callaway driver shafts you should pair with them, straight from the source.

Callaway directly suggests the shafts mentioned in this article for its Rogue ST MAX drivers (at least for most golfers). Let’s take a look at what the driver offers and why (and for whom) these shafts might make a good fit.

Capitalizing on Core Competencies

In order to understand why Callaway would make any given specific suggestion in a driver shaft to pair with its Rogue ST MAX drivers, we first have to understand what the club offers.

To be curt, the Rogue ST MAX is one of Callaway’s fastest, most stable drivers, and perhaps one of the fastest and most stable drivers ever developed, Callaway or otherwise.

It delivers an unbelievable MOI (moment of inertia) for next-level forgiveness and stability, with a slight draw bias designed for golfers of all skill levels.

At the core (literally) of the Callaway Rogue ST MAX driver is a tungsten steel cartridge structure, integrated low and deep in the driver head. This chiefly accomplishes two things. It increases MOI and thereby forgiveness, and it increases energy transfer, boosting ball speed, even on off-center club strikes.

The Rogue ST MAX driver also makes use of a special internal frame, designed with a little help from artificial intelligence, which they call their “Jailbreak Frame.”

This special frame provides stability across the horizontal and torsional dimensions, and has been extensively tuned to deliver superior energy transfer across a wider area of the club face.

The clubface of the Rogue ST MAX has also been designed and refined with a little help from AI. Callaway included launch and spin data in their optimization formula, accounting for recommendations from their AI models to make adjustments to the club face with the goal of lowering spin and increasing forgiveness.

These driver heads also make use of what Callaway calls “Titanium Unibody Construction,” which provides stability and lowers the center of gravity, while a Triaxial Carbon Crown and Sole lower weight, enabling it to be redistributed to increase forgiveness while producing higher launch characteristics.

The ST MAX comes with 60° lie, though this is adjustable, and loft is adjustable between 8° and 14°, enabling players to custom tune shot shape and performance depending on their baseline needs.

Taken in sum, these features substantially improve the performance and forgiveness of these Callaway drivers. The Rogue ST MAX of the Rogue family offers some of the highest forgiveness in the line, producing high-launch and mid-spin characteristics, along with a semi-draw flight bias.

With these facts as given, we can look at the two Callaway driver shafts most frequently suggested by the manufacturer for pairing with the Rogue ST MAX.

Mitsubishi TENSEI AV Blue 55

Knowing that the Callaway Rogue ST MAX delivers high launch and mid-spin characteristics, as well as an extremely high MOI and superior energy transfer characteristics, the people at Callaway have selectively chosen the Mitsubishi TENSEI AV Blue 55 as one of their preferred shafts for the model.

But why the TENSEI AV Blue 55? Well, with a firm butt section and medium tip and midsections, the TENSEI AV Blue 55 also produces mid spin and mid-launch characteristics, just like the Rogue ST MAX. We don’t need extra spin here, and the clubhead itself already produces a high-ish launch, so compounding that with the shaft would be overkill.

On top of that, the TENSEI AV Blue features an increased carbon fiber volume in the shaft wall, thanks to MCA’s Xlink Tech Resin System, which drastically improves both shaft strength and overall feel. So you get a shaft that is tuned according to the performance of the club head, which is also stronger and more sensitive. That’s a win-win.

This Mitsubishi shaft is also built for stability, which improves consistency, thanks to the use of Aluminum Vapor Deposition in the handle.

And who can benefit, specifically, from these MCA shafts as Callaway driver shafts, for this club? Basically any players that benefit from a shaft that delivers exceptional stability, consistency, and strength. The Callaway Rogue ST MAX will do the rest.

Fujikura Ventus Blue 5 and 6 (Non-Velocore Versions)

The other major recommendation Callaway makes for its Rogue ST MAX drivers is for the Fujikura Ventus Blue 5 and 6 - specifically the non-VeloCore version.

This is, to say the least, an interesting recommendation, since Fujikura has ceaselessly touted its VeloCore Technology as the Alpha and Omega of stability and consistency, given the fact that it maximizes clubhead MOI, increasing energy transfer and smash factor, even, allegedly, on less than perfect hits.

And the buzz surrounding Ventus shafts with VeloCore Technology has been overwhelmingly positive. But once again, taking a step back and looking at what the Rogue ST MAX specifically offers may answer this puzzling question.

The Rogue ST MAX is, expressly, designed to offer an optimal MOI for stability and forgiveness. One might even say it doesn’t need any extra help from the shaft.

Which is why the Fujikura Ventus Blue 5 and 6 without VeloCore are recommended Callaway driver shafts for the ST MAX.

They offer low to medium spin profiles and medium (except for the Blue 5 R2) launch profiles, which makes them natural mates for a club head that delivers a high launch and mid spin characteristics.

Basically, these shafts just double down on what the Rogue ST MAX already offers without getting in the way. Any player who prefers a mid-spin, mid-high launch club/shaft pairing will benefit from this outfit.

Work with a Professional Golf Fitter Before Choosing Any Callaway Driver Shafts

While these are two excellent Callaway driver shafts, you shouldn’t necessarily gamble on them. You paid a premium for your Rogue ST MAX, don’t settle on a shaft.

Give us a call if you have any questions or come visit us in our retail shop to work with our golf club fitters and we will personally recommend a shaft that works for both you and your Rogue ST MAX.