Callaway legitimately revolutionized irons when they first introduced the APEX lineup way back in 2014, the blending of forgiveness and all-out performance had never been done like that before. Not only that, but with each subsequent release the accolades have grown as has the amount of tech the company continues to pour into them.
What that has led to is an incredible amount of anticipation each time we edge closer to the unveil of the next iteration. Well, the Callaway Apex 21 lineup is coming, and it’s bringing a new friend with it.
The New Apex Family
Callaway has taken full advantage of the two-year lifecycle of the Apex lineup to not just bring forth two irons worthy of the family name, but they have brought a third to the party as well. Yes, a third.
This go-round the Apex and Apex Pro will be joined by their little-big brother, the DCB (deep cavity blade) which they believe makes their lineup reach more players than any other generation before it. But more on that very soon.
The Apex irons continue to be the crème de la crème of the Callaway iron umbrella, and with that it is no surprise that they continue to feature the best of all their iron technology developed over the years and rolled into each new version. This is after all the iron series that defined forged irons meeting true forgiveness and playability, literally blurring the lines of classification like never before.
This year the goal was to stretch the tech even more to hit an even broader player profile, while also in their minds not just retaining but increasing their hold as the “#1 Irons in Golf”. Performance and consistency of performance is the goal, and by implementing things like Flash Face Cup, Tungsten Energy Core, and Urethane Microspheres in all three irons, they definitely look poised to accomplish that.
Callaway Apex 21 Irons
It’s only right to start with the flagship iron, right? The Apex 21 is being hailed as a “21st Century Forging” by Callaway, and continues to be a shape and size that will fit the eye of a broad range of golfers. The shaping continues to let them put forgiveness into the iron, but without getting too big nor losing the shot-making potential that has endeared the line to so many over each release.
The goal was to further entrench the Apex as offering leading distance, launch, speed, feel, and most importantly consistency in all of those aspects. To do that they have implemented a “Big Three” of tech, if you will.
First, A.I. Flash Face Cup is here, and it is the first time that Callaway has implemented AI into a forged iron. It was a natural progression given the success A.I. has allowed them in the past couple of years, but it took a lot to implement it into these three sets of irons. This means more distance, but also with more forgiveness all while maintaining spin numbers better than previous iterations. It is also worth noting once again, each iron has a unique face design, both loft for loft as well as compared to the other two Apex sets.
Added to that is a “Massive” tungsten core with a unique split application system low in the iron with heel, toe, and center sections. The unique split placement allows for the increased MOI blended with a lower CG. In all, there is 5-times the Tungsten compared to the Apex 19 irons, ranging from 34g to 64g in the 3-9 while only 14 in the PW and AW to tune in the desired flight through the set. Rounding it out, the 1025 Carbon Steel with Urethane Microsphere technology that continues to be revolutionary compared to anything else on the market for performance and feel.
Callaway is claiming higher peak ball speed compared to the Apex 19, but more importantly the “sweet spot” is much larger and more centered as well as lower than previously which matches where most golfers tend to miss much better. The set will play off a 30.5° 7-iron and 43° PW, but Callaway notes that the A.I. design is allowing them to generate and retain more spin loft for loft than previously possible.
The Apex 21 will be available in 3-AW and paired with all new premium shafts in True Temper Elevate ETS 95’s (R, S) for steel and UST Mamiya Recoil Dart 75’s (L, R, S) for graphite. They are rounded out with Golf Pride Z-Grip Soft for the stock grip options.
Callaway Apex Pro 21 Irons
The Apex Pro irons have long thrived on being a unicorn of sorts, making a more players style iron impressively more playable for a wider range of golfers. Since they have been infinitely successful, Callaway did the only natural thing, they totally and completely redesigned them from the ground up. These are not like any Apex Pro before. Truly.
Welcome the Apex lineup to the age of the hollow body design.
The Pro’s are now a forged hollow body design that Callaway calls a player’s performance iron. For golfers from scratch to single digits who want performance mixed with forgiveness, this may be the ticket, fitting between the Apex 21 and the X-Forged CB.
Hollow is popular right now, but Callaway believes they have done it differently. They liked the hollow body design because it affords more stiffness in the rear of the club but allows a lot to be done internally with the application of the aforementioned A.I. Flash Face Cup, 1025 Carbon Steel with Urethane Microspheres, as well as a massiveamount of Tungsten.
The Flash Face cup is unique to this specific set as well as club for club within the set. When blended with the “Tungsten Energy Core” which has placed 53g to 90g in the 3-7 of the set you have an iron design primed for more speed, more forgiveness, and more spin consistency. Callaway also believes that thanks to the huge amount of Urethane Microspheres both low and higher in the club, and their ability to collapse and rebound without sacrificing energy transfer, they have produced a hollow body with feel like a one-piece forging. Now that is something that will perk up some ears.
The Apex Pro 21 will be available in 3-AW and the set plays off of a 33° 7-iron and 45° PW. Additionally, the premium stock shaft offerings are the all-new True Temper Elevate ETS 115 (R, S, X) in steel as well as the Mitsubishi MMT (R – 85, S – 95, TX – 105) in graphite and paired with the Golf Pride Z-Grip.
Callaway Apex DCB Irons
Rounding out the Callaway Apex 21 irons lineup, the new kid on the block, the Apex DCB.
DCB stands for “Deep Cavity Blade” and the name says it all, this is an even more forgiving forged iron that Callaway wanted to create in order to allow golfers who need a wider sole, longer blade length, and a bit more offset a way to still be part of the Apex family.
All of the above traits meet up with the A.I. Flash Face Cup, 1025 Carbon Steel with Urethane Microspheres, and Tungsten Energy Core just like the other two irons in the lineup, simply in a more forgiving and easier launching package. Though they feature a progressively large sole than the rest of the Apex offerings, they look a lot like the Apex 21’s and visually blend well enough to make a golfer happy when looking down at the clubs.
The Apex DCB will be available in 4-AW and playing off of a 30° 7-Iron and a 43° PW with the set being practically the same as the Apex 21 other than the long irons. Premium shaft offerings for the DCB are True Temper Elevate ETS 85 (R, S) as well as UST Mamiya Recoil Dart 65 (L, R, S) and finished with the Golf Pride Z-Grip Soft.
Combo Time!
Some of you were reading along and wondering, so this is for you…
YES, Callaway will be offering a combo sets for the Apex 21 lineup.
The main option will be the same we saw last time around blending the Apex 21 3-7 with Apex Pro 21 8-AW through the use of unique tooling in the Pro’s to make the set flow as seamlessly as possible. However, they are fully anticipating the possibility of other combo’s created by the consumer or during fittings with the “Apex Sweet Spot” having DCB 4-5 and Apex 21 6-AW, the “Apex Triple Play” with DCB 4-5, Apex 21 6-9, and Apex Pro 21 9-AW, as well as the “Apex Player” featuring Apex Pro 21 3-7 and Callaway Apex MB 8-AW.
The Details
The Callaway Apex 21 irons lineup will begin fitting on 1/28/21 and have a retail date of 2/11/21. Pricing will be $185 per club for steel and $200 per club in graphite.
Be sure to keep an eye on THP for a lot more to come on the entire Apex 21 lineup.
feeling like the pros are an iron I need to look at some more. I am starting feel the need for more tech in my iron game.
I just think back to how easy to hit the long irons in my Mavrik Pros were. The short irons were a little hot. But, getting the control in the short irons from the pros and then progressing to some easy to hit long irons is very appealing. Hell, give me all that tech haha.
My Pro 19s must have noticed my wandering eye, because they were absolutely on point this weekend. Buuuut I still want some 21s haha.
@JB I have a question on the Golf Pride Z Grip Soft grips. As regular user of the Golf Pride CP2 Wrap grips for their absorption and humid (tackiness) properties, how do they feel in comparison to the Z Grip Soft? Thanks for responding.
Not quite as soft as CP2, but definitely good with humidity.
Thanks for the quick response.
I know the "tech" is not in the Apex Pros in the short irons, so I’m wondering if the X Forged CB is more forgiving in the short irons?
The Pros.
Guys.
I’ll take a closer look at this in the Club Lab this week for you.
Yeah. its got me all twisted up and I haven’t even seen them in hand yet. ARGGGH.
I’ll say this, there is nothing visually that I could nitpick even if I wanted to.
Interesting thought here. I wouldn’t say there isn’t any ‘tech’ per se in the APex Pro lower irons. It just isn’t depending on the tungsten energy core to drive the performance. There is such a thing as the CG being to low. As you get lower in the clubs, launch doesn’t need any help because the static loft of the club will take care of it. Moving the CG up then will help on spin and distance consistency which is what you want with the scoring clubs. So I get what you are looking for, but lack of tungsten isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
These 2 seems to be the same category of club or maybe a half step, at most, different.
7.5 going on 5. The pros are just so sessy.
Stop it.
THANK YOU, I’d greatly appreciate it!
From the "tech" standpoint in the Pro’s regarding the short irons what I mean is there is no cup face and no tungsten…which means there are only the microspheres in there. That pretty much means all the hyped "tech" of the Pros is non existent in the short irons…hence my question. Since the X Forged CB’s DO have at least tungsten in the short irons then I’m thinking they might actually be more forgiving in the short irons. I understand that loft does most of the work in the short irons but there are still benefits to forgiveness and ease of launch with tech like tungsten in there.
Really what I’m looking for is this…I want to know which set of short irons between the CB’s and the Pro’s have the thicker soles, longer blade lengths, and potentially the most forgiving (relatively speaking for irons in this profile). I’m going to get one or the other in both 8 and 9 irons but I will also be bending them 2 degrees strong. So knowing which has the wider sole and potentially more bounce may be a deciding factor since I’m going to be bending some of that out.
Makes me want to fast forward life to PAR date but I’ve learned better from Adam Sandler.
I still remember my mother cautioning us, as children, "Don’t wish your life away. Tomorrow will be here soon enough."
I’m reading about these new irons from various mfgrs and thinking "Boy, I can’t wait to see what these might do for me." I have to keep reminding myself my game ain’t all that good, I’m hitting the irons I have well enough for my current abilities, I’m doing off-season work to improve my swing, and of my mother’s words
So, while all this is exciting and all: I won’t be ready to even consider making a move for at least another four months–and probably more like six or seven.
How do they stack up next to the Cobra King MiMs and the Mizuno’s this year. Lots to ponder… The pros look sharp, not sure I have the game to game them, but getting them in the 9i/wedges makes sense to me (I’m looking at you Triple combo)
Seven months?! By then they will be "old tech". Hehe?
Yeah, I know That’s ok. I’m good with "old tech," as long as it works for me
Smart man. Honestly, all of the newer equipment is so good, we’re talking margins here.
The triple combo set might be best option to have precision in scoring irons and forgiveness and height in long irons.
these are great.
Stand up to those bullies!
I am not moved by their shenanigans.
Dont let @Jman talk to you like that.. He is less scary now that he has hair..
Man all this dirty talk is killing me
Wow, these are a good looking trio! I am thinking just a regular combo tho!
It is a good problem to have. Hopefully you will be playing them in 2021!
They are definitely on the short list.
The short list:
2021 Apex Pros
that is all
It would be that easy if they didn’t make the X forged CB.
Or Mizuno didn’t exist.. some really good stuff out there. These pros look like they are the suit case that someone packed a weeks worth of tech for an overnight trip.
Or the best of both worlds with a XForged Pros combo.
I want to hear all about your comparison testing between the pros and the XForged.
I know we have very different games but those are the only 2 sets on my radar right now.
They have the juice! You have the sauce. That was a fun watch.
You’re killing me smalls!
Curious what the differences are…..?
I did surprising things with the IO.
Ugg….. You and @OldandStiff have me all messed up in the head with these IOs and Elevate shafts.