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.
from what I understand, this release is directly related to the success of the b21 line. People wanted forgiveness with premium feel.
In fairness, the specs do list two 9 irons
Saw that about the tooling just wasn’t sure what else they had planned there. That is so good.
Finishes look to be the same throughout this year, too!
View attachment 8987709
I need to get my hand on them to demo them. I’ve been curious if I could make a hollow body work since getting the XForged UT. That spins much better than the CF16 for me and have wondered what a full set of irons would be like.
If these are a touch longer and more forgiving than the XForged but dont give up consistency, spin or control the pros will likely be in the bag this coming season.
I think so. Callaway I think really being the last to the hollow body party needs to more than anyone get it right. I think they will..
will be an interesting comparison between these and the P770..
I really liked how the p770s looked. The performance was decent, the feel terrible..
I’d be jumping on these for sure. Maybe if Callaway has a 150% trade-in like they have done in the past.
Last in a sense in this profile. Certainly not last. Big Bertha was hollow body for years.
Some of us regular schmucks, too.
Ah gotcha… Didn’t click on the specs. That would be super weird to have two 9 irons.
someone else mentioned maybe they’re showing different options for what to do in the 9-iron slot. ultimately i think you’re correct that it’s not two 9-irons. at least, i hope it’s not two 9-irons. otherwise the triple play combo is 9 clubs, leaving only 5 spots left in the bag. that would make for quite an odd bag setup haha
The Apex 19 is smaller then the 790. My son has 790s and I have A19s and mine definitely look smaller. I would imagine the new Pro would be closer to the 770.
you are correct. I forgot about those. But yeah, the blade look hollow body that is all the rage these days.
Yeah, makes sense they’d show two to pick from, in the 9i spot, pick one from the Pro or the Apex standard; may cause some slight gapping differences that need to be bent to sort out gaps… but select the profile you’d like
It wasn’t lost on me. I have always liked the look of the Apex irons but my ball striking and swing speed never seemed to gel with them. So I would always gloss over new generations. The DCB now, these would be in the mix. I am curious though on their size…would you say they are similar in size to something like a T300 or Rad irons?
I posted a comparison above with the ZX5 irons. I can do the same with the RADSPEED soon.
DCB next to MiZuno Hot Metal Pro
View attachment 8987717
View attachment 8987718
Sounds good. I have yet to see a ZX5 in the wild so I have no reference to go off of yet with that one.
Would love to see the RAD comparison though.
Could you compare to the G425 too?
That is not nearly as large as I was expecting just reading the descriptions. I was expecting a shovel.
Thanks for these comparisons. It looks very similar to the Mizuno 921 Pros…. That’s a really good profile for them!
The TCB is a Europe only launch for now. Plenty of great Apex options for all to get fit into.
Don’t tell anyone I told you, but here you go…
View attachment 8987733
fantastic! thanks for jumping in. i hope all is well in your world. thinking i might need to do a distance fitting on these bad boys!
see above. @vgolfman put this to bed.
WOW
Thank you for the clarification.
I could see a set for slow swingers as 4-5 Apex Hybrids, 6-9 DCB Irons, PW – AW CF21
Thanks for the clarification @vgolfman! Hope all is well. Has to be a busy time of year on the fitting side of things.
I love seeing those charts because it ultimately teaches golfers that all that matters is being able to gap their clubs.
is tcb basically just xfcb but with apex lettering in the badging?
Its not exact.
View attachment 8987739
From what I am seeing online, two different irons with similar aesthetics. Based on @vgolfman comments earlier, the Euro market gets these first. I would imagine they have to land in N America at some point through fitters like TXG.
New Apex TCB Irons are a Tour-inspired multi-material 1025 forged cavity back design for lower handicap players with a package of lofts, bounce, blade lengths and COR preferred by the best players in the world. Featuring some familiar technologies inspired from Callaway’s hugely popular X Forged CB Irons (not available in Europe), Apex TCB offers accomplished golfers a slightly smaller profile and shorter blade length. Internal and external Metal Injection Molded tungsten weighting also promotes precise shot control and Apex’s signature soft feel.
very true! Easily one of the top looking hollow cavity back irons. Nice write up @Jman
This was one of my questions as I expected the hollow body to be in the standard Apex, not the pro. The Callaway guys explained that by utilizing the AI face and a combination of tungsten located at different locations in the heads with microspheres they have created a hollow body that retains the spin that better players require along with a soft, forged feel.
See above.. They feel like they’ve been able to accomplish something that others in the category could not.
The DCB has me intrigued as well!
I will conclude (for now) with this: I have a brand new set of irons that I’ve played 4 really solid rounds with and no intention of replacing yet they are likely to get replaced in the very near future with Apex irons.
pro 6-7
mb 8-pw
Or just pro 6-pw..
ugh..
I am in new release overdrive thinking right now.