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.
They initial finish on Forged Tecs was really delicate, too.
I feel like the satin finish that’s on a lot of them just seems to show more/more dramatically at the start. And out on the toe it can happen to just about any iron. Unless you’re playing KING Tour. I’m convinced those will survive just about anything.
I had a range ball caught off the toe of my AW while warming up for a tournament on my Pro 21s and it was gut wrenching when I saw the mark. Every time I grab the club now, it stares me in the face. I have come to terms now though, that as pretty as these things are, they are going to get beat up and nothing I can do about it.
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The finish on my Apex 19s look better than the finish on my Pro 21s and my 19s are over 2 years old and had just over 2 seasons on them. I’ve only had my Pros a few months. Oh well I guess. The faster they wear out, the sooner I buy new ones. Just sucks to pay that much for something and the finish start to wear that fast. I’m not trying to bash them in any way, but that is the weak point in this year’s pros to me. The performance is just phenomenal though, and I guess that’s the part that matters.
The wear I’ll live with. I think these will be in the bag a long time the performance of these irons are so good.
Having got myself down to a 5 handicap I was worried I had ordered the wrong set and should have gone with the pro version but having the standard in hand I am more than happy.
I have come from a set of Rogues so they are significantly smaller and with less offset. In fitting the standard were shorter in carry than the Rogues and then the pros were a lot shorter again so hopefully these are a nice middle ground and hopefully help me drop to my target of 4 handicap this year.
Love to hear your experience with them! I am a 6 happy also coming from Rogues. I was striking the Rogues well but struggled with distance control and precision into greens. I went with the Pros and love them. I am about 8 yards shorter carry in short irons (although I can flight them down) but only about 5 yards shorter with the mid and long irons and much more controlled.
bag complete for the foreseeable future now.
Man the apex look so much nicer and smaller then my rogue irons which have served me well.
I wonder if the Apex 21’s are like this too? I play the Apex 19’s and saw a guy on course who had the new ones and I just noticed they seemed a brighter satin than mine.
I was hitting the rogue irons so well. The two problems I had was every now and again getting the ‘hot’ shot which flew miles further and my flight being very one dimensional.
I am hoping the Apex will be more controlled distance wise (they were in fitting) and allow me to alter the flight more.
I really wanted to get the full set of ‘pro’s’ but I was just way down on distance so felt the standard a nice medium. Coming from a game improvement iron to a players distance there is a noticeable difference in size, top line and offset whilst still protecting most of my carry distance.
Rogue 7 iron on the left compared to the Apex 7 on the right. Huge difference in looks for me.
Not sure. That would be a question for those that have the standard apexes from this year.
Not feeling the best. Need some inspiration for the morning, so going to switch it up a bit with a fun Apex combo. Fun in theory at least. Should have the whole range of feels!!
Last hole tonight 173 from the first cut a 7 iron nice high flight to get over the trees put me close enough for an eagle putt that I couldn’t miss it.
Can’t wait to see your score with this combo!
Yeah, we’ll see. I’m not sure I’ve ever even taken the blades to this course. I feel like I have, but can’t place it. It’s fluffy. Can’t really pinch the same. I don’t even use a tee on the par 3’s. Even the ones over 200. So it could be interesting.
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The Apex heads came off Elevate 95 shafts, so we will move those out and most likely the A wedge (she is 4-P and has a Jaws gap wedge). Here are the shafts:
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managed a solid +10 (5 hcap)
Struck the irons well. Just need some time to work on distances.
Best round of golf for a long time. Managed a +1 gross of 73. Iron play was very strong.
Gives you the ball speeds from the tech across all the clubs and some good forgiveness. Didn’t think of the bounce, but you’re right. Bending it weak might affect the bounce and sole. I love the turf interaction on the Pros. My guess is the Wunder Apex would not work for my swing.
Thank you!
Yes to both!
2 six irons here, first was struck thin came in low and rolled on up. Wasn’t happy with the first so hit another ball. Second was well struck. Exact same results from both.
?
Good to hear ?
I’m having Apex overload..
All kinds of goodness. From help all the way to exact control.
12 in one round?!
Yes. Only made 1 but yes I’m 1 round. Haha
Haha well they will start dropping soon if you keep giving yourself 12 tries a round! Well done!
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