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.
That’s awesome!
Haha What?? You love your T100S!
I do, but love never stops us, does it?
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It’s apparently going to take me a bit to find the pictures of the soles. These alone was like trying to find a footprint in the desert after 3 months.
The S would obviously look a little stronger. I’ve posted them in here or the T Series thread at some point though. Just haven’t found the right keyword to track it down.
Whew. Talk about compact heel to toe!
True. There is no exclude option in the search criteria.
Now the temperatures are dropping here in the UK, the TCBs are beginning to outperform the MBs more consistently.
When it was warmer they were comparable, but the combination of off-centre strike plus cooler temps result in the MBs losing more distance for me vs similar shots with the TCBs.
When hit flush they are the same, but I’ll take the extra little bit of forgiveness thanks.
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Long high bombs with that setup. MMT may be the first non-steel iron shaft where I was addicted from first swing. I want to try the 105s if I can get my hands on some.
Yea I’m in trouble now. One bucket with a seven iron and I’m hooked. Pretty sure the MMT 95S is what I need, but also just want to hit the 105S like you to make sure. I’ll stop at a store this weekend to see. Looks like I’m on the hunt for 5-AW CF21 with MMT 95S.
I probably won’t mess with it much this year, but may be worth a trip to CC or a similar fitter to see how they play before I get too far into next season.
CC near me didn’t even have those shafts to try. They only had the 80g. I cxld a fitting I had scheduled with them due to that.
Yeah I’m hoping there’ll be more selection next spring. Same experience for me my last fitting at CC.
Apex Pro 21 5-AW – Modus 130 Stiff
Pros:
1) They’re sexy. Bag appeal has never been higher, and the look at address is delightful.
2) The ball flight is more or less exactly what I like. Mid flight, easy to knock down, decent spin numbers paired with great speed.
3) The feel is awesome in the short irons. Long irons feel fast, but not dense.
Cons:
1) The satin finish is about as durable as 1-ply toilet paper after burrito night. It’s a tough scene.
I don’t recall off hand on the faces, but the back of the clubs wear VERY differently. The Pros show a ton compared. Surely adds to an overall perspective on their durability.
I have a set of CF16 and that finish is very durable. The new pros satin finish definitely shows more wear than those. Whatever finish they had on my XForged UT was also super durable that thing shows barely any wear.
I’m getting the forged CF21’s eventually if I can find a set with MMT 95S, not the Pros. My forged CF19s have held up great.
Maybe worth ordering a single club from CPO and reshafting? Or seeing if they have one in the shaft you’re interested there?
I’ve checked a few times. Never really any TCB on there. Saves about $10-20 for a used MB with the wrong shaft (lots of graphite) too. Doesn’t seem worth it if I’m going to redo it anyway.
Ah, makes sense – didn’t realize you were looking for a TCB. Yeah, the shaft setup is pretty grim out there these days. My shaft of choice is basically unavailable from any OEM.
I’m used to re-shafting, but the options really threw me. What the heck do you even do with a DG R300?
They still have MMT 105 TX, so I might go with one of those. At least I could probably sell it in an old wedge.
Good for tomato plantings, maybe.
Though amusingly I just checked, and the shaft I play is actually available from Callaway… Maybe the Apex 21s happen for me this year.
About a 1/4 swing with an AW and a 9i kept the ball under with a flat trajectory and had some serious check when it hit the green. So fun to be able to pull off shots like that.
I’ll take a moment to actually be serious here.
We’ve talked about them before, but there are trade offs with both when acutally on course. Look and feel obviously differ. TCB’s have that slight ting to them that gives a mildly techy vibe you definitely notice on course. I kind of theorized about it in this
back when I first got mine. It almost sounds like the face flexes into the weight cavity, or you hear the strike translate through that area uniquely. It’s not Apex Pro ish necessarily, but for as soft as they feel they don’t sound like most of my other favorite CBs, and definitely a little off ‘traditional’. The TCB’s have noticeably more offset too. I know the spec sheets say otherwise, but every single person with an even remotely discerning eye can see it. TCB’s actually have a fair bit, visually and actually imo, for what they are, and it affects flight for me. They turn over quicker than the blades for sure.
MB’s have thinner soles and despite feeling like they both have similar effective bounce and lead edge they interact pretty differently with the turf. Little boxier sole for the TCBs stays on top a little more and depending on turf/conditions can move the strike just a tad. On drier or firmer courses I notice it especially. TCB’s launch and fly higher for me as well and depending on what you want to do and where you play the flight difference can be noticeable, despite similar spin numbers for me. There are always differences in blade flight vs. CB.
TCBs are way more ‘forgiving’, and when I’m a little off (or hurting like now) a full set of TCB’s is a good friend to have. Conversely, when I’m going well, there are things I miss at times. You’re a blade guy so you get that. The MB’s are always trying to creep their way back into my bag for matches and tournaments and at one point not long ago i was playing the MB’s all the way through the 6i again. Pro 4, TCB 5, 6-A MB.
ALSO, unless I’m playing on the 7400y zoysia the MB AW will never be beat by any CB, even the TCB!!
I flirted with the XForged in fittings all season and liked them, including the feel. The TCB’s seem like they could be a lot of fun. I think your comments reminded me the MB’s deserve to stay. I’d miss them for what they are.
Little bit of off-season gearhead syndrome creeping in here. So many irons.
Love it! And they are fun. They’re my #1s for a reason. There’s been occasional deals on TCBs on the secondary lately too!
OH, there should always be excitement about them. In fact, I made you a little sound loop
to remind you of all the satisfying little rockets you’ll be shooting off with the TCBeauties! ?
Yes! Way back I said I hoped you selected the TCB’s. Can’t wait to see (and hear) you play them. The big problem, however, is that your clubs are backwards. ?
Do you happen to know the swingweights on your set? My demo 7 iron with the MMT 95S is like D4-5, wouldn’t mind the whole set there. Feels perfect. Guess I’m asking is my 7 iron like the whole set, or is this an outlier.
Hoping I can make mine sound like that
I’d have to check, but I thought these were a little head-heavy compared to what I’m used to. I just don’t remember the actual measurement. They are all consistently weighted though. If you call to order or call after your order, they’ll make sure you get the swing weight you want.
I love my Apex Pros for feel but those TCB’s sound and feel soooooooooooo good. Can’t wait to get them back in my hands. Winter Sim here I come!
We will definitley be comparing notes on the differences/feels/etc.