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.
It was cooler than you could imagine! Being a regular guy being able to sit down and have the Callaway guys tell us about stuff before the public was pretty mind blowing! And we still have more info on different things to come at a later date!
This is one thing they stressed multiple times. Especially on thin shots like JB said. Their numbers were pretty unreal and while I didn’t take any numbers down specifically when they referenced thins, or low shots, they did show that strikes throughout the face are more consistent than they’ve ever been before.
Regarding that specific spot on their iron lineup, we saw a chart of their offerings and the DCBs were right on the line of GI moving up to SGI. It was above the standard Mav irons in regards to GI and just barely below the SGI spectrum for the B21s. So while it could be a decent replacement if you’re looking to upgrade from the Epic Forged seeing as you still will be getting a forged iron with a forgiveness profile. That isn’t the exact profile they were looking to replace with these though
DCB: 4,5 iron
Apex: 6-8
Apex Pro: 9-GW
Or something like that.
@Jman @JB Noticed on the web site that the AI technology only goes thru to the 7 iron on the Pro’s and 9 iron on the Apex and DCB. Wonder why?
I wasn’t buying anything this year till I saw these. Now I have an appointment on 2/6 for a fitting LOL!
I’m wondering if this has to due with the tungsten?
You just broke my mind hahahaha
lmao fortunately i was wrong. @vgolfman posted another pic earlier and you were right, only one 9-iron in the triple play.
Hahaha, so typo it was!
Fortunately, these lofts in the 2021 Apex/Pro combos are much more similar to my old Apex, and my current 54/58 MD5 combo should work just fine. But most importantly, a proper fitting will be key!
AW is the same as a GW.
It’s not necessarily that the Ai goes up to that point, it is more that the new cup face goes to that point. Beyond that there is still AI present, but it is a different face and different weighting/tungsten to maximize performance on the shorter irons
Also I was hoping AI would be used on these. Sounds like I need to put Apex on my list to try this year. Great review James!
Yes, I did notice when scrolling through options on Calllaway site, the dart was an option and or stock in the graphite for the apex. It’s funny there was a thread on these recently and now find them paired with the apex. Should be a really nice addition once we hear some reviews I’m assuming.
You just solved the greatest mystery since "Who shot JR?"
I know. Having DART as a stock option puts them at the top of the list for me for sure.
And here we go.. you can always change your mind.
One thing to note that I just got confirmation on, you won’t be able to change the breaking point between sets when it comes to the Triple Play and the Apex Mixed set. The tooling of the Apex Pros is different to allow for the proper gapping between irons and the sets themselves. So the break point stays the same but you can adjust the starting or the end point.
An example that I asked about was the mixed set. You don’t have to start at the Apex 3i, you could start at the 4i or the 5i but the break point has to stay at the 8i for the Apex Pro. So it would be the same for the Triple Play. In your example, you’d have to keep the 9i as an Apex and the Pros would be the PW and AW(GW)
I feel the Apex 21 would be closest to the standard Mavrik. I believe Mavrik is right in between them, but leans much closer to Apex than it does DCB. The Apex21 would be a slight step up, but that is where the combo sets come into play and why they are pushing them so much this year; extra help in the longer irons with the DCB, but then the standard Apex starting at the 6.
edit to add: while I don’t really want to get into a loft discussion, the 7 iron in the Apex 21 (30.5*) would more closely match the Mavrik 8 iron (31.5*) than it would the Mavrik 7 iron (27*). But a proper fitting would be the most beneficial to see what works best!
The search is never over for a true club ho
Either way, love how they stay with the Apex look – they obviously know what works.
A true club ho would buy the XXIOs and these!!
I hear you loud and clear… rowing the same boat. And I love my ’19 apex irons
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This made me LOL for real HAHAHA!!!
i agree. mav pro distance is nice. curious how much i would lose if i went pro.
the pro 21 look WAY smaller than kft. maybe @JB can post some comparison pics.
Definitely. To my eye the standard Apex are quite a bit smaller than KFT even.
I went from the Rogue Pros to the CF19s and the transition was pretty seamless. Ended up being about the same distance but the Apex felt considerably better. YMMV with the newer options of course, but would be surprised if it’s a huge jump either way.
Same here. I’m definitely intrigued by Apex Pro and I’m sure I could play them. But I don’t think I’m willing to give up much distance for improved feel or a profile I might like slightly better, especially since the distance on the Mav Pros has been really consistent for me.
Here ya go. Definitely smaller
View attachment 8987822
my mav pro are already 1* weak. loft to loft looks to be about 1.5* weaker in pro 21. and so often, in fittings i’m told i need more launch and more spin. so pro 21 may actually be a good idea for me.
One things the guys touched on with the Pros were with the changes they made with the hollow body construction and the positions of the tungsten, they were seeing higher launch, especially on thin strikes, while gaining distance. Obviously those comparisons weren’t made to the Mav Pros, but it sounds like it could be promising
if they do launch well, i might get away with 1* strong and get even closer to my mav pro loft. i might try to get some numbers on a monitor, and do a distance fitting to see what they recommend. if trade values hold somewhat steady and they do a bonus, i don’t think i can resist.
I really do not understand the Apex Pro or the TCB which feel like strange additions to this lineup. The TCB should be part of the X Forged family, and the new Apex pro deserves it’s own name given its completely different aesthetic and club design. The Apex Pro seems to be a direct response to the P770.
I also think all of these clubs would look much better if the Apex logo was 3/4 of the size. Way too big.
Are you trying to talk yourself into a pre-order?
Earlier in the thread, a member of the 2019 Grandaddy quoted/summarized that Callaway wouldn’t be making a hollow body iron just to make it. I’m sure the upgrades/work they’ve put in has warranted giving these irons the Apex name. Just because it’s hollow body, doesn’t mean it’s not a continuation of the previous Pro line. Regarding it being a direct response to P770s, it’s not like these clubs were just made up on the spot in the last couple months. These arguments are always entertaining