Callaway Apex 19 and Apex Pro 19 Irons

[superwhite18]

Good feedback all. I woke up to 40 degrees and raining so mine will sit another day/s. Congrats to everyone getting their clubs. I hope I can hit these combos. Worried about the pros in the set....


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[Golfever]

I don't have the data to back this up, but I believe the increased distance is coming from greater ball speed. The stronger lofts are to compensate for the lower CoG which gets the ball up quicker and causes it to fly higher. Without those stronger lofts one would actually lose distance.

As for accuracy, I feel they are more accurate than my 16CFs and a guy I play most of my golf with for the last several years says it's like I am throwing darts at the flag. I describe it as more point and shoot with rifle like accuracy. I see very little side spin and amazingly consistent distances. I can't tell you how many times during a round after hitting a shot with these irons that I mumble to myself how much I love these clubs as I am putting my club back in the bag!

I'm going to agree with Phil here. They have bee pretty much point and shoot. Peak height's have been higher than the 16's. But the one day I played in a +1 wind it still appeared to stay on line. I'm going to have be more cognizant on how I'm aiming when I am setting up to the ball.

Now I've only have had 2 rounds and 2 range sessions with them. But I can tell from my own personal experiences. These are better for me than the CF16's. And the feel off the face is better and kind of addicting.

 

[HarryPotter]

I think I can guess the answer to this question, but I'll ask anyway: Is anyone who switched from CF16's to the 19's NOT happy?

I really like my gamers and have no 'need' to change. But the allure of the 19's is strong. I know they'll be longer, if for no other reason than the lofts are stronger. What about dispersion? Are you guys honestly noticing any sort of difference with that -- good or bad? Feel is subjective, but does pretty much everyone think they feel better/softer?

Anybody think accuracy is worse, thanks to the stronger lofts?

I find them to be longer, straighter, easier to hit, and this is not subjective, they feel MUCH softer. Definitely give them a try.


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[Alez367]

Finished 18 this morning and my perspective on the pros has changed a complete 180*. I was worried about forgiveness and turf interaction and i was pleasantly surprised to find that neither were lacking on bad swings. Just such a great morning to get reps in on course with these. I’ll be changing up my set shortly for a different break up but no doubt about it, pros are staying the choice between apex and apex pros.


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[chpar4]

Callaway Apex 19 and Apex Pro 19 Irons

did your order from callaway reflect this loft adjustment request? my order lists everything, including my lie angle and swingweight requests.

i guess i'll definitely be getting mine checked when they come on monday. my understanding is their customer service is great about fixing these issues, but it would be nice if qc was a bit better on the front end.

Get them checked! Even standard lifts. Last set I bought, lifts and lie angles where off. My club did it for me but my 5 and 6 iron were only 1 degree apart on loft. That was my CF16 set. I get everything from anybody checked nowadays! Side note my set went from back ordered to being processed on Thursday. Hoping for a shipping notice tomorrow!!


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[djt311]

Got to hit both of these today definitely hit the regular apex better than the pro and loved the feel but many my spin for the 6 and 7 irons were low tried a few different shaft but spin only changed slightly. Really loved the looks of these irons and distance was great but not sure if with the spin i was getting i would be able to hold greens. Did not hit anything higher than the 7 though. Hit the 919 forged along with these and while distance was less spin was up significantly.

 

[McLovin]

Got to hit both of these today definitely hit the regular apex better than the pro and loved the feel but many my spin for the 6 and 7 irons were low tried a few different shaft but spin only changed slightly. Really loved the looks of these irons and distance was great but not sure if with the spin i was getting i would be able to hold greens. Did not hit anything higher than the 7 though. Hit the 919 forged along with these and while distance was less spin was up significantly.

919f spun more for me as well, but i didn’t care for the feel at all. apex was the clear winner. as much as i love the look of the pro, i’m 0 for 2 in testing those. standard forged should be in my hands tomorrow!


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[HarryPotter]

I can’t recall - is face cup in the pro down to 8iron as well?


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[tpluff]

I can’t recall - is face cup in the pro down to 8iron as well?


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Should be. Maybe 7 iron.

 

[Phil75070]

Got to hit both of these today definitely hit the regular apex better than the pro and loved the feel but many my spin for the 6 and 7 irons were low tried a few different shaft but spin only changed slightly. Really loved the looks of these irons and distance was great but not sure if with the spin i was getting i would be able to hold greens. Did not hit anything higher than the 7 though. Hit the 919 forged along with these and while distance was less spin was up significantly.

I’ve had no issues holding greens even using a lower spin ball, the ERC.


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[djt311]

I’ve had no issues holding greens even using a lower spin ball, the ERC.


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What are you spin numbers say for your 6 or 7 iron just curious. For the 6 iron I was barely getting to 4k and usually lower, and 7 mid 4k.

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[shanewu]

I can’t recall - is face cup in the pro down to 8iron as well?


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I think it's 7i for Pros.

 

[JDax]

Callaway Apex 19 and Apex Pro 19 Irons

How is front-to-back dispersion with these? Any “hot spots” off the face like CF16? I’m tired of losing 10 yards on a slight mishit, but i don’t want distance jumps.


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I never saw the distance loss that you describe with the slight miss hits w/ the CF16s, I did however, experience the “Hot Shot” with the CF16s. According to a Callaway Talks segment, they addressed the “Hot Shot” with these irons.

https://youtu.be/H0n4jtzyim4


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[Alez367]

What are you spin numbers say for your 6 or 7 iron just curious. For the 6 iron I was barely getting to 4k and usually lower, and 7 mid 4k.

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Do you not hit down through the ball or is your swing more geared towards picking the ball instead of pinching?


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[ArmyGolf]

What are you spin numbers say for your 6 or 7 iron just curious. For the 6 iron I was barely getting to 4k and usually lower, and 7 mid 4k.

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My last set of numbers has me spinning the Apex Pro 7i in the mid 4ks. It works, but I'm certainly flirting with the outer limits of that.

 

[sf_loft]

Went for a PXG fitting and walked out with CF 19's

Went for a PXG fitting and walked out with CF 19's

This past Friday I went to Club Champion to get fitted for PXGs and ended up with the Apex Forged CF 19 4-PW,GW

They no longer have the PXG Gen 1's available to test, but I did try both the 0311T and 0311P gen 2, hoping to order its similar gen1 version online because they are heavily discounted and are actually cheaper than the Apex irons. So the fitting started with my current gamers, 10 month old Titleist AP3 that I bought off the shelf. They are good irons, but I've not enjoyed them as much as my previous Mizunos in terms of sound and feel. They are forgiving, but I found it hard to be consistent from shot to shot.

Fitting Experience

1. Stretching and warm up
2. Using Trackman - hit 5 shots with my current gamer 6-iron (Titleist AP3 - TT AMT Black S-flex)
3. Titlest AP3
   
4. Fitter tells me that he would like to see my smash factor (ball speed / club head speed) above 1.4+ Tour pros are hitting them 1.45 to 1.46 maximizing distance gained from their club speed. So I tried a few more swings, swinging out of my shoes and still I was not able to get anywhere close to 1.4.
5. New head: my heart was fixed on PXG and based on looks and forgiveness, I chose the 0311P gen 2. Hit about 5-6 shots using the Nippon Modus 120 S-flex
   1. Head looks really nice at address. Thin top line and the length of the clubhead looked very forgiving. I love the blade-like look.
   2. Feel is buttery smooth, just like a muscle back / bladed forged irons.
   3. I was getting much better smash factor and ball speed - 1.36 to 1.38
   4. I was told that the Modus 120 is too stout for me and I'm not effectively loading.
   5. Switched to KBS Tour V 90 S-flex, felt a little better but still not getting much better. Carry distance increased by 10-15yds vs my gamer, just based on the head itself.
   6. He then told me to try a set of Steel-fiber shafts 110 and instantly my number were getting more desirable. I was then asked if I wanted to stay within the custom stock shaft offering and if I had issues playing graphite. I said I've never played graphite on my irons before and felt I'm young and strong enough to play steel, but at the same time I wanted a club that works best for me.
   7. He then put on a set of Paderson Kinetixx IMRT KG80 S-flex (86g) - graphite kevlar shaft. The club came alive instantly. The shaft felt stout and not light and made the clubhead feel lighter, allowing me to swing faster. I asked how much they were and he said $90/club which includes installation.
   8. I doubted it had anything to do with the shaft because I was never a shaftoid. As long as it feels nice, I can usually play it and have watched many Mark Crossfield videos debunking the effects of shafts. I figured that I was more warmed up and decided to switch back to steel shafts and looked at lighter ones that would make it easier for me to "load". Nope, numbers came back down.:confused2:
   9. Switched back to the Paderson and it was ideal again (20yd gain in carry distance, getting 1.4 smash factor, good height and land angle, spin was low but I had a two hits low on the face). So now the calculator in my head started crunching the numbers - PXG Gen 2 + $90/shaft x 8 clubs + Grips x 8 + Tax
      
6. New head: Apex Forged CF 19 - At this point my heart sank at the potential cost of the PXG's and I tried a bunch of other head options (P790-crap feel and didn't feel soft to me; Miura for giggles; Srixon for value-although forge, it feels hard at impact, but nothing felt as good or gave me the numbers the PXG did.
   1. Has a medium top line, thicker than the 0311P, but still gamble in my eyes. More compact head, not as long, which scared me a little.
   2. Feel is soft, not as soft as a Mizuno mp or Titleist AP2, but you can tell it's forged.
   3. I went through the line of stock shaft offerings, repeated the combinations I did with the PXG and the #s were identical. Went back to the ridiculously priced Paderson shaft and said crap, why are you doing this to me again.
      
   4. I averaged 1.41 smash factor, carried 181.6 (20yd increase from my current gamer), negative attack angle, 5k spin (I had two low off the face hits that skewed the average), 106 peak height, 48.2 land angle.
   5. I really liked the PXG better in terms of looks at address and feel, but the numbers were slightly better with the Apex, not to mention the total price.
   6. Either way, I'm sold on the Paderson shaft combo, but neither PXG nor Callaway offer them as premium custom stock options. So there is no way for me to order online or through discount dans (tax and shipping free and discounted price) and I'm stuck going through Club Champion to construct the clubs for me.
   7. So you would think now that price was the final deciding factor, but what SOLD it for me was the dispersion. AP3 in Purple, PXG in Red, and Apex in Blue. In addition, my Apex club speed was 2mph slower than the PXG's, yet my ball speed was 1mph higher. Apex 360 cupface tech apparently works.
      

Summary: In summary, I recommend that you get properly fitted to your swing characteristics. I have been told by friends who game CF16s to switch to Callaway and I have always been a non-believer. I stick to my Mizuno/Titleist always, but after this fitting session, I am now a believer in their tech. Towards the end of the fitting session, after lie angle and grip size measured and grips selected, I kept trying various head combinations with the Paderson shaft. I tried a bunch until my fingers bled and became tired. Shots were going all over the place out of fatigue and the fitter put the Apex head back on. Instantly I was able to make decent shots, yes they were mishits, but I was able to maintain better ball speed and forgiveness across the face of the Apex. Amazing, simply amazing! I gave him my credit card and told him to build me this combo ASAP.

Trajectory:
PXG 0311P gen 2 vs. Apex Forge CF19 - very similar ball flight with the Apex peaking slightly higher and stopping faster.


My best hit with the Apex.





Before anyone starts analyzing my swing and ask why my head turns with my shoulders, well I have a true handicap. I was in a car accident in 2006 and my C3,C4,C5 cervical spine (neck) is fused. I've lost a lot of clubhead speed and struggle with a sore upper back after a round of golf due to the lack of flexibility. What these Apex irons are able to do is simply amazing.


[Edit]

Forgot to show pictures of the final build. Estimate on delivery, no more than 10 business day to build the club and Club Champion scheduled a 1 hour session to go through the entire set to give me yardage and gapping data on Trackman to take home. They will also check the lie angle once again to see if any require adjustment.

Configuration
Iron set: 4-PW,GW Apex Forged CF 19
Shaft: Paderson Ballistic 80 IR KG80-IRT30 (S-Flex equiv)

Grips: Golf Pride MCC+4 in Green

 

[Jimmy3864]

Nice review, glad everything worked out, setup looks awesome.

 

[Phil75070]

What are you spin numbers say for your 6 or 7 iron just curious. For the 6 iron I was barely getting to 4k and usually lower, and 7 mid 4k.

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No idea. I have no access to anything to display those numbers.


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[mpeterson]

What are you spin numbers say for your 6 or 7 iron just curious. For the 6 iron I was barely getting to 4k and usually lower, and 7 mid 4k.

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I was about 6500 during my fitting with the 7i, on grass, with the Chrome Soft X. And I wouldn't consider myself a high spin player.

 

[djt311]

Do you not hit down through the ball or is your swing more geared towards picking the ball instead of pinching?


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I would say I am definitely more of a picker, have been working on it but seems I like to fat it a lot when trying to hit down on the ball

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[djt311]

I was about 6500 during my fitting with the 7i, on grass, with the Chrome Soft X. And I wouldn't consider myself a high spin player.

Wish I could get even close to that number was struggling to get in the 4k sometimes

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[djt311]

My last set of numbers has me spinning the Apex Pro 7i in the mid 4ks. It works, but I'm certainly flirting with the outer limits of that.

Yea, I was struggling to reach that a lot of swings.

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[mikeg_74]

I spent some time with these yesterday and I'm at a bit of a crossroads here with what shafts to play in the Apex Smoke combo set i am going to order.

The Elevate 95 feels good throughout the swing and is producing some good numbers, (I am looking at carry, launch, spin and descent), but the descent angle has me wondering if some ballooning is taking place. it's hard to tell on the launch monitors and not being outside to see the ball flight, but with the launch being around 20* that seems high. I pause because I was still getting carry in the mid 160's, spin around 5800 and descent between 46-49. On the other side the Catalyst 80's were giving me launch in the 17-18 degree range, similar carry, spin was a touch lower, and descent was 43-44.

My big hang up is I liked the feel of the Elevate's better than the Catalyst, but feel like those numbers (especially launch) seem high and could be detrimental.

 

[McLovin]

I spent some time with these yesterday and I'm at a bit of a crossroads here with what shafts to play in the Apex Smoke combo set i am going to order.

The Elevate 95 feels good throughout the swing and is producing some good numbers, (I am looking at carry, launch, spin and descent), but the descent angle has me wondering if some ballooning is taking place. it's hard to tell on the launch monitors and not being outside to see the ball flight, but with the launch being around 20* that seems high. I pause because I was still getting carry in the mid 160's, spin around 5800 and descent between 46-49. On the other side the Catalyst 80's were giving me launch in the 17-18 degree range, similar carry, spin was a touch lower, and descent was 43-44.

My big hang up is I liked the feel of the Elevate's better than the Catalyst, but feel like those numbers (especially launch) seem high and could be detrimental.

if carry is similar, and descent is better, wouldn't the elevates be the obvious choice?

 

[JB]

I spent some time with these yesterday and I'm at a bit of a crossroads here with what shafts to play in the Apex Smoke combo set i am going to order.

The Elevate 95 feels good throughout the swing and is producing some good numbers, (I am looking at carry, launch, spin and descent), but the descent angle has me wondering if some ballooning is taking place. it's hard to tell on the launch monitors and not being outside to see the ball flight, but with the launch being around 20* that seems high. I pause because I was still getting carry in the mid 160's, spin around 5800 and descent between 46-49. On the other side the Catalyst 80's were giving me launch in the 17-18 degree range, similar carry, spin was a touch lower, and descent was 43-44.

My big hang up is I liked the feel of the Elevate's better than the Catalyst, but feel like those numbers (especially launch) seem high and could be detrimental.

Mike based on that, I would think that its ballooning a bit, but more from a flip during the swing. Sadly a shaft wont change that much, trust me I know this one haha.