Especially since Misike has a set that's basically built for you lol
Callaway Apex CF 16 Irons Review Thread
Especially since Misike has a set that's basically built for you lol
mikedean441
6X HOF
Yeah my bad i got caught up being even through 4 before i took a triple to ask to hit them
I am so glad that I'm getting in the groove with these irons.
Last time out, I had a chance to play the 4i on three par 3s that were playing around 190 or so because of the wind and/or tee/pin setup. Of the 3, one really stands out to me because of how it felt, looked and ended up...about 12-15 feet pin high for a decent birdie look on a long par 3. Missed the birdie putt unfortunately, but still walked off the green smiling about my par.
I'm also happy to know that distances are getting dialed in. I wasn't sure about hitting my 8i 150ish a few rounds back, but now I know I am hitting it that long or a bit longer. Flushed an 8i out of a fairway bunker to an uphill 150ish pin, felt so damn good.
It's great when you start looking forward to playing just so you can see what the clubs will help you do next time.
Oh, and it really can't be said enough, the forgiveness of these is crazy good. My dad will say "great shot" and I'm like, "well, I missed on that one too but the forgiveness of these is hard to fathom." He couldn't resist hitting my 7i on the range the last time we played.
Last time out, I had a chance to play the 4i on three par 3s that were playing around 190 or so because of the wind and/or tee/pin setup. Of the 3, one really stands out to me because of how it felt, looked and ended up...about 12-15 feet pin high for a decent birdie look on a long par 3. Missed the birdie putt unfortunately, but still walked off the green smiling about my par.
I'm also happy to know that distances are getting dialed in. I wasn't sure about hitting my 8i 150ish a few rounds back, but now I know I am hitting it that long or a bit longer. Flushed an 8i out of a fairway bunker to an uphill 150ish pin, felt so damn good.
It's great when you start looking forward to playing just so you can see what the clubs will help you do next time.
Oh, and it really can't be said enough, the forgiveness of these is crazy good. My dad will say "great shot" and I'm like, "well, I missed on that one too but the forgiveness of these is hard to fathom." He couldn't resist hitting my 7i on the range the last time we played.
So i wanted to sit down and type out a review instead of just chiming in everytime i got out with these clubs. I will admit this first, it has been very difficult to remove bias with this set. I love this set more than any other set of clubs ive ever owned and it has nothing to do with the performance or my thoughts on the set based on just a pure equipment aspect. You can take it for what its worth, but these are my 100% honest feelings and thoughts. For the review, i will be using the letter grading method. Its always been my favorite when reading reviews and the easiest for me to be able to show real thoughts. So lets dive into it.
Looks - A+
The first time i saw this set it was last September at the Gauntlet and Johnny Rodriguez had them in his bag. I fell in love with the looks right away. I wasnt crazy about the looks of the original Apex irons. Not bad looking, but not something i looked at and loved. Not the case for the CF 16. They have some bulk to them yet they hide their size when at address. Still very much a GI iron in terms of technology, but not something that would shy better players away just based on looks. The satin finish is stunning and is holding up very well. I dont cover my irons with anything so there are some very small scratches on them, but nothing really noticeable. I think Callaway really nailed it in the looks department with the CF 16
Feel - B+
One of the great things about the CF 16 is you will know right away if you made solid contact or not. The feedback is very accurate and when flushed, they have some of the most amazing feel (especially in the top half of the set which has the Cup Face). I would compare the feel in the long irons to a set that rhymes with Shmeed Shlades. Before my CF 16, those were my favorite feeling irons in terms of the longer irons. The only thing that stopped me from giving the feel an A is they just arent the best feeling iron in their family. I think that title goes to the Apex Pro 16.
Forgiveness - A+
Easily the most forgiving iron ive gamed, especially low on the face. Minimal distance loss (i saw an average of about 5% distance loss), ball flight usually isnt too out of control and in the CF irons the miss towards the toe is just as forgiving. This was the perfect set for me as im not someone who is lucky enough to play golf year round. As much as i hate it, i still get rusty in the off season and the technology allows me to not be perfect and still get close to what im expecting in a normal swing. What amazes me is how Callaway was able to put together a Game Improvement iron with fairway wood technology and have it be forged and still look like a players iron that is this forgiving.
Distance - B+
What i look for in an iron in terms of distance isnt a total yardage thing. Its more of a distance consistency thing for me. What good does it do me to have a club i can hit 10 different yardages with the same swing. The CF 16 are still a long iron (I picked up about 7 yards compared to my previous irons) and dont need to be swung hard to get max distance out of them. Clean and solid contact will give you the ball flight and distance you are looking for. I have decent club head speed, but its when i get too quick that i make poor contact and dont get everything i can out of the shot. Simply put, swing smooth and trust the technology. It works!
Shot Making - B
While these are a lot less spinny for me compared to the Apex Pro, i can still move the ball in the air, but only when im really trying to. These may be the straightest irons ive ever hit. Some people who like to move the ball in all directions may not like that about the CF16 but hey thats not me and a straight ball flight is a breath of fresh air.
Cost - C
Personally I believe this set is worth every penny, but the CF16 are on the pricey side of things. Many times I have seen in this thread that people love what they read and love the clubs when they try them, but are pushed away by the price tag. Now i get that $1,000 is the new norm for new current release irons, but that doesnt make it any easier on the consumer. A price tag like this may push a potential buyer towards a place like eBay and they may purchase a cheaper option even though the CF16 may be better for their game. Its a rock and hard place scenario for OEMs in todays market. While Callaway has had success with the $1,000+ price tag, one cant imagine how their sales would be if the price was cut down by even just a couple hundred bucks.
Overall - A
All in all, I am very happy with this set of club. It honestly is the total package in what I am looking for in a set of irons. The 5i is fantastic and offers all the stopping power i need. I posted a picture in here a couple weeks ago about it, but i was able to have a shot from 205 yards with a 5i stop on a dime. The long irons are easy to hit as long as you are making a smooth pass at the ball and trusting the technology to do the work. I was worried about gaps towards the bottom of the bag but i didnt see any. In fact the AW is the most versatile club in the set for me. If this is a set you are considering, i strongly suggest trying them out and getting fit before purchasing. If properly fit, this could be the last set you buy for a loooooooong time. Theyre that good
Looks - A+
The first time i saw this set it was last September at the Gauntlet and Johnny Rodriguez had them in his bag. I fell in love with the looks right away. I wasnt crazy about the looks of the original Apex irons. Not bad looking, but not something i looked at and loved. Not the case for the CF 16. They have some bulk to them yet they hide their size when at address. Still very much a GI iron in terms of technology, but not something that would shy better players away just based on looks. The satin finish is stunning and is holding up very well. I dont cover my irons with anything so there are some very small scratches on them, but nothing really noticeable. I think Callaway really nailed it in the looks department with the CF 16
Feel - B+
One of the great things about the CF 16 is you will know right away if you made solid contact or not. The feedback is very accurate and when flushed, they have some of the most amazing feel (especially in the top half of the set which has the Cup Face). I would compare the feel in the long irons to a set that rhymes with Shmeed Shlades. Before my CF 16, those were my favorite feeling irons in terms of the longer irons. The only thing that stopped me from giving the feel an A is they just arent the best feeling iron in their family. I think that title goes to the Apex Pro 16.
Forgiveness - A+
Easily the most forgiving iron ive gamed, especially low on the face. Minimal distance loss (i saw an average of about 5% distance loss), ball flight usually isnt too out of control and in the CF irons the miss towards the toe is just as forgiving. This was the perfect set for me as im not someone who is lucky enough to play golf year round. As much as i hate it, i still get rusty in the off season and the technology allows me to not be perfect and still get close to what im expecting in a normal swing. What amazes me is how Callaway was able to put together a Game Improvement iron with fairway wood technology and have it be forged and still look like a players iron that is this forgiving.
Distance - B+
What i look for in an iron in terms of distance isnt a total yardage thing. Its more of a distance consistency thing for me. What good does it do me to have a club i can hit 10 different yardages with the same swing. The CF 16 are still a long iron (I picked up about 7 yards compared to my previous irons) and dont need to be swung hard to get max distance out of them. Clean and solid contact will give you the ball flight and distance you are looking for. I have decent club head speed, but its when i get too quick that i make poor contact and dont get everything i can out of the shot. Simply put, swing smooth and trust the technology. It works!
Shot Making - B
While these are a lot less spinny for me compared to the Apex Pro, i can still move the ball in the air, but only when im really trying to. These may be the straightest irons ive ever hit. Some people who like to move the ball in all directions may not like that about the CF16 but hey thats not me and a straight ball flight is a breath of fresh air.
Cost - C
Personally I believe this set is worth every penny, but the CF16 are on the pricey side of things. Many times I have seen in this thread that people love what they read and love the clubs when they try them, but are pushed away by the price tag. Now i get that $1,000 is the new norm for new current release irons, but that doesnt make it any easier on the consumer. A price tag like this may push a potential buyer towards a place like eBay and they may purchase a cheaper option even though the CF16 may be better for their game. Its a rock and hard place scenario for OEMs in todays market. While Callaway has had success with the $1,000+ price tag, one cant imagine how their sales would be if the price was cut down by even just a couple hundred bucks.
Overall - A
All in all, I am very happy with this set of club. It honestly is the total package in what I am looking for in a set of irons. The 5i is fantastic and offers all the stopping power i need. I posted a picture in here a couple weeks ago about it, but i was able to have a shot from 205 yards with a 5i stop on a dime. The long irons are easy to hit as long as you are making a smooth pass at the ball and trusting the technology to do the work. I was worried about gaps towards the bottom of the bag but i didnt see any. In fact the AW is the most versatile club in the set for me. If this is a set you are considering, i strongly suggest trying them out and getting fit before purchasing. If properly fit, this could be the last set you buy for a loooooooong time. Theyre that good
I agree with the thoughts Phil. I think if anyone takes the time to swing these irons will be happy they did. They aren't the longest on the market, but the technology packed into these is amazing.
Picked them up Head pro did them he had to leave early all asst could tell me is he needed to talk to me. Said 5 and 6 iron where basically same loft. He could find the sheet where he wrote the rest down but new that only 2 where correct. I'll know more in the morning. No big deal they'll bend them tomorrow for me.
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Nebgolfer
Active member
It looks fine to me. What were you expecting it to look like?
Also, I agree with most of what you said, but I haven't seen issues with distance yet. If anything, I'm getting closer to normal distance on mishits so that's an improvement for me.
cornerjunkie
New member
Interesting... Keep us posted. I may get mine checked out as well. Personally, I think this needs to be brought to any manufacturers attention that offers custom fit sets.
Nebgolfer
Active member
Looks fine in Android Tapatalk for me.This is tapatalk
This is actual from the web view
- Staff
- #2,037
Callaway Apex CF 16 Irons Review Thread
I had a extensive conversation with Callaway Customer Service about the issues with my custom order. I think the best way to improve their Quality Control is to call them and bring it to their attention. The more people that call, the more attention is brought to the issue.
Edit: Their CS was great, they sent me a couple dozen of the new Chrome Soft balls for my trouble (after offering to send me a whole new set).
Dax
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I had a extensive conversation with Callaway Customer Service about the issues with my custom order. I think the best way to improve their Quality Control is to call them and bring it to their attention. The more people that call, the more attention is brought to the issue.
Edit: Their CS was great, they sent me a couple dozen of the new Chrome Soft balls for my trouble (after offering to send me a whole new set).
Dax
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
And because they have a great customer service department, they appreciate having those conversations.
Nice review, Phil! I like the grading approach.
regarding checking lofts/lie, I had mine checked last week and was told they are all right. I was surprised based on all the comments but I was relieved.
regarding checking lofts/lie, I had mine checked last week and was told they are all right. I was surprised based on all the comments but I was relieved.
Yep, and I didn't order anything custom as far as loft and lie. Both where standard. I'll get all the numbers tomorrow.
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pingman33
Active member
First of all let me say that I am really happy with this set. Also...as far as having the lofts check, I will say that I had mine checked last week and they all were either spot on or off by 1/2 degree.
I do have one complaint. Although, I love the look of these irons, the finish is really looking beat really fast. The irons are really showing a lot of scratching from being in the bag. I also noticed they picked up a few scratches from the lie machine. As anyone else noticed this. I must admit, I am a bit anal about the looks of my clubs, they get washed after every round and I always try to keep them looking new.
Joe
I do have one complaint. Although, I love the look of these irons, the finish is really looking beat really fast. The irons are really showing a lot of scratching from being in the bag. I also noticed they picked up a few scratches from the lie machine. As anyone else noticed this. I must admit, I am a bit anal about the looks of my clubs, they get washed after every round and I always try to keep them looking new.
Joe
Guessing that this is just due to them being forged? I've noticed some wear on the faces already after just one round and one range session, but I'm a believer in clubs are meant to be gamed, so I expect them to get marked up. Haven't seen much else, but I expect more bag chatter on these than a non-forged set for sure.
One of these times we get out you'll hit them. You were striking the ball well that day with your other irons, would have been interesting to see how these compared.
Hi Joe,
When they bend them, make certain they use a cloth of some type to prevent bend marks/scratching.
Glad you are happy with the clubs! A few posts back in my review i touched on my thoughts on the finish and i have been really happy with it so far. I havent seen that much scratching from the bag chatter. My clubs were also bent 2* upright and the only way i can tell is by the paint fill in the "FORGED CF16" on the neck of the iron. My last irons that i had bent had big marks on them but they rubbed off after some time. Hopefully yours does too
Well here's the tale of the tape. He check everything even the hybrid and my MD3 56 was off a bit. One if the issues is XR16PRO driver. He checked that and it's at 8° but I had it set at 10. He just wrote 9 as that was on club, didn't notice i had it set at 10. Irons bent back to spec, and all is good. No real marks except for very faint ib hosel. No biggie. One of my playing partners had his AP2's checked they where similarly off. Results below.
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Last edited:
CAA_Beat
Active member
Got a round in this morning (my 4th with these) it may have been my best day of striking them of the four. I was especially pleased with a couple 5 irons (the longest I have) I hit very solid and got a bit more than 170 out of. Due to not having a 54 with me, I used the A wedge on several little pitches around the green, I was pleased with the versatility of it, even if it wasn't designed for a few of the shots I pulled off with it.
But Jman said a few pages back, the feeling from compressing these especially the long iron when yuo get that magical moment, is such an addictive feeling. That happened on two of the 5 irons, I mentioned, and one 7 iron as well, that really took off and had quite a bit of zip when it hit the green.
But Jman said a few pages back, the feeling from compressing these especially the long iron when yuo get that magical moment, is such an addictive feeling. That happened on two of the 5 irons, I mentioned, and one 7 iron as well, that really took off and had quite a bit of zip when it hit the green.
TLeishman34
Active member
I'm gonna have to get on the web view because I am very interested in reading your thoughts and all I see on tapa is forgiveness A+ and then the price paragraph
Hit the little dots in the top right and select web view
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BigTex
Well-known member
Feel like a kid on Christmas Eve pacing the floor waiting for Santa to arrive. Got a notice my sticks are supposed to be delivered between 10:30 and 1:15. And I have a 2:30 tee time!
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