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Callaway Apex Irons Review Thread

SuperStroke
Pulled the trigger on a mint set of KBS Tour 90 shaft pulls - I could resist no longer after having KBS in my Apex 21* utility now. They arrive today, hopefully I'll be able to make it to the shop so they'll be ready to go tomorrow. Should be an interesting comparison to the PX Flighted 95. I think the 6.0 flex that I currently have was a tad too stout - I'm expecting the Tour 90 in stiff to play more like a 5.5 in PX terms...
 
Great review. Maybe someday I'll be good enough to play these types of irons.
 
PowerCobra98 said:
Great review. Maybe someday I'll be good enough to play these types of irons.
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Honestly, I think you'd be shocked. Have you hit them yet? I used to have the "game improvement" Mizuno JPX 825 (the non-pros) and the Apex was far more forgiving on dispersion/distance loss than the JPX was. I got the Apex when I was sitting at an 18-20 handicap and very quickly saw an increase in GIR average per round because of the distance/consistency this set has. I'd argue a high handicapper can handle these sticks. I'm proof of this.
 
ironcondor said:
Honestly, I think you'd be shocked. Have you hit them yet? I used to have the "game improvement" Mizuno JPX 825 (the non-pros) and the Apex was far more forgiving on dispersion/distance loss than the JPX was. I got the Apex when I was sitting at an 18-20 handicap and very quickly saw an increase in GIR average per round because of the distance/consistency this set has. I'd argue a high handicapper can handle these sticks. I'm proof of this.
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No, I haven't tried them yet. Specifically because I always feel stupid holding "players" irons since I'm anything but! Thanks for your comment though...makes me think that maybe I can!
 
PowerCobra98 said:
No, I haven't tried them yet. Specifically because I always feel stupid holding "players" irons since I'm anything but! Thanks for your comment though...makes me think that maybe I can!
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These are very forgiving irons. I would recommend giving them a shot.
 
Put my Apex in the bag, yesterday, wanting to play with some slightly wider soles in prep for #THPLegacy. The Apex are just solid clubs that offer a very good package for various skill levels. I got away with 3 swings that I know my Apex Pros would not have matched - each ending up on the green.
 
PowerCobra98 said:
No, I haven't tried them yet. Specifically because I always feel stupid holding "players" irons since I'm anything but! Thanks for your comment though...makes me think that maybe I can!
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Don't let the "forged" stamp on the hosel scare you - I am a few rounds in and about 6 range sessions in with my Apexs and they are very forgiving and feel great.

I was looking at the XRs as well as a few other irons before deciding on the Apexs and I am very glad I chose the Apexs - very forgiving and easy to get the ball up in the air.
 
Loved these irons but due to my swing changes over the last year, I ended up swopping them out. Quality iron although when you catch a flier they really do go many a time I've been out the back of a green after nailing one.

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Just curious, what did you swap to?
the boss said:
Loved these irons but due to my swing changes over the last year, I ended up swopping them out. Quality iron although when you catch a flier they really do go many a time I've been out the back of a green after nailing one.

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These are still some of the best irons available at any price, imo. Long forgiving and very easy on the eyes, whether you want pure distance or an iron you can shape a shot with. After nearly a year of play, i still haven't found anything that tempts me to replace them.

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Me too. Love my Apex's. I'm playing the best ball striking golf of my life and I'm sure these clubs have a lot to do with it!!
 
Paladin said:
These are still some of the best irons available at any price, imo. Long forgiving and very easy on the eyes, whether you want pure distance or an iron you can shape a shot with. After nearly a year of play, i still haven't found anything that tempts me to replace them.

Sent from my LGLS990 using Tapatalk
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BigE said:
Me too. Love my Apex's. I'm playing the best ball striking golf of my life and I'm sure these clubs have a lot to do with it!!
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x3....
 
I've decided to go back to my Apex. To have thought I could improve on an Apex fitting that was mind-boggling was a little silly. I hope to have them by the end of the week.
 
Ok - so I finally got the Apex shafts swapped to the mint KBS Tour 90 pulls from the bay. Previously, I had the PX Flighted 95.

With a few range sessions and a couple rounds under the belt now, I can safely say I'm glad I made this choice. Ahhh, the life of a tinkerer.

So, the flighted 95 already produced a high ball flight, which I prefer. The Tour 90 doesn't really change that - nor was I expecting it to. The trajectory is really kind of similar.

However - and this is where I was intrigued - the KBS shaft just feels so much better. I had the Tour V in my previous JPX 825 set and I wanted that similar feeling back. KBS stiff also not quite as stout as the PX "stiff". Granted, I had the PX in 6.0, which felt somewhat between an x-stiff and stiff for me. I feel like the Tour 90 Stiff is easier to load, definitely a bit lighter, and "communicates" better if that makes any sense. The feel on mishits is more pronounced. There's an extra bit of "sting" there compared to the PX, but nothing crazy and the difference is marginal. On the flip side, a pure strike still feels incredible. Much of this is attributable to the head I'm sure because these differences really are marginal, but I DO feel a difference between the two shafts in their ability to talk to the hands.

I didn't really notice a difference in dispersion. At my handicap, if I get the ball in the consistent general area I'm very pleased. I can't really say that the PX was x yards tighter than the KBS - really about the same.

Now all that's left to do is swap the grips out. The KBS shafts have the basic callaway stock grips and I'm not a fan - not tacky enough and I feel like I have to increase grip pressure, which I try avoid.
 
Had a great ball striking day with these yesterday. Just focused on tempo and alignment and it is just silly how easily these clubs get the ball going. I hit my 5i more than once and love how easy the long irons are to hit high....if you don't try to crush the ball you will be nicely rewarded.
 
the boss said:
Jpx 850 forged

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Can you elaborate on what you feel are the differences between the Apex and the JPX 850 F? (besides the shafts, obviously). What aspects of the Apex didn't perform or feel right for you?

I have been in a major funk the last 6 weeks (mostly due to nagging injuries) and I really love my Apex irons but I've gotta be honest and admit (and my stats are confirming) that I am never in the "pinseeker" mode (with an occasional kick-in birdie) and super confident like I was with the 825's I played last year (and even the 825 Forged I played for a while in 2013). I think the CTL S- I have on them may be a bit stout for me (at 47 y/o with wonky back) but I still get plenty of height with them and my instructor agreed they are fine for me launch/numbers wise but perhaps I may prefer a lighter more R+ shaft for the bad stiff days. I have an XR 6 iron with the very light Cally only KBS TourV-90 that I use instead of the Apex 6 iron and it's beastly long but it's created a huge gap between my Apex 7 and my XR 5 Hybrid (which the XR 6 iron gets dangerously close to distance wise).
 
Had some extra time today, so went and got on the launch monitor. Haven't been itching to change up the irons as I really like my X-Forged, but that may have changed today.

I hit the Apex Pro, Apex, and XR Pro against my current set (all Project X 6.0). The numbers were amazing. I didn't originally plan to hit the regular Apex, but it had the best avg numbers in the end: 14.5° launch angle (plenty high), 5800 spin rate, 136 mph ball speed. My 6 iron was 14°, 6500 spin, 132 mph.

The monitor estimated my stock 6 at about 5 yards longer (190) carry than I play in reality. I then picked up almost 15 yards with the Apex. Ridiculous. I was bombing 6 irons around 205-210 on the monitor. Even had an outlier at 218. Ridiculous, again.

I also was only losing about 5 yards on toe hits and slightly thin hits. Again, amazing.

I am now seriously pondering. Someone talk me out of it!
 
I hadn't played these irons in awhile but Mikeg had asked me to reshaft them for him. I put the Recoils into them last week and gamed them today.

Wow. Hit 7 of the first 9 GIR's and was just dialed in. Yardages were consistent and I was just throwing darts. Straight and mid/high ball flight that was just landing and stopping within 3 inches of the divots on punched greens. As far as misses I couldn't really tell for the most part where I was missing across the face whereas usually it's not an issue for me.

Will be keeping these in the bag for the foreseeable future (with Mike's blessing). Just a REALLY good fit for my game.
 
They are fantastic irons! I was surprised you didn't go this route in December...

I love my combo set but the 4-6 Apex are definitely a bit more forgiving than the pros.
 
jdtox said:
They are fantastic irons! I was surprised you didn't go this route in December...

I love my combo set but the 4-6 Apex are definitely a bit more forgiving than the pros.
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Wish I would've in hindsight. Was thinking max forgiveness and doubting my ball striking I guess. Lesson learned. All good, glad to have Callaway irons in the bag that I really really enjoy.

There's a reason these are holding their value so well.....they are that damn good. Price may drop finally when the new Callaway irons come out though!
 
I liked these irons and the pros...I kinda wish I would have grabbed these with recoils. Hopefully callaway releases a new version and if they do I may have to jump on them.
 
I made it 4 months with my Apex irons before switching back to my Diablo Forged set. I never could hit them consistenly. I would have a few good rounds and hit them OK and then a few bad rounds shanking them like crazy. My guess is the Recoil F3 regular flex shafts just don't fit me. I seem to be more of a uniflex shaft player for whatever reason. When I tried Ping's online fitting tool, it put me in stiff flex. I think I should have gotten the Apex with the Nippon shafts like the shafts in the DF. Who knows though. I really wanted to like them but it didn't work out.
 
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Got into a groove with these yesterday after a debauchery of a front-9 51 - shot 40 on the back.

I just focused on tempo and hitting the "ball first" and these just flat out performed - mid flight and piercing with the long irons, and high and spinny with the shorter ones. Even had to do 2 punch outs and previously I was always nervous they would "get up" too quick but these helped keep the ball down.

They have earned their keep for sure!
 
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