Callaway’s New Apex Iron Goes Pro

Written By: Tony Covey

I’ve had a giant bug up my backside since Callaway announced their Apex irons. Frankly, I’m disappointed. Like a good number of you I remember the Hogan Apex iron; a classic blade…perhaps the pinnacle (or Apex if you will) of traditional golf club design.

In 2003 Callaway acquired the Ben Hogan brand, and much to the dismay of many of you (and me), they spent the better part of the last decade killing any hope for resurrection.

Sonsofbitches.

Coincidentally, just a few days before the announcement of the new Apex, I was telling a group of industry friends what Callaway should do with the Hogan brand. The perfect scenario (in my brilliant mind anyway) was simple. Bring back the Apex…a true blade. Make it limited edition, but make it true to the original design.

They’d sell out. It’s brilliant. I’m brilliant.

And then…Boom!

The Apex monstrosity iron was announced.

Now in fairness, for what it is (a modern, high tech, multi-material iron that hovers on the edge of the game-improvement category), the new Apex actually looks pretty good. It’s not actually a monstrosity.

What Apex is (standard model) is a premium offering, chock full of the latest and greatest in Callaway technology, and it’s absolutely priced that way ($1099/$1299).

Tungsten ain’t cheap.

It’s not limited edition, it’s probably not going to sell out, and it’s most definitely not a blade. I’m trying hard to get over it, but it’s a struggle.

With the announcement of the Apex Pro, I’m getting closer.

Apex Pro is the Same . . . but Different

As with most any “Pro” version, the newest member of the newest Callaway iron family has a lot in common with Apex regular. It’s forged for 1020 Carbon steel. It’s got Tungsten sole inserts (2 iron – 5 iron) for higher launch and forgiveness, and it features Callaway’s new wide grooves for higher launch and lower spin out of the rough.

As a too much spin kinda guy, the idea of using grooves to take off spin at a time when most groove-related discussion is about adding it, well…color me intrigued.

While Apex Pro offers a cleaner look, it too is not a blade. Dammit.

Perhaps the most noteworthy point of divergence is in the construction. While regular Apex features multi-material construction (1020 body with 455 Carpenter steel face) the Pro model (if you don’t count the Tungsten weights and vibration dampening polymer insert) is a single-piece 1020 forging.

As you might expect, the Pro version is more compact, has less offset, and offers a flatter trajectory in the short irons.

Worth mentioning, I suppose, while not a distance iron in the most modern sense, the face on Apex Pro is 17% thinner than X Forged, which should promote more raw yardage without having to resort to loft jacking and shaft lengthening.

For you shaft junkies out there, the Apex Pro is the first iron we’ve seen to feature KBS’s new Tour-V shafts (mid launch, low spin, low torque) which were previously known in some circles as the Mickelson Prototypes.

Specifications

Shaft: KBS Tour-V / UST Recoil Graphite (custom)

If you’re looking to compare the Apex Pro to something…at first glance it doesn’t appear too far removed from a PING S55, or something in the Mizuno MP-5x series. It’s not quite X Forged on the player’s end, but it’s most certainly more player-centric than XHot Pro.

Will the Iron Flood Gates Open Again?

We expect X Forged to remain in the lineup, while Apex pro looks to be the most better-player-friendly design Callaway will release during the first half of 2014.

It’s going to be very interesting to see how the full Callaway iron lineup shakes out in 2014. Prior to this year, Callaway’s recent history was basically flooded with irons that offered very little distinction between models. For 2014 we’re hearing there could be upwards of 8 different iron SKUs, so the potential exists for Callaway to reintroduce confusion into their iron lineup.

While my gut tells me Callaway is going to lose a lot of guys out of the gate on price alone, it should be slightly comforting to know you’ll have options. It’s the degree of differentiation that remains in question.

More to Come

Unfortunately Callaway wasn’t able to provide samples prior to publication so we don’t have any hands-on experience with the new model, so for now all we’ve got it what Callaway tells us.

On paper Apex Pro reads like an intriguing offering; especially so for guys like me. I’m talking about guys who could use some game-improvement, but generally can’t stomach the package it usually comes in.

It’s a reasonable assumption that we’ll be testing the Apex Pro out at some point in the not so distant future.

Pricing and Availability

Retail price for the Callaway Apex Pro iron is $1099 Steel, and $1299 Graphite (ouch…clearly this is a premium offering). Look for them on store shelves in January.