Callaway’s New Apex Pro Family

In the words of The Fast and Furious’s Dom Toretto, it’s all about family. And Callaway’s Apex family, or should we say the Apex Pro Series side of the family, is growing.

Following an industry-wide trend, every one of the new Callaway Apex iron sets has been designed to blend seamlessly with the other models in the range. Srixon and Titleist have both executed this brilliantly with recent releases so it makes sense for Callaway to follow suit.

Callaway has done two things with this new lineup that we’ve been particularly impressed with. Every iron, including the utility, uses the same MIM back weight. From a club-building perspective, this makes it much easier to build a matching set. More importantly, it gives the visuals of the set a consistency that makes mixed sets much more appealing. We can’t understand the mix of finishes some brands offer in sets that are intended to be blended.

All the irons feature the same Dynamic Sole design, albeit with slightly larger widths. A sharp pre-worn leading edge helps get the club into the ground while trailing-edge relief helps it get back out. The longer I play this game, the more important I realize how critical turf interaction is. While it doesn’t have a measurable number like MOI, having an iron sole that matches your delivery helps build a consistency of strike point.

Finally, the irons all feature a progressive center of gravity: in simple terms, higher-launching long irons progressing to lower-flighted short irons for more control.

That’s how the sets are the same. But how are they different?

Callaway Apex Pro

The Callaway Paradym irons are seriously hot. The forged 455 steel face packs a powerful punch. Callaway has brought that tech over to the new Apex Pro irons.

The Callaway Apex Pro 4- and 5-irons feature the same 455 steel cup face as the Paradym irons while the remainder of the set utilizes, for the first time, a forged 1025 steel cup face. Callaway built prototypes featuring 455 steel faces all the way down to the wedges but found they were too powerful for the target audience.

Making the switch at the 6-iron gave the set what they believe is the perfect transition point for launch, speed and spin. The irons are then filled with Callaway’s proprietary Urethane Microspheres to control sound and feel.

Callaway Apex CB

Callaway’s Apex TCB has proven to be incredibly popular on the PGA TOUR. The Apex CB has big boots to fill if it’s going to replace it and become the No. 1 model among Callaway’s Tour staff.

The new Callaway Apex CB is a relatively simple-looking design with a thinner topline than the TCB they replace. Produced using a five-step forging process, the irons are built around feel and consistency rather than forgiveness and power.

The biggest internal change is that weight has been removed from the heel with MIM weights placed towards the toe, to perfectly centralize the sweet spot.

Callaway Apex MB

The sister iron to the CB, the prototype Apex MB has been played on Tour by Maverick McNeally and the Højgaard twins on the DP World Tour,with Rasmus getting the iron’s first win at the Made in Denmark Championship.

Much like the CB, the new Callaway Apex MB is built for control. Again forged from 1025 steel, Callaway feels they have a more approachable shape and they will be tested by more players, especially in combo sets. 

Similarly to the Apex CB irons, the weight has been visibly moved toe-side on the muscle to centralize the sweet spot.

Callaway Apex UT

In arguably the biggest change, the Callaway Apex UT really blends well with the Apex irons. Featuring a very similar construction to the Apex Pro long irons, a 455 steel face ensures this is hot-faced while the Urethane Microspheres give it a soft feel at impact.

The biggest refinement has been to the rear of the club. At the behest of the Callaway Tour staff, the back edge sticks out far less than previous Callaway utility irons, remaining parallel to the top line for a much neater look.

Callaway Apex – Pricing and Availability

The new Apex Pro series of equipment is available for preorder from Aug. 18 and to buy on Sept. 9.

Suggested retail for the Apex Pro, CB, and MB irons is $215 per club with the True Temper Dynamic Gold Mid as the stock shaft in the Apex Pro. The others are custom orders only. 

The Apex UT is $275. The Mitsubishi MMT shafts is standard.

For those looking for a new solution at the top of the bag, Callaway has also announced the new Apex UW (Utility Wood). Full details can be found here.

For more information, visit callawaygolf.com.