It seems like a lifetime ago that we were testing out Callaway's Mavrik range early last year, and it seems as if so much has changed in the meantime.
One thing that has stayed the same, thankfully, is that the new year brings brand new Callaway irons for us to sink our teeth into before the season gets underway in the Spring.
Towards the back-end of 2020, Callaway wowed us with the release of the stunning new Apex MB Irons, featuring an eye-catching new bolt in the back of the clubhead which is said to provide precise CG placement on every single iron.
For 2021, they have announced a whole new line of Apex irons, with three more models (and one more on the way) seeking to provide premium looks coupled with more distance and forgiveness.
Callaway Apex Irons
The Apex irons have been around for a good few years now and are one of the most popular and best performing irons on the market, from elite golfers all the way down to mid handicappers. Callaway claim that the Apex marked the creation of the 'forged distance' iron category and this latest iteration seeks to take things another step further.
The Apex Iron becomes the first forged iron to benefit from Callaway's AI-generated Flash Face Cup, which provides a unique face architecture for each iron in the set to optimise ball speeds and increase 'spin robustness'. So if you want plenty of distance whilst retaining consistency, these could be for you...
Another first is the addition of the Tungsten Energy Core to the Apex irons, which has previously been seen in the Mavrik iron range. This provides five times as much tungsten as in the Apex 19 and allows the Centre of Gravity to be positioned precisely in the clubhead, helping to encourage easy launch as well as better forgiveness across the face.
The irons are fully forged from 1025 mild carbon steel, and they also include urethane microspheres in the back of the head which work to dampen vibration and deliver a better sound and feel with every strike. The head shape has also been refined slightly in order to provide better turf interaction for more consistent results regardless of the lie.
The Callaway Apex Irons are available from 11th February from 3-GW, and they are priced at £1099 (7 irons) with steel shafts and £1399 with graphite shafts.
Callaway Apex Pro Irons
Whereas the Callaway Apex Irons are usable for golfers of pretty much any level from mid-handicapper to Tour player, the Apex Pros are slightly sleeker in their profile and so they are principally geared towards the better player who wants the look and feel of a blade, with just a little more forgiveness to fall back on.
Like the Apex Irons, Callaway has added an AI designed Flash Face Cup to the Apex Pro for the first time. This allows for a unique design to every single iron face in order to maximise ball speed and spin consistency for every iron in the set.
Callaway are boldly that the Apex Pro irons are designed to give you 'the distance you want to see, and better control than you've ever had before'.
The new forged 1025 hollow body construction combines with the patented urethane microspheres to provide a better sound and feel that is befitting of a 'better player's' iron.
Finally, the Tungsten Energy Core has been added into the Apex Pro with up to 90g of tungsten in each iron, which should make these easier to launch than a typical 'blade' iron and give a boost to forgiveness levels too.
The Callaway Apex Pro Irons are available from 11th February from 3-GW, and they are priced at £1099 (7 irons) with steel shafts and £1399 with graphite shafts.
Callaway Apex DCB Irons
New for Callaway's 2021 Apex iron lineup is the Apex DCB, which stands for Deep Cavity Back and is aimed at widening the net of the Apex range by providing the look and feel of a forged iron, but with the added forgiveness of a traditional cavity back design.
The DCB is said to be the most forgiving Apex iron that Callaway has made, thanks to a large cavity and thicker sole width which seek to equip golfers with easier launch and better turf interaction from a variety of lies. The idea is that the DCB will allow any golfers to enjoy the benefits of a forged iron without having to compromise on overall performance compared to their existing set.
As with the other Apex irons in the range, the Apex DCB features an AI designed Flash Face Cup to improve ball speeds and spin rates.
Consistent launch and increased forgiveness come via the Tungsten Energy Core, which sees up to 50g of tungsten weight added to the back of each iron head in order to position the CG in the best place to get the ball up in the air easily and perform better on off-centre strikes.
The forged 1025 mild carbon steel body and urethane microspheres deliver exceptional sound and feel at impact, whilst Callaway has improved the head shaping to help enhance feel through the turf.
The Callaway Apex Pro Irons are available from 11th February from 4-GW, and they are priced at £1099 (7 irons) with steel shafts and £1399 with graphite shafts.
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