Callaway Apex irons 2014: review

CALLAWAY says its new Apex irons provide X Hot distance engineered into a forged clubhead.

The irons feature tungsten sole inserts in the longer irons to maximise playability and performance, while a thin yet high strength 455 Carpenter Steel face insert generates an additional 1 to 2mph of ball speed at impact, which means hotter performance on all shots and greater distance with the same swing speed.

The tungsten weights are placed in the 3-, 4- and 5-irons to help get the ball airborne faster and easier. According to Callaway, each Apex iron has gone through a 40-minute milling process to position weight low and deep in the iron head, as well as around the perimeter.

Golfmagic says...

Appearance: The best looking game improvement I've ever seen. Period. So much so I asked Charlie to pass me a tissue when I placed the clubhead in the palm of my glove. Better player looks with, what we would soon find out, game improvement performance. I love the look of the deep undercut cavity. Callaway has combined its thin Carpenter Steel face with a forged body featuring a deep undercut channel running from the heel to toe - this increases the unsupported area of the face and helps it to flex during impact. The face features a 30-degree angled wall to the groove that is meant to generate more spin. Oozes class.

Feel: Ultra-thin face insert set into an ultra-soft 1020 Forged carbon steel body increases feel through impact, as well as distance. The strike and sound when catching the ball out the middle is one of the sweetest I've ever heard. It's a soft, clicking sound and there's great feedback on all shots. It's pleasing to the ear. Balls were firing off the face consistently, and yet they still retained that soft, responsive feel I'd expect from a forging. There's also a reduction of vibration due to the Apex badging and a rubber material that has been added into the cavity. The standard True Temper XP95 steel shaft felt particularly forgiving and ideal for a moderate swinger of the ball like myself.

Performance: Impressive. Big fan of the tungsten sole weight inserts placed in the longer irons (3- to 5-iron). Helping to lower the centre of gravity, the tungsten weighted inserts help produce extremely penetrating shots. A new high performance wide spaced groove also helps deliver more consistent spin from a variety of lies. Very forgiving, much more so than I thought they'd be, particularly easy to hit, very long and yet high launching.

Verdict

Surely you can't make a game improvement iron in a forged, with incredible ball speeds? Well Callaway has. Apex designers started out with a fast face, forged the body for precision and then machined it so the face was held in a particular way while it was being welded in. Clever stuff. These irons will suit just about anyone from off scratch to double digits as they combine technical power with the feel, precision and beauty you get with a forging. If you can stomach the 800 smackers for a set, which is the only real negative about this product, get yourself involved. You won't be left short changed.

Click here for our Game Improvement Irons Test 2014.

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CALLAWAY says its new Apex irons provide X Hot distance engineered into a forged clubhead.

The irons feature tungsten sole inserts in the longer irons to maximise playability and performance, while a thin yet high strength 455 Carpenter Steel face insert generates an additional 1 to 2mph of ball speed at impact, which means hotter performance on all shots and greater distance with the same swing speed.

The tungsten weights are placed in the 3-, 4- and 5-irons to help get the ball airborne faster and easier. According to Callaway, each Apex iron has gone through a 40-minute milling process to position weight low and deep in the iron head, as well as around the perimeter.

Golfmagic Review:

Appearance: The best looking game improvement I've ever seen. Period. So much so I asked Charlie to pass me a tissue when I placed the clubhead in the palm of my glove. Better player looks with, what we would soon find out, game improvement performance. I love the look of the deep undercut cavity. Callaway has combined its thin Carpenter Steel face with a forged body featuring a deep undercut channel running from the heel to toe - this increases the unsupported area of the face and helps it to flex during impact. The face features a 30-degree angled wall to the groove that is meant to generate more spin. Oozes class.

Feel: Ultra-thin face insert set into an ultra-soft 1020 Forged carbon steel body increases feel through impact, as well as distance. The strike and sound when catching the ball out the middle is one of the sweetest I've ever heard. It's a soft, clicking sound and there's great feedback on all shots. It's pleasing to the ear. Balls were firing off the face consistently, and yet they still retained that soft, responsive feel I'd expect from a forging. There's also a reduction of vibration due to the Apex badging and a rubber material that has been added into the cavity. The standard True Temper XP95 steel shaft felt particularly forgiving and ideal for a moderate swinger of the ball like myself.

Performance: Impressive. Big fan of the tungsten sole weight inserts placed in the longer irons (3- to 5-iron). Helping to lower the centre of gravity, the tungsten weighted inserts help produce extremely penetrating shots. A new high performance wide spaced groove also helps deliver more consistent spin from a variety of lies. Particularly forgiving, much more so than I thought they'd be, easy to hit, very long and high launching.

Verdict

Surely you can't make a game improvement iron in a forged, with incredible ball speeds? Well Callaway has. Apex designers started out with a fast face, forged the body for precision and then machined it so the face was held in a particular way while it was being welded in. Clever stuff. These irons will suit just about anyone from off scratch to double digits as they combine technical power with the feel, precision and beauty you get with a forging. If you can stomach the 800 smackers for a set, which is the only real negative about this product, get yourself involved. You won't be left short changed.

Click here for our Game Improvement Irons Test 2014.

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