Equipment
Apex Hybrids: A more iron-like hybrid from Callaway
There are hybrids that perform more like fairway woods, and hybrids that perform more like irons. Callaway’s Apex hybrids are the latter, offering golfers a club with a tour-proven shape and trajectory that’s more similar to the irons they are designed to replace.
The Apex Hybrids use the company’s 455 carpenter steel cup faces, which improve ball speed consistency across the club face.
Scott Manwaring, director of design at Callaway, said the Apex Hybrid is a product the company wanted to have in the market, primarily because of the extreme distances golfers hit the company’s Callaway’s XR and XR Pro hybrids.
Related: Our review of Callaway’s XR and XR Pro hybrids.
At Address: The Apex Hybrids offer a neutral face angle and trajectory bias.
[quote_box_center]”XR does a fantastic job of going as far as we can make a hybrid go,” he said. “We wanted to take a step back and say, let’s make a hybrids for a player who wants to shape the ball a little more or wants a ball flight that looks more like a 2 or 3 iron, or whatever they’re playing.”[/quote_box_center]
The stock shaft is Mitsubishi Rayon’s Kuro Kage Black 80.
The Apex Hybrids are available in four models (2H, 3H, 4H and 5H), and come stock with Mitsubishi Rayon’s Kuro Kage Black 80 hybrid shaft. They use the 455 carpenter stainless steel cub faces for which the company’s fairway woods and hybrids are known, but have a deeper, higher center of gravity (CG) that gives them a more iron-like trajectory, and also sneaky forgiving for their size.
The hybrids also use less face curvature than Callaway’s other hybrids, which helps golfers more easily control their trajectory, and their lack of an adjustable hosel also makes them appear more iron-like at address.
The Apex Hybrids have a 17-4 stainless steel body.
The Apex Hybrids ($219.99) will be in stores December 4, and are available for pre-order starting October 16.
Specs
[wrx_retail_links productid=”18″]
Related
- See what GolfWRX Members are saying about Callaway’s Apex, Apex Pro and Apex Hybrids in our forum.
- Callaway 2016 Apex and Apex Pro Irons: What you need to know
- LIKE94
- LEGIT15
- WOW10
- LOL0
- IDHT5
- FLOP3
- OB3
- SHANK4
- Michael S. Kim what’s in the bag accurate as of the Valero Texas Open.
Driver: Titleist TSR3 (10 degrees, B1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 X
3-wood: Ping G430 Max (15 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD UB 8 TX
Irons: Titleist T200 (3, 4), Titleist T100 (5-PW)
Shafts: Graphite Design Tour AD IZ 95 X (3), Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 120 S
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM9 (52-12F), SM10 (56-14F), WedgeWorks Proto (60-L)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S300
Check out more in-hand photos of Michael Kim’s clubs here.
Putter: L.A.B. Link.1
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 1.0P 17
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Check out more in-hand photos of Michael Kim’s clubs here.
- LIKE3
- LEGIT0
- WOW1
- LOL1
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK1
TaylorMade is leaning in even further to the retro vibes with the 2024 edition of its BRNR Mini Driver.
Patterned after the Carlsbad-based company’s iconic late 1990s Burner driver design, the 2024 BRNR Mini features similar copper styling and a retro version of the TaylorMade logo.
Featuring the same technology as its 2023 BRNR Mini Driver, the 2024 edition continues to play the hits that saw the unique club land in the bag of tour pros, such as Tommy Fleetwood and Jake Knapp.
- Check out details on the technology in our 2023 BRNR launch story.
- See more in-hand photos and read what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.
Why play a mini driver?
In general, TaylorMade finds two types of golfers gravitate toward a mini driver. In the first case, it’s an addition to a standard driver: Players looking for a “fairway finder” driver without giving up too much distance that can also be hit off the deck. Second, TaylorMade recommends giving a mini a go to golfers who struggle to hit 460 cc drivers, particularly choppers. It’s a better alternative than a 3-wood off the tee.
Tommy Fleetwood’s endorsement of playing a mini driver
“For me, if I HAD to hit a fairway, I’m more comfortable hitting a driver than a 3-wood. I would tee the driver down, and I would hit a little cut, or a neck-y cut in the fairway. The 3-wood isn’t for that. The 3-wood, generally, is a pretty hot club that I’ll hit from 270 or 280 in the fairway on a par 5. You get some courses where a 3-wood is not always necessary. [With the BRNR] you put a normal swing on it, and I’m more comfortable hitting it straight. It’s a replacement for a 3-wood, basically.”
Pricing, specs, availability
TaylorMade’s new BRNR Mini Driver Copper clubs will sell for $449.99 in 11.5 (RH/LH) and 13.5 (RH) degree options, and they will be available for custom orders.
- LIKE86
- LEGIT9
- WOW11
- LOL6
- IDHT0
- FLOP1
- OB0
- SHANK9
Equipment
Coolest thing for sale in the GolfWRX Classifieds (4/5/24): I think I ‘Blacked Out’ trying to love these irons
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals that all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, there is a listing for a set of blacked out P770 irons
From the seller: (@hammertime1515): “Just one single iron set up for grabs today. Got these right before they quote selling them at the end of February. Only played 3 full rounds with them and a couple short range sessions. 7 iron shows the most wear and 8 iron has a sandy mark on the toe (ball striking out of winter wasn’t the strong suit) Just not right for me no matter how much I wanted them to be. Price is shipped and OBO……
P770 Black Out irons. 4-PW. —New Tour Velvet Align Midsize Grips —1/2” over TM standard —2 degrees upright —Standard Lofts —Dynamic Gold 105 X100 shafts —PW has never been hit, most of them have been hit sparingly. Tried to capture the wear on the 7 iron and the toe mark on the 8 iron the best I could. Soles have virtually no scratching from use and no bag chatter. -If more pics are needed just ask ——PRICE: $1000 OBO” & Shipped
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link: Blacked out P770 irons
This is the most impressive current listing from the GolfWRX BST, and if you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum you can check them out here: GolfWRX BST Rules
- LIKE1
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK1
Tour pro calls Anthony Kim a ‘f*****g idiot’ following Instagram comeback post
John Daly stuns fans into silence with brutal opening tee shot on PGA Tour Champions
Things got heated at the Houston Open between Tony Finau and Alejandro Tosti. Here’s why
Anthony Kim WITB 2024 (February)
This Rory McIlroy post-round ‘The Match’ moment is going viral…but all is likely not what it seems
Scottie Scheffler WITB 2024 (March)
Photos from the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational
Anthony Kim’s speculated LIV Golf sign-on fee may surprise you
The total sum that Sergio Garcia needs to pay in fines if he wants to return to DP World Tour revealed
Report: Tiger Woods has ‘eliminated sex’ in preparation for the 2024 Masters
Michael S. Kim WITB 2024 (April)
Michael S. Kim what’s in the bag accurate as of the Valero Texas Open. Driver: Titleist TSR3 (10 degrees, B1...
Kevin Chappell WITB 2024 (April)
Kevin Chappell what’s in the bag accurate as of the Valero Texas Open. More photos from the event here. Driver:...
Raul Pereda WITB 2024 (April)
Raul Pereda what’s in the bag accurate as of the Texas Children’s Houston Open. More photos from the event here....
Rickie Fowler WITB 2024 (April)
Rickie Fowler what’s in the bag accurate as of the Valero Texas Open. More photos from the event here. Driver: Cobra...
-
19th Hole2 weeks agoJohn Daly stuns fans into silence with brutal opening tee shot on PGA Tour Champions
-
19th Hole6 days agoThings got heated at the Houston Open between Tony Finau and Alejandro Tosti. Here’s why
-
19th Hole3 days agoReport: Tiger Woods has ‘eliminated sex’ in preparation for the 2024 Masters
-
19th Hole2 weeks ago2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
-
19th Hole3 weeks agoEdoardo Molinari reveals the latest PGA Tour golfer to turn down ‘good offer’ from LIV Golf
-
19th Hole2 weeks agoCharlie Woods finds it tough going on American Junior Golf Association debut
-
19th Hole3 weeks agoScottie Scheffler had an interesting response when asked how he ‘quiets the noise’ following Players victory
-
19th Hole5 days agoAddiction, spinal fusion, and scam artists – Everything Anthony Kim revealed in candid interview with David Feherty
Jared
Feb 11, 2016 at 2:07 am
anyone know the tip diameter of the apex hybrid?
JIMMY
Oct 1, 2015 at 10:03 pm
Shape looks similar to Adams Super Pro or 9031. IMO Adams still makes the best performing hybrids. I think a hybrid should basically perform like the iron it replaces but be slightly easier to hit high and easier to hit out of trouble situations. Alot of the hybrids today seem to play more and more like high loft fairway woods.
leo
Oct 1, 2015 at 9:46 pm
a step in the right direction. hybrid is becoming a misnomer as heads continue to get bigger they have become shorter fairway woods bearing no resemblance to the irons they are supposed to replace
christian
Sep 30, 2015 at 2:44 am
I really like the look of this. Excellent stock shaft too
Golfraven
Sep 29, 2015 at 4:02 pm
Looks odd at first glance but I may give it a hit. The H2 may be of interest since my current hybrid is not performing to my liking. Finish and shape are actually rather interesting so it could be a club in the bag for a couple of years.
Desmond
Sep 29, 2015 at 8:27 am
Great idea for better players — very player-ish and “Adams-ish” looking, not surprising given Chip Brewer’s background. But with face cup technology for forgiveness. A winner for better players.