Equipment
Tech Talk: Callaway Apex Pro Irons
The ingredients that go into tour-quality “players” irons are usually about the same. They need to have short blade lengths, thin top lines, narrow soles and a minimal amount of offset to meet the needs of the most accomplished golfers.
Callaway’s new Apex Pro irons are no exception, at least at address, where they look nearly identical to the company’s forged players iron from last year, the 2013 X Forged. But when they’re viewed from the back, the irons tell a very different story.
Above: Callaway’s Apex Pro irons (left), look nearly identical to the company’s 2013 X Forged irons (right) at address. The sole designs are also roughly the same.
The Apex Pro irons are forged from the same 1020 carbon steel as the 2013 X Forged, but their multi-material construction and new 37WV grooves bring modernity to the former one-piece design.
In the long irons, for example, Callaway engineers added high-density tungsten to the soles, which lowers the center of gravity (CG). That accentuates the irons’ CG height progression, a weighting scheme that gives the long irons a lower CG that launches the ball higher, and the short irons a higher CG that launches the ball lower.
Evan Gibbs, Callaway manager of performance analysis, says the lower CG of the long irons adds about 1 mph of ball speed to the clubs (compared to 2013 X Forged), and the higher launch it creates makes them more forgiving as well. But in the short irons, where better players tend to create too much spin, the CG was moved higher to help golfers control their trajectory.
The discretionary weight needed for the new mass placement was made possible by the extensive milling of the iron’s cavity, which allowed the faces of the irons to be made 17-percent thinner than those of the 2013 X Forged. But according to Gibbs, that change won’t negatively affect sound and feel, which was tuned with a polymer insert added behind the impact area that helps eliminate the harsh frequencies golfers associate with bad feel.
Above: The 37WV grooves on the Apex Pro irons are wider and not as sharp as the 20-degree V grooves the company used for the 2013 X Forged irons. They’re also duller than the 30WV grooves used on the company’s Apex irons.
Maybe the most intriguing part of the Apex Pro irons is their new groove design, which is the result of extensive testing done with Callaway tour players in 2013. Last year’s X Forged irons had the company’s 20-degree V grooves, which were spaced closely together. But Callaway received feedback from its tour players that the grooves actually spun the ball too much from the rough, causing the ball to launch too low.
Tour players prefer to hit what Gibbs called a “controlled flyer” from the rough, which allows them to hit the ball higher to carry obstacles such as the tops of trees, and a farther total distance as well. But they didn’t want to hit the shot at the expense of consistency.
After much testing, Callaway found that wide-spaced V grooves with 37-degree side walls were the most consistent from the rough, and they offered the additional launch that tour players wanted. While the 37WV grooves will be the only grooves offered at retail on the Apex Pro irons, tour players will have their choice between the 20-degree V grooves, 37WV grooves and even duller 45WV grooves, which launch the ball higher and with even less spin.
Above: Callaway’s Apex Pro irons (left) have slightly shorter blade lengths, thinner top lines, less offset and narrower soles than the Apex irons (right).
They Apex Pro irons hit shelves on Jan. 17, and will sell for $1099 with KBS’ new Tour-V steel shaft, $1299 with UST Mamiya’s Recoil 600 Series graphite shafts. Check out the specs and additional photos in the gallery below.
Click here to see more photos and what GolfWRX Members are saying about the irons in the forums.
Click here to see more photos and what GolfWRX Members are saying about the irons in the forums.
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- Kevin Tway what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX
5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 90 TX
Irons: Wilson Staff Utility (2), Titleist T100 (4-9)
Shafts: Mitsubishi MMT 100 TX (2), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F @51, 56-14F), SM7 (60-10S)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (48-56), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (60)
Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: Scotty Cameron Black Baby T
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Plus4
More photos of Kevin Tway’s WITB in the forums.
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Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
The timing of Lowry’s putter changeup was curious: Was he just using a Spider putter because he was paired with McIlroy, who’s been using a Spider Tour X head throughout 2024? Was Lowry just being festive because it’s the Zurich Classic, and he wanted to match his teammate? Did McIlroy let Lowry try his putter, and he liked it so much he actually switched into it?
Well, as it turns out, McIlroy’s only influence was inspiring Lowry to make more putts.
When asked if McIlroy had an influence on the putter switch, Lowry had this to say: “No, it’s actually a different putter than what he uses. Maybe there was more pressure there because I needed to hole some more putts if we wanted to win,” he said with a laugh.
To Lowry’s point, McIlroy plays the Tour X model, whereas Lowry switched into the Tour Z model, which has a sleeker shape in comparison, and the two sole weights of the club are more towards the face.
Lowry’s Spider Tour Z has a white True Path Alignment channel on the crown of his putter, which is reminiscent of Lowry’s former 2-ball designs, thus helping to provide a comfort factor despite the departure from his norm. Instead of a double-bend hosel, which Lowry used in his 2-ball putters, his new Spider Tour Z is designed with a short slant neck.
“I’ve been struggling on the greens, and I just needed something with a fresh look,” Lowry told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship. “It has a different neck on it, as well, so it moves a bit differently, but it’s similar. It has a white line on the back of it [like my 2-ball], and it’s a mallet style. So it’s not too drastic of a change.
“I just picked it up on the putting green and I liked the look of it, so I was like, ‘Let’s give it a go.’”
Read the rest of the piece over at PGATour.com.
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Equipment
Webb Simpson equipment Q&A: Titleist’s new 2-wood, 680 blade irons, and switching to a broomstick Jailbird
With seven career wins on the PGA Tour, including a U.S. Open victory, Webb Simpson is a certified veteran on the course. But he’s also a certified veteran in the equipment world, too. He’s a gearhead who truly knows his stuff, and he’s even worked closely with Titleist on making his own custom 682.WS irons.
On Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship, I caught up with Simpson to hear about his experience with Titleist’s new prototype 2-wood, how Titleist’s 680 Forged irons from 2003 ended up back in his bag, and why he’s switching into an Odyssey Ai-One Jailbird Cruiser broomstick putter this week for the first time.
Click here to read our full story about Simpson’s putter switch on PGATOUR.com’s Equipment Report, or continue reading below for my full Q&A with Simpson at Quail Hollow Club on Wednesday.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
GolfWRX: It seems like you’ve been a little all over the place with your irons in the past six months or so, and now going back to the 680’s. Is that just a comfort thing? What’s been going on with the irons?
Webb Simpson: Titleist has been so great at working with me, and R&D, on trying to get an iron that kind of modernizes the 680. And so the 682.WS took the T100 grooves, but kinda took the look and the bulk and the build of the 680’s into one club. They’re beautiful, and awesome looking. I just never hit them that well for a consistent period of time. It was probably me, but then I went to T100’s and loved them. I loved the spin, the trajectory, the yardage, but again, I never went on good runs. Going through the ground, I couldn’t feel the club as well as with the blade. So last week, I’m like, ‘Alright. I’m gonna go back more for…comfort, and see if I can get on a nice little run of ball striking.’
So that’s why I went back.
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OK, that makes sense. I know you had done some 2-wood testing recently. Is that in the bag right now?
It’s like day-by-day. I used it at Hilton Head every day. Valero, I used it one round. And this week, me and my caddie will do the book every morning, and if it’s a day where we think we need it, we’ll just put it in and take the 3-wood out. I love it because it’s a super simple swap. Like, it doesn’t really change much.
Yeah, can you tell me about that club? I mean, we don’t really know anything about it yet. You know? I haven’t hit it or anything, obviously.
It has grooves like a 3-wood. Spin is perfect. And it’s honestly, like, everything is in the middle of a 3-wood and driver number. Trajectory, spin, carry, all of it. So, a Hilton Head golf course is almost too easy to talk about because, you know, there, so many holes are driver 3-wood.
Valero, our thinking was we had two par-5’s into the wind, and we knew that it would take two great shots to get there in two. So instead of hitting driver-driver, we just put it in. And I used it on those holes.
Hilton was a little easier because it was off-the-tee kind of questions. But Colonial will be a golf course where, you know, there’s a lot of driver or 3-woods. It’s kind of like a backup putter or driver for me now. I’ll bring it to every tournament.
So it’s, like, in your locker right now, probably?
Well, it would be. It’s in my house [because Webb lives near by Quail Hollow Club, and is a member at the course.] It’s in the garage.
Oh, yeah, that’s right. Do you know what holes you might use it out here if it goes in play?
Potentially 15, depending on the wind. Second shot on 10. Could be 14 off the tee. The chances here are pretty low (that he’ll use the 2-wood). But, like, Greensboro would be an awesome club all day. I’m trying to think of any other golf courses.
There’s plenty that it’ll be a nice weapon to have.
It’s interesting, the wave of 2-woods and mini drivers. Like, it’s just really taken off on Tour, and all the companies have seemed to embrace it.
Yeah. The thing I had to learn, it took me, like, at least a week to learn about it is you gotta tee it up lower than you think. I kept teeing it up too high. You need it low, like barely higher than a 3-wood. And that was where I got optimal spin and carry. If you tee it up too high, you just don’t get as much spin and lose distance, I don’t know if that’s just a mini driver thing.
And you obviously have a Jailbird putter this week. What spurred that on?
Inconsistent putting. I’m stubborn in a lot of ways when it comes to my equipment, but I have to be open minded – I just hadn’t putted consistently well in a while. And I’m like, ‘Man, I feel my ball-striking coming along. Like I feel better; for real, better.’
If I can just get something in my hands that I’m consistent with. Being on Tour, you see it every year, guys get on little runs. I can put together four to five tournaments where I’m all the sudden back in the majors, or in the FedExCup Playoffs. You can turn things around quick out here. I’m like, ‘Man, whatever’s going to get me there, great.’
My caddie, David Cook, caddied for Akshay at the Houston Open and he putted beautifully. Then, I watched Akshay on TV at Valero, and he putted beautifully. And, I’m like, ‘I’m just going to try it.’
I’ve never tried it for more than a putt or two, and I just ordered what Akshay uses. It was pretty awkward at first, but the more I used it, the more I’m like, ‘Man, it’s pretty easy.’ And a buddy of mine who’s a rep out here, John Tyler Griffin, he helped me with some setup stuff. And he said at Hilton Head, he wasn’t putting well, then tried it, and now he makes everything. He was very confident. So I’m like, ‘Alright, I’ll try it.’”
And you’re going with it this week?
Hundred percent.
Alright, I love it. Thank you, I always love talking gear with you. Play well this week.
Thanks, man.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
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Rafael
Jun 18, 2014 at 8:07 pm
I read these post and wonder how many have truly tried the Apex pros. I own and love my titleist 714 MB’s. I bought a set of apex irons because they are really excellent clubs. I had longer distance and more good shots than with my MBs. I averaged 10-15 yards more depending on the club over my MB’s irons. The clubs are great deal more forgiving than the MB’s. I was amazed at the high ball flight with the apex irons. I can hit a 6 iron 190-200 yards consistently with the apex irons and with my MBs I would struggle with pure shots and distance. I was more in the sweet spot with the apex irons and so I bought them ASAP. I’ve never hit a gap wedge 135-140 yards. I was flying the ball over the greens with the extra distance. I’m having to re-learn the carry distance of my irons. I could always hit them far but now it happens more often. Don’t get me wrong. They are not beginner clubs and still require good contact. But they are awesome! I’m not selling the titleist I love them too.
Steve
Mar 27, 2014 at 2:31 pm
After 8 years enjoying my Titleist 755’s I decided to go buy some AP2’s. While getting fitted the fitter brought out some other clubs and we hooked up to the launch monitor and then went out for some real world results on the range. Hitting of both mats and grass I was amazed that the clubs I wanted were not the APs! The Apex Pro irons were a bit longer, but more importantly the dispersion was much tighter, the feel was butter and the control was great. I can move these around a bit, not as much as the APs, however the big factor was ball speed – consistently 5 to 6 MPH faster. The ball just leaps off the face. I walked out and ordered up my Apex Pros. I’ve played them for two weeks now and wow, what a blast these are to play! Anyhow, I’ve never purchased anything Callaway and had no interest in their products before…after this I’m glad I was open to trying out some different clubs to see which one was going to truly fit and benefit my playing style and swing.
Golfer great
Dec 13, 2013 at 11:39 am
Interesting to hear the back insert does not reduce shock. Has anyone hit the Apex pro and Pings new 55 to compare the impact feel?
nick
Nov 20, 2013 at 5:52 pm
Great feel on these. Definitely will be replacing the long irons in my xforged set with these.
MWP
Nov 10, 2013 at 10:37 am
I’ve hit them and they’re very nice. However, I play the Callaway Prototype irons and was surprised that the polymer insert in the Apex didn’t really make anything feel softer or more forgiving than my fairly traditional musclebacks.
This leads me to the question: CALLAWAY when will you release another true blade?
– A loyal consumer
KK
Nov 14, 2013 at 12:04 am
When more golfers can actually hit them consistently…..which is never going to happen. I think there is a market for “true blades” for people like you and the other 0.00001% of non-professional golfers. I know just as much as anyone who plays the game frequently, golf is hard. Manufacturers, golf course designers, the USGA, need to make the game easier for golfers, not harder. All club companies are in the business to turn a profit, not satisfy the <0.01%. Sometimes, it doesn't make sense to make a club that is only going to account for a very very small percentage of their total sales. If you want "true blades", go buy Mizuno, Miura, Titleist. On the other hand, if you think about it, no club design is advancing less than the "true blade" so go on eBay, buy a used set of Tony Lema blades and you'll never have to buy another set of irons for the rest of your life.
RDM
Jan 23, 2014 at 10:39 am
I still have my Ben Hogan Apex irons which are eight years old now and it’s great to see Apex back in the mix. I’m sure they will keep evolving and might even loose the plastic backing.
I have been happy playing Mizuno irons, but will buy a set of Apex irons as soon as they get closer to their original form. Ill certainly check out the latest version!
Lee
Nov 7, 2013 at 3:18 am
Callaway can stick them as far as I’m concerned. I shelled out £675 of my hard earned 4 months ago on a set of X forged only now to find them being cleared in the UK for circa £350. Thus my used clubs are worth very little if I was crazy enough to invest another £700 ish on the latest and greatest which frankly wouldn’t make me play any better. I’m so disgruntled I might go and by the new AP2’s and bin the X forged!
Joe
Nov 12, 2013 at 10:13 am
They all do the same. At least they do lower the prices, with the anticipation of the latest and greatest…unlike Titleist who gives nothing a price break…even with the newness rightness to the old.
It certainly helps people upgrade at a discount. This is especially good with wedges and irons, where the tech doesn’t really change all that much from model to model.
Nick
Nov 12, 2013 at 4:06 pm
This is a big reason I was happy I got fit into Titlist. They and Mizuno roll out new lines less often so your sticks seem to keep their “newest and greatest” luster a little longer. With TMAG and Callaway I feel like you will be playing “old news” clubs within six months. Not that I have to have the latest and greatest. I’m still playing 712’s and will pass on the 714’s but when you do get to buy new clubs, you’d like to enjoy that feeling of having the latest and greatest a bit longer than a few months, no? Lord knows, you pay for it though.
Wade
Jan 7, 2014 at 12:15 pm
AP2’s cost the same as Apex Pros. Nonsense. You are just sour that you could have waited a year to buy what you have. That’s the way technology works. The older a product is, the more it goes down in cost. How can you not know this?
Paul
Nov 6, 2013 at 10:58 pm
pretty!
JS
Nov 6, 2013 at 4:32 pm
Take away the Apex name, they’re no Hogans!
Gaz
Nov 7, 2013 at 5:11 am
Mate, they are Callaway clubs. Marketing people use the Apex or Hogan name…….Callaway. That is the manufacturer. Not Mr Hogan, he is no longer with us.
Barry
Nov 7, 2013 at 9:44 pm
Hogans were great in their day……that was many many days/years ago.
Those Hogans couldn’t compare to today’s clubs.
We have better technology, better forging & better shafts than yesteryear.
I will reiterate what Gaz said, it is not a slam on the man, I think it honors him.
These look amazing!
be_right
Nov 9, 2013 at 9:56 am
+1
Gaz
Nov 6, 2013 at 3:53 pm
As a Callaway Icon Professional, I have hit both clubs and the feel is very soft. In fact quite a bit softer feel provided through the apex head……these will be a winner
scott dalrymple
Nov 6, 2013 at 1:04 pm
The Apex name seems that Callaway is at least trying to reintroduce the Hogan line. The Hogan Apex and Apex Pro were awesome clubs. I found it odd that Callaway would completely shutter the Hogan brand.
willM
Jan 16, 2014 at 2:43 pm
I still game my Hogan Apex irons. After a custom fit and reshaft with DGs, they feel amazing and produce a great ball flight. I might look to the new Cally Apex as a more forgiving 2,3,4 iron option.
Greg
Mar 29, 2014 at 10:01 am
It’s in the shafts. Apex pro 6 iron was longer than apex 4 iron. Into the simulator,anyway.
cg
Nov 6, 2013 at 12:40 pm
and what will be coming out next month? that will be MUCH better than these?
Jamie
Nov 5, 2013 at 2:26 pm
The same money as the legacy black,
Will they perform the same ?
Tom
Nov 5, 2013 at 2:19 pm
I’m a fan of the brushed no glare finish.
Mark
Nov 5, 2013 at 1:22 pm
SuuuWEET! Can’t wait to demo them.
Brian
Nov 5, 2013 at 1:18 pm
Clean looking club and the remind me a bit of the PING S55
tyler
Nov 5, 2013 at 11:18 am
Very nice looking club. Price tag is a bit much though.
GolfDad907
Nov 6, 2013 at 1:00 pm
Price is competitive with other major OEMs forged irons, I don’t see a problem with price.
Tom
Nov 5, 2013 at 10:58 am
Ummm…I can use that new groove technology that only available to tour players. Other than that I like the look and write up. Great job Zak.
GolfDad907
Nov 6, 2013 at 4:17 pm
All you need is access to Tour rep and can get the grooves you can use 😀