NEW GEAR: Callaway unveil new Apex and Apex Pro irons and hybrids

Callaway first launched the forged Apex irons a couple of years ago and their cracking looks caught the imagination of golfers from pro’s to mid handicappers. Now for 2016 they’ve been redesigned to include the latest game improving technology…this is their story.

Callaway Apex CF16 RRP £849 (s) £1099 (g) 

Availability: 3-SW, Left hand? Yes

Steel stock shaft: True Temper XP 95, Graphite stock shaft: UST Mamiya Recoil ES

The new Apex irons go along way to blowing the age old myth out of the water that forged irons are just for the better player. These are a distance iron that are specially developed to take advantage of Callaway’s 360 Cup Face technology, but they also feel great because they’re forged. The springy, unsupported faces flex at impact just like a drivers, offering consistently fast-ball speeds when shots are hit off centre. Callaway reckon their R&D department have faced some significant challenges incorporating the cup face technology into a forged iron for the first time. But after a four stage forging process and some precision milling to boot these 1025 carbon steel irons look the business.

Expect progressive offset, solewidths and cg heights throughout the set to help you launch it higher in the long irons whilst adding control in the scoring clubs.  

Callaway Apex Pro 16 RRP £849 (s) 

Availability: 3-AW, Left hand? Yes

Steel stock shaft: True Temper Project X, Graphite stock shaft: UST Mamiya Recoil 95

There’s a reason why the Apex has the word Pro in its name…that’s because its been designed with direct input from Callaway’s tour staff and its aimed firmly at the games best players and tour pro’s.

Where the Apex CF16 boasts of credentials to help you hit it longer and increase feel the Pro model is unashamedly trying to appeal to the very best players. Yes its still made out of soft 1025 carbon steel but there’s no 360 cup face as Callaway know the players who’ll be using them are not really after adding yards to their game. Instead they are after a classic look, ultimate feel and details like the flow weighting which through the use of weight ports and dense tungsten weights allows precise cg positioning for each individual iron.

Expect narrow soles, thin top edges, a compact head and a smidgen of offset in the longer irons. Yes they are a cavity backs but these are serious irons for the best ball strikers and those wanting to “work” the golf ball around the course.

There’s a new Apex Hybrid too…

Callaway Apex Hybrid RRP: £189 

Availability: 18deg, 20deg, 23deg, 26deg, Left hand? Yes

Stock graphite shaft: Mitsubishi Kuro Kage 80

Its not every day better player irons are launched with a matching range of hybrids. But Callaway’s philosophy is to align its hybrids to its irons rather than its fairway woods and drivers. Which for us makes perfect sense as golfers buy sets of irons to the longest iron they confidently hit and then need hybrids to fill the gaps between these and their highest lofted fairway wood.

Just like the irons the face of the hybrid is forged (this time from springy carpenter 455 steel) and fused with the companies internal standing wave technology to produce high-ball speeds no matter where shots are hit on the face. The head is a little longer than normal so its more like an iron blade length. Each loft also has a neutral shot bias so the transition to the matching set of irons is seamless.

Expect excellent versatility as the hybrid has been designed for hitting par 5’s in two and for approaches on long par 4’s and 3’s. The cg is lower to help generate spin which for approaches means more stopping power once shots hit the green. Callaway reckon because of the tour inspired compact shape you’ll see a lot of these in the hands of tour players over the coming months.   

For further information visit www.callawaygolf.com