I figured it was an excellent time to dig into these as they are, BY FAR, the most asked-about iron in our line (and now available!).
Earlier this year, I broke down our players’ irons (see link below) and briefly discussed TCB. With Xander’s incredible season and Rahmbo killing it on LIV, it’s time to investigate these further.
THE BASICS:
Created as a reboot of the popular Apex Pro Double Dot (pictured below), the Apex TCB is a forged player’s CB integrating Callaway’s back weighting system that locks in CG and swing weight. From a performance standpoint, the Apex TCB launches lower and spins on par with its counterpart, the Apex CB. It has a bit more offset, shorter blade length, and slightly more bounce, offering the perfect option for players who like the blade look in a cavity back head.
Occasionally, I get the question, ” What does the TCB have internally?” The answer is not much. Yes, this is a Tour-level forged CB with multiple tour wins and four major championships in the last four years. Between Xander and Rahm, the Apex TCB has won the Grand Slam.
WHY IS IT SO POPULAR?
Photo C/O GolfWRX.com
According to the man who designed them, Callaway Golf’s Scott Manwaring, it was a labor of love that started with the development of the Apex Pro Double Dot, which was designed with the help of the (At the time in 2019) new staffer Xander Schauffele.
“The double dot is an iron that I’m very proud of; we took the idea of the Apex Pro and added nuanced shape, lines, and setup that gave Xander exactly what he was looking for. I have a signed head on my desk from Xander as we speak. It represents a lot of hard work and what is possible when we can hyper-focus on making an iron for one of the premier ball strikers in the world.”
-Scott Manwaring Callaway, Golf Director of Design
As with any great iron, the tour presence didn’t stop with Xander; many of our staffers put the iron in play and continued to game them. Players like Akshay Bhatia and Sam Burns come to mind, and, of course, RAHMBO.
With Apex TCB, Manwaring, and the R&D team took the DNA of the double dot and made some very subtle refinements to the shape (top line, par area, etc.). The biggest to-do was implementing the new CG/Swing weight system that you see in the current lineup.
“It didn’t make much sense optically to use the circle weight that we do with the Apex MB. I was actually inspired by some of the things Odyssey was doing regarding weights. They always had a seamless appearance, and I wanted to try and integrate that into XF21 and TCB. After some serious trial and error, we found the recipe. What we have now is a true player-forged CB that almost instantly gets the response from our players.”
-Scott Manwaring Callaway, Golf Director of Design
HOW DID RAHMBO REACT AT FIRST?
This one was quite un-dramatic; JR took one look at the TCB, set it down, and fell in love VERY quickly. The lower launch, blade-like look with the forgiveness he wants, was all fully cooked.
“It was kind of a one-and-done with Jon.” “I just got a 4-iron signed by him for my desk; that’s the club he hit into #16, which was one of the coolest things for me to see.”
-Scott Manwaring Callaway, Golf Director of Design
The Reboot (well, kind of)
PHOTO GALLERY
MY EXPERIENCE
These are HANDS DOWN, the best forged Cavity Backs we have ever done. It’s so good that even in this 2nd version, very little has shifted from the Apex Pro Double Dot beyond cosmetics, CG/Weighting, and in the 24′, some bounce modifications and slight CG tweaks. You wouldn’t be able to tell the difference to the average eye.
I have been playing some form of TCB 7-AW for the last three years, and until Ti-Fusion came around, it was the only thing in my bag that didn’t change. I still have a set resting in the bullpen for when I get frisky…they never let me down.
These belong on Mt. Rushmore.
LFG
JDub
Justin
June 23, 2021 at 6:48 pm
But you can’t buy them in the US
Johnny Wunder
June 23, 2021 at 6:52 pm
Go to our website dude
Justin's Dad
June 24, 2021 at 4:08 pm
You can’t order them directly from the Callaway website…the page redirects to a map (https://www.callawaygolf.com/retail-locator?defaultServices=64) and the “box” within the photo says, “Get Fit”…
Perhaps the link is broken or Callaway has already sold out???
Wouldn’t it have been easier to just sell them in January with the Apex DCB, Apex, Apex Pro, X-Forged 21, Apex MB…
Sincerely,
Bubba Gump
E
June 24, 2021 at 11:05 pm
I got mine a few months ago through a specialty fitter, and I am glad I did. These are a set of clubs that you really want to be fit for. I think they are avoiding the mass markets, since this is a more limited market and availability club. As Johnny mentioned, they are low launch, soft, precise, and a true tour player’s club. This combination doesn’t apply to many people. For the right person, with the right swing, with the right shaft fitted, they’re “stick it two feet from the pin” magic. To me, they are the best I have ever had and I love them.
I know that many golf shops at clubs and public courses can also get these. My own club has ordered me a Triple Diamond driver head and has some other specialty clubs from Callaway on order for other members. Your local course’s shop is a good resource and Callaway is supporting that retail channel by offering specialty (and standard catalog) items through them. Your local hardworking PGA Club Professional is also a great resource. Many are fellow gearheads, too. They may know your swing, and could make some valuable suggestions about how to configure them (or better options for you) if you aren’t going through fitting. That experience is something you can’t get online or through a big box store.
If you Google “Callaway Apex TCB”, you can also find some of the online retailers offering them. I wouldn’t knock any online retailers, but I would strongly suggest you get fit or at minimum go through your course’s golf shop. It is well worth the investment for better scoring.
Todd
June 24, 2021 at 5:35 am
Mine, purchased here in the US, showed up today. Can’t wait!