The New 2024 Apex Pro Series Irons: Elite Irons for Elite Ball Strikers

I know it’s been a LONG time coming, but honestly, THIS was worth the wait. The number of DMs and questions I received on this launch has surpassed any other topic by a 5X multiplier. I am truly excited to share this with you so let’s get into it.

Introducing the new 2024 Apex TOUR Irons:

Three Sets (and a UT), One Goal…

To give the best players in the world an iron set OR combo that performs at the most elite levels BUT also harmonizes to create seamless options from the top to the bottom of the set. It’s not an easy task to create an ELITE TRIAD like this, but with the leadership of Callaway R&D head Tim Reed and Tour Iron R&D manager Ryan Ritchie, we have exactly that.

What they all have in common…

Progressive CG

Enhanced Tour Preferred Sole Designs

MIM Back Weight

Endless Combo Set Possibilities

For the first time ever the entire Apex Pro line was designed and tooled to combo with ease. Regardless of the makeup, the loft packages on all live in the same bucket so large gaps between say Apex Pro and MB won’t exist. As mentioned before these were designed for the TOUR and with that player in mind, the combination of any of these irons needed to harmonize like a John Williams score.

The Line-Up

Apex Pro

Exceptional Distance with Tour-Level Precision
 
In my opinion, the previous version of this iron was def an acquired taste. That’s not a knock at all, it seemed to live in a section of the line that satisfied a very specific demo. Better players looking for MB performance with players’ distance capabilities. It saw a TON of play on the LPGA and DP World Tour (Long Irons) but not so much on the PGA TOUR. My hunch is the look of the iron matched a very specific taste with the added offset. It almost lived too close to XF21.

The NEW Apex Pro irons set out to catch the eye of literally anyone on our major tours. Designed at the highest standard for spin, feedback, and forgiveness. A revolutionary multi-material forged construction paired with our patented urethane microspheres delivers an unmatched feel, and an all-new progressive face designed for exceptional distance with tour-level precision. So in essence it’s kind of like a TCB ++. The same type of performance as TCB with a bit more help/speed all while satisfying the spin and feel requirements. Basically the perfect Johnny Wunder iron.
 
Features & Benefits

The Apex Pro irons introduce a groundbreaking feature never seen before in the Apex line-up. They incorporate a hollow body construction that combines a forged face with a forged 1025 carbon steel body, resulting in an exceptional, ultra-soft feel. This premium feel is further enhanced by our patented urethane microspheres, which not only dampen sound but also improve overall feel. Despite this, the face remains flexible, allowing for high ball speeds across the entire face.

To optimize performance, the Apex Pro ’24 irons employ a progressive face design. This design ensures that long irons deliver powerful shots with enhanced distance and forgiveness, thanks to the inclusion of a Forged 455 face cup. On the other hand, the short irons are equipped with a consistent forged 1025 face plate, specifically engineered to provide precise control with scoring clubs. This combination of distance and control makes the Apex Pro ’24 irons a versatile choice for golfers of all skill levels.

Apex Pro CB

The Most Complete Players Cavity Back

This is where the story gets really fun. It’s no easy task to follow up on an iron like the Apex TCB. The first question I had was why? The 2021 Apex TCB may go down as the best Callaway player CB ever. But that iron didn’t land in EVERY bag, as good as it was. Some players on TOUR preferred the extra help and slightly higher launch of the X-Forged 21 and some wanted something with a bit less off-set. Fair enough.
 
The best players in the world hold themselves and their equipment to the highest standard. And it’s the meticulous attention to detail that separates the elite from the average. In other words, there is something beyond what you see at address that makes these special. Callaway TOUR R&D worked for over two years to implement the specific requests of our TOUR staff to get these JUST RIGHT. Now, to be fair this process always involves feedback from TOUR, but in this case, the effort was more TOUR-facing than ever before. The question asked was “How do we develop a TOUR-specific iron first that will attract the better player consumers second?” Usually, it’s the other way around which created in some cases the need for a TOUR-only part like the TCB.

The shape, the transitions, the sole, the blade length, the offset, and the feel are all designed to catch the eye of TOUR players first. So in essence the Apex Pro CB and MB are TOUR CERTIFIED.

Features & Benefits
 
The Apex CB ’24 irons are forged in a 5-step process from 1025 carbon steel the body and face are forged as one-piece while MIM weights placed strategically in the heel and toe create a perfectly balanced design for enhanced workability and control.
 
VS TCB (Photo because I know the question will come:)

Apex Pro MB

ZERO Compromises

If you have been following along closely over the past three years, you will know that the prototyping for the new Apex MB was happening right before our eyes with Maverick McNealy’s TOP GUN Proto.

Now as what you see above and what we have now aren’t exactly carbon copies, as the TG Protos evolved over 2022 and early 2023, we began to see the essence of what is now the Apex MB 24′.

The longer blade length, shallow profile, and straight top line harkened back to popular Japanese forgings from the Mid-90s and had all the gearheads going nuts.

Now we land on Today, and for what it’s worth these irons may be the sickest looking Muscle Backs I have seen in YEARS.

The Apex MB ‘24 Irons are designed to cater to the needs of top-tier golfers who demand exceptional performance from their equipment. These irons feature the innovative Dynamic Sole Design, which ensures improved interaction with the turf, allowing for more efficient shots. This design also enhances the workability of the irons, giving players greater control over their shots.

The Apex MB ‘24 Irons are crafted to deliver the classic feel that elite players have come to expect. The combination of advanced technology and meticulous craftsmanship results in a club that offers unparalleled precision and feedback. With these irons in their hands, golfers can confidently execute their shots with the utmost control and finesse.

Whether it’s shaping shots or achieving optimal distance and trajectory, the Apex MB ‘24 Irons provide the tools necessary for players to excel on the course. These irons are a testament to our commitment to pushing the boundaries of performance and delivering the best possible equipment for the most discerning golfers.

Features & Benefits

The Apex MB ’24 irons are designed for golfers who prioritize feel and precision in their iron shots. The body and face of these irons are forged together in a proprietary process using 1025 carbon steel, resulting in a pure and exceptional feel upon impact.

To enhance performance, the Apex MB ’24 irons feature a dual chamfer on the leading edge. This design allows the club to cut through the turf more efficiently, ensuring clean and crisp contact with the ball. Additionally, a trailing edge chamfer provides relief from the turf after impact, further enhancing the overall feel of the iron.

The Dynamic Sole Design of the Apex MB ’24 irons helps maintain speed through the turf, ensuring consistent contact on all shots. This design feature is particularly beneficial for golfers who strike the ball with precision and consistency.

Compared to the other two sets in the Pro line, the Apex MB ’24 irons have very low bounce. The 7-iron, for example, has an effective bounce of 4 degrees. This low-bounce design caters to premiere ball strikers who prefer a more controlled and precise iron play.

R&D with Ryan Ritchie Callaway R&D Manager (Irons)

JW: What was the creative inspiration and process for this line? 

RR: When we set out to create the new Apex ’24 lineup, a big focus was on “modern golf”… What is modern golf? Who is modern golf?…. We dove deep into our heritage and decades of experience, as well as voyage into the future of where we envision the game. During the early stages of conceptualism and identifying Apex with our tour teams, we quickly determined that this lineup needed to be diverse. Modern golf for us, means that the “one-size-fits-all” mentality won’t work. We wanted a lineup that would capture tradition, classic/timeless, and the world’s leading-edge performance. We decided Apex ‘24 would appeal to every player, whether it be LPGA, PGA, JGTO, or Champions. Once we determined who this golfer was, we began our mission to learn as much as possible about each of our players. Each model had a different target golfer in mind, along with different design requirements. However, each model was also designed specifically to allow golfers to interchange models and create the ultimate combo sets. We worked extremely close with our tour players and listened to every little detail that our players and reps gave us.  

JW: With the 21′ product having a ton of success, what were the performance goals of this new line? What did you think needed to improve? 

RR: This whole lineup needed to sound, feel, look, and consistently perform the best. 

For each model, we wanted to maximize our sole performance for improved turf interaction. Each model features some of the most intricate sole features that we’ve ever offered. Not all our players have the same swing dynamics or turf conditions, so we designed each model with different soles to give our players a diverse lineup to choose from. We also wanted to focus on maximizing spin in all our short irons. We improved CG properties and face designs to improve in this area. We chose 1025 steel to forge our faces for improved sound and feel, along with tungsten to manipulate our center of gravities for the needed performance gains we wanted. We knew there was an opportunity to improve how the family of irons stacks up together. We wanted our players to be able to create the ultimate combo set, so we improved how the models work together to allow proper gapping and performance gains where needed. We also wanted to improve our fitting capabilities between each model, by designing our external tungsten weight to be standardized amongst each model. This allows our fitters to easily swap the same weights back and forth and throughout the whole family. We looked at all our shapes, and improved each model; drawing inspiration from our tour players (past and present). We wanted to give our players a long iron option that gave them more speed, but consistent spin robustness, so we created the Pro long irons with a 455 face.

JW: CB vs TCB what would you say is the difference and does the new CB hope to convert those players over?

RR: With the TCB being as successful as it was, we derived the CB from the TCB iron. We took the old TCB and reviewed it with a fine-tooth comb, and voila the CB was born. The first thing we wanted to improve was the construction. The TCB was a two-piece iron that had a forged body and a forged face that was then welded together. At the same time, CB is a one-piece forged iron. The one-piece construction allows for a softer feel, better sound, and improved face performance consistency, while also providing players with the pureness that comes from this construction. The TCB is a major winning iron that has a tour-proven shape, so we used that shape to begin the creation process of the CB iron. Those who love the TCB will find the CB is very similar in size and shape with some small improvements that we felt pushed CB to the top in its class. TCB players will be excited for the transition into CB!

JW: What aspects of the new CB and MB do you think stand out the most? What do you see that a consumer might miss? 

RR: The MB and CB are very exciting products. They share the same spec package, but sticking to our inspiration to be diverse, they are both very different shapes. 

The MB has been years in the making. We’ve been working with Tour on this product for a very long time to bring it to life finally. You’ll notice it has a very traditional blade shape while drawing inspiration from some of our favorite Japanese irons. The MB has a very unique leading-edge geometry. There are actually two reliefs designed into the leading edge. There’s a relief on the face/leading edge and the other on the leading edge/sole. This allows for ultimate turf interaction, especially on tight lies that our PGA players experience. You’ll notice the toe-side of the sole peels away, to accommodate shaft droop and maximize where and how the sole performs with the turf. The MB with its longer blade length and thicker topline, is also surprisingly a very approachable shape than ever before. -It’s the perfect evolution on a traditional blade. 

The CB is an absolute classic and timeless iron. We see this iron as the foundation of Apex. It’s a one-piece forged iron, packed with creative tech to deliver maximum performance. The sole features variable bounce and camber to deliver our player with a  balanced sole centered on the face for maximum sole performance. The CB features a leading edge relief to help players maintain speed through the turf. It has the thinnest topline of all our models, giving you a true players iron look at address. 

Honestly, in my opinion, players are going to have a tough time choosing which of these two irons to play. 

JW: If you had to separate the three who would each iron typically be for? Can you pinpoint that? 

RR: MB = Elite players iron. This iron is a great option for PGA and JGTO but is also very approachable to all low-handicap players.

CB = Elite players iron. This iron will most likely be our workhorse on the PGA.  

PRO = Players iron. LPGA and champions tour. This iron was designed specifically with our LPGA staffers, along with feedback from our champion’s tour. With that said, we’ve surprisingly received lots of interest for this iron from PGA players as well. The 455 face in the long irons offer the ability to give players more speed, height, and distance in their long irons. Players looking to gain distance in their long irons, yet maintain spin and control in their short irons will love this iron set.

TOUR Q&A with Head of Global Tours Jacob Davidson

JW: From a TOUR perspective, what aspect of the new CB/MB was the biggest improvement over previous versions?

JD: When looking at the new CB/MB irons from a TOUR perspective, the most noteworthy improvement over previous versions lies in the individualized optimization of each iron to achieve tour-level launch and spin parameters. Our iron design team worked tirelessly, drawing on an extensive collection of elite player data amassed over the past few years. This data allowed us to assess and fine-tune every club in the set meticulously.

The precision tuning required to meet the exacting demands of tour-level players was a significant challenge, but our iron design team rose to the occasion. They refused to settle for anything less than perfection, and their unwavering commitment to excellence shines through in every aspect of these irons.

I couldn’t be prouder of the dedication and expertise demonstrated by our team, ensuring that each iron in the CB/MB set is optimized to deliver the ultimate performance expected by tour professionals. This attention to detail and relentless pursuit of perfection has resulted in irons that set a new standard in terms of meeting the unique requirements of elite players at the highest level of the game.

JW: If you had to rank these three things in order of importance when it comes to TOUR irons what would it be? Feel, Look, Turf Interaction, Performance

JD

1. Turf Interaction

2. Performance 

3. Look 

4. Feel

JW: Knowing that it is TOUR and serious performance upticks in distance/spin etc. aren’t really a thing in terms of irons, what would compel a player to switch?

JD: Every aspect, from the center of gravity (CG) locations to the sole designs, shaping, spin, and launch characteristics, has been fine-tuned to provide unparalleled performance. No part of these irons was overlooked in the process of making them tour-optimized, making them stand out as a truly exceptional option in the market.

JW: With the success of the TCB on TOUR the new CB seems to be more of a catch-all for the players that were in X-Forged or older models, do you think that’s fair? 

JD: Yes, exactly. We think the CB will check off all the boxes for either a TCB player and or any other previous iron in this category. That was definitely the goal in this process, to create a stand-alone Tour Cavity Back that would satisfy any elite player.

JW: With the addition of Apex Pro, do you think we will see more combo sets out on TOUR? We seem to have an Apex Pro that lives closer to TOUR irons now with a hint of more ball speed and forgiveness in the longer irons.

JD: Absolutely, I would expect us to have a good amount of Ape Pros in long irons. Grillo has already been an early mover in this setup. 

JW: At what point will we see the majority of the new irons go into play and why?

JD: During the summer, we initiated a “soft launch” of these irons, giving players a preview and the chance to test them out. Considering the middle of the season isn’t an ideal time for players to make equipment changes, we focused on introducing the irons for review and familiarization. However, our goal is to work directly with players during their mini off-season after the tour championship, where they have more time to explore equipment options.

It’s crucial for us to engage with players during this period because missing the opportunity to showcase and collaborate with them before the fall season could have significant consequences going into 2023. We want to ensure that they have sufficient exposure to the irons and feel comfortable with their performance before competition resumes.

Currently, many players have already incorporated these new irons into their practice sessions at home, getting accustomed to their characteristics and potential advantages. As part of our ongoing efforts, we are closely monitoring their performance combines, gathering valuable data to gain a comprehensive understanding of any adjustments needed for the irons to be fully optimized and ready for tournament play.

Our dedication to refining these irons, based on real-world feedback and performance data, underscores our commitment to providing the best possible equipment for elite players. Through this process, we aim to fine-tune and perfect the irons, ensuring that they deliver the utmost performance and meet the high standards expected by tour-level golfers.

My Take:

It was last November that I saw the first raw prototypes of the Apex Pro CB/MB. I was able to hit two different iterations of each head, and with each adjustment, they got better and better. The reason? Well for one the feel was unmatched, but ultimately it was the user experience across the board. It was almost like watching Oppenheimer for the first time, I knew how ambitious the plan was, I knew who was in charge of the project and I knew what everyone wanted. It all synced up the moment I hit them. When you imagine what a player’s iron (MB or CB) should feel like it was this. The sound, the way they got through the ground, the launch…everything. I don’t really have much to add as I wouldn’t want to spoil your initial experience. This Apex Pro series was designed by the TOUR for the TOUR, and we get to smack them around too. How cool is that? Are we the first company to do something like this? No. It’s been done a lot, but this time we REALLY got it right.

My new setup:

Apex Pro (4-6) Apex CB (7-11) CBs are bent one strong
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 120
Grips: GP TV 58R 1+1 Logo Down
Std Length, Lie, D3

Specs:

Happy Hunting 🙂

MUCH MORE CONTENT COMING

JDub