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Over the past few seasons, my favorite clubs have been from Callaway. I’ve been using the Apex CF16 irons as of late but in this post, I’m going to be reviewing the Callaway Apex Pro 16 irons and talking about whether or not they’re worth picking up.
Long story short, these irons were awesome when they were struck pure and they’d be best for lower handicap players. I think these clubs are awesome for the golfer who doesn’t struggle to hit the sweet spot. When struck pure, they have a great sound and feel to them and the distance is respectable as well. They’re great for workability (drawing/fading) and the longer irons are designed for higher ball flight (and lower for short irons), which a lot of professionals prefer. If that’s you, I think these clubs could be an awesome fit.
One thing I will mention is that they’re probably not the best for mid to high handicaps because they don’t have the most forgiveness and the head is a bit smaller than most. If you wanted the full details or to know what irons we liked the best, continue reading,
Callaway Apex Pro First Impressions
Just like the name says, these clubs are the pro version of the Apex irons. They’re slightly smaller than the CF 16 irons and are specifically designed for low handicaps who prefer forged irons (I’m not a low handicap but I do prefer forged irons).
From what I understand, the long irons are designed for higher launches and the short irons are designed for lower launches. Apparently, the Tour players prefer this, but the average player probably wouldn’t.
I noticed that these irons have a shorter and thinner face compared to the CF 16 irons. The Pro irons were a bit softer compared to the CF16’s and that gave me a bit less distance. The size was perfect for me and what I like (I’m not the biggest fan of the big fat irons).
I don’t really like the sound and feel of the cavity back irons that are designed as a game improvement iron. These irons are much smaller and they feel and sound a lot better. Good for scratch golfers, not so much for beginners.
I really like the way the Apex irons feel and I like them a lot more than the competition from Taylormade and Titleist. They aren’t too light and they’re not too heavy. They feel balanced and solid when you make contact.
How Did The Irons Perform
The first thing I noticed was that these clubs weren’t the best when it comes to forgiveness. Obviously, since they’re for low handicap players, forgiveness isn’t what they’re looking for and that’s why they’re designed that way.
When you put a lot of forgiveness in irons it’ll take away some of the playability (and that’s what better players are looking for).
I don’t always hit my irons in the sweet spot so I didn’t get the best results with these irons, but when I struck them pure the distance was good (not quite as far as any other irons).
They were a bit softer than my CF16 irons (which I didn’t mind) but that impacted the distance a bit. Here’s a demo video:
Even though they didn’t have the most distance and they weren’t the most forgiving, I personally felt like I had a lot of control. If I wanted to keep the ball low, I could. If I wanted to put a slight draw on the ball, I could.
Who Are They Best For/Not For
In my experience, these irons are definitely for the scratch or low handicap player who prefers workability (fade/draw) over distance and forgiveness.
They’re also going to be suited for someone who likes a softer feel at impact.
If you don’t want the softer feel you should stick with the Apex CF16 irons. If you’re like me and don’t always hit your irons flush I’d probably recommend a different iron.
There are a lot of good game-improvement irons on the market but here are a couple of my favorites. That being said, if you’re super consistent I really think you’d like the Apex irons.
Pros
- The long irons had a higher launch.
- The short irons had a lower launch.
- They had a great sound and feel to them through impact.
- They provided great workability.
- The distance was decent when struck pure.
Cons
- They aren’t the best in terms of forgiveness.
- They have a smaller head (I liked but a lot of people don’t).
- They aren’t the best for mid to high handicaps in my opinion.
The Breakdown
- Performance score: 9
- Price score: 6
- Sound and feel score: 9
- Personal score: 8
My Final Thoughts
Overall, I really liked these clubs when I struck them pure and would highly recommend them to anyone who doesn’t need a whole lot of forgiveness in their clubs. They aren’t a cheap set of irons so I’d only recommend them if you have the money lying around or you plan on using them often.
If you’re a mid to high handicap I’d recommend you go with something else. The Apex Pro irons won’t give you enough forgiveness and you’ll probably get more distance out of something else. You can see our favorites below.