Explore The New Callaway Apex Golf Irons

We’ve seen a number of releases of premium golf irons lately.

We’ve already covered the new TaylorMade P.770 and P.7CB irons, and we’ll give you a full deep dive into the latest releases from PXG and Mizuno in the coming weeks.

However, this article focuses on Callaway Golf’s new Apex Ai200, Apex Ai300, and Apex TiFusion golf irons.

Callaway golf irons offer something for every golfer. However, the Apex lines have been geared more toward the better player, and this likely stems from how Callaway acquired the right to use the Apex title.

Those familiar with Ben Hogan Golf products will likely remember their premium forged iron ranges bearing the name Apex, which can trace its roots back to when Ben Hogan was still one of the best players in the world.

Callaway purchased Ben Hogan Golf in 2003, but the relationship didn’t work, and Ben Hogan Golf was back up for sale in 2012. Callaway was clever. It kept the patents and naming rights for Apex and Edge, opening up the possibility of new product lines under the Callaway banner.

Since then, Callaway has kept the tradition of using the Apex name in various muscle-back blades and player cavity-backs, signifying these golf irons for better players.

Let’s take a deep dive into the new Callaway APEX lineup. We’ll give you everything you need to know about the new Apex range by covering:

• Apex Ai200 Iron
• Apex Ai300 Iron
• Apex TiFusion Iron
• Custom Fitting To Gain The Maximum From Your Apex Irons

Apex Ai200

The Apex Ai200 fits perfectly into the player-distance iron bracket.

At address, the head profile of the Ai200 is more akin to a traditional blade. The head shape is relatively small, with a thin top line and minimal offset, completing the classic blade vibes.

However, Callaway feels the Ai200s are well within the wheelhouse of handicap golfers between 5 and 12. This puts the Ai200 partially in the crosshairs of the new TaylorMade P.770 golf irons but certainly errs towards those players who prefer more classical looks but are packed with technology to aid performance.

So what lies beneath the Ai200 irons?

The obvious place to start is with the clue given to us in the new iron model’s naming - Ai.

Callaway has employed AI in its most recent driver designs, Paradym and the current Paradym Ai Smoke range.

The Ai element crunched hundreds of thousands of data points to determine where golfers of all playing abilities strike the ball on the face.

Once the data has been sorted, Callaway can design a face that delivers consistent ball speed regardless of the strike location.

Callaway had adopted the same principle in the corresponding iron designs, such as the Ai Paradym Smoke irons, but the focus was mainly on gaining distance.

However, since the Apex golf irons aren’t generally designed to improve distance, AI technology has been used to enhance spin and launch numbers to create better-stopping power on the greens.

Golfers will also be able to appreciate the soft feel of the Apex Ai200 golf irons thanks to its soft forged 455 face, creating the feedback that better players demand from their irons.

Sitting behind the face in the hollow and helping to enhance the feel of the new Apex golf irons, Callaway has utilised metal-injected moulding (MIM), a proprietary blend of metals positioned specifically to optimise the centre of gravity in each iron, helping to provide consistent launch and spin figures.

Callaway’s urethane microsphere technology continues in the Apex Ai200 and continues in the Apex Ai300 and TiFusion golf irons.

Urethane microspheres are a buffer to keep feel and acoustics consistent in each iron. When faces are thinned down as much as possible to enhance ball speeds, sound and feel can be lost, which puts some players off even if they are getting more distance.

Urethane microspheres combine urethane material injected with up to 500,000 microspheres, which are strategically positioned behind the face in the hollow and help to provide the feel and sound of a solid body iron.

One final touch is the new Dynamic Sole, which helps improve turf interaction to aid ball striking and maintain trajectory and spin rates to complement the Ai200’s playability. The Dynamic Sole design is also featured in the Ai300 and TiFusion irons.

Apex Ai300

With the Apex Ai300, we see the same technology inside the head as the Apex Ai200, albeit the Apex Ai300 has a bigger hollow filled with more of Callaway’s MIM.

The difference is more visual when comparing the two golf irons. The Apex Ai300 has a bigger footprint behind the ball and a slightly bigger topline compared to the Ai200.

The bigger head profile will make the Ai300 more forgiving, which will appeal more to mid- to higher-handicap golfers. However, the look isn’t so different from the Apex Ai200 that golfers couldn’t consider creating a blended set between the two.

The Apex Ai300 irons are one degree stronger in loft than their Ai200 counterparts, so consistent distance gapping could still be achieved if you opt for a blended set.

Apex Ti Fusion

If you are looking for something striking that will stand out in your golf bag and money is no concern, the Ti Fusion golf iron might interest you.

The obvious detail to note in the Apex Ti Fusion is the black Diamond-Like Coating finish, which looks sensational.

Next is the profile behind the ball. The Apex Ti Fusion has a smaller head than the Apex Ai200. With that smaller head comes less offset, a thinner top line, and a narrower sole, making the Ti Fusion the most player-orientated iron of the three new releases.

The central story for the Apex Ti Fusion is Callaway’s successful fusing of titanium and steel.

Callaway was the first company to launch a titanium driver with the Great Big Bertha in 1995. Callaway found that titanium was lighter and stronger than steel, so clubheads could be made bigger, and golfers would experience faster ball speeds and more distance.

The principle still holds true today. The Apex Ti Fusion Golf Irons features a titanium face for the same reasons: faster ball speeds equal more distance.

Where Callaway has found the edge is successfully fusing the titanium face to a steel chassis without compromising the integrity of the finished product where the join has been made.

Callaway’s brazing process ensures the join is secure and maintains the correct level of flexibility in the face to help boost ball speeds.

Callaway has also found that working with titanium is no problem for its AI technology. In fact, Callaway has found it easier to work with the titanium face compared to forged steel, meaning it creates a more defined Ai Smart Face, further tuning the TiFusion’s forgiveness levels and a more uniform spin and launch pattern for each iron.

Using titanium in the face has also freed up weight, which the Callaway engineers have been able to reposition further away from the face, creating an optimised centre of gravity.

In summary, Callaway has created a striking-looking iron with a head shape traditionally suited for better players. It also has lots of forgiveness and a ball flight that will launch high, spin right, and go the distance.

How Can Custom-Fitted Callaway Irons Improve Your Game?

If we isolate the Apex TiFusion irons for a moment. They will look fantastic in anyone’s golf bag. However, you need to be mindful of the fact that these irons will set you back over £2000.

This is where the challenge lies. What happens if vanity gets the better of common sense and you decide that sexy looks better than practical?

You purchase your Apex TiFusion irons, and you find you are not hitting them any better than your old set, and you get punished for off-centre hits.

Is that the club’s fault?

Not really, but it could mean that these prized irons end up for sale on a second-hand golf club website, with you trying to recoup as much of the original purchase price as you can.

If you want to invest that amount of money in a set of irons, you need to be custom-fitting for them to ensure they perform exactly as they need for your game.

When it comes to golf irons, it isn’t just about choosing the correct head and marrying that to the right golf shaft. A quality fitter will ensure that the irons you choose are cut to the correct length you need and the correct lie angle.

Getting the correct length and lie angle can improve your ball striking and shot dispersion capabilities, enhancing what the iron head and shaft technology already offer.

We’ve said it before, but golfers come in different shapes and sizes, so why should we presume that standard-length and lie irons are the best for our game?

It’s also worth reiterating that you should never adapt your setup or swing to a club that isn’t properly fitted for you.

When fitting the Apex Ai200 and Apex Ai300 irons, the same basic principles apply to getting the correct length and lie for your needs.

The Apex Ai200 and Ai300 irons offer the opportunity to create a blended set. During a custom-fitting session, the fitter will look to see where you can switch from one head to another without creating large distance gaps or seeing any major changes in trajectories or spin rates.

The Ai300 could be better suited for the longer irons, offering a little more forgiveness via a slightly bigger head, more offset, and a friendlier top line. The Ai200s can be used in the shorter irons to provide ultimate workability.

Because the technology is identical between each set, it’s much easier to create a combo set that offers consistent performance from your longest iron to your shortest.

In conclusion, the Apex brand continues the traditions first established by Ben Hogan Golf. Any golf iron bearing the Apex name represents the pinnacle of performance from a forged head.

Callaway has kept true to that principle, creating generations of Apex irons that are aimed at the discerning player who wants the total package of performance, feel, and workability.

The new Apex Ai200 and Apex Ai300 irons continue the tradition but with the added technology of Callaway’s extensive AI-based research to create a new face that improves ball performance and consistency across the face.

The Apex TiFusion offers a different story, further highlighting the ability of Callaway’s engineers. In this instance, Callaway touches on its pioneering success of the past by successfully joining a titanium face to a steel body without compromising on performance.

If you are interested in exploring the new Callaway Apex iron range, book yourself in for a custom fitting session with one of our experienced fitters at Nine By Nine Golf.

Whether you end up with the TiFusions or a combo set of Ai300s and Ai200s, your fitter will ensure you have all the correct information, giving you 100% confidence in your purchase.

You can also explore the Apex range on the Nine By Nine Golf website, where you can also explore the extensive range of custom shafts and golf grips to make your ideal Apex iron set.

Once you place your order, your irons will be built in-house at Nine By Nine Golf and shipped to you quickly.

We’d be happy to help if you have any further questions about the new Apex iron range or the custom fitting process and how it could benefit your golf.