Expert Review: Callaway Apex 2021 Hybrid

Published on 03/14/2023 · 4 min readThis review is my honest opinion of the golf club, which I tested in January of 2022.
Jackson Newsum, Golf Expert
By Golf Expert Jackson Newsum

All photos courtesy of Jackson Newsum

About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the golf club, which I tested in January of 2022.

My take

The Callaway Apex 21 Hybrid is a decent hybrid at best. It isn’t too impressive but there are some upsides. This club is geared towards someone shooting in the mid 80s.

About the club I tested

  • Model: 2021 Callaway Apex 21 Hybrid
  • Loft setting: 4 / 21
  • Shaft type: UST MAMIYA RECOIL DART 75 HYB GRAPHITE
  • Shaft flex: Stiff

About me

  • Average score: 76
  • Handicap: 4
  • Experience: 16 years playing golf
  • Right/Left-Handed: Right
  • Typical ball flight: Mid/High
  • Golf ball used: Titleist ProV1
  • Club swing speed: 110-115 mph Driver

Test conditions

  • When I bought the club: January 2022
  • Days tested: 1
  • Where I’ve used it: Simulator
  • Weather and wind conditions: Indoors

How it performs

Distance
4/5
Forgiveness
4/5
Launch
4/5
Feel
3/5
Sound
3/5
Workability
3/5

What I was looking for

I was looking for a hybrid that felt and sounded great. I needed something that satisfied all aspects of a club instead of just the performance itself. To put it simply, I didn’t find it.

Why I chose this club

I initially thought this would be a great club to choose while testing other hybrid; however, I was wrong. I wanted to write a review on this club because it will help others who are looking to buy a hybrid.

What I love about it

  • Distance: The distance was good but nothing special. The Jailbreak A.I. Velocity Blades and A.I. Flash Face definitely help it compete with the leading brands.
  • Forgiveness: Same thing as in the distance category, good but nothing special. It’s not dropping out of the air if I mishit it, but it’s not continuously holding its own on those mishits.
  • Adjustability: Its adjustability allows for specific fitting in case someone needs a loft or lie adjustment.
  • Grip Feel: The grip is just fine, like any other normal grip on clubs I test. It comes with a regular balanced grip that’s not too hard or soft.
  • Launch Angle: The launch angle was just fine, like any other club I’ve tested. While the feel and sound may be lacking, the technology and performance are from the Dual MIM’s Tungsten Weighting.
  • Spin: The weighting also helped out with the spin. I hit this on par 5 greens because the launch and the spin performed as they should.

Issues I’ve encountered

  • Feel: This is where I dislike this club. I can’t get over the hard and somewhat sharp feeling of the Apex 21, especially on mishits. In comparison, I like clubs that feel like butter, and this is the exact opposite. However, I will say that some people may like the feeingl while most will not. For this reason, this is why they need to try out a club before buying it online.
  • Sound: Same as in the feel section. I couldn’t get over how harsh the sound was. It really impacted my game, and trying to hit the ball with this Callaway was hard.
  • Workability: There isn’t too much workability within this club, which is a good thing for most people who shoot in the 80s and 90s. However, as a golfer who shoots in the 70s, I need workability on my hybrid.
  • Shaft Feel: The shaft wasn’t that impressive. I think it’s because I was using a stiff instead of an extra stiff, so people should ensure they get the right shaft!
  • Shaft Performance: Again, the shaft performance was off because I used a stiff instead of an extra stiff. It affected me in many areas of my swing.
  • Aesthetic Appeal: The look from the top of the line doesn’t look that appealing. Even the bottom doesn’t look that nice either.

Best shot with this club

I didn’t really have a “best shot” that felt or performed great. While some shots launched right and went straight, none wowed me.

Value for the money vs. other options

The Apex 21 was not worth its price tag whatsoever. There are so many other better options like the Titleist TS2 and the TaylorMade Stealth to choose from when shopping for a hybrid.

Final verdict

The Callaway Apex 21 Hybrid was not the best club, but not the worst. The performance was there but the feel and sound made it pretty bad in my personal opinion.

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