Expert Review: Callaway Apex MB 2021 Iron
Published on 03/14/2023 · 5 min readThis review is my honest opinion of the irons, which I purchased with my own money in April 2022.
Compact Green Finders. All photos courtesy of Michael V.
About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the irons, which I purchased with my own money in April 2022.
My take
The Callaway Apex MB Iron is a great option for skilled ball-strikers wanting additional accuracy and feel from their higher-lofted irons. Plenty of golfers are buying their irons individually because it allows them to be more particular, and the Apex MB would fit well in a combo iron set.
I did hit the green here.
About the club I own
- Model: 2021 Callaway Apex MB Single Iron
- Loft setting: Delofted 2°
- Shaft type: Aerotech i110 Graphite Shaft
- Shaft flex: Stiff flex
About me
- Average score: <75
- Handicap: 0.7 index
- Experience: 10+ years of playing golf
- Right/Left-Handed: Right-handed
- Typical ball flight: Low knockdown shots to control ball flight
- Golf ball used: Bridgestone Tour B XS, TaylorMade TP5x, Srixon Z Star, Mizuno RB Tour, Titleist AVX
- Club swing speed: >90 mph
Test conditions
- When I bought the club: I bought the Apex MB’s as individual irons, filling out the set in April 2022
- Days tested: 15+ rounds of golf
- Where I’ve used it: On simulators, as well as a dozen courses in the Midwest
- Weather and wind conditions: All types of weather conditions, with the exception of rain
How it performs
What I was looking for
Originally, I was looking for a blade profile that would offer a nice amount of feel and forgiveness. To my surprise, the Apex MBs offered exactly what I was looking for.
Why I chose this club
I chose to go with an Apex MB, Apex Pro combo set for performance. Originally I had a full set of Apex Pros but I did not enjoy the accuracy or feel on the shorter clubs or higher-degree irons. After trying out multiple muscle-back options, It came down to these and TaylorMade’s P7MBs. I liked the weight of the Apex MBs more.
Stay Focused
What I love about it
- Forgiveness: These clubs are not designed to offer forgiveness, and I was okay with that going into the buying decision. For such a small clubhead, I was surprised by how easy it was to get away with missing shots thin.
- Feel: The compact clubhead has a heavier feeling which gives the sensation of more control of the clubface through impact. This exceptional feel makes it easy to control shot shape on well struck shots.
- Sound: The Apex MB irons sound fantastic. With a softer feedback sweet spot, the sound will be more muted. They are designed to show better golfers where exactly their mis-hit was to help them improve their ball striking.
- Workability: There is as much workability as one could ask for. The MB iron is extremely easy to shape shots, and feels made to hit tough and creative shots.
- Adjustability: It is extremely adjustable and the loft and lie angle can be changed as needed.
- Shaft Feel: Being somewhat new to graphite iron shafts, I was impressed with the amount of stability the AeroTech shafts provided. It really compliments smoother swings.
- Shaft Performance: The AeroTech shafts offer the same control and distance as steel. Over time I realized I couldn’t feel the vibrating feeling in my hands when I would take a divot. That is a huge performance boost for golfers with consistent tempos.
- Aesthetic Appeal: The Apex MB’s offer one of the most appealing looking irons available. The extremely thin top line and sole gives it a traditional muscle-back look. The only complaint is that some golfers do not like the look of the weight placed directly behind the club.
- Grip Feel: I decided to put Lamkin Full Cord Grips on the Irons. Full Cord grips feel rough on the hands, but are guaranteed to offer the most grip traction in any weather conditions.
- Launch Angle: The Apex MB irons do launch a bit higher than I would have expected, this is why I delofted my irons by 2 degrees. I prefer a lower launch and changing the loft was a simple solution to dial in my distance and trajectory.
- Spin: Spin Control on any muscle-back iron will be top class. Being able to control the golf ball after it lands is a huge bonus for smaller clubheads.
Issues I’ve encountered
- Distance: I did not get any additional distance out of the Apex MBs and my mis-hits were going considerably less far in comparison to my previous Apex Pro Irons. These irons are made for players that do not need any extra distance.
- Forgiveness: Mis-hits are rare for me with irons, but when I miss shots with these it is obvious.
Best shot with this club
My best shot with an Apex MB iron was on a par 3 around 200 yards uphill. I was extremely close to a hole-in-one, which would have been the second one of my lifetime. I expect to keep getting close with this iron.
Value for the money vs. other options
Callaway’s Apex MB irons are worth the investment. It is a fully-adjustable iron made of premium materials and will last a very long time. If the decision is between a full set, or a partial set that offers more diversity, go with the partial set.
Final verdict
Callaway’s Apex MB irons felt great and offered exceptional accuracy. For this reason I decided to acquire a combo iron set so that I could use the longer Apex Pro irons to have more forgiveness where it is needed. For better golfers who prefer feedback over forgiveness, this is a great option.
