About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the irons, which I purchased with my own money in January of 2022.

My take

Callaway’s Apex Pro 2021 Irons are a great option for golfers that want the look of a blade with additional forgiveness and distance. It has a compact, player’s distance profile with a thin top line.

About the clubs I own

• Model: Callaway Apex Pro Irons 2021 3-PW
• Loft setting: 2 degrees strong loft setting
• Shaft type/Flex: Mitsubishi Metal Mesh Tech 85g Regular; Aerotech i110g Stiff Flex

About me

• Average score: Under 75
• Handicap: 0.7
• Experience: 10+ years of golf
• Right/Left-Handed: Right-handed
• Typical ball flight: I prefer to hit low knockdown shots to control ball flight
• Golf ball used: Bridgestone Tour B XS, TaylorMade TP5x, Srixon Z-Star, Mizuno RB Tour, and Titleist AVX
• Club swing speed: Over 90mph (irons)

Test conditions

• When I bought the club: January 2022
• Days tested: About 50 rounds
• Where I’ve used it: Arizona climates at my favorite course, Rancho Mañana. I have also been using the irons to dial in distances in simulators and playing local courses in the Midwest
• Weather and wind conditions: Every type of weather conditions

How they perform

What I was looking for

I first started my iron search with cavity backs after a five-year hiatus from the game. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I could play with the same clubhead design and get much more forgiveness and distance than I used to. The Apex Pros have a traditional blade profile in look, and they offer the comfort and forgiveness that I was looking for.

Why I chose this club

I chose the Apex Pro Irons for their feel and performance. I wanted a thin top line, a club that would offer plenty of distance, and still be able to shape shots how I intended. I bought the Apex Pros without considering any other options.

What I love about it

• Distance: The clubs offer exceptional distance for a more compact clubhead. They’re great for off the tee box.
• Forgiveness: The surprise of these irons lies within their forgiveness: consistent distances on mishits and minimal spin on heel or toe strikes.
• Feel: They are wonderful-feeling irons. Soft-feedback sweet spots offer the compressing sweet-spot feel that is hard to replicate. However, a wide sole will deter better golfers who don’t play out of the rough too often.
• Sound: It has a crisp-sounding sweet spot; I am able to tell where the ball is struck on the face.
• Adjustability: They are as adjustable as irons come; I am able to bend lofts and change lie angle.
• Shaft Feel: The Apex Pros felt great in both Mitsubishi’s MMT shafts and Aerotech shafts.
• Shaft Performance: The Mitsubishi MMT shafts perform with a bit softer of a feel. The Aerotech shafts are firmer and stiffer.
• Aesthetic Appeal: They are very aesthetically pleasing clubs. They have a simple design and are a traditional-looking club at address.
• Grip Feel: The CPX Golf Pride grips are extremely soft while offering better grip traction. It performs effectively in all weather conditions.
• Launch Angle: The launch angle was easy to control. Changing trajectory is easy—high ball flight on full swings.
• Spin: Spin is very controllable with these irons. There’s less spin on the long irons and more on the short. They are effective for tee shots to roll and for approach shots to hit and stick.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Workability: The sole is a bit wider than images show. It is not as easy to shape the ball with the higher-degree irons. A heavier sole makes it harder to hit rescue shots.

Best shot with this club

My best shot is always my next one. My favorite shot with the Apex Pro irons was early this year—from 225 yards out, in a bunker, having to carry trees. After an awful tee shot on a par 5, I was able to recover and have a great putt at eagle. Picking the ball clean out of the sand, getting the loft I needed to carry the trees, and getting the roll out I needed to get close enough to the pin.

Value for the money vs. other options

The Apex Pros offer a great value for what I am paying. It is fairly and equivalently priced when comparing feel and performance to other player’s distance profile irons such as TaylorMade’s P790s.

Final verdict

The Apex Pros are a great fit for mid-handicappers who strike the ball well, or for low-handicappers wanting additional forgiveness. I ended up going with the Apex Muscle Backs for the 5-PW for better feel and accuracy, while keeping the 3- and 4-iron for distance.