Tl;dr: Callaway makes a huge selection of iron sets for all types of golfers. Learn more about their most popular irons to fit your swing so you can have more confidence with approach shots.

There isn’t much better than a flushed iron shot. Sure, it’s fun to hit bombs off the tee, but if you can’t follow it up with a good iron shot, it’s pretty frustrating.

While most golfers think the reason they don’t hit more greens is a technique issue, a lot of time it’s playing the wrong clubs. I know this from personal experience — specifically playing irons that weren’t forgiving enough and had the wrong shafts for my swing.

This led to a lot of confusion that sometimes turned to frustration when I couldn’t figure out what was going on. Luckily, a fitter showed me the data, and I quickly realized the equipment wasn’t right for my swing.

Don’t get me wrong — you need a consistent swing, but you also need the right clubs. When I switched to Callaway irons in 2019, it made a big difference almost overnight. I am beyond impressed with their newest lineup. Let’s break down the most popular sets to find out which can help your approach shots.

What Are Callaway Irons?

Callaway is a juggernaut in the golf industry, making everything from drivers, woods, irons, wedges, and putters (through Odyssey Golf). If you’ve been playing this crazy game for a while, chances are you’ve heard of the brand and maybe even played them yourself.

One of their oldest clubs, the Callaway Big Bertha driver, was a staple in my bag in high school. Since 2019 I’ve also played a new Callaway driver each year (perks of being a golf writer) and can’t recommend them enough. The Callaway Paradym Triple Diamond is my favorite driver of all time!

But don’t sleep on their irons, either. They might not have the reputation of Mizuno Golf Gear (known as some of the best clubs in golf), but they are incredibly solid. I recently hit some of the newest sets and can’t believe how good they look and perform. Plus, they have a set of irons for all types of players.

What to Consider When Buying Callaway Iron Sets

When you’re buying new irons, you want to ask yourself these three questions to narrow down your searches.

How Many Clubs Do I Want?

One of the first things to consider when buying a set of irons is the set makeup, aka the different clubs that are included. In the past, most iron sets came with a 3-PW (eight clubs total). However, now most golfers don’t carry a 3-iron, and a lot of them don’t carry a 4-iron either.

In fact, unless you’re a scratch handicap with a consistent golf swing, I wouldn’t recommend it! These clubs are very unforgiving and hard to hit. I’d suggest opting for a driving iron, hybrid, or high-lofted fairway wood instead.

Most sets now come with 4-PW, 5-PW, or 5-GW with the option to buy other wedges as well. Identifying what clubs you need in your new set is step one of the buying process.

What Is My Handicap/Skill Level?

The second thing to consider is your current skill level and golf goals. Do you plan on practicing and playing more this year? Or are you content with your game and looking for the most forgiving, easy-to-hit clubs?

When it comes to irons, the more distance you get, the less playability (aka ability to shape shots) you’ll have. The more playable they are, the less forgiving, so you need to pick the right set based on your swing.

Higher handicap golfers will benefit from distance irons that are classified as game-improvement irons. Mid-handicappers will benefit from cavity back irons that have a good mix of playability, distance, and forgiveness. And lower handicappers will benefit from clubs that are smaller and more playable with some forgiveness.

What Is My Budget?

Lastly, don’t forget to consider the budget, as irons aren’t cheap. Depending on the set you buy, they’ll range from $700-$1,500. The biggest price differentiator is the shafts, as premium steel shafts or graphite can increase the price of the set.

If you have more questions about iron sets, make sure to reach out to a Curated Golf Expert today.

What Are the Different Types of Callaway Irons?

Callaway has a large variety of irons whether you’re a professional, single-digit handicap, average golfer, or beginner. Here are some of the most popular sets.

Callaway Rogue ST Max Combo Set

If you’re someone who needs some help with mishits and prefers hybrids to long irons, this is a tough set to beat. Each set comes with at least two hybrids (3, 4, 5, or even 6H, depending on the set), which are fantastic for mid- to higher-handicap golfers. The hybrids are the Rogue ST Max, which I’ve hit in the past and loved how easy they were to launch.

The irons are the Rogue ST Max, which have more tungsten weighting features (a 260% increase), making them better than the Mavrik set. They also are built for speed and have slightly stronger lofts, making them a distance iron as well.

Benefits

• Four stock shaft options
• Tons of options available for set makeup
• Matching wedges up to a SW — quite rare with combo sets

Be Aware

• The hybrids have non-adjustable hosels
• These are geared toward mid to high handicappers — not a good fit for above-average swing speeds

Callaway 2023 Big Bertha Irons

The Big Bertha series is an iconic lineup from Callaway, and these are some of the easiest clubs to hit. They are easy to swing with incredible feel thanks to the lightweight design, which should help increase ball speed and distance. These irons also have extra tungsten to improve launch and control (more than 43 grams to make it easy to launch them high and land softly on the greens).

Benefits

• Mid-launching, distance irons
• Gap wedge and sand wedge available
• Graphite or lightweight steel shaft options
• The most set options I’ve seen in any iron set (4-PW, 5PW, 6-PW, 7-PW, and wedges can be included as well)

Be Aware

• No combo sets with hybrids
• Only lightweight steel shafts
• Expensive, which is surprising as they’re marketed for high handicappers and players who want maximum forgiveness

Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke

If you’re a mid-handicapper who wants a slightly smaller club head but still offers enough distance, the new Paradym Ai Smoke irons are ideal. They are the first irons to include Ai SmartFace technology to improve speed and face orientation prior to impact position. Callaway analyzed thousands of golfers’ pre-impact data to develop these incredible faces.

The result is a set of clubs that are long and consistent with an incredible shot dispersion. Your mishits are about to get a lot better. Plus, these are also available in an HL (high launch) set as well.

Benefits

• Matching AW, GW, and SW available
• Incredible shot dispersion for distance irons
• Thin toplines and optimized sole widths provide a clean look at address
• New Dynamic Sole Design and pre-worn leading edge improves turf interaction for a clean strike

Be Aware

• Very strong lofts (PW is 42 degrees)
• Not ideal for faster-swinging golfers

Callaway Apex Pro Irons

I played the 2019 version of the Apex irons and absolutely loved them. They were a perfect mix of distance and playability and were forgiving enough on mishits. The newest 2024 models are their best-looking yet thanks to a thin topline and minimalistic clubhead shape.

These irons have a new progressive face design that provides more power with long irons, while the short irons are built for more precision and accuracy. The new sole design has a pre-worn leading edge that also helps improve turf interaction for a clean strike from any lie.

Benefits

• Graphite and steel shaft options
• Awesome sound and improved turf interaction
• Much more forgiving than the Apex CB or Apex MB
• Different set makeups (3-PW, 4-PW, 4-PW, AW, 5-PW, 5-PW, AW)

Be Aware

• No combo set with hybrids
• Expensive — these are some of the higher-priced irons in golf

If you have more questions about any of these iron sets, don’t hesitate to reach out to a Curated Golf Expert today for answers.

Features to Look for in Callaway Golf Irons

Now that you have an overview of the different types of irons, let’s consider three other features to find the right clubs.

Graphite vs. Steel Shafts

The clubheads are important, but don’t forget about the shafts. Choosing the right iron shaft will play a big role in how the club performs in terms of distance, accuracy, and launch. Mid- to high-handicap golfers with average swing speeds will usually perform better with graphite, while faster-swinging golfers — typically low handicappers — should opt for steel for extra control.

Hybrid Combo Set

Callaway has a ton of iron sets that have hybrids instead of long irons — some replace all the way up to a 6-iron. This is an ideal option for golfers who struggle with long-range shots and don’t like the inconsistency of mid- to long irons. Adding a hybrid or two can make a big difference in shot dispersion and hopefully make more birdies on par 5s.

Matching Wedges

Not only does Callaway offer a lot of combo sets with hybrids, but they also offer a lot more wedges than most brands. I’m the type of golfer who likes to play a gap wedge that matches my pitching wedge for extra distance and forgiveness on full shots.

Callaway also has the option for a lot of the sets mentioned above to include a sand wedge. This will make it easier to transition to wedges than if you bought a non-matching club.

How to Choose the Right Callaway Irons

Below are some examples of different types of golfers and what irons would work best for them.

Allen — High Handicap

Allen plays a few times per week but doesn’t break 100 often. He wants distance and forgiveness as his top two qualities above all else in an iron set. He’s also fighting a slice off the tee and with some longer clubs in the bag.

Features Allen should look for:

• Draw biased driver
• Lightweight graphite shafts
• Combo sets that include hybrids

His best picks are the Callaway Big Bertha 23 Irons, Paradym X, or the Rogue ST Max combo set.

Nelson — Mid-Handicap

Nelson is a mid-handicap golfer who shoots in the 80s and sometimes low 90s. He hits it pretty consistently and has an average swing speed. He’s working hard on flushing irons but they’re still a weaker area of his game.

Features Nelson should look for:

• Distance irons
• Cavity back iron set
• 5-PW or 5-GW set makeup

His best pick is the new Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke irons. Or, if he wants to save some money, he could go for the 2023 Paradym irons.

Ron — Scratch Golfer

Ron is a low-handicap golfer and pretty close to being a scratch golfer. He loves to practice and is always working on his game. He uses extra-stiff shafts and loves competing in tournaments at his country club.

Features Ron should look for:

• Heavier steel shafts
• Minimal offset with clubface
• Irons that have more playability features than distance features

His best pick is the Apex Pro or the Apex TCB.

Find the Best Callaway Iron Set for You

The right set of irons can make a big difference in your performance and hopefully lead to lower scores. Callaway is always innovating and has never had more options for all types of golfers and skill levels. It doesn’t matter if you’re Phil Mickelson, Zander Schauffele, or a 20-handicap — they have a set for more consistency.

If you aren’t sure which set of irons is right for you or have more questions, don’t hesitate to contact a Curated Golf Expert today for free, personalized advice to take your game to the next level.