Callaway Apex 19 and Apex Pro 19 Irons Review

January 4, 2019 | by AmateurGolf.com Staff

Callaway Apex 19 Irons (Callaway photo)

Callaway's updated performance irons create extra ball speed without sacrificing precision and feel

When you think of performance irons, air bubbles don’t often come to mind. There are millions of them inside the head of Callaway’s new Apex 19 irons, however, and it’s part of what produces the trademark soft feel.

The Apex irons are made of a forged carbon steel body plus urethane microspheres that incorporate over a million tiny air pockets. Those work to absorb vibrations through a golf swing while never slowing the face. It’s a beautiful combination in terms of preserving precision and feel.

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Apex 19 Iron (Callaway photo)

“As we go up in the performance of the face in this model relative to previous Apex irons, we get greater ball speed but the flexibility of the face that creates that extra ball speed is also now a bit of a problem for the feel of the iron unless you control it in more aggressive ways," says Dr. Alan Hocknell, senior VP of research and development for Callaway. "That’s why we’ve added our urethane microsphere materials into the cavity of this iron,”

The majority of the body is made of a forged 1025 mild carbon steel. Advanced MIM’D Tungsten Weighing further enhances scoring performance, and also allowed Callaway to precisely locate the CG position in each iron while maintaining the flexibility of the Face Cup for optimum launch and control.

The Apex line has undergone some amount of evolution to reach its current look and feel. It’s a player’s iron known for distance, but its careful shaping and platinum chrome finish also make it an attractive weapon.

While the Apex line is tagged as the ultimate forged player’s distance iron, the Apex Pro 19 irons take performance a step further for those that prefer a more compact cavity back set.

A key takeaway is that the launch of the new version of Apex Pro creates a completely new category for Callaway. The Apex Pro 19 irons are the company’s first-ever forged Tour performance irons with advanced distance technologies. It’s the iron for better players who want all the benefits of a Tour-level design without sacrificing ball speed or distance.

We tried them at a recent launch event. Maybe it was the beauty of the finish, a buffed chrome that will have even the most traditional cavity back players oohing and ahhing. But even with that psychological boost of just "wanting" to hit them well, there was no denying the feel of the Apex Pro 19 is that of a single forging. (Remember those microspheres? They are crucial in preserving a traditional forged feel on Apex Pro 19.) Whether off a tee with a mid iron or off the turf with a short iron, these irons perform.

The size and shape of Apex Pro 19 are right in the single digit handicapper's wheelhouse, and the distance and launch are a sweet bonus.

Here's everything you need to know about Apex and Apex Pro 19:

KEY FEATURES AND BENEFITS – APEX 19 IRONS

Extremely Soft Feel
Callaway has created a new standard for incredibly soft feel from a forged 1025 mild carbon steel body, and for the first time ever has engineered its proprietary urethane microspheres into a forged iron. The carbon steel body promotes amazing Apex sound and feel, and the urethane microspheres consist of over one million tiny air pockets that absorb unwanted vibration without slowing the face.

Long, Consistent Distance With Playability
Callaway's renowned 360 Face Cup employs a shallow, flexible rim around the perimeter of the face that flexes and releases at impact to promote fast ball speed for consistent distance on center hits and off-center hits. In the short irons, the spin control VFT Face is designed for aggressive shot-making in your scoring clubs. This is a distance breakthrough for a forged iron.

Optimum Ball Flight and Control
The tungsten-infused, multi-material construction allows Callaway to locate the position of the CG in each iron with extraordinary precision while maintaining the flexibility of the Face Cup. This promotes optimum launch, ball flight, and pinpoint control for scoring performance through the set.

Premium Craftsmanship and Components
Apex is expertly crafted with a beautiful players shape, a platinum chrome finish and premium components, including a new True Temper Elevate 95 Shaft and Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 Grips.

Availability
The Apex 19 Irons will be available to the public on Jan. 25, 2019. A steel-shafted set retails for $1,399 while a graphite-shafted set retails for $1,499.

KEY FEATURES AND BENEFITS – APEX PRO 19 IRONS

Extremely Soft Feel
Callaway has created a new standard for incredibly soft feel from a forged 1025 mild carbon steel body, and for the first time ever we’ve engineered our proprietary urethane microspheres into a forged iron. The 1025 carbon steel body promotes amazing Apex sound and feel, and the urethane microspheres consist of over one million tiny air pockets that absorb unwanted vibration without slowing the face.

Apex Pro 19 Iron (Callaway photo)

Long, Consistent Distance With Playability In A Tour Performance Iron
For the first time ever, Callaway has engineered its renowned 360 Face Cup into a Tour performance iron. Face Cup employs a shallow, flexible rim around the perimeter of the face that flexes and releases at impact to promote fast ball speed for consistent distance on center hits and offcenter hits. In the short irons, the spin control VFT Face is designed for pinpoint shot-making in your scoring clubs.

Optimum Ball Flight and Control
The multi-material construction allows Callaway to infuse on average 50 grams of Tungsten into each iron, so it can locate the CG in each iron with extraordinary precision while maintaining the flexibility of the Face Cup. This tungsten promotes optimal shot-making, ball flight, and control for scoring performance through the set.

Tour Influenced Shaping and Design
This is a classic look that the best players want to see with a straighter leading edge, higher toe, thin top line, and a smooth hosel transition. Their extensive input played a significant role in how Callaway designed this set with a beautiful Tour performance shape.

Availability
The Apex Pro 19 Irons will be available to the public on Jan. 25, 2019. A steel-shafted set will retail at $1,399.

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