Iron manufacturing used to be a simple, straightforward operation. The respective alloys were either forged or cast, then hand finished and sorted to form a set. The year 2018 saw huge gains in irons, particularly in high-performance irons or what the market now refers to as “players’ distance irons.” These irons, in the recent past, were made from two or more types of metal joined together in multiple processes.
Last year saw the explosion on the market of the hollow performance iron. Constructed similarly to a fairway wood, the clubhead is also made in multiple pieces that are joined together. Some companies use some sort of foam to increase performance and improve feel, others do not.
One company that hasn’t given up on the original high-performance iron concept is Callaway. Henrik Stenson still plays an older set of Callaway Legacy Black irons. The predecessor of that club was brought to the world market as the Diablo Forged irons. It enjoyed cult success among golf geeks for its good looks, powerful performance and forgiving nature.
The Diablo Forged iron had a soft carbon steel chassis onto which was welded a high-strength, high-speed, stainless-steel face. Polymer was added to the cavity to filter out undesirable feedback and Callaway had a winner.
The Apex CF 16 added Cup Face Technology to improve performance on impacts lower on the clubface. Callaway took a full three years to improve the design because it was so good. The new iron seems to be worth the wait.
Built on a 1025 forged carbon steel chassis, the Apex Forged iron exudes a timeless, classic and very premium aesthetic. The intention of this iteration of Apex is to increase both ball speed and control, particularly in the short irons.
Callaway’s 360 Face Cup technology provides ample distance, but thin faces without some measure of internal support often feel unpleasant to hit. To counter this, Callaway injects urethane microspheres, which start as a liquid, into the cavity of the iron to improve the sound and feel of the club without limiting ball speed or face flex.
Callaway also uses MIM (metal injection moldings), which first appeared in the 2017 Epic iron, as well as last year’s Rogue release. Each piece is custom designed for shape, size, density (ratio of steel to tungsten) and location to push the CG lower in long irons and higher in short irons.
The problem with modern players’ distance irons is that the thin faces that give you all that ball speed also take away the spin that you need to stop a ball on the green. To that end, Callaway developed Spin Control VFT (variable face thickness) to add spin back to shots, which otherwise wouldn’t have enough spin to maintain proper distance.
For the golfer that perhaps needs a bit less assistance but wants more than a traditional forging can offer, Callaway has also introduced the Apex Pro 19. This iron distinguishes itself from the standard Apex primarily via size and shaping. What’s notable for Callaway is the full complement of distance technologies it packaged into such a small, sleek, attractive package. Callaway employed some very clever engineering and used every distance-oriented technology in its arsenal in this iron, including 360 Face Cup, VFT, urethane microspheres and MIM.
Again, MIM is used for precise CG location, and urethane microspheres work to support, but not limit face flex and thus ball speed. VFT pairs with 360 Face Cup for maximum ball speed in the 3-6 irons, but Callaway chose a slightly slower faceplate in the 8-P to add back a bit of spin and therefore, control to the short irons.
The Apex Forged irons are also available in a combo set with Apex in 3-7 irons and Apex Pro in 8-wedge. The Apex Pro irons in the combo set have a different sole shape, camber and loft sequence to better match the turf interaction and distance gapping of the standard Apex.
Due out in the Philippines this month, the Apex Forged irons look to make waves on Philippine shores.