Callaway Apex Utility Iron

Just so everyone knows, utility irons (driving irons) are not designed for everyone. They are designed more towards the better/lower handicap player. These clubs have the look and feel of a longer iron, while being a little bit more bulky and forgiving. Another plus on driving irons is that they are extremely workable! A better player will be looking for a club that they can hit like a hybrid (nice and high) or keep it low and under the wind for maximum distance. Callaway says this club is for better golfers who are looking to: replace their fairway wood/hybrids with a more versatile option off the tee or replace their long irons from a less-forgiving set to add speed and forgiveness. Now it is time to get into the technology which makes this utility iron just fly!

Callaway used their “forged face cup design”, the same technology used in their fairway woods and hybrids. This technology helps the face flex more consistently across a larger area, thus making the sweet spot larger. Not only does this mean a bigger area to hit it clean, but will also create much higher ball speeds than a traditional long iron.

After figuring out how to make the club give off higher ball speeds, they had to find a way to make it both forgiving and versatile. First, a tungsten screw was added to the sole of the club to add weight. Adding weight lowers the center of gravity (CG), meaning it will raise the launch angle on hits. Just because the launch is higher does not mean the ball will balloon in the air, it still gives a low penetrating ball flight making it extremely versatile. This gives you, the player, the ability to get a ball flight higher than a low iron, as well as a low stinger option to keep the ball under trees/wind. This club is made to be forgiving with the head being a hollow body construction. In other words, this club is cavity-backed.

Opinion:

This club looks absolutely amazing, everything is exactly how a driving iron should look! From the side it looks just like a longer iron, while at address you can see how this club is forgiving by the width alone. The only look I did not find pleasing to the eye was the tungsten weight on the sole of the club. I understand why Callaway added the weight but I wish they could have hid it inside the head. This way it would have a much cleaner look all around. The performance from this club was much better than I thought it would be. I figured my ball flight would be extremely low with an tremendous amount of run, but the ball actually pierces through the air, looking more like a long iron. I compared the 3 utility iron to the new Apex MB 3-iron and saw that my ball flight was actually higher with the utility iron and much further! It also was easier to hit a variety of shots with it. Whether I was hitting a low stinging draw or just a baby cut, the ball performed exactly how I wanted with more distance than I had anticipated. As much as I loved hitting this club, it just is not the right club for me. I am better off with a smaller head hybrid than a driving iron because I just am not good enough to hit one of these even though I am below a 10 handicap. This club is meant for the elite players who are below a 5 handicap and have a high spin rate. The club is great, just not for me at this time.