TESTED: CALLAWAY APEX PRO HYBRID
Cost: $439.99. Tested by: Jimmy Emanuel, Golf Australia Deputy Editor (GA Handicap 9.4)
More than sleek lines from this iron-like hybrid.
MODEL PLAYED: Callaway Apex Pro (3H) with 20˚ loft, fitted with Mitsubishi Chemical MMT 80 HB shaft.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Having owned, and loved, the previous version of the Apex Pro hybrid that was unfortunately stolen, I was very excited to give the new model a comprehensive test.
Immediately, my excitement was justified, with the look of the new model refining the already impressive better player appearance of 2019 model, and the feel a little hotter off the face.
There was a little adjustment period however, as the Apex Pro is truly an iron-like model for the better player and requires a solid and downward blow to get its best results. Having not played much in the lead up to this test, that sort of swing needed a little bit of coaxing out, but once found the results were outstanding.
HOW IT PERFORMED: Callaway’s Apex line is designed for better players across the board, with the standard hybrid the more forgiving, higher launching and adjustable model, whereas the Pro is a glued head, that produces a penetrating ball flight with workability. The latter a much more comfortable hybrid model for me personally.
As mentioned above, there was a small number of early swings that reminded just what was needed to get the best out of the Apex Pro, and a sweeping delivery or just not my best swings produced a low ball flight and even a top or two. But the forgiveness of carry distances on off-centre strikes is an improvement on the 2019 model.
Once past this, the 2021 Apex Pro reminded me just why I enjoyed its predecessor so much.
The flight was extremely strong and workable, particularly from left to right, which made this a perfect club for me on tight driving holes where the short grass was a far more important goal than maximising distance off the tee.
The feel off the face is hotter than the previous model and perhaps slighter higher sounding, but certainly not tinny in any way, while the look at address is exactly what one would expect from a club like the Apex Pro. The high toe and compact head make this an easy club to transition to for golfers still hanging on to hard to hit long irons, while the face sits dead square in every lie, and the 20˚ model tested actually showed quite a lot of loft behind the ball, meaning confidence was raised personally that I didn’t have to do any of the work to get the ball flying on an optimal trajectory.
In terms of distance, the Apex Pro travelled a little further than my equivalent 3-iron option and just short of my 5-wood, exactly where I would want this sort of club to sit, and the ability to hit lower, running shots on harder fairways meant it did the job of a more traditional long iron very effectively.
The Apex Pro hybrid is certainly not for everyone, but for those golfers with some decent swing speed, craving an iron-like hybrid or workable option it certainly fits the bill.
Long disappointed about the disappearance of my 2019 Apex Pro, the performance of the 2021 model eased that pain and with the improvement in feel and new looks, actually surpasses its predecessor for mine.