Best Callaway Irons 2024
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Which Callaway irons are best for your game? This is your guide to each iron in Callaway’s line-up, who they are aimed at, and how they performed when tested by our pro.
JUMP TO: Best Callaway Irons | How we tested | The data | Buying advice & FAQs
Callaway, like most of the biggest manufacturers, have multiple irons in their line-up. But which Callaway iron is best for your game? To answer that question, we tested them all so we could compare the data and identify which Callaway iron will be best for different types of golfers and with different handicap levels.
If you’re not sure which manufacturer you want to invest in, check out our pick of the overall best golf irons.
Some Callaway irons are aimed squarely at tour pros and truly elite golfers, while other models are a lot more forgiving, with high-handicap golfers or slow swing speeds in mind.
Best Callaway blade iron: Callaway Apex MB Irons
Best Callaway iron for very good golfers: Callaway Apex 21 TCB Irons
Best forged Callaway iron: Callaway Apex Pro Irons
Best Callaway iron for good players wanting distance: Callaway Paradym Irons
Fastest ball speed of any Callaway iron: Callaway Paradym X Irons
Best combination of strong distance and accuracy: Callaway Rogue ST Max Irons
Best Callaway iron for slow swings: Callaway Apex 21 DCB Irons
Best Callaway Irons
www.callawaygolf.com
However, as gorgeous as the Callaway Apex MBs are, think very seriously before putting a set in play yourself. Only 10% of tour pros use muscleback blades nowadays; even Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele choose the slightly more forgiving cavity-back Callaway Apex TCB.
If you find yourself drawn to this beautiful blade, it goes without saying you need to be a very consistent ball striker, just like six-time Major champ Phil Mickelson who has a set in his bag.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking traditional iron lofts mean higher peak heights and steeper descent angles; our data shows the stronger lofted and hollow body Callaway Apex 21 Pro outperformed the MB on both counts.
Read our full Callaway Apex 21 MB iron review.
Pros
- A beautiful-looking iron
- Very controllable and workable
- Consistent performance on pure strikes
- Exceptional feel
Cons
- Unforgiving
- Shorter distances than any other model
| Category: | Muscleback blade |
| Handicap range: | Four and below |
| Construction: | Forged from a single piece of 1025 carbon steel |
| 7-Iron loft: | 34º |
www.callawaygolf.com
Our data shows the Callaway Apex MB, TCB and Pro are all pretty evenly matched for carry distance, but also highlights how, from a slightly stronger loft, the Pro actually launches and flights shots higher with a steeper descent angle than the other two. The Callaway Apex Pro will be a more friendly and enjoyable set to live with on the golf course for the vast majority of decent club golfers.
Read our full Callaway Apex 21 TCB iron review.
Pros
- Used by some of the world’s best golfers
- Looks at address will suit good golfers
- Good speed and distance from a weak loft
Cons
- Other models offer more forgiveness
- No good for average swing speeds
| Category: | Players’ |
| Handicap range: | Four and below |
| Construction: | Forged from a single piece of 1025 carbon steel |
| 7-Iron loft: | 34º |
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Our data for the Apex 21 Pro completely supports that theory, but what really impresses us about this cracking hollow body design (which some golfers feel can give less shot-to-shot consistency) is how over the several times we’ve tested it, the model has given our test pro a tight and consistent carry distance drop-off and shot dispersion area, which many wouldn’t expect from a hollow body model.
See the Apex 21 Pro as one of the most forgiving players’ irons available and you won’t be far off the mark.
Read our full Callaway Apex 21 Pro iron review.
Pros
- Our favourite Callaway iron for looks
- Hugely consistent performance
- Decent forgiveness
Cons
- Fairly weak loft means other models generate more distance
- Likely to be replaced soon
| Category: | Players’ distance |
| Handicap range: | Eight and below |
| Construction: | Forged 1025 hollow body |
| 7-Iron loft: | 33º |
www.callawaygolf.com
With a 29° loft in the 7-iron, the Paradym is one of the strongest loft irons within the players’ distance category, which means if you’re hitting several on a launch monitor the model is likely to be amongst the very fastest and longest. Expect a cracking P790-like head shape, plus good impact sound and feel.
If having the very latest equipment is important to you, remember Callaway franchises like the Mavrik, Epic and Rogue usually only sick around for a single year, so next year the Paradym could feel a bit old hat. The Apex 21 models which typically have a longer life expectancy are likely to be updated later this year too.
Read our full Callaway Paradym irons review.
Pros
- Strong distances
- Very tight shot grouping
- Nice sound and feel
Cons
- Quite a low launch
- Tends to have a short shelf-life
| Category: | Players’ Distance |
| Handicap range: | 12 and below |
| Construction: | Hollow body with forged 455 cup face |
| 7-Iron loft: | 29° |
www.callawaygolf.com
The model wasn’t quite our fastest or longest players’ distance iron this year, but even though they’re two years old we’d still love a set in our bag as they’re a brilliant all-rounder and will be for years to come.
If your swing speed is anywhere close to 75 mph with a 7-iron, we’d seriously recommend having a look at the more forgiving Callaway Apex 21 DCB, which comes with an easier-to-launch lighter shaft.
Read our full Callaway Apex 21 iron review.
Pros
- Very versatile
- Good for improving golfers
- Shots stop surprisingly quickly on the green
Cons
- Not ideal for slow swing speeds
- Likely to be replaced soon
| Category: | Players’ distance to mid-handicap iron |
| Handicap range: | 14 and below |
| Construction: | Forged 1025 carbon steel with AI Face Cup |
| 7-Iron loft: | 30.5º |
www.callawaygolf.com
In the right hands, it’s a powerful and forgiving hollow body iron, but at slower clubhead speeds it may be hard to flight and stop shots on the green successfully.
Read our full Callaway Paradym X iron review.
Pros
- Fastest ball speeds
- Longest distances
- Good forgiveness
Cons
- Shots don’t stop quickly upon landing
- Not ideal for slow swings
| Category: | Mid-handicap distance iron |
| Handicap range: | 18 and below |
| Construction: | Hollow body with forged 455 cup face |
| 7-Iron loft: | 30.5º |
www.callawaygolf.com
The Callaway Rogue ST Max heads are chunky, with a wider top edge than most of the competition, and the face has a natural tendency to roll shut at address. But those are the exact traits that boost forgiveness on off-center hits and help golfers eliminate weak right-sided shots (for a right-handed golfer) that end up short and right of the green, often in a bunker.
The Rogue ST Max produced the joint-longest carry distance of any Callaway iron at 194 yards with a 7-iron. That shouldn’t be a big surprise, given the very strong 27.5º loft, but what’s most impressive is the total shot area was the third-tightest and only marginally bigger than the Apex MB and Paradym. An easy-to-hit iron that produces great distance and accuracy, the Rogue ST Max will be a great performer for a wide range of golfers.
Read our full Callaway Rogue ST Max iron review.
Pros
- Strong distances
- Very tight shot grouping
- Good for a wide range of handicaps
Cons
- Quite chunky
- Less workable than sleeker models
| Category: | Mid-handicap |
| Handicap range: | 20 and below |
| Construction: | Cast with 450 stainless steel cup face |
| 7-Iron loft: | 27.5º |
www.callawaygolf.com
By using different weight shafts for each Apex model (the Pro have Elevate 115g shafts, the Apex 21 are Elevate 95g, and the DCB are Elevate 85g), the DCB are perfect for average swing speed players.
Read our full Callaway Apex 21 DCB iron review.
Pros
- Good for average and slow swing speeds
- Lightweight shafts
- Very forgiving
Cons
- Quite a thick topline
- Feel and sound not comparable to smaller models
| Category: | Mid-handicap |
| Handicap range: | 20 and below |
| Construction: | Forged 1025 carbon steel with AI Face Cup |
| 7-Iron loft: | 30º |
Launch monitor data: How the best Callaway irons compared
How we tested the best Callaway irons
To test golf equipment, we create a controlled indoor environment at Keele Golf Centre and use a premium tour-level golf ball (the Srixon Z-Star). We collect all the data from every shot hit, using a Foresight GC Quad launch monitor.
Why do we use a Srixon Z-Star golf ball?
It would be easy to use just one test golf ball brand every year, but that inevitably leads to criticism for being too closely aligned to one manufacturer, especially if that brand’s equipment performs particularly well. To ensure fairness we like to switch manufacturers for the Top Gear test ball each year. For 2023 we’ve used the Srizon Z-Star.
The brand have just revealed their eighth-generation model, and Srixon General Manager Brian Schielke says “finding the right ball for your game is just as important as finding the right irons or driver, it’s the one piece of equipment you use on every single shot”.
Thanks to the previous Z-Star mopping up 31 wins across all tour global tours last year (that’s 15.5% of the wins available) we know the model is trusted by the world’s very best.
Why do we use a pro tester?
Speak to any golf club engineer about product testing and they all talk about needing a repeatable, reliable strike to offer any sort of valuable comparison. So, whilst we accept not all of the equipment included within our tests was designed for our test pro, what our data shows is a great comparison of how clubs in each particular category differ, which is hugely valuable in helping you narrow your choice as a consumer.
We tested 83 different 7-irons, during which our test pro missed a target green at 170 to 200 yards no more than a dozen times. He got a hole-in-one, lipped out, and hit the flag several times, he also loves hitting golf balls all day long. In short, Neil Wain is the perfect club tester due to his consistency in delivering accurate and reliable comparative data.
We would of course always recommend attending a proper fitting session, to ensure any purchase is tailored to your game.
Buying advice & FAQs
What are the most forgiving Callaway irons?
The Callaway Apex 21 DCB irons are the most forgiving model in Callaway’s line-up. The Callaway Rogue ST Max and Callaway Paradym X are also worth considering if forgiveness is a key factor for you.
Which Callaway clubs are best for high handicappers?
When it comes to irons, the Callaway Apex 21 DCB will be best for most high handicappers and particularly those with slower swing speeds.
What handicap is Apex 21 irons?
The Callaway Apex 21 irons are very versatile and good for golfers with handicaps in the mid-teens all the way down to very good golfers.
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