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

The Apex MB was our best blade golf club of the year in 2021, as we loved not only the head’s beautiful straight top and leading-edge shaping, but also the concept of the changeable weight behind the center of the face that makes it possible to swing weight the set for different shaft models and lengths, without shifting the center of gravity location.

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
  • Forgiveness rating:
    1.0
Category: Muscleback blade
Handicap range: Four and below
Construction: Forged from a single piece of 1025 carbon steel
7-Iron loft: 34º
The ‘TCB’ in Callaway Apex 21 TCB stands for Tour Cavity Back. Make no mistake, this is a tour-level iron for elite players only. We say that because the TCB has very little offset, which is a look tour players tend to love, but it also means the center of gravity is further forward. This keeps shots lower and more controlled, but also makes them tougher to launch at anything but above-average swing speeds, especially in the mid and long irons.

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
  • Forgiveness rating
    2.0
Category: Players’
Handicap range: Four and below
Construction:  Forged from a single piece of 1025 carbon steel
7-Iron loft: 34º
Price: £1,099 (s), £1,399 (g) RRP

www.golfgalaxy.com

One of the benefits golf club engineers tout when explaining thin, fast-face, hollow body irons is how these designs provide an increase in launch angle. The big win here is that the extra launch also often translates into increased shot height and a steeper descent angle, which means stronger lofted irons can perform like their weaker lofted counterparts. That means golfers gain ball speed and distance but also get shots to stop upon hitting the green.

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
  • Forgiveness rating
    2.5
Category: Players’ distance
Handicap range: Eight and below
Construction: Forged 1025 hollow body
7-Iron loft: 33º
Price: £1,199 (s), £1299 (g) RRP

www.callawaygolf.com

Callaway might have created the first forged players’ distance irons in a cavity back Apex chassis back in 2014, but they’ve had to sit back and watch as TaylorMade’s P790 iron has utterly dominated the space since. The Paradym is Callaway’s P790; it’s aimed at reasonably consistent club golfers who want the look of a players’ style iron but also one that gives them extra distance.

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
  • Forgiveness rating
    2.5
Category: Players’ Distance
Handicap range: 12 and below
Construction: Hollow body with forged 455 cup face
7-Iron loft: 29°
Price: £1,099 (s), £1,399 (g) RRP

www.callawaygolf.com

The Apex 21 hovers brilliantly between the players’ distance and mid-handicap iron categories meaning it can confidently slip into the hands of golfers sat on either side of the fence.

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
  • Forgiveness rating:
    3.0
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
Price: £1,199 (s), £1,299 (g) RRP

www.callawaygolf.com

The Callaway Paradym X was our test pro’s third-longest mid-handicap iron, but also produced the lowest backspin, joint lowest peak height and shallowest descent angle of any iron within the category, which could be cause for concern depending on your swing and launch characteristics.

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
  • Forgiveness rating:
    3.0
Category: Mid-handicap distance iron
Handicap range: 18 and below
Construction:  Hollow body with forged 455 cup face
7-Iron loft: 30.5º
Price: £849 (s), £1,049 (g) RRP

www.callawaygolf.com

Callaway’s cast mid-handicap irons haven’t been ‘lookers’ for a few years. But, at this end of the market, performance is much more relevant than appearance.

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
  • Forgiveness rating:
    3.5
Category: Mid-handicap
Handicap range: 20 and below
Construction: Cast with 450 stainless steel cup face
7-Iron loft: 27.5º
Price: £1,099 (s), £1,399 (g) RRP

www.callawaygolf.com

We love how Callaway have opened the forged Apex family up to more club golfers with the cracking Apex DCB (Deep Cavity Back); it’s exactly what a lot of average players hanker after.

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
  • Forgiveness rating
    3.5
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 the best Callaway irons compare in terms of launch monitor data

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.   

The Srixon Z-Star is our test ball for 2023

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.

Neil Wain is the Today's Golfer golf test professional.

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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