Callaway Apex CF16 - BEST. IRONS. EVER......

[mgwlee]

Is anybody playiong the Apex combo? How is that combo?

[Willisiam]

I was fitted for these as my next step up but decided to go for a reach pro set. Amazing jeons

[cavanagh]

I play combos and love them great set and perfect gapping

[TaylorGreen]

Is anybody playiong the Apex combo? How is that combo?

I play the combos and they are great. Have not noticed any gapping issues between the 7 and 8 iron (which is where the CF16 and Apex Pro switch). Also love the satin finish that is standard on the combo set. The short irons (Apex Pro's) are very manageable. So much so that I've often wondered if I should have just gotten the Pro's. That being said the forgiveness in the mid-long irons is hard to beat and I don't think you're losing that much in either looks and just a little less workability. Hey, I'm a middling 8-9 HC so forgiveness is always going to be my friend.

[Ripken08]

OP here. Still playing the irons, BUT as my swing is improving I am having issues with the turf interaction. Ground is really hard here and fairways are tight. I have a set of Pros in transit to see if they do better. I can always mix and match although gapping might be an issue. We'll see!

[Burquiser]

These are great irons!

[Golf4lifer]

OP here. Still playing the irons, BUT as my swing is improving I am having issues with the turf interaction. Ground is really hard here and fairways are tight. I have a set of Pros in transit to see if they do better. I can always mix and match although gapping might be an issue. We'll see!

 

Just my opinion, but as I started improving my swing the CF 16's became more troublesome for me. But man oh man am I loving the pro 16's. Great feel, great distance, and easily workable. I have the 4-gw and the CF 16 3 iron and this won't change.

[ajhume]

Just got fitted for the combo set 4-PW. Going with (4-7) Apex CF16 and (8-P) Pro's with the KBS C Taper 120's.

 

Anyone who is playing the combo have any insight into the difference between 7 and 8 irons yardage wise and if you had to add another wedge? Currently roll with 60, 56, 52 but might have to go 50, 55, 60 to keep the 5 degree gap consistent from the 9 iron.

[mgwlee]

Is anybody playiong the Apex combo? How is that combo?

I play the combos and they are great. Have not noticed any gapping issues between the 7 and 8 iron (which is where the CF16 and Apex Pro switch). Also love the satin finish that is standard on the combo set. The short irons (Apex Pro's) are very manageable. So much so that I've often wondered if I should have just gotten the Pro's. That being said the forgiveness in the mid-long irons is hard to beat and I don't think you're losing that much in either looks and just a little less workability. Hey, I'm a middling 8-9 HC so forgiveness is always going to be my friend.

 

I am playing from a 6 handicap and forgiveness is also what I like.

Now I am looking for the right shaft so far the KBS tour is the one but I am stil going to try the Nippon modus 105 and the C taper lite.

[carn9698]

They tested great for me, but their short blade length puts me off. Personally I like that longer.

[500DayWar]

Is anybody playiong the Apex combo? How is that combo?

I play the combos and they are great. Have not noticed any gapping issues between the 7 and 8 iron (which is where the CF16 and Apex Pro switch). Also love the satin finish that is standard on the combo set. The short irons (Apex Pro's) are very manageable. So much so that I've often wondered if I should have just gotten the Pro's. That being said the forgiveness in the mid-long irons is hard to beat and I don't think you're losing that much in either looks and just a little less workability. Hey, I'm a middling 8-9 HC so forgiveness is always going to be my friend.

 

I am playing from a 6 handicap and forgiveness is also what I like.

Now I am looking for the right shaft so far the KBS tour is the one but I am stil going to try the Nippon modus 105 and the C taper lite.

 

 

My handicap is pretty similar to yours (5.1 actually) and I play the regular CF16s with the C Taper Lite shaft in X flex. I absolutely love this combination. Great feeling and I can hit as hard as I want. The ball goes pretty straight too. Did I say how much I absolutely love this combination? LOL!!

[SoCalTitleist]

Cally Preowned has an iron sale right now.

[mgwlee]

Is anybody playiong the Apex combo? How is that combo?

I play the combos and they are great. Have not noticed any gapping issues between the 7 and 8 iron (which is where the CF16 and Apex Pro switch). Also love the satin finish that is standard on the combo set. The short irons (Apex Pro's) are very manageable. So much so that I've often wondered if I should have just gotten the Pro's. That being said the forgiveness in the mid-long irons is hard to beat and I don't think you're losing that much in either looks and just a little less workability. Hey, I'm a middling 8-9 HC so forgiveness is always going to be my friend.

 

I am playing from a 6 handicap and forgiveness is also what I like.

Now I am looking for the right shaft so far the KBS tour is the one but I am stil going to try the Nippon modus 105 and the C taper lite.

 

 

My handicap is pretty similar to yours (5.1 actually) and I play the regular CF16s with the C Taper Lite shaft in X flex. I absolutely love this combination. Great feeling and I can hit as hard as I want. The ball goes pretty straight too. Did I say how much I absolutely love this combination? LOL!!

 

I just tested the 3 shafts and I liked them all, not one went very high (ballooning). I am going to do more testing and offcourse also on the course.

[Double Dutch]

Stil loving my CF16's. Hit 6 out of 9 GIR last weekend.

Not once have I had any inclination to try a combo set, the regular apex short irons and wedges set up beautifully to me. I even took my Vokeys out of the bag and now carry 10 irons: 3-9, P,A,S wedges. Although most of the time I just take a half set for easier carrying.

[flog2]

just to throw it out there I went for the older Apex after trying the cf16's and they are just as easy to hit, just as forgiving, make a slightly better sound and dont have the occasional huge distance shot, and half the price of the cf16. justsaying

[bigmoneyp]

Thinking of going to these from RBZ Tours. Are the CF16s more or less forgiving or the same?

[GolfyGolfy]

OP here. Still playing the irons, BUT as my swing is improving I am having issues with the turf interaction. Ground is really hard here and fairways are tight. I have a set of Pros in transit to see if they do better. I can always mix and match although gapping might be an issue. We'll see!

 

Just my opinion, but as I started improving my swing the CF 16's became more troublesome for me. But man oh man am I loving the pro 16's. Great feel, great distance, and easily workable. I have the 4-gw and the CF 16 3 iron and this won't change.

 

Why are they more troublesome as you improve your swing? Sounds like there are some low handicappers that are enjoying them. What aren't they doing?

[Golf4lifer]

OP here. Still playing the irons, BUT as my swing is improving I am having issues with the turf interaction. Ground is really hard here and fairways are tight. I have a set of Pros in transit to see if they do better. I can always mix and match although gapping might be an issue. We'll see!

 

Just my opinion, but as I started improving my swing the CF 16's became more troublesome for me. But man oh man am I loving the pro 16's. Great feel, great distance, and easily workable. I have the 4-gw and the CF 16 3 iron and this won't change.

 

Why are they more troublesome as you improve your swing? Sounds like there are some low handicappers that are enjoying them. What aren't they doing?

 

Distance control was troublesome for me. My gapping was all screwed up with these irons and I had issues at the bottom of my bag.

 

Now with the pro model I have much better gapping and distance control. To me, the pros look better and feel better.

 

I can't say what the others are doing. All I know is they didn't work for my game.

[RainShadow]

just to throw it out there I went for the older Apex after trying the cf16's and they are just as easy to hit, just as forgiving, make a slightly better sound and dont have the occasional huge distance shot, and half the price of the cf16. justsaying

Funny, I get the occasional jumper from my '14 Apex irons. I was under the impression the '16's solved that issue.

[A-Train780]

I went from the Apex Pro's 14 to the CF16. I am definitely going back to the old Pro's. I think part of my issue is the shaft/set up but I don't have nearly the same distance control with the CF16s. I do think these irons are good but a bit overhyped.

[pmcuk]

Has anyone compared these to the M1 irons? I don't really care about the distance but I would like some help if I toe it.

 

 

Yes - with regular graphite shafts. Kurt Kage in M1, Matrix Program F15 in CF16s. Slightly better figures with the M1 - 5 yds more length, a bit more height.

 

In terms of feel the M1 is quite good - but it's rather soft and dead. The CF16 is lively and very pleasant to hit. In terms of shafts, the Matrix Program outclasses everything out there including Recoils. The Fubuki AT is close - another Callaway option.

 

Tried the 900HM with its standard graphite shaft. Didn't like it. Nothing special and the PX graphite shafts were dead and unresponsive.

 

CF16 and Matrix Program by a mile. Nicest clubs I've ever swung in graphite.

 

 

 

 

.

[SilverBullets]

I think I am at about 15 (+/- 1) rounds with my CF-16s now. In those rounds, I have only had 1 swing which felt like a jumper and went way further than I thought. It was also on a ball which wasn't struck particularly well. I am assuming the ball released with a little spin for whatever reason.

 

Other than that, these irons have been smooth sailing and a welcome addition to my bag. This past Sunday I hit 14 greens in regulation despite hitting just 8 fairways off the tee (3 of those misses ended up in the desert and I put it on the green 2 out of the 3 times I was in the desert). I continue to be amazed at how easy these things are launch and how straight they fly. A couple weeks prior I hit 13 greens in regulation. Those numbers are rounds which with my old AP2s happened once every 2-3 years. It's now happened twice in a month. My GIR % has increased from 45% to nearly 60% in the 15 or so rounds. I'm a believer in these irons. My misses are better, my good shots are better and my scores are better.

 

I will say the irons aren't perfect. My biggest knock is the gap between the 8i and 7i. This is the transition between the cup face and the non cup face. I'm hitting the 7i around 180 but the 8i around 165. It's a big gap. I don't struggle with being able to take 5 or so yards off a club, but, I would prefer if I didn't have too. It hasn't negatively impacted me at this point (mainly because I can take 5 to 10 yards off a swing) but it's a gap I wish I didnt have. I also don't want to bend the 8i-pw a degree strong because I really want the scoring clubs to remain as easy to hit as they are.

 

The next thing I struggle with is hitting a bump and run with these. The sole is wider than I am used to the face seems more springy than I used too. Those touch shot bump and runs are really a challenge for me with these irons. Luckily, I carry a 'desert' wedge which is an old Vokey PW that is beat to hell and I use on those rocky desert lies so I don't mess up my other clubs. I have resorted to using this for bump and run chips.

 

Other than that, I really have no complaints and am thrilled with the performance of these irons. The numbers really speak for themselves in terms of assisting my golf game.

[deltapapatango]

Yeah I got some of these and see a big distance change in 8 to 7.

 

Went from AP2 with PX6.0LZ to CF16 with PX6.0LZ looking for same playability with a little more forgiveness. The CF16 feel mushy and distance control is an issue. Very forgiving but i cant hold any greens with them. Went back to AP2 as they are far more consistent.

[6thFairway]

I'm still playing the 2014 Apex. Based on newer technology Callaway has adopted, I'm interested in seeing the next gen of Apex (maybe late this year?) I wonder if they will include an exocage.

[SilverBullets]

Yeah I got some of these and see a big distance change in 8 to 7.

 

Went from AP2 with PX6.0LZ to CF16 with PX6.0LZ looking for same playability with a little more forgiveness. The CF16 feel mushy and distance control is an issue. Very forgiving but i cant hold any greens with them. Went back to AP2 as they are far more consistent.

 

I hit the ball pretty high. So for me, I really haven't had issues with holding greens (I am also playing in the Desert where the greens are generally very hard). Even with long irons, I launch them high. Most of the time, my approach shots with full swing irons have resulted in bouncing once and hopping maybe 5-10 feet forward then stopping. These irons certainly do not spin as much as the AP2s did (for me that's a function of the loft changes and likely shaft change). So I am not backing anything up (though I really didn't back up the AP2s either, they would just land dead on the greens and not move) but I am not having issues holding greens. They just land, take a hop and stop. I hit them high enough that the decrease in spin has been negated by the angle of descent. I will say, however, instead of my pitch mark being right next to the ball, it's now 5 or so feet away. There are times, where I don't catch it completely clean/pure and the pitch mark will be 15-20 feet in front of the ball. With that said, when I was fitted, my AP2s were spinning WAY too much. I think my 6i spin with the AP2 was sitting around 7500 on average. With the APEX it moved down to 5800-6000 average. So I am still spinning them and am spinning them in the more 'optimal range'. I certainly could see if I were more of a low/mid launch iron player where holding greens could be an issue with the lower spin. But I haven't found that to be the case whatsoever for my swing. Again, everyone's swing is very different and these things will react differently for every player. But as a higher ball hitter, I have not had issues with holding greens.

 

I agree with you on the feel though. The AP2s felt significantly better than the APEXs do. I have become used to the feel of the APEXs but they are a bit mushy and generally lack feedback. Good and bad swings feel relatively similar off the face.

[deltapapatango]

Anybody go with a heavy iron shaft in the CF16? I don't want to give up on them yet. Maybe thinking of Modus3 125 X SS1 and see if they improve feel for me.

[SilverBullets]

Anybody go with a heavy iron shaft in the CF16? I don't want to give up on them yet. Maybe thinking of Modus3 125 X SS1 and see if they improve feel for me.

 

I have the Nippon Modus3 T 125 X. I didn't hit them with anything but heavy shafts (hit them with the DDG S400, X100 and the Modus 125X). So I can't compare how they feel with lighter vs. heavy shafts. I had the S400 in my AP2s and the APEXs do not feel as good as the AP2s did.

[deltapapatango]

A little more forgiving though? Did you go back to AP2?

[gallas2]

I came from Miura 501's in KBS to Apex KBS tour 90 after an injury and can concur with most of what has already been said above. For me it is worth the payoff re lack of distance control and buttery feel (right now.........this is wrx though so wait a week and I reserve the right to change my mind :cheesy:) .

 

We've had a horrible winter in the PNW so conditions are still very soft and I find the Apex offer better turf interaction. Haven't hit a fat shot in weeks and the ones that are a groove fat still find the front of the green. The feel is something to get used to but I kinda like it.......having played Pings for years I'm not that fussy if I'm constantly having 15-20 foot birdie putts. We can't post scores right now but I'd easily be down to a 4 from a 5 if we were.

[golf0101]

The cf16 have shown a 3-4 week backorder on the Callaway website for like 2 months now. Anyone know if these will be back in stock soon? I may just wait for the next version at this point.