Callaway NEW APEX standard - 2024?

[RochesterGuy]

Does anyone have any new information on the timing of Callaway's new Standard APEX?

 

APEX Pro has been out for a while now and I have not heard anything recently.

 

 

[phillyspecial]

Last I heard it was "summer", but that info is 1-2 mos old.  

[Aggielefty]

I hope  they come out with new irons.  The latest Callaway release didn't do well at our club.   I have seen very little interest in the new offerings.  It seems that Titleist, Srixon, and Ping were the big winners for us.  

[Lftygolfnut]

21 minutes ago, Aggielefty said:

I hope  they come out with new irons.  The latest Callaway release didn't do well at our club.   I have seen very little interest in the new offerings.  It seems that Titleist, Srixon, and Ping were the big winners for us.  

They seem all over the place chasing different markets with the Paradym, Smoke AI and new pro irons. Leaving a lot on the table with Titleist, Mizuno, Ping, Srixon taking up a LOT of PD marketshare. No one seems to care about the new Apex Pro except for maybe the 3-5 irons. I don’t even see the new CB’s on display at local stores. 
 

Apex 21 is so good and could still compete today with any of them but they could refine it a bit with less offset and thinner top line though. Hope we hear something soon.  

[CDLgolf]

2 hours ago, Lftygolfnut said:

They seem all over the place chasing different markets with the Paradym, Smoke AI and new pro irons. Leaving a lot on the table with Titleist, Mizuno, Ping, Srixon taking up a LOT of PD marketshare. No one seems to care about the new Apex Pro except for maybe the 3-5 irons. I don’t even see the new CB’s on display at local stores. 
 

Apex 21 is so good and could still compete today with any of them but they could refine it a bit with less offset and thinner top line though. Hope we hear something soon.  

 

If they refined the new Apex with less offset and a thinner top line wouldn't that be the Apex pro ?

[Lftygolfnut]

1 hour ago, CDLgolf said:

 

If they refined the new Apex with less offset and a thinner top line wouldn't that be the Apex pro ?

The apex pro has weaker lofts, is more compact. Like what P770 to P790 is. I don’t have exact dimensions but to me Apex 21 offset is very noticeable in long irons and has a thicker top line. Something like a T200 seem sleeker. 

Edited April 23 by Lftygolfnut

[ArcticSound]

3 hours ago, Lftygolfnut said:

They seem all over the place chasing different markets with the Paradym, Smoke AI and new pro irons. Leaving a lot on the table with Titleist, Mizuno, Ping, Srixon taking up a LOT of PD marketshare. No one seems to care about the new Apex Pro except for maybe the 3-5 irons. I don’t even see the new CB’s on display at local stores. 
 

Apex 21 is so good and could still compete today with any of them but they could refine it a bit with less offset and thinner top line though. Hope we hear something soon.  

Yeah, this is such a problem of Callaway’s own making. They actually make some really good irons, but they have so dang many of them that it’s tough for a consumer to figure out which one they should play.

 

I mean, at one point late last year you could get Apex, Apex DCB, Apex Pro, Apex MB, Apex TCB, Paradym, Paradym X, Rogue ST Max, Rogue ST Max OS, Rogue ST Max OS Lite, Rogue ST Pro, Mavrik (22), Big Betha, and Great Big Bertha.

 

That’s insane. How is any consumer (or fitter!) supposed to navigate that matrix? 
 

My personal theory is that this is why a new Apex hasn’t released yet, despite it being rumored for 8-9 months now. I think Callaway might be doing some internal pivoting after realizing that they simply have too many irons in overlapping categories, and are letting Paradym/X fill the gap left by Apex and Apex DCB.

[HalfSet]

57 minutes ago, ArcticSound said:

My personal theory is that this is why a new Apex hasn’t released yet, despite it being rumored for 8-9 months now. I think Callaway might be doing some internal pivoting after realizing that they simply have too many irons in overlapping categories, and are letting Paradym/X fill the gap left by Apex and Apex DCB.

 

100%, wayyyy too many models.

 

Edited April 23 by HalfSet

[AbSWFPGA]

I’ve said this on another thread where someone asked the same question. I work in the industry and was told several times by the local callaway rep there would be no standard apex release this year and that the apex pro this year is closer to the regular standard apex. Which other than the non jacked lofts it sure looks it. It’s much bigger than all other apex pros that have been released.  He said callaway Japan just came out with the x forged and x forged star and thought if the US market got another callaway offering this year it would be the x forged but he was skeptical.

[phillyspecial]

I am playing the 24 Apex Pro.  I came over from Gen5P, but I had played a mixed set of Apex/Apex Pro from the first version until my foray into PXG land.  I really like the Pros, but I yearn for just that extra touch of forgiveness in line with what the P790 and T150s are.  I hope Callaway uses the Apex line to get back to being a direct comparator against this sweet spot in the market.  Save the marketing BS for the Driver/Woods and go all in with Apex for irons.  

[LinkLow]

They need to slim down to about 4 different models

[Jim53]

15 hours ago, Lftygolfnut said:

They seem all over the place chasing different markets with the Paradym, Smoke AI and new pro irons. Leaving a lot on the table with Titleist, Mizuno, Ping, Srixon taking up a LOT of PD marketshare. No one seems to care about the new Apex Pro except for maybe the 3-5 irons. I don’t even see the new CB’s on display at local stores. 
 

Apex 21 is so good and could still compete today with any of them but they could refine it a bit with less offset and thinner top line though. Hope we hear something soon.  

There is a shortage of the APEX CB heads, seems like they had to sell pretty well or they just under ordered in the 1st run. I am waiting for a new set and they said 3-4 weeks which puts them coming around 5- 20 or so from when I ordered.

[Aggielefty]

I am just one consumer. I am sure Callaway is doing great with their iron sales.  I also assume they know what they are doing considering they have built a successful global brand.  But, they have lost me.  I don’t get excited about their new lineup (and I switch all of the time).   I am sure they are all great irons. I am just confused by their lineup.  

 

I would get excited about a US offering of the x-forged irons.  To me, it looks like an iron i would try against a Titleist, Srixon, Mizuno, etc.  

[maowv]

If iron designs were mapped out on the standard Bell Curve, it seems like Callaway is currently holding down both ends but has ignored the middle thus far in 2024.

 

The Apex Pro line introduced 3 new irons clearly targeting the single-digit or better player.

 

The Paradym Smoke line of irons, and whatever is leftover from the Big Bertha/Rogue lineups are targeting the high handicap player.

 

In a year when clubs like the Ping i230 and Titleist T150 are leading the sales charge - Callaway hasn't even put their hat in that ring (yet). Very odd. The 5-15 handicapper is the bulk of premium-priced club sales. Those are the players who will pay the inflated prices for the top end irons. Very odd season from Callaway.

[bcflyguy1]

12 hours ago, ArcticSound said:

I mean, at one point late last year you could get Apex, Apex DCB, Apex Pro, Apex MB, Apex TCB, Paradym, Paradym X, Rogue ST Max, Rogue ST Max OS, Rogue ST Max OS Lite, Rogue ST Pro, Mavrik (22), Big Betha, and Great Big Bertha.

 

That’s insane. How is any consumer (or fitter!) supposed to navigate that matrix? 

Not insanse at all, but rather a business model and an effective one at that. Even when I had all those fitting heads in the case, one of those models clearly ID'd itself as the best option for the customer in every fit I conducted during that time frame; zero doubt on my part or that of the player. That being true tells you it's not rocket science.

 

It's a fitter's job to help the player find the ideal option for each individual player AND, perhaps even more importantly, to know when that option has been found. Doing that when you have MORE options to choose from is much EASIER than trying to shoehorn every consumer into one of a limited number of options. The finer distinguishing details are learned from testing stuff and having other players test stuff. You also need to have somewhat similar options in performance characteristics but different price points because not every customer is willing to max out on the question of "performance costs money; how fast do you want to go?"

 

The solution for the consumer? Get fit up. I get that's easier for some than others, but that's still the solution. It's not what some forum hack who's never seen you hit a shot thinks is best for you and definitely not what any company's marketing department wants you to believe.

 

Edited April 23 by bcflyguy1

[bcflyguy1]

16 minutes ago, maowv said:

If iron designs were mapped out on the standard Bell Curve, it seems like Callaway is currently holding down both ends but has ignored the middle thus far in 2024.

 

The Apex Pro line introduced 3 new irons clearly targeting the single-digit or better player.

 

The Paradym Smoke line of irons, and whatever is leftover from the Big Bertha/Rogue lineups are targeting the high handicap player.

 

In a year when clubs like the Ping i230 and Titleist T150 are leading the sales charge - Callaway hasn't even put their hat in that ring (yet). Very odd. The 5-15 handicapper is the bulk of premium-priced club sales. Those are the players who will pay the inflated prices for the top end irons. Very odd season from Callaway.

They've all been 50 or older, but I've fit multiple mid to low single digit players into Smoke and Smoke HL irons and all have seen their indexes come down. There's plenty of options in the middle, and more to come.

[Urb]

Standard Paradym replaces Apex, IMO.  Performed better at my fitting.

 

Having overlapping models is a common marketing strategy for large companies.  Mine does this in a completely different industry.  We do it so small companies cannot exploit any holes in our offerings to get foothold in the market.

[RochesterGuy]

I hit the standard paradym and I did not like it at all.  I am hoping APEX non pro will take APEX 21 and make it better.

 

 

[RochesterGuy]

I hope we get some news soon.  But I hear late summer too.

[phillyspecial]

8 hours ago, RochesterGuy said:

I hope we get some news soon.  But I hear late summer too.

Just re-confirmed this thru a rep.  He is excited to see them, but later summer.