Brands like to claim these days that every new product they release is 'innovative' and 'ground-breaking', but Callaway's new Apex UW does seem to have entered into a previously unexplored category for golf clubs which may go some way to aiding golfers with a troublesome part of their bag.
The Apex UW is a high-performance Utility Wood which is part fairway wood, part hybrid. It combines the best aspects of both in a more neutral ball flight which comes as a result of input from some of the world's best players including Phil Mickelson, who has had this club in the bag since July.
Callaway says that the Apex UW is a club that can be relied on from the tee, fairway or the rough.
As you'd expect, the new utility wood is jam-packed with Callaway's best technologies to give you the launch, distance and control you need for hitting off the tee or into the greens.
Jailbreak AI Velocity Blades are engineered to provide more vertical stiffness near the sole of the club, which creates more speed lower on the face - a common mishit for players with their hybrids or fairways.
These blades are designed to allow the Face Cup to flex on the crown for better spin consistency, and the bars are spread to give more torsional stiffness which gives more forgiveness across the face.
Like with the Epic metalwood range that was released earlier this year, the Apex UW gets its ball speeds from the AI designed Flash Face SS21 and Forged Face Cup.
The face design for every loft is designed using this AI, and it puts more emphasis on ball speeds right across the face to give you better results when you don't hit it out of the middle.
The AI face is forged with a high strength C300 maraging steel, which promotes the speed and spin consistency across the face.
Each head in the Apex UW lineup features an average of 18 grams of MIM Tungsten Weighting. The centre of gravity has been positioned in a neutral location to provide an ideal combination of high launch, steeper landing angles, consistent spin characteristics and a reduced draw bias.
Callaway testing has resulted in '17% tighter downrange dispersion' compared to the Apex Pro 19 Hybrid, giving you the accuracy that you need to hit fairways or find greens from distance.
The clubhead shaping, whilst a little unique, comes as a result of direct feedback from the likes of Mickelson and Olympic gold medallist Xander Schauffele.
The compact profile is said to allow better players more freedom to shape their shots with enhanced control.
The Callaway Apex UW is available from 20th January 2022 and will be priced at £299. It is available in lofts of 17°, 19° and 21°.
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