The Callaway Apex CF 19 irons continue the Apex reputation for premium forged irons that use the latest technology combined with great looks.
These mid-sized heads do look the business with a matt chrome finish, but underneath there is a lot of new technology.
The chassis is forged from 1025 Carbon Steel and in front of this in the 3 to 8 irons is a 360 Face Cup, which has a shallow flexible rim and variable face thickness to give you as much ball speed as possible.
This is the sort of design that you normally see in game improvement distance irons, but with advances in technology, you are now also seeing it in better player irons like the Apex.
However it is what is in the cavity that makes the Apex stand out. To improve the forgiveness, Callaway has used Metal Injection Moulding to forge a tungsten weight into the cavity in the optimum position for each iron in the set.
In the chassis of the head there is a pocket for the tungsten weight to be inserted to help retain ball speed on off centre hits.
Hollow cavity back irons tend to sound a little more hollow, so the Apex 19 irons use Urethane Microspheres to dampen the nasty vibrations.
We first saw this in the Callaway Rogue irons last year and the Microspheres are little air pockets that improve the sound, and hence feel, without affecting the speed of the face.
Compared to the previous Apex CF 16 irons, the Apex 19 version did sound better and this is one of the key selling points of the Apex range.
Apex irons are also renowned for their feel and for a cavity back iron, this was excellent right through the set, even with the transition in head construction at 8 to 9 iron.
There seemed to be a little less offset on the 19 version and the rounded sole shape is still there, but less noticeable than before which I prefer.
The shorter irons from 9-iron downwards have also been made a little more compact than before for aesthetic reasons, as Callaway felt they looked a little oversized.
This makes them about the same size as the more blade style Apex Pro 19 irons, which I am not sure about, as I would have preferred the extra forgiveness.
However they are not frighteningly small and should offer a bit more versatility for control if you like that sort of stuff.
What this does mean is that the Apex 19 irons are really aimed at single figure golfers who will appreciate classic looks from a forged iron.
Callaway Apex CF 19 Irons Verdict
The Apex 19 irons are the latest premium, high tech iron to hit the market, so the price is pretty steep, which is probably the only negative here.
The looks are better than most of the other irons in this category and the Apex 19 combine that forged blade feel with the forgiveness that better players secretly want.
Therefore, I am going to go with my heart over my head here and recommend the Callaway Apex 19 irons to you. They will probably have a longer life cycle than most and I reckon I could justify the cost if I get them custom fitted as I would keep them for longer.
Feel free to use that excuse too, if you think you can get away with it.