Callaway

What it does: At first glance, this replacement for Callaway’s X Forged CB appears strikingly similar to its predecessor. However, the Apex TCB has distinct differences. Chief among them is a decidedly classic look, with a relatively straight leading edge, thin topline and a hosel transition that would appear to come straight from the tour. (It actually did. The feedback provided by the company’s tour staff played an important role in the shaping of this iron.) The result is a more compact shape and less offset than the X Forged CB. What hasn’t changed is the 1025 carbon-steel body and a face plate that uses varying thicknesses to promote consistent performance over a larger area of the hitting surface.

Why we like it: When targeting players who can discern small differences, doing so subtly instead of explicitly makes a difference. Callaway has done that here. Although the club has a visible external weight, the internal metal-injection-moulded tungsten weight, invisible to the eye, helps locate the centre of gravity in each iron with pinpoint precision to achieve the proper ball flight for each club. The lofts also are a degree weaker to help with distance control.

7-iron loft 34 degrees pw loft 46 degrees