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In this review, I’ll be taking a look at the Callaway Apex Ai200 irons.
The Ai200 is one of the most forgiving Apex irons Callaway offers. Classified as a player’s distance iron, it’s designed to deliver both length and controllability in a hollow-body design, with a tour-caliber feel that will appeal to many better players.
How does the Apex Ai200 actually perform when put to the test? How does it compare with the other 2024 Apex models? Is it worth putting a set in the bag?
Here’s what will be covered in the review:
Read on to find out what you need to know to make an informed purchase.
Note: Unless otherwise stated, stock shafts and stock grips are used when evaluating this club. In most cases, the golf clubs reviewed on Golfstead are acquired temporarily for testing purposes and are not purchased. The review that follows is based on the personal experience and research of the author. Because everyone’s swing and body are different, results with a particular club may differ from person to person.
What are the reviews like?
The Apex Ai200 irons have received critical acclaim and enjoy average ratings of 5/5 (100% recommended) on the Callaway store and 5/5 at Global Golf. Critics praise the irons for their combination of performance and forgiveness.
What People Like
- amazing soft feel
- good workability
- puts out plenty of distance
- great forgiveness
- balanced feel through the swing
- does everything well
What People Don’t Like
- on the pricey side
- doesn’t truly excel in any particular area
The Features
Like the Apex Pro 24 and Apex Ti Fusion, the Apex Ai200 iron has a forged hollow-body design with a forged face.
Ai Smart Face
The Apex Ai200 irons carry forward the new Ai Smart Face technology first introduced in the Paradym Ai Smoke irons.
This face was developed using artificial intelligence and uses data (swing speed, face orientation, club delivery) from real golfers. It’s designed to maximize ball speeds across the face, tighten dispersions, and produce more consistent spin.
455 Face Cup
With the Apex Ai200, a forged 455 Face Cup is found through the entire set.
Made of a high-strength stainless steel, it not only contributes to high ball speeds and power across the face, but also creates a tour-caliber feel and sound.
MIM Back Weight
A metal-injection molded (MIM) back weight allows club fitters to find a swing weight that works best for you. It also allows for consistent visuals when building a mixed set with Callaway’s other Apex 24 models.
The Apex Ai200 irons also benefit from a Dynamic Sole for easier and more consistent turf interaction, and urethane microspheres which help produce a quieter impact sound.
Stock Info
The Apex Ai200 irons come in 4-AW (21°-48°). Sets and singles are available.
The iron is also available as part of an Apex Sweet Spot Combo Set which consists of Ai200 short irons (7-AW) and Ai300 long irons.
The stock shaft options are the UST Mamiya Recoil DART HDC 80 in graphite and the True Temper Dynamic Gold Mid 100 in steel. The stock grip is the Golf Pride Z-Grip.
If you’re interested, more information on shafts, grips and other customizations can be found here.
Below are the specs of the Apex Ai200 irons (click to enlarge):
The Performance
In the sections that follow, I’ll talk about my experience with the Apex Ai200 irons. Let’s jump right in.
Distance
Distance-wise, the Apex Ai200 irons perform pretty much as I expected relative to the Apex Pro 24.
The launch angle tends to be lower (by about 2-3° on average) and the spin is significantly lower — I was getting RPMs in the high 4000s with the 7-iron. Spin rates seemed just right for me in the mid and long irons, but I could see some slower swingers wanting more help.
All of this adds up to excellent carry and excellent total distance that rivals a full-fledged game-improvement iron.
Forgiveness
The Apex Ai200 can be considered the second most forgiving iron in the 2024 Apex line behind the Apex Ai300. The forgiveness is also comparable to the slimmer Apex Ti Fusion.
The results during my field test bore this out. This forgiving players’ distance iron preserves distance, spin and trajectories well in mis-hit regions — I was particularly impressed with performance low on the face.
The hollow body construction undoubtedly keeps ball speeds relatively consistent across the face. My ball flights tended not to stray too far offline unless I made contact near the perimeter of the face.
Playability/Trajectory
When hit solidly, trajectories with the Apex Ai200 irons are mid-low. Spin is definitely on the low side. I found during my testing that the ball flight was pretty neutral, with no draw or fade bias either way.
These irons have some workability, but not much. They’re mainly designed for consistently high ball speeds and a pure players’ feel.
Many slower swingers may find it difficult to get a high enough trajectory with the long irons, and the power isn’t terribly useful when it comes to using the shorter irons around the green.
Having said this, these irons are extremely playable in the sense that better players can produce very consistent and reliable results from shot to shot.
The Look
Compared to the Ai300, the Apex Ai200 has a blade shape that is more compact.
As a players’ distance iron, the top line is thicker than the Apex Pro 24, with more offset, stronger lofts, and slightly wider soles. It’s a little too chunky for my tastes, but the overall look is not unusual for this type of iron.
The luxurious satin finish of the iron and the clean design on the back, with the black MIM weight and logo positioning, is aesthetically consistent with the other models in the Apex 24 line with the exception of the Ti Fusion.
The Sound & Feel
The Apex Ai200 irons deliver an amazingly soft feel at impact, especially when you make center contact. The softness of the feel is similar to the Apex Pro 24, with maybe just a touch more responsiveness from the hollow-body design.
The sound can be described as a little bit sharp and on the quiet side. Feel in mis-hit areas (heel or toe) is firmer than center strikes, but the feel is noticeably more consistent across the face compared to the Pro and CB models.
As with the other Apex irons, urethane microspheres in this club help to reduce much of the harsh feel that you typically experience with players’ irons. Turf interaction is clean and smooth.
Where To Buy These Irons Online
If you want a brand new set of (or individual) Apex Ai200 irons with custom shafts, grips, lengths, lofts, lies, etc., definitely head over to this page on the official Callaway website.
You can get the Apex Sweet Spot Combo Set, which contains Apex Ai200 irons, here.
The Ai200 irons are pretty expensive. If you want to find good savings, you can look on eBay. Alternatively, check out what’s available at Global Golf.
Final Thoughts
Callaway’s Apex Ai200 is one of the most forgiving players’ distance irons out on the market, with one of the thickest profiles I’ve seen for a hollow-body club.
Ball speeds, distance, forgiveness, consistency, and feel are all things you get in spades with this iron. It does, however, come at the cost of lower launch and a lower spin, and some stopping power is sacrificed compared to the more players-oriented models in the Apex line.
Ultimately, the Apex Ai200 should be best suited for high single-digit or low teen handicaps. This model is not my personal cup of tea, but many golfers will find tremendous success with it.
Are you interested in the Apex Ai200 irons? Have you played them? What’s your experience? Tell us about it in the comments below.
