Apex Ai200 Review. The current version of Apex has been around since November, 2020. It’s tired. With the rumors of what is coming, coupled with a 4 year old design, sales have slowed to a non-existent pace. Rightfully so. Smoke has done very well, but that family alone is not enough to carry the number one sticks band in golf. Apex Pro helps, but it is such a small piece of our business. Apex has become the number one forged players distance iron in the game. To say the new version is long awaited is an understatement.

The best way to describe this iron is a look similar to Apex pro, but distance closer to Apex – albeit a little longer. This iron will appear to any feel player, anyone who wants the distance from todays “modern” lofts and ball speeds, and anyone who wants tour level control of their golf ball, but in a more forgiving package.

If we compare specs vs. Old Apex, the lofts are a half degree stronger throughout the set until the PW, where the PW and AW are the same as the Apex 21. The length and lie of the two sets are the same. The offset is similar, but the new set has less throughout the set. Less being in the tenths of a millimeter per club, so for all intents and purposes, it’s the same. Put this into perspective, compared to the Apex Pro, the Ai200 has between .6mm and .2mm more offset. We’re talking tenths of a millimeter here.

There is no 3-iron, SW or LW available for the Apex Ai200.

The stock set has the DG Mid 100 steel shaft or the UST HDC Recoil Dart 80g graphite as the stock options. These shafts are PARALLEL tip. Parallel tip hosel (v. Taper Tip on Apex Pro), and the roughly 3* loft difference make creating an Apex/ Apex Pro mix set not a viable or practical option. After seeing the Ai200, the 9i and PW are a little larger than I would personally like, but the don’t bother me that much – at least not enough to NOT play the set.

As you’ll see, these irons have the look that matches the Apex Pro, and from a size standpoint, they are very close. If you read this and think these sound like a very similar set to Apex Pro, but with todays modern loft package, you’d be spot on. The Ai200 is essentially that club. The Apex Pro for the rest of us. The Apex Pro for the player who needs a little more distance. I was dying to try this set of irons.

FINALLY they came. I only got a partial set in, and I got excited. I can’t help it. 30 years in this business and I still LOVE tinkering with new toys. They came in, and it was almost dark when I got home. OH BOY!! I shouted up the stairs, “Honey. I got new clubs in, I’m going to play a few holes.” So, I threw them in my bag and off I went to see how they perform.

When I hit these in June, they looked good and felt good, but we didn’t have any technology on the range to know how far they were going. I liked the feel and the ball flight and was anxious to see how they actually performed. I assumed (I know, I know, don’t do that) that I would have them in a few days as promised. A few days was 6 weeks. When I got them, the first thing I did was compare the size to the Apex Pro. They are very close to the same size and very similar in appearance.

I’ll dive deeper into how I fit myself for them in the Fitter’s Corner later this morning. For the purposes of this review, I’ll focus on this initial “I’m going to play a few holes session”.

I took the even irons (4-6-8-PW) in both Apex Ai200 and the Apex Pro I had been using. You can probably tell by the past tense of “Apex Pro I had been using” how this story ends.

To Start, I dropped a couple balls on the par 3 behind my house from 125 – a Stock PW with my Apex Mix set. I hit a shot with Apex Pro. It landed on the front edge on a front pin. Maybe 122 or 123. I grabbed the new PW, and it a shot that was past the pin. I grabbed another ball and it it. Same thing. Then another with the same results. To ease my curiosity, I hit a second shot with the Apex Pro, and it did the same thing as the first shot. When I got to the green, all three shots with the new Apex were on the same line, as were the 2 shots with the Apex Pro. I paced them off – 8 yards longer than Apex Pro, and 5 paces past the pin. No putts tonight. I walked to the next tee.

I hit a tee shot on #6 – a par 4, then played 2 shots from 150. One shot from each club. The Apex Pro landed 5 yards short of the target, while the Ai200 was 7-8 yards beyond the target. 8 yards longer with the PW, now 13 yards longer with the 8-iron.

The next hole was a par 3. I played from 175. This was always a stock 6 iron for me. With Apex Pro, I struggled to get it there. Same test – 2 shots. One with each club. Ai 200 first this time. The shot landed past the pin, and was a nice 180 for me. The 6-irons were 16 paces apart, and on the same line. I like this!! The Apex Pro was a good 10 yards short of the target despite being a well struck shot. As I walked to the next hole, my mind began to wander… So on #6 I hit 8 iron with the new head 160, and here I hit 6 iron with the Pro 165. Hmmm Interesting!!

The next hole is a par 5. Long Iron off the tee, Long Iron to lay up of a couple water hazards, then a mid iron in. I stood there thinking I wonder what would happen if I hit 4-iron, 6-iron, 8-iron? Let’s try it. I hit the Ai200 4 iron and hit a laser. 210 that stopped dead in it’s tracks. I don’t carry the Apex Pro 4-iron, so I hit the Apex UW 21*. That shot landed right next to the Apex Ai200 4-iron. Possibilities… I hit the Ai200 6-iron and thought I might have 160 left. Then the Pro. I could tell it was short, but not how much. When I got up there, I had 180 left. Hitting the 8 iron with the Pro would be stupid – I’d be 40 yards short. I knew I couldn’t even get there with the 6-iron, but I thought I’ll give it a try. I tried to hit it hard, hit it a little thin and on the toe. This was my 165 club and I needed 180. At best, I got 150 out of it. Way short of the green. Up the the next ball. 160 with Ai200 8-iron. Easy swing, solid strike, pin high, 10 feet right. So a cumulative test of 4,6,8 irons ended up to 10 feet with the new, and would have been 40 yards short of the target with Apex Pro.

Since this initial test, I’ve played a few nines with the new Irons – under par both times. They go straight, stop, and give the yardage I expect every time. I don’t get any unexpected yardages (particularly overly long). Despite being similar in size to Apex Pro, they seem to be more forgiving. I ordered a set to my specs and I can’t wait to get them. The bottom line? I get a look that I like, the distance that I need, and the precision I demand in a head that doesn’t penalize me if I don’t hit it perfect. What else is there?

As a 2 handicapper, I can’t imagine any good player not giving these a look – regardless of if that player are even in the market or not. This will be a very fun club for you to work with. Your members will love these.

Next week we’ll go through the NEW Apex Ai300.