The removable weight in the back is great. I like midsize grips and graphite shafts so my swing weight is always wonky. Not anymore. I got a combo set of Pros, CB and MB and they are spot on - no lead tape!! Kudos to Callaway
So a fantastic review. mizuno canceled my order for jpx 923s, and I've been looking to take my business elsewhere. when I saw these clubs they jumped to me more than anything else. I was on the fence between the 200 and 300. your review was so well done it answered all my questions and more. I'll be going with the AI200s. going to hit them this weekend and make sure my specs fit into these but super excited now. thank you for the video.
I am a lefty new to golf. About 20 lessons in. AI 300 sounds good for me. What does mix and match clubs doing for the player ? How and when do I know when I should upgrade to these? Thank you😊
Welcome to golf! Blending different irons into one set can give you the positive attributes of each. In this case, the Ai 300 is bigger and easier to hit, and for many people it will produce a higher ball flight, so that’s great for long irons. When you get closer to the hole and are more interested in precision and control, going with something else, like Ai 200, might provide that. The best way to find the ideal irons for you is to find a good custom fitter and hit a wide variety of them using a large monitor. A good fitter can blend two different types into one cohesive set. - DD
Thanks David - very clear and easy to follow. I am right there at around a 9+ -10 hc - playing a mixed Apex 19 set now - going to go test these tomorrow!
@@DavidDusek - After the fitting, I bought the Ai 200's - got a great deal on the bonus trade ins with my old Apex 19 pro's which convinced me - excited to get them soon!
I think they are both in the conversation when it comes to a club that straddles the line between better player distance iron and game improvement club. I would also include the new Mizuno JPX Hot Metal Pro in that discussion. - DD
Thanks Dave...excellent review. I currently play to an 11 index and will definitely give the Apex Ai200s a try. Also want to hit the Titleist T200s and the new Taylor Made P770s. That said, I may not be a good enough ball striker to play the 770s :(
I recently made a video on the P770 (ruclips.net/video/4fcy3mZ6dcE/видео.htmlsi=8rlsvFtUY4TOQF2K) and I think this version is the easiest-to-hit P770 yet. I don't think you can miss with any of those three clubs, but work with a fitter and find out which is best suited to your game. - DD
I think the Apex '21 is a touch more to the game-enhancing side and the Ai200 is a little more to the game-improvement side, but it's close. I suspect we'll see an Ai100 or Ai150 dropped in January. The lower the number, the smaller the head and shorter the blade length. - DD
I am caught right in the middle of the two. I have had the Apex 16 and Apex 20 which I am playing now. As I have gotten older ,76, I have lost a little distance but not accuracy. I am leaning toward the AI300. Should I get fitted.
You said in the video that you don't think Rose Zhang or any other tour pros would play the new Ai200, but I think Rose and other players that had gone to the new Japanese X Forged sets may play a set of Ai200 or Ti Fusion irons.
Time will tell, and you could be right. However, I'd be shocked if any pros switched to the Ti Fusion (video coming soon) unless it was a club added as a driving iron. The titanium face and distance-oriented nature of that club seems off for tour pros. - DD
@@DavidDusek I'll be interested to see what your video shows, but from what i've seen testing wise the TI Fusion are very good with distance retention on heel and toe mishits compared to the center sweet spot (with distance drop off when struck low on the face). Ti Fusion distance being slightly less than Ai300, and more than Ai200 in many tests, but one (robot test) had Ai300 longest, Ai200 second longest, and Ti Fusion slightly shorter.
I think the Ping i530 is one of the best better-player distance irons out there. Among these two, you'd compare the Ai200 to that one, but I think the Ping has a little less offset and a slightly thinner topline. Test them for yourself and let me know what you think. - DD
The new Ai200 takes the place of the standard Apex. The Apex Pro that was released last year is still in the lineup and is a touch smaller in blade length. - DD
The Paradym irons will be larger than the Apex Ai200 and Apex Ai300, both in terms of blade length and topline thickness. I don't have the data off the top of my head, but I suspect that the Paradym will spin less and launch higher than the Apex Ai irons. - DD
I generally shoot between 79-83, 76-78 on a good day, 84-86 on a bad day. I create a lot of natural height and backspin with my irons due to my steep swing. I'm also looking to get a little bit more distance from my irons. Based on that, would you recommend the 200 or 300? I'm conflicted. May also go get fitted just to know for sure
I think you should get fitted and let the numbers and your eyes be your guides. Be sure to talk to the fitter about the idea of creating a blended set, with the 300s as your 5-7 or 5-8 irons and the 200s as your scoring clubs. - DD
X Tour 22, like, from around 2009? Nothing, Callaway has moved way past those types of technologies. If you’re looking for a game improvement club that have that type of perimeter waiting, I would probably go with the Apex Ai 300. - DD
The Ai300 and the Ai Smoke are both game-improvement irons, but Callaway releases new irons (usually game-improvement irons) to match the new drivers and fairways it drops every January. I would assume in 2025, Ai Smoke will be replaced by something else, but the Ai300's are in the Apex line, so they will probably be around for a two-year product cycle. Apex is going to be more premium. Maybe I should do a comparison video. What do you think? - DD
@@DavidDusek 100%. Ai 300 vs smoke & smoke HL. I think the smokes look awesome. played a demo set at my local course and they blew me away (playing g425s). Smaller face with less offset. I definitely think you should do a comparison
There are two kinds of left miss, a straight left miss and a hook. If your ball flight is straight but you miss left, check your alignment because you're likely squaring the face (which is why there is little curve on your shot), so you may not need an equipment change. If the ball starts straight and then curves left, that's a draw/hook. Clubs with extra offset or heel weight will make that more pronounced. Btw these two clubs, the Ai200 has less offset. - Dd
@@DavidDusek yes thank you, the 300's are more "forgiving" and feel softer, but the 200s have less offset. I guess I need to decide on a trade off. If I get the 300's I might try to neutral my strong grip.
Exactly... The AI is very much in the news and they need a new idea to sell their goods . Let's face it there is a limit to development on a piece of metal..
To be fair, Callaway has been using AI to create faces for clubs since 2019's Epic Flash driver. Other brands followed after seeing Callaway's success, and artificial intelligence is everywhere now, but Callaway has been doing this for five years and spreading it to every category (except wedges, so far). - DD
The removable weight in the back is great. I like midsize grips and graphite shafts so my swing weight is always wonky. Not anymore. I got a combo set of Pros, CB and MB and they are spot on - no lead tape!! Kudos to Callaway
Agreed. - DD
So a fantastic review. mizuno canceled my order for jpx 923s, and I've been looking to take my business elsewhere. when I saw these clubs they jumped to me more than anything else. I was on the fence between the 200 and 300. your review was so well done it answered all my questions and more. I'll be going with the AI200s. going to hit them this weekend and make sure my specs fit into these but super excited now. thank you for the video.
I have served. I will be of service. - DD
A very thorough, informative and helpful review. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful! - DD
Thank you Dave!
Very great, the size's, the prices, designs, shapes, edges, and weight '...best irons .in golfs... collection...with ...
I am a lefty new to golf. About 20 lessons in. AI 300 sounds good for me. What does mix and match clubs doing for the player ? How and when do I know when I should upgrade to these? Thank you😊
Welcome to golf! Blending different irons into one set can give you the positive attributes of each. In this case, the Ai 300 is bigger and easier to hit, and for many people it will produce a higher ball flight, so that’s great for long irons. When you get closer to the hole and are more interested in precision and control, going with something else, like Ai 200, might provide that. The best way to find the ideal irons for you is to find a good custom fitter and hit a wide variety of them using a large monitor. A good fitter can blend two different types into one cohesive set. - DD
Thanks David - very clear and easy to follow.
I am right there at around a 9+ -10 hc - playing a mixed Apex 19 set now - going to go test these tomorrow!
I’m glad you found the video helpful. Let me know what you discover after you’ve hit the new Callaway stuff. - DD
@@DavidDusek - After the fitting, I bought the Ai 200's - got a great deal on the bonus trade ins with my old Apex 19 pro's which convinced me - excited to get them soon!
Great review David. How would you compare the Ai200 to the Titleist T200? Cheers
I think they are both in the conversation when it comes to a club that straddles the line between better player distance iron and game improvement club. I would also include the new Mizuno JPX Hot Metal Pro in that discussion. - DD
Thanks Dave...excellent review. I currently play to an 11 index and will definitely give the Apex Ai200s a try. Also want to hit the Titleist T200s and the new Taylor Made P770s. That said, I may not be a good enough ball striker to play the 770s :(
I recently made a video on the P770 (ruclips.net/video/4fcy3mZ6dcE/видео.htmlsi=8rlsvFtUY4TOQF2K) and I think this version is the easiest-to-hit P770 yet. I don't think you can miss with any of those three clubs, but work with a fitter and find out which is best suited to your game. - DD
Excellent review 👍 Any idea how they compare to the Apex 21s?
I think the Apex '21 is a touch more to the game-enhancing side and the Ai200 is a little more to the game-improvement side, but it's close. I suspect we'll see an Ai100 or Ai150 dropped in January. The lower the number, the smaller the head and shorter the blade length. - DD
I am caught right in the middle of the two. I have had the Apex 16 and Apex 20 which I am playing now. As I have gotten older ,76, I have lost a little distance but not accuracy. I am leaning toward the AI300. Should I get fitted.
You said in the video that you don't think Rose Zhang or any other tour pros would play the new Ai200, but I think Rose and other players that had gone to the new Japanese X Forged sets may play a set of Ai200 or Ti Fusion irons.
Time will tell, and you could be right. However, I'd be shocked if any pros switched to the Ti Fusion (video coming soon) unless it was a club added as a driving iron. The titanium face and distance-oriented nature of that club seems off for tour pros. - DD
@@DavidDusek I'll be interested to see what your video shows, but from what i've seen testing wise the TI Fusion are very good with distance retention on heel and toe mishits compared to the center sweet spot (with distance drop off when struck low on the face). Ti Fusion distance being slightly less than Ai300, and more than Ai200 in many tests, but one (robot test) had Ai300 longest, Ai200 second longest, and Ti Fusion slightly shorter.
Great review and they have a very nice sound. How do these compare to the Wilson Dynapower forged?
Tough to say. To me, the Apex Ai200 could be for a Titleist T200 player, while the Ai300 would be like a T350 or a TaylorMade P790 or Ping G430. - DD
@@DavidDusek 👍🏻
Great review David. How do they compare to the Ping i530?
I think the Ping i530 is one of the best better-player distance irons out there. Among these two, you'd compare the Ai200 to that one, but I think the Ping has a little less offset and a slightly thinner topline. Test them for yourself and let me know what you think. - DD
Great video. Will you be reviewing the TI Fushion too?
Yup, coming very soon. - DD
I would have liked to know the carry and roll out distances of each model.
That AI 200 look very similar to my Apex pros but I’m sure they are a bit bigger
The new Ai200 takes the place of the standard Apex. The Apex Pro that was released last year is still in the lineup and is a touch smaller in blade length. - DD
I game the Paradyms, how would these compare to these?
Really enjoy the Paradyms.
The Paradym irons will be larger than the Apex Ai200 and Apex Ai300, both in terms of blade length and topline thickness. I don't have the data off the top of my head, but I suspect that the Paradym will spin less and launch higher than the Apex Ai irons. - DD
I generally shoot between 79-83, 76-78 on a good day, 84-86 on a bad day. I create a lot of natural height and backspin with my irons due to my steep swing. I'm also looking to get a little bit more distance from my irons. Based on that, would you recommend the 200 or 300? I'm conflicted. May also go get fitted just to know for sure
I think you should get fitted and let the numbers and your eyes be your guides. Be sure to talk to the fitter about the idea of creating a blended set, with the 300s as your 5-7 or 5-8 irons and the 200s as your scoring clubs. - DD
@@DavidDusek love that advice, thanks!
So they are going to the titelist branding. I doubt if these are any better than those
Hi David, what do you think is the actual equivalent in Callaway portafolio for a XTour 22 club set? Thanks
X Tour 22, like, from around 2009? Nothing, Callaway has moved way past those types of technologies. If you’re looking for a game improvement club that have that type of perimeter waiting, I would probably go with the Apex Ai 300. - DD
I have ai smoke hl and wanna get these. Which one should I get?
So are the 300’s similar to the ai smoke irons? Are they going to discontinue the smoke line?
The Ai300 and the Ai Smoke are both game-improvement irons, but Callaway releases new irons (usually game-improvement irons) to match the new drivers and fairways it drops every January. I would assume in 2025, Ai Smoke will be replaced by something else, but the Ai300's are in the Apex line, so they will probably be around for a two-year product cycle. Apex is going to be more premium. Maybe I should do a comparison video. What do you think? - DD
@@DavidDusek 100%. Ai 300 vs smoke & smoke HL. I think the smokes look awesome. played a demo set at my local course and they blew me away (playing g425s). Smaller face with less offset. I definitely think you should do a comparison
Apex Ai vs Apex Pro 24?
what if I am a higher handicap player, who tends to miss left, I'm thinking 200 over 300 for less offset. Does this make sense?
There are two kinds of left miss, a straight left miss and a hook. If your ball flight is straight but you miss left, check your alignment because you're likely squaring the face (which is why there is little curve on your shot), so you may not need an equipment change. If the ball starts straight and then curves left, that's a draw/hook. Clubs with extra offset or heel weight will make that more pronounced. Btw these two clubs, the Ai200 has less offset. - Dd
@@DavidDusek yes thank you, the 300's are more "forgiving" and feel softer, but the 200s have less offset. I guess I need to decide on a trade off. If I get the 300's I might try to neutral my strong grip.
"Ai" ... marketing bs. 😂🤡🤣🤡
Exactly... The AI is very much in the news and they need a new idea to sell their goods . Let's face it there is a limit to development on a piece of metal..
To be fair, Callaway has been using AI to create faces for clubs since 2019's Epic Flash driver. Other brands followed after seeing Callaway's success, and artificial intelligence is everywhere now, but Callaway has been doing this for five years and spreading it to every category (except wedges, so far). - DD
@DavidDusek Who cares if they use AI or not? It's how the clubs perform that matters.