Honest Review of Callaway Apex DCB 21 Irons

The Callaway Apex DCB (Deep Cavity Back) irons are the most forgiving set in the Apex line of clubs… ever! Apex clubs are known for the great forged feel & sound at impact, but typically the clubs are only gamed by mid to low handicap golfers due to the compact profiles and little forgiveness on off-center hits.

The main differentiating features of the DCB? Larger profile, wider soles, more offset. 

All three of these result in a more “forgiving” club head compared to compact profiles (less perimeter weighting), thin soles (more difficult club/turf interaction), and minimal offset (more difficult to get into a solid impact position).

Here’s our in depth, honest review of the Callaway Apex DCB 21 irons.

 

Appearance

For a game improvement iron, it’s hard to find a more appealing option on the market. Compared to the clunky & chunky game improvement irons focused on making golf as easy as possible, the Callaway Apex DCB 21 irons are relatively slim. They are bulkier than players irons, but thinner than the majority of game improvement irons.

The offset at address is extremely common for clubs marketed to higher handicaps, so there shouldn’t be a surprise there. However, it does take away from the appealing design a little.

The wide sole is a pretty major differentiator here. The sole will bounce off practically anything, compared to thinner soles that will dig into the ground much easier.

 

Performance

When it comes to performance, these MUST be one of the most forgiving set of forged irons that has ever been released. While forged irons are typically only bought by lower handicap golfers, Callaway is offering a great set of forged irons to all handicaps with the DCB release. This isn’t the first release of a forgiving & forged iron set – but there aren’t many great options on the market.

Let’s be real for a moment: most golfers will benefit from more forgiveness and higher launch. Golf is hard as it it. There’s no need to make golf even harder by using players irons when you aren’t quite ready (unless you just like the challenge).

My off-center strikes with the DCB irons still seemed to fly far and straight. I’m sure that’s due to the low & deep perimeter weighting. Keep in mind that the “DCB” in the name literally stands for “Deep Cavity Back”.

Typically, game improvement irons struggle with distance control. Your 7 iron may average 150 yards, but ever now and again it may fly 165 yards for some reason! That’s typically due to very small air bubbles in the club head. These air bubbles are practically eliminated with 100% forged iron heads. Therefore, the typical downside of a game improvement iron (distance control) is practically eliminated with the forged Apex DCB irons.

Overall, the Callaway Apex DCB 12 irons are a great option for golfers that want a forgiving iron set with incredible feel and distance control.

 

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Great combination of forgiveness & excellent feel/sound at impact
• The low and deep weighting (Deep Cavity Back) leads to higher launch angles compared to other Apex irons
• Hard to find a good, forged game improvement iron
• the best Apex iron set for higher handicap golfers in my opinion

Cons:

• At $1,300, I’d be lying if I said there aren’t any better value options on the market. That’s just a lot of money to spend on irons alone. Check out the better value option at the bottom of this article if you are interested.
• If you continue to improve, you may wish to have a more compact set of irons without so much offset.

 

Ideal For…

The 2021 Callaway Apex DCB 21 iron set is ideal for golfers that struggle with their iron game but still like the feel/sound of a forged club head. If you don’t hit many greens in regulation, then it’s safe to say that you need extra forgiveness on your off center hits.

The wide sole, thicker topline, and perimeter weighting work together to make this one of the most forgiving irons on the market. All while still offering the great sound, feel, and distance control of a forged iron.

It’s also idea for a golfer that has $1,300+ to spend on irons. After taxes, premium shafts, shipping, and fitting fees, you’re looking at closer to $1,600 or so… maybe even more. So if you fit the audience perfectly but don’t have the money to spend, then you’ll need to look for a better value alternative (see below).

 

Compared To Other 2021 Callaway Apex 21 Iron Models

The Callaway Apex DCB 21 irons are the most forgiving Apex iron set available. That sums it up pretty well, honestly. But here are some more comparison if you are interested:

• Apex DCB 21 vs Apex 21: The Apex DCB is more forgiving (wider sole, more offset, thicker topline, more perimeter weighting). The DCB is on average .5 degrees stronger in lofts, so you might expect a small increase in distance with the DCB. Not much though. The DCB is less workable and offers a little less feedback at impact.
• Apex DCB 21 vs Apex Pro 21: The Apex DCB is FAR more forgiving (way wider sole, much more offset, much thicker topline, far more perimeter weighting). The DCB is about 3 degrees stronger in loft and much higher launching, so you’ll definitely notice a distance increase with the DCB. The DCB is far less workable and offers less feedback at impact.

If you are interested here ere are my honest reviews of the Apex 21 irons and my unbiased review of the Apex Pro 21 iron sets.

 

Better Priced, Similar Iron Set

There are tons of great game improvement irons out there for less than $1,300. However, finding a solid forged game improvement iron is a little harder.

If you want a great alternative to the Callaway Apex DCB 21 irons, then consider the Mizuno JPX EZ Forged Irons. This is designed practically the same as the Callaway Apex DCB irons, but you can pick up a set for around $300 in great condition.

Both sets (Callaway Apex DCB 21 & JPX EZ Forged irons) are forged, have plenty of perimeter weighting, and are meant for mid to high handicaps. You truly can’t go wrong with either option. But you CAN go wrong with the Apex DCB if you want to get the best bang for your buck.

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I truly appreciate you reading my review of the Callaway Apex DCB 21 irons. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to leave it below in the comments section!