Price
$370
Callaway Apex UW
Price
$370
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matt martian photography
3 / 3
Why We Like It
- This compact model offers a combination of hybrid and fairway wood attributes for the above-average player looking for low-spin and more workable launch options from a low-lofted approach club.
- The lightweight tri-axial carbon-crown saves mass that’s redistributed in a high-density tungsten bar that rests low and forward within the head, lowering spin and enhancing the energy transfer at impact.
- Screws in the sole suspend the 41-gram tungsten bar, letting it “float” above the interior surface so that the sole and face insert can flex more effectively, particularly on lower impacts.
- The stepdown-sole design features increased trailing-side relief for more efficient turf interaction and creates room for consistent contact with the center of the face.
- The cupface wraps around the crown and sole for improved flexing, and the variable-thickness shaping is designed with AI from tens of thousands of typical impact patterns of the target user.
- Top 5 in Forgiveness, low- and high-handicaps
- 17, 19, 21, 23 degrees (with an eight-way adjustable hosel)
what our testers said
handicap
- all
- low
- mid
- high
COMMENT SUMMARY
Hot List testers noted a compact, hybrid‑sized head that feels heavy with low CG, blending iron‑like mass distribution and fairway‑wood forgiveness. It produced explosive ball speed and carry, tight dispersion, and versatile trajectories (high launch yet workable mid‑flight), excellent turf interaction from fairway/rough and tees, and ease of working the ball both ways. Sound and feel were praised as hot but pleasant. One caveat: the shiny crown finish may distract some players.
Summaries generated from tester comments with the assistance of AI.
COMMENT SUMMARY
Hot List panelists observed a remarkably forgiving, versatile club that’s easy to hit from tee, fairway and rough. Despite a smaller face it feels larger and launches the ball long — often matching 3-wood carry — while reducing spin. Testers called it a happy medium between a smaller 3-wood and a larger hybrid, delivering high launch, heel-miss forgiveness and reliable shot-shaping (high or low). One minor caveat: the shiny crown can be distracting to some.
Summaries generated from tester comments with the assistance of AI.
COMMENT SUMMARY
Hot List testers noted a slim, hybrid‑size head that’s extremely controllable with tight dispersion and consistent carry. It feels hefty yet easy to swing, with a hot face that makes the ball “explode” off contact and yields more carry than its size suggests. Turf interaction is excellent—slides through grass and works well from rough or off the tee—and it’s easy to shape a draw. Sound and feel were generally praised (higher‑pitched/loud but satisfying). One tester wished it matched a full 3‑wood’s distance.
Summaries generated from tester comments with the assistance of AI.
COMMENT SUMMARY
Hot List testers noted a true hybrid/utility-wood blend: a compact, low-weight-feel head that swings like an iron but offers fairway-wood forgiveness, launch and playability. Reviewers praised the pleasant, solid sound, hot face and explosive ball speed, plus long carry and consistent fades. It inspires confidence to swing aggressively and felt very easy to hit. One drawback: the 21-degree model produced a lower-than-expected launch compared with typical fairway woods.
Summaries generated from tester comments with the assistance of AI.
Gary
38, Handicap 13
10+ years testing
A real good mix of being a fairway wood and being a hybrid. You can feel the weight low, but the head doesn't feel big, so it almost feels like you're swinging an iron in terms of the mass distribution, but you've got the forgiveness and the overall size to have forgiveness and launch and playability.
Thomas
61, Handicap 7
10+ years testing
From a turf-interaction standpoint, it was really, really good. Definitely near the top of the charts. It just slid through the grass like nothing. It definitely suits its purpose as a cross between a wood and a hybrid.
Wesley
31, Handicap 4
3 years testing
This is super forgiving and very versatile. I was able to hit high shots, low shots, out of the rough. Just very easy to hit. The finish on the top is shiny and might be distracting to some.
BK
42, Handicap 2
10+ years testing
Is this club conforming? Seriously wild performance. I'm not sure what I would do with this club, but it's really long and easy to hit. It's the hybrid I always wanted, but it goes much farther. Remarkable. It's like setting up to an iron.
Jack
36, Handicap 1
3 years testing
It's like a happy medium. You could either say it's a smaller 3-wood or a larger hybrid. Definitely launches higher, but it also takes spin off the ball. You'll get big numbers.
SEE ALL (28)
Gary
38, Handicap 13
10+ years testing
A real good mix of being a fairway wood and being a hybrid. You can feel the weight low, but the head doesn't feel big, so it almost feels like you're swinging an iron in terms of the mass distribution, but you've got the forgiveness and the overall size to have forgiveness and launch and playability.
Thomas
61, Handicap 7
10+ years testing
From a turf-interaction standpoint, it was really, really good. Definitely near the top of the charts. It just slid through the grass like nothing. It definitely suits its purpose as a cross between a wood and a hybrid.
Wesley
31, Handicap 4
3 years testing
This is super forgiving and very versatile. I was able to hit high shots, low shots, out of the rough. Just very easy to hit. The finish on the top is shiny and might be distracting to some.
BK
42, Handicap 2
10+ years testing
Is this club conforming? Seriously wild performance. I'm not sure what I would do with this club, but it's really long and easy to hit. It's the hybrid I always wanted, but it goes much farther. Remarkable. It's like setting up to an iron.
Jack
36, Handicap 1
3 years testing
It's like a happy medium. You could either say it's a smaller 3-wood or a larger hybrid. Definitely launches higher, but it also takes spin off the ball. You'll get big numbers.
Paul
64, Handicap 6
10+ years testing
I was OK with the smaller size. It was quiet, good at impact, pretty powerful, but it lacked the distance that my a regular 3-wood delivers. Call it a mini 3-wood.
Alejandra
27, Handicap 6
5 years testing
Feels like a hybrid, not exactly a wood. It was very consistent in terms of giving me a draw shape regardless if there was a great swing or a mis-hit. The distance was very consistent, too.
Scott
38, Handicap 16
10+ years testing
Compact, but really packs a punch. I felt like I was swinging easier, but I was just getting an explosive feeling of the ball just launching every time. The clubface felt hot, so it felt like I was getting a lot more ball speed than the swing that I was putting on it.
Chris
60, Handicap 8
1 year testing
A hot club. This one surprised me. The ball jumps off the face and the carry yardage is significant—much more than you would expect for a clubhead this size.
Jin
30, Handicap 10
2 years testing
I hit a 3-hybrid so this shape is something that I'm more used to. This one definitely feels on softer side. Sound definitely feels perfect pitched, a little higher than what I expected. I felt more confident over the ball. Dispersion was pretty tight and it was consistent in distances.
Andrew
40, Handicap 8
1 year testing
I like the look right off the bat. With the size of the head, it felt like I could get through the ball better and finish the swing, and it's effortless. It's got a hot face with a lot of power—and consistency, too.
Aaron
45, Handicap 16
1 year testing
I found it to be very easy to hit. However, it was a little bit less of a launch angle than I expected at 21 degrees.
Ryan
47, Handicap 12
3 years testing
Its a hybrid. Having said that, it performed very well for a "wood." Lower ball flight than I've seen from fairway woods. Great feel, just a great blend of soft and firm and felt very hot off the face.
Megan
40, Handicap 0
2 years testing
It's very easy to hit and with a high launch. Off of a tee or off of the ground, it allowed me to hit all the different shots I wanted to hit.
Robert
29, Handicap +2
2 years testing
A bit smaller of a wood compared to others and the launch is considerably higher. If you're looking for something to easily get in the air, this can provide it. It also provides some forgiveness on misses to the heel.
Anand
43, Handicap 6
10+ years testing
When you hit this ball and you catch it, you smoke it. When you miss it, it gets too spinny and the dispersion is pretty high. Good feedback. It's loud, but a good loud. Good turf interaction as well and off the tee, this club was really good.
Shane
37, Handicap 12
6 years testing
It was very approachable looking down. You know, I can manage this almost like a hybrid, but get more of the distance of a fairway wood. It gave me confidence to swing a little bit freer and kind of play with a little more risk and aggression.
Matt
53, Handicap 11
4 years testing
It produced mid-trajectory shots. Would be great on a links course.
Peter
58, Handicap 8
10+ years testing
It was easy to hit a draw with this one. It's more of a hybrid than a than a fairway wood, but it's long. Pretty easy to hit.
Ricky
47, Handicap 0
10+ years testing
Even though it has a small face, it feels like you're hitting a bigger club and that enhances the performance. It rockets the ball, too.
Ryan
50, Handicap 10
8 years testing
Do not be fooled by the appearance, you're not hitting a hybrid, you're hitting a jackhammer. This ball flies off the clubface; in fact, it explodes. There's more distance than I've ever had on this type of club. I wanted to hit it again and again and again.
Sean
54, Handicap 6
9 years testing
It plays like a hybrid, but it's very good.
Wei
55, Handicap 14
10+ years testing
I feel like it's trying to find the middle ground between fairway wood and hybrid, and it works. I like the very pleasant sound. It's forgiving on your mis-hits and distance is acceptable.
Wayne
61, Handicap 7
3 years testing
Feels like a cross between a wood and hybrid. I didn't feel like I had to swing it hard to get the distance because it's got a fairly heavy head. As long as I got the club traveling down the correct path and made decent contact, it would jump up. This would be good out of rough, as well.
Alan
31, Handicap 3
2 years testing
It carries just as far as a 3-wood but looks like a hybrid. And it brings the flight down significantly if you're a high-flight player. With the forgiveness, this is your club.
Daniel
34, Handicap 11
6 years testing
It's slimmer, almost like a hybrid. It felt very controllable and consistent—all my shots were within a pretty tight band. The small size made it so much easier to get through the ground. There's a lot of heft to the club despite it being smaller relative to the others.
Jamie
52, Handicap 7
3 years testing
It seems more like a a hybrid-size head, but it's the perfect length from head to toe. It has a fairly low center of gravity. It's easy to get the ball in the air with little spin. It does provide a good consistent ball flight. Might be better in the hybrid category.
Todd
62, Handicap 13
1 year testing
As a utility wood, the smaller package behind the ball was a strong point that equated into long carry and consistent fades. It has a very sound feel and delivered a really good shot.
Gary
38, Handicap 13
10+ years testing
A real good mix of being a fairway wood and being a hybrid. You can feel the weight low, but the head doesn't feel big, so it almost feels like you're swinging an iron in terms of the mass distribution, but you've got the forgiveness and the overall size to have forgiveness and launch and playability.
Scott
38, Handicap 16
10+ years testing
Compact, but really packs a punch. I felt like I was swinging easier, but I was just getting an explosive feeling of the ball just launching every time. The clubface felt hot, so it felt like I was getting a lot more ball speed than the swing that I was putting on it.
Jin
30, Handicap 10
2 years testing
I hit a 3-hybrid so this shape is something that I'm more used to. This one definitely feels on softer side. Sound definitely feels perfect pitched, a little higher than what I expected. I felt more confident over the ball. Dispersion was pretty tight and it was consistent in distances.
Aaron
45, Handicap 16
1 year testing
I found it to be very easy to hit. However, it was a little bit less of a launch angle than I expected at 21 degrees.
Ryan
47, Handicap 12
3 years testing
Its a hybrid. Having said that, it performed very well for a "wood." Lower ball flight than I've seen from fairway woods. Great feel, just a great blend of soft and firm and felt very hot off the face.
Shane
37, Handicap 12
6 years testing
It was very approachable looking down. You know, I can manage this almost like a hybrid, but get more of the distance of a fairway wood. It gave me confidence to swing a little bit freer and kind of play with a little more risk and aggression.
Matt
53, Handicap 11
4 years testing
It produced mid-trajectory shots. Would be great on a links course.
Ryan
50, Handicap 10
8 years testing
Do not be fooled by the appearance, you're not hitting a hybrid, you're hitting a jackhammer. This ball flies off the clubface; in fact, it explodes. There's more distance than I've ever had on this type of club. I wanted to hit it again and again and again.
Wei
55, Handicap 14
10+ years testing
I feel like it's trying to find the middle ground between fairway wood and hybrid, and it works. I like the very pleasant sound. It's forgiving on your mis-hits and distance is acceptable.
Daniel
34, Handicap 11
6 years testing
It's slimmer, almost like a hybrid. It felt very controllable and consistent—all my shots were within a pretty tight band. The small size made it so much easier to get through the ground. There's a lot of heft to the club despite it being smaller relative to the others.
Todd
62, Handicap 13
1 year testing
As a utility wood, the smaller package behind the ball was a strong point that equated into long carry and consistent fades. It has a very sound feel and delivered a really good shot.
Thomas
61, Handicap 7
10+ years testing
From a turf-interaction standpoint, it was really, really good. Definitely near the top of the charts. It just slid through the grass like nothing. It definitely suits its purpose as a cross between a wood and a hybrid.
Paul
64, Handicap 6
10+ years testing
I was OK with the smaller size. It was quiet, good at impact, pretty powerful, but it lacked the distance that my a regular 3-wood delivers. Call it a mini 3-wood.
Alejandra
27, Handicap 6
5 years testing
Feels like a hybrid, not exactly a wood. It was very consistent in terms of giving me a draw shape regardless if there was a great swing or a mis-hit. The distance was very consistent, too.
Chris
60, Handicap 8
1 year testing
A hot club. This one surprised me. The ball jumps off the face and the carry yardage is significant—much more than you would expect for a clubhead this size.
Andrew
40, Handicap 8
1 year testing
I like the look right off the bat. With the size of the head, it felt like I could get through the ball better and finish the swing, and it's effortless. It's got a hot face with a lot of power—and consistency, too.
Anand
43, Handicap 6
10+ years testing
When you hit this ball and you catch it, you smoke it. When you miss it, it gets too spinny and the dispersion is pretty high. Good feedback. It's loud, but a good loud. Good turf interaction as well and off the tee, this club was really good.
Peter
58, Handicap 8
10+ years testing
It was easy to hit a draw with this one. It's more of a hybrid than a than a fairway wood, but it's long. Pretty easy to hit.
Sean
54, Handicap 6
9 years testing
It plays like a hybrid, but it's very good.
Wayne
61, Handicap 7
3 years testing
Feels like a cross between a wood and hybrid. I didn't feel like I had to swing it hard to get the distance because it's got a fairly heavy head. As long as I got the club traveling down the correct path and made decent contact, it would jump up. This would be good out of rough, as well.
Jamie
52, Handicap 7
3 years testing
It seems more like a a hybrid-size head, but it's the perfect length from head to toe. It has a fairly low center of gravity. It's easy to get the ball in the air with little spin. It does provide a good consistent ball flight. Might be better in the hybrid category.
Wesley
31, Handicap 4
3 years testing
This is super forgiving and very versatile. I was able to hit high shots, low shots, out of the rough. Just very easy to hit. The finish on the top is shiny and might be distracting to some.
BK
42, Handicap 2
10+ years testing
Is this club conforming? Seriously wild performance. I'm not sure what I would do with this club, but it's really long and easy to hit. It's the hybrid I always wanted, but it goes much farther. Remarkable. It's like setting up to an iron.
Jack
36, Handicap 1
3 years testing
It's like a happy medium. You could either say it's a smaller 3-wood or a larger hybrid. Definitely launches higher, but it also takes spin off the ball. You'll get big numbers.
Megan
40, Handicap 0
2 years testing
It's very easy to hit and with a high launch. Off of a tee or off of the ground, it allowed me to hit all the different shots I wanted to hit.
Robert
29, Handicap +2
2 years testing
A bit smaller of a wood compared to others and the launch is considerably higher. If you're looking for something to easily get in the air, this can provide it. It also provides some forgiveness on misses to the heel.
Ricky
47, Handicap 0
10+ years testing
Even though it has a small face, it feels like you're hitting a bigger club and that enhances the performance. It rockets the ball, too.
Alan
31, Handicap 3
2 years testing
It carries just as far as a 3-wood but looks like a hybrid. And it brings the flight down significantly if you're a high-flight player. With the forgiveness, this is your club.
NO REVIEWS
There are no tester reviews here.
A Skeptic’s Guide To New Golf Equipment
From the Manufacturer
Callaway Apex UW
The Apex UW is designed for golfers seeking the perfect blend of a fairway wood’s power with a hybrid’s versatility. Engineered with Tour feedback and loaded with performance technologies, it delivers a higher, more neutral ball flight with the control all player’s demand. A dynamic, 41g+ Tungsten Speed Wave structure positions mass low and forward, enhancing ball speed and launch—particularly on low-face strikes where players tend to lose distance. A redesigned step sole reduces turf interaction, helping to maintain swing speed through impact and promoting more consistent contact across different lies.
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Combined with the lightweight carbon-composite crown, a 30-gram “floating” tungsten bar positioned low and forward within the head yields a lower center of gravity for less spin and more distance.
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This model has a taller face height and a potentially flatter ball flight than the GT2.
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The larger of the two Lightning options mixes forgiveness with adjustability and a higher range of lofts to provide ease of use for most average players.
The squared-off face design provides a larger lower face area to push more weight low and forward while creating room for more ball speed in the place many average golfers most often contact their fairway woods.
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PXG
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$380
The more compact of the two Lightning fairway wood options favors better ball-strikers looking for a flatter trajectory and versatility from a variety of lies.
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This better-player fairway wood expands its size and interior weighting to increase playability for a broader range of golfers.
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22 / 24
Tour Edge
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$400
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Golf Galaxy
GD SCORE
GD HOT LIST SCORE
Hot List Silver
$400
This compact, low-spin model targets better players with above-average swing speeds who like to work the ball off the tee.
The multi-material head includes a 6-4 titanium body, a high-strength, lightweight 8-1-1 titanium face insert and a weight-saving carbon-composite crown.
An 80-gram tungsten weight pad pushes the center of gravity low and forward to decrease spin and increase energy transfer at impact.
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Wilson
Dynapower Carbon
$430
|
Golf Galaxy
GD SCORE
GD HOT LIST SCORE
Hot List Silver
$430
Designed with better players in mind, this model offers the lowest spin in Wilson’s fairway-wood lineup.
The thin carbon-composite crown lightens the head’s mass at the top and helps shift the center of gravity toward the bottom for reduced spin.
The variable-thickness face used AI analysis that considered thousands of permutations to optimize distance, launch and off-center performance.
24 / 24
Wilson
Dynapower Max
$380
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Golf Galaxy
GD SCORE
GD HOT LIST SCORE
Hot List Silver
$380
The Max is larger front to back and has a shallower face than the Dynapower Carbon. This should appeal to golfers looking for easier launch and forgiveness on mis-hits.
The variable-thickness face used AI analysis to consider thousands of permutations to optimize distance, launch and performance on off-center hits.
The variable-thickness crown includes four sections that are thinner than a credit card to save weight that’s relocated in the sole to optimize spin and increase launch.