Equipment
An inside look at Callaway Apex UW on tour
Highlighted by Phil Mickelson’s early adoption, the Callaway Apex UW is having a bit of a moment in professional golf.
The fusion of elements of both hybrid and fairway wood and the absence of traditional drawbacks make it an intriguing option at the professional level and a club that better players are gravitating toward (including our Brian Knudson, who reviewed it on his Club Junkie podcast).
- Related: New Callaway Apex UW utility wood
We spoke with Callaway’s PGA Tour manager Jacob Davidson about the rise of Apex UW on tour.
GolfWRX: We know the tech story of the UW. But from your perspective, where does the club succeed? How is both “utility” and “wood”?
Jacob Davidson: The great thing about Apex UW’s success is that Callaway has been leading the industry in this space, and it’s almost as if we’re creating a new category. With the increase in speed for a lot of these players, we want to make sure that fitting for a 5-wood or hybrid type of club is a focus for our players, when maybe they wouldn’t think about it as much in the past.
Using analytics, we really understood how important having a club that could work well as an option for high-speed guys and for players who maybe wanted something that provided a balance between a hybrid and a 5-wood, something that is versatile and that they can work both ways. It’s really filled a need in a lot of players’ bags and the reason that it’s been successful is that once we’ve explained it to them, and they’ve had the ability to test it, they quickly realized that maybe there was a hole that they didn’t even realize.
GolfWRX: What is it that appeals to tour pros, though? Why is this club working for them?
JD: It obviously allows for a fairway wood shaft which gives you a lot more options for tour guys, where they’re getting a shaft that they’re familiar with in their driver or 3-woods or even 5-woods. The ability to have a 2-hybrid, a 3-hybrid, or filling the gap of a 5-wood with a spin robustness that’s easier to a control, a flight that’s much better, and a sole design with forgiveness with the long heel-to-toe really allows guys to avoid that left miss that might peel off on them, especially off the tee.
GolfWRX: Who on Tour has put the UW in play?
JD: It’s been a popular choice already with our staff pros for guys like Marc Leishman, Phil Mickelson was the first to put it in play, Kevin Kisner, Wesley Bryan, and Adam Hadwin, among others. We’ve seen some strong conversions as well on the LPGA, Champions, and European Tours.
What’s especially stood out over the past few weeks is that more and more players who aren’t on Callaway’s staff are coming onto our tour truck and asking us to build UWs — more than we’ve seen for a club like this in a long time. There’s a lot of buzz, and we know we have a great product when guys who aren’t on our staff are asking for a club like this as much as they are.
GolfWRX: Can you share any stories about players testing and putting the UW in play?
JD: One thing we’ve really noticed initially is how happy players are after they try it — since it is a new category, and they didn’t know what to expect with how it would perform. Once they hit it, they usually love it. A few guys have delayed testing it because they were comfortable with their setup until they see other players hit it on the golf course, then they’re coming and asking for it.
Specifically, Tyler McCumber and Sam Burns weren’t early adopters for Apex UW, but they were coming to us because they saw other pros play with it in competition and they said, “Wow, that’s really good.”
GolfWRX: Sam Burns recently put a UW in play. A younger, higher-speed guy…what worked for him?
JD: He’s been playing an older Apex Hybrid, he’s liked it, he’s been playing well all year, and he’s probably the hottest golfer in the world so he’s very hesitant to make a change in his bag. However, we sent some to his house, where he did some initial testing. Then last week in Houston we really had a chance to work with him.
What he really liked about it is how aggressive the flight is without the ball spinning high up into the air. It launches quite a bit higher than his hybrid and spins less at a higher apex. For a guy like Sam who likes to work the ball slightly left or right, he couldn’t believe how neutral it was whether he was trying to take a little off a cut into a par 5, or flight it lower off the tee with a little bit of a draw. It gives him more versatility than his old hybrid.
GolfWRX: Why should better amateurs, who haven’t taken to hybrids in the past, give the UW a shot?
JD: Overall, this is the next thing for what a players hybrid can be. It gives you the benefits of hitting a reliable club into longer par 3s or second shots into par 5s where they can hold the green, particularly on firmer, faster conditions. This club gives them the height to do that without overspinning it when they get into conditions where they are slightly into the wind or they slightly mishit it. That ball is not going to spin into the upper 5,000 RPMS and come up 15-20 yards short. This club is a lot more forgiving in that aspect.
Cameron Young’s WITB from his win at the 2025 Wyndham Championship. Cameron is a Titleist staff player but his bag is definitely filled with some unique clubs. Here are the clubs he used to secure his first PGA Tour win!
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus HB Black VeloCore+ 10 X
Irons: Titleist T200 (4), Titleist T100 (5), Titleist 631.CY Prototype (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F, 52-12F, 56-14F @57), WedgeWorks (60-K* @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom 9.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Prototype
- Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist GT3 (10 degrees, C2 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Project X Denali Blue 60 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 7 X
7-wood: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 8 X
Irons: Titleist T150 (4, 5), Titleist T100 (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper AMT Tour White X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F, 56-08M @57, 60-04T @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Fastback 1.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Yellow
We’re proud to once again partner with 2nd Swing Golf to bring you GolfWRX Members Choice 2025! 2nd Swing has more than 150,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.
What is the best driver in 2025? At GolfWRX, we take great pride in our online community and the cumulative knowledge and experience of our members. When it comes to the best driver of 2025, we want to know what our forum faithful think.
Since our founding in 2005, the bedrock of GolfWRX.com has been the community of passionate and knowledgeable golfers in our forums, and we put endless trust in the opinions of our GolfWRX members — the most knowledgeable community of golfers on the internet. No other group of golfers in the world tests golf clubs as frequently or as extensively, nor is armed with such in-depth information about the latest technology.
Below are the results of GolfWRX member voting for the 2025 best driver, along with the vote percentage for each club.
Best driver of 2025: The top 5
5. Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond: 6.02%
Callaway’s pitch: “For golfers looking for a fast, forgiving, yet workable driver, the Elyte Triple Diamond features a tour-inspired shape and is the preferred model by most Callaway tour players.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond here.
4. Ping G440 Max: 6.86%
Ping’s pitch: “The most forgiving G440 model, MAX has a hotter face to generate speed and distance, and a lighter overall system weight with a longer shaft (46″) for faster clubhead speed, higher launch and longer carries. The Free Hosel and Carbonfly Wrap crown save weight to create our lowest CG ever and increase forgiveness while contributing to a more muted, pleasing sound.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 Max here.
3. Ping G440 LST: 9.53%
Ping’s pitch: “LST is an especially good fit for faster swings, offering less spin and more control with a penetrating trajectory. A hotter face, lighter overall system weight and longer shaft (46″) deliver more speed and distance while maintaining tight dispersion.”
@phizzy30: “Not a fan of Ping drivers in general, but 440 LST takes the cake. It’s super forgiving across the face for a low spin head, looks and sounds good and the ability to make it play neutral or slightly fade biased through the hosel settings is very appealing.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 LST here.
2. Titleist GT3: 16.55%
Titleist’s pitch: “The GT3 Driver offers Titleist’s boldest combination of power and personalization through adjustable performance. Dial in the CG Track to your frequent contact location to make your biggest drives even bigger while taking total control over flight and shaping.”
@mrmikeac: “I’ve been Anti-Titleist for years and years and years (outside of Vokey, of course). With that being said, HOLY BEGEEZUS the GT3 driver is an absolute NUCLEAR MONSTER! This thing blew my G430 10K Max out of the water in every single category. Forgiveness is the biggest thing that stands out of me, the 3 model has always been one of the less forgiving models in the past but this GT3 can take bad shot after bad shot and still end up in the fairway, I think a ton of that has to do with the adjustability, it’s actually effective. Feel and sound is perfect, that solid crack is so addicting to hear and when you hit it out the screws this thing can absolutely bomb it. Titleist, I’m sorry for doubting you. You have converted me.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT3 here.
1. Titleist GT2: 22.91%
Titleist’s pitch: “Delivering impressive distance from any impact point, the Titleist GT2 Driver extracts maximum performance through a forgiving design. Get the stability and added confidence of a high-MOI driver without sacrificing speed.”
@DTorres: “The Titleist GT2 has proven to be the best driver of the year. Packaged in a classic profile, GT2 perfectly balances performance and forgiveness while consistently being a high performer across all categories.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT2 here.
Other drivers receiving >2% of the vote
| Driver | Vote percentage (%) |
|---|---|
| Cobra DS Adapt Max K | 4.85% |
| Ping G430 Max 10K | 3.85% |
| Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond | 3.68% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 | 3.51% |
| Callaway Elyte | 3.18% |
| Cobra DS Adapt X | 2.34% |
| Cobra DS Adapt LS | 2.17% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 LS | 2.17% |
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Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
Ty Webb
Jun 2, 2022 at 12:03 am
That thing was a snap hook machine for me! More than any hybrid I’ve ever hit.
Peter
Nov 24, 2021 at 10:54 am
Sounds like it’s not a club for high single digit handicap players,??