It seems fitting that Callaway announces its 3rd generation of Big Bertha irons and hybrids on the heels of Veteran’s Day. The product line, which first appeared in 1991 with the original Big Bertha driver, takes its name from the howitzer used by the German army during WWI. That piece of artillery tipped the scales at 47 tons. This one, Callaway promises, weighs quite a bit less but like its namesake, should provide mid and high handicap players with plenty of distance and ample forgiveness.
2019 Big Bertha Irons
Firmly in the SGI (super game-improvement) category, the 2019 Big Bertha Irons are slimmer than the Big Bertha OS irons released in 2016, though the engineering objective is largely the same – create an iron which launches higher and farther without sacrificing feel. Callaway feels the current edition improves in all areas.
The tech story revolves around a Suspended Energy Core, which Callaway declares is a first of its kind construction in the golf industry.
The core starts with a MIM’d (metal injection molding) tungsten weight which is 50% denser than the tungsten used by most OEMs. At this density (18 gr/cm3) it can’t be welded directly to steel, which is why most OEMs don’t employ it. However, because it is denser, it does a better job pushing the CG (center of gravity) lower in the club head to promote a higher launch.
The tungsten weight is wrapped in a TPU (thermoplastic elastomer) jacket which is then surrounded by urethane microspheres which are effectively microscopic glass bubbles inside a gooey plastic. Once hardened the urethane microspheres dampen unwanted vibrations and work in concert with Callaway’s thinnest 360 Cup Face to increase face flex and COR (ball speed).
Admittedly, the Big Bertha OS looked a bit clunky and lacked a solid feel. The refined physical structure is there in part to address the “hollow aluminum can” sensation of the Big Bertha OS and a Smokey PVD finish gives the irons a premium look for as long as it holds up.
The basic premise of SGI irons is greater distance through faster ball speeds and higher launch. Callaway believes its Suspended Energy Core broaches new territory in this category and will bolster its position as the #1 selling brand of irons in the world.
Callaway opted to go with the UST Recoil ESX or ZT9 as the stock graphite shaft and the KBS Max 90 as the steel offering.
Big Bertha Hybrids
Also geared toward mid/high handicap players, the Big Bertha hybrid serves as a line of demarcation as it combines two of Callaway’s defining technologies in a single package. The shorter (and lighter) adjustable hosel gives players opportunities to fine-tune launch and ball flight while Callaway’s signature Jailbreak technology works alongside the thin 455 Carpenter steel face to generate faster ball speeds as compared to the Big Bertha OS hybrid.
Jailbreak technology, which Callaway first introduced in the Epic driver, serves the same purpose in the Big Bertha hybrids. By stiffening the body, increased impact load is transferred to the club face to increase COR (trampoline effect).
All things being equal, adjustability is a beneficial technology for players though adapters are relatively heavy and work against a low/rear CG placement. To this end, Callaway designed an adapter which is shorter and 12 grams lighter than the previous iteration. Less weight above the centerline of the club head allowed Callaway engineers to position the CG lower in the club head to help promote a higher launch.
Like the Big Bertha irons, the darker finish is sleek and gives off an up-market vibe.
Players in Callaway’s target demographic continue to replace traditional irons with hybrids. As such, Callaway is extending this line to include both a 7 and 8 hybrid, affectionally named “The Ocho”. It’s a bold strategy Cotton, and one has to wonder how far off we are from a full set of discrete loft hybrids – 7-brid, 8-brid, anyone? As a point of reference, Callaway’s EPIC 8-iron has 34.5° of loft- The Big Bertha 8 hybrid has 33° of static loft.
The stock graphite shaft in the Big Bertha hybrid is the UST Recoil ESX or ZT9.
PRICING/AVAILABILITY:
Retail availability for the 2019 Big Bertha Irons and Hybrids begins 1/18/19.
Retail price for an 8-piece iron set is $1,200 – steel, $1,300 – graphite.
Hybrids are $269.99 each.
For more information, visit CallawayGolf.com.
Hector
4 weeks agoLAIDY CLUB AVAILABLE.
Tony Covey
4 weeks agoYES?
mackdaddy
4 weeks agoWow they are 4* stronger than my set so the pitching wedge is the same loft as my 9 iron. I’ll pass.
Tim
4 weeks agoLonger more forgiving. Blah, blah, blah and a set only cost $1,200. My 1st grader could write that script.
Michael
4 weeks agoBring on the availability of more hybrids. I’m an an X2 Hot Hybrid disciple. Started with a 3 and then added a four later that season. They became my go-to clubs from a consistency, ball flight and distance perspective. And the forgiveness on mishits was a lifesaver. Hit them pure and they are deadly. After a couple years and some soul-searching, I ditched my five iron for a five hybrid. Had to find it on eBay. Game-changing. 165-180 became my layup distance. Just a fantastic club. Combined with lots of other hard work, dropped my index from 18 to 10.5. I’m a convert and recently found the hard-to-find 6 hybrid on eBay. Again, great results. And I can hit my irons. It’s just that the dispersion is so much tighter and more predictable with the hybrids. I’ve conducted test after test with my SkyTrak and my data doesn’t lie. If two clubs go the same distance, more or less, but one is consistently more accurate with better results on poor shots, that’s all the data I need. And there is just no comparison out of the rough. Even with the data, it was hard to switch to the 6. But there’s no looking back. Does that mean a 7 hyrbid is on the future? That feels like a bridge too far but the five did too once upon a time and lots of GIRs ago.
Scott
4 weeks agolook for a ladys hybrid and reshaft it i did it to two Cobra DWS 35* loft I use as a 8 iron and a 32*loft as my 7 iron . I golf with different people all the time and the look on there face when I’m 135 yards out and pull out a hybrid but I’m the one putting for birdie.
Bill B
4 weeks agoAny word on the new Callaway apex irons? Release date and any details?
wayne
4 weeks agoAnother Callaway that is junk. Callaway will come out with anything just to sell golf clubs. Its a shame they dont make better quality products.
I have hit Callaway irons after playing Mizuno irons for years.
The Callaway felt like a toy compared to the Mizunos. To bad they dont make better quality stuff.
Jerry Noble
4 weeks agoWell I don’t know what Callaway Irins you have hit, but I have had Callaway irons for several years (3different sets). I also had Muzuno. I like the Callaway steelheads better. They are solid and feel better than the Mizunos.
mike
4 weeks agoThese look more like the TM M1 /2 irons, with the 7 iron at 30 degrees which is 1.5 degrees higher than TM M2 which i play, never have liked black or charcoal paint finishes, shows the ware marks more readily
TenBuck
4 weeks agoA set of Big Bertha irons 4-iron through attack wedge with steel shafts are $1,200 or with graphite shafts $1,300 and both with be in shops Jan. 18.
No Thank-You!!
Linda Stern
4 weeks agoCan u compare big Bertha to rogue? Irons women’s or men’s
James Strachan
4 weeks agoCallaway irons just never look ‘right’ to me. Thick top line, clunky – no one would ever call them things of beauty. But who cares if they work? They won’t be in my bag, yet they will be in many others once the marketing people get to work.
Greg
4 weeks agoHow long before we see 40* PWs and 18* 5-irons? This is really getting stupid.
Chris Nickel
4 weeks agoSerious question. What difference does the stamped loft on a club actually make? For my money, it’s vastly more important to pay attention to factors like spin loft, peak height, angle of decent, etc. in an effort to make sure a player has adequate gapping throughout the bag. “Pitching wedge” is just a relative term.
Brad
4 weeks agoD-plane is the difference, that’s what. D-plane matters, therefore, the loft of clubs designated to do specific tasks matters.
If a “pitching” wedge is of such a low loft it is no longer suitable for the task a “pitching” wedge (or any wedge) was designed for, the labels given to these clubs are no longer relevant, so why call it a “pitching” wedge. A duck is a duck unless it isn’t.
All of the factors designed to push the ball up in the air to make up for the reduced spin of these lower lofts ONLY works if you have adequate swing speed. That seems to be something that is often left out of the discussion about these strong lofted irons.
Spitfisher
4 weeks agoMuch has been said about stronger lofts from all manufacturers, the thing to understand is the weight now is so low now that a typical 7 iron goes way to high. Engineering forgiveness and feel forces the reduction of lofts. This in turn places the ball in the correct launch window- which as you can imagine give additional distance. If a higher handicapper can hit into a green with a more lofted club that is easier to hit and with a green holding decent angle- then mission accomplished to the manufactures.
Those that are bothered by stronger lofts and numbers written on the club……well these Big Berthas are not designed for you.
2ndly when this high handicapper player is making a great 8 iron shot on to an green ( previously he had to muscle a 7 iron and hope it stayed on) and ball stays on the green, do you think he gives a rats ass of what is written on the club or what the loft is?
Nope, he just thinking of a great shot he made.
RSeg
4 weeks agoTrue, but those of us that have high swing speeds and are not pros (cant play true blades) are running out of options.
Cant have a 30 yard gap betwen pw and sw. Thats where 3, 4 and 5 iron disapear and have to buy gw#1 and gw#2 for double the price.
Only 48* pw on the market is ben hogans. GREAT clubs an my next purchase
MT
4 weeks agoRSEG agree 100% The influx of these super game improvement irons have nudged the PW lofts over all sets much lower over the last few years. I gamed Taylormade RSi1’s and in the end was hitting the PW 150+ yards, (my next club – a specialist gap wedge 120 yards) so I moved to the Wilson V6’s last year with a PW loft of 47 degrees they have managed to balance feel, forgiveness, and a sensible PW loft for non pro, high swing speed players meaning gapping is much more realistic. But this category is suffering because consumers are demanding more distance from thier irons and manufacturers seem reluctant to have “traditional” higher lofted sets because of our fascination with yards!!!
Theres a place for these, they are not for me, but choosing a set should be first and foremost about gapping.
(BTW Try the V6’s alongside the Ben Hogans – they have been gamed by many youtubers, Rick Shiels swapped from the Hogans to the V6’s they were that impressive)
Eric
4 weeks agoDoes this mean a whole new adaptor? As in the old one won’t work in this hybrid, ie shafts for epic, rogue etc need to be updated with this adaptor?
Tony Covey
4 weeks agoI had to check with Callaway on this one. Yes…the new design isn’t backward compatible. Not ideal if you’re sitting on a stash of Callaway tipped hybrid shafts, but it’s the cost of a significantly more efficient design.
Travis
4 weeks agoProps to Callaway for making a huge loft range with their hybrids and sticking to 3* increments. With the adjustability sleeve it should be super easy for anyone to add a couple of them in their set and properly gap them.
Keith Irvine
4 weeks agoInstead of getting their brakes fixed in their car, (a life saver), how many would spend the money on these ‘new’ clubs, (an ego booster)? This technology b.s. is way out of control. If the USGA had any backbone at all, they could put a stop to this crapolla, but their decision making has never hit the mark and apparently, never will…..
Terry
4 weeks agoI’m not sure what you mean by technology b.s.? Do you mean stronger lofts? Who cares what the number says on the club?
Bill
4 weeks agoAgreed Terry. So bend them weak ….been tweaking mine for 30 years to fit the distance I want to hit and to bridge gaps.
Chris Nickel
4 weeks agoI’m not certain how often the “brakes for new clubs” trade off exists in the real world – though as a proxy argument the implicit message of buying new clubs without any evidence to support the purchase is a fair criticism. If anything, the USGA has stifled innovation by requiring OEM’s to play within rather narrow confines – so I’m not sure what exactly a reasonable request would be? What would you want the USGA to tell the OEMs?
Johnny Penso
4 weeks agoI’d rather give up eating to play these clubs. You know…if I have to. Cause’ there’s no way I’m going to give up strippers and weed.
Smogmonster
4 weeks agoHi Tony,
Excellent video review hitting the highlights and lowlights of Callaway’s latest offering. Have to agree, that soft black finish will look pretty bad halfway through your first season with those irons. I have an Epic 3 hybrid and it does have a fully adjustable chunky hosel. The Rouge offered jailbreak so this is the next logical step albeit with a lower and lighter hosel.
I have liked Callaway’s hybrid profile since it was changed starting with the X2Hot with a face cup (wish I still owned those!).
As a higher handicapper I prefer the game improvement offerings from others with a sleeker and more inspiring look. I play the JPX-900 Hot Metals and really like them. These Big Berthas look clunky to my eye although you could do worse.
Steve S
4 weeks agoFull set hybrids already exist. Cleveland is a “name” brand that has them along with half a dozen “off” brands(Pinemeadow, Gigagolf, Acer, iDrive, etc.)
If you play any golf in Florida with the “geezer” crowd you’ll see them a lot. Very popular with those with slower swing speeds and “sweepers”.
Chris Nickel
4 weeks agoFair enough – but it sends a different message to the masses when a Callaway, TM, Ping or Titleist creates such a set. Essentially, it’s the difference between just existing and existing at every major big box retailer
THOMAS
4 weeks agoNice Looking Game Plus Improvement sticks – only time will tell after release
John
4 weeks agoLeft hand hybrid lofts all the way up to the 8 hybrid. If that is true, then well done Callaway!
Stacey
4 weeks agoBring on the loft mafia
dan
4 weeks agoNo doubt, but 3-4 degrees per club is a lot.
T.J. Hodnett
4 weeks agoLOVE the plug thrown in there for “Dodgeball”. Well done!