Martin Hopley
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So Callaway claim the Big Bertha irons are 2 clubs longer? Well, I had to check that out.

Let's forget the technology for a while and go straight to testing at the Callaway Performance Centre in St Andrews where I was able to test the Big Bertha irons on Trackman the day after they were announced to the world.

Callaway Big Bertha Irons Test

The benchmark Callaway are using for their claim is their RAZR X HL iron that was launched in February 2012. Unsurprisingly there was not one around at the Performance Centre, so I tested it on Trackman against Callaway's most recent game improvement iron which is the X2 Hot.

After a bit of warming up I did manage to get the Big Bertha 7-iron to go almost as far as the X2 Hot 6-iron. When we posted these results on the Golfalot Twitter page we were asked if the lofts of the two sets are the same. They are, but the standard Big Bertha shafts are a quarter of an inch (6mm) longer, which is negligible.

Callaway Big Bertha Iron

So yes, for me the Big Bertha irons are around a club longer than Callaway's last cavity back iron. Comparing it to an iron that was launched two and a half years ago is, well, let's just say the marketing team earned their money on that one.

So why are they longer? Well, it is all down to the 360 Face Cup which comes from Callaway's woods and allows the weld line to be behind the face rather than on it.

Callaway Big Bertha Irons Face

This increases ball speed as the face can be thinner across a larger area. Certainly the impact felt very good and the sound was also pretty good for a hollow iron.

Callaway has also brought across the internal standing wave from their woods, which is a ridge of metal on the inside of the sole that raises the Centre of Gravity (CG) and brings it low and forward to make the club more forgiving.

The heads are a generous size and do offer a lot of forgiveness. If you are familiar with Big Bertha irons of old then you will see the visual similarities right away. There is a reasonable offset and the top line is quite wide, but it still manages to look playable.

Callaway Big Bertha Irons Test

The progressively shorter head length as you go down the set helps this and keeps the sole width in the short irons narrower to stop them getting too chunky. The wedge is actually pretty good, which is unusual for these types of set so Callaway has done a good job here.

You can see the back of the club in the longer clubs at address and to a degree that is expected in game improvement irons, but overall they sat pretty well.

Callaway Big Bertha Irons Test

Callaway say they are aimed at golfers who want forgiveness and more distance. However distance in irons is a relative thing as you need them to have decent gaps between each other and provide the right flight.

The Big Bertha irons do offer this and the flight is medium to high without ballooning, so no issues there. They also felt a little lighter than the X2 Hot irons and that also helps create that extra clubhead speed.

Despite the over-enthusiastic marketing, they are longer than previous Callaway irons, which means that you will need to watch your gaps between your irons and your woods and wedges.

The Big Bertha irons start with a 20.5° 4-iron, which will no doubt overlap for distance with your hybrid now, but maybe not land as steeply or stop as quickly. Therefore, it will probably be best to start with the 23° 5-iron to keep the gap to your first wood the same, although a fitting session will comfirm this.

Callaway Big Bertha Irons Test

At the other end you could go down to the A or 'Approach' wedge at 49°. As this will probably go as far as a usual set PW at 45° then you should skip the Big Bertha SW from the set and go for three Callaway Mack Daddy wedges at say 50°, 54° and 58°.

So you will be buying 5-9 iron then PW and AW from the set, followed by another PW, GW and LW just to get the same gaps as you had before. This is where all the distance gains in irons make a mockery of the numbering and maybe why we should just move to lofts instead.

Yes, I understand the numbering is based on the fact that the stronger lofted 7-iron has the same peak height as a 'normal' 7-iron and therefore that the ball goes faster off the face and you get extra distance. It just seems wrong to have sets like this unless you have a fetish for the letter W.

If you forget the numbering and the hefty price tag, then the Big Bertha irons do offer an easier way to play the game, as you will have more forgiveness thanks to more loft in your hands with a club that will probably go further than your current irons.

Whether that makes you feel 2 clubs longer is up to you.

Golfalot Rating: 4 stars
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Callaway Big Bertha Irons - Product Details

UK Launch17 October 2014
UK Launch RRP£699
Handicap Range
Low
High
GolferMens, Women
Hand AvailabilityLeft, Right
ManufactureCast
MaterialSteel
FinishChrome
Swing WeightD0, D2
Shaft NameTrue Temper Speed Step (Steel), UST Recoil (Graphite)
Shaft TypesSteel, Graphite
Shaft FlexRegular, Stiff
DesignCavity Back
Set Makeup4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, PW, GW, SW
Manufacturer's WebsiteCallaway Website

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User Reviews

Kelly
August 2017

These clubs are definitely the best I have played. I am much more confident and comfortable with them. Miss hits are not a disaster and they hit straight. The ball seems to jump off of the clubface with good loft. I see no reason for people to categorize these as a high handicap club. They certainly would help a high handicap golfer but at the same time a low handicap golfer would benefit as well. Love em!

April 2017

Well I hate to disagree with previous posts but I find these go about a club less than my previous XR irons. In addition the dispersion is worse than any club I've owned and yes I've owned quite a few!! All in all I don't like them at all.

January 2017

Amazing.

June 2016

I am an 11 handicap player and 65. I love these irons. I gained 10 yds or 1 club easily. I am not fooled by the fact that the lofts are stronger. One thing to take into mind is that the ball flight for a 7 iron is the same on all three sets I own. They make me swing better, or at least more controlled. I have no trouble working these irons. I was not looking for new clubs, but just picked one up at my local shop and hit it into the net. I loved the feel and how the ball exploded off the face even though it was a bit thin and a tiny off center toward the toe. Took it out to the range and bought the set used.

Let's all get real and face some facts here. I have been as low as a 6 and have played with some scratch players on a regular basis, so I do know the difference. We all can use a little forgiveness, and that makes the game a lot more fun for you and the foresome playing behind you. Golf is the hardest sport I have ever played. These clubs make it more enjoyable. I know too many guys that are using clubs that are way better than they are. As long as the clubs are legal, I can live with the "game improvement " handle. Try these and you may find that you like them. They sure put a grin on my face. Now if they only made a putter like this.

Jim119
January 2015

Love the irons, hit all lofts very well at Golfsmith, longer then my old Ping G15s which I still use but want to replace, however the price point, especially with a graphite shaft is out of my league. Maybe in a year or two when the price comes down into the $900.00 range. But I am looking at the Ping G30 which are already at that price point.

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