When we saw Callaway take the Great Big Bertha name to an all new place by making it their ultra-premium option, it did have many curious about what that meant for Big Bertha. Wonder no more, because Big Bertha is not being absorbed into any other lines, instead it is back and more focused than ever on the game improvement to super game improvement portion of golf.
Callaway Big Bertha 23
She’s back, and this is most definitely a release which is in the same vein of the BB21 lineup which was an absolute success for Callaway as they innovated not only the first low spin slice killing driver, but also the #1 selling irons in golf. That said, Callaway is being very vocal that they have taken the time to not only implement new technology to the next generation of Big Bertha, but that they have also considered all feedback received on the BB21’s be it good, bad, or indifferent.
Big Bertha is all about improving one’s game and making sure it is fun in the process. With a heavy focus on easy to swing and launch options that have the distance potential Bertha has always been known for, there is a lot to take in with this lineup.
2023 Callaway Big Bertha Irons
As already mentioned, the BB21 irons were in fact the #1 selling irons in golf for Callaway, so, what was there for them to change? A lot, actually.
The BB23 irons remain the most forgiving irons that Callaway produces with a full focus on easy launch and the same Big Bertha shaping which the name is known for. However, there has been some focus on refining things. Starting with a new triple PVD “Black Smoke” dark finish to give a more balanced appearance, the newest Bertha irons do have that thicker topline and enhanced offset that you would expect.
Internally, the irons use a 450 Face Cup which is A.I. designed for each club in the set and offers high speed and spin consistency in a high strength castable material. Major attention was paid to the effectiveness of the face vertically and laterally across the hitting area. If you are worried about sound (feel), fear not as the magical Urethane Microspheres are present to function in cooperation with internal (43g) and external (11g) tungsten to ensure the feedback won’t leave golfers wanting even with the cast face material.
The Big Bertha irons play off a 42-degree PW and 27-degree 7i for those who are curious, but Callaway wants it made clear that the dual effect of the tungsten placement with the internal pulling the CG down and the external taking it back has made it so that the stronger lofts hit the necessary windows. This means fast with lower spin, but still hitting an effective peak height and descent angle. The irons are offered with True Temper Elevate 85 MPH steel shafts or the specially designed Callaway RCH65 graphite shafts in 5-PW with A, G, and S also available for $999.99/6 piece set (steel) and $1,099.99/6 piece set (graphite).
2023 Big Betha Hybrids
On the hybrid front, Callaway believes this is where the biggest jump has happened from the BB21 release. While these remain a footprint intended to be much more complimentary as an iron replacement with the square toe look, it is also longer heel to toe this time around. Not only that, the massive offset the BB21 had is gone and Callaway has implemented their Opti-Fit adapter system into the hybrids for even more iron replacement fine tuning potential.
Internally, Triaxial Carbon is in play with the crown of the hybrids to help keep weight lower in the head for higher MOI. Also, Jailbreak Batwing tech has made its way to the Big Bertha hybrids to allow more flex for more speed a-la the Paradym hybrids. Throw in 455 Face Cup which is A.I. designed for each loft 3 through 9 (19, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, 36) and the BB23’s with their Callaway RCH65 shaft are certainly intriguing. The 3-6 hybrids will also be available in LH, with each hybrid priced to $259.99.
2023 Callaway Big Bertha Fairways
Like the hybrids, Callaway also listened to feedback with the new Big Bertha fairways and gone is the huge offset. Instead, we are left with a clubhead that is very shallow faced with a shape that has some elongated angularity to it but inspires exactly what Callaway wants it to, ease off the deck.
While yes, there are the impressive technologies like Triaxial Carbon crowns as well as Jailbreak with Batwing and an A.I. Face design for each head, there is another simple yet ingenious aspect to the BB23 fairways. As it is well known, fairways are the hardest to hit clubs for most amateurs, Callaway has added progressive lengths and lofts which make the clubs shorter but with more loft. For example, the 3W plays at 43-inches and 16-degrees of loft. Why? More consistency in a shorter club and more lofts to improve the launch and carry.
The Big Bertha fairways are available in 3W (16), 5W (19), HVN (21), 7W (22), and 9W (25) with the 3 and 5 offering Opti-Fit adjustability and all options other than the HVN and 9W available in LH. The fairways are paired with the Callaway RCH in 45, 55, 65, or 75 and priced at $299.99.
2023 Callaway Big Bertha Drivers
Finally, the driver. Not only that, finally the next iteration of the most unique draw biased driver ever made in the BB21. If you have followed THP then you know the 2021 Big Bertha driver was an absolute unicorn, and the 2023 version looks to build on that. This is a slice killing driver that while it does have internal draw weighting, it is a low spin driver, 400-500 RPM lower than other “draw” models out there in fact.
This is done through the movement of the CG lower and more forward in the head instead of back like other draw drivers. That creates notable speed potential while keeping the spin low, and that is what helps tame the big miss for most golfers and keep it in play. Not only that, the low spin design with internal draw bias means that fitters can now loft up golfers to maximize their numbers instead of being forced to stay low to mitigate the big miss.
Shaping is similar to its predecessor in that it is triangular overall but also features an absolutely massive A.I. Designed XL face leading that Triaxial Carbon crown. Add in the Wishbone Jailbreak used in the Paradym, but lighter, and this is a driver designed with optimizing strikes across the face to an extent not in any other Callaway driver.
The 2023 Big Betha drivers are being offered in 9.0, 10.5, and 12.5 (RH only) degree lofts utilizing their Opti-Fit adapters and featuring the Callaway RCH in 45, 55, and 65. Price of the drivers will be $499.99.
The Details
Release Date: 5/26/2023
Driver: $499.99
Fairways: $299.99
Hybrids: $259.99
Irons: $999.99 (steel) and $1,099.99 (Graphite)
[QUOTE=”Muchmore18, post: 11628006, member: 56094″]
Alright so first impressions time! And just a reminder, this is only based on the 4i which I use a driving iron/long approach club in lies that I don’t feel comfortable with a fairway wood (no hybrids in the bag). Let’s get to it!
[B]Looks[/B]
Hot damn. This iron is absolutely stunning. The smoke black chrome is a color I wish would always be an option for Callaway clubs. Truthfully, I wish it was satin, but I’m being nitpicky. Give me this finish all day and I’d be happy. They do mute it on the top line and the tungsten badge on the back which is a fantastic touch. The muted top line help thin it out a bit to the eyes but it’s still a chunky club lol Here’s a comparison of the top line of this, the RadSpeed and my UT
BB23 – RadSpeed – XForged UT
[ATTACH type=”full” width=”844px” alt=”IMG_8175.jpeg”]9192241[/ATTACH]
Also the offset was a bit much to my eye but again, expected with the class of club it is. It was one reason I loved the RadSpeed though, there wasn’t a ton of it for the type of club it was.
The sole is pretty in line with what I expected. Bit chunky but nothing outrageous comparatively to the other two
BB23 – RadSpeed – UT
[ATTACH type=”full” width=”777px” alt=”IMG_8169.jpeg”]9192242[/ATTACH]
[B]Feel/Sound[/B]
This one is going to be a bit of a critique. But part of that critique comes from how I was hitting it last night. It feels and sounds… “dead” is the best way I can describe it after one night. I can tell where it’s coming out on the face, but almost everything sounds the same. Though I’d assume this is a byproduct of it being an SGI club.
[B]Forgiveness[/B]
This is where this SHINES. I wasn’t hitting it very well last night between the range, my actual play and then messing around on the course after league. I used the whole face. Found center a couple times but mostly low or on the toe. Besides one horrible shot that no club was fixing, the ball was still getting way out there. And it wasn’t slicing or hooking. These were mostly dead straight or maybe a baby fade. That’s going to be huge. Especially with my struggles with my UT and the RadSpeed still having some movement to it on bad swings (though never enough movement to hurt a ton). Keeping balls in front of me with the BB is going to help a ton!
[B]Launch/Distance[/B]
This was a tough one. I couldn’t for the life of me get the ball in the air. I know it’s a very strong lofted club (I ordered one degree weak but still). Even off of a tee, I was struggling to get it airborne. Not sure it got more than 20-30 yards in the air…but they were almost all bullets. I mentioned above that I dropped a couple balls at the 250 yard mark and had two out of four end in the center of the green. Not sure how much they had to roll to get there but I’m not necessarily trying to hold greens with this club so I can live with not being able to launch it if it gives me that kind of distance and forgiveness that I was seeing.
Overall, it was hit or miss for my first time out but I’m already seeing more success that I ever got with the UT. Beating out the RadSpeed is going to take some work but BB23 4i is securely in the bag as of now to give me time to get used to it.
[/QUOTE]
Great review, but I think your pictures all accidentally got reversed. The clubs all look backwards.
:ROFLMAO:
[QUOTE=”BigMac, post: 11628020, member: 3386″]
Great review, but I think your pictures all accidentally got reversed. The clubs all look backwards.
:ROFLMAO:
[/QUOTE]
Well I’m glad you got that out of the way lol
[QUOTE=”Muchmore18, post: 11628006, member: 56094″]
Alright so first impressions time! And just a reminder, this is only based on the 4i which I use a driving iron/long approach club in lies that I don’t feel comfortable with a fairway wood (no hybrids in the bag). Let’s get to it!
[B]Looks[/B]
Hot damn. This iron is absolutely stunning. The smoke black chrome is a color I wish would always be an option for Callaway clubs. Truthfully, I wish it was satin, but I’m being nitpicky. Give me this finish all day and I’d be happy. They do mute it on the top line and the tungsten badge on the back which is a fantastic touch. The muted top line help thin it out a bit to the eyes but it’s still a chunky club lol Here’s a comparison of the top line of this, the RadSpeed and my UT
BB23 – RadSpeed – XForged UT
[ATTACH type=”full” width=”844px” alt=”IMG_8175.jpeg”]9192241[/ATTACH]
Also the offset was a bit much to my eye but again, expected with the class of club it is. It was one reason I loved the RadSpeed though, there wasn’t a ton of it for the type of club it was.
The sole is pretty in line with what I expected. Bit chunky but nothing outrageous comparatively to the other two
BB23 – RadSpeed – UT
[ATTACH type=”full” width=”777px” alt=”IMG_8169.jpeg”]9192242[/ATTACH]
[B]Feel/Sound[/B]
This one is going to be a bit of a critique. But part of that critique comes from how I was hitting it last night. It feels and sounds… “dead” is the best way I can describe it after one night. I can tell where it’s coming out on the face, but almost everything sounds the same. Though I’d assume this is a byproduct of it being an SGI club.
[B]Forgiveness[/B]
This is where this SHINES. I wasn’t hitting it very well last night between the range, my actual play and then messing around on the course after league. I used the whole face. Found center a couple times but mostly low or on the toe. Besides one horrible shot that no club was fixing, the ball was still getting way out there. And it wasn’t slicing or hooking. These were mostly dead straight or maybe a baby fade. That’s going to be huge. Especially with my struggles with my UT and the RadSpeed still having some movement to it on bad swings (though never enough movement to hurt a ton). Keeping balls in front of me with the BB is going to help a ton!
[B]Launch/Distance[/B]
This was a tough one. I couldn’t for the life of me get the ball in the air. I know it’s a very strong lofted club (I ordered one degree weak but still). Even off of a tee, I was struggling to get it airborne. Not sure it got more than 20-30 yards in the air…but they were almost all bullets. I mentioned above that I dropped a couple balls at the 250 yard mark and had two out of four end in the center of the green. Not sure how much they had to roll to get there but I’m not necessarily trying to hold greens with this club so I can live with not being able to launch it if it gives me that kind of distance and forgiveness that I was seeing.
Overall, it was hit or miss for my first time out but I’m already seeing more success that I ever got with the UT. Beating out the RadSpeed is going to take some work but BB23 4i is securely in the bag as of now to give me time to get used to it.
[/QUOTE]
good stuff! by the way, 30 yards in the air isn’t “struggling to get it airborne” in my books for a long iron … unless you usually hit it 40+ yards I suppose. LOL. I expected it to read “feet” and then I was like wait a sec… :unsure::ROFLMAO:
[QUOTE=”shanewu, post: 11628444, member: 38120″]
good stuff! by the way, 30 yards in the air isn’t “struggling to get it airborne” in my books for a long iron … unless you usually hit it 40+ yards I suppose. LOL. I expected it to read “feet” and then I was like wait a sec… :unsure::ROFLMAO:
[/QUOTE]
:LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL: I meant feet! It’s not getting in the air at all. It has now been corrected!
[QUOTE=”Muchmore18, post: 11628554, member: 56094″]
:LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL::LOL: I meant feet! It’s not getting in the air at all. It has now been corrected!
[/QUOTE]
I feel better now about the height of my shots :ROFLMAO:
With the release of the Apex Pro line up today, a man needs to know his limitations. I believe I’m in the Big Bertha camp.
Absolutely…………….just because they look sexy, doesn’t mean they play sexy in my hands.
I’m a Big Bertha guy for sure………..LOL
[QUOTE=”J.B. Cobb III, post: 11664918, member: 50607″]
With the release of the Apex Pro line up today, a man needs to know his limitations. I believe I’m in the Big Bertha camp.
[/QUOTE]
I’ve only hit the hybrid, but if the rest of the line is as good you won’t be disappointed. I have a few rounds in with it and really like the forgiveness and ease of launch.
I have about 10 rounds with the BB23 5 Hybrid to date. If you’ve ever had difficulty hitting hybrids, it’s worth seeking out this line and giving them a try – it’s almost effortless to elevate them and distance is very good. Despite being in the Super Game Improvement category, which are usually strongly draw biased, the BB23 hybrid doesn’t go hard left on you. It’s a very straight and very forgiving club, and a lot of us could use a lot more of that in our bags!
Had the BB 4i in the bag for a bit now. I still have a bit of a hard time getting over the offet of it. But it’s not bad enough that I can’t be confident with it. If I used a full set like that, I think I would struggle.
But besides that, I’ve absolutely loved it! Using a SGI iron as a driving iron continues to be confidence inspiring! Mishits still go and they essentially all go straight regardless of what I do. There’s a distinct difference in feel on center hits and mishits but the distance is very comparable. I have a tee shot that I use this on every single time I tee off. Fairway percentage might be 80% or so and leaving a PW or below in to the green depending on conditions that day.
I even hit one through the fairway on my hands down best shot I’ve had with it. If they all felt and flew like that, I wouldn’t need a driver. That’s how far it went. Rocket. Launcher. Full stop. I’ve also gotten over the low launch issue I was having and now is a medium but piercing flight that just rolls and rolls.
Getting a UT back in the bag will be a hard thing for me. Sticking with these types of irons is most likely how I move forward with whatever irons end up coming out next year. Hell, maybe I even stick with this!
The BB23 5 hybrid is still in my bag, and I continue to be impressed by it. It’s so easy to hit, and reliably straight. The look at address is reassuring, feel is solid and the sound is even good. I’ll say it again, if you’ve ever struggled with hitting hybrids, the BB23 is worth a try for you.
Going to compare these two with a range session. Then, I’m thinking I’ll take the big bertha on its maiden voyage for an afternoon nine.
[ATTACH type=”full”]9206420[/ATTACH]
[QUOTE=”Tywithay, post: 11766746, member: 14378″]
Going to compare these two with a range session. Then, I’m thinking I’ll take the big bertha on its maiden voyage for an afternoon nine.
[ATTACH type=”full” alt=”20230921_135159.jpg”]9206420[/ATTACH]
[/QUOTE]
That should be an interesting comparison, can’t wait to hear your thoughts.
[QUOTE=”Tywithay, post: 11766746, member: 14378″]
Going to compare these two with a range session. Then, I’m thinking I’ll take the big bertha on its maiden voyage for an afternoon nine.
[ATTACH type=”full” alt=”20230921_135159.jpg”]9206420[/ATTACH]
[/QUOTE]
Looking forward to this one!
Well, I don’t have a ton of thoughts since I forgot to bring a good driver swing with me today. I found out that you can absolutely slice the Big Bertha off the planet. On the handful I hit next to the Paradym X, the BB definitely had a more penetrating flight. The Paradym launched quite a bit higher for me, but it does have slightly more loft, as the BB is a 9* and the X is 10.5* turned to -1. You could definitely see a difference in flights as the Big Bertha seemed like it kept going forward even on my slice swings. The Paradym X was kind of floaty and seemed to spin a ton. I think when I’m swinging it a little better, the BB has more potential for me, especially on windy days.
On the course, my distance wasn’t great, but the fairways were soft and shaggy so wasn’t a ton of roll. Some of that might also be the fact I was trying an AVX today when I usually play a much firmer ball. Even with my lackluster swing I managed 4/7 fairways with the Big Bertha, which is well above my average. I sometimes play 18 and don’t hit 4 fairways, so I was happy with that. A couple of the misses were still very playable. Only one was off the planet and it was on my least favorite hole no matter the day. I’m sure that was in my head before I even swung. I might try to hit the range again over the weekend to get some more comparisons and see if I can dial my swing in. Plan to try the Bertha at +1* and see if it gets a bit more launch without adding too much spin. I play every Thursday and then have a tournament next Saturday and I’m thinking it will be Big Bertha in the bag, unless it doesn’t treat me well at the range.
Aft
[QUOTE=”Tywithay, post: 11767505, member: 14378″]
Well, I don’t have a ton of thoughts since I forgot to bring a good driver swing with me today. I found out that you can absolutely slice the Big Bertha off the planet. On the handful I hit next to the Paradym X, the BB definitely had a more penetrating flight. The Paradym launched quite a bit higher for me, but it does have slightly more loft, as the BB is a 9* and the X is 10.5* turned to -1. You could definitely see a difference in flights as the Big Bertha seemed like it kept going forward even on my slice swings. The Paradym X was kind of floaty and seemed to spin a ton. I think when I’m swinging it a little better, the BB has more potential for me, especially on windy days.
On the course, my distance wasn’t great, but the fairways were soft and shaggy so wasn’t a ton of roll. Some of that might also be the fact I was trying an AVX today when I usually play a much firmer ball. Even with my lackluster swing I managed 4/7 fairways with the Big Bertha, which is well above my average. I sometimes play 18 and don’t hit 4 fairways, so I was happy with that. A couple of the misses were still very playable. Only one was off the planet and it was on my least favorite hole no matter the day. I’m sure that was in my head before I even swung. I might try to hit the range again over the weekend to get some more comparisons and see if I can dial my swing in. Plan to try the Bertha at +1* and see if it gets a bit more launch without adding too much spin. I play every Thursday and then have a tournament next Saturday and I’m thinking it will be Big Bertha in the bag, unless it doesn’t treat me well at the range.
[/QUOTE]
After reading your post tonight, it brought to mind a recent YouTube video I watched on these two drivers. Here’s a link to the video:
[MEDIA=youtube]tUUtGltw4iI[/MEDIA]
Mike
MPM1960
Switched to a Big Bertha driver after playing Paradym X most of the year. Small sample size so far with only 4 rounds on the BB23, but according to my Garmin stats my avg is 7 yards further with the Bertha and I beat my long drive of the year by 4 yards already. I think it has the potential for more.
Still playing the BB23 5 hybrid. I was laughing on the course today at how ridiculous this thing is – the only way it could be easier to hit would be if I just sat there and watched while it went up and hit the ball by itself. Hit a green from 192 yards, and I don’t hit greens from 192 yards. It’s a really fun club, enjoying having it in the bag!
I’m just gonna leave this here for the Grandaddy guys! Don’t count Big Bertha out.
[ATTACH type=”full”]9213591[/ATTACH]
These irons gave me the best overall numbers. They’re not the longest ( see Wilson DYNAPWR), but averaged a towering 100ft height, 47° decent angle, and 4900 spin, which was the highest spinning iron I tested today. They also had the greatest dispersion.
[QUOTE=”Thrillbilly Jim, post: 11834096, member: 50607″]
These irons gave me the best overall numbers. They’re not the longest ( see Wilson DYNAPWR), but averaged a towering 100ft height, 47° decent angle, and 4900 spin, which was the highest spinning iron I tested today. They also had the greatest dispersion.
[/QUOTE]
Did you hit the Great Big Bertha iron for comparison sake? I’d be curious if the GBB would be very similar to the numbers you got from the BB today.
Mike
Hi All,
I’ve a driver fitting next week and am likely to suggest the BB (as well as a host of others I hope). I’m struggling the the Mavrik at the moment. Any other BB 23 Driver users out there who have any thoughts on what they are seeing on the course with this beast?
Thanks
A
[QUOTE=”alistaird, post: 11841889, member: 67581″]
Hi All,
I’ve a driver fitting next week and am likely to suggest the BB (as well as a host of others I hope). I’m struggling the the Mavrik at the moment. Any other BB 23 Driver users out there who have any thoughts on what they are seeing on the course with this beast?
Thanks
A
[/QUOTE]
My swing has been rubbish the last two weeks, but the BB23 has still been longer on average than I was with the Paradym X. You can absolutely slice the ball with it, but the lower spin does seem to help mitigate the miss. I’ve spent a decent amount of time with the G430, Paradym X, and the BB23, and the Bertha will definitely be staying in the bag for the foreseeable future. If you struggle with the occasional rightward miss it should definitely be on the list for your fitting.
I feel like these irons were lost in the shuffle last year.
[QUOTE=”Thrillbilly Jim, post: 12041876, member: 50607″]
I feel like these irons were lost in the shuffle last year.
[/QUOTE]
I think that that is not uncommon for SGI irons.
[QUOTE=”Thrillbilly Jim, post: 12041876, member: 50607″]
I feel like these irons were lost in the shuffle last year.
[/QUOTE]
I feel like the entire line was lost in the shuffle. The BB23 5H will be replaced with newness very soon, but it’s a great club and I’ve really enjoyed playing it. It’s fun hitting a hybrid that’s so easy to elevate and flies so straight.
[QUOTE=”BigMac, post: 12042299, member: 3386″]
I feel like the entire line was lost in the shuffle. The BB23 5H will be replaced with newness very soon, but it’s a great club and I’ve really enjoyed playing it. It’s fun hitting a hybrid that’s so easy to elevate and flies so straight.
[/QUOTE]
Nothing is ever wrong with easy to elevate and flies so straight. I played a couple of BB21 hybrids. They were very good.
I’ve had the complete set of irons since the release, and they will be staying in the bag for a long time.
I just picked up a BB23 driver head and 3-wood……….to help out that area of my game.
Big fan of the Big Bertha line………….been playing them for many years.
[QUOTE=”mainefootwedge, post: 11596098, member: 50255″]
I have got a few comments on the irons………..with my black shafts and black grips, it’s really a sharp package.
Very forgiving, very easy to hit, and very long irons.
[ATTACH type=”full” alt=”20230522_183311.jpg”]9189079[/ATTACH]
[/QUOTE]
I’m thinking of picking up a set. How has the dark finish held up? Can I trouble you for a couple of face pics?
[QUOTE=”Thrillbilly Jim, post: 12041876, member: 50607″]
I feel like these irons were lost in the shuffle last year.
[/QUOTE]
Pricing, pricing, pricing.
How many people who play SGI clubs are willing to spend $200 per head for irons?