Callaway Big Bertha 2023 Driver Review
Published:
-
At a glance
- TG Rating
- Owner Rating
-
Pros
- A great option for slower speed players looking for maximum help in taming a slice.
- If you can loft up without losing distance, you'll be on to a winner.
- A lovely lightweight, easy swing feel, which will work well at below average swing speeds.
-
Cons
- Some golfers will struggle with the slightly offset hosel, but it's a really useful tool in beating a slice.
What we say...
Unusually the Callaway Big Bertha 2023 is a front weighted, low spin draw driver, that targets ultimate easy launch performance for slicers and slower speed players.
The iconic Big Bertha franchise has been part of golf since 1991, that’s when Callaway introduced their first genuinely game changing oversized driver. The names been used in many different disguises since, having adorned everything from clubs to balls and bags, but today the marquee is the brands flagship family of easy to hit, game enjoyment golf equipment.
It doesn’t matter if you struggle with low speed, a chronic slice or being able to flight shots high enough to maximise carry distance, the 2023 Big Bertha is one of the best drivers available for slow speed and higher handicap players. Here’s everything you need to know about them.
Everything you need to know about the Callaway Big Bertha 2023 driver
A very different draw bias driver
The best draw drivers usually promise to deliver extreme off centre hit forgiveness. By employing a low and deep/back centre of gravity they create high MOI, which traditionally has been the concept most linked to maximum overall forgiveness and finding fairways more often. But the Big Bertha is a very different beast. Callaway’s goal with Big Bertha was creating a spin killing driver, as by cutting spin they say it’s possible to tighten a golfers dispersion.
The new Big Bertha driver has a forward centre of gravity, much like the brands best low spin drivers, the Epic Sub Zero and Paradym Triple Diamond. The brands thinking is that spin is very much the enemy of slicers, and by reducing it golfers will naturally find more fairways.
The Big Bertha is so good at doing what it’s designed for, golfers spinning drives at 3000 – 4000 RPM can expect to see a 400 – 500 RPM spin reduction over similar draw biased drivers. Which for many slow speed and inconsistent club golfers, who end up constantly in the right rough (for a right hander), will transform their driver game into a playable slice.
And where historically club fitters have often resorted to controlling spin by reducing loft, which makes heads more demanding to hit straight, this new Big Bertha is likely to offer the golfers who need it most an increase in loft. Which no doubt will be music to the ears of chromic slicers and slower speed players across the globe.
Similar tech but irregular head shape
Draw drivers aren’t always the most forgiving drivers available, as thanks to mass being positioned slightly more forward in the heel, MOI typically drops a little over all out forgiveness models. The Big Bertha though thanks to its A.I designed face is said to be very spin robust, which means golfers will see greater spin consistency between on and off-center hits, which the company say is of more benefit than simply chasing being the highest MOI driver on the market.
The Big Bertha comes with the companies new lightweight wishbone shaped, Jailbreak ball speed enhancing tech behind the face, which matches the brilliant new Paradym drivers launched this year. However, a new almost triangular head shape is very different to Callaway’s other 2023 drivers, and is specifically designed to give the impression of confidence through cosmetics.
Lightweight and long
It’s no secret lighter golf clubs are easier to swing faster, its exactly why graphite shafts are the norm in modern day drivers, fairway woods and hybrids. But the Big Bertha specifically attacks speed from the ground up. A Triaxial carbon fiber crown removes inefficient weight from high in the head, there’s also a lightweight easy launch RCH graphite shaft to ensure every last drop of speed is rinsed from even the slowest swing speeds.
And to ensure maximum ball speed no matter where you impact shots there’s also a new XL sized face, a feature that at higher swing speeds would impair aerodynamics.
WATCH: Best 2023 Driver video
Callaway on the Big Bertha 2023 driver
Big Bertha is one of the most iconic names in golf, providing game-changing performance and making the game more fun for players of all abilities. The new Big Bertha family is precisely engineered for players who want to launch the ball higher and play with more confidence every time they tee it up. This extremely forgiving line-up is designed to make every shot your best.
The ultra-low, forward CG is for players who want to reduce their slice for straight distance and easy launch. From the generous profile to the high strength XL face, these drivers are built for more confidence and helping players find more fairways.
READ NEXT: Best Callaway drivers
