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Big Bertha Alpha Driver Review

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THP in depth review of the new Callaway Big Bertha Alpha driver. You can read the full details here.

http://bit.ly/1ezUjOG
 
Great review Ryan, looking forward to trying this one out even though I dont fall in category they are marketing to. I did find it interesting the 15 yards gained by someone on upper face contact, that kind of distance gained over another awesome driver the BB speaks volumes to the success of the gravity core adjustability in this driver.
 
I've been looking forward to this review and Ryan didn't disappoint. Heck of a write-up and great explanation of the all the technology that Callaway has worked into the Alpha. I'm hoping to get an opportunity to hit this one in the next couple of months.
 
Great write-up, Hawk. Still continues to amaze me how much tech is packed into this driver. I wonder if Callaway ought not send their minions out into Dick's and Golfsmith's across the country to train them on how best to fit people on the Alpha. There's so many adjustment options, I'd hate for someone to be put off of it because an employee at a store doesn't know or can't properly apply some of the fitting to optimize the performance.
 
Ryan, I've read a lot of reviews on here, and this ranks up at the top. Great job! Encapsulating all that Alpha "is" and can "do" is extremely difficult, but you did a great job! This driver is so much more than ANYTHING else EVER introduced. Awesome review!!!!
 
Very nice review, I am looking forward to this driver, I got a little bit of time with it when my rep brought it in and was impressed with the results.
 
Really excellent write up, Ryan.


The explanation of spin and it's effect on a driver is really helpful. I've generally understood the concept, but the review gives me a lot more insight. It's a good read for anyone who is trying to figure out whether they need low spin or high spin and from a driver and why.


For me, the Alpha played really well. The gravity core certainly affected my ball flight. While I did not put the Alpha on a LM, the height difference between the "up" and "down" position was clear. For me, having the gravity core in the "down" position produced a much more penetrating ball flight that still had a lot of carry.

I do not know what the distance numbers were for me with the Alpha as a result of no LM interaction. However, it was readily apparent that the Alpha is longer than my current driver, and based on what I saw, the results are not very close.

The Alpha is not Callaway's most forgiving driver. (In my opinion, that is the Big Bertha.) but, I found that the Alpha was still forgiving and did not require a dead-center strike for excellent results.
 
This was a great review and helped me understand a little better all that the Alpha can do. I'm interested in hitting this with someone making proper adjustments to see what happens.


Taps away
 
Great write up Ryan. I believe you will see alot of these drivers out on the course since it can be set up for many different kinds of golfers. Have the people that tried this driver seen there lofts go up or has it stayed the same. Seem like lately with the more adjustable driver's golfers lofts have increased.
 
Oh the sound this beauty makes at impact! It's that good!
 
Great review, Ryan!!! The BB Alpha is certainly one I want to give a few swings.
 
Great write up, love the look of the driver and really excited to tinker with one.

Keep Calm and Golf On.
 
It's beautiful and has all the bells and whistles however it may be a bit much for the average hacker. It sounds like the alpha driver would be more suited for the better player overall. You never know until you try it but I would be cautious to spend a bunch of money on something that may be over my skill level. Callaway has too many options to suit all players .
 
It's exciting to see this driver advance the state of the art in driver design. To see the impact the gravity core has on performance, it just makes you wonder what they'll do next, but in the meantime, this seems like a very useful tool in the right hands, and with so many fitting options, there are probably many hands that qualify. Thanks for the review.
 
Thanks for the informative review. The Alpha really sounds like a stick I could do well with. Now if I only had $500 to spare.
 
Great review!
I think this is the most excited I have been for a new driver in quite some time. The Gravity Core is finally a tech development that will change things for the golfer in a very real way. Anyone who's ever been through a fitting has been there; the launch angle is great but the spin is just a tad too high. Problem solved thanks to Callaway.

For whatever reason when I look at the Big Bertha Alpha I see the 2012 Razr Fit with a nicer paint job and some serious tech advances, maybe it's the shape and silver face. That is such a good thing IMO as that driver was awesome.
 
Great Review! Seems like an amazing club. The distance increases and dispersion decreases are pretty amazing.
 
Great Review, to go along with a great looking club, excited to a see where things progress from here, always seems like you say to yourself that technology must be peaking but the numbers continue to get better.
 
Well done, Ryan! I think you nailed it and really think you did a great job of explaining the awesome technology packed into this driver and the fact that if you are going to buy this driver, don't sell yourself short and get fit.

I can't wait to get mine and add all of my thoughts as well.
 
Thanks for the kind comments folks.

Ole Gray said:
It's beautiful and has all the bells and whistles however it may be a bit much for the average hacker. It sounds like the alpha driver would be more suited for the better player overall. You never know until you try it but I would be cautious to spend a bunch of money on something that may be over my skill level. Callaway has too many options to suit all players .
Click to expand...

I think Callaway would be the first to say that this isn't going to be the driver that fits the widest cross section of consumers and really, it would be a bit of a waste to buy it unless you're going to really utilize all that it offers via fitting. This is really the epitome of a driver that shouldn't be bought off the rack. Those players looking to eek out every last bit of performance from their driver via adjustments will find a ton to love, especially those dealing with spin issues. We saw some pretty amazing things happen through fitting at ECPC. A guy like me that just needs the most forgiveness is probably better suited for something like the Bertha, which still has a great deal of adjustability as well.
 
Big Bertha Alpha Driver Review

Shakey said:
try your best to describe it for us.
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Oh boy! My comparison is to the Xhot Pro. It's a crisper sound at impact. Not clicky. But it's a little deeper thwack sound.
 
Top notch review Hawk. The Alpha is an absolute winner in many aspects: innovation, adjustability, aesthetics, and performance. To the naked eye (even though I will not be gaming this driver :beat-up:) you can notice the difference in gravity core position. If you are a good driver of the golf ball, this thing is a no brainer. Even if the face isn't as hot as the BB, with optimized launch and spin numbers, the ball will go farther. Like Hawk mentioned, forgiveness up and down is a little better than laterally (which really benefits me) but it's still a great driver. Can't wait to see how it changes things in the future!
 
Great review Hawk!!!
 
Great job Ryan. I am so intrigued by the gravity core! I really want to give this thing a try in 2014. This driver really seems to hit on all cylinders.
 
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