Today, Callaway Golf is announcing their latest premium iron offering, utilizing the resurrected Big Bertha name. They offer technology not seen in Callaway irons up to this point and will be available in stores October 17, 2014.
As the first Cup Face set of irons on the market (according to Callaway), the 2014 Big Bertha set claims to offer up to two clubs more distance. Some may recognize the term ‘Cup Face’ technology from recent Callaway hybrid and metalwood offerings. It’s a popular and established way of designing clubs that is especially helpful at maintaining ball speeds across the face. Since there are no welded areas on the back of the face, the flexibility of the face can controlled better from heel to toe, aiding both forgivingness and distance. The downside to the technology, and a reason for its relative scarcity in the US market, is said to be cost. However, we’ve seen a resurgence of it in the recent past from a variety of companies.
Features & Benefits
Unprecedented Distance from a 360° Face Cup
360 Face Cup Technology
This is the key feature that gives golfers “up to 2 clubs longer” distance. It’s the same Cup Face Technology we put in fairway woods and it produces HIGHER BALL SPEED (in caps) all across the face. When you hit the ball on the sweet spot, it’s faster. And when you don’t hit it on the sweet spot, it’s STILL faster.
Internal Standing Wave for Maximum Distance
The Internal Standing Wave allows us to make the CG low and forgiving, and by doing this we can deliver the full package of high MOI for maximum forgiveness along with high ball speed. It’s designed to help shots launch higher and go farther.
More Flexible Face
A more flexible face helps the ball jump off the club with serious ball speed behind it, and adds forgiveness too.
Advanced, Appealing Look from our Best Technology
The sole designs are wider in the longer irons to give you confidence and smaller in the shorter irons that are typically easier to hit. We’ve included our best technologies in these irons, including a Hollow Body Construction.
Shaft Offerings and MSRP
Shafts
- True Temper Speed Steep 80
- UST Recoil Graphite Shaft
MSRP
- $999 (steel), $1,199 (graphite), $1,299 (combo)
- Availability: 3-PW, AW, SW
Regarding the inspiration for the new Big Bertha irons, Dr. Alan Hocknell says, “We were asked to produce a breakthrough iron and we went looking at the way we constructed irons in the past… but taking that to the next level in a single-piece cast iron wasn’t enough. We looked at the work we had done at making face cups, particularly face cups for fairway woods and hybrids. So the question was, could we take that technique and apply it to an iron, and the answer is yes.”
Distance claims have become almost background noise at this point, but Callaway believes that the unique build of the Big Berthas will deliver on their claims. Hocknell says, “We are seeing gains of ball speed at the center of the face in a 4 iron of around three miles per hour over irons of a prior generation, a recent prior generation, and an average ball speed gain around the face of 2.5mph. Some people have claims of high ball speed, but the technology is really just related to the long irons. This cup face goes the entire way through the set. This claim of up to two clubs longer has been validated by robot testing – basically, the 6 iron of this set versus a 4 iron of the RAZR X HL set.”
Due to a progressive sole width, comparable offset values (for a game improvement iron), and a face that isn’t overly oversized, Hocknell states that, “We think we’ll attract a broad range of player abilities.”
Thanks to the standing wave technology (also taken from the metalwoods) that helps manipulate trajectory, Callaway hasn’t had to, “produce unusual lofts to create the distance effects that this iron has,” according to Hocknell.
Have you seen or hit the new Big Bertha irons? If so, stop by the THP Forum and share your thoughts with thousands of other golfers.
2 clubs longer…higher ball speeds and of forgiving on the non sweet spot hits. …sounds like a winner to me. I’ll be trying these out.
What a good looking Iron, Never had a set of Bertha’s but these could see the bag .
The cup face in irons is something that stands out to me. Looks wise, these don’t stand out – to me they actually look like a model from 2 years ago but the names escapes me offhand.
Recoil graphite? Big yes there.
I want to try these in a bad way.
This offering sure sounds like a winner!!
I can’t wait to hear the reviews.
I like the looks and the sole reminds me of my Callaway Razr XF irons. The price is also similar to the XF when they were first released. Forged heads on the XF make them a sweet hitting iron. If the new Bertha’s compare and add more distance these could be on my ponder list!
Im looking forward to trying these out. Possibly 2 clubs longer? I will take that all day
These have me very interested indeed. Cup face sounds like something that makes sense to bring over from the woods, and I’m excited to see what that means for irons.
Faster ball speeds on off center hits? Where do I sign?
Nice looking set! 2 clubs longer? I’m hitting my Apex Pros great, but to be able to consider a single iron like the BB 6 or 5 to get 4 or 3 iron typcial distance with higher-lofted iron forgiveness is intriguing.
I like the finish to them. 2 clubs longer is quite a bit. Look bulky, but in pictures so did the Razr XF’s and I thought those irons were phenomenal. Will certainly give them a look this weekend.
Look up nike vrs x irons. These look exactly the same.
Thank you for the preview!
I like to look at the distance claims:
“This claim of up to two clubs longer has been validated by robot testing – basically, the 6 iron of this set versus a 4 iron of the RAZR X HL set.”
I am not familiar with the RAZR X HL Set, but “HL” is an acronym for High Launch, and typically those types of irons are not built for distance, but carry in order to assist the mid-to-high hc player.
So while I do buy the higher speed claims, I would have preferred a comparison to their XHot Irons against the new BB Irons. Color me “skeptical.”
I need these in the worst possible way!
I bet my brother in law, Dan The Man on the forum, will have these within days of release!
Basically the same tech as MacGregors Mac-tec nvg2 irons from years ago. They had what we’re called 360 cup face technology. Callaway just flipped the face and cup words around. New tech ya right? Irons were super long and forgiving but weren’t the best looking clubs. They still are the best set of irons I’ve owned and wish I still had them at times.
2 clubs longer? Could quite possibly because it literally is 2 clubs longer… + cranked up lofts
Notice how Callaway strategically doesn’t show the top-line view or publish offset values. No thanks!
so everyone is going to act like these are not the same irons from nike 2 years ago (vrs 2012 edition)
props to Stubaka for noticing it.