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Callaway Releases Big Bertha B21 Driver

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SuperStroke
J.B. Cobb III said:
09-26-20 Testing at driving range
I took the Big Bertha B21 out to the local​
driving range this afternoon. I was pretty amped to hit this driver again after getting some pretty stellar numbers on the sim earlier this week. I had my reservations though. I know that sometimes what you see on the simulator doesn’t manifest itself in real time.
So, how did this new Callaway driver​
perform?! Well...it basically lived up to all the “hype” surrounding it at launch! Folks, it isn’t hype, it’s the “Truth!” Callaway has a sure enough unicorn here.
My first swing produced a pushy-fade. If​
I had been hitting my gamer, that ball would have ended up at least one fairway over. This one just gently faded out to the right edge of the range. After that initial bad(better result than most I have hit in the last year), this club proved what it could do! Everything was either straight or with a little draw! I couldn’t believe it! As a serial slicer, it was absolutely astonishing! The ball launches quickly off the face resulting in a mid-high trajectory and seemed like it was carrying forever before it landed. And, something I couldn’t get out of my current gamer...when the ball landed, I could see it hop and continue to roll!
I, in true internet golfer fashion, tinkered​
with the opti-fit adapter. I de-lofted the BB B21 1°. Hoping for a lower ball flight. The trajectory lowered slightly, but it seemed like I wasn’t getting the same output in the stock setting. So, I put it back in the stock position and just lowered my tee height a touch.
This driver is super forgiving and LONG!​
Callaway truly have created a forgiving, low spin, draw based driver that absolutely hammers the ball! This driver would probably benefit 80% of the members on the forum! If ego didn’t get in the way.
Lastly, I want to talk about the “made​
for” RCH shaft. I had concerns about hitting such a light shaft. After giving it the ol’ waggle test, I definitely was apprehensive! BUT...there’s something to this thing! It feels loose or super active when you waggle it back and forth, but when you make a full swing, it feels great! My current gamer has a Project X HZRDUS Black Smoke 6.5 60g shaft. My favorite is the standard HZRDUS Black 6.0. There is some definite voodoo here. I can feel where the club head is at all times. It’s stable without being overly stout, it’s smooth in transition, and definitely tip active. This shaft and club head combo works really well! I’ve not gone after one yet because I won’t have my stint removed until next week, but I want to see what this combo can do when I really hammer on it!
My only critiques so far are...1-I need a​
corded grip due to the humidity and I’m not a huge fan of the “bullseye” on the face. It’s just not my cup of tea. But, that’s just trying to find a negative with this driver.
I guess the only thing left to do at this​
point is to update my WITB!😳
Click to expand...
The grip is a little squishy - I’m with you there for sure
 
J.B. Cobb III said:
09-26-20 Testing at driving range
I took the Big Bertha B21 out to the local​
driving range this afternoon. I was pretty amped to hit this driver again after getting some pretty stellar numbers on the sim earlier this week. I had my reservations though. I know that sometimes what you see on the simulator doesn’t manifest itself in real time.
So, how did this new Callaway driver​
perform?! Well...it basically lived up to all the “hype” surrounding it at launch! Folks, it isn’t hype, it’s the “Truth!” Callaway has a sure enough unicorn here.
My first swing produced a pushy-fade. If​
I had been hitting my gamer, that ball would have ended up at least one fairway over. This one just gently faded out to the right edge of the range. After that initial bad(better result than most I have hit in the last year), this club proved what it could do! Everything was either straight or with a little draw! I couldn’t believe it! As a serial slicer, it was absolutely astonishing! The ball launches quickly off the face resulting in a mid-high trajectory and seemed like it was carrying forever before it landed. And, something I couldn’t get out of my current gamer...when the ball landed, I could see it hop and continue to roll!
I, in true internet golfer fashion, tinkered​
with the opti-fit adapter. I de-lofted the BB B21 1°. Hoping for a lower ball flight. The trajectory lowered slightly, but it seemed like I wasn’t getting the same output in the stock setting. So, I put it back in the stock position and just lowered my tee height a touch.
This driver is super forgiving and LONG!​
Callaway truly have created a forgiving, low spin, draw based driver that absolutely hammers the ball! This driver would probably benefit 80% of the members on the forum! If ego didn’t get in the way.
Lastly, I want to talk about the “made​
for” RCH shaft. I had concerns about hitting such a light shaft. After giving it the ol’ waggle test, I definitely was apprehensive! BUT...there’s something to this thing! It feels loose or super active when you waggle it back and forth, but when you make a full swing, it feels great! My current gamer has a Project X HZRDUS Black Smoke 6.5 60g shaft. My favorite is the standard HZRDUS Black 6.0. There is some definite voodoo here. I can feel where the club head is at all times. It’s stable without being overly stout, it’s smooth in transition, and definitely tip active. This shaft and club head combo works really well! I’ve not gone after one yet because I won’t have my stint removed until next week, but I want to see what this combo can do when I really hammer on it!
My only critiques so far are...1-I need a​
corded grip due to the humidity and I’m not a huge fan of the “bullseye” on the face. It’s just not my cup of tea. But, that’s just trying to find a negative with this driver.
I guess the only thing left to do at this​
point is to update my WITB!😳
Click to expand...
That is good stuff.
 
J.B. Cobb III said:
09-26-20 Testing at driving range
I took the Big Bertha B21 out to the local​
driving range this afternoon. I was pretty amped to hit this driver again after getting some pretty stellar numbers on the sim earlier this week. I had my reservations though. I know that sometimes what you see on the simulator doesn’t manifest itself in real time.
So, how did this new Callaway driver​
perform?! Well...it basically lived up to all the “hype” surrounding it at launch! Folks, it isn’t hype, it’s the “Truth!” Callaway has a sure enough unicorn here.
My first swing produced a pushy-fade. If​
I had been hitting my gamer, that ball would have ended up at least one fairway over. This one just gently faded out to the right edge of the range. After that initial bad(better result than most I have hit in the last year), this club proved what it could do! Everything was either straight or with a little draw! I couldn’t believe it! As a serial slicer, it was absolutely astonishing! The ball launches quickly off the face resulting in a mid-high trajectory and seemed like it was carrying forever before it landed. And, something I couldn’t get out of my current gamer...when the ball landed, I could see it hop and continue to roll!
I, in true internet golfer fashion, tinkered​
with the opti-fit adapter. I de-lofted the BB B21 1°. Hoping for a lower ball flight. The trajectory lowered slightly, but it seemed like I wasn’t getting the same output in the stock setting. So, I put it back in the stock position and just lowered my tee height a touch.
This driver is super forgiving and LONG!​
Callaway truly have created a forgiving, low spin, draw based driver that absolutely hammers the ball! This driver would probably benefit 80% of the members on the forum! If ego didn’t get in the way.
Lastly, I want to talk about the “made​
for” RCH shaft. I had concerns about hitting such a light shaft. After giving it the ol’ waggle test, I definitely was apprehensive! BUT...there’s something to this thing! It feels loose or super active when you waggle it back and forth, but when you make a full swing, it feels great! My current gamer has a Project X HZRDUS Black Smoke 6.5 60g shaft. My favorite is the standard HZRDUS Black 6.0. There is some definite voodoo here. I can feel where the club head is at all times. It’s stable without being overly stout, it’s smooth in transition, and definitely tip active. This shaft and club head combo works really well! I’ve not gone after one yet because I won’t have my stint removed until next week, but I want to see what this combo can do when I really hammer on it!
My only critiques so far are...1-I need a​
corded grip due to the humidity and I’m not a huge fan of the “bullseye” on the face. It’s just not my cup of tea. But, that’s just trying to find a negative with this driver.
I guess the only thing left to do at this​
point is to update my WITB!😳
Click to expand...
Excellent review!
 
Need to track down a 9* head to try.
 
Alright then, lets get down and dirty.

About Me:

For those who don't know, I write a review from time to time, sometimes do some videos on THP TV and stuff as well. ;)

All seriousness, avid is an understatement when it comes to me and golf gear. I'm a low handicap player with a higher end of the spectrum SS (110 Realm) when comfortable with the club in hand. Historically I was a low launch and low spin player, in the past year that has been rectified with work on AoA and not being a dummy more than anything. If you have read any other driver articles from me, I'm in that 157-158 average ball speed with a 35-40 yard peak average now as well. I want to see, ideally, spin in the low 2,000's but anywhere to 2600 range stays amply playable. I'm maybe not the first person one would think of when it comes to testing this one, but, as a guy who plays a fade and struggled with the high spin (for me) of the Mavrik Max it is intriguing as the day is long.

My Review Setup:

I opted for the 9.0 Big Bertha B21 head paired with the heaviest and stiffest stock setup they have, the RCH 65 in Stiff, at stock playing length (45.75").

Initial Impressions - Aesthetics:

Its triangular. Yes, I knew that coming in since I wrote the release article on the THP homepage, but, seeing it in person coming from some very traditionally shaped heads takes some getting used to. Its not as triangular as the old Fusion, but its there, that said, I don't think the target demo will care, and the rest will acclimate quickly. The finish with the deep blue and metal flake is super slick, borderline gorgeous, such a good look....which is why I really wish they had left the dual red lines off of the crown. Am I nitpicking? I don't know, but its been something that Callaway has done on driver heads that I just don't care for.

The sole looks damn good though, its so good there for what it is, not gaudy, and shows off the visual tech and weighting. Let the design sing! More than anything though, HOLY HELL this beast is DEEP. The face is so, so, so, so, SO, DEEP.

Initial Impressions - Performance:

I've had this one out and about a good bit, but I want to sort of talk about it all in one shot (the story for me so far, if you will). This is a UNICORN of a design, the fact that Callaway is claiming to be able to put the CG lower and forward to cut spin AND combine it with a draw bias to mitigate the spin most golfers create with their slice/cut/fade misses alone is a bold take, but then saying that because of Flash Face and their A.I. technology they can use the FACE to keep the forgiveness that would historically had to have been in a low and back CG is UNHEARD OF.

Well, it works.

First off, NO DRIVER IS GOING TO CURE A BAD SWING. So making clickbait videos on this driver versus lessons is just that, clickbait. But the notion of decreasing spin on the miss that most golfers battles is more than appealing. I had a much efforted go with the Mavrik Max based on the fact that as a fader I like a more draw weighted setup to tame things a bit, but the Max just flat out spun to much for me, even at 9.0 averaging in the 3,000+ RPM range with some stout shaft setups. This though, this is pretty mind bending.

First, the sound is STELLAR, significantly better than the Mavrik Max, and I'd also say better than my Mavrik as well...as for comparisons to the Flash, that isn't on the same realm of existence when it comes to sound/feel as this. Its powerful, and its a feel that you don't typically get out of a forgiving driver in my experience. Second, this one is a launcher with the RCH setup in it, and at 9.0 I'm hitting peaks from 40-45 yards which is TOWERING for me. I'll get to the RCH more soon, don't worry. Bigger picture, I'm seeing in my initial sessions an average spin rate of 2600 RPM and ball speeds in the 158 MPH range with a peak thusfar of 163. What does that mean? At these peaks, some DEEP shots.

An outstanding impression is that I can still hit a fade, it just doesn't fade as much. Likewise, I am not seeing an overtly "draw" bias, its not making neutral struck balls turn hard left. That all said, hooky swings do hook, and wimpy open faced ones will still slice. Biggest picture here though is the amount of distance retained on misses have been eye opening. The strikes where in the Max I would see spin jump to close to 4,000+ (BAD swing) I am seeing so far at HIGHEST 3,400 and that means the ball on misses is not only having better dispersion but it is carrying a lot further than I'm used to. Misses staying above 260 is pretty killer for me, and knowing good strikes can generate carries in the 280's makes it more exciting.

I do want to talk about the shaft though before I end this first long post. The RCH is an enigma to me right now. I have plugged my beloved Riptide 60 6.5 in and seen spin numbers balloon, back to the 65S RCH and they fall right back to what I have been seeing. Its strange because I can feel this one get a little loose for me when I really get into a groove and turn hard on them, like it isn't keeping up, but its doing what it intends to. The tip is definitely active as described. I think it would be a mistake for golfers to grab this one and not give it a truly FAIR run, while I wish for my sake there was a flex stronger, its still a design that performs (and looks killer). I will be tinkering some this week with some REALLY stout setups to see what I can do, and to see if they will mesh at all with the head design.

I'm not going to say if this is going in my bag long term or not, because that isn't my job, but I can say there is potential here that I want to dive down the rabbit hole further to figure out, that's for sure.
 
Jman said:
Alright then, lets get down and dirty.

About Me:

For those who don't know, I write a review from time to time, sometimes do some videos on THP TV and stuff as well. ;)

All seriousness, avid is an understatement when it comes to me and golf gear. I'm a low handicap player with a higher end of the spectrum SS (110 Realm) when comfortable with the club in hand. Historically I was a low launch and low spin player, in the past year that has been rectified with work on AoA and not being a dummy more than anything. If you have read any other driver articles from me, I'm in that 157-158 average ball speed with a 35-40 yard peak average now as well. I want to see, ideally, spin in the low 2,000's but anywhere to 2600 range stays amply playable. I'm maybe not the first person one would think of when it comes to testing this one, but, as a guy who plays a fade and struggled with the high spin (for me) of the Mavrik Max it is intriguing as the day is long.

My Review Setup:

I opted for the 9.0 Big Bertha B21 head paired with the heaviest and stiffest stock setup they have, the RCH 65 in Stiff, at stock playing length (45.75").

Initial Impressions - Aesthetics:

Its triangular. Yes, I knew that coming in since I wrote the release article on the THP homepage, but, seeing it in person coming from some very traditionally shaped heads takes some getting used to. Its not as triangular as the old Fusion, but its there, that said, I don't think the target demo will care, and the rest will acclimate quickly. The finish with the deep blue and metal flake is super slick, borderline gorgeous, such a good look....which is why I really wish they had left the dual red lines off of the crown. Am I nitpicking? I don't know, but its been something that Callaway has done on driver heads that I just don't care for.

The sole looks damn good though, its so good there for what it is, not gaudy, and shows off the visual tech and weighting. Let the design sing! More than anything though, HOLY HELL this beast is DEEP. The face is so, so, so, so, SO, DEEP.

Initial Impressions - Performance:

I've had this one out and about a good bit, but I want to sort of talk about it all in one shot (the story for me so far, if you will). This is a UNICORN of a design, the fact that Callaway is claiming to be able to put the CG lower and forward to cut spin AND combine it with a draw bias to mitigate the spin most golfers create with their slice/cut/fade misses alone is a bold take, but then saying that because of Flash Face and their A.I. technology they can use the FACE to keep the forgiveness that would historically had to have been in a low and back CG is UNHEARD OF.

Well, it works.

First off, NO DRIVER IS GOING TO CURE A BAD SWING. So making clickbait videos on this driver versus lessons is just that, clickbait. But the notion of decreasing spin on the miss that most golfers battles is more than appealing. I had a much efforted go with the Mavrik Max based on the fact that as a fader I like a more draw weighted setup to tame things a bit, but the Max just flat out spun to much for me, even at 9.0 averaging in the 3,000+ RPM range with some stout shaft setups. This though, this is pretty mind bending.

First, the sound is STELLAR, significantly better than the Mavrik Max, and I'd also say better than my Mavrik as well...as for comparisons to the Flash, that isn't on the same realm of existence when it comes to sound/feel as this. Its powerful, and its a feel that you don't typically get out of a forgiving driver in my experience. Second, this one is a launcher with the RCH setup in it, and at 9.0 I'm hitting peaks from 40-45 yards which is TOWERING for me. I'll get to the RCH more soon, don't worry. Bigger picture, I'm seeing in my initial sessions an average spin rate of 2600 RPM and ball speeds in the 158 MPH range with a peak thusfar of 163. What does that mean? At these peaks, some DEEP shots.

An outstanding impression is that I can still hit a fade, it just doesn't fade as much. Likewise, I am not seeing an overtly "draw" bias, its not making neutral struck balls turn hard left. That all said, hooky swings do hook, and wimpy open faced ones will still slice. Biggest picture here though is the amount of distance retained on misses have been eye opening. The strikes where in the Max I would see spin jump to close to 4,000+ (BAD swing) I am seeing so far at HIGHEST 3,400 and that means the ball on misses is not only having better dispersion but it is carrying a lot further than I'm used to. Misses staying above 260 is pretty killer for me, and knowing good strikes can generate carries in the 280's makes it more exciting.

I do want to talk about the shaft though before I end this first long post. The RCH is an enigma to me right now. I have plugged my beloved Riptide 60 6.5 in and seen spin numbers balloon, back to the 65S RCH and they fall right back to what I have been seeing. Its strange because I can feel this one get a little loose for me when I really get into a groove and turn hard on them, like it isn't keeping up, but its doing what it intends to. The tip is definitely active as described. I think it would be a mistake for golfers to grab this one and not give it a truly FAIR run, while I wish for my sake there was a flex stronger, its still a design that performs (and looks killer). I will be tinkering some this week with some REALLY stout setups to see what I can do, and to see if they will mesh at all with the head design.

I'm not going to say if this is going in my bag long term or not, because that isn't my job, but I can say there is potential here that I want to dive down the rabbit hole further to figure out, that's for sure.
Click to expand...
Excellent review bro!(y)
 
@Jman thanks for the thorough writeup and review of your observations and results with this driver.
 
I had as chance to see this in the store and I was surprised how much I liked the look. If there had been any hitting bays open I would have given it a few swings out of curiosity. At some point I'll have to stop back in and try it to see what a design like this does with my swing.
 
ENABLERS, YOUR ALL JUST A BIG BUNCH OF ENABLERS!! 😉🤣🤣🤣
 
Jman said:
Alright then, lets get down and dirty.

About Me:

For those who don't know, I write a review from time to time, sometimes do some videos on THP TV and stuff as well. ;)

All seriousness, avid is an understatement when it comes to me and golf gear. I'm a low handicap player with a higher end of the spectrum SS (110 Realm) when comfortable with the club in hand. Historically I was a low launch and low spin player, in the past year that has been rectified with work on AoA and not being a dummy more than anything. If you have read any other driver articles from me, I'm in that 157-158 average ball speed with a 35-40 yard peak average now as well. I want to see, ideally, spin in the low 2,000's but anywhere to 2600 range stays amply playable. I'm maybe not the first person one would think of when it comes to testing this one, but, as a guy who plays a fade and struggled with the high spin (for me) of the Mavrik Max it is intriguing as the day is long.

My Review Setup:

I opted for the 9.0 Big Bertha B21 head paired with the heaviest and stiffest stock setup they have, the RCH 65 in Stiff, at stock playing length (45.75").

Initial Impressions - Aesthetics:

Its triangular. Yes, I knew that coming in since I wrote the release article on the THP homepage, but, seeing it in person coming from some very traditionally shaped heads takes some getting used to. Its not as triangular as the old Fusion, but its there, that said, I don't think the target demo will care, and the rest will acclimate quickly. The finish with the deep blue and metal flake is super slick, borderline gorgeous, such a good look....which is why I really wish they had left the dual red lines off of the crown. Am I nitpicking? I don't know, but its been something that Callaway has done on driver heads that I just don't care for.

The sole looks damn good though, its so good there for what it is, not gaudy, and shows off the visual tech and weighting. Let the design sing! More than anything though, HOLY HELL this beast is DEEP. The face is so, so, so, so, SO, DEEP.

Initial Impressions - Performance:

I've had this one out and about a good bit, but I want to sort of talk about it all in one shot (the story for me so far, if you will). This is a UNICORN of a design, the fact that Callaway is claiming to be able to put the CG lower and forward to cut spin AND combine it with a draw bias to mitigate the spin most golfers create with their slice/cut/fade misses alone is a bold take, but then saying that because of Flash Face and their A.I. technology they can use the FACE to keep the forgiveness that would historically had to have been in a low and back CG is UNHEARD OF.

Well, it works.

First off, NO DRIVER IS GOING TO CURE A BAD SWING. So making clickbait videos on this driver versus lessons is just that, clickbait. But the notion of decreasing spin on the miss that most golfers battles is more than appealing. I had a much efforted go with the Mavrik Max based on the fact that as a fader I like a more draw weighted setup to tame things a bit, but the Max just flat out spun to much for me, even at 9.0 averaging in the 3,000+ RPM range with some stout shaft setups. This though, this is pretty mind bending.

First, the sound is STELLAR, significantly better than the Mavrik Max, and I'd also say better than my Mavrik as well...as for comparisons to the Flash, that isn't on the same realm of existence when it comes to sound/feel as this. Its powerful, and its a feel that you don't typically get out of a forgiving driver in my experience. Second, this one is a launcher with the RCH setup in it, and at 9.0 I'm hitting peaks from 40-45 yards which is TOWERING for me. I'll get to the RCH more soon, don't worry. Bigger picture, I'm seeing in my initial sessions an average spin rate of 2600 RPM and ball speeds in the 158 MPH range with a peak thusfar of 163. What does that mean? At these peaks, some DEEP shots.

An outstanding impression is that I can still hit a fade, it just doesn't fade as much. Likewise, I am not seeing an overtly "draw" bias, its not making neutral struck balls turn hard left. That all said, hooky swings do hook, and wimpy open faced ones will still slice. Biggest picture here though is the amount of distance retained on misses have been eye opening. The strikes where in the Max I would see spin jump to close to 4,000+ (BAD swing) I am seeing so far at HIGHEST 3,400 and that means the ball on misses is not only having better dispersion but it is carrying a lot further than I'm used to. Misses staying above 260 is pretty killer for me, and knowing good strikes can generate carries in the 280's makes it more exciting.

I do want to talk about the shaft though before I end this first long post. The RCH is an enigma to me right now. I have plugged my beloved Riptide 60 6.5 in and seen spin numbers balloon, back to the 65S RCH and they fall right back to what I have been seeing. Its strange because I can feel this one get a little loose for me when I really get into a groove and turn hard on them, like it isn't keeping up, but its doing what it intends to. The tip is definitely active as described. I think it would be a mistake for golfers to grab this one and not give it a truly FAIR run, while I wish for my sake there was a flex stronger, its still a design that performs (and looks killer). I will be tinkering some this week with some REALLY stout setups to see what I can do, and to see if they will mesh at all with the head design.

I'm not going to say if this is going in my bag long term or not, because that isn't my job, but I can say there is potential here that I want to dive down the rabbit hole further to figure out, that's for sure.
Click to expand...

@Jman Great review as always! What, if any, changes would going from the 55g shaft to the 65g shaft present?
 
KEV said:
I had as chance to see this in the store and I was surprised how much I liked the look. If there had been any hitting bays open I would have given it a few swings out of curiosity. At some point I'll have to stop back in and try it to see what a design like this does with my swing.
Click to expand...

For right now my B21 is outclassing my Mavrik SZ. And that surprises me somewhat. o_O
 
@Jman I know they are VERY different drivers, but honest question. What driver has been the biggest surprise to you, this or the TEE? I’ve been keeping up with both threads so I’m very interested in what you think.
 
MSEASU said:
This club is a unicorn. After weakening my grip and stance it just goes straight. Low spin and forgiving.
Click to expand...
I was hoping to take it off your hands when you didn’t like it.
🤪
 
Jman said:
Alright then, lets get down and dirty.

About Me:

For those who don't know, I write a review from time to time, sometimes do some videos on THP TV and stuff as well. ;)

All seriousness, avid is an understatement when it comes to me and golf gear. I'm a low handicap player with a higher end of the spectrum SS (110 Realm) when comfortable with the club in hand. Historically I was a low launch and low spin player, in the past year that has been rectified with work on AoA and not being a dummy more than anything. If you have read any other driver articles from me, I'm in that 157-158 average ball speed with a 35-40 yard peak average now as well. I want to see, ideally, spin in the low 2,000's but anywhere to 2600 range stays amply playable. I'm maybe not the first person one would think of when it comes to testing this one, but, as a guy who plays a fade and struggled with the high spin (for me) of the Mavrik Max it is intriguing as the day is long.

My Review Setup:

I opted for the 9.0 Big Bertha B21 head paired with the heaviest and stiffest stock setup they have, the RCH 65 in Stiff, at stock playing length (45.75").

Initial Impressions - Aesthetics:

Its triangular. Yes, I knew that coming in since I wrote the release article on the THP homepage, but, seeing it in person coming from some very traditionally shaped heads takes some getting used to. Its not as triangular as the old Fusion, but its there, that said, I don't think the target demo will care, and the rest will acclimate quickly. The finish with the deep blue and metal flake is super slick, borderline gorgeous, such a good look....which is why I really wish they had left the dual red lines off of the crown. Am I nitpicking? I don't know, but its been something that Callaway has done on driver heads that I just don't care for.

The sole looks damn good though, its so good there for what it is, not gaudy, and shows off the visual tech and weighting. Let the design sing! More than anything though, HOLY HELL this beast is DEEP. The face is so, so, so, so, SO, DEEP.

Initial Impressions - Performance:

I've had this one out and about a good bit, but I want to sort of talk about it all in one shot (the story for me so far, if you will). This is a UNICORN of a design, the fact that Callaway is claiming to be able to put the CG lower and forward to cut spin AND combine it with a draw bias to mitigate the spin most golfers create with their slice/cut/fade misses alone is a bold take, but then saying that because of Flash Face and their A.I. technology they can use the FACE to keep the forgiveness that would historically had to have been in a low and back CG is UNHEARD OF.

Well, it works.

First off, NO DRIVER IS GOING TO CURE A BAD SWING. So making clickbait videos on this driver versus lessons is just that, clickbait. But the notion of decreasing spin on the miss that most golfers battles is more than appealing. I had a much efforted go with the Mavrik Max based on the fact that as a fader I like a more draw weighted setup to tame things a bit, but the Max just flat out spun to much for me, even at 9.0 averaging in the 3,000+ RPM range with some stout shaft setups. This though, this is pretty mind bending.

First, the sound is STELLAR, significantly better than the Mavrik Max, and I'd also say better than my Mavrik as well...as for comparisons to the Flash, that isn't on the same realm of existence when it comes to sound/feel as this. Its powerful, and its a feel that you don't typically get out of a forgiving driver in my experience. Second, this one is a launcher with the RCH setup in it, and at 9.0 I'm hitting peaks from 40-45 yards which is TOWERING for me. I'll get to the RCH more soon, don't worry. Bigger picture, I'm seeing in my initial sessions an average spin rate of 2600 RPM and ball speeds in the 158 MPH range with a peak thusfar of 163. What does that mean? At these peaks, some DEEP shots.

An outstanding impression is that I can still hit a fade, it just doesn't fade as much. Likewise, I am not seeing an overtly "draw" bias, its not making neutral struck balls turn hard left. That all said, hooky swings do hook, and wimpy open faced ones will still slice. Biggest picture here though is the amount of distance retained on misses have been eye opening. The strikes where in the Max I would see spin jump to close to 4,000+ (BAD swing) I am seeing so far at HIGHEST 3,400 and that means the ball on misses is not only having better dispersion but it is carrying a lot further than I'm used to. Misses staying above 260 is pretty killer for me, and knowing good strikes can generate carries in the 280's makes it more exciting.

I do want to talk about the shaft though before I end this first long post. The RCH is an enigma to me right now. I have plugged my beloved Riptide 60 6.5 in and seen spin numbers balloon, back to the 65S RCH and they fall right back to what I have been seeing. Its strange because I can feel this one get a little loose for me when I really get into a groove and turn hard on them, like it isn't keeping up, but its doing what it intends to. The tip is definitely active as described. I think it would be a mistake for golfers to grab this one and not give it a truly FAIR run, while I wish for my sake there was a flex stronger, its still a design that performs (and looks killer). I will be tinkering some this week with some REALLY stout setups to see what I can do, and to see if they will mesh at all with the head design.

I'm not going to say if this is going in my bag long term or not, because that isn't my job, but I can say there is potential here that I want to dive down the rabbit hole further to figure out, that's for sure.
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Great write up. High and deep are words that will be heard in my review as well.
 
KEV said:
I had as chance to see this in the store and I was surprised how much I liked the look. If there had been any hitting bays open I would have given it a few swings out of curiosity. At some point I'll have to stop back in and try it to see what a design like this does with my swing.
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Best looking colorway Callaway has released since the Fusion IMO.
 
billyh said:
@Jman I know they are VERY different drivers, but honest question. What driver has been the biggest surprise to you, this or the TEE? I’ve been keeping up with both threads so I’m very interested in what you think.
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Tough to say, and not necessarily fair to either :ROFLMAO:

EXS Pro is a surprise in that TEE produced a driver that’s toe to toe with ANY players driver on the planet. The B21 is a surprise in that there has NEVER EVER been a driver produced that does this.
 
Played the B21 driver with my Ventus Blue 6S today for a full 18 holes. Every drive felt SOLID and longer than normal for sure. Picked my aiming spot in the distance (trees normally) and point and shot. I didn't try to hit fades or draws. I let the driver go towards my aiming spot however it wanted. All were fades with majority of them being a baby fade and 2 being about a 15 yard fade but ALL were at my spot I was aiming for. Again, I did not try and hit draws or fades. I aimed and swung and hit my spots on the fairway. Quite amazing to not worry about having certain mechanics to try and draw or fade the ball.
I would fully recommend this driver to anyone. It does for sure spin lower than my Mavrik Max and is just as forgiving if not more so.
(y)(y)
 
Newman21 said:
Played the B21 driver with my Ventus Blue 6S today for a full 18 holes. Every drive felt SOLID and longer than normal for sure. Picked my aiming spot in the distance (trees normally) and point and shot. I didn't try to hit fades or draws. I let the driver go towards my aiming spot however it wanted. All were fades with majority of them being a baby fade and 2 being about a 15 yard fade but ALL were at my spot I was aiming for. Again, I did not try and hit draws or fades. I aimed and swung and hit my spots on the fairway. Quite amazing to not worry about having certain mechanics to try and draw or fade the ball.
I would fully recommend this driver to anyone. It does for sure spin lower than my Mavrik Max and is just as forgiving if not more so.
(y)(y)
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Awesome stuff. I think it’s longer than Mav max, too
 
HarryPotter said:
Awesome stuff. I think it’s longer than Mav max, too
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If the fit for the person is better, it definitely could be. But if someone needs the spin, it might not. It adds another feather in their cap for fitting that I never expected.
 
One thing that has been an added benefit of this club is the confidence it gives me. As a piss poor driver of the ball, I’m looking to minimize the negative outcomes of hitting the driver off the tee. This usually means leaving the driver in the bag, and teeing off with a fairway wood or hybrid. But, with the results I have seen this week...I want to grab the Big Bertha B21!
 
J.B. Cobb III said:
One thing that has been an added benefit of this club is the confidence it gives me. As a piss poor driver of the ball, I’m looking to minimize the negative outcomes of hitting the driver off the tee. This usually means leaving the driver in the bag, and teeing off with a fairway wood or hybrid. But, with the results I have seen this week...I want to grab the Big Bertha B21!
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I don’t think this can be overstated. Golf is such a mental game and having the confidence in the big dog is massive.
 
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