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Callaway Big Bertha Irons Review

SuperStroke
JB said:
Im not so sure I agree with this.
What does price have to do with category of iron? I think you will find that there are more weekend average golfers than there are low handicaps and they still want premium equipment.

Things like Carpenter Steel rather than cheap metal, cupped face design, etc all equal premium prices.



This to me says its about old line of thought distance wise and little about price. Whats fine for some is not for others, I just do not believe that handicap should have anything to do with the clubs people choose. I want forgiveness because I miss sometimes. When I was a .7 last year, I still missed sometimes. I plan to get back there in 2015 (and should by April). These clubs make that easier for me. They wont be for everybody, just like the D200s or others, but they absolutely work as advertised.

People balked at the price of the Apex irons. What the consumers told us is that they were willing to pay for quality technology if there was truly quality and technology there.
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The price goes into overhead for the construction of these irons, not necessarily for the materials. The overhead on welding a cup face as opposed to casting an iron is probably astronomical. I love Callaway equipment especially the older x line and bbs. I paid about $850.00 for my irons which originally retailed at around that, I just had some custom upgrades from factory which made my set a little more even after my pro shop discount. Category has everything to do with how I choose a set. I don't like progressively offset irons and these have a load of offset, so if you tend to slice the ball these are right down most people's alley.
 
Wilson Staffer said:
The price goes into overhead for the construction of these irons, not necessarily for the materials. The overhead on welding a cup face as opposed to casting an iron is probably astronomical. I love Callaway equipment especially the older x line and bbs. I paid about $850.00 for my irons which originally retailed at around that, I just had some custom upgrades from factory which made my set a little more even after my pro shop discount. Category has everything to do with how I choose a set. I don't like progressively offset irons and these have a load of offset, so if you tend to slice the ball these are right down most people's alley.
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This is incorrect.
As for price for materials it ABSOLUTELY plays a role. The cost of Carpenter Steel and a select few like it vs others is astronomical on a manufacturer.

I dont slice my irons and these work fine. Offset does not mean hooks.

Please read my post again. Nobody said category should not be how one chooses and iron. I said handicap should not dictate category.
Nothing is more super game improvement than hybrids and they are in 3/4 of the best players in the world's bags.
 
NoLine said:
How are you finding playing touch shots with the PW and AW. I've taken these out for a demo several times and I really like the 4 thru 8 but in the 9 thru AW I couldn't play the shots I typically score with. My sense is I would need a combo set to maximize the benefit.
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Funny you ask this because I'm typically a guy playing 54* for almost everything within 70 yards.

I mentioned today to Nate that I was using everything from 8i to the AW and I came away very very impressed. For me predicting the turf interaction was quite a bit easier than the 54*.

I remember chipping one with the 8i and Nate called the result "salty".

This was the first time trying it and needless to say it's something I will be using much more moving forward.
 
#Cookie said:
Funny you ask this because I'm typically a guy playing 54* for almost everything within 70 yards.

I mentioned today to Nate that I was using everything from 8i to the AW and I came away very very impressed. For me predicting the turf interaction was quite a bit easier than the 54*.

I remember chipping one with the 8i and Nate called the result "salty".

This was the first time trying it and needless to say it's something I will be using much more moving forward.
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Thanks for the feedback - looks like it is working out well for you.
 
Played these today and man they showed off forgiveness. Was working with a tired swing, but the extra oomph and overall toe forgiveness gave me some good looks. I was impressed overall with the distance control and knowing what I needed and when I needed it.

They wont be for everybody but they are without a doubt one of the most forgiving I have hit to date.
 
Nice JB, think these will make the bag?

I want to hit them just because, they've grown on me.
 
Jman said:
Nice JB, think these will make the bag?

I want to hit them just because, they've grown on me.
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Not sure yet, but by the time the PGA Show ends I will have an idea on what I am playing. These are seriously forgiving, which I like in an iron.
 
JB said:
Not sure yet, but by the time the PGA Show ends I will have an idea on what I am playing. These are seriously forgiving, which I like in an iron.
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Nice, the tech in the face still just baffles me, in a good way.
 
JB said:
Not sure yet, but by the time the PGA Show ends I will have an idea on what I am playing. These are seriously forgiving, which I like in an iron.
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JB - what shaft are you playing in your set?

Thanks
 
JB, I have to admit I was one of the 1st people to say this was a big ugly club and that I could hit it with my eyes closed when I tried it at a lesson. Wow was that a short sighted way of seeing something.

David my Instructor who is such a smart and classy guy handed it to me (I think it was just out and not even released yet) and wanted me to give it a good try because he knew that is what I needed to play better, he never came out and said that but in hindsight that was his goal.

You would think the light would have come on when I thought to myself "I can hit this with my eyes closed" which I really did and immediately put it down and went to struggling with the APEX pros. Now I am struggling with the Z745's nice clubs, hit them great once in awhile, pure forged feel, etc. etc.. But how many shots am I leaving out there every round due to slight misses that cost GIR's?

These are getting another look next week if I can get out to see him for a lesson
 
I guess I have just never understand how a club that is forgiving or "easy" to hit is a bad thing and yet so many think that it is.
 
JB said:
I guess I have just never understand how a club that is forgiving or "easy" to hit is a bad thing and yet so many think that it is.
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because it clearly means you have less skill
 
ddec said:
because it clearly means you have less skill
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I'd happily take less skill and shoot in the 70's and beat my buddies with more skill lol. I still want to give these a legit look
 
For me it is hard to let go of what I could hit well just a few years ago and after the progression from SGI to GI then to MB's etc. to turn the corner and admit the body will not let me make those type clubs work with consistency any longer is eye opening.

So the smart thing to do is embrace the new technology and have more fun.

If you who have access to try everything on the Market enjoy them, that is high praise indeed.
 
ddec said:
because it clearly means you have less skill
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Maybe that is it. I have no skill but with the right tools, can pretend I do. :D
 
Had some end of the year money burning a hole in my pocket and found a great deal on eBay that could get me the exact setup I wanted, so I pulled the trigger on a set yesterday: 3 & 4 Hybrids with the stock Recoil shafts; 5-PW with XP95's - black I-Lines all around.

Unfortunately, these will be arriving right in time for winter but at least we'll have some time to get acquainted.
 
Nice grab dude!
 
My golfing buddy has the Big Bertha Iron /Hybrid set with Re-coil shafts. The hybrids hit very well, just find the right side of the shaft turning the shaft in the opti hosel. I will say he is coming by to get the lie angle bent on the irons because thea are all outa wack...some look 2-3 deg upright...no biggie.
The recoil regulars feel and play like R+, He did take the 3hy back to golfsmith and got another...he says its better (same shaft)...perhaps its the orientation. He has been changing clubs often with Golfsmith with their trade in policy. The last set before the Callys/Recoils were the Ping G30/Cfs/Regular. He hit these well and his turf interaction was great especially short game + chipping & pitching. In the end he thought the heads were a tad big and went to Cally for the re-coils as he was nutting his 5hy Cally big bertha/recoil that he had previously.
Yesterday he hit 12 pars! he was driving well with is Nike 2.0/Reg and been playng a lot lately. Overall the Callys with Recoils are 'excellent' for mid/high hcpers, and the Hybrids are fantastic!
 
Ok got my buddies 6-PW Big Bertha Irons with recoils. The 6i has a lie angle of 65* thats a PW std lie angle!!!, they are all horribly upright

The flex is Regular +3 on my flex board. There are 4 points between regular and stiff. So they are a stronger regular flex. They feel like a stable regular, not a stiff through impact...nice

The 6i is 38 (std 5i length), and 5i loft...well 1 deg stronger than 5i! (call it a 5i)
7i is 6i length and loft (call it a 6i)
8i is almost 7i length loft (Call it a 7 1/2 iron)
9i 36 1/4 but weaker loft....not a 8i loft (strong 9i)
PW is 36' and std PW loft

so the set has gaps in loft getting weaker starting at the 8i, 9i.

The set is strong loft and longer length in the longer irons, and shorter length and less loft in the 9i, PW.
I feel my buddy needs another 9i so I can gap the short irons 4 deg apart. Any way he needs flat to 1 deg flat, however I bent them to 1 deg upright at first as this is a big change and he is a left to right ball light player.

The Flo of the 6,7 were good, 8i was wobbling clockwise a bit and the others ok...so the Recoil logo down is a 'close' orientation to flo.
The irons are D0 Swingweight. He hits them 'very well' for his golfing ability. These look like a excellent game improvement iron that perform so well that I feel he will stay with them a long time.

I would recommend buying them ...just get your loft in lie checked. As for my buddy I will watch his trajectories and get the lofts set to a high flight that does not balloon. I think this will be 1 deg weak from Cally OEM, this will get the ball up more and add some more bounce on the sole and less digging...or better turf interaction, as he is a digger
 
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Amazing that I have multiple sets and none of them have these issues and they are tremendous irons.
For all handicaps.
 
Seems like a lot of second guessing of the people who designed and made the irons.
 
JB said:
Amazing that I have multiple sets and none of them have these issues and they are tremendous irons.
For all handicaps.
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I think they are great irons also...my loft n lie machine doesn't lie!...or my length table...

Based on the head & shaft combo they are hard to beat for the +10 hcper
 
ProZoneGolf said:
I think they are great irons also...my loft n lie machine doesn't lie!...or my length table...

Based on the head & shaft combo they are hard to beat for the +10 hcper
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Im a bit lower than a 10+ capper.
They seem to work pretty well for me.
Including 2 even par rounds and definitely #OutingApproved

FWIW, I too have a loft and lie machine.
 
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