Callaway Releases Big Bertha B21 Driver

[MagicSpell]

For those that have tried this driver that choose to replace the shaft - do you try a replacement shaft based on your experiences with other driver heads from other OEMs? For example, my current driver is a Cobra Speedzone Xtreme with a UST Mamiya LINQ Gunmetal F4 shaft. That combination of head and shaft is working well for my swing (though it's taken some time to get there). If I were to demo the BB21 and don't like the stock shaft would I consider the current LINQ shaft I have (which would have to be re-tipped for the Callaway head) or guesstimate an equivalent shaft based on the specs of the LINQ? I should also add that my current combo is a tour length shaft playing at 44.5"...

 

[Thrillbilly Jim]

I’m gonna replace the grip on this driver tonight!

 

[TCB2010]

I’m gonna replace the grip on this driver tonight!

i replaced mine with a winn excel soft oversize, love it

 

[TCB2010]

This sums it up for me perfectly. I am not a slicer, but this driver is an absolute fairway finder. It is NOT the lowest spin driver, but as you say, it is “low enough.” When you start hitting 80% of your fairways, it makes a difference.

yep, fortunately this club as it is fits me very well, im not a slicer either, its a fairway finder for sure.

 

[AverageJoe]

For those that have tried this driver that choose to replace the shaft - do you try a replacement shaft based on your experiences with other driver heads from other OEMs? For example, my current driver is a Cobra Speedzone Xtreme with a UST Mamiya LINQ Gunmetal F4 shaft. That combination of head and shaft is working well for my swing (though it's taken some time to get there). If I were to demo the BB21 and don't like the stock shaft would I consider the current LINQ shaft I have (which would have to be re-tipped for the Callaway head) or guesstimate an equivalent shaft based on the specs of the LINQ? I should also add that my current combo is a tour length shaft playing at 44.5"...

I play a hzrdus smoke black 6.0 in my mavrik max that is terrific in it, I tried it in the B21 and it was terrible. I tried an Evenflow 5.5 60 gram and it was terrible. I tried a Helium Black F2 and finally had some height instead of piercing drives but continued to slice with all 3. This morning I played 18 with my max and had some fades but only 1 slice.

 

[tommyhaka]

When you start hitting 80% of your fairways, it makes a difference.

80% of your fairways? Damn, that's probably better than the PGA Tour average, you must be pretty good!

 

[Tenputt]

80% of your fairways? Damn, that's probably better than the PGA Tour average, you must be pretty good!

I am making no claim that it will remain that way. I played one round with this driver in the bag with a very tip stiff shaft and it was incredible how straight I hit it that day. There is no way I would hit that percentage all the time.

 

[DataDude]

Finally putting a heavier weight in this one today to bring the swing weight up to my preferred D5 range.

It's a beast with a little extra weight in the caboose.

 

[DataDude]

Just played 9. 4 of 7 fairways hit. 2 of the misses were close. All 7 were hit hard. Another good driving day for me. Did I say I like this driver?

 

[Greg Kulbick]

I hate you guys.

Its too late. I had to add a glove to the order to get it to process because my trade stuff was too much. 10.5, RCH65S, 44.5". Every day, people in here are like, "Well it may not work for everyone, but if you're steep and lose it right..." I are steep and lose it right. Maybe I can get below 3500RPMs.

So unless I'm reading things completely wrong, this driver that I ordered not-stock on Tuesday will arrive today after leaving Mexico at 3PM yesterday.

 

[TCB2010]

So unless I'm reading things completely wrong, this driver that I ordered not-stock on Tuesday will arrive today after leaving Mexico at 3PM yesterday.

i dont know about that.. lol

 

[Greg Kulbick]

i dont know about that.. lol

 

[Snickerdog]

So unless I'm reading things completely wrong, this driver that I ordered not-stock on Tuesday will arrive today after leaving Mexico at 3PM yesterday.

Now that is some customer service!!!!

 

[TCB2010]

mexico to flordia in 1 day?
i wouldve said it was possible if you lived a mile on thee other side of the border!
did you pay to have it overnighted???

 

[Greg Kulbick]

mexico to flordia in 1 day?
i wouldve said it was possible if you lived a mile on thee other side of the border!
did you pay to have it overnighted???

Free shipping.

 

[Thrillbilly Jim]

New grip is installed! Have a lesson tomorrow after I am done teaching an inspections class, then 18 on Monday!

 

[Greg Kulbick]

Callaway has really outdone themselves. Ordered Tuesday, shipped yesterday, received today. The dog thinks its for him.

 

[Newman21]

Played 9 holes this evening with the B21 driver. I took the Ventus blue out of it and replaced it with the RCH65 stiff I ordered from CPO. I am not joking here when I tell you that I gained about 10-20 yards. Booming and was really easy to hit my spots (aiming points). Nice and straight or a baby draw. Just what I wanted. I hit places in the fairway that I haven't hit in several years. I am super impressed with this shaft and I cannot believe I am hitting it better than the Ventus. The RCH is definitely designed to enhance the B21 driver and its capabilities in my honest opinion.
This B21 driver is LEGIT!

Edit a day later: I still cannot believe that the RCH works better than the expensive Ventus for this driver head. It wakens the BEAST in it! (for me)

 

[AverageJoe]

Played 9 holes this evening with the B21 driver. I took the Ventus blue out of it and replaced it with the RCH65 stiff I ordered from CPO. I am not joking here when I tell you that I gained about 10-20 yards. Booming and was really easy to hit my spots (aiming points). Nice and straight or a baby draw. Just what I wanted. I hit places in the fairway that I haven't hit in several years. I am super impressed with this shaft and I cannot believe I am hitting it better than the Ventus. The RCH is definitely designed to enhance the B21 driver and its capabilities in my honest opinion.
This B21 driver is LEGIT!

Edit a day later: I still cannot believe that the RCH works better than the expensive Ventus for this driver head. It wakens the BEAST in it! (for me)

You should just go ahead and ship me that ventus blue so youre not tempted to play it again LOL!

 

[McLovin]

@AverageJoe didnt get along with the b21, so he graciously worked out a trade with me and i now have this to tinker with. i’m headed to the driving range in a bit. i’ll have my mav max and the b21 along with a few shafts. i’ll set up the swing caddie to get some “numbers” with some different setups.

in hand, the driver is stunning. i am a big fan of the mavrik line aesthetics, but this b21 is on another level.

like others, i too am not seeing any significant offset at address. maybe a little? but nothing distracting or off putting.

i have rch 55s, and the overall build does not feel light at all. certainly not heavy, but i was genuinely surprised at how good the overall balance feels.

i’ll check back in later today with some thoughts.

 

[Snickerdog]

@AverageJoe didnt get along with the b21, so he graciously worked out a trade with me and i now have this to tinker with. i’m headed to the driving range in a bit. i’ll have my mav max and the b21 along with a few shafts. i’ll set up the swing caddie to get some “numbers” with some different setups.

in hand, the driver is stunning. i am a big fan of the mavrik line aesthetics, but this b21 is on another level.

like others, i too am not seeing any significant offset at address. maybe a little? but nothing distracting or off putting.

i have rch 55s, and the overall build does not feel light at all. certainly not heavy, but i was genuinely surprised at how good the overall balance feels.

i’ll check back in later today with some thoughts.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this.

 

[Jman]

@AverageJoe didnt get along with the b21, so he graciously worked out a trade with me and i now have this to tinker with. i’m headed to the driving range in a bit. i’ll have my mav max and the b21 along with a few shafts. i’ll set up the swing caddie to get some “numbers” with some different setups.

in hand, the driver is stunning. i am a big fan of the mavrik line aesthetics, but this b21 is on another level.

like others, i too am not seeing any significant offset at address. maybe a little? but nothing distracting or off putting.

i have rch 55s, and the overall build does not feel light at all. certainly not heavy, but i was genuinely surprised at how good the overall balance feels.

i’ll check back in later today with some thoughts.

Offset isn’t part of this design, the transition of the face is slightly different, but there’s no offset like with the rest of the line.

 

[Jman]

So, yesterday I put this on the GC2 and intentionally got WAY across the ball with my swing to see just how high the spin would jump. This was pretty eye opening.

Three different shafts (RCH 65, Smoke Black 6.5, and GD AD MT6X) and spin MAXED at 3375 with the average actually sitting at 3,000.

Why is this amazing? Because it’s truly mitigating the tilted spin axis on that miss, which is the miss most golfers have (OTT and across) so instead of seeing 4,000 rpm and distances falling WAY off, I was still seeing carries averaging to 252. That much, on what is historically a bad miss with the ball not moving NEARLY as far right is wild. There are some who are thinking this is a draw driver, and I’ll say it again as I tried to tell the story in the article on the homepage, it’s all about lessening the miss many suffer from, the right miss (for a righty) that moves FURTHER right, it’s not going to make you start hitting draws.

I also put it against the Mavrik Max, also 9.0, both with the HZRDUS Smoke Black 60 6.5:

Mav Max - GC2 averages
Launch: 13.6
Ball Speed: 157.4 (Peak 162, Low 149)
Spin: 3,248 RPM (Peak 3,920, Low 2,633)

BB B21 - GC2 averages
Launch: 14.3
Ball Speed: 158.9 (Peak 164, Low 152)
Spin: 2,672 RPM (Peak 3,180, Low 2,162)

 

[tommyhaka]

So, yesterday I put this on the GC2 and intentionally got WAY across the ball with my swing to see just how high the spin would jump. This was pretty eye opening.

Three different shafts (RCH 65, Smoke Black 6.5, and GD AD MT6X) and spin MAXED at 3375 with the average actually sitting at 3,000.

Why is this amazing? Because it’s truly mitigating the tilted spin axis on that miss, which is the miss most golfers have (OTT and across) so instead of seeing 4,000 rpm and distances falling WAY off, I was still seeing carries averaging to 252. That much, on what is historically a bad miss with the ball not moving NEARLY as far right is wild. There are some who are thinking this is a draw driver, and I’ll say it again as I tried to tell the story in the article on the homepage, it’s all about lessening the miss many suffer from, the right miss (for a righty) that moves FURTHER right, it’s not going to make you start hitting draws.

I also put it against the Mavrik Max, also 9.0, both with the HZRDUS Smoke Black 60 6.5:

Mav Max - GC2 averages
Launch: 13.6
Ball Speed: 157.4 (Peak 162, Low 149)
Spin: 3,248 RPM (Peak 3,920, Low 2,633)

BB B21 - GC2 averages
Launch: 14.3
Ball Speed: 158.9 (Peak 164, Low 152)
Spin: 2,672 RPM (Peak 3,180, Low 2,162)

If those are accurate stats it it very impressive!

 

[Jman]

If those are accurate stats it it very impressive!

Foresight GC2, they’re accurate