Callaway Big Bertha irons review

New irons come with the promise of explosive distance. See our Callaway Big Bertha Irons review

Callaway Big Bertha iron
Callaway Big Bertha irons review
(Image credit: Callaway Golf)

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New irons come with the promise of explosive distance. See our Callaway Big Bertha Irons review

The new irons come with the promise of explosive distance. Above, check out Michael Harris's Callaway Big Bertha irons review.

The main technological innovation comes in the form of a 360 face cup, which Callaway says makes the Big Bertha irons up to two clubs longer than previous models.

This new design has been employed previously in fairway woods and hybrids, but Dr Alan Hocknell - Callaway's head of R&D - and his team have now transferred that across to irons for the first time through a two-piece iron construction.

The Cup technology in the Callaway Big Bertha irons generates faster ball speeds across the entire face while also improving the collision time - the time the ball takes to leave the face at impact.

Callaway says the centre of the new face delivers 3mph more ball speed than recent models, while variable face thickness means off-centre hits also come off the face, on average, 2.5mph faster for more distance.

This springy effect is designed to deliver distance that Callaway claims has never been seen before in an iron.

"This is the first time a face cup has been put into an iron," Hocknell told GM. "We've also introduced a new heat treatment process to the two 17-4 stainless steel pieces to improve the strength of face, which is needed now it's thinner and more flexible."

What's more, the centre of gravity is low and forward in the Callaway Big Bertha irons, allowing engineers to offer a higher moment of inertia, contributing to impressive forgiveness and ball speed.

As well as creating a forgiving distance iron for game-improvers, Callaway wanted to produce a model that would also offer some workability for the slightly better players.

As such, the sole width becomes progressively narrower as the set moves from long to short irons.

The Callaway Big Bertha irons come in two shaft options - True Temper Speed Step BO and a new UST Recoil Graphite - and are available from 4-SW (54 degrees).

The seven-iron set with the steel shafts comes with an RRP of £699, while the graphite version will set you back £899.

Below, we talk to Callaway's head of R&D to discuss the Big Bertha irons:

Nick Bonfield
Features Editor

Nick Bonfield joined Golf Monthly in 2012 after graduating from Exeter University and earning an NCTJ-accredited journalism diploma from News Associates in Wimbledon. He is responsible for managing production of the magazine, sub-editing, writing, commissioning and coordinating all features across print and online. Most of his online work is opinion-based and typically centres around the Majors and significant events in the global golfing calendar. Nick has been an avid golf fan since the age of ten and became obsessed with the professional game after watching Mike Weir and Shaun Micheel win The Masters and PGA Championship respectively in 2003. In his time with Golf Monthly, he's interviewed the likes of Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Jose Maria Olazabal, Henrik Stenson, Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood and Billy Horschel and has ghost-written columns for Westwood, Wayne Riley, Matthew Southgate, Chris Wood and Eddie Pepperell. Nick is a 12-handicap golfer and his favourite courses include Old Head, Sunningdale New, Penha Longha, Valderrama and Bearwood Lakes. If you have a feature pitch for Nick, please email nick.bonfield@futurenet.com with 'Pitch' in the subject line. Nick is currently playing: Driver: TaylorMade M1 Fairway wood: TaylorMade RBZ Stage 2 Hybrid: Ping Crossover Irons (4-9): Nike Vapor Speed Wedges: Cleveland CBX Full Face, 56˚, Titleist Vokey SM4, 60˚ Putter: testing in progress! Ball: TaylorMade TP5x