Coming back around to us

[mannlygolf123]

It won't be long before the new equipment will be just like we played in the 80s. Callaway's new innovation is the 235cc Bertha mini driver. Just wait till they discover wood!

[stevemcgee99]

I read a review article and feel completely at odds with their conclusion.

http://www.golfalot.com/equipment-reviews/callaway-bertha-mini-15-driver-review-3226.aspx

 

Shorter, smaller head and essentially the same distance? Why would anyone reject a club like that?

 

 

I then compared it to the best spec of Callaway Big Bertha Alpha 815 driver for me of 9° loft and this only out-carried the Mini by 8 yards giving 10 yards more total distance.

With the Speeder 565 shaft in the Alpha Driver 815, I was a lot more accurate and of course the 460cc head size gives me a lot more forgiveness, although the Mini is obviously easier to hit from the fairway.

Staying in the same family, the Big Bertha Alpha 815 Fairway was next up. Set at 14° this carried 12 yards less than the 14° Mini and span a lot more.

This is to be expected as it is a much smaller head with a shorter shaft and really is an elite player club, for those who might want to shape the ball more. The sound and feel is great, but I think we all need the forgiveness of a bigger head than this

 

How about putting the better shaft on the little driver? Then check the results.

[scomac2002]

[quote name='stevemcgee99' timestamp='1435200201' post='11830148']
I read a review article and feel completely at odds with their conclusion.
[url="http://www.golfalot.com/equipment-reviews/callaway-bertha-mini-15-driver-review-3226.aspx"]http://www.golfalot....eview-3226.aspx[/url]

Shorter, smaller head and essentially the same distance? Why would anyone reject a club like that?
[/quote]

You would reject it because you can buy essentially the same thing for somewhere between $10 and $50 depending upon vendor rather than the $299 or whatever it is that Callaway is currently demanding.

What I'm referring to that is such a veritable bargain is commonly known as [i]The Deuce, [/i]a Callaway BB Warbird 2 wood! Sorry, but I couldn't resist...

Oh ya, I forgot to add that their is also another candidate, the Cleveland HiBore XL that came in 2 wood configuration, but that's more of a modern day classic.

[stevemcgee99]

I personally reject everything that's not made of wood with a steel shaft. But I'm sure there's plenty of metal alternatives, including my friend's Taylor Made Burner that I shot far and straight after countless slices with my wooden driver. And he paid less than $50 for a metal wood without a scratch, that's the size of my wooden driver.

My point is that the guy still seems to be in the mindset that bigger is better, longer is better, especially for people who have less skill at keeping the club head under control.

In my personal, limited, experience, a shorter shaft and smaller, [b]less tall face[/b] is [i]easier[/i] to hit on the screws.
And, in that author's testing, the distance loss was minimal.

Why is he not seeing the performance for what it is?

[TimV]

I find the whole mini craze completely laughable. You have to be able to hit a smaller sweet spot to make it work, right? I have a bunch of original TM Burners and Pittsburgh Persimmons I will sell these chumps cheap.
P.S. The driver in my "modern" kit is 300cc volume. I can't stand looking down on anything much bigger.

[BIG STU]

[quote name='TimV' timestamp='1435235227' post='11831632']
I find the whole mini craze completely laughable. You have to be able to hit a smaller sweet spot to make it work, right? I have a bunch of original TM Burners and Pittsburgh Persimmons I will sell these chumps cheap.
P.S. The driver in my "modern" kit is 300cc volume. I can't stand looking down on anything much bigger.
[/quote]I also have a few old Berthas and TM Burners. Last weekend I shafted up a old KZG 300 CC head. Hit it a little on the range needs a little more tuning the shaft kick and weight is not quite right for me. Put my last Pendley Stilletto graphite in it.

[Eidolon]

Trust this. Equipment manfs. Are not in business to make you a better player but to get you to buy new clubs often. That is how they make $$. If you do end up playing better you will buy more. If worse or same remember their motto..introducing the best (insert club name) ever! They hate guys like us.

[jonnygrouville]

But haven't they always?! Who would sell "The only driver you'll ever need"? We're in a replaceable society now more than ever with the time to obsolescence obscenely short for technology and golf can put itself here because people believe it and they are conditioned to it.

Was ever owner of five year old eye-o-matics absolutely fine to see their playing partners with super eye-o-matics? They might not have been annual "improvements", but they were there.

The only things manufacturers were silly enough to do in times gone by was actually produce the quality which meant you could have been holding the only driver you'd ever need.

[BIG STU]

[quote name='Eidolon' timestamp='1435514121' post='11850154']
Trust this. Equipment manfs. Are not in business to make you a better player but to get you to buy new clubs often. That is how they make $$. If you do end up playing better you will buy more. If worse or same remember their motto..introducing the best (insert club name) ever! They hate guys like us.
[/quote]You are so right! Saw this kid at the range yesterday and he told me "you need new clubs" Come to find out he just went to work for the Golfsmith store in Dirty Myrtle. I told him these 35 year old clubs hit better than anything you got in that store except maybe a set of Mizuno blades or TMag TP blades and at that I would still have to work over the stock specs and shafts to get them right for me so I will keep my $900+ in my pocket and keep on hitting my old VIPs and besides I have a set of forged 2014 Infiniti TS-10s if I feel inclined to hit something made in this century. He watched me hit a few balls and said he saw my point but he was a good kid. I told him he would be alright that I am one of the last Dinosaurs left that you can't pay me any attention. I wish that had been one of the days when I had my pre war Tommy Armours out on the range I would have really screwed with him then