Retro Big Bertha Set! Added Pictures!

[craigeyb]

Hi People!

 

For health reasons I have been unable to play golf since the spiring but regualrly nose around the Play It Again Sports in the Phoenix area.

 

I have been watching a lot of 1990's golf recently on Youtube so I decided to build a Retro Callaway set.

 

Driver: 10 Degree GBB Ruger Titanium

4 Wood: GBB Titanium

7 Wood: BB Warbird Heaven Wood

4-PW BB 96 Irons

Wedges: 52 Degree Cleveland 691

56 Degree Cleveland RTG

60 Degree Cleveland RTG

Putter: Wilson Tour Special II

 

(I am a sucker for Cleveland Wedges and a heel shafted blade putter!)

 

The cost of the whole set was $160!

 

I am going to add some new Tacki-Mac Grips.

 

I also have a Ping G20 Driver if I want to add a modern driver

 

So what should I expect from this set, especially with the woods in the opinion of the retro crowd here compared to modern clubs?

 

The irons and wedges should be fun as well!

 

Thanks!

[super20dan]

those irons are the easyist to hit i ever played. you wont find a more forgiving iron. you will love the 7 wood too.

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

Love the dog looking on in the first picture.

[jonnygrouville]

Nice. I always preferred the bigs to the greats, but lovely set. Those heavenwoods are gems.

 

Find the one iron for this set. It is a monster.

 

[craigeyb]

The dog is Tanner H Dog, my Beaglejack mix and my best friend. He is ornery, enjoys growling when you pet him, enjoys growling when you don't pet him and his best friend is 6lb Taurus Deaf Cat who he has taught to be his accomplice in stealing food literally from the plate of his human! - An interesting dog!

[golfmj228]

+1 to Johnny on the 1-iron being a monster. You can't work it either direction but it is straight and super long!

[craigeyb]

+1 to Johnny on the 1-iron being a monster. You can't work it either direction but it is straight and super long!

 

I tend to be a low ball hitter but do you still think is worth carrying? Maybe a good alternative to the 4 wood?

[golfmj228]

Of all the one Irons I ever played I'd say it hit the highest, longest, & straightest. If your a low ball hitter I'd play it only off the tee though probably. Azinger played one and he was a notorious low ball hitter.

[mocokid]

I like the MacGregor irons much better, are you unloading those ?

[craigeyb]

I like the MacGregor irons much better, are you unloading those ?

 

No SIr!

 

They are gaming irons for me. I have had the lofts adjusted and play them with a 27 degree 5 Iron and go 4 degrees up per club from there and got he lie to fit. I am not a great iron player for my handicap (12.6 before I got sick) I only hit 6 or so GIR but these irons are the most accurate irons I have ever used.

 

But with my iron swing around 60mph at the moment I cannot use them the way I want too even with the R Flex graphite. Got the BB set because they generally play soft to flex. When I am back at full strength again the Macgregors will be back. The V-Foils are fantastic clubs and I look forward to playing them again in the future!

 

I can see a future bag playing as my Ping G20 Driver, the GBB 4 Wood, the BB 7 and 9 Wood, the Mac's 5-PW and my Cleveland wedges.

[tuckman]

I really like the original great big Bertha tungsten titanium irons.

[super20dan]

i have also wanted a set of 1025 mac vip also

[farmer]

I had that driver, but in 9*. Loved it, could hit it off any surface, I think due to the sole design, but it was hard to keep down in the wind. A friend of mine still plays the 3 wood, I've got a 5 wood I may have to get out. Great retro bag that will still play.

[jonnygrouville]

Yes! Don't even think about working it and will fly pretty high, every shot like a massive flier.

 

In my brief dalliance with Pings I found this through the set; every now and then you'd get a 190 yard seven iron from the middle of the fairway, thirty yards through the back, still going up as it went past the flag. Thought there must be a secret smaller sweetspot in the middle of the actual sweetspot.

 

[bNeill]

Do you know anything about this putter? I picked one up a while back and am curious.

[BIG STU]

I mentioned this in another thread the other night. I have a friend of mine who is a solid 2 handicap that still plays those irons with Memphis 10 steel shafts. He has played and owned them since they were new. Those Bertha woods if struck squarely will go just about as good as anything out there today. That Heaven wood you are lucky to find that for sure. They are hard to find anywhere most folks that have them do not let them go. The putter is also a good one but it does have a dime sized or less sweet spot and will really tell on you if your putting striking is off.

 

Like the answer when someone asked if you were going to sell the Macs--- an affirmative NO SIR!!!!

 

BTW-- Like the dog too of course I like all dogs. I get along with dogs better than I do with most people. He is looking like "quit taking pictures of that darn golf stuff and get me a treat!"

I am also a big Cleveland wedge fan of the old stuff that is. I pick up every one I see especially old 588s. I find them pretty cheap too since they are "non conforming". The new ones do not seem to have the "feel" that the old ones do

[BIG STU]

I like the MacGregor irons much better, are you unloading those ?

LOL you beat me to the punch on that question!! I was going to ask the same thing

[citizenfore]

Great pick up! I have the BB Deuce and 4 wd waiting for a reshaft and I might go pick up the 7 wd from a buddy as well. I also have a Wilson TSII putter, great weight- rolls like a dream and sets up so well. I love that classic look.

[jonnygrouville]

I kept a Memphis 10 in my strong 3 when everything else through the bag was technically stiffer. Just worked.

 

Like the stock Ping shafts, I am sure the average handicap golfer would be fine with this sort of kind of stiff steel shaft.

 

[craigeyb]

I mentioned this in another thread the other night. I have a friend of mine who is a solid 2 handicap that still plays those irons with Memphis 10 steel shafts. He has played and owned them since they were new. Those Bertha woods if struck squarely will go just about as good as anything out there today. That Heaven wood you are lucky to find that for sure. They are hard to find anywhere most folks that have them do not let them go. The putter is also a good one but it does have a dime sized or less sweet spot and will really tell on you if your putting striking is off.

 

Like the answer when someone asked if you were going to sell the Macs--- an affirmative NO SIR!!!!

 

BTW-- Like the dog too of course I like all dogs. I get along with dogs better than I do with most people. He is looking like "quit taking pictures of that darn golf stuff and get me a treat!"

I am also a big Cleveland wedge fan of the old stuff that is. I pick up every one I see especially old 588s. I find them pretty cheap too since they are "non conforming". The new ones do not seem to have the "feel" that the old ones do

 

Big Stu:

 

First of all, thanks for responding. I very much enjoy reading your posts on here!

 

The Heavenwood is indeed a great club. One thing I am thinking is even when I am back up and playing I am not likely to have my old swingspeed, but I am thinking of persevering with the GBB Driver and try to concentrate on becoming the best ballstriker I can with the ability I have. Do you think this is a good way to go or should I use the Ping G2 I have on the sidelines driver wise? What say you? I am also thinking of adding the Divine Nine Wood, probably looking at 80-85 mph swingspeed, tops. Any thoughts?

 

I have a wristy putting stroke but keep my hands moving forward. I love a good blade putter. Ditto the 588's, just great wedges. The macs are awesome clubs. Thing is when I am swinging well I get closer to the flag with them than any other club I have used but if I miss I am always short, never left or right. Just my opinion, they are jst as good as any Muira offering.

 

As for Tanner H Dog, 12 years old, ornery as hell. Growls when he wants to be petted, growls when petted, growls when you stop petting him, likes to snort, express his opinion and that look is definitely "Where is my Cheeseburger?" look. His best buddy in the world though is Taurus Deaf Cat, only 6lbs. Tanner takes care of that little guy and God help you if he sees you handle Taurus in a non approved way. They don't call beaglejacks pocket pit bulls for nothing!

[freddiec]

I had the original BB Irons with the Memphis 10 shafts. They were amazing. I was in Florida for a week and purchased them from a shop in Naples. About an hour later I was playing Pelican's Nest. On a par 5 I decided to lay up with a 3 iron from about 220 yards. I hit the shot about 4 feet off the front of the green. I was expecting to be about 20 yards short. They were great irons..

[denw2o]

I'm a beginner ('playing' for 6 months) and I have those '96 BB irons with the Memphis 10 shafts, 4-PW. The club heads are HUGE and it kind of gives me a little more confidence.

 

Also my first post. Hey everybody

[scomac2002]

Welcome to our little corner of the interwebs, denw2o!

[xxio]

They still offer the Memphis 10 in Callaway Japan.

 

They are the stock shafts in my jDM XR Pros

[super20dan]

lets not forget johnny miller won pebble beach using the proto types for the original big b irons

[BIG STU]

I mentioned this in another thread the other night. I have a friend of mine who is a solid 2 handicap that still plays those irons with Memphis 10 steel shafts. He has played and owned them since they were new. Those Bertha woods if struck squarely will go just about as good as anything out there today. That Heaven wood you are lucky to find that for sure. They are hard to find anywhere most folks that have them do not let them go. The putter is also a good one but it does have a dime sized or less sweet spot and will really tell on you if your putting striking is off.

 

Like the answer when someone asked if you were going to sell the Macs--- an affirmative NO SIR!!!!

 

BTW-- Like the dog too of course I like all dogs. I get along with dogs better than I do with most people. He is looking like "quit taking pictures of that darn golf stuff and get me a treat!"

I am also a big Cleveland wedge fan of the old stuff that is. I pick up every one I see especially old 588s. I find them pretty cheap too since they are "non conforming". The new ones do not seem to have the "feel" that the old ones do

 

Big Stu:

 

First of all, thanks for responding. I very much enjoy reading your posts on here!

 

The Heavenwood is indeed a great club. One thing I am thinking is even when I am back up and playing I am not likely to have my old swingspeed, but I am thinking of persevering with the GBB Driver and try to concentrate on becoming the best ballstriker I can with the ability I have. Do you think this is a good way to go or should I use the Ping G2 I have on the sidelines driver wise? What say you? I am also thinking of adding the Divine Nine Wood, probably looking at 80-85 mph swingspeed, tops. Any thoughts?

 

I have a wristy putting stroke but keep my hands moving forward. I love a good blade putter. Ditto the 588's, just great wedges. The macs are awesome clubs. Thing is when I am swinging well I get closer to the flag with them than any other club I have used but if I miss I am always short, never left or right. Just my opinion, they are jst as good as any Muira offering.

 

As for Tanner H Dog, 12 years old, ornery as hell. Growls when he wants to be petted, growls when petted, growls when you stop petting him, likes to snort, express his opinion and that look is definitely "Where is my Cheeseburger?" look. His best buddy in the world though is Taurus Deaf Cat, only 6lbs. Tanner takes care of that little guy and God help you if he sees you handle Taurus in a non approved way. They don't call beaglejacks pocket pit bulls for nothing!

Well IMHO I think practicing and playing some with the GBB will help your ball striking quite a bit. I do practice some with my persimmons from time to time and it helps me with my ball striking. I have a couple of GBBs with stock Cally graphite shafts in them and I am thinking about using them some in practice. I DO Not hit range rocks with my persimmons and use soft balls like the Precept Laddies and the old Precept MCs and just hit them down the range. I use older used balls and I have my name on them and the staff when washing balls save them for me. I like the Divine 9 wood because it is easier to get airborn than say a 4 or 5 iron with reduced swing speed. I have been experimenting some with a set of 2013 Callaway X forged irons. Hit everything good except the 3 and 4 irons. Then I realized that the 4 iron was the loft of my VIP 3 iron and the loft of the 3 was close to the loft of my "Canadian Special" Hogan 2 iron. I do not hit the VIP or Hogan off the ground any more. I have a TM V Steel 9 wood and I will be experimenting with it this weekend. I carried it for a while with an old Pro Force Gold 65 Stiff in it but it got too stiff to hit and I changed it to a TT- R-300 steel may end up putting the stock TM regular graphite in it that came in it. I am not a hybrid man but found a older TM rescue on the yard the other day with a stock TM R graphite in it. That is also a option for me. Yep you get older and it is hard to get the SS to swing the lower lofted irons good. Now I can do it on the range for a few balls but under playing conditions I do not trust lower lofted irons any more. I have had to accept that is a part of growing old and being less flexable.

 

Far as the Macs I hit mine good but I do not practice or play as much as I did and with the VIP blades if you miss the spot an iota Old Man Macgregor will tell on you. And face it us older guys can not pound balls or play as many rounds as we used to. I will play the blades some more in the spring and I have a pristine set of VIPs that I am going to reshaft this winter after Christmas.

[super20dan]

i wont hit range balls with my persimmions either. its not like they grow on trees now-lol

[golfmj228]

lets not forget johnny miller won pebble beach using the proto types for the original big b irons

 

Funny story about those protos, worked in a shop with a lady who's father is one of Miller's business partners and this guy brings in the set 4 or 5 years after miller won Pebble for me to regrip for him to play. Johnny had written the club numbers on the backs one club different all the way thru the set ie the PW had 9 hand written and so fourth all the way to the 3-iron had 2 hand written. Just like we all know they had the lofts so jacked that he was trying to equate them with the older "standards" of his heyday.

[craigeyb]

lets not forget johnny miller won pebble beach using the proto types for the original big b irons

 

Funny story about those protos, worked in a shop with a lady who's father is one of Miller's business partners and this guy brings in the set 4 or 5 years after miller won Pebble for me to regrip for him to play. Johnny had written the club numbers on the backs one club different all the way thru the set ie the PW had 9 hand written and so fourth all the way to the 3-iron had 2 hand written. Just like we all know they had the lofts so jacked that he was trying to equate them with the older "standards" of his heyday.

 

How did the prototypes differ from the 94 Big Bertha Irons?

[golfmj228]

The ones I saw didn't really differ at all other than Johnny had a lot of grinding done to them!