New Callaway Great Big Bertha Irons

[AzRoger]

Got an email from Callaway promoting their new equipment so took a look out of curiosity, no intent of buying. Did a double take when I saw the listed price for their new Great Big Bertha irons, $450/club, more than double what they want for any of their other irons. Listed as a 'game improvement' iron, seems to play off of those wanting extra distance. Don't recall seeing any discussion on these irons. Anyone try or play them? Price seems crazy high to me, but I've learned not to under-estimate what some golfers will pay for the hope of extra distance. I played the Apex 19 irons until recently, good irons but just switched to Srixon ZX5.

[TheBiles]

They're ultra-lightweight for the rich old dudes who want to hit it longer.  Like the Epic Star line.

[Jeffinplano]

it's lightweight...I hit the 8 iron 200 yards so they are power sticks

[Tyler724]

Aside from the price being prohibitive, I believe they will be a bit thicker with more offset than the Apex 19 or ZX5 you have been playing. 
 

$3k for a set of irons is just crazy. 

[vonbonds]

They’re going after the XXIO customer apparently lol

[WristySwing]

If memory serves as well, these have Titanium faces on them too as a throwback to the old days of the VFT irons.  They are cannons, but they are definitely more of a product aimed at a specific demographic rather than being an every man's club. 

[xkilgorextroutx]

If people are going to pay for it, then that's what they'll charge for it. I do think there's a specific segment of golfers with plenty of cash on hand that won't balk at all to pay those prices, and would probably benefit from these designs.

[Ger21]

23 hours ago, AzRoger said:

Don't recall seeing any discussion on these irons.

They came out last year I think.

[wilt2448]

The price has been lowered to pretty much the same level as the Big Bertha's so apparently they were not selling.  Drastic price cut.  At the new price I decided to give them a try (irons and  hybrids) since I fit the demographic they are aimed for.  Old guy with a slow swing speed.  I just ordered irons and hybrids yesterday.

Edited September 6, 2023 by wilt2448

[Lefty87]

Has anyone else picked these up since the price drop? Almost 50% price cut. The few reviews that are out there say they are outstanding. 

[wilt2448]

On 9/6/2023 at 10:52 AM, Lefty87 said:

Has anyone else picked these up since the price drop? Almost 50% price cut. The few reviews that are out there say they are outstanding. 

 

I now have the irons and hybrids.  So far one range session and three or four rounds of golf with them.  I am having difficulty making center face contact with a square clubface.   When I do hit them well they are longer and straighter.  I realized while playing today that I'm not feeling the clubhead, I think because they are so light.  My awareness of the clubhead is vague.  When I do catch one solid there is promise of better things to come but so far I have just not adjusted to the lighter feel.    

[Lefty87]

15 minutes ago, wilt2448 said:

 

I now have the irons and hybrids.  So far one range session and three or four rounds of golf with them.  I am having difficulty making center face contact with a square clubface.   When I do hit them well they are longer and straighter.  I realized while playing today that I'm not feeling the clubhead, I think because they are so light.  My awareness of the clubhead is vague.  When I do catch one solid there is promise of better things to come but so far I have just not adjusted to the lighter feel.    

When I hit them, I took a little bit off my normal swing. When I pured them, they flew better than anything I’ve hit. I think it’s just a matter of adjusting to the lighter weight package. 

[wilt2448]

After several rounds I am now very happy with both the irons and the hybrids.  I hit the irons higher and a little longer than my previous irons.   The height is what I really needed.  

[erock9174]

I'd be curious to see how these compare to the Big Bertha 2023 irons that came out in July.

Looks like they are $166 per iron vs $249 for the Great Big Berthas (October 2022 version).

[Jim53]

Just for the fun of it and the fact they are hugely discounted now I ordered a set from Callaway pre owned, got the stiff flex nippon neo 85 shafts +.50" so it will be a lot lighter than I have been playing but worth a shot as I am the market for them with the age and lower SS. 

I saw a set in a big box store and they are not as chunky as I expected, so maybe they will be just what I need.

 

Worst comes to worst I will reshaft them and use them for trade bait when the newer Callaway stuff comes out in the spring.

[jarediogolf]

I would love to see someone put some DG x100 shafts in a set!

[Jim53]

14 hours ago, jarediogolf said:

I would love to see someone put some DG x100 shafts in a set!

I don't have the back for x100 but I could see some PX io 5.5 or some graphite in the 100-105g range.

[subrew]

In case anyone was seriously considering these, prices have come down a LOT.  Normal pricing dropped to something like $1500 for a set, and Callaway's Pre-Owned site has a bunch of sets in the $900-1,200 range.  And after a 25% black friday discount, 5% coupon for being logged in, sets are in the $700-900 range.

 

I picked up a 7-GW set for $550, then found a vendor on ebay selling a 6-iron head only for $85.  So all in shipped I'm just under $650 for a set from 26* to 48*.

 

I wasn't too picky on the shafts, as I'll be re-shafting these with some Bassara shafts I've had on the shelf.  These will be my only modern set of irons, as everything else I have built over the past couple years is generally 1960s-2000 era, and usually blades, MB or small JDM cavities.  So I've been wanting a set of easy launching modern irons.  

[goalie]

On 9/6/2023 at 9:52 AM, Lefty87 said:

Has anyone else picked these up since the price drop? Almost 50% price cut. The few reviews that are out there say they are outstanding. 

I hit them and was impressed. They felt really nice, but I'm not the target demographic and was fit into regular Paradym irons.  

 

They were loooooong though.   Really long.

[subrew]

My set of GBB23 irons arrived, via Callaway's Pre-owned site.  They are brand new, still shrink wrapped.

 

 

 

 

[bigbore56]

The last set of “like new” irons I bought from them was also new in plastic when I opened the box. They have some really good deals.

[goalie]

On 11/28/2023 at 2:43 PM, subrew said:

My set of GBB23 irons arrived, via Callaway's Pre-owned site.  They are brand new, still shrink wrapped.

 

 

 

 

Man, those are nice looking irons.