Equipment Buzz: Callaway Big Bertha is Back

Besides Jason Dufner petitioning Tiger Woods to make his event 36 holes this week, all the buzz has been about the new Callaway driver, the Big Bertha. The name may not be new, but just as the original, Callaway is hoping this club will be a game-changer within the industry and they may very well be right. They are putting out two models, the Big Bertha and the Big Bertha Alpha.

The Big Bertha will be in competition with TaylorMade's SLDR driver and works in very much the same fashion. It has a sliding weight that can be slid around the bottom of the crown to help increase/decrease right and left shot shape. It also has hosel adjustments that can set the face up square or to favor a draw along with loft adjustments to increase loft by 2 degrees or decrease it by 1 degree from the standard setting. It is a very lightweight driver that helps increase swing speed and create more distance. It is also a visually appealing club with a pear-shape 460cc head.

The game changer for Callaway is the Big Bertha Alpha. This club features a new technology that has not been seen before and could have as much of an effect on the game as the first TaylorMade adjustable driver has. This 460cc head has the same hosel features as the regular Big Bertha in that you can adjust the face setting along with the loft by adding up to 2 degrees or decreasing 1 degree from the standard setting. It also has adjustable weighting on the heel and tow to help increase/decrease left or right shot shape. A third and new adjustable factor is the gravity core stick. This goes into the middle of the club from the bottom. Depending on which end you put in first, you are able to adjust the center of gravity of the club. With it inserted one way, the center of gravity is on the top half of the club face. If you adjust it and flip the stick, the center of gravity will be on the lower half of the club face. If you are looking to increase the trajectory of your shot, you will want the center of gravity on the lower part of the club face and vice-versa; if you are looking to bring your shot trajectory down some, then you would want the center of gravity on the upper half of the club face. This new adjustment allows to the golfer to be even more accurately fit for a driver and increases the chances of having a club that maximizes the strengths and minimizes the flaws of a swing. Be sure to at least test drive one of these clubs next season to see if it can help you.