Equipment
Callaway 2014 Big Bertha driver rumors heating up
We’re already 23 pages deep in a Callaway Big Bertha thread in our forums, where members are discussing the much rumored “Big Bertha” drivers Callaway is said to be releasing for the 2014 season.
In August, we photographed two Callaway prototype irons and a driver on the range at the PGA Tour’s Deutsche Bank Championship. The irons turned out to be Callaway’s Apex and Apex Pro models, which Callaway unveiled in late September and early November, respectively.
Callaway has also released its X2 Hot and X2 Hot Pro drivers, which has members betting that the Callaway prototype driver with a sliding perimeter weight spotted at the Deutsche Bank is going to be released as one of the new Big Bertha drivers, along with a less perimeter-weighted model that was discussed by Phil Mickelson earlier this month on Golf Channel’s Morning Drive (3 minutes, 10 seconds in).
According to GolfWRX Member BirdieBob, golfers should be getting their first look at the Big Bertha drivers in less than a week, on Dec. 2. Stay tuned to the Big Bertha thread to see if any photos leak out beforehand. For now, check out this video Callaway released Nov. 27 that confirms a Big Bertha driver is coming, but nothing else.
[youtube id=”0cJHb4iND7k” width=”620″ height=”360″]
This week, we have our Tour Photographer, Greg Moore, on the ground at the OccuNet Classic at Tascosa Golf Club in Amarillo, Texas, for the 14th event of the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour season. With that, we see some great things in the Lead Tape Report as we roll into Amarillo.
Joel Thelen
Monday Qualifier, Joel Thelen is in the field this week. He has played on the Korn Ferry Tour for a full season in 2023, and he is back in action this week. A couple of clubs caught my eye this week in his bag.
First off: His trusted Titleist 816 H2 hybrid. This club came out in October of 2015, and it still remains strong in the bag. Also, take a look at this Odyssey White Hot OG 7, putting a capital S in the 7S model. This custom neck has some impressive lean for an arm-lock-style putter. The bottom of the putter is covered in tape for optimal weighting.
Mitchell Meissner
Taking a look at Mitchell Meissner’s bag this week, we have some great lead tape coverage. Top to bottom working from fairway metals, irons, and wedges. We can see on the short irons and wedges that there is tape at the base of the grip, adding a little counterbalance. Along with that, some tape on the short irons and wedges as well. Moving to his putter, he rolls the Odyssey 7 Bird putter. Meissner putts left-handed and strikes the ball right-handed.
Bud Cauley had >14 clubs in his bag when photographed prior to the Memorial Tournament.
Driver: Titleist GTS2 (8 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: Titleist GTS3 (15 degrees, B1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei 1K Pro Red 70 TX
7-wood: Titleist GTS3 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Tensei 1K Pro Red 80 TX
Irons: Titleist U505 (3), Titleist 620 MB (4-9)
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Black HB 8 X, True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 (48-10F, 52-12F, 56-14F), WedgeWorks (60-K*)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putters: Scotty Cameron Tour Prototype, Scotty Cameron GOLO 6.3 Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Align
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
In our forums, one user has offered up a prompt for the true sickos, inviting fellow forum members to share every set of irons they’ve ever owned. As to be expected, this is a lengthy forum topic.
@Lamosteve began:
Can you name every set of irons you’ve owned? Here’s mine
Spalding Dots
Spalding Eclipse
Ram Lazer FX
Lynx Parallax
Mizuno EZ Comp
Ben Hogans
Cleveland CG Red
Taylor Made R9s
PING i20
PING iE1
Taylor Made M6
Our members in the forum have been offering up their own collections. Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- macedan: “Started with a hand-me-down Golden Bear set from my brother when I was in high school, never really played more than once a year or got into the game until about summer of 2017. First purchased a set of Cleveland CG4’s (I actually really miss this set sometimes, soft & not terribly large for a GI iron), moved into Nike Vapor Fly’s by the end of the year. Those lasted until spring of 18 when I decided I wanted new, so I traded them in for TM Rbladez. Honestly, although I liked the Rbladez, poor decision on my part, I think this was really about the only time so far that after a week or two I was kicking myself for not staying with what I had. Rbladez stayed with me until late last summer when I switched to P790’s and (knock on wood) I am hoping this will be my longest lasting set.”
- JimmyC59: “MacGregor Jack Nicklaus Triple Crown. Palmer The Standard. Still play these.”
- jgrzask: “Tommy Armour 845u
Mizuno MP-32
Mizuno MP-33 (2 sets)
Bridgestone J33cb – still own
Srixon i-302 (2 sets) – still own
Tourstage X-Blades – still own
Mizuno Hot Metal – still own
Nike Forged Blades – still own
Titleist 714 AP1 – still own
Cobra Forged SS – still own”
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Best irons 2026: Best irons overall, most forgiving irons, and more
Bud Cauley WITB 2026 (June)
Bud Cauley had >14 clubs in his bag when photographed prior to the Memorial Tournament. Driver: Titleist GTS2 (8 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura...
Hannah Green WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Titleist GTS3 (10 degrees, D4 SureFit setting) Shaft: Mitsubishi Chemical Diamana RB 53 S 3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees,...
Asterisk Talley WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D (9 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue 6 S 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (16.5 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue...
Brianna Do WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond (9 degrees) Shaft: KBS PGW 3-wood: Callaway Elyte Titanium (15 degrees) Shaft: KBS PGW 5-wood:...
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tekni
Dec 3, 2013 at 6:17 pm
Would like this Driver as I need the loft change feature and like the ease of one adjustable but the name is just not proper for a club!
‘Big Bertha’ means ‘Big fat and ugly’ like my old woman. I can’t be whacking a ball using a handle on a facsimile of my wife, can I?
Bored with it all
Nov 30, 2013 at 11:51 am
TM comes out with a sliding driver. Now Callaway has to follow it up somehow. Tired of the whole marketing ploy.
Gives me more respect for companies like Ping and Titleist that stay true to their roots.
Matt
Nov 30, 2013 at 3:45 pm
Pretty sure Callaway’s patent on “Slider” dates back to 2005. That would make TM “reaching” to get a similar product on the market first (this time). DEFINITELY agree with the Ping and Titleist remark.
Personally, I’m not a fan of the SLDR. I still like the R1 better.
Psimmons
Feb 11, 2014 at 9:49 pm
Sorry, but the Taylormade fanboys will have to try harder than that. This technology was first patented by Callaway.
Manny Rodriguez
Nov 29, 2013 at 10:45 pm
Can’t wait to see what they call this sweet looking bomber!
Brian
Nov 29, 2013 at 5:08 pm
Good to see Callaway put out something a little more innovative.
MIke
Nov 28, 2013 at 10:42 pm
This driver looks anything but plain! Just wait and see the colour scheme! Thing looks amazing!
ross
Nov 28, 2013 at 1:25 pm
I just watched the xhot2 vid with head of r&d… he looks like a smart man.. stealing all the other companies ideas… i could do that
Floyderick
Nov 28, 2013 at 1:05 pm
Excited for this! Club is a little plain looking, seeing as the top has no design in the above picture, but hopefully it performs
RG
Nov 27, 2013 at 7:42 pm
I am completely over the hype. First they take the Apex name from Ben Hogan to go retro and now its the Big Bertha. Just admit it Callaway, you’re out of original ideas.
RT
Nov 27, 2013 at 10:52 pm
You call it “hype”, but probably like all taylormade stuff… am I right?!
Anyway, disregard the names on 2014 callaway clubs and try the xHot2s or Apex. Personally I found the Apex Pro irons as buttery as it gets. The removable center weight (i.e. jet speed) in the Big Bertha is what I attribute the decrease of spin off the clubface to. You’ll become a believer!
Ross
Nov 27, 2013 at 6:27 pm
This looks very similar to the Mizuno MP600…
Fast track weight technology…. hardly cutting edge
I would not buy into the Bertha name… unless it had the warbird sole of course
Freddy
Nov 28, 2013 at 8:25 am
Except only one movable weight unfortunately.
mwmilk123
Nov 27, 2013 at 6:20 pm
Callaway is starting to be annoying. The hype is so over the top.
Owen
Nov 27, 2013 at 5:23 pm
Hit it Monday, v low spinning face. Weight flips over to create a high or low ball flight. Numbers on the gc2 looked good against sldr.
RT
Nov 27, 2013 at 10:49 am
I hit it last week. Unreal! I’m a high ball spinner and my spin rate off the face was wayyyy down. I’m highly anticipating the apex irons coupled with the Big Bertha.
Patrick
Nov 27, 2013 at 9:56 am
As anyone been able to hit one?
ND Hickman
Nov 27, 2013 at 7:21 am
It always confounds me as to why manufacturers of golfing equipment don’t name more stuff after heavy artillery. Nothing inspires confidence quite like a driver named after a Howitzer.
“What driver are you using?”
“Oh it’s a Taylor Made SLDR, you?”
“Big Bertha!!!”
Steve
Nov 27, 2013 at 2:27 pm
I understand what Big Bertha is supposed to mean, but it still just makes me think of some sort of heavy, ugly chick
Ross
Nov 27, 2013 at 6:36 pm
Long Tom… was a huge anti aircraft gun.
Titleist ak47
miura 9mm
froneputt
Nov 27, 2013 at 6:35 am
Callaway is luving this … but I see no sense in 23 pages of a Seinfeld re-run thread.
preston
Nov 26, 2013 at 10:21 pm
Leon, exactly what I was thinking….Mizuno driver.
Andrew
Nov 26, 2013 at 9:49 pm
Five individuals posting over and over, most known to be beneficiaries of free travel and equipment…appear to be the new definition of “hype”.
Rico
Nov 27, 2013 at 4:56 pm
Agreed, the same 5 or so people are ruining every Callaway thread with their fanboyisms. Anybody posts anything less than complete rave for the new Callaway stuff is shouted down then accused of being a troll.
Is there any hype in the real world for a Big Bertha comeback? This driver is nothing more than a cynical attempt by Callaway at copying the SLDR success. At yes, the Bertha is pretty much a complete copy of the old Mizuno driver.
paul
Nov 26, 2013 at 9:34 pm
I don’t care about a moveable weight. but i do think that big bertha is the dumbest club name ever. why would i want to hit a golf club that makes me think of a fat unattractive girl?
kloyd0306
Nov 26, 2013 at 11:37 pm
The original name was that of a German Artillery gun and it was huge with a range of about 29 miles – hence Callaway’s use of it.
Sean
Nov 26, 2013 at 5:59 pm
Rep brought them in two days ago, pretty cool looking. They have stock fubuki shafts. Two different ones, one with the sliding weight in the back and one with a tungsten weight dead middle. The color was a dark blue, not a fan of the color. 440 heads with composite!
Sean
Nov 26, 2013 at 10:18 pm
Think they were 460. Color….purely subjective but a solid dark color will sure not to offend even if it’s not exciting.
MartyMouse
Nov 30, 2013 at 8:46 pm
I have hit both the Big Bertha Alpha (with the gravity core) and the Big Bertha sliding weight version. Both with Fubuki LZ shafts 60 & 50 gram. Very nice stuff!
johnloft
Nov 26, 2013 at 5:36 pm
Sigh. What a joke.
Psimmons
Feb 11, 2014 at 9:50 pm
What is the joke? That it’s not TaylorMade?
Seriously, what is your problem with this club?
Phil
Nov 26, 2013 at 4:36 pm
It exists, and has a tungsten CG adjustment bar $499. Our local Rep wouldn’t let us photo it. There is a $399 version too.
Hectorj
Nov 26, 2013 at 5:43 pm
The driver in the pic is NOT the one with the CG adjustment bar.
Phil
Nov 27, 2013 at 9:44 am
Yep
Leon
Nov 26, 2013 at 3:38 pm
Almost identical to Mizuno MP-600 driver. Callaway…fall away…
Sean
Nov 26, 2013 at 10:14 pm
I’ve seen and read up on the new Callaway and the Mizuno product that was similar, is similar in look only not performance. Hopefully we will see and enjoy soon!