Equipment
Callaway launches the Big Bertha V-Series Driver
There’s only two real ways for golfers to gain more distance with their driver; they can either increase their ball speed or improve their launch conditions. If they can do both simultaneously, well, then they’re in for some real distance gains.
Callaway’s new Big Bertha V-Series driver is designed to improve the speed portion of the distance equation. It uses a lightweight, aerodynamic club head as well as a lightweight shaft and grip to help golfers generate more distance.
“Aerodynamics are the reason bike helmets and airplane wings are designed the way they are,” said Tim Reed, senior vice president of product strategy. “The goal [with the V-Series] was to lower the drag, which in the aerodynamic world is to keep the airflow of the head attached.”
For that reason, the shape of the V-Series driver is rounder and sleeker than the company’s other Big Bertha drivers, which when combined with the club’s lighter weight helps golfers swing faster and transfer more energy to the ball at impact. That means more ball speed and more distance.
Just how much lighter the club is depends on what loft a golfer chooses.
The higher-lofted V-Series drivers — 10.5 and 13 degrees — are the lightest, with club weights about 290 grams and a 42-gram Mitsubishi Rayon Bassara E Series shaft (L, R, S and X flexes). That gives them a total weight that’s about 23 grams lighter than the company’s Big Bertha driver. The 9-degree model, which should attract better players, comes stock with a slightly heavier head and shaft: Fujikura’s Speeder 565 (R and S flexes). For that reason, it has a swingweight of D2, two points heavier than the other lofts.
Like the Big Bertha and Big Bertha Alpha, the V-Series drivers use Callaway’s Forged Composite Crown and Hyper Speed Face designs, which allow those parts of the driver to be made lighter and stronger. Those structures are particularly important for a lightweight driver like the V-Series, because they allow the club heads to be made lighter while maintaining a high moment of inertia (MOI), a measure of a club’s forgiveness, or its retention of ball speed on off center hits.
As for its launch conditions, Reed says that the V-Series driver will not be as low spinning as the company’s Big Bertha Alpha driver, but that it is a fairly low-spinning driver. Golfers can also dial in the launch and spin of the club with its OptiFit adjustable hosel, which offers 8 different loft and lie combinations with a 4-degree loft range. Standard length is 45.5 inches.
The V-Series drivers will be available in stores August 22 and will sell for $399. Pre-orders begin August 8.
Click here to see what GolfWRX members are saying about the Callaway Big Bertha V Series drivers.
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”
Justin Rose WITB 2026 (April): Full WITB breakdown with new McLaren irons
What’s the story behind Webb Simpson’s custom-stamped irons?
Memorial Tournament Tour Report: Rory McIlroy, Cameron Young switch up drivers, and more
Cadillac Championship Tour Report: Spieth’s sizable changes, McLaren Golf launches, and more
Russell Henley’s winning WITB: 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
Kristoffer Reitan’s winning WITB: 2026 Truist Championship
Aaron Rai’s winning WITB: 2026 PGA Championship
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2026 Cadillac Championship
J.T. Poston’s winning WITB: 2026 Memorial Tournament
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:...
-
Equipment5 days agoMemorial Tournament Tour Report: Rory McIlroy, Cameron Young switch up drivers, and more
-
News1 week agoRussell Henley’s winning WITB: 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
-
Whats in the Bag3 days agoJ.T. Poston’s winning WITB: 2026 Memorial Tournament
-
Equipment2 days agoBest irons 2026: Best irons overall, most forgiving irons, and more
-
Equipment1 week agoDetails on Jason Day’s latest prototype Avoda iron setup
-
Equipment3 weeks agoCJ Cup Byron Nelson Tour Report: Koepka and Kim’s newest putters finally get hot
-
News2 weeks agoCharles Schwab Challenge Tour Report: MacIntyre, Åberg and Spaun all switch putters, TaylorMade launches new Spider
-
Equipment2 weeks agoDetails on J.J. Spaun’s surprise putter switch
john
Oct 16, 2014 at 4:11 pm
Another win for the V series last week. Looks worth trying to me.
Kyle Pelkey
Oct 14, 2014 at 2:01 pm
I just got fitted by Cool Clubs in Scottsdale Az. Strongly recommend Matt there. Anyways…I tried this one, the Ping G30, the new Titleist 915 D2. I was shocked to find I was WAY more accurate and 15 yards longer with THIS V series Big Bertha. Open your mind and try things….I really wanted to go with the G30 or the Titleist…but it wasn’t even close folks! Yes, it IS all about the shaft…go get fit somewhere (like Cool Clubs) where they can vary the shaft and the clubhead. I wound up with the Callaway BB V series driver, G30 Fairway wood and TM SLDR S hybrid. Already got some awesome G30 irons I can’t say enough good about. TRY THEM ALL! You will likely be surprised. I had read biases about some. But I left with some a MUCH better fit for me (I’m 50 and my driver speed is only about 95mph).
JJ
Sep 27, 2014 at 7:18 am
You all might try it before making up your minds. I have this driver and hit it much better than anything I’ve tried this year or last which is considering a lot of new drivers. So many know it alls on forums base opinion without actually trying anything almost as if their convincing others of their opinion matters. Try stuff out then call BS.
Desmond
Aug 30, 2014 at 9:18 pm
Mark Crossfield seemed to like it … a lot. See review on youtube
Pingback: Callaway Launches the Big Bertha V Series Driver | Golf Gear Select
Chuck
Aug 8, 2014 at 2:16 am
So this whole theory — lighter head, ultralight shaft at almost 46″, low static weight — runs directly counter to what Tom Wishon carefully explained on these same digital pages.
Charlie
Aug 9, 2014 at 12:27 am
Different theories from different experts
RG
Aug 7, 2014 at 3:34 pm
When we have a discussion about why golf participation is down let’s not forget that all the hype around clubs is a major turn-off to beginning players. So much bologna and ridiculous claims by OEMs.they’re shooting themselves in the foot with all the B.S.
So the message I’m getting is that if I want optimum performance I need to buy new equipment every 3-4 months. No wonder people get turned off and leave the game. So much snake oil.
JJ
Sep 27, 2014 at 7:21 am
Maybe they’re attempting to reach a more discerning audience. Keep complaining and convincing people to ignore innovation and new attempts at improving our games and see what happens. Ever think it possible that maybe there are some engineers putting some real science into the new clubs?
Martin
Aug 7, 2014 at 12:06 pm
V Series will not be successful product it will drop in price $100 in 3-4 months
setter02
Aug 11, 2014 at 11:21 am
You mean kinda like the Opti-Force that was released right around this time last year…
lumpy
Oct 22, 2014 at 11:51 am
Just got it and paid $125 less than $399 suggested price. By the way, it’s awesome !!
christian
Aug 7, 2014 at 4:45 am
It’s a watered down JDM Legacy Platinum forged driver, been out for a year already. Comes stock with a lightweight and very premium Rombax Platinum shaft.
John
Aug 6, 2014 at 6:34 pm
Reading the previous comments was more exciting than this driver. I dont have much to add since you guys have all pretty much hit the nail on the head. Callaway, Taylor Made, Nike among others have become more of a marketing company these days than R & D. It seems there are a few companies; mainly Japanese, with the exception of Ping and Titleist (which is owned by Fila). That consistently produce quality product. Mizuno, Srixon, Titleist, Ping, Cleveland all seem to have the most consistently performing products on a year to year basis. I played the Srixon 701 tours for a long time, and I have seen guys on tour like Hideki and Graeme testing new irons that really peak my interest. I would love to see those in person and set em down behind a ball. I made the switch to the Z-Star and never looked back a few years ago. Best ball I have ever played. If their new clubs are anything like their balls I would love to see them statewide.
MikeB
Aug 6, 2014 at 4:33 pm
Enough with the D0 swing weights already!If it was a D5 to D8, I would jump on it in a flash!
Regis
Aug 6, 2014 at 3:02 pm
I gamed a composite about 10 years ago. May have even been a Callaway. Problem was it never provided enough feedback. Same with a couple of other Cleveland and Adams lightweight combos. They were awesome to demo or on a launch monitor but after a couple of weeks on the course I was lost, and I am a low SS Player which would seem be the target market for this technology.
Double Mocha Man
Aug 6, 2014 at 2:44 pm
Based on most of the comments I think we’re all through with “marketing” innovations. Released every 6 months. Wake us up when there’s something actually innovative, that actually smacks the ball longer and as straight as a rope.
MattK
Aug 6, 2014 at 2:42 pm
Can’t we just call it the Biggest Big Bertha 2? Or BBB2 for short?
DK
Aug 6, 2014 at 12:44 pm
When can I pre-order my re-released Callaway C4 driver? Here’s the press release from 2002 touting the C4’s lightweight properties…
“In addition to forgiveness, distance is also a key part of the Big Bertha C4 Driver. The lightweight clubhead makes it beneficial to use a longer shaft in an effort to help golfers of all skill levels generate more clubhead speed. The new Big Bertha C4 Ultralight graphite shaft is 45.5 inches long, weighs just 53 grams, and the tip diameter is a generous 0.400 inch to maintain stability and durability. Five performance-specific flexes are available to suit the needs of individual golfers. Including a proprietary new lightweight grip, a finished Big Bertha C4 Driver weighs approximately 280 grams — roughly 25 grams lighter than other drivers of comparable size.”
Are they using a fill in the blank marketing template?
DK
Aug 6, 2014 at 12:29 pm
Really there’s nothing new on this driver. “New” aerodynamics on a sole design that looks fairly identical to the warbird, just a diff’rent paint job. Need to get rid of all those grooves on the face! Lightweight isn’t innovative anymore, they’re using face tech from the company’s other lines – AT LEAST THEY “KEPT THE AIRFLOW OF THE HEAD ATTACHED!!!” Once again, nothing new. Thanks Tim, that might be the worst quote promoting a driver in the history…
goal!!!
Aug 6, 2014 at 12:22 pm
I saw Harris English playing this at the practice rounds this week.
Inthejonzone
Aug 6, 2014 at 12:16 pm
Puke…optiforce V2…no thanks Callaway, glad I ditched the Alpha and went back to my old 910…dropped 5 shots since then!!!
richard
Aug 6, 2014 at 11:35 am
Yippee! Just what we need, yet another brand spanking new $400 driver! I hope this means I can find a mint alpha for $200 now!
MHendon
Aug 6, 2014 at 11:00 am
Blah, Blah, Blah…. Hey but on the bright side my buddy just got the RAZR brand new less than a year old for $199
Courtoni20
Aug 6, 2014 at 10:53 am
Sweet! Now I can get last weeks model for next to nothing, Thanks Callaway!
dave d
Aug 6, 2014 at 11:34 am
$199? We are selling the RAZR for $75, RAZR FIT for $99. RAZR FIT is a great club!
MHendon
Aug 6, 2014 at 11:50 am
LOL I guess he over paid. I’m not sure which model he bought. Has the green paint on the bottom.
enrique
Aug 6, 2014 at 10:47 am
42 and 55g shaft, 46″ and D0? Probably not what I’m looking for in my weekend money game.
jim
Aug 6, 2014 at 10:33 am
Looks alot like the old Great Big Bertha, or at least close. Seems the Warbird sole is making a comeback. I really think Callaway and TM release way too many clubs these days, it’s getting really confusing and can’t possibly be good for club sales either.
Desmond
Aug 6, 2014 at 10:21 am
That is one deep face … but no turbulators???
C’mon.
That sole … brings back memories.
Desmond
Aug 6, 2014 at 12:30 pm
The driver will undoubtedly work for its market. I’ll give it a whirl in the simulator with a G30…
bradford
Aug 6, 2014 at 10:14 am
I tried this approach last season with the Adams Speedline 9088UL. It was stock with a Matrix Radix (s-flex). The club swung a D-0 weight, with a total weight of about 290g.
The club was an absolute bomber–problem being the extra swing speed made it the wrong shaft for me. I normally swing around 103ish, and this club truly did kick it up to about 108-110. This is a huge gain, I realize–but instead of the high hook I expected, it was a ridiculously high slicing ball–which barely lost any distance, and provided no feedback (and no golf ball). The problem turned out to be that the shaft is so married to a particular swing type, it would produce huge misses in almost unpredictable directions for other swing types. I expect the same here…people will claim it’s longer, but the majority will find it just doesn’t work.
That Adams sold for $25…not even the price of the lost balls it cost me
MHendon
Aug 6, 2014 at 11:08 am
Best thing for distance is solid contact. If a driver is longer or lighter than what you’re use to you’ll have a hard time making consistent contact. That’s why after a couple years experimenting with a 45 inch shaft I went back to 44. I’m not only more accurate but actually longer too.
Vandy
Aug 6, 2014 at 10:14 am
Re-releasing the optiforce. Bold strategy cotton
tbowles411
Aug 6, 2014 at 10:07 am
They’re going back to the Warbird sole. It’s iconic because it worked back in the day. I’m sure it still works, but it remains to be seen of how it works with the head and if it’s geared to help folks not only get the ball in the air, but to stay in the fairway. That’s important.
ND Hickman
Aug 6, 2014 at 10:01 am
Pre-orders begin on “Augusta 8” you say?
Zak Kozuchowski
Aug 6, 2014 at 10:52 am
It appears that subconsciously I’m not ready for this year’s major championship season to be finished.
adan
Aug 6, 2014 at 9:56 am
Yawn. Plus, it’ll be on sale for $99 by this time next year. I do like the Mitsubishi Bassara shafts though.
Hellsing
Aug 6, 2014 at 9:54 am
Sooo… back to square one?
Martin
Aug 6, 2014 at 9:49 am
Doesn’t look like anything new here.