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Equipment: Callaway Big Bertha Fusion driver review

Equipment: Callaway Big Bertha Fusion driver review

New material in the crown and sole has allowed Callaway to add more forgiveness for all levels of golfer...
 

Callaway have used new materials in their new Big Bertha Fusion driver which they say has allowed them to add more forgiveness for every type of player.

Who doesn’t want forgiveness? Even the best players in the world don’t want their mis-hits to go off the planet. And it’s especially important for those who don’t find the middle of the club face on a regular basis.

The primary new technology in the Big Bertha Fusion is the use of triaxial carbon in the crown and sole – an very light and strong material which has allowed the centre of gravity to be strategically placed low and deep.

Big Bertha Fusion

That accounts for the slightly unusual, deeper headshape which bears similarity to the FT-iZ driver.

Callaway say this headshape is a significant factor which has helped increased the MOI (resistance to twisting) which makes the Big Bertha Fusion incredibly forgiving on off-centre strikes.

The straighter flight on mis-hits will result in longer distance more often.

The Big Bertha Fusion driver also incorporates Callaway’s speed step crown which featured in the XR16 drivers.

The original was version was created in collaboration with aerospace experts at Boeing to enhance the head aerodynamics and promote faster clubbed speeds.

There are two high performance shaft options. UST’s first ever recoil driver shaft is designed to load and release more energy on the downswing for more power.

And there’s also a new Mitsubishi Diamana 60g Red Board shaft which aims to add high launch and low spin.

“Big Bertha Fusion’s innovative construction, which combines a titanium Exo- Cage with a triaxial carbon crown and sole, wouldn’t be possible without the nearly 20 years we’ve spent researching and developing carbon fiber technology,” said Dr Alan Hocknell, Senior Vice President, R&D.

Big Bertha Fusion Fairway Woods

The fairway woods utilise the same technology for more forgiveness and straighter flight on mis-hits.

The crown is composed of an ultra-light, ultra-strong triaxial carbon material and weighs in at just 5.8g.

This crown is 78% lighter than a typical steel crown, which allowed Callaway to position weight in strategic areas of the head to optimize the center of gravity and increase MOI.

The Hyper Speed Face Cup promotes higher ball speeds all across the face, leading to more distance at every impact location.

Big Bertha Fusion Driver – NCG verdict

I tested the Big Bertha Fusion driver on Trackman at the Golf Shack under the watchful eye of our resident pro James Whitaker.

It was in a 10.5˚ head with a Speeder 665 TS  Stiff shaft.

Firstly, the headcover looks really cool and adds to the premium feel which is what I’d expect from a driver at this price point.

Big Bertha Fusion driver

The look at address is almost triangular and you can really see how all the weight has been stretched low and back. We’ve not seen a driver like this for some time and I certainly haven’t hit anything like it in the past couple of years.

It may take some getting used to but it does fill you with huge amounts of confidence from the off.

My first shot with this driver was actually on the course at Moor Allerton and I was very impressed with the carry distance. My usual shot shape is a bit of a fade and it often costs me a bit of distance but with the Big Bertha Fusion I still got lots of carry and overall distance. Usually when I see the ball start to move from left to right it doesn’t end up going very far.

The following tee shot I hit one right out of the middle and it went miles. It felt really, really solid to. It went just as far as my playing partner’s balls who are usually 15-20 yards longer than me.

I was keen to hit a few shots on Trackman so rushed over to the Golf Shack and hit a few more shots.

I didn’t feel like I hit them quite as well when on the course but when we looked back at the data my dispersion was very tight. The carry distance ranged from 210 to 230 yards with the longest overall distance coming out at 250 yards. I know, as a 17-handicapper and at my swing speed of just under 100mph, that’s very good for me.

Big Bertha Fusion driver review

But although I didn’t always boom it as far as I wanted, I was never off the fairway.

In conclusion, I know this would be a very good driver for me as it’s going to reward the good swings with a nice long drive and my mis-hits aren’t going to punish me too severely. What more could I ask for?

Big Bertha fusion driver review

It’s worth noting that I haven’t been custom fitted for this driver. James Whitaker took a degree of loft off for me which seemed to bring the spin and launch down a little and resulted in better numbers.

With a full custom fit I’m sure I could get even more out of what is a very impressive driver from Callaway. The technology does what it says it’s going to, it has heaps of shelf appeal and is really good fun to play with.

Details

Big Bertha Fusion driver

Lofts: 9˚, 10.5˚, 13.5˚
Available: September 30, 2016
SRP: £369

Big Bertha Fusion Fairway Woods

Lofts: 15˚, 18˚, 21˚
Available: September 30, 2016
SRP: £229

For more information visit the Callaway website HERE

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