Equipment
Callaway Big Bertha Mini 1.5
Callaway’s Big Bertha Mini 1.5 is the latest entry into the recently crowded category of “driving woods” — clubs too large to be considered fairway woods, but only about half the size of modern drivers. Their larger size makes them longer and more forgiving than fairway woods off the tee, but smart sole shaping allows them to be a threat from the turf, if necessary. They also have shaft lengths that are shorter than drivers, which can offer golfers more control from the tee box.
[quote_box_center]”The pros generally hit their drivers pretty straight, so you’ll probably tend to see this club more widely used on shorter courses, where you don’t need driver on every hole, or on courses where you’re required to shape your shots a lot,” said Evan Gibbs, Callaway’s senior manager of R&D for woods, in a company interview. [/quote_box_center]
Callaway arguably started the modern driving wood category in 2013 when it released the X Hot 3Deep in 2013. Phil Mickelson used the strong-lofted, oversized fairway wood as a driver to win that year’s Open Championship, and raved to the press about the high ball speeds and low spin rates he saw from the club. He said he was able to hit the 43.5-inch 3Deep almost as far as his driver — and he did.
The Big Bertha Mini 1.5 is 35 percent larger than Callaway’s XR fairway woods.
The Big Bertha Mini 1.5 has a lot in common with the X Hot 3Deep, as well as Callaway’s follow-up models, but it’s a distinctly different club. At 235cc, 50cc bigger than the X Hot 3Deep, it’s more of a tee shot-first club. It’s also about 0.5 inches longer than those fairway woods at its stock length of 44 inches, which is still about 1.5 inches shorter than most modern drivers.
Callaway’s uses a “Hyper Speed Face Cup” to enhance ball speed on shots contacted across the club face.
Maybe the biggest difference between the Big Bertha Mini 1.5 and Callaway’s previous oversized fairway woods, aside from its added size, is that the Mini 1.5 is adjustable. It uses Callaway’s OptiFit hosel to give golfers a 3-degree range of adjustability (1 degree down, 2 degrees up from stock loft), as well as two independent lie angle settings (neutral and upright).
More detail-oriented golfers will want to know that the Mini 1.5 marks the first time Callaway has merged its Forged Hyper Speed Cup Face with a Forged Composite Crown in a fairway wood. The Face Cups are thin and strong to boost face flexibility for more ball speed, while the Forged Composite Crowns help engineers move weight lower in the club head for added forgiveness.
The Mini 1.5 uses Callaway’s cambered Warbird sole to help golfers use the oversized fairway wood from the turf.
The Big Bertha Mini 1.5 ($299) is available in lofts of 12 and 14 degrees, and will be in stores on May 29. It comes stock with Mitsubishi Rayon’s Kuro Kage Silver TiNi Second-Generation 60-gram shafts.
Click here to see what GolfWRX Members are saying about the Big Bertha Mini 1.5 in our forum.
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Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 LS (9 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 60 TX (45 inches)
3-wood: TaylorMade SIM TI (14 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX
5-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P-Series Proto (4), P7CB (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Mid 115 X100 (4), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (5-PW)
Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (50-SB09, 56-LB08), TaylorMade MG4 TW (60-SBC)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: TaylorMade TP Soto
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 2.0
Grips: Golf Pride Z-Grip Cord
Ball: TaylorMade TP5x
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- Wyndham Clark what’s in the bag accurate as of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Driver: Titleist GT3 (10 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Green 60 6.5 TX
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black RDX 80 TX
Irons: Mizuno Pro Fli-Hi, Titleist 620 CB (4-9)
Shafts: Mitsubishi Tensei AV Raw White 100HY X (3), True Temper Dynamic Gold X7 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (P, G, S), Vokey Design WedgeWorks (60-A)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Odyssey AI-One Jailbird
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
More photos of Wyndham Clark’s WITB in the forums.
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About the 2024 Ventus: Fujikura has big shoes to fill with the 2024 Ventus shaft lineup as the previous shafts were deemed iconic by most. VeloCore Plus is the technology that will set the new Ventus lineup apart and we saw its debut earlier this year in the 2024 Ventus Blue shaft.
Now it is Ventus Black and Ventus Red’s turn with VeloCore Plus to round out the lineup. VeloCore Plus is the shafts bias core that is made up of different layers, and types, of carbon fiber sheets. This core is built around stability of the club head to ensure it can help deliver center contact more often while adding ball speed. The 2024 Ventus line is now complete with Red for mid/high launch, Blue for players seeking mid-launch, and Black for low launch.
Look & Feel
Out of the box, the Ventus Black and Red match their Blue sibling with a new matte finish to their paint. Black has a simple matte black finish that almost looks charcoal grey in the sunlight. Red is a little more of a drastic change with a deeper hue. I would consider the new Ventus Red’s paint a maroon color that has some nice depth with the matte finish. Out in the sunlight, both shafts look great and don’t transmit any glare from the sun. The classic Ventus graphics are present up near the grip and the Ventus text is now a silver outline near the center. While everything seems new with the 2024 Ventus line, they are easily identified as Ventus shafts.
Feel is such a subjective thing to describe, but both of the new Ventus shafts have good feel to them. For me, the new Black and Red shafts have a slightly stouter feel to them through the swing. The Ventus Black is definitely a stiff profile that is designed for players with speed that takes a little more power to load. The great thing about Ventus Black is that you can get the low spin and launch you need without having a harsh feel and lots of vibration. At impact, you get a little less “kick” as your hands get to impact than the previous Ventus Black. Black will also feel a touch harder to turn over, taking away that feeling of losing it left.
Ventus Red has a softer and more active feel to it than Ventus Black. The handle section feels very stiff and stable while the mid and tip sections allow you to feel the flex of that shaft throughout the swing. As you start your downswing, you can feel Red flex lower down the shaft compared to Black. The softer tip section makes the shaft feel like it really is releasing energy at the point of impact and Red is a little easier to square up and hit a draw with.
Performance
I think we can all agree that the Ventus shafts released in 2018 performed exceptionally well. This new 2024 lineup leans on VelCore Plus to do even better. Ventus Black sticks to its roots as a low launch and low spin shaft. It keeps spin down no matter where you hit it on the face of the club. Typically a low heel shot ramps up the spin number but Ventus Black kept that, and other shots, spin down. Looking at launch monitor numbers, I never had a shot hit 3,000 rpm of spin, while there were a few under 2,000. Launch was also lower than Red both on the monitor as well as just looking at the window of the shot. A flat penetrating flight is what Ventus Black produced shot after shot. The starting line of my shots with Ventus Black were also a little more right of Red. Stability is key with the Black and swinging hard won’t cause the shaft to get loose and create an offline shot.
Ventus Red will offer a higher flight but without adding too much spin. I noticed almost 1.5 degrees more launch but with only around 350rpm more spin. I know people get scared of higher launching shafts, but the new Ventus Red can add some height without adding spin and losing control. While the flight isn’t as penetrating as Ventus Black, Red has not ballooned on me or shown any rise into the wind. The shaft is easier to square up and hit a draw with, but even as a drawer of the ball, I haven’t feared going left with it. For me, Red wasn’t high spinning either with shots averaging just under 2,400rpm for good and poorly struck shots. Shots that didn’t hit the center of the face stayed online well and had less curvature on them than I would have expected.
Final Thought
Fujikura had a tough job to replace the original Ventus, and I think they have done well to make an updated shaft that still shares the core Ventus DNA. You have the same three flight and spin options with a slightly tighter and stiffer feel to them. Performance is top-notch, and I don’t think anyone will be disappointed with the new shafts.
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Wyndham Clark what’s in the bag accurate as of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Driver: Titleist GT3 (10 degrees) Shaft:...
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JimmyO
May 28, 2015 at 9:39 pm
Was hitting low bullets with the 12 degree (even at +2 with the loft) but the dispersion was really tight. Would love to test this in the 14 degree model against my ti/tungsten Hawkeye 2 wood. It’s roughly the same size (+/- 10cc) so we’ll see how it compares to the trusty 2.
Golfraven
May 17, 2015 at 4:15 pm
I am becoming a fan of those mini driver. Currently playing a Fd 3 wood and even if I hit it crap the ball still has good distance and direction. Currently staying away from my driver especially when I hardly get to play.
Oldplayer
May 16, 2015 at 2:52 am
A club to hit from the tee that has a smaller head and a shorter shaft. Isn’t this back to the future? This describes what drivers were like 15 years ago. Although I concede modern materials and a thinner face does update the design.
Miguel
May 15, 2015 at 3:57 pm
I tried the SLDR Mini and I loved how it was so easy to use compared to my driver. Even if I lost a few yards compared to my driver, the dispersion and confidence it gave me was unbelievable. I am pretty sure this club will have the same effect. Higher loft, shorter shaft, smaller head…and this one is adjustable!
Jim
May 15, 2015 at 2:55 pm
I’m such a sap for this stuff, even when I am comfortable with my equipment I still jump.
rer4136
May 22, 2015 at 3:57 pm
Ditto to that. I am an equipment addict. Manufacturers take advantage at every turn.
Hazen
May 15, 2015 at 1:43 pm
Have been a fan of 3woods off the tee for a few years due to the smaller head. I’m a Callaway fan, have been since I started golf, but I recently tried one of the SLDR mini drivers and loved it but honestly didn’t get any more out of it over my 3 wood.
I will gladly try again with the Callaway though.
Hazen
May 15, 2015 at 1:53 pm
Forgot to mention the SLDR mini is not adjustable, and the fact that the Callaway Mini is, just makes it that much gooder. 🙂
Rick
May 15, 2015 at 10:52 am
I believe they are available in 12 and 14 degrees of loft
Zak Kozuchowski
May 15, 2015 at 10:56 am
That is correct, Rick. The story has been corrected.
Alex T
May 15, 2015 at 10:31 am
God I want one.
CHRIS
May 15, 2015 at 9:46 am
Currently gaming the X2 Hot PRO 2deep as my driver. May have to give this a shot to see if it knocks it out of the bag.
Desmond
May 15, 2015 at 7:40 am
Good looking stick!