Equipment
Callaway Big Bertha Fusion drivers and fairway woods
As we all know, the USGA limits drivers to a certain size (460 cc), and COR (coefficient of restitution), which is 0.83. Since companies, such as Callaway, have already reached those limits — or somewhere very close to those limits — improvement continues elsewhere to design drivers that can positively impact golfers.
While many new drivers on the market use adjustability features to accomplish this, Callaway’s new Big Bertha Fusion drivers, and fairway woods, use advanced composite materials, head shaping and weight placement with the goal of making the most forgiving clubs possible.
From a company that’s been using composite materials for over a decade, Callaway’s Big Bertha Fusion drivers and fairway woods introduce a new material called “Triaxial Carbon,” combined with a unique, high-MOI driver head shape that stretches weight back away from the face.
According to Callaway, triaxial carbon is 65 percent lighter than titanium and 35 percent thinner than the forged composite used in recent drivers from the company. Because of how the materials in the carbon composite are woven, the triaxial carbon is stiffer, allowing the driver to be constructed thinner without losing strength.
Callaway uses the new material in the crowns of both the drivers and the fairway woods, and in the soles of the drivers, too.
Read more about the drivers and fairway woods below, which will be available in stores on September 30, and join the discussion about the clubs in our forums.
Big Bertha Fusion Driver
In the driver, an “exo-cage” made of aerospace-grade titanium holds the triaxial carbon material, which is used in both the crown and on the toe and heel of the sole.
By using triaxial carbon, Callaway was able to save 35.4 grams of weight that was repurposed low and back for higher MOI (moment of inertia), a measure of forgiveness, and in the heel of the driver, making it more draw-biased. This also allowed Callaway to lower CG, thus reducing backspin and raising launch.
The crown consists of two parts: A chopped fiber forged composite in the front, and triaxial carbon in the rear
According to Callaway, the drivers have up to 17 percent higher MOI than the XR 16 drivers. Like the XR 16 drivers, the Big Bertha Fusion drivers also have Speed Steps — the fruits of work with Boeing — on their crowns for more speed than a smooth surface, due to the aerodynamic quality of the design.
The driver also includes Callaway’s OptiFit hosel that allows users to adjust loft independent of face angle settings.
Stock shafts will be a UST’s new Recoil shaft made for drivers, and Mitsubishi Rayon’s new Diamana Red Board. Consumers will be able to choose from the 45.5-inch stock shaft option, and a 44.5-inch shaft that has a slightly heavier weight in the back of the driver head to adjust for swing weight.
The drivers carry a MAP of $399, and will be available in 9, 10.5 and 13.5 degree lofts.
Big Bertha Fusion fairway woods
Like the Big Bertha Fusion drivers, the fairway woods also have the lighter triaxial carbon in their crowns. In total, the crowns weigh a feathery-light 5.8 grams, compared to the XR 16 crowns — made from stainless steel — that weigh 26 grams, according to Callaway.
With a lighter crown, Callaway was able to reposition weight low and back in the club for higher launch and higher MOI, and lower CG.
The fairway woods come with a Hyper Speed Cup Face for higher ball speeds on off-center hits, and the Speed Step crown for higher club head speed and less drag. The sole shape was also designed to reduce turf interaction, thus improving versatility for shots hit off the ground.
The Big Bertha Fusion fairway woods will sell for $249, and come available in 3-, 5- and 7-wood options.
Join the discussion about the new Big Bertha Fusion drivers and fairway woods in our forums.
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- Kevin Tway what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX
5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 90 TX
Irons: Wilson Staff Utility (2), Titleist T100 (4-9)
Shafts: Mitsubishi MMT 100 TX (2), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F @51, 56-14F), SM7 (60-10S)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (48-56), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (60)
Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: Scotty Cameron Black Baby T
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Plus4
More photos of Kevin Tway’s WITB in the forums.
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Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
The timing of Lowry’s putter changeup was curious: Was he just using a Spider putter because he was paired with McIlroy, who’s been using a Spider Tour X head throughout 2024? Was Lowry just being festive because it’s the Zurich Classic, and he wanted to match his teammate? Did McIlroy let Lowry try his putter, and he liked it so much he actually switched into it?
Well, as it turns out, McIlroy’s only influence was inspiring Lowry to make more putts.
When asked if McIlroy had an influence on the putter switch, Lowry had this to say: “No, it’s actually a different putter than what he uses. Maybe there was more pressure there because I needed to hole some more putts if we wanted to win,” he said with a laugh.
To Lowry’s point, McIlroy plays the Tour X model, whereas Lowry switched into the Tour Z model, which has a sleeker shape in comparison, and the two sole weights of the club are more towards the face.
Lowry’s Spider Tour Z has a white True Path Alignment channel on the crown of his putter, which is reminiscent of Lowry’s former 2-ball designs, thus helping to provide a comfort factor despite the departure from his norm. Instead of a double-bend hosel, which Lowry used in his 2-ball putters, his new Spider Tour Z is designed with a short slant neck.
“I’ve been struggling on the greens, and I just needed something with a fresh look,” Lowry told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship. “It has a different neck on it, as well, so it moves a bit differently, but it’s similar. It has a white line on the back of it [like my 2-ball], and it’s a mallet style. So it’s not too drastic of a change.
“I just picked it up on the putting green and I liked the look of it, so I was like, ‘Let’s give it a go.’”
Read the rest of the piece over at PGATour.com.
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Equipment
Webb Simpson equipment Q&A: Titleist’s new 2-wood, 680 blade irons, and switching to a broomstick Jailbird
With seven career wins on the PGA Tour, including a U.S. Open victory, Webb Simpson is a certified veteran on the course. But he’s also a certified veteran in the equipment world, too. He’s a gearhead who truly knows his stuff, and he’s even worked closely with Titleist on making his own custom 682.WS irons.
On Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship, I caught up with Simpson to hear about his experience with Titleist’s new prototype 2-wood, how Titleist’s 680 Forged irons from 2003 ended up back in his bag, and why he’s switching into an Odyssey Ai-One Jailbird Cruiser broomstick putter this week for the first time.
Click here to read our full story about Simpson’s putter switch on PGATOUR.com’s Equipment Report, or continue reading below for my full Q&A with Simpson at Quail Hollow Club on Wednesday.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
GolfWRX: It seems like you’ve been a little all over the place with your irons in the past six months or so, and now going back to the 680’s. Is that just a comfort thing? What’s been going on with the irons?
Webb Simpson: Titleist has been so great at working with me, and R&D, on trying to get an iron that kind of modernizes the 680. And so the 682.WS took the T100 grooves, but kinda took the look and the bulk and the build of the 680’s into one club. They’re beautiful, and awesome looking. I just never hit them that well for a consistent period of time. It was probably me, but then I went to T100’s and loved them. I loved the spin, the trajectory, the yardage, but again, I never went on good runs. Going through the ground, I couldn’t feel the club as well as with the blade. So last week, I’m like, ‘Alright. I’m gonna go back more for…comfort, and see if I can get on a nice little run of ball striking.’
So that’s why I went back.
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OK, that makes sense. I know you had done some 2-wood testing recently. Is that in the bag right now?
It’s like day-by-day. I used it at Hilton Head every day. Valero, I used it one round. And this week, me and my caddie will do the book every morning, and if it’s a day where we think we need it, we’ll just put it in and take the 3-wood out. I love it because it’s a super simple swap. Like, it doesn’t really change much.
Yeah, can you tell me about that club? I mean, we don’t really know anything about it yet. You know? I haven’t hit it or anything, obviously.
It has grooves like a 3-wood. Spin is perfect. And it’s honestly, like, everything is in the middle of a 3-wood and driver number. Trajectory, spin, carry, all of it. So, a Hilton Head golf course is almost too easy to talk about because, you know, there, so many holes are driver 3-wood.
Valero, our thinking was we had two par-5’s into the wind, and we knew that it would take two great shots to get there in two. So instead of hitting driver-driver, we just put it in. And I used it on those holes.
Hilton was a little easier because it was off-the-tee kind of questions. But Colonial will be a golf course where, you know, there’s a lot of driver or 3-woods. It’s kind of like a backup putter or driver for me now. I’ll bring it to every tournament.
So it’s, like, in your locker right now, probably?
Well, it would be. It’s in my house [because Webb lives near by Quail Hollow Club, and is a member at the course.] It’s in the garage.
Oh, yeah, that’s right. Do you know what holes you might use it out here if it goes in play?
Potentially 15, depending on the wind. Second shot on 10. Could be 14 off the tee. The chances here are pretty low (that he’ll use the 2-wood). But, like, Greensboro would be an awesome club all day. I’m trying to think of any other golf courses.
There’s plenty that it’ll be a nice weapon to have.
It’s interesting, the wave of 2-woods and mini drivers. Like, it’s just really taken off on Tour, and all the companies have seemed to embrace it.
Yeah. The thing I had to learn, it took me, like, at least a week to learn about it is you gotta tee it up lower than you think. I kept teeing it up too high. You need it low, like barely higher than a 3-wood. And that was where I got optimal spin and carry. If you tee it up too high, you just don’t get as much spin and lose distance, I don’t know if that’s just a mini driver thing.
And you obviously have a Jailbird putter this week. What spurred that on?
Inconsistent putting. I’m stubborn in a lot of ways when it comes to my equipment, but I have to be open minded – I just hadn’t putted consistently well in a while. And I’m like, ‘Man, I feel my ball-striking coming along. Like I feel better; for real, better.’
If I can just get something in my hands that I’m consistent with. Being on Tour, you see it every year, guys get on little runs. I can put together four to five tournaments where I’m all the sudden back in the majors, or in the FedExCup Playoffs. You can turn things around quick out here. I’m like, ‘Man, whatever’s going to get me there, great.’
My caddie, David Cook, caddied for Akshay at the Houston Open and he putted beautifully. Then, I watched Akshay on TV at Valero, and he putted beautifully. And, I’m like, ‘I’m just going to try it.’
I’ve never tried it for more than a putt or two, and I just ordered what Akshay uses. It was pretty awkward at first, but the more I used it, the more I’m like, ‘Man, it’s pretty easy.’ And a buddy of mine who’s a rep out here, John Tyler Griffin, he helped me with some setup stuff. And he said at Hilton Head, he wasn’t putting well, then tried it, and now he makes everything. He was very confident. So I’m like, ‘Alright, I’ll try it.’”
And you’re going with it this week?
Hundred percent.
Alright, I love it. Thank you, I always love talking gear with you. Play well this week.
Thanks, man.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
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JB
Sep 1, 2016 at 10:02 am
Cant wait to sell these on my eBay account! I mean test them.
THP's eBay Account
Sep 5, 2016 at 7:39 am
Hook me up you sly fox! I already have the listing ready!
“Only hit once on the range, never played on the course. Looks new. The 3w and 5w are still in the plastic.”
Dinner on me!
Uncle Buck
Aug 31, 2016 at 11:12 pm
Dern thang look like’a one ‘nem Taylor Made outfits from back ind’a day. Hehehe!! More thangs change da more dey stay da same!! As ‘ol Jack would say “goodness gracious!”
Martin
Aug 31, 2016 at 8:47 pm
Looking down on the club it looks like the shape of a TM club that came out 5-7 years ago. R9 I think it was. I like a more traditional looking club like the XR.
r7l
Aug 31, 2016 at 9:40 pm
You’re thinking of the R7 Limited, the red one. But Callaway has had this shape before also.
Dave R
Aug 31, 2016 at 4:30 pm
Wow wtf who ?
Charlie
Aug 31, 2016 at 1:39 pm
Looks like the club has stretch marks!!!
M
Aug 31, 2016 at 1:59 pm
You would know, wouldn’t you, dealing with your Moobs
Charlie
Sep 4, 2016 at 4:51 pm
You weren’t complaining when you were between them!
3PuttTerritory
Aug 31, 2016 at 8:58 am
I hit these the other day along with the new irons and hybrids and they are most certainly not the best looking clubs I’ve ever seen. Meaning, if this club were a gigolo, it’d have to be very good with its fingers.
I was a little taken aback by the recoil wood shaft, I said, “that’s the shaft my grandpappy plays in his irons, do you have anything in 92 grams???” But, there was nothing else to try.
I play my driver at 44 7/16, so it wasn’t perfect, but it was CLOSE. The best thing I can say about it is that for a game improvement club it doesn’t spin a ton, so if you mostly hit drop-kick, high blocks–this could be the club for you.
The irons are going to be the real star of the show for callaway this year though with the steelhead and the Bertha replacement that’s coming.
Everyone should try them unless they’re like me and still Baggin’ a set of ping eye 2 berrillz, blue dot, 1-PW. Holla at me, 1987.
B
Aug 31, 2016 at 3:02 am
Beautiful!
Joshuaplaysgolf
Aug 30, 2016 at 9:41 pm
????????????????
KK
Aug 30, 2016 at 9:03 pm
Short shaft, ugly, Callaway engineering. This thing has to be a beast.
Zipper
Aug 30, 2016 at 7:39 pm
“new material”, that’s hilarious. K2 was making skis with this material in the 1980’s. It’s marketing BS (I have a marketing degree). These guys will say anything to make a buck!!!
SNBD
Aug 30, 2016 at 11:57 pm
I’m willing to bet the article/statement for Callaway is implying that the material is new to golf equipment. By your logic the only “new materials” are ones that haven’t been discovered by man yet…..don’t be so literal Zipper.
suckatgolf
Aug 30, 2016 at 6:55 pm
Worst Club ever.
WTF were you thinking Callaway.
Joshuaplaysgolf
Aug 30, 2016 at 9:38 pm
Have you hit it???
Dat
Aug 30, 2016 at 6:30 pm
While the 44.5 option is nice…it won’t be in stock at most stores. So this benefit is mostly moot unless the store salesman knows he can get it in a shorter, more controllable length. Enough with the 45.5″ and 46″ driver off the rack specs. They don’t work for the true average player.
Mat
Aug 30, 2016 at 4:32 pm
I came here thinking, “yet another Callaway release”, but these actually do seem to be different. Besides, offering a 44.5 option should be celebrated, even if it is these guys.
Rob
Aug 30, 2016 at 3:06 pm
Haven’t we taken steps backwards since the Fusion FT-3 Driver? That club had the entire body made of carbon, not just the sole and crown. This allowed them to move 44 grams around inside the head to wherever they wanted.
Wesstlee18
Aug 30, 2016 at 1:21 pm
The problem with carbon composite is you have to use glue to attach it, so all the weight you save is wasted in glue. Notice the weight on the head is just “12 grams.” Yes there was some weight saved, piece for piece, but they probably only moved about 6 – 9 grams around, which can still make a difference in driver design, but also the reason why all titanium drivers are still competitive. Love the marketing though!
ZJohnson
Aug 30, 2016 at 12:48 pm
The shape reminds me a lot of the old FT-iZ. I’ll stick to my 816**
Fupresti
Aug 30, 2016 at 12:29 pm
Burp
G
Aug 30, 2016 at 12:14 pm
Gorgeous !!!
Weekend Duffer
Aug 30, 2016 at 11:45 am
44.5 right out the store wow, hopefully others try to copy this. These 46.5″ drivers are getting ridiculous.
Marty Moose
Aug 30, 2016 at 9:57 am
At least they are offering this. I prefer shorter drivers; play mine at 44.25″ – lead tape on bottom to make up weight change. My distance does not seem affected by the shorter length, better dispersion and hit the center 90% of the time. More should experiment with different driver lengths. I know Tom Wishon has a chart which gives recommended lengths based on height, wrist to floor, etc.
“Consumers will be able to choose from the 45.5-inch stock shaft option, and a 44.5-inch shaft that has a slightly heavier weight in the back of the driver head to adjust for swing weight.”
L
Aug 30, 2016 at 6:08 pm
You’re not one of us real golfers Smiz, so don’t include yourself as one of us, you don’t speak for us. You only speak for yourself as you stare at the mirror in your slammer
L
Aug 31, 2016 at 12:58 pm
Because you have no respect
Marty Moose
Aug 31, 2016 at 10:15 am
Then don’t. Keep hitting that 46″ TM Burner Draw driver 2 fairways over.
Marty Moose
Sep 1, 2016 at 12:50 pm
Easy to do when you are playing the women’s tees.