Callaway Big Bertha BB23 Driver Review – Is it Forgiving & Good for High Handicappers?

 “The latest iteration of the famed Big Bertha series of clubs sees Callaway doubling down on forgiveness and anti-slice properties.”

The name “Big Bertha” has become synonymous with forgiveness in the golf world.

Everyone knows that they can expect a large head profile from Big Bertha clubs. But what else do they bring to the table?

The latest Big Bertha driver can be counted on for forgiveness. We have tested many Big Bertha clubs in the past and we were never disappointed in them as game improvement clubs.

What we really wanted to see in this test round and review is if anything significant has changed from past Big Bertha drivers to the 2023 version. Let’s take a look.

The Callaway Big Bertha BB23 Driver Family

“If you are more concerned about getting your swing speed up, the Callaway Great Big Bertha driver is also available.”

The main difference between the standard Callaway Big Bertha BB23 and the Great Big Bertha drivers is that the Great Big Bertha has a forged carbon fiber sole to make it lighter.

The Great Big Bertha is only available in a stock setup with a D2 swing weight.

When using these clubs side-by-side, we could feel that the Great Big Bertha was a bit lighter and faster on the downswing. It’s a great driver for beginners and slow swing speed players.

Is it Good for High Handicappers?

“Whereas game improvement drivers of old typically featured low/rear CG placement, the Callaway Big Bertha BB23 features low/forward weighting.”

The idea here is that weight placed forward in the head will reduce spin. That’s all well and good if you have a fast swing and can benefit from limited spin. But what does it do for high handicappers?

Less spin means lower chance of a slice. You have to be really careful with high spin rate drivers lest you send them off the tee with erratic flight.

With low spin drivers, you are at least eliminating one variable that can result in a push or a slice.

The Callaway Big Bertha BB23 is an excellent driver for high handicappers because of the generous sweet spot, 460cc head,

internal draw bias and the fact that it delivers straight flight with almost any kind of contact.

Is it Forgiving?

“Having tested many Big Bertha clubs in the past, we can confidently say that the new Callaway Big Bertha BB23 driver holds up the brand’s legacy for forgiveness.”

As we expected, we were getting straight flight on mis-hits all over the face. The Callaway Big Bertha BB23, like the last version, features internal weighting in the heel.

So it’s very easy to affect a nice, high draw that veers back on-line.

In fact, our off-line divergence never exceeded 11 yards during our test session. The overall distance was also impressive.

While carry distance seemed pedestrian (we averaged 252.1 yards for carry) the rollout we were getting from the muted spin pushed our total distance north of 260 yards.

Difference Between the Callaway Big Bertha BB23 and the Callaway Great Big Bertha

“At a glance, you can see that the Great Big Bertha sports a black and gold color scheme as opposed to the black and red color scheme of the Callaway Big Bertha BB23.”

In terms of performance, the main difference is that the Great Big Bertha feels lighter. The Great Big Bertha also has a different jailbreak bracing design that stretches wider across the face.

The Great Big Bertha is also available with a stock UST Mamiya Helium Nanocore graphite shaft while the Callaway Big Bertha BB23 is offered with a stock Callaway RCH graphite shaft.

Available Shafts

• Callaway RCH 45 graphite (light flex)
• Callaway RCH 55 graphite (light, regular and stiff)
• Callaway RCH 65 graphite (regular and stiff flex)

Is the Callaway Big Bertha BB23 Worth it?

“There are really only a couple of caveats for this driver.”

One: there is almost no workability off the tee. Two: rollout is excessive so it might not be a great play on doglegs.

However, if distance is your number one issue then the Callaway Big Bertha BB23 is definitely worth it.

And if you have trouble staying out of the trees, the Callaway Big Bertha BB23 is at least worth a fitting.