Callaway launch new Big Bertha irons

Carlsbad, California. - Callaway has announced that new Big Bertha X-12 irons will replace the existing Big Bertha irons and will be available in 10 days.

The stainless steel irons, which the company says will retail for the same price as regular Big Bertha irons, were designed by a team headed by Senior Vice President and Chief of New Products Richard Helmstetter and design guru Roger Cleveland.

Among the new features on the Big Bertha X-12 irons is a new, Multi-Layer Design effect on the back of each club. Each layer represents about a 0.020" (twenty-thousandth of an inch) difference, and according to Callaway will affect the feel, sound and strength of the club. This feature is also said to provide increased forgiveness on off-centre shots and ensures that the centre of gravity is in the best position. For example, the centre of gravity on the 7-iron is only 0.689" and on the 5-iron it is 0.705", remarkably low for an iron with an enlarged clubhead, said the company.

The new Big Bertha X-12 irons also feature a new variation on an older Callaway design theme -- the 360-degree undercut channel that began with the original Big Bertha Irons. The original channel was an identical width all the way around the club's perimeter. The new undercut design still goes 360 degrees, but varies in width, a change that enabled Callaway Golf's designers to place the centre of gravity away from the face. This helps to give a sleeker, more classic look to the irons.

The sole of the new Big Bertha X-12 irons also is narrower, with a slightly tighter radius. The clubheads also are slightly shorter than the original Big Bertha. This helps reduce turf drag for improved performance out of the rough.

The features that combined to make Big Bertha Irons the most popular and most playable in the world are still evident in the new Big Bertha X-12 irons, including the patented S2H2. (short straight hollow hosel) concept. The concept takes the weight from the hosel where it is useless and transfers it to the hitting areas where it is most needed. "Tru-Bore." technology, another Callaway Golf trademark that extends the shaft through the clubhead for improved stability and feel, also is incorporated in the Big Bertha X-12 Irons.

"Our research has shown that the Big Bertha X-12 irons will deliver shots that are longer, higher and straighter," Helmstetter said. "They are extremely uniform in performance, even though you may strike them on different parts of the clubface. They are also much easier to hit out of the rough than the original Big Bertha 100 percent stainless steel irons."