50 Words or Less
The 2023 Callaway Big Bertha irons are at the forefront when it comes to ball speed, forgiveness, and ease of use. Clubs that easily live up to the legendary name.
Introduction
In golf, the name Big Bertha is synonymous with forgiveness. Since their introduction almost three decades ago, Big Bertha irons have helped golfers hit the ball higher, straighter, and longer, even when their swings are less than perfect. The 2023 version continues that trend, pushing the performance to truly elite levels.
Looks
The most notable visual feature of the 2023 Callaway Big Bertha irons is the finish. Callaway calls it “Smoked Black” which is a perfect name. This isn’t your typical black finish – it’s a bit lighter with more depth to it. I prefer the matte sections, such as the middle of the face and the back of the head, but it looks good in the high polished sections, too.
At address, these irons are classic Callaway game improvement. They have a rounded shape without any sharp edges. From the offset to the leading edge to the toe, every elements rolls smoothly into the next. There is a healthy amount of offset, and the top lines are unapologetically thick. In the long irons, you can see a bit of the sole protruding beyond the top line.
In the bag, I think these Big Berthas look absolutely stellar. That starts with the finish, but that’s not the only excellent choice that Callaway made. Everything about the look is more subtle than you would expect in a large, forgiving iron. The Callaway logo is almost camouflaged in black on the dark finish. My favorite subtle touch is the carbon fiber texture of the lower portion of the cavity.
Sound & Feel
At impact, the 2023 Callaway Big Bertha irons produce a concise sound with average volume. They are slightly higher in pitch but muted, so it’s not an annoying, ringing tone but more of a snap.
The feel of impact is more thump than snap or explosion. I found this more satisfying as it’s closer to a traditional forged feel but with some extra power behind it.
For being large, forgiving irons, the Big Berthas provide a lot of feedback. When you miss the center of the face, the sound switches from crisp to dull – a less lively “thud.” The sound is what most clearly differentiates a pure strike from a miss. I found the character of the feel to be similar across the face, but I was still able to locate impact without much trouble.
Performance
The 2023 Callaway Big Bertha irons are elite when it comes to ball speed and forgiveness. In fact, with these irons, I set a new personal ball speed record – 143 MPH with the 4I. While some of the credit for that number goes to an improving swing, it definitely couldn’t happen without a very speedy club. These Big Bertha irons use Callaway’s A.I. designed Face Cup to maximize ball speed. For me, they were an easy ten yards longer than my gamers.
On both the launch monitor and the range, the forgiveness is the other standout feature. The aforementioned Face Cup and the Precision Tungsten Weighting make it so that you get great ball speed almost anywhere on the face. I had poor heel strikes landing within eight yards of my best strikes. Each iron has as much as 54 grams of tungsten positioned strategically to make them extremely stable, so even those toe and heel strikes won’t fly wildly off line.
In addition to being fast and forgiving, the 2023 Callaway Big Bertha irons want to launch the ball high all the time. You don’t need a great strike to send the ball soaring toward the target. This is one of the traits I remember most from the Big Bertha B21 irons [review HERE], and I was pleased to see it carried forward. High launch is paired with mid spin to give these irons a ball flight that stays under control even in moderate wind.
Finally, as always, it’s important to get fit to get the most out of these irons. The stock shaft is a bit lighter than average, but players who want to maximize speed can opt for graphite or an even lighter steel shaft like the Nippon Zelos [review HERE]. Alternately, going to a slightly heavier, stiffer shaft might help to accentuate the stability of these heads, creating a set that almost never hits a stray shot.
Conclusion
If distance and ease of use are high on your priority list, you can’t do much better than the 2023 Callaway Big Bertha irons. With their high, easy launch and ample ball speed, these clubs will make every swing look like an A+ effort.
Visit Callaway Golf HERE
2023 Callaway Big Bertha Irons Price & Specs
Matt Saternus
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Great review!! I just had a set of these come in yesterday and I am really looking forward to putting them in play this weekend.
I am guessing these are a replacement for the Rogue St Max OS irons.
How do these compare to those? Any major differences other than improved aesthetics?
I am current gaming the Rogue ST max OS and love them other than the looks.
Johnny,
No, these replaces the 2021 Big Bertha irons.
I have a full review of the Rogue ST Max OS irons here: https://pluggedingolf.com/callaway-rogue-st-max-os-irons-review/
-Matt
I had Maverick hybrids with non-hybrid 9 iron. Bad gap! Bought new GBB 9 hybrid… it goes further than Mav-8, so I traded 7 & 8 for Rogue St hybrids. Longer. The Epic Max hybrids are supposedly driver grade. How does new GBB compare to them?
Michael,
I haven’t hit the new Big Bertha hybrids yet, so I can’t say.
Best,
Matt
They look great. Will you be reviewing the driver and woods from this line as well? I was a fan of the 21 release.
Steve,
We have a review of the driver in the pipeline. We will review the fairway wood if there’s a strong interest.
Best,
Matt
Nice review. I play 2019 Big Brothers & love them. These look like something that I would consider. One question though, you mentioned you hit your personal best ball speed w/ a 4i, but that 4i only has 18° of loft. That’s stronger than my 5 wood! Do you think the loft has something to do with your higher ball speed? And how many folks using super game-improvement irons such as these would actually be able to hit on 18° iron?
I guess Callaway has joined the ‘club number silliness’ game. What I mean is, calling a 21 degree loft club a ‘five iron’ so now I have to have 2 gap wedges.
Mike,
Yes, the loft of this 4I certainly contributes to the ball speed. As to how many people can hit an 18* 4I and get a sensible gap between that and their 5I, I don’t know, but that question is part of why we are constantly pushing custom fitting.
-Matt
Thanks Matt. If comparing to the Rogue ST Max OS irons would there be any reason to ‘upgrade’ to the BB ‘23s?
Johnny,
If you test them head to head, preferably with a fitter, and the Big Bertha performs better, that would be a great reason to change. If you’re happy with your Rogues, there’s probably not a need to change.
-Matt
Do you ever not love the clubs you test?????
I am a 18 handicapper and have yet to see something for me!
There aren’t tons of clubs out there that Matt hasn’t reviewed. Pure a regular reader here, I can’t imagine that not one single club hasn’t feel to you. Have you hit them all? If you’re an 18 handicapper, I’m only a few strokes better, but I would definitely look at these big bertha’s. I have to 2019 ones and I love them.
W the 7 iron at 27 degrees (which would typically be 6 iron), they are a full club strong lofted. What did you observe comparatively in terms of trajectory? I tried the Rogue st max os recently and found them impressive & comparable to G425’s.
Ashley,
These clubs launch the ball very easily onto a mid/high trajectory.
-Matt
I purchased these clubs last month 5-Gap and they were ten yards longer than my T-200’s. I play to a 10 handicap and switched from a 75 gram regular shat to 75 gram stiff shaft which made a big difference in stabilizing the head. With little effort when catching it on the sweet spot I’m carrying the 8 iron 160 yards. They really provide a high launch and the ball lands softly. They are a little thick but the results outweigh the aesthetics
Would I see a significant difference between the BB irons and my Mavick irons?
Rob,
The Big Bertha irons are going to be more forgiving. Whether the difference is significant depends on A) your swing and B) what you feel is significant.
Best,
Matt
I currently have the 2015 BB 4-AW with Graphite shaft.
Obviously 8 years old!
Keen to retain the feel of the old club but wondered should I expect to see improvements in distance or forgiveness with this upgrade
Hi Matt,
I normally use setups of 2 types of irons in my set. 4-6 Super game improvements (such as Tour Edge Hot Launch E521 – hybrid irons) and 8-G Game Improvements (such as Tour Edge Exotics E721). I don’t really need a 7 because from the 6 (29*) to 8 (32*) iron there are only 3 grades because of the strong loft of the exotics.
My situation here is that long irons have always been a problem for me, that’s why my mix, currently with hybrid irons I feel comfortable with my swing but sometimes the dispersion of the shot is not what I expect.
Do you think that with these big berthas they can be compared to some Hybrid-irons in confidence in front of the ball and help me with dispersion?
Charlie,
Confidence is personal, so I can’t speak to how the Big Bertha irons will make a given golfer feel, but I do think their forgiveness is on par with anything I’ve tested, hybrid-iron or otherwise.
Best,
Matt
I’ve had my eyes on the Taylormade Stealth HD for some time. Mostly because I’m really interested in changing to hybrid irons. I struggle with my higher irons. Then I came across these Callaway BB23 irons. How would you compare these against the TM HD when it comes to forgiveness and ease of use?
Jon,
Both are excellent. My advice is always to get fit to find the one that better suits your eye and your swing.
Best,
Matt
Looking forward to playing these irons.