Callaway Big Bertha Alpha 815 Double Black Diamond Driver Review

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Callaway Big Bertha Alpha 815 Double Black Diamond Driver_0056

50 Words or Less

The Callaway Big Bertha Alpha 815 Double Black Diamond driver has an incredibly long name to match the long distances that it produces.  Low spin, loads of adjustability, and a great look.

Callaway Big Bertha Alpha 815 Double Black Diamond Driver_0091

Introduction

Though “Big Bertha” and “sexy” are words that usually don’t appear in the same sentence – at least not when we’re talking about people – an exception has to be made for the Callaway Big Bertha Alpha 815 Double Black Diamond (DBD) driver.  Not only is this the best-looking of the current crop of Big Bertha drivers, its also an eyebrow-raiser for its low-spin performance.

Callaway Big Bertha Alpha 815 Double Black Diamond Driver_0062

Looks

More than anything else, it’s the looks that separate the Big Bertha Alpha 815 DBD from the standard Alpha 815.  The DBD has a substantially smaller footprint being smaller from both front-to-back and heel-to-toe.  The face is taller and the face graphics are much more subtle.  Overall, it’s a great compact look that is really going to appeal to better players and those who prefer smaller-looking drivers.

Finally, while this may not be the driving force behind your purchasing decision, the Alpha 815 drivers have the best stock headcovers I’ve ever seen.  They have a unique old-school look and a high quality feel to boot.

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Sound & Feel

As you would expect from the “better player” version of the Big Bertha Alpha 815, the Double Black Diamond has a sound that’s slightly quieter than its sisters.  Additionally, the feedback is bit more precise – you can locate the exact site of every impact quite easily.

Finally, as I mentioned in my review of the Callaway Big Bertha Alpha 815 driver, the Gravity Core makes a huge difference in how this club feels.  If you demo it and don’t like how it feels, make sure you try it with the Gravity Core in the other position before walking away.  Flipping the core makes this feel like two drivers in one.

BB Alpha 815 DBD LM Data

Performance

Over the last few months of 2014, Callaway released three new Big Bertha drivers.  The V Series is a lightweight club for players looking to gain club head speed.  The Big Bertha Alpha 815 is billed as “low spin with forgiveness,” and the Double Black Diamond as “ultra low spin.”  What really tells the story about the DBD is what’s left out of that description: the lack of “forgiveness” or “easy to hit” tells you that this is a club designed for strong drivers.

While I think Callaway is spot on with their descriptions of the other two drivers, I think they’re being a little too harsh on the DBD.  Though I wouldn’t hand it to a 30-handicap, I think the Double Black Diamond is nearly as forgiving as the Alpha 815.  If forgiveness is your top priority, you should look elsewhere, but no above-average player should be scared of giving the DBD a try.

When it comes to being “ultra low spin,” Callaway did hit the mark.  This driver is easily in the top 3 for lowest-spinning drivers of 2015.  If you need to cut spin, start your driver search here.

Finally, just like the Big Bertha Alpha 815, the Double Black Diamond gives you countless ways to fine tune its performance.  Everything starts with Gravity Core, the most impactful adjustability on the market.  The DBD also includes weights in the toe and heel to dial in your draw or fade preference and the OptiFit hosel to achieve the loft, lie, and face angle you prefer.  Lastly, there are 14 no up-charge shaft options available from Callaway.

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Conclusion

Between the Big Bertha V Series and the two versions of the Big Bertha Alpha 815, Callaway really has produced a family of drivers that can cover every player.  Particularly when you add in the wealth of shaft options, you could easily regard the Big Bertha line as the most complete in golf.

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Matt Saternus
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11 Comments

  1. John G
    January 15, 2015 at 10:51 am  ·  Reply

    Looks like something I will have to try…….Thanks for the review Matt

  2. John Pock
    January 16, 2015 at 11:45 am  ·  Reply

    Great review, Matt. Looks like thet already replaced the V series with The Callaway XR yesterday. Getting tough for a person to keep up.

    • Matt Saternus
      January 16, 2015 at 4:14 pm  ·  Reply

      John,

      The XR is actually a replacement for the X2 Hot from last year. It will be Callaway’s lower-priced line.

      Best,

      Matt

  3. Hamish
    January 17, 2015 at 6:38 pm  ·  Reply

    I had ordered the Titleist 915 D3 Driver, but sent it back as the Callaway DBD smoked it in many ways…
    Callaway does it again!

  4. Dan
    April 16, 2015 at 11:10 am  ·  Reply

    Matt,

    Great review and thank you for that. I currently have a tour green shaft in my driver and really like the way it performs. What are the diffrences between the tour green and the rogue silver 60. Are the launch and spin characteristics similar? I’m leaning towards putting the tour green in the DBD. Thank you.

    Dan

    • Matt Saternus
      April 16, 2015 at 2:23 pm  ·  Reply

      Dan,

      If you are having success with the Tour Green, I’d recommend staying with that. Both shafts spec out similarly, but there are substantial feel differences, in my opinion.

      Best,

      Matt

  5. John Pock
    May 4, 2015 at 4:54 pm  ·  Reply

    Hi Matt,

    I have not seen a review for the Callaway XR Driver yet. Is that forthcoming?

  6. Tim Kresin
    July 29, 2015 at 3:36 pm  ·  Reply

    Regarding the Callaway Alpha 815 DBD: Which position of the weight in the Gravity Core produce the least spin? Up or down?

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