50 Words or Less
Built to combat the all too common slice, the Callaway Big Bertha B21 driver delivers straight distance. Low spin and excellent forgiveness with distinctive looks.
Introduction
Big Bertha is one of the great names in golf equipment. Launched in 1991, the all stainless steel club head ushered in the new age of metal woods. Over the years, the size has grown substantially and the materials have become more exotic, but the soul of Big Bertha remains focused on making golf more enjoyable. Now, even with their stellar MAVRIK driver lineup [check out all our reviews HERE], Callaway adds the Big Bertha B21 giving golfers another option for matching their needs. The comfort of a familiar name and the hope ‘21’ brings – thanks Callaway.
Looks
Exposed carbon fiber weave isn’t anything new, but Callaway hit it out of the park with the blue of the Big Bertha B21. The triangular shaped head is reminiscent of the Big Bertha Fusion, but with better balance and overall visual appeal. The chevron aim point and red pinstriping really pop and complete a powerful look at address. Most notable is the lack of offset, a feature I expected to find in a draw biased driver.
The face of the B21 is tall and inviting with an almost square appearance. The sole is somewhat busy with numerous recessed areas and finishes. The deep metallic blue does coordinate well with the crown as do the red accents. Overall the Big Bertha B21 has a distinctive look – both in the bag and in your hands.
Sound & Feel
The Big Bertha B21 driver produces a staccato metallic crack that’s a medium plus in volume. The sound is markedly consistent across the face and although distinctive, doesn’t draw attention.
With the stock Callaway RCH 65 regular shaft, the club felt very balanced throughout the swing. At impact the head felt stable and invoked the word “POW” as if Batman had landed a punch as the ball left the tee. To my hands, feedback was marginal as would be expected from a large, forgiving face.
Performance
My normal golf swing produces a slight draw which typically gets exaggerated by draw biased clubs, so I was a bit perplexed when that didn’t happen with the Big Bertha B21 driver. Ball flight was straight and stayed right of center. Opening up my stance a bit for a fade, once again the ball flew straight but held left of center. With a little more tinkering I was hitting drives straight down the fairway. If you’ve been compensating for a slice or a push by aiming down the left side, you’re going to enjoy aiming at your actual target with the B21.
As I looked over the launch monitor data collected at Club Champion, smash factor really stood out. Even while working out how to hit the driver, the lowest smash was 1.49. Matt Saternus and I both marveled at the Flash Face SS20 utilized in the MAVRIK lineup, and the Flash Face SS21 version on the Big Bertha B21 is equally impressive. To assist in the delivery of strong ball speed and forgiveness, Callaway also implemented their proven Jailbreak and a T2C Carbon Crown technologies.
Along with internal weighting, Callaway utilized low spin for the slice busting, straight ball flight design of the Big Bertha B21 driver. The low and forward CG definitely produced low spin throughout my testing. My trajectory was a bit low with the 10.5° loft which is likely attributable to the combination of low spin and shaft dynamics. The B21 driver does have an adjustable hosel for fine tuning, but don’t be afraid to try the 9° or 12.5° models.
Conclusion
It took some time to figure this driver out, but in the end it seemed that Callaway had indeed developed a “new formula” for straightening out tee shots. Comfortable and confident with the B21, I ratcheted up my swing to 87 mph and cranked out a 240 yard beauty – really solid for my game. The Big Bertha B21 driver adds another great option to the Callaway driver arsenal.
Callaway Big Bertha B21 Driver Price & Specs
Matt Meeker
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Can I please have one? I can’t afford one in today’s market and I love this club very much.
Your friend Paul Rynearson
I wish we had that magical ability Paul.
– Meeks
Paul, wait 6 months and CallawayGolfPreowned will have a like-new B21 at a great price.
I am 67 years old and play with my 30 year old son two or three weekends monthly.. I currently use a Taylormade M2D and most times hit it straight off the tee. But when I am trying to get farther down the fairway It takes off okay then I see the flight path go right. Not that Im looking to spend $500 dollars, but will this club help.
That’s great that you get to play with your son that frequently Robert. The only way to find the answer is for you to hit the club. If you work with a qualified fitter, you also may find a shaft change in your current driver helps achieve the ball flight you desire.
– Meeks
just bought the B21 to try to cure my chronic fade. i was skeptical, after lessons from two pros and various tinkering with my stance didn’t help. so-good news. did not see the draw on my drives but-surprise!-my drives are going straight. very satisfied.
Thanks for another great review and for the testing of this club at the lower swing speed. So many reviews on equipment are done by the 100+ mph swing speed player. We slower speed players sometimes feel neglected and this review benefits us. I will be looking forward to testing this club.
I purchased this driver and fairway wood. Love it. I am now hitting 250+ yard drives and a few 290 yard drives. Very easy to hit. Excellent feel. Longer than my previous Callaway. I am very happy with my purchase. These woods along with the Epic Forged irons allows me to keep up with the long hitters and go after some par fives in two.
Hi Matt,
Thank you for your excellent,clear helpful review of the new B 21 driver. I appreciate the 82 mph clubhead speed instead
of a pro smashing the ball at a speed far beyond the capabilities of the golfer likely to buy this club.
It seems to be a great club for older handicap 20 + players.
Unfortunately this quality club has a price to match the high performance it can produce for a reasonable golfer.
Renewed thanks for an interesting review.
Hi Matt,
Thank you for an excellent review.
For a 77 year old, who hits a Ping G 400 SFT 150 to 170 yards, usually in the fairway with a fade with a soft regular shaft, 13* loft would you recommend a Callaway B 21 or a Ping 410 SFT.?
I intend to get fitted but would appreciate your excellent unbiased advice than completely rely on a fitter/salesman
who is keen to make a good profit.
I regularly watch plugged in golf for honest, valuable ,helpful ,. advice.
Many thanks, Alan Goudie
Thanks for the kind words Alan. In doing research you are way ahead of the average golfer and ready to look past any slick sales efforts. The key as you know is to see which club performs best for you. You’ve narrowed it down to two great options. The Ping will likely feel familiar so try to sort out if the Callaway feels different/good or different/bad. Let us know what you decide on.
– Meeks
Big Bertha ! What can I say . 8 degree would be nice . 5 degree even better . They are not on the list . I prefer to make the club ” talk ” it’s my time to listen . Hopefully B21 lives up to its ancestors ?
Matt
My driver speed is also around 82/83. Trying a demo and sure enough using a 12.5 set to 11.5° I was seeing around 190 carry (guessing from landing spots on my home course) and totaled around 227 on a couple. Nice to see a reviewer with a swing speed I can relate to.
Matt:
great review. Hoping you’ll review the Titleist TSi 2/3 drivers. Want to see the diff (if any) with your swing speed, since that’s exactly mine.
Regards
Hi Matt- appreciate your reviews on the Marvin and B21! I’m 77 and currently playing with Big Bertha Fusion and swing speed of 74 – which is a bit confusing to me since I can get out 240 if I really catch one. Let’s say maybe an average of 215. But I also have a Rogue 3 wood which I hit almost as far because I don’t slice with it like I tend to do with the Fusion. We are shut down with Covid here so I’m not going to get a fitting – would you think the B21 would be a better solution for a bit extra distance?? Or the Maverick? Cheers. Dave
Dave,
A 74 MPH swing has a theoretical maximum of 185 yards of carry, so if you’re hitting your current driver 215-240, I wouldn’t change anything.
Best,
Matt
As you know Dave, ‘better’ is subjective for each golfer. With that said, you mention the dreaded slice which is what Callaway focused their design of the B21 to help with. There’s a great chart on the B21 driver page of the Callaway site the lists the performance attributes of the Mavrik Max v B21 side by side. Check that out and see which best fits your game/needs.
– Meeks
Hi Matt – spell check changed MAVRIK to Marvin but I think you know what I meant :)
Matt appreciate both your comments. Re swing speed I rechecked my notes and 67-74 was my 7 iron speed. Didn’t record my driver speed!! So that explains it better.
And re B21 vs MAVRIK I took your advice and checked the Calloway comparison chart. Also made a few phone calls and so went ahead and ordered the B21. Will let you know in a couple months when the snow leaves. Thanks again! Dave
Matt mentioned the similarity in shape of the B21 and the Big Bertha Fusion.
In the UK a You Tube contributor, Peter Finch obtained a BB Fusion from Golfbidder, a reseller of used clubs. He carried out a thorough test and the performance was so impressive. On the golf course, which had some difficult tee shots, Peter hit every fairway. Only negative was that it was not as long as the current Callaway drivers
I believe, following the You Tube test, The Fusion values on ebay have increased significantly.
Some of the large resellers are asking £250
Hi Peter – interesting about the Fusion vs the B21 for distance. I’m replacing my Fusion with the B21 because of the occasional slice – but I’ll carry them both in my bag for a few rounds. My guys won’t mind if I compare on the odd hole and will report back on how they do. Like I said earlier if I catch one I can get 240 with the Fusion – would love to see that with the B21
Matt thanks for the earlier advice. Weather finally turned and tried out the B21. Amazing club and did what Calloway promised right from the first tee. Thanks again!!!
Glad to hear Dave.
– Meeks
Matt,
That’s some serious smash factor there. Is the Bertha face hotter than the Ping G425? Testing both out this weekend. Thx.
Greg
I haven’t hit the new Ping’s Greg, so I can’t offer a fair comparison. Please let us know your head to head results.
– Meeks
Mat. Great review.
I like the numbers you’re getting but will a draw bias club make you pull the ball ?
Thanks again
Robin.
It did not for me Robin. I can’t totally explain it, but I do recommend hitting it for yourself to see how it performs with your swing.
– Meeks
I have recently purchased the cobraf9 and can’t get away with it
So I would love to try the callaway big Bertha B21 please help me.
Thanks John Wilson 👍
Hi. It sounds lovely but I don’t care what it looks like or how it sounds. I want to know how much further this driver drove the ball than your normal driver?
I don’t recall specific numbers Alan, but if there had been significant performance gains the B21 would have gone into my bag. If you get the chance to hit against your normal driver, let us know the results.
– Meeks
I’m curious how this B21 compares to the Cobra offset driver. Cobra’s offset hosel is a proven method to help fight a slice, it can even result in a draw bias flight. Standing over a “standard” face, I just know I’m going to have a straight-then-left-to-right ball flight, I can do it with every standard driver out there. How can the B21 offer similar results without the offset hosel? Can simply moving the weights result in eliminating a slice?
The short answer is yes – weight positioning can have a significant impact on ball flight. I’d use caution using the word “eliminate” in any golf discussion. If you get the opportunity Doug, hit both drivers side by side and let us know your results.
– Meeks
What is the difference between a rch 55 and a rch 45??
The numbers refer to shaft weight. There is also different shaft flexes within each weight class.
– Meeks
I love the B21 driver and have tried the demo. However, I don’t know what degree of loft to choose when I buy one. How do I decide on which one is best for me?
Working with a qualified fitter would be the absolute best method. At minimum, self demo the three lofts and see which one gives you the most advantageous performance figures. Short of that try to analyze your current drives and driver loft and choose accordingly.
– Meeks
I club is great. However when addressing the ball the reflection of the sun shines directly into my eyes. Why would they have such a shine in the top surface of the club head.
Does the 9 degree left handed driver also have an offset driver head like the woods have?
LH or RH, the model is the same Mark. You can follow the Callaway link in my review and see the spec chart on their site to confirm.
– Meeks