Big Bertha has become one of the most recognized names in golf as a staple of the Callaway Golf lineup that has been successful since it launched in the 1990s.
This article goes into depth about the origin of the Big Bertha line, how it got its name, and details on the original Big Bertha.
Naming Big Bertha
Ely Callaway, founder of Callaway Golf, chose the name Big Bertha for the driver he introduced in 1991. He borrowed the name from a German WWI howitzer, nicknamed Big Bertha because of its massive size and power.
The Big Bertha driver was revolutionary at the time for its fully stainless steel construction during a time when many golfers still used traditional wooden drivers. The head of the original Big Bertha, while small by today's standards, was quite large by 1991 standards, which immediately set the club apart from competitors.
What is Big Bertha
Besides setting a new standard for size and materials, the Big Bertha driver was revolutionary in that it put more weight around the perimeter of the club-head, resulting in a thinner, more forgiving club-face. The design instantly enlarged the sweet spot compared to persimmon drivers, while remaining lightweight.
This Big Bertha driver is suitable for players who tend to slice their ball or struggle to find consistency in ball flight. While Big Bertha will allow you to hit it long because of its larger sweet spot, its forgiveness accommodates players of all abilities.
Big Bertha Irons
Following the success of the original Big Bertha Driver, Big Bertha irons were introduced in 1994. Similar to the driver, the clubs' oversized club-face and large, highly forgiving sweet spot targeted high-handicap golfers.
The Original Callaway Big Bertha
The original Big Bertha driver launched in 1991, and during that time was considered to be massive because most golfers were still using persimmon drivers. Made of stainless steel, Big Bertha OG clocked in at 190cc.
Big Bertha’s large sweet spot, which provided a new level of forgiveness, separated the line from its competitors. Designers eliminated the neck of the club by extending the shaft through the club head which created more energy at impact. At 190cc, the 1991 driver was only about 40% of today’s 460cc drivers, and is more comparable to today’s 3-woods, which have club-heads in the 175cc neighborhood.
Big Bertha Timeline
Callaway has released dozens of models in the Big Bertha lineup since the original release in 1991.
Callaway Big Bertha Irons by Year
| Year | Model |
| 1994 | Callaway replaced its S2H2 Irons by launching the Big Bertha Irons and the company released the Big Bertha Blade Putters |
| 1995 | Callaway Golf became the world’s biggest seller of irons and Woods after its sales exceeded $550 million |
| 1995-98 | Great Big Bertha irons released to the market |
| 1996-98 | The first update to the Big Bertha irons, Big Bertha Gold Irons released |
| 1997 | Great Big Bertha Tungsten Titanium Irons released |
| 1998 | Big Bertha X12 Irons released, Little Bertha Kids Clubs Set released |
| 1999-2000 | Big Bertha X12 Less Offset Irons/ Big Bertha Hawk Eye Tungsten Injected Titanium Irons launched |
| 2002 | Big Bertha Irons Updated, Big Bertha Hawk Eye Vft Irons released |
| 2003 | Big Bertha Steelhead X-16 and Pro X-16 Irons released |
| 2004-06 | Big Bertha X-18, X-18 Pro Irons and Big Bertha X-Tour Irons, Big Bertha Fusion Irons released |
| 2007-08 | Big Bertha Iron Update |
| 2015-18 | Big Bertha OS, OS Senior Irons, Great Big Bertha Epic Irons released |
| 2019 | Big Bertha 2019 Irons released |
| 2020 | Big Bertha B21 Irons released |
| 2023 | Big Bertha B23 Irons released |
Callaway Big Bertha Drivers by Year
| Year | Model |
| 1991 | Big Bertha Driver launched |
| 1995-98 | The next installment of the Big Bertha line, the Big Bertha WarBird was released |
| 1995-98 | Great Big Bertha released to the market |
| 1997 | Biggest Big Bertha titanium driver released |
| 2001 | Big Bertha C4 Driver released |
| 2003 | Great Big Bertha II 415 Driver released |
| 2004-06 | Big Bertha Titanium Driver released |
| 2007-08 | Big Bertha 460 Driver released |
| 2009 | Big Bertha Diablo Driver released |
| 2012 | Big Bertha Titanium 454 Driver released |
| 2014 | Callaway updates the Big Bertha Driver, Big Bertha Alpha Driver released |
| 2015-18 | Great Big Bertha Driver released |
| 2020 | Big Bertha B21 Driver released |
| 2023 | Big Bertha B23 Driver released |
Callaway Pros
Although the Big Bertha line was designed to help high-handicappers play better, touring pros benefit from other clubs in the Callaway lineup. Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm, Henrik Stenson, and Xander Schauffele headline a group of more than three dozen Callaway staffers on the PGA Tour. Callaway also has more than 50 players on staff among the LPGA, Korn Ferry and Champions Tours, including icons like David Leadbetter, Annika Sorenstam and Pete Cowan.
Image: Scott Olson/Getty Images News via Getty Images
