Callaway Golf's Big Bertha Fusion Irons Set

Callaway Golf's Big Bertha Fusion irons set first appeared on the retail market in late 2004, and incorporated what Callaway called "Fusion Technology." That tech design was a way to achieve extreme perimeter weighting, creating a very forgiving set of irons.

But golfers had to pay for it: At the time of their release, the Big Bertha Fusions were priced at nearly $1,300 with steel shafts and more than $1,500 with graphite shafts. That made the Big Bertha Fusions some of the most expensive irons from a mainstream golf manufacturer in recent times.

Buying Callaway Big Bertha Fusion Irons Used

Used sets of these irons show up online, including, sometimes, Callaway itself.

According to PGA Value Guide, the estimated resale value of used Big Bertha Fusion iron sets ranges from around $90 to around $125. Much depends on condition, of course.

Now, here are the details about the Callaway Big Berth Fusion irons that we reported when they were first announced in late 2004:

Original Report: Callaway Unveils Big Bertha Fusion Irons

Oct. 18, 2004 - The latest set of irons from Callaway Golf, the Big Bertha Fusion irons, is, the company says, "the most untraditional traditional-looking irons" on the market.

The Big Bertha Fusion irons incorporate Callaway's weight-shifting "Fusion Technology" to create extreme perimeter weighting, but in an iron that the company says maintains a very traditional appearance.

In addition to the Fusion Technology, the Big Bertha Fusion irons incorporate other futuristic-sounding components: a proprietary "Tunite alloy cradle," a lightweight titanium face insert, and a "TPU SenSert."

All that technology leads to a set whose suggest retail price is well over $1,000. Callaway is betting that golfers won't mind the price when they see the results.

The Tunite alloy cradle is made from a Callaway-engineered, new, patented alloy (Tunite) that is ultra-dense and allows 77-percent of the clubhead mass to be repositioned to the perimeter of the head. This extreme perimeter weighting creates very high Moments of Inertia (MOI), which helps keep the clubhead stable and resistant to twisting, even on shots hit near the toe or heel.

The super lightweight, 6-4 titanium face insert is strong and 35-percent lighter than a comparable steel face. This extra weight taken out of the face is distributed around the perimeter of the clubhead to create what Callaway calls "the most extreme perimeter weighting of any iron Callaway Golf has ever made."

The "TPU SenSert" is an exclusive, chemically engineered thermoplastic urethane component in the back cavity of the iron. It works in tune with the clubface to reduce vibration at impact and give shots a crisp sound and responsive feel.

The result, Callaway says, is a traditional-looking iron chock full of non-traditional technology, one that has a reassuring appearance but also provides the benefits of an oversized, game-improvement iron.

Big Bertha Fusion Irons are available with graphite or steel shafts. The standard graphite shaft is the RCH 75i, available in light, regular and firm flexes; the RCH 85i is a strong flex, and the RCH 45i is designed for women golfers. The standard steel shaft is the Nippon 990 Uniflex. Left-handed versions of the Big Bertha Fusion Irons will be available in early 2005.

Big Bertha Fusion Irons will be available at authorized Callaway Golf retail locations beginning in November 2004; offerings include a 2-iron through 9-iron and pitching wedge (46 degrees), approach wedge (50 degrees), sand wedge (56 degrees) and lob wedge (60 degrees). The standard set configuration will be 3-iron through pitching wedge, with a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $1,280 for steel-shafted clubs and $1,520 for graphite-shafted clubs. Individual irons will carry an MSRP of $190 for graphite and $160 for steel shafts.