Big Bertha B21 Irons vs Callaway Mavrik 2023 Review
If you are somewhat new to the game of golf, you may be reluctant to talk about irons. In fact, a lot of newbies don’t like to address their irons until they absolutely have to.
That’s because irons tend to be the hardest clubs to fit for and the price can run into the $1000’s with the top of the range sets.
The truth is that the extra cost of these top of the range game improvment irons is only going to make sense for serious players who want to improve, utilizing the enhanced features of the irons to lower their scores.
Callaway are one of, if not THE leading name when it comes to premium golf clubs for average players and Callaway is also going to be seen everywhere on the PGA tour amongst the pros.
The Big Bertha B21 irons and the Mavrik’s (both from Callaway) are their very latest designs, crafted by AI for distance and forgiveness. The B21’s have the widest soles, most forgiveness & highest ball flight of the 2 sets.
The irons are also very similar so we wanted to help anyone on the fence with these two sets to make the right choice. Let’s get started.
A Brief Glance at Both Sets
There is a lot of crossover between the Big Bertha B21 irons and the Mavrik irons because the B21’s essentially pick up where the Mavrik series left off. Both feature AI technology and Flash Face Cups which give each iron a progressive launch.
But there are some key differences between these irons that we will get into with more detail a bit later. For now, it’s important to note that both of these iron sets seem to have been designed for high-handicap players.
Both are extremely forgiving and play very long. In fact the Callaway Mavrik irons are the longest in the Mavrik family outrunning the Mavrik Pros and Mavrik Max irons.
Key Features of the Callaway Mavrik Irons
Tungsten Weighting
There are tungsten-infused weights in the head of each of the Callaway Mavrik irons which perfectly balances the centers of gravity.
The Mavriks feel really satisfying to swing. And as mentioned before, they feature the Flash Face Cup technology which increases ball speed and spin.
Flash Face Cup Technology
Each iron face is progressively treated with this Flash Face Cup technology so as you move down through the set, you get more subdued launch, ball speed and spin.
And if you are comparing these standard Mavrik irons to the Mavrik Max irons, you will notice one thing right off the bat.
Offset Heads
There is significantly more offset with the standard Mavrik irons. And this is good for newbies because it will help you get straighter shots off of less than perfect points of impact.
The 360 Face Cup technology is dated but it does still provide perfect flex and release at the point of impact.
Urethane Microspheres
The Mavrik irons also use urethane microspheres to absorb shock which makes them feel nice when you hit the ball dead center. You get nice feedback on perfect shots and the sound really lets you know that you just hit the ball dead-center.
Check Out More Reviews Of The Callaway Mavriks Here:
Key Features of the Big Bertha B21 Irons
AI Technology
The Big Bertha B21 irons have a lot of the same features as the Mavrik irons including the tungsten weighting, the urethane microspheres to help with vibration and the A.I. developed Flash Face Cup. They even have a significant offset like the Mavriks.
Shallower Faces & Lower Lofts
But the Big Bertha B21 irons are more subtle. The irons have a shallower face while the Big Bertha B21 irons have higher lofts except for the 4 iron.
The Big Bertha B21 irons also have a chunkier top edge and you can see the offset as soon as you square up and look down.
This is sure to inspire confidence in new players so we like the profile features of the Big Bertha B21 irons for beginners and intermediate players.
Check Out More Reviews Of The Callaway B21’s Here:
Loft Comparison
Club |
Mavrik Loft |
Big Bertha B21 Loft |
4 iron |
18″ |
19″ |
5 iron |
21″ |
22″ |
6 iron |
24″ |
25″ |
7 iron |
27″ |
29″ |
8 iron |
31.5″ |
33″ |
9 iron |
36″ |
38″ |
PW/SW |
41/NA” |
43/54″ |
Club Options
With the Big Bertha B21 irons you get your choice of left or right hand orientations, steel or graphite shafts, light regular or stiff flex and a host of configurations from 4-PW to 6-AW. The Mavrik irons offer the same options.
As far as length and lie go, you are also looking at nearly identical measurements. You get 60.5 degrees and 38.8” from the 4 iron of both sets and 64 degrees and 35.5” from the PW of both sets.
Composition Comparison
The heads of these iron sets both feature stainless steel construction infused with tungsten for weighting. And you can get both the Mavrik irons and the Big Bertha B21 irons with either steel or graphite shafts.
The grips of the Big Bertha B21 irons felt a bit more comfortable on the swing but the Mavrik grips provided more feedback.
Performance Comparison
The Mavrik irons were all about distance and forgiveness. It seemed like shots off the hosel were still flying straight. The higher lofts of the Big Bertha B21 irons launched slightly higher than the Mavrik irons which was to be expected.
But both produced admirable ball speed and were very easy to hit with overall. We did like the way the Mavrik irons sounded off of dead-center shots a bit more. The crisp, biting sound was just more satisfying to the ears.
Price Comparison
You can score the Big Bertha B21 irons for about $1000 while the Mavrik’s typically retail for slightly less at about $800.
Overall Assessment
In reality, if you are looking for game improvement irons, you can’t go wrong with either of these iron sets. But we think the loft settings of the B21’s would be more congenial to what less seasoned players would need on the fairway.
If your game is a bit more developed and you are able to work the ball a bit more, you would benefit a bit more from the Mavriks.
We like the Mavriks for $200 less. If you really like the B21’s go with them or wait for the price to come down as they are still brand new.
Check Out More Reviews Of The Callaway Mavriks Here:
Hi, I am Matthew, a mid handicap golfer who likes to play as much as possible. I love trying out new gear and this blog is where you can find all the gear I have tested over the years!
