MODEL AND SHAFT PLAYED: Callaway Big Bertha driver fitted with a regular-flex graphite shaft. The adjustable settings were set to remove one degree of loft (to 9.5°), with the lie angle and sliding weight both set to neutral.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: It’s an easy driver to feel comfortable over. Setting the slide weight and lie to neutral perhaps triggered a mental feeling that it won’t hook or slice.

VERDICT: The Big Bertha gave a beautiful, dull ‘thud’ at impact. It’s not ‘ting-y’ like a lot of metal woods. With minimal effort it really shot off the clubface. It’s very forgiving. I hit a couple off the heel and one drive off the toe that still flew straight.

Distance-wise, it was comparable to my driver yet it was straighter – whether or not that was mental because I felt comfortable over it. The feel of the ball on the clubface gave a sense of not having to muscle it to get the most out of it. It’s easy to feel as though you have to hit a driver hard to make it go a long way but with the Big Bertha it does the hard work for you. It’s a great driver for a mid-level handicapper, particularly when you can use the adjustability to correct your bad shots.