{"id":1593,"date":"2007-01-08T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2007-01-08T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thesandtrap.com\/columns\/bag_drop\/cleveland_introduces_two_new_hibore_xl_drivers\/"},"modified":"2007-01-08T09:20:43","modified_gmt":"2007-01-08T14:20:43","slug":"cleveland_introduces_two_new_hibore_xl_drivers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesandtrap.com\/b\/bag_drop\/cleveland_introduces_two_new_hibore_xl_drivers","title":{"rendered":"Cleveland Introduces Two New HiBore XL Drivers"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"BagWhen it comes to drivers, it’s a jungle out there. All the major equipment makers are clawing for market share as they pop out a steady stream of innovative new models in an effort to win your annual $400 contribution to the industry.<\/p>\n

By most accounts, Cleveland’s introduction of the original HiBore last year was something less than the blockbuster they’d hoped for. In fact, here in the U.S. they’re giving them away<\/a> free now through the end of January with the purchase of a set of CG4 or CG4 Tour irons.<\/p>\n

The concave crown and overall performance characteristics seemed to produce a ball flight higher than many better players wanted to see. Plus, word was that you had to tee the ball lower to really catch the sweet spot. It looks to me like the two new HiBore XL models are meant to fix all that.
\n
\nChanges at a Glance<\/strong>
\nAs we wrote in our review<\/a> last May, the original HiBore came through with what appeared to be a closed face and a propensity to launch the ball on a higher trajectory than its loft might suggest.<\/p>\n

\"Cleveland\"
Both the “regular” (on the left) and Tour XL models have deeper faces for increased MOI. Note the longer hosel on the XL Tour that will make it possible to adjust loft, lie, and face angle.<\/p>\n

The redesign that Cleveland is now launching includes two versions – a “regular” model and, as has become fairly commonplace in the industry, a “tour” model.<\/p>\n

Both feature a much deeper face likely to move the sweet spot a little higher. Both have a higher MOI (moment of inertia, resistance to twisting). Both also have a different sole finish that’s been reported to be subject to scratching, although really, who cares about what you can’t see at address?<\/p>\n

But the fact that there are now two different models seems to indicate that Cleveland recognizes that most golfers need a different kind of club than most strong, low handicap players. On the other hand, it seems that pros and low-handicap players are the ones driving the buzz in the market. So now there are two.<\/p>\n

The HiBore XL<\/strong>
\nWhile Cleveland apparently is loathe to tell you what the volume of their heads are – is it 450cc? 460cc? Something in between? – they are letting on that the new head carries 15% greater MOI and an 11% larger face area than the original.<\/p>\n

Those changes are the result of a considerable re-design. As mentioned before, it’s a much deeper and, seemingly, wider face than the original.<\/p>\n

Still present, though, is that distinctive scooped-out crown which is meant to push weight low, back, and to the perimeter of the head to provide more forgiveness and align the sweet spot with what they call the “hot spot.”<\/p>\n

The HiBore XL will be available in five lofts: 8.5°, 9.5°, 10.5° 11.5°, and something called “Super Loft.” God, please let me live long enough to need Super Loft. Left handed versions will be available in 9.5° and 10.5°.<\/p>\n

\"Cleveland\"
The black pearl finish looks pretty cool. But its durability on the sole may be an issue.<\/p>\n

The shafts are by Fujikura, my current personal favorite. The standard shaft is called Fit-On M Gold, which Cleveland labels as “standard trajectory.” As you might guess, it’s got gold graphics. The other shaft is called Fit-On M Red, which they label as “Tour Trajectory” and is commensurately bedecked in red trim.<\/p>\n

The HiBore XL Tour<\/strong>
\nThere are several differences in the XL Tour Version. It’s a smaller, more compact pear-shaped head. Still, it has 10% greater MOI than the original HiBore and an 11% larger face area.<\/p>\n

Perhaps more important to low handicappers is that the face is 3° open and that it carries a lie angle one degree flatter than the “regular” HiBore XL.<\/p>\n

Still more interesting is that it has something called a “Tour Hosel.” What that longer neck means is that this club is much more easily tweaked for loft, lie, and face angle than the average driver today.<\/p>\n

So what the long hosel takes away in the designer’s ability to move weight to optimum areas of the head, it gives back in adjustability.<\/p>\n

That doesn’t mean I’d let the average club guy at a GolfSmith store touch it, but a very experienced, well-equipped clubfitter\/clubmaker could make this thing sing in your hands. If you can hold a note, that is.<\/p>\n

\"Cleveland\"
The HiBore XL retains the same scooped-out back as the first versions did as a way to move weight low and away from the face for more forgiveness.<\/p>\n

That Jerry Kelly won with one of these in the recent Merrill Lynch Shootout leads me to believe that this driver, much more than the original, may have some possibilities for those pros still left on the Cleveland staff. Let’s see if Vijay ends up with one in the bag.<\/p>\n

The HiBore XL Tour will come in three lofts: 8.5°, 9.5°, and 10.5°. Left handed comes only in 9.5°.<\/p>\n

The standard shaft, naturally, is the Fit-On Red tour trajectory, although the Fit-On M Golf shaft can be ordered.<\/p>\n

Availability and Pricing<\/strong>
\nBoth clubs are scheduled to begin shipping from Cleveland on January 15 and be available to we panting consumers on February 2. Although you can find them both right now at our friends at Edwin Watts here<\/a> and here<\/a> and who say they should be in stock by January 18.<\/p>\n

The regular HiBore XL will have a MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price) of $390 and a street price somewhere around $299. The HiBoreXL Tour will go for a MSRP of $450 and a street price around $349. And those street prices are exactly what Edwin Watts is asking for these clubs.<\/p>\n

In the End…<\/strong>
\nTalk among a couple of guys over at GolfWRX.com<\/a> who have hit the club is that it’s pretty hot. I haven’t yet, but that brings up a closing thought.<\/p>\n

With so many new models coming out every year, all year long, it almost behooves golfers really serious about their games to make time to test new models on a regular basis. Yeah, I know the costs involved and the restrictions that puts on swapping out clubs frequently.<\/p>\n

But it’s a golden age of innovation in club design. There’s no reason not to try out the latest and greatest. You owe it to your game.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

No other club category is as competitive as drivers with new head shapes all the rage. Cleveland’s newest entries refine its unusual and original HiBore model.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[23,98],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1593","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bag_drop","category-hot_topics"],"yoast_head":"\nCleveland Introduces Two New HiBore XL Drivers (Bag Drop, Hot Topics) - The Sand Trap .com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/thesandtrap.com\/b\/bag_drop\/cleveland_introduces_two_new_hibore_xl_drivers\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Cleveland Introduces Two New HiBore XL Drivers (Bag Drop, Hot Topics) - The Sand Trap .com\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"No other club category is as competitive as drivers with new head shapes all the rage. 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