50 Words or Less
The Cleveland HiBore XL driver has excellent forgiveness thanks to the unique triangular shape. Big hitting area. Mid launch and spin. Very consistent results.
Introduction
If you don’t think of World #1 Vijay Singh when you hear “Cleveland HiBore XL driver”…I guess you’re younger than me. Which is probably a lot of you at this point. Be that as it may, Cleveland has brought back this classic name for their newest big stick. Though the shape is miles from that of the original HiBore XL, they’re similar in that they have no regard for convention. I tested this new driver to see if triangular drivers are the next big thing in high MOI.
Looks
I think we have to start with the shape. While a lot of forgiving drivers have leaned toward a triangle shape, the Cleveland HiBore XL driver simply is a triangle. It’s a little jarring, but I found that I liked it better than some of the drivers that compromise between round and triangular. Moving on, the crown is matte black and there are depressions on the heel side. Additionally, the entire shape leans slightly toward the heel, hinting at a draw bias.
The sole of the HiBore XL driver is very sharp, predominantly a plain mirrored black. “Cleveland” and “HiBore XL” branding are placed toward the toe and heel, respectively. There are two small blue graphics – a color that dominates the head cover – and a removable weight at the very back of the sole.
Sound & Feel
With many drivers, centered contact produces the loudest, most boastful impact sound. The Cleveland HiBore XL driver flips that norm. On center, this driver is below average in volume with a thinner sound, allowing the results to speak for themselves. When your shots miss the mark a mark, impact has a louder, fuller sound. While this is unusual, it does provide outstanding feedback to the golfer.
The feedback through the hands is much more muted due to the high MOI shape. No matter where the ball met the face, the feel is a middle of the road blend of fast and solid. I had to spend some time with the HiBore XL before I had a good feel for my impact location.
Performance
According to Cleveland, the shape of this driver was created by artificial intelligence. They asked for a large face with low and deep weighting, and this is what they got. The face of this club is 19% larger which Cleveland states will lead to up to 24% fewer partially missed shots. They also claim that the HiBore XL is 17 yards longer on extreme off center strikes compared to Launcher XL 2 [review HERE]. While we’d all like to think we’re not “partially missing” shots with our driver, getting an extra 17 yards from our worst misses sounds pretty good.
Based on my testing, the Cleveland HiBore XL driver delivers when it comes to forgiveness. What stood out most was the stability. I never felt like the face was twisting wildly on off-center strikes, and this was borne out in the dispersion. If I got the face reasonably close to square, the ball ended up in the fairway.
Looking at launch and spin, I would agree with Cleveland’s rating of this driver at mid-high launch with mid spin. On my best swings, the HiBore XL driver put the ball on a soaring trajectory and still got solid run out. What was interesting during my launch monitor testing was how much the launch and spin jumped around to produce consistent yardage. I could see a numbers geek shaking their head but a player on the course loving the fact that the ball kept ending up in the same spot.
That depression on the heel side of the crown is not just for looks, it’s Cleveland’s ActivWing Technology. This is designed to help the Cleveland HiBore XL driver to achieve “more consistent clubhead delivery.” Obviously I could not test this particular element independently, but the club does deliver strong consistency overall.
Finally, the Cleveland HiBore XL driver has two modes of adjustability. There’s a hosel adjustment that spans three degrees of loft and a weight port at the back. The stock weight is 12 grams, but other weights are available for purchase separately. Additionally, Cleveland has a HiBore XL Lite which uses lighter components and offers a draw bias for players that need higher launch and anti-slice performance.
Conclusion
For the player who likes looking down at a big club face knowing they have loads of forgiveness behind them, the Cleveland HiBore XL driver is tough to beat. Though it’s unusually shaped, this driver produces the kind of consistent results that will make you feel more confident on the tee.
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Cleveland HiBore XL Driver Price & Specs
He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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9 Comments
Hi Matt:
First of all, I love and value your reviews. You are truly exceptional at your craft. How does this driver compare to the Callaway Paradym?
Thanks, Chuck.
I don’t have head to head data, but my recollection is that the Paradym accomplishes a lot of the same things with a more conventional shape. I would guess the Paradym edges out the HiBore XL on ball speed by a small amount.
Best,
Matt
The original HiBore XL Tour was a beast.
Facts!
My eyes just naturally want to move to the pointy rear of this driver. So at address I’m focused on the rear of the head not the face or the ball. Not having tried it, I’m wondering how this effects ball striking. I’m thinking this would help keep my head behind the ball at impact. What an interesting club and article, Matt Thank you.
Hi Matt,
I love your website. I am a former Chicagoan now living in Michigan, a young 72 with a 80 mph swing speed. Accuracy is one of my strong points but I would like to get more distance than my Cobra King F8 is getting me now. I like both the new Callaway HiBore and the Sub 70 859 and I read your fine reviews. Which club do you think I would like better or is there something else I should consider?
Thanks,
Gary
Gary,
Thank you!
If you’re trying to get more distance, you need to get fitted. There’s no way for anyone on the internet to tell you what combination of head, specs, and shaft will get the most out of your swing.
Best,
Matt
Hi Matt,
In a battle of new release $400 forgiving drivers, what’s your opinion on the Cleveland HiBore XL vs the Tour Edge E725?
Thanks,
Dustin
Dustin,
That’s really close, both were fun to hit. Personally, I’d opt for the E725 because of the adjustable weighting.
-Matt