HiBore vs. HiBore XL, Trying to decide... Options

[bigtex75]

Sorry if this topic has been discussed already, but this is my first post. I've been using a Titleist 975J for the past 5 years, and I'm looking to finally upgrade. I'm a pretty big guy (6'5" 300) with a fast swing speed, and I like the 975 since I can get good clubhead speed, unlike most of the 460cc drivers today which feel like swinging a basketball on a stick. I can't get used to teeing the ball 4 inches off the ground for the big drivers.

I like the HiBore since I can tee the ball lower. I demoed one last week and hit it pretty straight and distance was good. It seems to suit my game better than most of today's drivers. To those of you who know something about the new HiBore XL, will it play like the current HiBore, or will it be more like the 460cc behemoths? I'm itching to get a club soon and not sure if I should wait for the XL to be released. Thanks for any help here.

BigTex

[mr_divots]

Tex,

The new design is supposed to raise the sweet spot and allow for higher teeing of the ball. So many people were accustomed to teeing the ball higher for so many years, that many people did so with the Hi-bore and did not see good results. If you like to tee it lower, the original Hi-Bore may be better suited for you.

One other club that has a shallower face, and I have actually had some success hitting it off bare ground from the fairway is the Titleist 905R. You might want to add it to your demo list as well. It does quite well off a lower tee height.

[bigtex75]

Mr. D,

Thanks for the feedback. I have thought about the Titleist, but all I ever hear is that Titleist drivers are typically difficult to hit. I've been able to adjust to my Titleist, but the HiBore just seemed so consistent. Is the 905 fairly consistent, and how does the distance compare?

I'll bring the 905 out next time I play to see how it performs.

[kratt11]

Sorry if this topic has been discussed already, but this is my first post. I've been using a Titleist 975J for the past 5 years, and I'm looking to finally upgrade. I'm a pretty big guy (6'5" 300) with a fast swing speed, and I like the 975 since I can get good clubhead speed, unlike most of the 460cc drivers today which feel like swinging a basketball on a stick. I can't get used to teeing the ball 4 inches off the ground for the big drivers.

I like the HiBore since I can tee the ball lower. I demoed one last week and hit it pretty straight and distance was good. It seems to suit my game better than most of today's drivers. To those of you who know something about the new HiBore XL, will it play like the current HiBore, or will it be more like the 460cc behemoths? I'm itching to get a club soon and not sure if I should wait for the XL to be released. Thanks for any help here.

BigTex

all i need to say is have you hit the hibore XL??? Cuz if you have then you will already know your answer, that is all i am saying!!!!

[bigtex75]

I haven't hit the XL yet, haven't found one to try out.

I'm assuming from your enthusiasm that the XL is a much better club...

[doubletrouble]

The Hibore XL is awesome. I have hit it and there is nothing close to it. I liked the feel with the nike, but it sounds terrible. My ears hurt after I was done hitting it.

The callaway is simply not good to look at!

The XL hasn't changed the sweetspot or CG.

I ran into the rep in my area and he explained the difference with the Xl and the hibore. Because the face is so much deeper it allows you to tee it higher. Contrary to popular opinion the sweet spot hasn't changed.

The XL sounds, looks and feels better than the original hibore. Cleveland has a monster coming!

[aop62]

how low should the ball be teed on the original hibore? i picked one up (good deal) but havent hit anything yet with it. would like to know for the first tee for next season, dont want to tee it too high!

[drew123]

the 905R won't be at all hard to hit compared to your 975J. It will be alot more forgiving.

[taylormadefan]

The Hibore XL is awesome. I have hit it and there is nothing close to it. I liked the feel with the nike, but it sounds terrible. My ears hurt after I was done hitting it.

The callaway is simply not good to look at!

The XL hasn't changed the sweetspot or CG.

I ran into the rep in my area and he explained the difference with the Xl and the hibore. Because the face is so much deeper it allows you to tee it higher. Contrary to popular opinion the sweet spot hasn't changed.

The XL sounds, looks and feels better than the original hibore. Cleveland has a monster coming!

Tee heights look different as well, I snapped this picture of Vijay's driver, just before he snapped one left into the hazard.

Attached File(s)

 Vijay_Tee_Height__Small_.jpg ( 58.83K ) Number of downloads: 18

 

[parpar41]

Question for Aop62 and for Bigtex:

You both have a hibore 3 wood in play.

What is it like ?

Do you think it has a lower CofG too?

Is it easier to hit off the deck than your previous 3 woods?

[HeadonaStick]

The Hibore XL is awesome. I have hit it and there is nothing close to it. I liked the feel with the nike, but it sounds terrible. My ears hurt after I was done hitting it.

The callaway is simply not good to look at!

The XL hasn't changed the sweetspot or CG.

I ran into the rep in my area and he explained the difference with the Xl and the hibore. Because the face is so much deeper it allows you to tee it higher. Contrary to popular opinion the sweet spot hasn't changed.

The XL sounds, looks and feels better than the original hibore. Cleveland has a monster coming!

Tee heights look different as well, I snapped this picture of Vijay's driver, just before he snapped one left into the hazard.

I assume Vijay can hit the sweetspot, and if so then the CG and sweetspot have certainly been moved. With the original HiBore you teed the ball lower to hit the center of the face - which is where the CG and sweetspot are aligned.

[bigtex75]

I just put the HiBore 3W in my bag a couple of weeks ago and have only had it out for one round. While I am getting used to using an extended shaft, the ball jumps off the club face with a nice high trajectory. Easy to hit off the short grass and gets through the rough with ease. I demoed a bunch of fairway woods and this one was by far the easiest to hit.

[MellonC]

I actually demo'd the regular HiBore for about a week. There is something definitely different with this driver than all others. It did what it's supposed to do. but I am waiting for the Tour XL. I would like to find out how I hit with the square face angle(3 degrees open, according to Cleveland but I'd bet it's square) and lie angle adjusted to my liking.

[bigtex75]

thanks for the feedback. I just put in my order for the HiBore with a NV75 X-Stiff. Demo'd it a few times and it is just easy to hit and allows me to tee the ball lower like I prefer. I think the XL will play more like the other 460cc's out there, good for most, just not for me.

[mr_divots]

I actually demo'd the regular HiBore for about a week. There is something definitely different with this driver than all others. It did what it's supposed to do. but I am waiting for the Tour XL. I would like to find out how I hit with the square face angle(3 degrees open, according to Cleveland but I'd bet it's square) and lie angle adjusted to my liking.

Just had my Hi-Bore XL Tour measured at my clubfitter's shop today, and it was 2.5º open and just a hair under 9.5º loft (9.5º stated loft.) Pretty darn close to spec. It put up very good numbers on the Vector, and was really (really) straight -which for me is a miracle with the big stick at times...

[snake pliskin]

Mr divots ,what is your typical ball flight.My misses are genereally hooks left and I am really excited about trying to hit a open face driver.

[mr_divots]

My launch angle was pretty what I expected with this club - around 13º. My miss tends to be a smother hook caused by a closed face at impact. While I have put in some good practice of late and corrected that some, when my swing gets tired, it rears its head. That was the case after about 40 or so whacks today on the LM. What may have been OB left was just the left rough for my misses today. I hit about 80% of my shots dead center today, with only a couple blocks out to the right when I really tried to get my swing speed up (my clubfitter was egging me on... ) They have the Vector and another technology that measures the face angle and swing path (forget the name) and for the quality (or lack thereof) of swings I was putting on the ball, these were the straightest results I have seen to date on a LM. Time to move it outdoors next. 12º for a high next weekend doesn't sound too promising though...
Oh- and the original Hi-bore for me was "fore left" all day... same loft.

This post has been edited by mr_divots: Jan 8 2007, 08:18 PM

[theinsider]

Hi-Bore XL and XL Tour will ship January 15th for those interested. Just heard from Cleveland.

[woontai]

Hi I read that you have tried both the HiboreXl and NIke Sumo I assume. Can you be more specific in term of distance, forgivingness and other about the driver. I always use a 10.5, any suggestion on which loft should I take? Does the hibore XL play the same in term of loft compare to other driver? Thank you.

[Viking Golfer]

The Hibore XL is awesome. I have hit it and there is nothing close to it. I liked the feel with the nike, but it sounds terrible. My ears hurt after I was done hitting it.

The callaway is simply not good to look at!

The XL hasn't changed the sweetspot or CG.

I ran into the rep in my area and he explained the difference with the Xl and the hibore. Because the face is so much deeper it allows you to tee it higher. Contrary to popular opinion the sweet spot hasn't changed.

The XL sounds, looks and feels better than the original hibore. Cleveland has a monster coming!

Tee heights look different as well, I snapped this picture of Vijay's driver, just before he snapped one left into the hazard.

I assume Vijay can hit the sweetspot, and if so then the CG and sweetspot have certainly been moved. With the original HiBore you teed the ball lower to hit the center of the face - which is where the CG and sweetspot are aligned.

Vijay has always teed his ball very high compared to other pro guys using the same driver and loft.

[mr_golfhead]

I didn't want to buy into the HiBore hype, but after hitting one, I felt that this is the driver I wanted... Upon hearing about the HiBore XL Tour, I was even more interested... I'm not sure which myself, and I consider myself an interesting situation... I have about 118 ss, but I have a shaft rated for about 105... NVHL 60 gram that's on my Cobra sucks.. and the loft is really high, so when i miss, I miss BAD. to compound that problem I miss right.. So, what can anyone tell me about that?

I'm pretty sure I need a better shaft, and lower loft, But if someone could explain to me why I lose them right so badly, (and I've swung a 905R w/ a speeder and hit it beautifully), and why with stiffer shafts and such, I hit them so much straighter. I mean ,I'm a consistent ball striker, but, then again, why are the blocks and pushes so bad?

[Beavs17]

Question on launch for those who have hit both...does the XL launch lower than the original HiBore?

Thanks.

[gtaj]

the tour van was at my local store yesterday and had the chance to hit my original and the new xl. there was no appreciable difference between the two with my swing. one time the numbers would be better with the xl, the next with my original. the most variation is with my swing (currenty 9 handicap.)

for my eye, i prefer the original over the xl. i think the shape is better and i can't stand the alignment mark on the xl - looks like they just stuck it on there at the last minute. plus i prefer having the ability to tee the ball down when i want to try to hit a lower traj. the taller face of the xl kind of wrecks that.

honestly, for my game, my swing has much more influence on ball flight than the difference between my original and the xl. there just was not that much of a difference. the original can be had new for $170 plus shipping - save yourself the money and get the original. at the least you'll have some cash to reshaft if you want later.

just my 2 cents

[bigtex75]

I agree 100%. When I started this post I wasn't sure if I should wait for the XL to be released. I am glad that I went ahead with the original. Stopped by Golfsmith the other day to take a look at the XL and I too like the looks of the original much better. Haven't hit the XL yet, but I have been bombing the original and keeping it in the fairway more often than I have.