FT-I, HiBore XL....initial thoughts..

[Rockford35]

I went to the shop this morning to pick up some experiment balls. HX Tours and some Srixon Z-URS. Looking for something a little more less spin.

When I got there, the new Ft-I was being unwrapped. I had to give this thing a go.

FT-i, 9* regular version, Neutral setup, Speeder 569 stiff. This club INSTANTLY looks solid at address, on the rack and on the floor. The SUMO2 has nothing on this thing. And that's just holding it in your hands. The shaft is more pleasing to the eyes, the clubhead is compact and has nice, tight lines. It's almost square, but so damn close that if someone gave me a retail/regular, I'd play with it.

My first thought with the first swing was how eerliy the thing felt to my GBBII that I used to play. I really liked that club. The first impact was a crisp crack off the face, and a nice feedback to your hands and forearms. I knew where I had hit the ball on the face - low, toe side. Yep, bang on. There's no chance you could imagine that feel with the SUMO2. After 10 or 12 swings, I was nutting this thing. Every ball dead center.

I also tried the Ft-5, but it was a retail DRAW version, and all I could do was hit duck hooks with it. It had some weird Fuji in it, it felt like garbage too. I can't wait for the Tours to get it, this is one smart looking driver without the Bore Thru look anymore.

I just get this feeling out of my arms and I'm talking shop with the guys and the UPS guy shows up. Cleveland HiBore XL. Off goes my jacket again.

After letting the club warm up a bit (it's still kinda cold here), I give the club a few swings. It's the same amount closed to my eye as the regular HiBore was, but it's larger size just exudes confidence. It's not huge, but it's "divot" isn't as noticeable, I found.

After two swings, I was hooked. This club is a monster. The Red shaft, for me, is the way to go. The Yellow is way too soft and I couldn't handle it. The red is more mid bend, so it rockets the ball off the face nice and low. And the face, it's easily an inch larger than the regular HiBore. Well, maybe not an inch, but it seems like it. You could never miss with this thing. Cleveland definitely has a winner on it's hands with this.

There's no question, in my opinion, that Callaway and Cleveland are going to smoke Nike off the planet with their woods this year. Both the Cally's are solid looking and performing platforms off of which Callaway can go in almost any direction. The HiBore is a "bigger and better" version of the old HiBore, building on a solid platform that they had already.

I'll have a ball review sometime tonight. I'm gonna give the Tours a run in the sim, as well as the URS's.

R35

[Youngun5]

let the new craze begin.......

why'd you do that, coulda just let me know the XL's were beastly rather than shouting it from the rooftops, now everyone's gonna want one....

no XL Tour?

[warbirdlover]

So the Cleveland "red" shaft is okay? How does it compare to your Accuflex or NVS?

[Rockford35]

let the new craze begin.......

why'd you do that, coulda just let me know the XL's were beastly rather than shouting it from the rooftops, now everyone's gonna want one....

no XL Tour?

Didn't have one in yet. It's on my list. For the price, Gun, you can't beat a HiBore right now. Just too good.

So the Cleveland "red" shaft is okay? How does it compare to your Accuflex or NVS?

It's "ok". I wouldn't play it, but it's ok.

I think an NVS in the XL would be a sweet stick. Very sweet.

R35

[warbirdlover]

It's "ok". I wouldn't play it, but it's ok.

I think an NVS in the XL would be a sweet stick. Very sweet.

R35

But you can't get it from the factory like that, only their yellow or red.

[Rockford35]

But you can't get it from the factory like that, only their yellow or red.

In the Tour you can.

http://www.clevelandgolf.com/index.p...x58z&current=3

Actually, you can in both!

http://www.clevelandgolf.com/index.p...x58z&current=3

R35

[chemboy2]

Perfect timing, I was in the local shop yesterday afternoon demoing the new offerings from Callaway.

I completely agree on the FT-i. It has a very modest looking set-up compared to the Sumo2; hard to believe it is 460cc. The feel and sound was quite pleasing as well as the Fuji shaft. The only thing I had a problem with was the $499 USD price tag, OUCH! At least

I've been messing around with drivers quite a bit the last couple of weeks and, it kills me to say that, the two that have felt best to me are the original Nike SQ (and the new SQ SUMO, not '2') and, (ugh! I can't believe I'm going to type this) the Ping Rapture. The new SUMO at 299 with a VS Proto shaft might be work quite well. The Ping coming in at over $400 and with a OEM stock shaft just doesn't sit well with me.

I've been fairly neutral towards the SQ ever since it came out; the bright yellow never really did anything for me. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of trying a buddy's out though the other day while we were playing. I killed a drive with my driver (or at least I thought I killed it) and then gave my buddy's SQ a go. I flew the SQ past my previous ball. I'm not talking the SQ rolled by my "killed" drive, it flew the damn thing! (stock Diamana in X-flex). It definitely has me thinking...

They didn't have a demo HiBore XL set-up yet so I'll have to go back but I'm not buying anything until the Titty 907's come out though! Although, if my current stick continues to do what it has done the last two range sessions, I won't be buying anything at all... yeah right!

[ezra76]

Sweet. I plan on hoing my way into an XL, no doubt about it. I am bidding on a couple on Fleabay and found that you can get a 10% discount from Dick's. You can get one shipped $269 brand new from them or the tour is $349 + you get the 10% off. I think I'd better stick with the regular one. I missed right a lot with the slightly open R5TP. I'd rather set up square and hammer it rather than trying to too hard to turn over an open face.

Thanks Rock. You just added to my eagerness to obtain this club.

Look for some sweet clubs coming soon in the Classified's.

[JEFF4i]

My 2 drivers I want to try this year: Superquad and XL Tour.

[LyleG]

The non tour XL is suppose to be square faced. Of the 3 I held they all looked differant however. I would like to have a square faced XL. I would put a stiff flex limey 780 in it at 43.5 inches with weight added to the head and probably never miss another fairway again. Would be cool to have fairway % in the 90's and about a 260 average. I could get use to that quite easily.

[warbirdlover]

The Ping coming in at over $400 and with a OEM stock shaft just doesn't sit well with me.

chemboy2

You can get a bunch of different shafts in it for the same price. I got mine at the store with a NVS stiff in it. (Best shaft I've found yet). You can also get it with the VS Proto.

The non tour XL is suppose to be square faced. Of the 3 I held they all looked differant however. I would like to have a square faced XL. I would put a stiff flex limey 780 in it at 43.5 inches with weight added to the head and probably never miss another fairway again. Would be cool to have fairway % in the 90's and about a 260 average. I could get use to that quite easily.

LyleG

Couldn't you accomplish the same thing with the Integra Quadratic?

[LyleG]

Couldn't you accomplish the same thing with the Integra Quadratic?

The same thing...NO, better... YES.

The quad will have a higher MOI to begin with. Its also a lower spin head. My quads should be here early next week. Then I can finally start building these beasts.

[equipmentjunkie]

the xl has me thinking also....i just wish they had made the tour 1* open.....I think 3* might be too much and the regular looks closed to me. I demoed the sumo2 the other day and thought it was garbage.....if the callaway's had a better price I would pick up the fti but now I'm thinking xl or quadratic.

[warbirdlover]

The same thing...NO, better... YES.

The quad will have a higher MOI to begin with. Its also a lower spin head. My quads should be here early next week. Then I can finally start building these beasts.

LyleG

OOOOOH!!!

[kwcsports]

If I like the trajectory of my 10.5 Launcher 460, should I try the same in the Hibore XL ?