WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: The new Cleveland HiBore XL driver offers a new take on driver shape that seeks to emphasize a larger face area, forgiveness and improved sound. The triangular shape features a face size the company says is 10 percent larger than the average driver on the market. A 12-gram weight at the extreme rear tip of the triangular shape enhances stability on off-center hits.

PRICE: $400. Available in standard HiBore XL and HiBore XL Lite versions with an adjustable hosel that accommodates lofts from 9 to 12 degrees. Available Dec. 6.

3 COOL THINGS

1. Shape shift. While there have been triangular shaped drivers in the past (notably the Callaway Big Bertha B-21 and FT-iZ, Titleist 907D1), the compelling story with Cleveland’s HiBore XL is how that triangular shape doesn’t merely seek to push one aspect of performance like extreme forgiveness. Rather, the HiBore XL endeavors to improve multiple aspects through its shape. That distinctive, rear-weighted shape came about through extensive computer simulations that optimized for performance attributes like moment of inertia (stability on off-center hits) and center of gravity location to get more forgiveness and, at the same time, produce better sound.

“The shaping is probably the biggest differentiator here,” said Jacob Lambeth, senior research engineer at Cleveland Golf, who noted that the HiBore XL shape pushes the USGA limits for heel-to-toe width and front-to-back depth. “The triangular footprint is naturally stiffer on the sole and crown to help us maximize forgiveness while giving us a quieter more controlled sound.”

Improved internal ribbing that damps vibration while reducing the weight of the ribs’ structure allows for sound to improve without negatively affecting the CG and MOI properties.

2. Face-off. A big bonus of the optimized triangular footprint was that it allowed Cleveland’s designers some extra volume to play around with in determining the HiBore XL’s final characteristics. That main opportunity was a larger face, as in, among the largest seen on the market in recent memory. At more than 4,500 square millimeters, the HiBore XL’s face is approximately 20 percent larger than some drivers played on the PGA Tour. According to the company, that created a 19 percent larger sweet spot compared to the Cleveland’s previous driver, the Launcher XL2. The HiBore XL targets the impact patterns of more average golfers, and Lambeth pointed to company research that showed a typical 15-handicap would reduce mishits that were partially off the face by as much as 24 percent. “With a big mis-hit that’s an inch off the center of the face, we’re seeing 20-30 yards more carry compared to drivers with a typical face area,” Lambeth said. “It really doesn’t matter how good your variable thickness face is. If you’re not hitting it, it’s not going to help you.” That said, the HiBore XL also features a new face thickness pattern.

3. More speed. The HiBore XL’s design also incorporates ideas formerly developed for company’s higher-end XXIO drivers. Most notable among these is what’s called ActivWing and Action Mass CB. The ActivWing crown feature winglets toward the rear heel of the crown that increases drag to increase the golfer’s ability to more consistently deliver the clubface to square. Meanwhile, Action Mass CB is an 8-gram weight in the butt end of the shaft. This creates a counterbalancing effect designed to make the club swing lighter for more potential swing speed, ball speed and distance.

This article was originally published on golfdigest.com