The Cleveland HiBore XLS hybrid has become my bag favourite, which has meant the long irons have been dormant in recent rounds. It has performed solidly both off the tee, off the fairway and  from the light rough. It’s reassuring to know that I can now rely on a club that will get some distance out of the rough, which would be so much more difficult with an iron. It’s also a handy club to use for bump-and-runs, although this is not why I took it out!

According to Cleveland, the club is designed to promote a square face at impact to prevent slices and make is easier for directional and trajectory control. The additional offset also frames the ball more like an iron by positioning the leading edge closer to the hosel.

I found the 3-iron replacement was travelling as far as my 2-iron, but I was getting a higher ball flight, which can help when required to land the ball softly.

Looks-wise, the club has a really slick appearance at address and after a few good strikes I felt really confident of making a sweet connection every time. There are lots of good hybrids out there, but having tried a few in recent times, this is definitely a club I’d recommend, especially to those who are struggling with their long irons. The good news is that there is a 2-iron replacement from Cleveland lurking somewhere in the office.

Where next?

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