Classic XL Custom driver

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Golf Monthly Senior Staff Writer Paul O'Hagan tests the Cleveland Classic XL Custom driver

Cleveland Classic XL Custom
Golf Monthly Verdict

GM verdict: We were big fans of the original Classic. The retro look was clearly too much for some, though, as Cleveland has adopted a more modern look for 2013. What does remain is the excellent deep face, which provides plenty of forgiveness, as well as impressive distance when the club is set up to suit your swing. But... although the adjustability makes a huge difference to the flight the club produces, it’s rather complicated and a little confusing to begin with. You might need to try a lot of different settings before finding the one that’s right for you. PGA pro verdict The deep face makes the overall head size seem smaller. The flight I produced on my normal set-up was excellent – high and powerful. Changing the settings made a big difference to the flight, but the process was initially quite complex. It’s a solid performer that will appeal to the better player, thanks to the looks and performance. Test team rating: Performance: 4/5 Visual Appeal: 4/5 Innovation: 4/5 Value: 4/5 Overall: 4/5

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Key technology:

The Classic XL Custom has the largest and deepest face of any driver currently on the market. This helps to create a larger sweet spot and faster ball speeds. An adjustable hosel can be moved to 12 settings to find the optimal face angle and flight, while an interchangeable weight port allows swing weight to be optimised.

Will suit: players after plenty of adjustability, as well as a classic look at address.

Paul joined Golf Monthly in 2006 in a junior role and has since worked as senior staff writer and now as technical editor. He writes equipment and instruction content and tests the vast majority of golf clubs that are introduced every year.