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Cleveland · Driver · 2025 · Previous model

Cleveland HiBore XL driver

Maximum forgiveness, 4.0 of 5

Cleveland's last driver, which it called its most forgiving: a triangular 460cc head built around a face with 19% more area than the Launcher XL 2's, its weight low and deep, in 9° or 10.5°, right-handed only. Cleveland no longer sells the HiBore XL new, and Cleveland has since left drivers to Srixon, its sister brand under Dunlop, whose most forgiving driver today is the ZXi RKT MAX.

Head side view, drawn from its loft

4.0 of 5 forgiveness score

$159.99 used at 2nd Swing Golf10.5°, senior flex, below average condition · checked 31 Oct

See used at 2nd Swing Golf

In average condition or better: from $199.999°, regular flex, average condition · checked 31 Oct

New instead: Srixon ZXi RKT MAX, $649.99 at Srixon, checked 2 Nov

Choose it if

  • Your misses come off all over the face.

Choose something else if

  • You play left-handed: Cleveland HiBore XL Lite, sold left-handed, 4.0 of 5.
  • If you fight a slice or swing at moderate speed, choose the HiBore XL Lite: the same head built lighter, with a slight draw bias and a senior flex, and rated a step higher for forgiveness on Cleveland's chart.
Class
Maximum forgiveness
Stock lofts
9° · 10.5°
Stock flexes
Regular and stiff only, in the Mitsubishi Tensei AV Blue 55; Cleveland's senior flex came in the lighter HiBore XL Lite
Hands
Right-handed only; Cleveland built the 12° by custom order.
Used
From $159.99 at 2nd Swing Golf, checked 31 Oct

What changed in Srixon's ZXi RKT MAX

Both are 460cc drivers with a weight low at the back, 12 grams in the HiBore XL and 14 in the ZXi RKT MAX, and a hosel that adjusts loft by up to 1.5°. The HiBore XL has Cleveland's triangular head around an extra-large face and a neutral flight bias; Cleveland's chart rates its forgiveness High, a step below the HiBore XL Lite's Highest, and it is right-handed only, in regular or stiff. The ZXi RKT MAX, rated Highest on Srixon's chart with a straight to slight-draw flight, has a carbon crown and a new titanium-alloy face that Srixon says checks hooks on strikes high on the toe, comes in a senior flex too, and is left-handed in 10.5° only.

No shop we checked sells the HiBore XL new, and used it costs a fraction of a new ZXi RKT MAX. Choose it for the extra-large face on a small budget if you swing at average speed or faster; choose the ZXi RKT MAX for a new club, a senior flex or a left-handed head.

The Cleveland HiBore XL and today's Srixon ZXi RKT MAX: specifications as Cleveland and Srixon publish them, prices as the shops showed them
Detail HiBore XL (previous) ZXi RKT MAX (current)
ClassMaximum forgivenessMaximum forgiveness
Forgiveness score4.0 of 54.0 of 5
Stock lofts9° · 10.5°9° · 10.5° · 12°
Slice helpNone statedSlight draw bias built into the head
Stock flexesRegular or stiffSenior to stiff
HandsRight-handed only; Cleveland built the 12° by custom orderLeft or right; left-handed in 10.5° only
Price newNo longer sold new$649.99 at Srixon, checked 2 Nov
Price usedFrom $159.99 at 2nd Swing Golf (10.5°, senior flex, below average condition), checked 31 Oct–

Build a whole bag around it, or check the lofts in the bag you carry.

HiBore XL: the questions buyers ask

Is the Cleveland HiBore XL forgiving?
Yes. It is Cleveland's maximum forgiveness driver, with lofts up to 10.5°. It scores 4.0 of 5 on our reading of what Cleveland publishes about it, the top score among the drivers we cover.
Who is the HiBore XL for?
It suits a miss that goes anywhere on the face.
Does the HiBore XL come in senior or ladies flex?
No. Cleveland listed regular (R) and stiff (S). In this line, Cleveland's senior flex came in the lighter HiBore XL Lite and its ladies flex in the women's HiBore XL Lite.
Is the HiBore XL sold left-handed?
Right-handed only; Cleveland built the 12° by custom order.
How much does the HiBore XL cost?
Cleveland no longer sells it new. Used from $159.99 at 2nd Swing Golf, checked 31 Oct. In average condition or better, from $199.99. Prices change; the seller's page has today's.

How the 4.0 adds up

The forgiveness score is our reading of what Cleveland publishes about the head, from 1 to 5. It is not a test result. How every score works.

The parts of the forgiveness score
PartPointsWhy
Head 4 A maximum-forgiveness driver head, the most forgiving kind Cleveland made.
Forgiveness score4.0of 5

Draw help, lofts, flex and hand don't change the score. They decide which version fits you, and the picks for a slice or a slow swing use them.

Specification sheet

As Cleveland published it; a dash means the maker did not state it.
MakerCleveland
ModelHiBore XL
Model year2025
TypeDriver
ClassMaximum forgiveness
Handicap range the maker states–
Offset–
Sole–
Moment of inertia (MOI)–
Face technologyMainFrame XL face: an AI-optimized variable-thickness face pattern on an extra-large face, 19% more face area than the Launcher XL 2's
ConstructionCleveland let AI shape the head around an extra-large face, with 19% more area than the Launcher XL 2's, then tapered the sides to hold it to 460cc, which gives the triangle; the weight sits low and deep, with a 12-gram weight at the back that sets the swing weight. An airfoil at the heel of the crown, which Cleveland calls ActivWing, steadies the head on the way down, an 8-gram weight in the grip end makes it feel lighter going back, and the hosel adjusts loft, face and lie by up to 1.5°. Buying used, check the listing is this 2025 head: Cleveland's 2007 HiBore XL has the same name, sells for far less and usually carries a Fujikura Fit-On shaft.
Stock steel shafts–
Stock graphite shaftsMitsubishi Tensei AV Series Blue 55
Stock flexesRegular and stiff only, in the Mitsubishi Tensei AV Blue 55; Cleveland's senior flex came in the lighter HiBore XL Lite
Stock lofts9° · 10.5°
HandsRight-handed only; Cleveland built the 12° by custom order.
Men's or women'sMen's
List price when new$399.99 (2025 model); not a price today
Price at Cleveland–

Compare with other maximum forgiveness drivers

Other maximum forgiveness drivers
Lofts Slice help Hand Where to buy
4.0 Maximum forgiveness 10.5° · 12° · 15° Draw-biased head, built to reduce a slice A · R · S RH · LH $299.99 at Tour Edge checked 2 Nov
See it at Tour Edge
4.0 Maximum forgiveness 10.5° · 12.0° Draw-biased head, built to reduce a slice A · R · S · X RH · LH $399 at Cobra checked 2 Nov
Buy at Cobra
4.0 Maximum forgiveness 9.0° · 10.5° · 12.0° – A · R · S · X RH · LH $399 at Cobra checked 2 Nov
Buy at Cobra
4.0 Maximum forgiveness 9.0° · 10.5° · 12.0° Slight draw bias built into the head A · R · S RH · LH $399.99 at Srixon checked 2 Nov
See it at Srixon
4.0 Maximum forgiveness 9° · 10.5° · 12° Draw setting on the adjustable weight A · R · S · X RH · LH $447 at Golf Discount checked 2 Nov
Check price at Golf Discount See it at PING
4.0 Maximum forgiveness 9° · 10.5° Draw-biased head, built to reduce a slice A · R · S · X RH · LH $447 at Golf Discount checked 2 Nov
Check price at Golf Discount See it at PING
4.0 Maximum forgiveness 9° · 10.5° · 12° – A · R · S RH · LH $499.99 at Wilson checked 2 Nov
See it at Wilson
4.0 Maximum forgiveness 9° · 10.5° · 12° Draw setting on the adjustable weight A · R · S · X RH · LH $647 at Golf Discount checked 2 Nov
Check price at Golf Discount See it at PING

Order: Most forgiving in this class first, then price. Use the arrows to sort. A dash means the maker does not publish it.

See all drivers on the most forgiving driver page, or compare this club side by side. Waiting for a sale? The Black Friday golf club deals page has the price to beat on every club we price.

Sources

The specification comes from these pages; open the maker's page before buying, because prices and shaft options change. Check the exact shaft and hand at the shop before ordering.