Cleveland · Driver · 2025 · Previous model
Cleveland HiBore XL Lite driver
Maximum forgiveness, 4.0 of 5
The lighter, slice-fighting version of Cleveland's last driver, rated highest for forgiveness on Cleveland's chart: the HiBore XL's triangular 460cc head with a slight draw bias, built lighter for moderate swing speeds at 291 to 294 grams, in 10.5° or 12°. Cleveland no longer sells the HiBore XL Lite, though Golf Discount still had it new on 22 Oct 2026, and Cleveland has since left drivers to Srixon, its sister brand under Dunlop, whose most forgiving driver today is the ZXi RKT MAX.
4.0 of 5 forgiveness score
$199.95 at Golf Discount
Used listings at 2nd Swing Golf
New instead: Srixon ZXi RKT MAX, $649.99 at Srixon, checked 2 Nov
Choose it if
- Your misses come off all over the face.
- You slice: the head has a slight draw bias built in.
- You need a left-handed club or a senior flex: both were stock builds.
- You want to spend less: $199.95 is in the cheapest third of the 28 we price.
Choose something else if
- If you don't slice and swing at average speed or faster, choose the standard HiBore XL: the same head, heavier, with a neutral flight bias and a 12-gram weight at the back that sets its swing weight.
- Class
- Maximum forgiveness
- Stock lofts
- 10.5° · 12°
- Slice help
- Slight draw bias built into the head
- Stock flexes
- Senior to stiff
- Hands
- Left or right; left-handed in 10.5° as stock; Cleveland's table marks the left-handed 12° and the 9° as custom orders.
- Price
- $199.95 at Golf Discount, checked 2 Nov
What changed in Srixon's ZXi RKT MAX
Both are 460cc drivers rated Highest for forgiveness on their makers' charts, with a hosel that adjusts loft by up to 1.5°. The HiBore XL Lite is Cleveland's light build, 291 to 294 grams in all, with a slight draw bias from weight set toward the heel, the Aldila Ascent PL 40 shaft in senior, regular or stiff, and a chart that puts it at moderate swing speeds. The ZXi RKT MAX flies straight with only a slight draw on Srixon's chart and has a carbon crown, one 14-gram weight low at the back and a new titanium-alloy face that Srixon says checks hooks on strikes high on the toe; Srixon's chart puts it at low to mid swing speeds, and it is left-handed in 10.5° only.
On 22 Oct 2026 Golf Discount still had the HiBore XL Lite new for less than a third of the price of a new ZXi RKT MAX, and for no more than the cheapest right-handed used one at 2nd Swing, so buy it new while that lasts. Choose it for a light, slice-fighting head on a tight budget; choose the ZXi RKT MAX for a head its maker still sells, with Srixon's newer face.
| Detail | HiBore XL Lite (previous) | ZXi RKT MAX (current) |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Maximum forgiveness | Maximum forgiveness |
| Forgiveness score | 4.0 of 5 | 4.0 of 5 |
| Stock lofts | 10.5° · 12° | 9° · 10.5° · 12° |
| Slice help | Slight draw bias built into the head | Slight draw bias built into the head |
| Stock flexes | Senior to stiff | Senior to stiff |
| Hands | Left or right | Left or right; left-handed in 10.5° only |
| Price new | $199.95 at Golf Discount, checked 2 Nov | $649.99 at Srixon, checked 2 Nov |
Build a whole bag around it, or check the lofts in the bag you carry.
The Cleveland HiBore XL Lite came in a senior (A) flex as well as regular (R): what the senior flex changes, and who it suits.
HiBore XL Lite: the questions buyers ask
- Is the Cleveland HiBore XL Lite forgiving?
- Yes. It is Cleveland's maximum forgiveness driver, with lofts up to 12°. 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 Lite for?
- It suits a miss that goes anywhere on the face, with a slight draw bias built in for a slice.
- Does the HiBore XL Lite come in senior or ladies flex?
- Senior, yes; ladies, only in the women's HiBore XL Lite, a separate model. Cleveland listed senior (A), regular (R) and stiff (S) for this model.
- Is the HiBore XL Lite sold left-handed?
- Left-handed in 10.5° as stock; Cleveland's table marks the left-handed 12° and the 9° as custom orders.
- How much does the HiBore XL Lite cost?
- $199.95 at Golf Discount, checked 2 Nov. 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.
| Part | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Head | 4 | A maximum-forgiveness driver head, the most forgiving kind Cleveland made. |
| Forgiveness score | 4.0 | of 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
| Maker | Cleveland |
|---|---|
| Model | HiBore XL Lite |
| Model year | 2025 |
| Type | Driver |
| Class | Maximum forgiveness |
| Who it suits (our reading) | Slower swings |
| Handicap range the maker states | – |
| Offset | – |
| Sole | – |
| Moment of inertia (MOI) | – |
| Face technology | MainFrame XL face: an AI-optimized variable-thickness face pattern on an extra-large face, 19% more face area than the Launcher XL 2's |
| Construction | The HiBore XL's triangular 460cc head and extra-large face, built lighter for moderate swing speeds: a lighter head, the Aldila Ascent PL 40 shaft and a lighter grip bring it to 291 to 294 grams in all, against 319 to 320 for the standard head, and weight concentrated in the heel gives it a slight draw bias. It keeps the 8-gram weight in the grip end and the hosel that adjusts loft, face and lie by up to 1.5°, but not the standard head's adjustable rear weight. Cleveland sold a women's version as a separate model, a 12° head in ladies flex. |
| Stock steel shafts | – |
| Stock graphite shafts | Aldila Ascent PL 40 |
| Stock flexes | A (senior), R (regular), S (stiff) |
| Stock lofts | 10.5° · 12° |
| Hands | Left or right; left-handed in 10.5° as stock; Cleveland's table marks the left-handed 12° and the 9° as custom orders. |
| Men's or women's | Men's |
| List price when new | $399.99 (2025 model); not a price today |
| Price at Golf Discount | $199.95 · checked 2 Nov |
| What the price buys | 10.5° loft, right-handed, regular flex, Aldila Ascent PL 40 |
Compare with other maximum forgiveness drivers
No matching clubs. Clear the search or loosen the filters.
| 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 | ||
Cobra OPTM MAX-D (2026) | 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 | |
Cobra OPTM MAX-K (2026) | 4.0 | Maximum forgiveness | 9.0° · 10.5° · 12.0° | – | A · R · S · X | RH · LH | $399 at Cobra checked 2 Nov | |
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
Wilson DYNAPWR Max+ (2026) | 4.0 | Maximum forgiveness | 9° · 10.5° · 12° | – | A · R · S | RH · LH | $499.99 at Wilson checked 2 Nov | |
| 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 |
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.
- Cleveland's specifications, archived copy of 14 Sep 2025
- Cleveland's launch announcement
- Golf Digest's model year
- Cleveland's page on availability (checked 22 Oct)
- mygolfspy.com's page on availability (checked 22 Oct)
- GOLF.com's page on availability (checked 22 Oct)
- Cleveland's page for the women's version, archived copy of 9 Dec 2025
- Golf Discount's listing (checked 2 Nov)
- 2nd Swing Golf's used listings (checked 31 Oct)
- Pre-owned: seen at 2nd Swing Golf from $199.99 (checked 31 Oct)