The Golf Drill Guru
Hey everyone, thanks for stopping by. Although we’re still trying to get rid of our snow here in Canada, I was itching to get my swing on this weekend, so I hit up our local Golf Town to test out some clubs. Yes, I was hitting into a screen, but what can you do! High on my list of clubs to test was the Cleveland XL 270, and after testing it out today, I was pretty impressed. Here are my thoughts:
The Club:
This was my first experience with the Miyazaki stiff shaft – this custom-built C. Kua shaft for this Cleveland series is only 39g, with a flex code 6424. At only 270 grams, this club is extremely light, and it feels great in the hands even before swinging. I was hitting the 10.5 degree draw model, which sat noticeable closed at address.
Looks:
This whole club reminds me of the original launchers, from the head shape and finish to the golden shaft… but don’t let that fool you. There’s some serious technology behind these drivers.
Performance:
I measured performance on three factors, Distance, Accuracy & Trajectory. In terms of distance, the Cleveland XL 270 blew me away. At only 270 grams you can really step on this club, and the best part, the shaft knows how to keep up. I hit around 20 balls, average distance around 307 yards including roll (although I hit a long ball, this screen may be lying a little). The best part was how effortless it was to hit the ball this distance – you can really feel how light the club is, and it’s a breeze to swing. The Miyazaki also felt great, whether I was swinging smoother, or stepping on it, it performed admirably and there was very little difference in accuracy or feel.
In terms of trajectory, I tend to hit a lower ball, but with this shaft I was getting a decent mid trajectory – around 11-13 degrees. When it came to accuracy, none of the other clubs I tested today, including the Mizuno JPX and Titleist 910 D3, were as accurate as the Cleveland XL270. All 20 balls were within 20 yards of dispersion on the screen. Despite the closed clubface at address, I had a nice healthy draw on most shots – like 10-15 yards. This is pretty normal for me, but I might consider the regular version, as I could see the occasional snap coming on. Swing speeds averaged around 107MPH, ball speed around 155-160MPH which is slightly higher than my normal – I’ll attribute the lightweight shaft to this. Spin rates were between 3200-3500 RPM.
The feel of this club was exceptionally solid, even on off-center hits. The shaft I think is the source – no matter how I swung it, this shaft was kept up. Miyazaki and Cleveland have another fan.
Price:
MSRP 299.95
eBay – $200-225
Links:
Clevelands XL270 Draw Driver on Cleveland Golf
Have tried out the Launcher’s yourself? What are your thoughts, leave your own review and or comments below!
