A touch of retro from Cleveland

Cleveland launches its largest and deepest-ever driver face

01 Feb 2012

Cleveland Golf has turned back the clock with its retro-looking Classic driver.

It may look rather ‘old school’ but Cleveland's designer has done its homework because it has already chalked up a Gold Award in the recent 2012 Golf Digest Hot List.

Paying homage to driver designs and materials from a long-game era, Cleveland Golf’s new big sticks feature a unique sole design and colour scheme inspired by persimmon 1-woods.

The company says the traditional pear-shaped profile of the Classic - available in lightweight versions of 270g, 290g and a Tour model of 310g - inspires confidence at address and allows for ultimate shot-shaping control.

Cleveland says it has produced its largest and deepest clubface ever, promoting an effective hitting area and hot ball flight. It's powered by MaxCor2 Technology to provide 'monster distances and maximum forgiveness, even from off-centre hits.'

The club features a gold trapezoid alignment aid and comes with a leather headcover designed like a punchbag.

Priced at £249, The Classic 270 is available in 9, 10.5 and 12-degree (Miyazaki C. Kua 39); the Classic 290 in 7.5, 9, 10.5 and 12-degree (Miyazaki C. Kua 43); and the Tour version in 8.5, 9.5 and 10.5-degree (Miyazaki Kusala black).

Former US Open champion Graeme McDowell has the driver in his bag this week at the Qatar Masters.

“Aesthetically, it’s a great looking club,” he says. “I’m a huge fan of deep-face drivers and the full-on persimmon vibe it has with 21st Century technology. It makes it a very easy club to hit.

“It gives me a great set of launch and spin conditions and a strong ball flight. It’s long, too and I get the bonus of an old-fashioned thud sound of a persimmon wood.”

For more information on the Cleveland Classic, visit the website at www.clevelandgolf.com