Classic XL

The Classic XL is one of the most attractive drivers on the market in 2013 with its classic gold and black markings and incredibly deep clubface, which you can see while standing over the ball. This aided me with terrific confidence when about to pull the trigger.

Everything just felt ready for take off at address. There is plenty of depth on offer but the head is not as wide as some of the others on the market and that may put some of you off.

While we did not have any problems with alignment, as reflected in our very narrow ‘V’ dispersion pattern from ten drives, some players may crave a larger alignment tool rather than a small dot.

At impact, we were taken by its solid noise, and the slightly heavier head weight just made us feel like we were going to spank one. The impressive standard Miyazaki B.Asha shaft also helped generate fast clubhead speed. All around feel was very impressive, indeed.

In terms of performance, we were rewarded with an extremely pleasing dispersion pattern and maximum forgiveness on off-centre hits as well as powerful, long drives.

The optimal centre of gravity in the Classic XL presented us with a higher than ideal ball flight but that by no means detracted distance. A drive tended to be much easier to draw than fade but straight was thankfully the easier shot.

Verdict

Classy and effective. The deep face is perfect for those high-to-low misses and this driver will suit golfers of all abilities, particularly someone with a steep angle of attack. It also comes with a punchbag-style headcover that we simply adore. We can think of worse things to spend £240 on. 

Click here for our Ten of the Best game improvement drivers club test. Tried the Classic XL? Let us know in the forum or tweet us on @Golfmagic.