HiBore XLi

There was time when the prospect of taking up the game of golf was incredibly daunting. Teaching practices were regimented, golf clubs were unwelcoming, video analysis was a pipe dream and beginners' equipment was no different to the blades that terrified all but the most precise ball-striker and had a sweetspot the size of a polo mint. It's a wonder that any of us stuck with the game.

Thankfully, golf has changed virtually beyond recognition in the last 30 years, with the equipment market at the forefront of this sporting revolution.

Today's high-handicappers no longer face a demoralising struggle to get even a short iron in the air, and it's sets like Cleveland's HiBore XLi irons for which they should be thankful. Combo sets that feature hybrids instead of those hard-to-hit long irons are all the rage, but Cleveland has taken the notion one step further by introducing an all-hybrid set.

But don'tbe alarmed. These clusb might be closer to woods than irons in spirit, but in the flesh, the slick design gives more of an impression of simply being an over-sized iron.

More on the looks later, but first the theory.

According to Cleveland, giving the irons a hollow construction moves the CG (centre of gravity) six times deeper and further back than a conventional iron, while the larger faces offer a 28% larger hitting area and heel/toe weighting produces a 27% increase in MOI (Moment of Inertia), so more stability at impact. The long and short of it is that these should be ridiculously easy to hit - and they are.

The long irons play like hybrids and are easy to sweep off the turf thanks to heel and toe relief areas that reduce drag. They launch high, keep going, and are nothing less than a Godsend for the high-handicapper.

The only worry with a set like this is that each one is just a higher lofted versions of the club before, but with progressively smaller heads, thinner toplines, narrower soles and less offset, the transition from long to short irons is quite seamless.

And when you hit the Cleveland HiBore XLi irons, it's clear that the design works, with each category doing what it is supposed to do. You'd never know they were hollow heads either, with crisp, solid feel adding confidence with each shot.

And these clubs look good, too, with a subtle silver and black finish quietening the overall effect. At address, the look is certainly not an affront to golfing traditions, with even the short irons quite appetising. Some might argue that if you need a hybrid sand wedge you might as well take up fishing but anything that encourages us to take up the game - and keep us here - can't be a bad, can it?

Summary

An excellent addition to the game-improvement market. Easy to hit from tee, fairway and especially rough, Cleveland HiBore XLi irons are an ideal choice for the new golfer or the struggling high-handicapper.