2012 Cleveland Classic Driver Review

Cleveland Classic Driver ReviewThe first thing I noticed when I saw Cleveland Golf’s new line of drivers was the old school look of the club.

As I learned more however, there is nothing old school about the technology behind the Cleveland Classic Driver.

The driver comes in 3 different models. The “Classic 270,” “Classic 290,” and “Classic Tour.” The main difference between each model is the total weight and how it is distributed throughout the club.

The 270 weighs 270 grams, the 290 weighs (surprisingly) 290 grams, and the Tour is the heaviest of the trio weighing in at 310 grams.

Why Does Weight Matter?

In order to determine which Classic model is best for you, let’s quickly investigate why the weight of the club matters to your ball flight.

To put it simply, the lighter the club, the faster it can go. And on the flip side, the heavier the club, the more power it can deliver.

This means lower swing speeds need more speed to add distance. A lighter driver like the Cleveland Classic 270 would fit nicely. Medium swing speeds are going to be served well with the 290.

Players with a swing speed 110mph or higher risk overpowering their driver if it is too light.

Overpowering your driver tends to result in off center and off target drives that don’t go as far as they could. If you have a faster swing speed, using a heavier club is going to help you control the club through impact.


The Cleveland Classic Driver’s Special Technology

The main variation between models is weight, but Cleveland didn’t just mindlessly pull weight out of the club for each lighter model.

They made each model lighter without taking much weight out of the club head. Simply put, the “most beneficial” place to have more weight is in the club head.

Cleveland reduced the weight of the club by giving each model of the club its own unique grip and shaft. In fact, there is a 21g difference between the 270’s grip and the grip used on the Cleveland Classic Tour model. That accounts for mare than half of the total weight differential between the two models.

Most of the remaining weight is added or removed in the after-market Miyazaki shaft used.

Cleveland Classic Driver Face Technology

Aside from the varying weight, Cleveland’s new line of driver has one of the deepest (tallest) faces among all drivers on the market. The deep face along with a center of gravity that is higher and closer to the face will allow you to produce a more penetrating ball flight.

In other words, it won’t balloon which costs you valuable carry and roll yardage.

Tour Player’s Using The New Cleveland Classic Driver

Cleveland Classic Driver Review
Vijay Singh
Vijay Singh switched the the Cleveland Classic Tour model along with…

Graeme McDowell, Keegan Bradley and David Toms.

There has been a lot of chatter around the internet surrounding the Cleveland Classic driver series. That in and of itself is a good sign for the company. I think we’re going to see Cleveland improve its position in the driver market thanks to this club.

Cleveland Classic Driver Review Conclusion

I like where Cleveland is headed with their “different than everyone else” styled design. TaylorMade hit it big last year with their white design in the R11 and Burner Superfast 2.0.

In my opinion the biggest advantage to the white head was the ability to recognize from a distance, the brand of driver a PGA Tour player was playing. I’m not sure the Cleveland Classic driver will accomplish exactly that, but it’ll be unique.

Feedback about the club has shown that it is a club worth your attention. It can produce a solid ball flight and the trio of models means one of them is likely to fit your game perfectly.

The knock on the club is it’s less that desirable accuracy and forgiveness.

If you are looking for more distance out of your driver however, one of the three Cleveland Classic Driver’s can help you make that happen.

Vijay Singh photo by genevets88

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