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Cleveland CG Black Driver Forum Testing Review Thread

SuperStroke
SW said:
Got a call after dinner tonight from the local equipment purveyor that he had received a 9* stiff Black driver for me to try. I was kind of bundled up since I was on the motorcycle so my swing was a little restricted but I got some data for you guys anyway. Didn't have a chance to warm up as they were getting ready to close. Took 10 swings, threw out the shortest and longest so below you have averages for 8 drives. I quoted myself from earlier in the thread to give you an idea what I'm seeing with the 10.5* head (granted that was a full practice session and in shorts and short sleeves) here we go.

CG Black 9* Stiff Data:
Avg distance 240
Carry 233
Avg Club speed 104
Ball speed 142
Launch 12.7*
Backspin 3743
Long 264
Short 220 (1st swing)
Max swing speed 107.2 mph (snap hook)
Min swing speed 97.4 mph (arrow straight)

As you can see my averages were a little shorter tonight, which I can only attribute to not being warmed up and rushing. I was making contact a little towards the heel which is my miss when I rush things. Most of the balls tonight were fades, except the 1 snap hook.
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Thats good info, SW, and very comparable to the 10.5*. Do you tihnk that if you were warmed up the 9* would be a better fit for you?
 
Good stuff Danny, I would love to see you hitting both drivers at the same time. I believe the numbers would be very close on total distance.
 
There have been two of these drivers sold very recently at our course. These things are hot stuff show nuff!

Ok so we need chewie, duey = dawgdaddy, & luey = SW to all come and tee the Black at the goat track. You guys would block out the sun with all that blackness :D.

It really is a beautiful driver and being well received by a ton of folks!
 
War Eagle said:
Thats good info, SW, and very comparable to the 10.5*. Do you tihnk that if you were warmed up the 9* would be a better fit for you?
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That's a good question and one that I've asked myself. What I did like about the 9* was the ball flight (simulated) was lower than I normally see when I go there for practice. What concerns me is the swing speed, the first few swings tonight were under 100 mph, but after that I was pushing the limit of the shaft. I do want to get back in there and hit both heads to better compare though. Something that was pretty evident to me tonight however, I love the forgiveness of the driver head. I mentioned that earlier in the testing process but after playing another driver yesterday afternoon for the second 9 holes and jumping right into hitting it tonight I realized how incredible this one is. From how it sits at address to how the ball feels like it's exploding off the face, man it's addictive.
 
Few questions for the other testers:

1. After using the driver now for a more extended period of time do you feel like the club is too long at 46"? -
2. How is the stock grip holding up and would you keep it or replace it given the opportunity? -
3. Have you noticed your impact groupings on the club face getting tighter or more dispersed? -
4. I would say everyone should be comfortable with the driver by now so compared to your old/current driver and how much distance gain/loss are you seeing? -
5. Again with the comparison to the old/current driver but in regards to accuracy -

c0ncept said:
Few questions for the other testers:

1. After using the driver now for a more extended period of time do you feel like the club is too long at 46"? - I was worried about using a longer driver and have found mixed results. I love the added distance from using a longer club but I have noticed that on some swings I get "lazy" and let the club come back on a much flatter plane than it should be on which results in me coming over the top and missing right.
2. How is the stock grip holding up and would you keep it or replace it given the opportunity? - Surprisingly I like the grip especially because of the little white arrows on it to help keep the face square at address. It has held up very well after quite a few rounds but I would probably change it out to something with cord just because I tend to slip when the weather gets hotter.
3. Have you noticed your impact groupings on the club face getting tighter or more dispersed? - My impact groupings have generally been pretty tight with every driver but with the CG Black I have started to mess around more and have noticed a few rounds where I am all over the place. This is where the club head design shines because even on some of my worst misses I am losing 5-10 yards and still having a playable shot.
4. I would say everyone should be comfortable with the driver by now so compared to your old/current driver and how much distance gain/loss are you seeing? - I am seeing on average about 20 yards more than my R9 SuperTri which I would say is due to the longer shaft as well as more rollout on my drives due to decreased backspin compared to the SuperTri head. On shots where things "click" I have seen drives of 280 yards which is 40 yards longer than my longest drives with the R9ST.
5. Again with the comparison to the old/current driver but in regards to accuracy - This is a tough one to answer. I had a lot of rounds with my R9ST where I hit 90-100% of fairways so I will say that for me the CG Black has not been as accurate. In fairness I am swinging the CG black a lot harder and am getting a lot more distance out of it. Average length of tee shots with my R9 was 220 yards but with the CG Black I can take (what feels like) an easy swing that ends up 240 dead center of the fairway every time. I would say the R9ST is more accurate because it has so much backspin that it doesnt move left/right much but the CG Black is right there with it when I decide to not be stupid and try to crush the ball
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Chewie - Great post man ... 34 degrees?! I played in the low 40's once and it was just too much for me. Of course, I'm a Californian, so it isn't like I have real cold weather golf gear.

bahester said:
Tried this thing earlier today in Golf Galaxy. Was really excited, but after a few swings, I think it's just too light for me. Really couldn't get a good feel for it. Seems like some of you guys love it and I'm a little depressed it didn't seem to work for me, but that's the beauty of golf, eh!?
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Funny, now when I pick up other clubs I think about how heavy they are! I'm sorry to hear the club didn't work for you, but heck, with your particular swing may this isn't the right one. I would suggest if you do try again, take your time - I mean, start swinging at 70% and then methodically bring the speed up.

SW said:
That's a good question and one that I've asked myself. What I did like about the 9* was the ball flight (simulated) was lower than I normally see when I go there for practice. What concerns me is the swing speed, the first few swings tonight were under 100 mph, but after that I was pushing the limit of the shaft. I do want to get back in there and hit both heads to better compare though. Something that was pretty evident to me tonight however, I love the forgiveness of the driver head. I mentioned that earlier in the testing process but after playing another driver yesterday afternoon for the second 9 holes and jumping right into hitting it tonight I realized how incredible this one is. From how it sits at address to how the ball feels like it's exploding off the face, man it's addictive.
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I would be curious to use a 9* in fair testing conditions although to be honest, I really like what I'm seeing now. I can't wait to get rid of this cold and start swinging again next week.

c0ncept said:
Few questions for the other testers:
1. After using the driver now for a more extended period of time do you feel like the club is too long at 46"? -
2. How is the stock grip holding up and would you keep it or replace it given the opportunity? -
3. Have you noticed your impact groupings on the club face getting tighter or more dispersed? -
4. I would say everyone should be comfortable with the driver by now so compared to your old/current driver and how much distance gain/loss are you seeing? -
5. Again with the comparison to the old/current driver but in regards to accuracy -
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Good questions c0ncept. I still have dreams about that crazy driving range you to to.
1. No. I think I'm officially over the "too long" club idea. I think it really comes down to balance and shaft producing a repeatable result. I think this was my issue with the original superfasts - I didn't like the balance and sometimes the shaft did weird stuff.
2. I already replaced with the the similarly weighted mid-size WinnLite Hero grip. I have big-ish hands so it makes a difference. I found I gripped the stock shaft with too tightly which brought tension all the way up my arms killing any fluidity in my swing.
3. Yes. I think if I was still in SoCal with my normal routine I would have made greater progress, but hey, new job, new city, new ranges to explore!
4. This is a toughie ... on average, I'd say +10, I feel like my old R7 460 can still put it out there with my best swings though.
5. No comparison here. MUCH MUCH better!
 
Just got back from playing 9. Wow was it freaking cold out. Had a very nice day with the Black though. I think it is because I was so bundled up that I couldn't do a full turn. I will do a writeup later but a quick tease is no fairways missed.
 
I really wouldn't mind trying this driver with a different shaft in it. I wonder if it would be receptive to a Kusala Black? It sure would look good.
 
I wonder if that shaft might be too much for the head. I gotta think the head of this particular driver may not respond to a heavier shaft...thoughts?
TC said:
I really wouldn't mind trying this driver with a different shaft in it. I wonder if it would be receptive to a Kusala Black? It sure would look good.
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Tadashi70 said:
I wonder if that shaft might be too much for the head. I gotta think the head of this particular driver may not respond to a heavier shaft...thoughts?
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I have a feeling you might be right Freddie. Otherwise this driver would be marketed differently. After the testing though we can answer some of these questions. I really think that the C Kua in the 270 though might be the shaft to try
 
Tadashi70 said:
I wonder if that shaft might be too much for the head. I gotta think the head of this particular driver may not respond to a heavier shaft...thoughts?
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Maybe, but then again, I've tried every single shaft that comes my way in the R9 head. I mean, it's just a driver head, right? Is the Black driver head a high spin head, a la the Super Tri? or is it a low spin head?
 
TC said:
Maybe, but then again, I've tried every single shaft that comes my way in the R9 head. I mean, it's just a driver head, right? Is the Black driver head a high spin head, a la the Super Tri? or is it a low spin head?
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I would bet it's high spin like the Supertri
 
Chunkylover77 said:
I would bet it's high spin like the Supertri
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So perhaps the Kusala Black helps even that sucker out? I don't see why a head can't be properly utilized for the user.
 
TC said:
Maybe, but then again, I've tried every single shaft that comes my way in the R9 head. I mean, it's just a driver head, right? Is the Black driver head a high spin head, a la the Super Tri? or is it a low spin head?
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I don't know, I'd like to see the Miyazaki white in that piece
 
I honestly don't know. I assume the head is lighter than normal heads so maybe the SW will be all sorts of off kilter if you change out the light shaft. But I don't see why a lighter but stiffer shaft won't work. Maybe the head is not strong enough to take a beating from higher swing speed players?
 
Chunkylover77 said:
I honestly don't know. I assume the head is lighter than normal heads so maybe the SW will be all sorts of off kilter if you change out the light shaft. But I don't see why a lighter but stiffer shaft won't work. Maybe the head is not strong enough to take a beating from higher swing speed players?
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I think the head can take the pounding but since this driver is so unique I tend to think it's a shaft head combo that gives it it's characteristics. I mean it's not designed with a regular shaft that can be taken out and placed in a standard driver head, right?
 
It's .350 so it would fit in drivers that take those size shafts.
 
1. After using the driver now for a more extended period of time do you feel like the club is too long at 46"? - I actually do not even notice the 46" length. The only time I notice it is when I pick up a different driver, how short they all feel now.
2. How is the stock grip holding up and would you keep it or replace it given the opportunity? - My stock grip still looks pretty brand new and feels the same. The test will be when we get to some heat in the summer.
3. Have you noticed your impact groupings on the club face getting tighter or more dispersed? - My impact groupings have definitely gotten tighter throughout this testing.
4. I would say everyone should be comfortable with the driver by now so compared to your old/current driver and how much distance gain/loss are you seeing? - I can comfrotably say that I have gained 10-20 yds over my old Tour Burner.
5. Again with the comparison to the old/current driver but in regards to accuracy - I would also say that I am more accurate with the CG than with my previous driver, and part of that is because I don't feel like I really have to get after the ball with the CG like I did previously. I can just swing within myself and get great results most of the time.

 
chewie69 said:
1. After using the driver now for a more extended period of time do you feel like the club is too long at 46"? - I actually do not even notice the 46" length. The only time I notice it is when I pick up a different driver, how short they all feel now.
2. How is the stock grip holding up and would you keep it or replace it given the opportunity? - My stock grip still looks pretty brand new and feels the same. The test will be when we get to some heat in the summer.
3. Have you noticed your impact groupings on the club face getting tighter or more dispersed? - My impact groupings have definitely gotten tighter throughout this testing.
4. I would say everyone should be comfortable with the driver by now so compared to your old/current driver and how much distance gain/loss are you seeing? - I can comfrotably say that I have gained 10-20 yds over my old Tour Burner.
5. Again with the comparison to the old/current driver but in regards to accuracy - I would also say that I am more accurate with the CG than with my previous driver, and part of that is because I don't feel like I really have to get after the ball with the CG like I did previously. I can just swing within myself and get great results most of the time.
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Better dispersion, big distance gain, whats not to like lol. I really cant wait for the new golf season to start so I can put in work with this driver. It just doesnt seem right sitting in my bag in my room all winter long.
 
coolbreeze said:
Oh gawd ya, black head, white shaft, black grip = awesome.
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That would be a pretty awesome looking combination as long as the performance was not jeaprodized. If someone wants to install one in mine when the testing is over I will be happy to test it out for a couple months.
 
Just finished checking in on the updates, I love that everyone is reporting some modest distance gain and some pretty nice distance gains but I really get excited to see that every one believes the Cleveland Black has improved their accuracy. That is the one improvement I am looking forward to the most. I like the idea of a black head, white shaft with a black grip, that would look pretty BA for sure.
Thanks to all of the testers for your dedication, time and hard work.
 
DawgDaddy said:
Just finished checking in on the updates, I love that everyone is reporting some modest distance gain and some pretty nice distance gains but I really get excited to see that every one believes the Cleveland Black has improved their accuracy. That is the one improvement I am looking forward to the most. I like the idea of a black head, white shaft with a black grip, that would look pretty BA for sure.
Thanks to all of the testers for your dedication, time and hard work.
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I think you'll like it a lot DD. This is the first driver where I haven't felt like I have to kill myself to get distance and that has done wonders for my swing and staying more consistent.
 
Sorry concept, I missed these questions earlier.

Few questions for the other testers

1. After using the driver now for a more extended period of time do you feel like the club is too long at 46"?

No, never was issue for me as I tend to choke down on my driver.

2. How is the stock grip holding up and would you keep it or replace it given the opportunity?

The grip is great, very little wear. I wash my grips with soap and a nylon brush so they stay pretty grippy.

3. Have you noticed your impact groupings on the club face getting tighter or more dispersed?

My contact has been center to in a little toward the heel. Heel shots are my miss when my old pull swing tendencies come up. I'm not seeing the wide contact area like I did on my prior driver.

4. I would say everyone should be comfortable with the driver by now so compared to your old/current driver and how much distance gain/loss are you seeing?

At first I experienced some great gains but then I went through a spell where I lost a bit of that distance gain. I'm slowly starting to get some of it back as I tinker with moving the ball around to lower the flight.

5. Again with the comparison to the old/current driver but in regards to accuracy.

Miles better. This is supported by my scores dropping as a direct result of hitting more fairways and less penalty strokes off the tee. The Black is far more forgiving which means mishits aren't punished nearly as severely. The lightweight actually has aided me in controlling the club head better, which fosters accuracy.
 
Just received a call that my new Cleveland Black has arrived, I am heading to the pro shop in a few to pick it up and play the initial round with my new driver.:blob:

Thanks everyone for your great reviews on this driver, you led me to try it out and I was so impressed with the performance I had to pull the trigger.
 
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