Cobra DWS v Cleveland HiBore (non XLS) Hybrids

[myreside]

Opinions welcomed

Just looking for people's opinions.

I was all set to buy the Cobra DWS hybrid with a VS proto shaft when I came across an offer for 2 of last year's Cleveland HiBore's for not a lot more cash than the one Cobra. The HiBore's have a Dynamic Gold Superlite steel shaft.

My questions are:

1. Steel shaft vs Graphite shaft. What are your thoughts on the strengths/weaknesses of both?
2. General opinions on the Cobra and the Cleveland clubs.

I am a mid handicapper with fairly solid ball striking, just sometimes wayward control!!

All opinions greatfully received.

Thanks

[nasabogey24]

I have 16* and 19* Hibores and they are pretty damn good. The 16* is an easy replacement for a 3 wood and the 19* is just as good. I have not hit the DWS' but Im sure their good as well. The only complaint I have with the Hibore's is that they feel a little muted at impact. Nevertheless they are still good clubs.

[sofla]

Ditto on the Hibores. Great

[sshadow2]

The Bafflers are excellent IMHO. I have them with steel as I don't like graphite in my irons or iron replacements. For me, the steel (Nippon 950 stiff) are very comfortable. None of the snappiness that you find in woods. 3/R and 4/R replace my 3 and 4 irons respectively. The Bafflers are pretty muted as well. Shots come out better than they typically felt to me. I'm fine with that though. I average about 215 with my 3/R.

 

I originally had the 2007s 3/R steel and 4/R graphite and traded them both for 2008 steel. Face is a bit flatter this year. I hit them like my irons, with a descending swing. They say you can get hybrids that are wood like or iron like, the Bafflers are definitely the latter.

 

I have not tried the Hibores. Their shape doesn't give me confidence.

[755]

I have tried a bunch of hybrids and keep coming back to the DWS..very, very solid.

[tbowles411]

If we're comparing last year's Bafflers, they were too light to the HiBore. This year's Bafflers are nice and heavy in the head and pack quite a punch. Thumbs up on the Bafflers.

[pwrfade]

I like the Hibores - while I can not compare them to the Cobra - I can offer one item that you may or may not find helpful - the stock graphite shafts are pretty solid - and stout - I have a set at my clubfitter now being reshafted with Prolaunch Platinum shafts in regular - the stiff stock Hibore shaft was actually testing out on the flex board closer to a X flex - and was too much for my swing - and I was hitting it a bit low - for reference I have about a 97 mph driver swing and just a bit above 90 with a 3 wood.

[jlgriswald]

These are the two hybrids i have been most interested in aswell. I just pulled the trigger on a 19deg hibore on ebay for cheap in the stock shaft stiff flex. I wish I had read the previous post beforehand, when I hit that club for the first time yesterday the shaft was playing too stiff for my swing. My driver mph is around 103 and i was having trouble closing the hibore.

 

For those who have the baffler dws, do the aldila NVhl (2007) and VShl (2008) stiff shafts play true to flex? I would love to give one of these a try as well as the hibore in a regular. Im also considering the baffler with the nippon steel shaft, as i play the slightly heavier version of these in my irons.

[lotbean21]

I have 16 and 19 degree hibores in steel (DGSL) and recommend them. Good control and distance. Although 19, as you would expect, is easier to hit.

[kwijyboy]

I have the 2007 bafflers and have hit the hibore XLS at demo days. I like the hibore's as the ball seemed to fly off the face. They definitely have a composite sound as opposed to a steel sound.

 

My 18* baffler is easy to pull left and I actually have to grip it weaker than ALL my other clubs. I have a 95mph driver SS and hit the Aldila stiffs. My23* baffler has the same shaft, but is straight as an arrow. Unbelievable actually.

[blade_man]

Ditto on the Hibores. Great

 

 

Ditto on the Ditto! I use the hibore 19 and 23 and love them with the steel shafts (SLS300) great clubs and especially for the price!

[ToysRUs]

These are the two hybrids i have been most interested in aswell. I just pulled the trigger on a 19deg hibore on ebay for cheap in the stock shaft stiff flex. I wish I had read the previous post beforehand, when I hit that club for the first time yesterday the shaft was playing too stiff for my swing. My driver mph is around 103 and i was having trouble closing the hibore.

 

For those who have the baffler dws, do the aldila NVhl (2007) and VShl (2008) stiff shafts play true to flex? I would love to give one of these a try as well as the hibore in a regular. Im also considering the baffler with the nippon steel shaft, as i play the slightly heavier version of these in my irons.

 

Have have a 2, 3 & 4 07' model DWS with stiff NVhl and found a deal on an 08' 5 with a Regular Proto in it. I have to say that I love the Proto shaft in an S (my Driver and 3 wood) and have been happy with my NVhl hybrids. When the 08' models came out I was depressed....

I bought the Regular 5 since I figured the Protos will play stiffer than the NVhl. It seems to be accurate. The ball flight is almost identical (almost, the Proto still feels better to me and has a little more boring trajectory initially) and I am not hooking the regular Proto. So it seems that for me, at least, this combination works ok.

Now, would I change them all to Proto (S) shafts if I could? Hell yes!!!!

Am I going to?? Not at this point, unless I find new pulls from a 2, 3, 4 & 5 all at once then I might change them.

 

One big downside for me is that they are not direct replacements for the same irons. The 5 DWS distance is more like my 4 iron. Same with the others, so I still have a gap btween the 5 DWS and 6 CG Gold. But I can control shortening the 5 DWS easier than the 4 or 3.

Just my thoughts.......

[sshadow2]

Love my DWS '08s so much I bought a 2/R to replace my 5 wood. Same as before: Nippon 950 Stiff steel.

 

I play my irons/hybrids way better than my woods.

[hmx3]

Have´nt hit the DWS, becaus Cobra´s a generally too light and too little Swingweight in their stock offers. Play the hibore 19° as replacement for my 2 i. Very solid and stupid easy to hit. About D5 swingweight and gernerally a "meaty" feel. Even the stockshaft is very solid and plays true to flex. IMO hibore is excellent head/shaft combo for a great price.