Cleveland reveal Launcher XL family, including their most-forgiving driver

Cleveland Golf reveal Launcher XL family, including most-forgiving driver and an all-new ‘Hy-Wood’ that brings fairway performance in a hybrid’s body.

Cleveland’s new uber-forgiving Launcher XL driver more than lives up to its name. The three models –  XL, Lite and Lite Draw – are 6.7% longer front to back and feature an 11% increase in MOI compared to the previous generation Launcher.

The head design features an MOI of 5,200g-cm² – the most ever in a Cleveland driver – which combines with low-and-deep weighting.

RELATED: Tested – Best Drivers

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But what does that mean for you, the user? Cleveland say the added MOI delivers more forgiveness with a higher launch and provides a 27% tighter dispersion area when compared against the previous generation of Launcher driver.

A new ‘Rebound Frame’ creates alternating areas of flexibility and rigidity with the aim of directing more energy into the golf ball across the face for longer drives. There’s also an eight gram weight inside the end of the grip, designed to to create better balance for more control.

The new Cleveland Launcher XL driver is significantly bigger than it's predecessor.

“The Launcher XL drivers hit the ball long and straight – plain and simple,” Joe Miller, European Product Manager at Cleveland Golf, said. “This is the most forgiving driver line we’ve ever made. More than anything, you’re going to see straighter drives more often.

RELATED: Most Forgiving Drivers

The new Cleveland Golf Launcher XL drivers have a 'rebound frame' for more speed and energy transfer.

“We’re introducing a standard model with adjustable loft and lie settings, a lite model that’s longer and faster, and a draw model that corrects for a slice. There’s something for all game improvement players with Launcher XL.”

How do the three drivers differ?

The new Cleveland Launcher XL driver.

Cleveland XL Driver

RRP £379 | Available February 18
Lofts 9°, 10.5°, 12° | Adjustable hosel Yes (0.5º increments, 12 settings) | Women’s? No | Left hand? Yes (Custom-fit only in 9º and 12º) | Stock shaft Project X Cypher 50 | Stock Grip Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 (52g, 58 round)

An adjustable hosel allows golfers to optimise their launch angle, distance, and shot shape with up to 12 different loft positions.

cleveland-launcher-xl-woods-9.jpg

Cleveland XL Lite Driver

RRP £309 | Available February 18
Lofts 10.5°, 12° | Adjustable hosel No | Women’s? Yes (12º) | Left hand? Yes (Custom-fit only in 10.5º and women’s) | Stock shaft Men’s Project X Cypher 40 (48g A, 48g R, 50g S); Women’s Project X Cypher 40 (L) | Stock Grip Men’s Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 52g, 58 round; Women’s Winn Dri Tac Ladies (35g, 59 round)

The XL Lite model is for those players looking to add speed to their swing. The Lite features the same XL head design and Rebound Frame structure and combines it with a new ‘Lite-Weight’ design.

It helps moderate swing speed players increase their speed by saving 12g of weight compared to the standard Launcher XL Driver, while maintaining maximum forgiveness.

The new Cleveland Launcher XL Lite Draw driver.

Cleveland XL Lite Draw Driver

RRP £309Available February 18
Loft 
10.5° | Adjustable No | Women’s? No | Left hand? Yes | Stock shaft Project X Cypher 40 (48g A, 48g R, 50g S) | Stock Grip Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 (52g, 58 round)

Packed with the same tech as the XL and XL Lite, the XL Lite Draw targets those players who are fighting a slice by helping to take the right-hand side of the course out of play.

RELATED: Tested – TaylorMade Stealth vs Callaway Rogue ST drivers

The Cleveland Launcher XL fairway wood.

Cleveland Launcher XL Halo Fairway Wood

RRP £219 | Available February 18
Lofts 15º, 18º, 21º
 | Adjustable No | Women’s? Yes | Left hand? Yes (15º, 18º. Custom-fit only in women’s) | Stock shaft Men’s Project X Cypher 55 (54g A, 54g R, 60g S); Women’s Project X Cypher 40 (50.5g L) | Stock Grip Men’s Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 (52g, 58 round); Women’s Winn Dri Tacc Ladies (35g, 59 round)

Like the driver, the new Launcher XL Halo fairways have a larger overall framework with extreme perimeter weighting and increased MOI for added forgiveness on every swing.

The 3-wood’s 3,338g-cm² MOI is the most ever produced by a Cleveland Golf fairway wood. The new generation uses Gliderail technology, twin rails along the sole of the club, to helps deliver a square face at impact, while the new Rebound Frame club structure (also found in the driver) uses flex zones in the face and body, which work in sequence to help deliver more energy into the golf ball at impact.

The new Cleveland Golf Launcher XL woods have a 'rebound frame' for more speed and energy transfer.

There’s a stepped crown design, which brings the height of the crown down, dropping the centre of gravity and raising the launch in the process. You’ll also find the ‘Action Mass CB’ introduced in the driver, with an eight-gram weight in the end of the grip providing counter-balancing.

Cleveland’s custom-fitting will also offer the Launcher XL fairways in a half-inch shorter version without the counter-balancing for players seeking the freedom to shape their shots.

The new Cleveland Launcher XL fairway wood.

“The new Launcher XL HALO Fairway Woods are the most forgiving and confidence inspiring fairway woods Cleveland Golf has ever made,” said Joe Miller. “With an extreme high MOI design, Gliderail technology and Rebound Frame, the Launcher XL Fairway Woods provide distance and consistency never before seen for game improvement players.”

RELATED: How to choose the right fairway wood

Cleveland Launcher XL Halo Hy-Wood and XL Hybrid

The Cleveland Launcher XL Halo Hy-Wood.

Cleveland Launcher XL Halo Hy-Wood

RRP £219 | Available February 18
Lofts 18º
 | Adjustable No | Women’s? No | Left hand? Yes | Stock shaft Project X Cypher 40 (48g A, 48g R, 50g S) | Stock Grip Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 52g, 58 round

The Cleveland Launcher XL Hybrid.

Cleveland Launcher XL Halo Hybrid

RRP £189 | Available February 18
Lofts 18º, 21º, 24º, 27º
 | Adjustable No | Women’s? No | Left hand? Yes | Stock shaft Project X Cypher 40 (48g A, 48g R, 50g S) | Stock Grip Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 52g, 58 round

The XL family sees the introduction of an all-new club – the Halo Hy-Wood. It has been designed to set-up like a hybrid and deliver the speed and distance of a fairway wood.

Cleveland believe the club will inspire confidence and become the go-to club for players seeking distance and control on their second shots into long par 4s and par 5s.

The Cleveland Launcher XL Hybrid.

The new hybrids are Cleveland’s most forgiving ever with an MOI of 2,961 g-cm², while the three rails along the sole to help keep the face straight through impact from any lie.

The Rebound Frame continues into the hybrids, with flex zones in the face and body working in sequence to help increase ball speed and distance. The ‘HiBore Crown Step’ reduces the height of the crown, which helps lower the centre of gravity and increase launch.

The Cleveland Launcher XL Hybrid.

An eight-gram weight in the end of the grip produces a counter-balance effect for more control but, as with the fairways, the Hy-Wood and hybrid will be offered in a half-inch shorter version without the counter-balancing as a custom-fitting option.

READ NEXT: Cleveland’s new XL and XL Halo irons

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rob Jerram is Today's Golfer's Digital Editor.

Rob Jerram is the Digital Editor of todaysgolfer.co.uk
He has been a journalist for more than 20 years, starting his career with Johnston Press where he covered local and regional news and sport in a variety of editorial roles across ten years.
Rob joined Bauer Media in 2010 and worked as the Senior Production Editor of Today’s Golfer and Golf World magazines for ten years before moving into the Digital Editor’s role in July 2020.
He has been playing golf for almost three decades and has been a member at Greetham Valley Golf Club in Rutland for eight years, playing off 12.

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