Cleveland Golf unveil forgiving and fun XL and XL Halo irons

The new Cleveland Launcher XL and XL Halo irons.

Cleveland Golf’s new Launcher XL and Halo game-improvement irons are designed for a reliable flight, consistent control and to make the game more fun.

Completing Cleveland’s new 2022 family, the Launcher XL and Launcher XL Halo irons feature the brand’s highest MOI ever, targeting golfers who want forgiveness and accuracy.

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The Launcher XL irons feature hollow-body long irons for distance and forgiveness, while cavity back short irons focus on precision when attacking the pin. The Launcher XL Halo irons are a hybrid-iron design, aimed at helping you develop a better and more consistent strike while making the game more fun.

Let’s take a closer look at each model.

Cleveland Launcher XL Irons

RRP £499 (Steel), £599 (Graphite) | On sale March 25
Availability 4-iron-SW | Women’s? Yes | Left hand? Yes (4-iron-DW) | 7-iron loft 30º | Stock shafts True Temper Elevate 95 (98g R, S); Project X Cypher Irons (59g A, 61g R, 62g S); Project X Cypher Irons Ladies (47.5g, L) | Stock Grips Men’s Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 (52g, 58 round); Women’s Winn Dri Tacc Ladies (35g, 59 round)

Each club in the Launcher XL family delivers the highest MOI numbers in the brand’s history. In the case of the Launcher XL irons that number is 3,081g-cm² (in the 7-iron) – a 15% increase over the previous generation. Put simply it means the XL heads provide more forgiveness and help more shots find their desired target – ideal for the game-improvement market.

The new irons feature Cleveland’s MainFrame club face, which uses Artificial Intelligence to find the optimal shape and weighting for each club face. The variable thickness pattern behind each iron face maximises COR and ball speed for more distance on every strike.

To help balance things, Cleveland have placed an eight-gram weight inside the end of every grip for more control without added effort.

A V-shaped sole is designed to help all players maintain speed and power through the turf with the elevated leading edge producing far less drag than a typical flat sole on heavy strikes.

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The Launcher XL irons feature loft specific grooves. The 4-iron to 7-iron have wider, flatter grooves, while the 8-iron to Dual Wedge (Cleveland’s version of a Gap wedge) have closely-spaced, deeper, and higher spinning wedge grooves. The higher lofts also feature laser-milled grooves for enhanced friction.

If you’re a player seeking more precision and control then Cleveland will offer a half-inch shorter version of the irons, removing the counterbalancing in the grip via custom-fitting.

“The new Cleveland Launcher XL Irons provide a new XL head design with a large high MOI and confidence inspiring shape that results in more greens in regulation,” Joe Miller, European Product Manager at Cleveland Golf, said.

“MainFrame technology faces are optimized with AI to guarantee shots all over the face maintain distance and precision, while Action Mass CB, with a counterbalance weight in the grip end, helps players get on the correct swing plane while increasing head speed for distance.

“All in all, Cleveland Launcher XL Irons deliver a pin seeking iron for shooting your lowest scores.” 

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Cleveland Launcher XL Halo Irons

RRP £499 (Steel), £599 (Graphite) | On sale March 25
Availability 4-iron-SW | Women’s? Yes | Left hand? Yes (4-iron-DW) | 7-iron loft 30º | Stock shafts True Temper Elevate XP 90 (103g R, 104g S); Project X Catalyst 50 (57g A); Project X Catalyst 60 (62g R, 67.5g S); Project X Cypher Irons Ladies (47.5g, L) | Stock Grips Men’s Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 (52g, 58 round); Women’s Winn Dri Tacc Ladies (35g, 59 round)

“From head to grip, Launcher XL HALO Irons just make golf easier and more fun,” Joe Miller told us.

“Most of us don’t have much confidence standing 170 yards out with a long iron in hand, and needing to carry a bunker to make the green. But with Launcher XL HALO, you’ll swing easier, feel confident, and be shocked at how forgiving they are. These irons will become your go-to clubs.”

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At a time when more people are taking up and returning to golf, there’s no doubt the XL Halo irons will prove hugely successful.

The XL Head design delivers the highest MOI ever in a Cleveland hybrid-iron – 17% higher than the previous generation – improving forgiveness and producing a high launch.

As with the the XL irons, Cleveland Golf used artifical intelligence to develop the optimal face for the Halo irons. The MainFrame face has a variable thickness pattern, which maximises COR and ball speed to help generate more distance than previous generations.

Three gliderails on the long irons are designed to deliver excellent turf interaction, while the mid-to-short irons feature the same V-Shaped Sole, which cuts through the turf to aid a better contact, even on heavy shots.

The loft specific grooves found in the XL irons continue into the Halo model, while the HiBore Crown Step found in the hybrids is also found here to drop the centre of gravity and increasing the launch. 

The entire XL range features an eight-gram weight in the grip to help counter balance the club and square it up at impact. As with the rest of the family, Cleveland offer a custom-fitting configuration that removes the the weight and shortens the clubs by half-an-inch.

READ NEXT: Cleveland’s XL drivers, fairway and hybrids

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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.