Cleveland Launcher Hybrid
Call me a traditionalist but after reviewing a batch of the newer, geometric, square-ish golf clubs, I was glad to finally get to test a traditional, classic-shaped clubface, and as a bonus the club is from Cleveland, whose golf products have always been a personal favourite.
Removing the headcover, I noticed the clubface of the Cleveland Launcher Hybrid was quite large, and reading the catalogue confirmed that the face is 12% bigger than any previous Cleveland model, although some clever design and cosmetics help mask the size. This provides a huge hitting area and enlarged sweetspot for amazing forgiveness. Weight on the clubhead is positioned low and deep via an integrated perimeter horseshoe-shaped system. This design also produces a Moment Of Inertia (MOI) of over 3000 for a more twist-resisting clubhead and a more consistent ball flight from a variety of lies.
The parabolic leading edge of the face is designed to reduce unwanted digging at impact, to allow you to aggressively attack the ball without fear of a fat shot or a deep divot.
Available in 15.5°, 18°, 20.5°, 23° to 26° lofts, the stock shafts are by Fujikura, another personal favorite. The two standard shaft options are the Fit-On M Gold with (predictably) gold trimmings. The other shaft is the Fit-On M Red finished in red trim. From my later testing, I surmised that the gold shafts have a higher trajectory while the red shafts produce a lower, more predictable ballflight.
The design of the clubhead with a thin chrome top line and a long, well balanced face helps during setup. I hit a few balls and loved the sound and feel at impact. They were crisp with a lovely zing off the face. This club is a dream to hit. Pristine lies, tight lies, from the tee, the fairway and on the rough, it just did not matter. I was very aware of where the club head was in my swing. It felt very balanced. Most importantly I was hitting it straight as an arrow. It is very workable too.
I always thought Cleveland has been vastly underrated as a golf manufacturer. With this fantastic new Launcher Hybrid at a very competitive price, I feel this is the club that will put Cleveland back among the top picks of players everywhere.
Product details are here: Cleveland Launcher Hybrid
Player's feedback and comments
I have enjoyed Cleveland clubs for a long time. After spending some time the last few years switching to the geometric dark side (i.e. square clubs, etc.) I decided I'd give the new Launcher line a try.
I have to say that I'm sad I ever went away. This club is a dream to hit. Pristine lies, tight lies, it just doesn't matter. This club is extremely easy to hit flush and, as a bonus, is very workable.
As a side note, it doesn't really matter for performance, but the sound is nice, crisp and very pleasing to the ear. It reminds me of clubs from 6-7 years ago.
Be sure to at least demo this club, you won't be disappointed.
ChappyEight
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