The newest driver family from Cleveland Golf, dubbed Launcher XL, comprises three models. There’s the standard edition, which comes with an adjustable hosel so players may fine-tune loft and lie settings; a “Lite” offering for moderate swing-speed golfers, male and female; and a draw version for those who fight a slice.
“The Launcher XL drivers hit the ball long and straight,” said Jeff Brunski, the company’s vice president of research and development. “This is also the most forgiving driver line we’ve ever made. More than anything else, you’re going to see straighter drives more often.”
According to Brunski these sticks live up to the XL in their appellations. Their heads are 6.7 percent longer front-to-back and boast an increase in moment of inertia of 11 percent when compared to the previous generation. And that added MOI, he says, delivers more forgiveness with a higher launch, providing a 27 percent tighter dispersion area in the process.
Another technological advance in the Launcher XL series is the Rebound Frame, which is designed to promote alternating zones of flexibility and rigidity that direct more energy into the golf ball. Theoretically, more energy means more speed, with more speed leading to more distance.
The Launcher XL line also comes with Action Mass CB, an 8-gram weight placed inside the end of the grip to help square up the ball more consistently, for better accuracy and control.