2018 Official Forum Member Review - Cleveland Launcher HB/CBX Irons

[Wedgie]

Awesome Stage 2, and what a score. I'm not surprised these are the real deal for you, the previous Altitudes were highly praised and it seems like the HB are even better. I wish I didn't have a mental block on hybrid clubs, otherwise I'd definitely give these a shot.

 

 

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Thanks! The mental block goes away quickly. It's funny how there is that perception but they perform just like Irons. If I had shown my full bag you would see only 1 hybrid because I can't hit them either. It is a Cobra single length.

 

 

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[russtopherb]

Thanks! The mental block goes away quickly. It's funny how there is that perception but they perform just like Irons. If I had shown my full bag you would see only 1 hybrid because I can't hit them either. It is a Cobra single length.

 

 

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I tried the Altitudes and could never hit them well sadly. That's what makes me a bit shy on the HBs.

 

 

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[ole gray]

I tried the Altitudes and could never hit them well sadly. That's what makes me a bit shy on the HBs.

 

 

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Wedgie actually takes a divot with his.  I don't because I swing shallow and pick the ball however these irons can work either way. 

[Wedgie]

I tried the Altitudes and could never hit them well sadly. That's what makes me a bit shy on the HBs.

 

 

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Oh, gotcha. Still might be worth a try if you're in the market for new clubs.

 

 

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[Wedgie]

Wedgie actually takes a divot with his. I don't because I swing shallow and pick the ball however these irons can work either way.

The firmer the turf the lower the score for me. I actually sucked one back about 8 feet yesterday with the PW.

 

 

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[StrokerAce]

there seems to be a (somewhat?) common misconception about the HB's.... they're not a bunch of hybrids....  I don't play them but have played with @Wedgie a couple of times and that was my thought too...I even asked him that very question - "do these seem like you're hitting a hybrid every time?"

 

If the question is are these just hybrids down to the scoring clubs (9-PW) the answer is no ... not really... I mean the 4iron probably is close to it but these are far from a collection of hybrid irons like you would see in a super-senior-mega-forgiving set.  (no offense to any seniors....I'll be there someday, God willing!)

 

Hard to describe it but if you're feeling like you aren't good with hybrids and use that mindset to exclude these clubs you'd be making a mistake.

 

On the flipside - if you think you need/want a thin to super-thin top edge on a set of irons then obviously these aren't for you...but... from my experience looking at them and seeing wedgie hit them, they're not a set of hybrid irons.... and I did see him put a nice draw on a shot when he needed to. 

[Wedgie]

there seems to be a (somewhat?) common misconception about the HB's.... they're not a bunch of hybrids.... I don't play them but have played with @Wedgie a couple of times and that was my thought too...I even asked him that very question - "do these seem like you're hitting a hybrid every time?"

 

If the question is are these just hybrids down to the scoring clubs (9-PW) the answer is no ... not really... I mean the 4iron probably is close to it but these are far from a collection of hybrid irons like you would see in a super-senior-mega-forgiving set. (no offense to any seniors....I'll be there someday, God willing!)

 

Hard to describe it but if you're feeling like you aren't good with hybrids and use that mindset to exclude these clubs you'd be making a mistake.

 

On the flipside - if you think you need/want a thin to super-thin top edge on a set of irons then obviously these aren't for you...but... from my experience looking at them and seeing wedgie hit them, they're not a set of hybrid irons.... and I did see him put a nice draw on a shot when he needed to.

Thanks StrokerAce! That was the one and only draw I hit but I did call my shot before hitting it. But you are exactly right and I tried to be clear, they perform just as Irons do because that is what they are.

 

I'd honestly rather show up to the course with a kick ass looking set of blades but you've seen my swing, it would be a disaster. Next time we play you need to teach me that flop shot of yours.

 

 

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[MattF]

Very nice review Wedgie, you now have me doubting a choice that I made. Love the mic drop at the end!

[Wedgie]

Very nice review Wedgie, you now have me doubting a choice that I made. Love the mic drop at the end!

Thanks Matt! No need to doubt your decision but I certainly know how you feel after using these Irons.

 

 

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[Rickp]

Stage 2 Review – Cleveland Launcher HB Irons

After my stage 1 review I know many of you have been on the edge of your seat wondering if Wedgie found love. Well I want you all to know I am single again.

 

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That's right, single digit handicap. This is the lowest it has ever been and it's the clubs, not me. I have not been below a 12 since 2014. I counted them up and I have played 9 different sets of irons during this time and nothing has come close to the performance these have provided. The Launcher HB irons are the real deal and I hope to describe why in my review.

 

For testing I really changed nothing from my normal golf routine. I was able to squeeze in 15 rounds and after the 15 I hit the driving range once. I said I don't practice and during this testing that held true. This baseline gave me the fairest way to compare my previous iron experience to the Launchers.

 

Looks

 

If you sit there and stare at the Launchers they are big. If you sit there and stare at golf clubs you are weird. The MGS staff says over and over looks do not impact performance so I'm frankly not quite sure why looks are part of the testing process. Oh, I know, we would rather look like we are good golfers rather than actually being good golfers. With that being said Cleveland did a fantastic job making these look great. I love the color scheme and the black on grey with white lettering works very well together. Nothing too flashy: just a clean classy look. Did the look of these irons prompt any comments? Nope! The performance prompted several comments however. At the end of the day when I address the ball I use the white alignment line on the bottom groove to align my shot then I look at the ball. I have always done this so to me the look of a club never has been a factor. I played with a fellow MGS member (not ole gray) and after he hit one shot with the Launchers his only comment after he flushed it was, “I could get used to that”.

 

The durability has been fantastic. I don't use iron covers and bag chatter has been minimal and the black portion, which was my biggest concern, has held up beautifully. For comparison these have held up much better than my Cobra single length irons and are right in line with the Mizuno Hot Metals I played most of last year in regards to durability. After each shot I wipe down my club with a dry towel and the Launchers tend to hold on to dirt and grass more than other clubs mainly due to some nooks and crannies on the sole. This never impacted performance but cleaning does require soapy water and some sort of brush to get all the dirt out. I found a long, soft bristle brush works best for quick cleaning.

 

Looks – 8 out of 10

 

IMG_0800.JPG IMG_0801.JPG

 

Sound and Feel

 

When I went to hit the Launchers for the first time I really expected a hollow tinny sound like you get when hitting a cheap driver. What I got was a solid cha ching sound. That is right…money! They really do sound great. They are an iron and produce a sound like an iron, not a hybrid. Cleveland claims their “internal ribs improve sound” but without knowing what they improved over it is hard to compare. I will say these will not be a distraction in the sound department and nearly every strike of the ball produces a pleasing thwack sound.

 

The feel of these clubs is satisfying as well. I expected everything to feel like a hybrid and that could not be further from the truth. They feel just like an iron to me and that is a good thing. Despite the large head and forgiveness you can still tell where you catch it on the face whether it is high, low, heel or toe you know it. If I really want to knit pick the feel off the PW lacks a little. I am guessing that has more to do with the loft and ball I use more than anything but it still preforms and will not leave my bag.

 

Sound and Feel – 9 out of 10

 

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Range Performance

 

I waited until the end of my testing to do my range time for reasons stated earlier. For the range time I took my Mizuno Hot Metal irons for comparison purposes. I would hit the Hot Metal PW then move to the Launcher PW and proceeded to do this throughout the bag. The results were interesting but expected. In terms of hitting balls right at the flag I found the Mizunos to be more accurate from the PW-8, 3 clubs. The Launchers were more accurate from the 7-4 irons. But here's the thing, the Launchers were always close to the target while the Mizunos often went long or short. If I translated this to the course 8 out of 10 times I'm putting with the Launchers and maybe 6 out of 10 times I'm putting with the Mizunos.

Distance wise the Launchers are clearly a half club longer than any iron I have ever played. When I need a little more out of them I can get it. No hot spots on the face and that means no unexpected shots going 20 yards longer than expected. Trajectory is high but by lowering my attack angle I did see lower flights. If I could work the ball I'd report back on that but I don't. I want to hit it straight and that is what these clubs want to do. When I played with a fellow MGS'er I found myself behind a tree off the tee. I told him this was HB Launcher workability test number 1 and I was able to pull off a slight draw of maybe 4-8 feet that landed right where I wanted it. I guess if you generally can shape the ball you can with these.

The forgiveness of these clubs is where they shine. Catch it in the middle of the face it does what you expect. Catch it anywhere else it doesn't do what you expect. I was constantly shocked knowing I caught if off the toe and seeing it hold its line in the air and hardly lose any distance. My miss is right and it still is, just not as far right. I used to miss short a lot and I still do, just not as short. That is why my index decreased 3 strokes during testing. These clubs have stability about them that I have never experienced. Ever hit a ball on the toe and feel the club twist? That doesn't happen with these which make you feel in total control of the head.

 

Range Performance – 20 out of 20

 

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On-Course Performance

Let me begin with this. I have logged 174 rounds on the Grint app in 6 season of golf. In the 159 rounds prior to the Launcher HB irons I broke 80 eight times or 5% of the time. All of these were done on a 5,700 yard par 70 course. In my first 10 rounds with the Launchers I broke 80 five times or 50% of the time. Second time out I shot 77 on a 6,100 yard par 71 course and my fourth time out I shot a 76 on a 6,500 yard par 72 course.

 

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Did I wake up and become Tiger Woods? Nope, I woke up playing the Launcher HB irons. For the first time in my life I can hit every iron in my bag consistently because of the forgiveness. I go over trees instead of under them. On tight par 4's I can use a long iron off the tee to minimize risk. I can actually manage a golf course better because of the irons. These have never been options for me in the past.

 

I cannot say enough good things about these clubs. When I need a shot to go a certain distance these deliver. They don't always go straight and that is on me, but they go the distance I expect. My GIR is up 2.8 per round but when I miss I am damn close and often putting from the fringe rather than chipping from the rough or bunker. These clubs hold greens like no other iron I have played. The single length Cobra short irons got the ball up high but they still rolled out. The Launchers fly lower and hit and stop allowing me to go after pins more often. I thinned one from about 150 yards that hit the front of the green, checked up and stopped on the back of the green. Normally I would expect to be 20 yards over the green. Did I mention I game the Top Flite D2+ Feel golf ball? Yep, if they will stop imagine what a good ball would do.

 

As stated they are a half club longer than any club I have played but gapping is off the charts good and this is what has made them game changers for me. As an example my 160 club has always been a 5 iron but I would only hit it 160 about 40% of the time. Depending on conditions I may still hit a 5 iron but I know it is going 160 yards 90% of the time. This carries throughout the entire iron set and is why my scoring average has gone from 86.3 to 82.1 during this testing. Hitting these is effortless and the pain in my elbows I have dealt with over the last 9 months has disappeared. Who knew there were health benefits to playing these clubs?

 

When I played with ole gray I told him I was struggling to find anything negative to say and that is still the case today. I thought hitting from the rough would be an issue going into this because of the wide sole. Not the case, hitting from the rough has never been easier for me. When I dropped the 77 with these I played with a buddy who was in the rough. He hit his Ping SGI iron low and hot about 6o yards into the rough on the other side of the fairway. He said ouch and that he could feel the club twist in the grass. For testing purposes I asked him to hit my Launcher 6 from the same lie. He flushed it pin high about 20 feet right of the flag. I should probably mention he said, “Damn that is big” prior to hitting the shot. I laughed and told him to keep on sucking. My fairways hit have gone down during testing but my greens hit are up which should tell you how well these perform from the rough.

 

On-Course Performance – 40 out of 40

 

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Play it or Trade it

 

Both, I am playing the Launcher HB irons and trading in all my other golf clubs. I have played the best golf of my life with these and the scary thing is I think I could get a better fit at a good fitter. In fact the next time I am in SoCal I am going to see if I can be fit at Cleveland Golf so I have a back-up set just to be safe.

We all struggle in some area with our golf game. If you struggle with iron play you need to give these a serious look. I just don't buy it when someone says I can't look down at that club. Give me one good reason why because I would love to hear it? These are made to make golf easier which for me makes it more enjoyable. If you want to try to look and dress like the pros drop those 60 pounds and go for it. If you want to hit clubs because a pro does by all means do. If you want to play better golf go try the Launcher HB irons. To paraphrase the immortal words of jlukes, if you are concerned about how the clubs you play look you have issues with insecurity.

 

Play it or Trade it – 20 out of 20

 

Final Score – 97 out of 100

 

Conclusion

 

The Cleveland Launcher HB irons are hands down the best irons for a golfer of my caliber than any irons I have ever played. By changing nothing else I have gone from being in the top 57% of golfers that keep a handicap to the top 30%. Will you have the same results? I don't know but if you want to score better I am very confident that at least 70% of you out there would benefit by playing these clubs. The sad thing is I'll bet only 10% of you have the balls to try them.

Very nice Stage 2! Once again I'm surprised how these clubs keep popping up with positive results, gotta be something to them.

Great job.

BTW, there is a lot of “glamour” tests but a lot of us are following you guys also

 

 

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[GB13]

Great review Wedgie!

I am glad the HB irons have contributed to getting you to single digits. This is food for thought....

[Nunfa0]

Great stage two Wedgie, so that's two from two for the HB irons. Hmm definitely think more people should be looking at these.

[Wedgie]

Great stage two Wedgie, so that's two from two for the HB irons. Hmm definitely think more people should be looking at these.

Thanks Nunfa! I agree, more people should give these a swing.

 

 

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[STUDque]

My stage 2 is up.

Wow wee wow wow WOW

 

Great Stage 2 Wedgie. I went in expecting "50 Shades Darker" but got "Golf My Way." Excellent job evaluating the clubs and an even better job of challenging the readers.

 

 

How low can you go?

[Wedgie]

Wow wee wow wow WOW

 

Great Stage 2 Wedgie. I went in expecting "50 Shades Darker" but got "Golf My Way." Excellent job evaluating the clubs and an even better job of challenging the readers.

 

 

How low can you go?

Thanks Stud! I had some really good 50 Shades Darker material but didn't want to take away from the actual product. Also my wife busted me taking pictures of blue balls and the launchers set up as a stick person in our bed. When that happened I changed direction.

 

 

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[ole gray]

Thanks Stud! I had some really good 50 Shades Darker material but didn't want to take away from the actual product. Also my wife busted me taking pictures of blue balls and the launchers set up as a stick person in our bed. When that happened I changed direction.

 

 

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LMAO!!! 

[Wedgie]

LMAO!!!

It's not funny! Try explaining your way out of that s***. I even bought a pack of cigs and I don't smoke. But man the intro I had was so good. But again, I didn't want to distract from the performance of the clubs.

 

 

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[ole gray]

It's not funny! Try explaining your way out of that s***. I even bought a pack of cigs and I don't smoke. But man the intro I had was so good. But again, I didn't want to distract from the performance of the clubs.

 

 

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You ain't right partner!  LOL 

[tommc23]

This should be a good one to read

 

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Well I was right so far. Both of ya'll did great stage 2s. I look forward to the other two boys posting theirs when they get the chance.

 

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[ole gray]

I shot 40 + 39 = 79 today with three doubles today so yea, I'm liking my HBs more everytime out. 

[Wedgie]

I shot 40 + 39 = 79 today with three doubles today so yea, I'm liking my HBs more everytime out.

Now that's what I'm talking about. Great round ole gray!

 

 

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[StrokerAce]

I shot 40 + 39 = 79 today with three doubles today so yea, I'm liking my HBs more everytime out. 

 

B

O

O

M 

goes the dynamite !!!

 

Sweet round buddy!  

 

There should be a thread reserved only for MGS irons testers that tracks their improvement from old set to new set.  It'd be cool to see which irons gave the most improvement - no matter what they are - GI/SGI/Players...  sounds like you and @Wedgie would have a good lead on the pack!

[ole gray]

Now that's what I'm talking about. Great round ole gray!

 

 

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B

O

O

M 

goes the dynamite !!!

 

Sweet round buddy!  

 

There should be a thread reserved only for MGS irons testers that tracks their improvement from old set to new set.  It'd be cool to see which irons gave the most improvement - no matter what they are - GI/SGI/Players...  sounds like you and @Wedgie would have a good lead on the pack!

 

 

Since I began testing these (HB Launcher Irons)  here are my scores posted:

 

90

89

94

84

85

83

85

84

85

83

85

84

82

79

 

I see a downward trend going on here 

[Wedgie]

Here are my scores with the Launcher HB irons:

92

77

87 Back end of 36 that day

76

88

79

78

81

77

80 with ole gray

92 first round at new country club

82

97 back end of 36 that day

84

84

86

86

85

83

 

May seem like I am trending the wrong way but based on handicap differential the country club rounds have been better than my rounds in the 70's

[ole gray]

Here are my scores with the Launcher HB irons:

92

77

87 Back end of 36 that day

76

88

79

78

81

77

80 with ole gray

92 first round at new country club

82

97 back end of 36 that day

84

84

86

86

85

83

 

May seem like I am trending the wrong way but based on handicap differential the country club rounds have been better than my rounds in the 70's

 

Dayuuuuuummmmm  good shooting my HB Brother!

[Wedgie]

Dayuuuuuummmmm good shooting my HB Brother!

Thanks....you too! Tweaking the top end of my bag after work to address a hole that is giving me issues. Hopefully back in the 70s soon like you.

 

 

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[Nunfa0]

Wow you two are shooting the lights out!!

Can't wait to see what the other two are doing....😁😎

[Wedgie]

Wow you two are shooting the lights out!!

Can't wait to see what the other two are doing....

I'm thinking it is the calm before the storm. When they both post it will lead to Cleveland irons being a staple on tour and other iron manufacturers throwing in the towel in defeat.

 

 

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[HeathS16]

Well not to spoil anything but the trend is also crossing over into my experience with the CBX irons. Posts coming soon sorry for the delay guys! 

[Wedgie]

Well not to spoil anything but the trend is also crossing over into my experience with the CBX irons. Posts coming soon sorry for the delay guys!

It is great to hear the CBX irons are working for you. The cobra thread may have a run for their money in regards to cumulative handicap reduction.

 

 

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