CLEVELAND LAUNCHER XL IRONS / STEEL SHAFTS

When it came time to design the new Launcher XL Irons, Cleveland utilized artificial intelligence and machine learning to create, test and improve face designs.  After thousands of iterations, Cleveland’s automated intelligent design software produced Main Frame.  This unique design consists of milling a variable thickness pattern (made up of grooves, channels and cavities) into the back of the iron’s face.  After two years of refinement, Cleveland settled on a final face design that offers greatly improved COR by maximizing flex at impact.  Those years of hard work paid significant dividends, as evidenced by the Launcher XL’s explosive ball speed and distance on every shot, even when you miss the sweet spot.

In terms of golf, MOI refers to an object’s resistance to rotation, which is important, because when a club head strikes the ball off-centre, it naturally wants to rotate.  Rotation means the club is no longer facing its target, and errant shots will inevitably follow.  In order to help combat misses and increase forgiveness, Cleveland added size to the Launcher XL.  The bigger club head allowed engineers to relocate mass as far from the iron’s centre as possible. The result is a dramatic increase in stability, and in fact, the Launcher XL boasts 15% more MOI than Cleveland’s last generation game-improvement iron.

The final piece of technology powering the Launcher XL isn’t found in the club head, but rather the shaft.  Cleveland inserts an 8g weight at the end of the shaft, creating what is known as a “counter balanced” effect, the benefits of which are dynamic.  As you take the club away from address, Action Mass CB weight makes it feel lighter and more controlled.  Added control leads to added stability and a more consistent, repeatable golf swing.  At the beginning of the down swing, Action Mass brings your hands straight down, consequently helping keep your arms close to your body.  This creates a better plane that avoids the dreaded casting motion commonly referred to as an “over the top” swing, ultimately resulting in a squarer club face and straighter shots.

Cleveland selected True Temper’s Elevate 95 as the stock steel shaft offering and Project X’s Catalyst as the stock graphite option.  The Elevate 95 is a lightweight, high launching, high spinning shaft that is designed to combat the “low spin” industry trend by increasing initial launch/spin to maximize carry distance and create optimal landing angles to hold more greens.  The Project X Catalyst features new Iso-6 material technology, which is engineered to replicate steel alloy properties over 100% better than traditional graphite, allowing for an extremely stable shaft that maximizes consistency and distance control while providing all the benefits of a lightweight graphite body.  Additionally, the Catalyst’s reinforced tip section delivers improved stability during turf interaction for better impact on less than perfect shots. 

CLEVELAND LAUNCHER XL IRONS FEATURE: 

• Hollow long irons for added distance and forgiveness. Precise cavity back short irons for increased control and precision
• Larger head and extreme perimeter weighting create the most MOI (3,081g) and forgiveness ever in a Cleveland game improvement iron
  
• A.I. designed Main Frame variable thickness pattern milled into the back of the face maximizes COR for more ball speed and distance than past generations
  
• 8g weight at the end of the grip delivers better balance, control, consistency and a square face at impact with less slice
• V-Shaped sole glides through the turf with less drag to help maintain speed and power, even on heavy strikes, with no sacrifice to playability or shot shaping
• 4i-7i have wider, flatter grooves for the optimal balance of spin and distance. 8i-DW have thinner, deeper, higher-spinning grooves with Laser Milling
• (Cleveland Golf Wedge Technology) for complete control and more stopping power
• Stock Steel Shaft: True Temper Elevate 95
• Stock Grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360
• Authorized Cleveland Retailer