Today, we’re going to be reviewing the Cleveland Launcher HB irons and I’ll be sharing my honest thoughts after testing out these clubs. These irons seemed so weird-looking that I had to try them out as soon as possible. I’ve always liked hybrid clubs, so how did these compare?
Long story short, if you like hitting hybrid clubs you’ll probably love these irons. Most mid to high handicaps struggle with their long irons (that was me for a while) and hybrid clubs are a great fix. They give a lot more forgiveness and were a lot easier to hit (in my opinion). I noticed they went a lot higher too and that’s obviously going to help with distance.
I wouldn’t say you’d want these clubs if you’re a low handicap, but for the average mid to high handicap, the Launcher HB irons (Amazon link or Global Golf link) really help. Overall, I really liked them. If you want to know some of my favorite irons, you can check that out below.
Cleveland Launcher HB First Impressions
The HB irons are a hybrid-like iron that is designed to improve forgiveness, have a higher ball flight, and keep your shots straighter. That’s pretty much what every golfer on the planet wants, right?
I’ve used hybrid clubs for a while now and really like them, but I’d imagine if you’ve never swung one, these clubs would look really weird.
From the front, they look like a normal iron, but from the top, it’s really noticeable. It didn’t take me long to adjust to them, and I think it wouldn’t take too long for most.
What I actually noticed at first was that they didn’t actually sound and feel like your normal hybrids. They had a deep sound and solid feel through impact, just like your regular cavity back irons would have. Overall, they felt really solid, sounded great, and felt balanced.
How Did The Irons Perform
Since I’ve been using hybrids for a while and really like them, it wasn’t very hard switching to these irons. What I noticed right away was that my ball speed increased, they launched a lot higher than my low irons, and they had more spin.
The miss for my irons has always been a slight pull left, but after switching to these, I rarely ever went left. Any miss I had with these was slightly right, which I liked a lot more.
Overall, the performance was great for me and I’d give them a thumbs up. Here’s a demo video:
Who Are They Best For/Not For
I’d say the HB irons are best for your mid to high handicap with slower swing speeds that also struggle hitting their long irons. I’ve fixed my issues with my long irons and can hit them pretty well now, but before, these hybrid-like irons really helped me out.
If you’re a low handicap you probably won’t benefit much from these clubs (that’s just my opinion anyway).
Pros
- They perform great if you’re used to hybrid clubs.
- They had great forgiveness on off-center hits.
- They gave me a higher and straighter ball flight.
Cons
- They’re pretty expensive clubs.
- They could be a bit tricky getting used to if you’ve never hit hybrids.
- A bit harder to work the ball around (draw/fade).
The Breakdown
- Performance score: 10
- Price score: 6
- Comfort & feel score: 10
- Personal score: 8.5
My Final Thoughts
Overall, I really liked these clubs and would recommend them to anyone who struggles to hit their long irons. They’re pretty expensive (otherwise, they’d get a higher score) but the benefits are worth it in my opinion.
The distance was great, the forgiveness was there, and they launched way up in the air which was a great thing to see. If you’d like to get these irons, you can check the current price on Amazon or on Global Golf.
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