About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the review of irons, which I purchased with my own money in May of 2020.

My take

The 2020 Cleveland HB Launcher Irons are truly game improvement irons. They are geared for high handicappers who want a ton of forgiveness and high launch.

About the club I own

• Model: 2020 Cleveland HB Launcher Irons
• Loft setting: Standard
• Shaft type: True Temper Dynamic Gold DST 98
• Shaft flex: Stiff

About me

• Average score: 82
• Handicap: 8
• Experience: 30+ years of playing golf
• Right/Left-Handed: Right-Handed
• Typical ball flight: High baby fade and sometimes a draw
• Golf ball used: Callaway Chrome Soft
• Club swing speed: 110 mph

Test conditions

• When I bought the club: May 2020
• Days tested: About 50+ rounds
• Where I’ve used it: Ala Wai Driving Range, Mililani GC, Oahu, HI
• Weather and wind conditions: I live in Honolulu, HI where temps are normally in the mid 80’s with sunshine and trade winds 15-20mph. I play in/with/against the wind no matter what side of the island I'm playing.

How it performs

What I was looking for

After an extended absence from the game, I was ready to play again, and was looking for clubs that would give me confidence when I stepped up to the ball. I needed clubs that would be forgiving but not lacking distance. I knew that I could still make contact and these irons looked like they would give me the distance and forgiveness I was seeking.

Why I chose this club

I really like the look of them—especially the 4 and 5 iron, which are always a challenge to hit. I tried hybrids and don’t really care for them. The look and feel of the longer irons were attractive to me since I was a strong iron player in the past. Plus they deliver the best of both worlds: a deep cavity back, and flat sole with a hollow design—making them unbelievably forgiving. I tried and researched many game improvement irons but found the oversized clubfaces a bit too clunky. I kept going back to the Launcher HB’s as they had the best feel and were a great value.

What I love about it

• Distance: Their hollow design and lightweight construction make these irons fast and allow me to reach far targets and clear obstacles. Before these irons I would hit a 4 iron 190 yards, and now I am confidently reaching greens from 200 yards out.
• Forgiveness: The Launcher HB irons are as forgiving as they get. The hollow constructions give added forgiveness that traditional irons lack. My mis-hits, whether thin or toe strikes, still resulted in shots relatively on target.
• Aesthetic Appeal: The clubfaces shorten and become more compact moving down the bag. This gives me more control from 160 yards in to the green.
• Grip Feel: The Golf Pride Tour Velvet comes standard and is the number one grip on tour. I play in the tropics so my hands get sweaty and I don’t even wear a glove. I had no problem finding a grip with the stock grips.
• Launch Angle: Historically I have always hit a high baby fade. By the looks and feel I presumed these clubs would bring me a lower trajectory. I was impressed by how high I can launch them, especially the long irons. This is due to the irons’ HiBore Crown inverted shape, which moves the mass of the clubface down—creating unbelievably high shots.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Workability: The only bummer is that I have trouble working the ball with these irons. I hit a very high baby fade and this remained consistent throughout my time playing these irons. I did find trouble hitting a draw or cut shots when needed, although hitting the ball straight wasn't so bad either.
• Grip Feel: Although the Golf Pride Tour Velvet comes standard, there is no option to upgrade grip options and sizes.

Best shot with this club

These clubs are so forgiving that every shot felt epic. Swinging smooth from the fairway, I was able to launch them high and drop the ball soft on the greens. I feel confident every time I step up to the ball. The 4 iron is my favorite club in the bag and my “go to” on the par 3, 17th hole at my local course. The tee shot is 200 yards to the middle of the green and plays into 25 mph tradewinds. The launch and forgiveness of the 4 iron allowed me to cut it through the wind with ease and hit the green eight out of ten times.

Value for the money vs. other options

At just above $1,000, these irons are by no means economical. However, for me the design and forgiveness of the 4 and 5 iron are of great value. On top of that, the ability to hit the long irons easily was the biggest selling point for me. Of course there are cheaper options available in the game improvement category. For example, the Callaway Mavrik and Mavrik Pro have a more traditional cavity back and come in at under $700 for a set. Cleveland also has a cavity back Launcher XL which was released this year. A 4-PW set is handsomely priced at $799.

Final verdict

Someone who’s new to the game or is struggling making contact should give the Cleveland Launcher Irons some serious consideration. I came back to the game after a long absence and a 20 handicap. Most rounds were in the 90’s. After 50+ rounds and some range time I’ve worked my handicap down to an 8. Truly a game improvement iron.