About this Review: This review is my moms honest opinion of the golf club, which she purchased with her own money in October of 2021.

My take

The Cleveland Women's Launcher XL Lite is one of the most forgiving clubheads ever developed, and is designed to combat the slice with a lightweight, draw-biased clubhead. This is a great driver option for ladies that are focused on accuracy and consistency.

About the club I tested

• Model: Cleveland Women’s Launcher XL Lite Driver
• Loft setting: 12 degrees
• Shaft type: Project X Cypher 40 Ladies
• Shaft flex: Ladies

About my mom

• Average score: My mom’s average score is around 100
• Handicap: My mom has a 15 handicap
• Experience: She has played golf for a decade
• Right/Left-handed: Right-handed
• Typical ball flight: Slight fade
• Golf ball used: Srixon Soft Feel Lady, Bridgestone Precept
• Club swing speed: Moderate to fast

Test conditions

• When I bought the club: October 2021
• Days tested: Played more than 25 rounds
• Where I’ve used it: Tested mostly on courses in the Midwest, including the Donald Ross Memorial Course
• Weather and wind conditions: Rain, shine, and wind

How it performs

What I was looking for

I was looking for a driver that would make the most out of my mom’s swing. She previously struggled with getting a higher ball flight, keeping her ball from slicing, and keeping the left to right ball spin under control. I wanted a draw-biased clubhead that would be accurate and reliable.

Why I chose this club

I chose this club because I thought that it would be the best performing option for my mom. I did consider Callaway’s Bertha, TaylorMade’s Stealth, and Callaway’s Epic Max Star, but decided to go with Cleveland for the consistent launch. The lightweight clubhead seemed like a really good option to help fix her slice and gain confidence off the tee box.

What I love about it

• Distance: In comparison to some other options on the market, this driver is giving up a few yards and is not the longest on the market. So while distance is not going to be a stand out with the XL Lite, it still produced an additional 20 yards for my mom in comparison to her 12-year-old Ping driver.
• Forgiveness: The XL Lite is ultra-forgiving. The draw-biased clubhead is as large in volume as drivers are allowed to be made. Misshits end up back in the fairway, and my mom’s slice has been reduced to more of a controllable fade.
• Feel: The driver’s Rebound Frame is designed to take away any harsh or unwanted vibrations in the hands, and the result is an immaculate level of feel.
• Sound: There is great overall sound—not too loud or muted—offering great feedback on where the ball is struck on the face.
• Shaft Performance: The Cypher shafts offer minimal give for maximum control over the clubface at impact. They are also great for accuracy.
• Aesthetic Appeal: The XL Lite driver is a beautiful looking club. It is pleasing to the eye, especially with Cleveland’s XL clubhead design which provides added confidence.
• Grip Feel: The stock Winn Dri-Tac Grip provides an extremely soft feel which is comfortable on the hands.
• Spin: This club creates much less spin than her previous Ping driver, which allows her to get extra roll out.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Workability: There is not much workability at all with the larger clubhead design. The XL Lite driver’s design is more meant for consistent ball flights than playing workable shots.
• Adjustability: The loft is not adjustable, which is unfortunate.
• Shaft Feel: The shaft feel on the Project X Cypher is not a stand out here. I will most likely get my mother an upgraded shaft with better feel when purchasing her next driver.
• Shaft Performance: The shaft does not optimize carry distance as much as the clubhead does.
• Launch Angle: The launch angle is not as high as expected on well-struck shots. Golfers are therefore not going to get the highest ball flight with the XL Lite’s larger clubhead, but the launch angle on misshits is still a notable feature.

Best shot with this club

My mom’s best shot with this Cleveland driver is on the first tee boxes. She is consistently hitting that first fairway to start off her round when she was never hitting range balls before. The confidence boost from this driver was a pleasant surprise. She started hitting fairways with more roll out and became able to prevent the ball from leaking right.

Value for the money vs. other options

The Women's Launcher XL Lite is a decent value option for a driver, even when considering options like TaylorMade’s Stealth Driver and Callaway’s Bertha Driver. The Stealth costs quite a bit more, while Bertha costs only a little less than the XL Lite. Both these drivers were in the mix as top performing clubs on the market. Even so, I’m extremely happy with my decision because of the XL Lite’s lighter clubhead and overall club feel.

Final verdict

Cleveland’s Women's Launcher XL Lite driver is going to offer as much forgiveness as any other women-specific club out there. It is draw-biased with an oversized sweet spot, easy to get off the ground in the air, and has a simple club design. With its accuracy and consistency, it is a great option for golfers that struggle off the tee box.