Cleveland Launcher XL Halo Irons

[Jason89er]

I am currently playing the Halo XLs 8-DW (Gap). I’m a hybrid guy so they are perfect for me. I play 6/7 Cobra F9 hybrids which I am just a bit more consistent with than the 6/7 Halo XLs. I have 5-DW. Distance wise they are comparable. I’ll make the full change to the whole set at some point in 2023. Have the Project X Sixty 5.5 Reg shafts in mine. Great clubs. And I think they look great. Including the head covers!

 

[cuonthe1t]

I have been using my Halos for 3 months and I love them - always went down after the ball but 3 years ago I developed a left shoulder and elbow problem so I changed from blades to the wider sole iron to help me sweep so as not to aggravate my shoulder and elbow - it took a couple of months to get use to using a more shallow swing after 55 years of doing the opposite - love the higher flight and still able to hit knock downs if required - like the Cypher 60 reg shaft so much I had the Cypher 50 shaft put in my driver - use the 7 thru D wedge and took out the halo 5 and 6 iron and replaced with a 24* - 9 wood and a 27* - 11 wood -

 

[Jason89er]

I have been using my Halos for 3 months and I love them - always went down after the ball but 3 years ago I developed a left shoulder and elbow problem so I changed from blades to the wider sole iron to help me sweep so as not to aggravate my shoulder and elbow - it took a couple of months to get use to using a more shallow swing after 55 years of doing the opposite - love the higher flight and still able to hit knock downs if required - like the Cypher 60 reg shaft so much I had the Cypher 50 shaft put in my driver - use the 7 thru D wedge and took out the halo 5 and 6 iron and replaced with a 24* - 9 wood and a 27* - 11 wood -

Not so different for me. I carry a 7 Halo XL FWW and a Cobra F9 9 FWW. Sweep away!

 

[TxAggie2018]

6 months in, Launcher irons + my flip are still doing duuuumb things trajectory-wise.

I have a bad habit of chicken winging, so I like to feel like I am sweeping the grass in front of the ball to stay down on it. If I do that, the ball pretty much shoots to the moon no matter what. Not always in the right direction.

And after gaming graphite shafts and hollow-head irons for a while, normal irons now feel really heavy. Don't know if I'd like going back to them.

 

[Hacker67]

6 months in, Launcher irons + my flip are still doing duuuumb things trajectory-wise.

I have a bad habit of chicken winging, so I like to feel like I am sweeping the grass in front of the ball to stay down on it. If I do that, the ball pretty much shoots to the moon no matter what. Not always in the right direction.

And after gaming graphite shafts and hollow-head irons for a while, normal irons now feel really heavy. Don't know if I'd like going back to them.

Funny after gaming my Launcher xl irons for 3 months, I played a round today with my old Cobra s9 irons, and honestly although the launchers let me get away with bad swings I really think traditional irons just appeal to my eye better and better for feel shots.

 

[cuonthe1t]

totally agree I hate the look of the Halo XL and they don't feel as good as all the blades I have owned but at my age they are so much easier to hit consistently - more forgiving - higher flight with no distance lost - so I just overlook how ugly they look and the feel is as good as or better than any of the other SGI clubs on the market

 

[Hacker67]

Anyone with the Halos kinda struggle with the shorter clubs 8-G. They longer clubs are great but I totally loose a lot of feel and precision with the shorter clubs. I come from the bump and run generation and bumping a 8 and down is killing me, especially with the graphite shafts.
I'm really thinking about trying out the regular launcher XL irons and just maybe add the regular 5 hybrid as I already have the 4 and 3.

 

[Hacker67]

Well I traded in my Halo irons for the regular Launcher XL. Spent 2 hours at golf shop which the manager is cool with me and just lets me do my own thing in the bay.
After hitting a plethora of different irons none felt better or gave me better numbers than the regular Launcher XL in regular graphite.

They really appeal to my eye size wide both top line and sole. The matte finish is another bonus as I don't like shiny chrome irons.

Paired with the graphite they feel about just as good as the ZX 4 and DCB forged.

I think the Halo irons are great if you just don't have the time to fine tune your swing and you want to get away with mis hits but when it came down to it the 8-D really lacked feel shots with such a big hybrid head. I bet a mix set of Halo and regular Launcher XL would fit some people.

 

[Hacker67]

Well I traded in my Halo irons for the regular Launcher XL. Spent 2 hours at golf shop which the manager is cool with me and just lets me do my own thing in the bay.
After hitting a plethora of different irons none felt better or gave me better numbers than the regular Launcher XL in regular graphite.

They really appeal to my eye size wide both top line and sole. The matte finish is another bonus as I don't like shiny chrome irons.

Paired with the graphite they feel about just as good as the ZX 4 and DCB forged.

I think the Halo irons are great if you just don't have the time to fine tune your swing and you want to get away with mis hits but when it came down to it the 8-D really lacked feel shots with such a big hybrid head. I bet a mix set of Halo and regular Launcher XL would fit some people.

NOPE, couldn't let go of the Halo's, the XL irons weren't even close to the forgiveness of Halo's. Gonna stick with Halo's and work on short game feel.

 

[erock9174]

Anyone play a one off Halo as a bridge between their irons and hybrids ? Thinking about trying a 6i Halo.

 

[Danimal]

Anyone play a one off Halo as a bridge between their irons and hybrids ? Thinking about trying a 6i Halo.

I have a 5i that I play as a 5hy. One of the easiest and most useful clubs in my bag. I put a Steel Fiber i95R in it.

 

[Thrillbilly Jim]

I need to get more consistent and play more to really take advantage of these. I get really good distance and height with them. One thing that doesn’t get talked about enough with these is how the 7-8-9 irons are basically glorified chippers. Bump and run shots are a breeze with these.

 

[Hacker67]

I need to get more consistent and play more to really take advantage of these. I get really good distance and height with them. One thing that doesn’t get talked about enough with these is how the 7-8-9 irons are basically glorified chippers. Bump and run shots are a breeze with these.

This may be my one weak spot with these clubs, maybe it's the lighter graphite shafts making me loose some distance feel but I'm getting better with it and if I stick with them I know I will dial in distance with my bump and runs. They're truly great clubs and let you get good results on less than stellar shots but you still get to work on your swing while not being so penalized for poor shots. It's a win, win in my book.

 

[Carolina Golfer]

NOPE, couldn't let go of the Halo's, the XL irons weren't even close to the forgiveness of Halo's. Gonna stick with Halo's and work on short game feel.

Have you tried a firmer ball, like a Velocity? Previously, I used a soft feel. I've had the same feel problem and a firmer ball has helped.

 

[rlb4]

NOPE, couldn't let go of the Halo's, the XL irons weren't even close to the forgiveness of Halo's. Gonna stick with Halo's and work on short game feel.

What's weird is that the XL's have a higher MOI than the Halo's.

 

[Hacker67]

What's weird is that the XL's have a higher MOI than the Halo's.

Correct, but the Halo's have a lower COG .646 so if your miss is low on the face that is where the Halo's are gonna save you. So my biggest swing flaw is getting to quick with arms and casting, if I do that with the XL I get a low line drive not very far, if I do that with the Halo's 90% of the time I will still get some decent trajectory and distance.

That's why the hybrid irons are the absolute best for sweepers. I do like the look of the more traditional XL but until I can cut down on my casting more I need to stick with the Halos work on my swing and at the same time still get respectful results with the Halos.

 

[Hacker67]

Have you tried a firmer ball, like a Velocity? Previously, I used a soft feel. I've had the same feel problem and a firmer ball has helped.

Funny you say that because currently I'm playing a Wilson DUO soft and that is a great suggestion of a firmer ball. I will definitely give it a try tomorrow.

 

[Hacker67]

For kicks I took out the XL irons and of course I was hitting darts all day. I must admit the XL irons have much better dispersion than the Halos. The XL's just want to go dead straight where the Halos have a little draw to them.

The XL's were really inspiring me to swing through and down which is my biggest swing flaw. I was actually getting great compression and divots after the ball.
With the stock graphite Catylsis shafts they feel like graphite but have steel characteristics. They really solve the feel shots close to the green where the Halos with Cyhper shafts where giving me fits close to the green.

I did try the firmer ball with Halos but with that big head for me I still had no feel off the face.
Going out with the XL's again today and we will see if yesterday was just a fluke.

 

[Carolina Golfer]

For kicks I took out the XL irons and of course I was hitting darts all day. I must admit the XL irons have much better dispersion than the Halos. The XL's just want to go dead straight where the Halos have a little draw to them.

The XL's were really inspiring me to swing through and down which is my biggest swing flaw. I was actually getting great compression and divots after the ball.
With the stock graphite Catylsis shafts they feel like graphite but have steel characteristics. They really solve the feel shots close to the green where the Halos with Cyhper shafts where giving me fits close to the green.

I did try the firmer ball with Halos but with that big head for me I still had no feel off the face.
Going out with the XL's again today and we will see if yesterday was just a fluke.
View attachment 9136126

Cool, we don't get to hear much about the XL's. What woods are you using with the XL's? Sorry, the firm ball didn't bring some feel to the Halos. I have found the Velocity pairs well with them.

 

[Hacker67]

Cool, we don't get to hear much about the XL's. What woods are you using with the XL's?

I just have the 3 and 4 Halo hybrid, not the longest but again dead straight I may pick up the 3 Wood in the near future.

 

[pumbaa]

Tried the PW at tobacco road playing with @J.B. Cobb III I'd have to get to use the shafts he had but they are long and fly high.

 

[Hacker67]

I just got back from playing, a little chilly in Central Florida today lol, but the XL's performed the same as yesterday, long, straight and they feel so good when struck. I think I'm a little surprised at how nice they feel, not forged but dam near close, I don't know if the shaft and flex are just a perfect match for me or what but they feel so good. So a much better feeling than the rather dull feeling of the Halos. I would also say a full club length longer than Halo, again the shaft may be playing a part in this, but they're rocketing off the face and on the monitor, I'm getting 15 mph faster ball speed, maybe it's the lighter head of the XL or less turf interaction with a thinner sole.

I did hit the ZX 4 and 5 but maybe it's the shaft set up but the XL felt better than both. Of course, this is subjective and only IMHO. Also, there is nothing chunky about these clubs at all compared to similar game improvement irons, I had the Rogue ST irons for a few months and they were great but that chunky top line and offset were such a turn-off. I know some don't dig the black with blue trim on the back of the XL's but honestly, I like it and it's subtle enough for me.

Also, the V sole is a great fit for me who can get deep at times, and I had no issues with the rumor that it's easy to skull the ball with these lifted front edge soles, I'm not seeing that at all. I may add some CBX or RTX wedges for the matching sole. I have no idea why these XL irons aren't more popular, maybe it's the color scheme but the satin finish seems to be very durable and not so prone to scratches like chrome, I know tools, not jewels but I like to preserve my stuff.

This is no knock on the Halos which if you really don't want to spend the time or energy on your swing may produce better results instantly. Though be warned like I mentioned I thought they lacked a feel closer to the greens. This is just one person's opinion and limited experience although I'm going back out again tomorrow for round 3 with XL's and hope to get more time with them. Sorry for the rant didn't set out to be so long-winded but I'm pretty excited about these irons. ✌ Any questions feel free.

 

[Carolina Golfer]

That's great that you found something better. I think the higher the cap, the golfer will appreciate the forgiveness of the Halos. Don't forget the prior gen HB Turbo. I think they are just as good. Maybe, one day, I will take my training wheels off and try the XL's

 

[martybauer31]

I've got an XL Halo 4 iron on the way to me that I'm really excited about testing.... My miss is usually fat and I have found that my Cleveland CBX2 wedges have made a big difference in my short game so looking forward to seeing how these work with the longer side.

If it helps me lower my scores I could care less what anyone thinks about the looks of a club.

 

[Shepx13]

I've got an XL Halo 4 iron on the way to me that I'm really excited about testing.... My miss is usually fat and I have found that my Cleveland CBX2 wedges have made a big difference in my short game so looking forward to seeing how these work with the longer side.

If it helps me lower my scores I could care less what anyone thinks about the looks of a club.

Still love my Halos, but I need to sell my 4 iron. Bought it in stiff (rest of set set is reg) and didn't get along with it. Need to put it up for sale on here after I get back from Xmas vacation.

Hope you enjoy it