Quiz: What’s better than getting free drinks from the cart girl? Better than sinking a 20-foot putt? Better than finding a new Pro V in the woods? Why, “launching” a ball to Never Neverland (high and straight and Tiger Woods-far), that’s what. For the regular Joe, this is what the game is all about. This brings him back.
For maximum “launch,” Joe (90 to 100 shooter who struggles with contact consistency and directional fortitude) should take a close look at Cleveland’s new Launcher Irons. These are the most forgiving irons that Cleveland has ever made. With one of the highest MOIs in the industry, a huge cavity, and great stability, these 17-4 stainless steel game improvement irons can mask many of the off-center hits that are making you famous. In addition, the center of gravity is low and way back, making it easy to get the ball “launched.”
I found these irons to be exceptionally forgiving and straight. The sweet spot is immense and the offset makes them easy to square at impact. In addition, ball flight was really high – good for most golfers. The bad news? With the “extreme” forgiveness, plenty of feel seems to have been sacrificed. While the feeling I had at impact wasn’t bad, it was lacking in those oh-so-good sensations of power and feel. I really had no idea where on the face I was making contact. Nothing felt super-solid, but everything was decent. This wasn’t overly surprising, given the fact that these sick sticks were simply made to “launch it.” www.clevelandgolf.com.
Andrew Penner writes for a number of golf publications in Canada and the United States. He can be reached at andpenner@shaw.ca
