Cleveland · Iron set · 2021 · Previous model
Cleveland Launcher XL irons
Game improvement, 3.0 of 5 for forgiveness
Cleveland's game improvement iron of 2021, hollow in the long irons and a cavity back in the short ones: the highest MOI Cleveland had put in a game improvement iron, 3.4 mm of offset at the 7-iron and a 29° 7-iron. Cleveland no longer sells the Launcher XL new, and its game improvement irons now run to the HALO XL Full-Face.
3.0 of 5 forgiveness score
$502.99 used at 2nd Swing Golf
In a stock flex: from $552.99
New instead: Cleveland HALO XL Full-Face, Price not published
Choose it if
- You make decent contact and want help on the misses from a slimmer head.
- You need a left-handed club or a senior flex: both were stock builds.
Choose something else if
- You miss the middle a lot: PING G740, more help, 5.0 of 5.
- Class
- Game improvement
- 7-iron loft
- 29°Every club's loft, lie and length
- Offset (7-iron)
- 3.4 mm
- Stock flexes
- Regular or stiff in steel; senior, regular or stiff in graphite
- Hands
- Left or right
- Used
- From $502.99 at 2nd Swing Golf, checked 31 Oct
What changed in the HALO XL Full-Face
Cleveland prints the same lofts and lies for both, with a 29° 7-iron, and the HALO XL Full-Face adds a 54° SW. Its clubs are a quarter of an inch longer, and it has much less offset (2.0 mm at the 7-iron against 3.4 mm), grooves across the whole face, and soles that change through the set: rails in the long irons, a V shape in the short irons and three tiers in the wedges.
Both score the same here. Choose the Launcher XL for the same lofts with more offset against a slice, if a used set comes in your hand and flex; choose the HALO XL Full-Face for a new set with grooves across the whole face.
| Detail | Launcher XL (previous) | HALO XL Full-Face (current) |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Game improvement | Game improvement |
| Forgiveness score | 3.0 of 5 | 3.0 of 5 |
| 7-iron loft | 29° | 29° |
| Offset at the 7-iron | 3.4 mm | 2.0 mm |
| Stock flexes | Regular or stiff in steel; senior, regular or stiff in graphite | Senior to stiff |
| Hands | Left or right | Left or right |
| Price new | No longer sold new | Sold new by Cleveland in Oct 2026; not priced here |
| Price used | From $502.99 at 2nd Swing Golf (6 clubs (4-9), steel, extra stiff flex, average condition), checked 31 Oct | From $437.99 at 2nd Swing Golf (6 clubs (5-PW), steel, regular flex, below average condition), checked 31 Oct |
Loft, lie and length, club by club
| Club | Loft | Lie | Length | Offset |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4-iron | 20° | 61.5° | 38.875 in | 4.7 mm |
| 5-iron | 23° | 62° | 38.25 in | 4 mm |
| 6-iron | 26° | 62.5° | 37.625 in | 3.7 mm |
| 7-iron | 29° | 63° | 37 in | 3.4 mm |
| 8-iron | 33° | 63.5° | 36.5 in | 3 mm |
| 9-iron | 38° | 64° | 36 in | 2.6 mm |
| PW | 43° | 64.5° | 35.75 in | 2.1 mm |
| DW | 48° | 65° | 35.5 in | 1.8 mm |
Build a whole bag around it, or check the lofts in the bag you carry.
Use the iron finder to compare sets for your usual miss, and check the set makeup and loft gaps before ordering. Between a game improvement and a super game improvement head, this is how to tell which one your strike needs.
The Cleveland Launcher XL came in a senior (A) flex as well as regular (R): what the senior flex changes, and who it suits.
Launcher XL: the questions buyers ask
- Is the Cleveland Launcher XL forgiving?
- Moderately. It is Cleveland's game improvement iron, with 3.4 mm of offset at the 7-iron and a 29° 7-iron. It scores 3.0 of 5 on our reading of what Cleveland publishes about it; the most forgiving iron sets we cover score 5.0.
- Who is the Launcher XL for?
- It suits golfers who make decent contact and want help on the misses with a slimmer head.
- Does the Launcher XL come in senior or ladies flex?
- Senior, yes; ladies, no. Cleveland listed senior (A), regular (R) and stiff (S).
- Is the Launcher XL sold left-handed?
- Yes: Cleveland made it left- and right-handed.
- What are the Launcher XL lofts?
- 4-iron 20°, 5-iron 23°, 6-iron 26°, 7-iron 29°, 8-iron 33°, 9-iron 38°, PW 43°, DW 48°, as Cleveland published them. The full table with lie, length and offset is above.
- Which clubs come in a Launcher XL set?
- The 4-iron to PW and a 48° DW, right- or left-handed, in the standard length or a custom accuracy build half an inch shorter without the grip weight.
- How much does the Launcher XL cost?
- Cleveland no longer sells it new. Used from $502.99 at 2nd Swing Golf, checked 31 Oct. In a stock flex, from $552.99. Prices change; the seller's page has today's.
How the 3.0 adds up
The forgiveness score is our reading of what Cleveland publishes about the head, from 1 to 5. It is not a test result. How every score works.
| Part | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Head class | 3 | Game improvement: a forgiving head, slimmer than super game improvement. |
| Offset | +0 | 3.4 mm at the 7-iron, below our 4.5 mm mark. |
| Sole | +0 | Cleveland doesn't publish a sole width, so the sole earns no point. |
| Forgiveness score | 3.0 | of 5 |
The score rates the head only. Hand, flex and price decide which version you buy, not how forgiving it is. Cleveland does not publish a sole width.
Specification sheet
| Maker | Cleveland |
|---|---|
| Model | Launcher XL |
| Model year | 2021 |
| Type | Iron set |
| Class | Game improvement |
| Handicap range the maker states | – |
| Offset | 3.4 mm at the 7-iron (4.7 mm in the 4-iron down to 2.1 mm in the PW and 1.8 mm in the DW) |
| Sole | – |
| Moment of inertia (MOI) | 3,081 g·cm² |
| Face technology | MainFrame variable face designed with artificial intelligence; hollow 4- to 7-irons, cavity-back 8-iron to DW |
| Construction | Hollow 4- to 7-irons behind a face Cleveland designed with artificial intelligence, cavity-back 8-iron to DW, an 8-gram weight inside the end of the grip, and a V-shaped sole that lifts the leading edge to cut drag on heavy strikes. |
| Set makeup | The 4-iron to PW and a 48° DW, right- or left-handed, in the standard length or a custom accuracy build half an inch shorter without the grip weight. |
| Clubs in the set | – |
| Stock steel shafts | True Temper Elevate 95 |
| Stock graphite shafts | Project X Catalyst |
| Stock flexes | Regular or stiff in steel; senior, regular or stiff in graphite |
| 7-iron loft | 29° |
| Hands | RH, LH |
| Men's or women's | – |
| List price when new | $800 in steel (2021 model); not a price today |
| Price at Cleveland | – |
| Set price | – |
Compare with other game improvement irons
No matching clubs. Clear the search or loosen the filters.
| Sole | Hand | Where to buy | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0 | Game improvement | 29° | 5.0 mm | Slightly wider | A · R · S | RH · LH | $599.99 at Tour Edge 7 irons · checked 2 Nov | ||
| 3.5 | Game improvement | 29° | not published | Wider | L · A · R · S | RH · LH | $559.99 at Tour Edge 7 irons · checked 2 Nov | ||
| 3.5 | Game improvement | 29° | 4.6 mm | not published | A · R · S · X | RH · LH | $999 at Golf Discount 7 irons (4-PW) · checked 2 Nov | ||
| 3.5 | Game improvement | 31° | 4.3 mm | Wider | L · A · R · S | RH · LH | $1,099.99 at TaylorMade 7 irons · checked 2 Nov | ||
| 3.5 | Game improvement | 29.5° | 4.6 mm | not published | PING's own lightweight flexes: Ultra Lite or Lite | RH · LH | $1,299.99 at PGA TOUR Superstore 7 irons (6-9, PW, UW, SW) · checked 2 Nov | ||
| 3.5 | Game improvement | 29.5° | 3.3 mm | Wider: 0.90 inches | R · S · X | RH · LH | $699 at Haywood 7 irons · checked 2 Nov | ||
| 3.5 | Game improvement | 28° | 4.8 mm | 22.9 mm at the 7-iron | R · S | RH · LH | $962.50 at Mizuno 7 irons · checked 2 Nov | ||
| 3.5 | Game improvement | 29° | 4.6 mm | not published | not published | RH · LH | $1,099 at Golf Discount 7 irons at $157 each · checked 2 Nov |
Order: Forgiveness score first; on a tie, the set more golfers can buy, then a set that includes the long irons, then price. Use the arrows to sort. A dash means the maker does not publish it.
See all iron sets on the most forgiving irons page, or compare this club side by side. Waiting for a sale? The Black Friday golf club deals page has the price to beat on every club we price.
Sources
The specification comes from these pages; open the maker's page before buying, because prices and shaft options change. Check the exact shaft and hand at the shop before ordering.
- Cleveland's specifications, archived copy of 26 Oct 2021
- Golf Digest's launch report
- Cleveland's page on availability (checked 16 Oct)
- 2nd Swing Golf's used listings (checked 31 Oct)
- Pre-owned: seen at 2nd Swing Golf from $502.99 (checked 31 Oct)