Buying the right golf gear requires as much or even more thought than planning your game strategy. After all, the decision directly impacts your performance. The choice isn’t easy either, especially when you have to decide whether to get a long iron or hybrid for your gear. Please take my advice and go for the hybrid. I’ve written this Cleveland Launcher Halo Hybrid review to explain why that’s the right choice.
Cleveland is one of the top manufacturers of irons, especially wedges, so buying it will be a good decision. But brand aside, hybrids are an ideal combination of strengths, and using them can help you polish your skills significantly.
This blog will briefly address what a hybrid is before mentioning some critical features of the Cleveland Launcher Halo Hybrid. Lastly, I will go into a performance review to describe my experience using the product.
What’s a Hybrid?
Hybrids are the mid-point between an iron and a driver (fairway woods) and typically replace the iron in your gear. Unlike an iron, a hybrid has a distinct head design and structure. Its goal is to lower the center of gravity, allowing the player to get better speed and trajectory.
Irons are also suitable for getting your desired distance but aren’t as optimized for distance and forgiveness as hybrids.
Cleveland Launcher Halo Hybrid Features
Now that you know what a hybrid is,let’s shift the discussion to Cleveland Launcher Halo. The Halo series was launched in 2007 and has seen several innovative improvements. My review is for the hybrid they launched in October 2019.
I saw a lot of hype around the product, so I decided to try it to see if it was worth the praise. But I want to mention some key product features before mentioning my review.
1.Three Rails
Rails have been a part of the Halo series since the beginning, and the 2019 hybrid model includes three rails on the club’s head. The rails have a critical purpose – reduce contact with the surface as much as possible to prevent swing from slowing down.
The concept is simple. The rail design creates two troughs in the hybrid’s head design, which means less surface area touches the ground when you swing. This effect reduces your swing’s total friction, lowering the speed reduction enough to affect the ball speed and distance.
2.HiBore Crown
HiBore is Cleveland’s signature feature, so you will likely see it in several other models. The HiBore crown is the design innovation that allows Cleveland to shift the hybrid’s center of gravity by 21millimeters. This slight shift is prominent enough to boost the power upon impact, increasing the ball’s speed and total distance.
3.Variable Face
Another exciting feature of the Cleveland Launcher Halo Hybrid is the variable face insert. This product’s variable face inserts are made of high-strength steel and have several groove styles. The grooves optimize force transfer by spreading the impact area.
This feature ensures that you will not lose out on speed if you fail to hit the ball with the center of the hybrid.
Cleveland Launcher Halo Hybrid Review and Rating
Before seeing the review, remember that this hybrid is made for mid-handicappers. Hence, your experience will vastly differ from mine if you are a high handicapper.
I considered the following core performance elements when assessing the product’s quality.
1.Speed and Distance
You will struggle to find a Cleveland Launcher Halo Hybrid review that doesn’t praise the speed and distance this hybrid gives. I had recently been using an iron for this part of the match, so I was excited to see how differently the hybrid would perform.
The claims were not unfounded. There was a significant difference in the distance the ball traveled when I used this product. I even tried to compare in real-time since I had brought my iron along, so I got a good look at the difference between their performances.
2.Forgiveness
The hybrid s incredibly forgiving for a mid-handicapper. The steel face insert and variable groove designs are optimal for players trying to perfect their swing. Myplay style is like this sometimes,so I wanted to see if the groove designs affected the slight errors in my swing.
I was surprised to note that the features performed pretty well, mainly covering up my faulty swing and helping me achieve a decent speed and distance.
3.Sound and Comfort
The Cleveland Launcher Halo Hybrid is a relatively light model, which affects the sound it produces. Instead of the crisp ‘pop’ from the driver, you’ll hear a mid-tier ‘thuk’ that is neither unpleasant nor particularly comforting.
The lighter weight will also throw you off a little until you get accustomed to it. I had to give it a few tries before exercising my desired control and getting the impact I wanted. On the plus side, it has the Lamkin 360 grip, which is optimal for handling and makes the task incredibly comfortable.
So, I felt like this section deserved about a 3/5, my version of neither too good nor bad.
4.Trajectory
A trajectory is a primary reason hybrids are popular, and this product didn’t disappoint. It gives an impressive lift to the ball, but the optimized impact and speed ensure that the height doesn’t take away from a distance.
It also gives a slight angle to the trajectory, but not too much, so it is the better choice when you need a somewhat straight path for the ball.
5.Price
The price is the best part of this model. It is reasonably priced, especially considering reliable irons cost over $1,000. It is well under half that amount and gives a decent performance, so I’d say it is well worth the price.
Our Final Thoughts
I hope you enjoyed reading my Cleveland Launcher Halo Hybrid review. My review mentions pros and cons, but I feel this hybrid is a good buy, especially since Cleveland’s products are durable.
Please check my other blogs for more product reviews, recommendations, and tips.
