Cleveland Launcher Halo XL Hy-Woods are a unique combination of hybrid reliability with the distance and power of fairway woods. How do they perform?

Originally launched in 2022, the new 2024 version of the hy-woods have been unveiled along with the new Launcher XL 2 drivers, XL fairway woods, XL hybrids and ZipCore XL irons in a comprehensive series.

The hy-woods have an oversized clubhead compared to the standard hybrids, and produce the sort of distances you expected of the woods range.

How does the combination model perform? Is it a game-changer for golfers struggling with their woods but who lose distance when using a rescue club? We tested them out.

RELATED: Review of the Cleveland Launcher XL 2 drivers

Cleveland Launcher Halo XL Hy-Woods Specs & Design

The Halo XL Hy-Woods are the result of a revolutionary design move from Cleveland with these unique clubs bridging the gap between the precision of hybrids and the power of fairway woods.

This innovation is designed, in the main, for handicap golfers who struggle with long game consistency and are seeking the control and comfortable swing feel of a hybrid with the enviable distance of woods.

The Hy-Wood is a game-changer in that respect, especially for golfers struggling with fairway woods off the deck or those who prefer the increased forgiveness rescues can offer.

The Halo XL Hy-Woods have a unique head size and length and combine the latest in distance and forgiveness technology to ensure golfers can maintain optimal gapping at the top of the bag without compromising on performance

The MAINFRAME XL is a key technology with a variable thickness face pattern designed to maximize both distance and forgiveness as well as weight placement for a long, high-launching ball flight.

The XL head design further enhances MOI for greater forgiveness and incorporates the HiBore Crown Step to lower the Center of Gravity to help produce a longer, straighter flight path.

The Rebound Frame technology, meanwhile, introduces a dual flex zone at impact to transfer more energy and ball speeds for unprecedented distance.

Coupled with the Action Mass CB, which integrates an 8-gram counterweight at the end of the shaft, the design promotes a more stable swing and a squarer club face at impact for straighter shots.

The clubs also have GLIDERAIL technology that incorporates three large, tapered rails along the sole, ensuring smooth turf interaction and consistent ball striking from a variety of lie conditions.

The Hy-Woods are available in 3+ (17 degrees) and 4+ (20 degrees) and are non-adjustable.

RELATED: Review of the Cleveland Halo XL woods

Cleveland Launcher Halo XL Hy-Woods Review: Are they any good?

The XL Hy-Woods are unique and revolutionary concept that are actually much more than a gimmick. Golfers who struggle hitting fairway woods will love them.

Cleveland have cleverly combined the attributes of hybrids and woods into a single design and the club’s performance on the course is impressive.

You can expect to achieve distances normally associated with fairway woods yet still enjoy the forgiveness expected of rescues in this one package.

We generated a stable ball flight time after time in testing, distance gains compared to other hybrid models and found using the Hy-Woods anywhere on the course was possible. A game-changer for handicap golfers.

RELATED: Review of the Cleveland ZipCore XL irons

FAQs

What is the Cleveland Launcher XL hy-woods release date?

The XL hy-woods were originally released in 2022 with an upgraded version unveiled in January 2024.

How much do the Cleveland Halo XL hy-woods cost?

Each fairway wood retails at around $290 / £230.

What are the Cleveland Launcher XL woods specs?

The Hy-Woods are available in 3+ (17 degrees) and 4+ (20 degrees) and are non-adjustable.

What Cleveland says about the Halo XL Hy-Wood:

Want Hybrid control and Fairway Wood distance? Try a Hy-Wood. Its unique design features head sizing and club length between standard Hybrids and Fairway Woods, plus all our latest distance and forgiveness tech.

“Maybe your Fairway Woods don’t cooperate on shots off the deck. Or, maybe you just prefer the feel of a Hybrid. Either way, the HALO XL Hy-Wood is designed to fill the space between by coupling Hybrid swing feel with Fairway Wood distance.

“Three large, tapered rails along the sole of each HALO XL Hy-Wood deliver optimal ball striking and clean turf interaction.

“Each rail is designed to gently glide straight through the turf so you can maintain clubhead speed and keep a square face through impact. Plus, they’re super helpful from the rough or any tough lie.

“MainFrame XL uses a variable thickness face pattern that expands and reshapes the sweet spot for more energy transfer across the face. Inside the clubhead, Al helped us figure out the best spot to place weight pads for long, high-launching ball flight.

“These reworked, XL Head Designs allow us to shift more mass away from the club’s center. This ups the MOI, delivering more forgiveness and consistency on every strike.

“They also feature our HiBore Crown Step, which brings the Center of Gravity even lower in the clubhead for longer, straighter ball flight. Plus, deeper faces create a larger, more forgiving striking area.

“Unlike other clubs, HALO XL Hy-Woods have the unique ability to flex twice at impact thanks to Rebound Frame.

“Like a spring within a spring, Rebound Frame adds another ring of flexibility that sits just behind the face, supported by extra stiffness in the rear of the clubhead. At impact, these dual flex zones activate simultaneously, increasing the amount of energy transferred into the ball.”