Martin Hopley
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Whilst they have done irons before their short game sabbatical of the last few years, Cleveland are now back in this category with the Launcher CBX iron.

Cleveland Launcher CBX Irons

The advantage that they hope to bring to the CBX is that short game experience which you can see in the Dual V Sole grind that we first saw on the Cleveland RTX-3 wedge.

Cleveland Launcher CBX Irons

This aims to get through the turf more quickly and having used this sole extensively I can vouch that it works well from grass as well as sand.

The other wedge feature is the Tour Zip grooves and laser milled score lines in between that provide consistent, high levels of grip.

Cleveland Launcher CBX Irons

However the Launcher CBX is an iron aimed at mid to high handicappers and there is a lot in there to help distance and forgiveness too.

Cleveland like their TWT (Three Word Tech) and the Feel Balancing Technology is the moving of the centre of gravity closer to the middle of the face to improve consistency and feel.

Cleveland Launcher CBX Irons

Irons usually have most of the head weight in the hosel that moves the CG towards the heel, so Cleveland has created a hollow section at the bottom of the hosel called a microcavity that reduces the weight of the hosel and therefore moves the CG across the face.

The 3 to 7 irons also use a 'Launcher Face Cup' that wraps around the chassis of the club to put the join line behind the face and increase the forgiveness on off centre hits.

Cleveland Launcher CBX Irons

The longer irons have quite a thick top line at address and a reasonable amount of offset that won't put off better players.

Cleveland Launcher CBX Irons

The short irons continue the looks and use a normal cavity back structure and are modelled on the lower end of the Srixon Z 565 set.

Cleveland Launcher CBX Irons

The look of the set is quite different though as the matte finish looks a little industrial and will show the marks of general play more quickly than most sets so may not hold their looks over time.

Cleveland Launcher CBX Irons

At impact the feel was good with the large forgiving head sending the ball out on a medium to high trajectory. The sound tended to get a little hollow in the longer irons due to the larger cavity, but that is always your trade off here.

The stock True Temper Dynamic Gold DST 98 steel shaft is lighter than most and suits the club very well, enabling you to maximise the club head speed.

Cleveland Launcher CBX Irons

Compared to the sister Srixon Z 565 irons the Launcher CBX produced a longer carry with a 6-iron, primarily due to faster ball speed from a higher launch with lower spin.

Cleveland CBX Irons

This is not altogether surprising as the Srixon is forged and will be a little softer than the cast Cleveland and also the CBX lofts are 1° stronger in the 4 to 8-irons. Bear in mind that less spin might mean the ball does not stop as quickly on landing so check that works for you too.

Cleveland CBX Irons

The set has the lofts next to the numbers which is good to see and surely the way forward for all manufacturers as lofts get stronger.

Cleveland Launcher CBX Irons

The decision between the two probably comes down to looks and feel, where the Srixon has the edge, and forgiveness and price, where the Cleveland has the edge by around £90 per set.

Overall mid to high handicappers who need a quality set of irons that launches high with control should definitely consider the Cleveland Launcher CBX as it offers good performance and value for money.

Golfalot Rating: 5 stars
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Cleveland Launcher CBX Irons - Product Details

UK Launch15 September 2017
UK Launch RRP£570
USA Launch15 September 2017
USA Launch RRP$599
Handicap Range
Low
High
GolferMens, Women
Hand AvailabilityLeft, Right
ManufactureCast
MaterialSteel
Swing WeightD1, D2
Shaft NameDynamic Gold DST 98 (Steel), Miyazaki C. Kua (Graphite)
Shaft TypesSteel, Graphite
Shaft FlexLight, Ladies, Regular, Stiff
GripCleveland Lamkin
DesignCavity Back
Set Makeup5, 6, 7, 8, 9, PW
Additional Clubs4, GW
Manufacturer's WebsiteCleveland Website

User Reviews

T Cap
January 2018

As advertised, really nice clubs, very pleased with choice. Pros *Straighter than anything i have played *Plenty long / penetrating ball flight (even on miss hits you can get something out of the shot) *Weighting & turf contact is very nice (lots of confidence) Cons *Feel takes a round + to get used to in my case (not a bad feel at all, just different) *Not going to work the ball much slight draw / fad at best in my case which is just fine
I'm a 13 HC looking to improve my misses. Did Florida trip with 15 rounds played and would HIGHLY recommend for a mid to higher HC player who wants the ball to go where their aiming given a decent swing. Improved my consistency by keeping the ball in playable situations / minimizing my off line shots due to over cooking a draw into a hook and ending up in jail.

PEDRO
December 2017

I had by chance to try out at a fitting evening Cleveland CBX irons (Taking 7 regular steel shaft True Temper 98). I found this to be a pleasing experience regarding the sound of the ball coming off the club head a satisfying sound that I had hit the ball well. Also to my surprise as I have always drawn a ball is that the shots I were hitting gave me a ball flight that started gently out to the right and then came back inwards again a suttle draw. I have now found at last irons that suit my game and have acquired 8 clubs (6 - LW) which now should be as forgiving as possible specially for that short game around the greens (why make the game more difficult!!) this particular product is cleverly thought out and gives good value for your money too. Enjoy.

Paul
November 2017

Just bought these and have had 18 holes and a driving range session. They launch high and easy, with a nice feel as well. Fairly strong lofts but they drop pretty well, so don’t ‘run on’ excessively. Overall, after minimal use, I think these will work out nicely, and are an improvement over my Wilson D100s. Make sure your hybrids don’t overlap in the lofts with the irons, though!

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