Cleveland Launcher HB Turbo Driver

The new Cleveland Launcher HB Turbo driver is designed to get the ball higher, further, and straighter.  Cleveland set out to make a lightweight driver with an extremely hot face that flat out goes, and goes fast.  Does it deliver?  Let’s find out.

The Looks

The new Cleveland Launcher HB Turbo driver has a similar stealthy look to their new Frontline Putters.  They all feature black and grey club heads, black shafts, and a black headcover, with small hints of red.  The matte black HiBore crown of the Launcher HB Turbo Driver features an aerodynamic design that has three ridges near the back of the head to help with alignment.

The head itself has a fairly familiar shape for a game improvement driver.  There’s a longer face, that’s not overly deep.  The overall head shape is very round with a nice full footprint that gives you confidence behind the ball.  Another characteristic that really jumped out at me was how short the hosel is.  Cleveland implemented the new Ultra-Light Hosel in the Launcher HB Turbo which is shorter than most driver hosels that I’ve seen.  It looks a little odd at first, but you get used to it very quickly.  This smaller hosel helps redistribute weight lower in the head by reducing its length.

How Does it Feel?

Cleveland’s design for the HB Turbo driver is centered around its weighting.  Significant weight was placed at the bottom and back of the head to help launch the ball higher while maintaining ball speeds.  This is essentially moving the center of gravity as low and as far back as possible in the head.  To counteract the heavier head, Cleveland utilized a lighter shaft.  Enter the Miyazaki C. Kua, a 50g, lightweight shaft with a counterbalanced designed.  The counterbalance makes the head feel more balanced with the lighter shaft, allowing you to swing faster while maintaining control.  In theory, this combination should lead to more distance.

How Does it Sound?

The Cleveland Launcher HB Turbo has a really thin face to increase ball speeds and distance.  A thinner driver face often means a very “ting-y” sound off of the driver face.  The HB Turbo is no exception to this.  At impact, the Launcher HB Turbo lets off a fairly loud, metallic crack, letting you know you really got ahold of it.  Off-center shots maintain a fairly similar sound.

On-Course Performance

To be candid, if you have a really fast swing speed or hit a really high ball off of the tee to begin with, the Cleveland HB Turbo driver might be tough to corral.  Thus, I enlisted the help of a friend, who fit the mold for the Launcher HB Turbo perfectly.  They wanted a little more distance and need some help getting the ball in the air and carrying.  Their feedback on the HB Turbo was positive across the board.

Compared to their current driver, the immediate number that jumped out at me was a swing speed increase.  They felt they could swing faster without being out of control and the data supported that feeling.  Exactly what Cleveland wants with the HB Turbo!  With those swing speed increases came faster ball speeds and the highly-coveted greater distance.

The next big difference for them was forgiveness.  Their dispersion on their drives was about five yards tighter left to right, and about five-to-ten yards tighter up and down.  But where is this coming from?  The HB Turbo’s low and deep weighting combined with the Turbocharged Cup Face.  This new face has variable thickness across the face to increase forgiveness as it’s “wafer thin” to maximize energy transfer to the ball at impact.  In English?  It’s designed to make the ball jump off of the face faster and go further.

Final Thoughts – Cleveland Launcher HB Turbo Driver

Cleveland really has a winner with the new Launcher HB Turbo Driver.  Sleek, modern looks, with the performance to match makes it a prime candidate for anyone looking to get the ball higher in the air and gaining some extra distance.  Oh yeah, and the $350 price point gives you a quality driver that won’t necessarily break the bank.

Stock Cleveland Launcher HB Turbo Driver Specs

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