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Well, I've decided to look for a "new" driver, and hopefully get one to match my swing - proper flex, loft, etc.

I went to our local Edwin Watts and spent about 15 minutes in the back with one of their salesmen, hitting a few and discussing my swing. First, kudos to this gentleman for noticing a swing flaw that had crept in and had been gnawing at me for the last couple of months - my swing plane had moved to the inside on take-away, where I used to have a more straight-to-outside take-away.

Anyway, he let me hit a few with a demo offset Cleveland 460 launcher, R-flex, 10.5* loft. Seemed to hit them well into the net, really sounded sweet on contact (with a conscious effort to maintain a good swing path!). He has let me take it for the next few days to give it a real test on the range and course (guess I'll HAVE to play this weekend! Or tomorrow!).

Anyway, they have a used driver, looks like new, almost the exact same set-up except no offset to the head. The demo club has a Fujikura (sp?) shaft, where the used club has the stock gold colored shaft. They are asking $179 for the used club.

So, any Cleveland Launcher lovers out there who can tell me what they think of this club? Is $179 a good price for a like-new used club? How much difference should I expect between the demo with the offset head and a the used one with a regular head?

By the way, I'm still struggling with the idea of paying even $179 for a golf club! But if it helps me stay in bounds more often and win a few more skins this summer, I can find a way to justify the cost!

Should I check out a few other drivers as well? I plan to at least hit the range tomorrow afternoon with this Cleveland, and I'm also going to give my McHenry Metals driver another chance with my corrected swing. If I can once again hit good drives without spending the money, I'll pass on the Cleveland. But if I find I'm hitting the Launcher 20-30 yards further AND straight, I may have to break down and get one!

If anybody cares, I'll post some results tomorrow.

You can get new Launchers on ebay for $150 so $179 sounds steep to me. I was able to get my 06 Launcher Ti460 off of ebay for $188 shipped with the Adilia NVFF shaft. Also, what kind of game do you have? Are you struggling against a slice or do you draw the ball, etc. If you are fighting a slice, then the offest would help you with that. If you hit the ball straight, then it give you a built in draw and may tend to have you hook it if you timing is off. If you already have a draw, they it will just make you hook the ball or make you change your swing to fight off the hook. The normal headed Launchers I believe are already set-up with a closed face in order to fight off slices. For me, I love the Launcher b/c of the forgiveness, the ability to work the ball both ways (harder to to do a controlled fade due to the closed face), and length. I'd say go look on ebay and you could probably find a used one in great shape for $130-150 a new one for $140-160 and/or look for the Launcher Comps in great condition for $170-200.

I have one and love it about 85% of the time. The other 15% is because with the closed face I have a tendency to pull it when I get quick. Otherwise it's longer and straighter than any other I've used. Just remember two swing easy.

Great club... but get on a launch monitor and get fit... one of my favourites for sure !

Oh, also be aware that with the stock shaft the ball flight is def. higher than with most other drivers....I have a 9.5 degree with the NV shaft and the ball flight is still higher than my TM R7 10.5*

As far as the shafts go, I believe the gold shaft in the old Launcher is made by Fujikura anyway. Probably similar shafts, just with different colours.

if it has the stock shaft, upgrade as soon as possible. i recently put a Proforce V2 in my L460 and WOW. long and straight, also keeps the trajectory down.... the stock shaft launches the ball extremely high.

Well, I went to the range to give the driver a try. Bought a large bucket, about 120 balls, and went through my normal range routine. Started with some easy wedge shots, then hit about 10 ea with my 5, 7 and 9 irons, then hit a few with my hybrids. Wasn't hitting too bad, although those range balls felt like rocks! Once I was warmed up, I pulled out my current driver, the McHenry Metals Tour Pure 400 with a stiff shaft. I hit 5 or 6 with it, keeping in mind that I needed a more outside take-away. Wasn't bad, hit it better than I had been but still getting a heavier fade than I want. So finally pulled out the Cleveland.

Took about three balls to figure out how high to tee it, etc. But I was hitting it better than my other driver. I probably hit 30 balls with it, and out of those 18-20 were decent hits - either straight or just a little draw, probably would have been in the fairway. I hit a few others WAY higher than I liked, and we had a pretty strong wind blowing right to left across the range, so those really went left. Had to move the ball back about a ball width in my stance to keep the height under control. Out of the 18-20 good hits, probably 8 of them were rock solid, with a ball flight I want. However, those range balls just don't feel right. I was only getting about 210-220 yards carry.

Anyway, so far I'm not in love with the driver. It feels better than what I've using, but it's not enough to make me want it yet. I'm going to have to play a full round or two using good balls to really tell if it is worth buying. Hopefully I can get a round in this weekend! I can keep the demo club until Tuesday, so hopefully by then I can have a better idea of how it fits my swing.

What's the difference between the regular launcher 460 and the Comp. ?

I've owned maybe 5 major brand drivers since I've taken up the game, and the Cleveland Launcher was the best of them.

Launcher Comp:

Product Description
• Ultra-lightweight carbon-composite crown lets 25 grams of extra weight be shifted low and back around the clubhead for higher launch angle and greater power and stability
• At-the-legal-limit 460cc head sports a deep face that expands the effective hitting area, promoting confidence over the ball
• Thin beta-titanium face precisely meets the maximum legal COR limit for maximum distance off the tee
• Engineered to sound hotter and more solid than 100-percent titanium drivers, or previous titanium-composite combinations

Launcher:

Product Description
• 460 cc volume head. The largest allowable under the USGA rules.
• SP700 face.
• The Launcher 460 is designed for high angle launch and low spin for maximum carry and distance.
• Enabled by the large volume head, the center of gravity (CG) is placed low and deep.
• Despite its large size the club is Classically shaped with a deep face for a large effective hitting zone.

Try out the TM R5, it's under-rated IMO and feels just as good as the Launcher.

Thanks for posting this info! :)