I like that Cleveland Golf is getting a jump on the 2025 launch season.

For a challenger brand on the outside looking in with metalwoods, getting your stuff out ahead of the January launch cacophony is simply smart marketing. When your new stuff is attention-getting, well, that’s even smarter.

The new and unique Cleveland HiBore XL driver most definitely deserves your attention. However, the new additions to Cleveland’s HALO XL fairway wood and “Hy-Wood” lines might matter the most to you.

Especially if you’re the type of golfer who heads south for an extended winter stay and could use a little lightness in your life.

Let’s examine, shall we?

Cleveland HALO XL Lite fairway woods

You can often learn the purpose of something by simply reading its name backward. A pressure differential bypass valve, for example, is a valve that bypasses pressure differential. Therefore, a Cleveland HALO XL Lite fairway wood is a fairway wood that’s lighter than Cleveland’s year-old HALO XL fairway woods.

You got it. Class dismissed.

Specifically, the HALO XL Lite fairways are 22 grams lighter than their more bloated counterparts. Additionally, each model (3-, 5- and 7-wood) is higher-lofted by 1.5 degrees. If it’s dawning on you that these fairways are targeted for slower swing speed players, you get a gold star.

If it isn’t, we’ll wait while you catch up.

For most amateur golfers, fairway woods can be frustrating. We tend to grip tighter and swing harder. For slow to moderate swingers, getting the ball up in the air can be even more frustrating. Twenty-two grams lighter may not sound like much (it’s about the weight of an AA battery) but when combined with the higher loft, it’s a recipe for carry and distance for those who need it.

It’s a recipe Cleveland knows well, dating back to the original HALO hybrid. HALO, after all, stands for High Angle Lift Off.

HALO XL Lite specifics

The Cleveland HALO XL Lite fairways feature all the same technology as the non-Lite versions. The XL denotes a comparatively extra-large head design to push the CG low and deep for high-launching forgiveness. You’ll also find Cleveland’s signature Rebound Frame technology which features multiple flex zones near the face to promote ball speed. Flip it upside down and you’ll see GlideRails, Cleveland’s take on COBRA’s original Baffler sole rails.

The HALO XL Lite also features Cleveland’s Mainframe AI-designed variable-thickness face. While the trend in fairway woods is toward shallower faces, the HALO line leans deeper.

Turns out there’s a reason.

“Your max forgiveness fairway woods have gotten thinner in the face because you’re trying to get the CG a low as possible to maximize launch,” explains Cleveland Product Manager Casey Schultz. “That makes sense on a launch monitor and it makes sense on the range when you’re hitting off a relatively flat lie.”

Once you’re on the course, however, the lie you get is the lie you get. A fluffy lie on the fringe or rough makes the ball sit up. Combine that with a higher-handicap swing that sweeps below the ball and you wind up with shot so high and short the ump will call the infield fly rule.

“The taller face works well in the fitting bay but it works better on the course,” says Schultz. “It’s the kind of thing that doesn’t necessarily show up on launch monitors but it does make a difference when you’re playing golf.”

Two new Hy-Woods

It’s quiz time, fellow Golf Spies.

What’s bigger than a hybrid but smaller than a fairway wood?

Yes, my friends, it’s a Hy-Wood.

Cleveland didn’t invent the oversized hybrid/undersized fairway wood but since its introduction in 2021, the HALO XL Hy-Wood has given Cleveland a leadership position in that admittedly small category. The new release isn’t an upgrade; it’s simply Cleveland adding two new lofts to the line.

“It’s a unique product that makes a lot of sense for people who struggle with fairway woods but want a little more distance in their game,” says Schultz. “We’ve had a lot of success with the 3+ and 4+ Hy-Woods so we’re adding a 5+ and 6+ so players can experience distance and forgiveness higher up in their bag.”

The new 5+ Hy-Wood is 24 degrees, the 6+ is 27 degrees. The new models feature the same technology as the fairway woods: MainFrame variable-face thickness, GlideRails on the sole, Rebound Frame for ball speed and an XL (extra-large) head. That allows for weighting lower and deeper than you’d find in any hybrid so, in theory, making them easier to hit.

The Hy-Wood features a shorter shaft than a comparable fairway wood which, again in theory, should also make them easier to hit.

Specs, price, availability

The new Cleveland Halo XL Lite fairway woods will be available in men’s and women’s models. They’ll be offered in 3HL, 5HL and 7HL (16.5, 19.5 and 22.5 degrees) in S-, R-, A- and L-flexes. The Aldila Ascent PL 40 is the stock shaft. The Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 Lite is the stock men’s grip while the Lamkin ST Soft is stock for women.

The 3HL and 5HL men’s and women’s models will be available for lefties and righties; the 7HL right-handed only. Women’s left-handed models will be available via custom order only.

The 5+ and 6+ HALO XL Hy-Woods will be available in men’s and women’s models but only in right-handed. The Aldila Ascent PL 40 is the stock shaft in the same four flexes. The Lamkin Crossline 360 is the stock men’s grip while the Lamkin ST Soft is the stock women’s grip.

The Cleveland HALO XL Lite fairways will retail for $229.99. The XL Hy-Woods will retail for $209.99.

They’ll be available online and in stores on Dec. 6.

For more information, visit the Cleveland Golf website.

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