Cleveland Halo XL Fy-woods

Gear: Cleveland Halo XL Fy-woods
Price: $239.99 each with Aldila Ascent PL 40 graphite shaft and Lamkin Crossline 360 grip
Specs: Cast stainless steel. Available as 3+ (17 degrees) and 4+ (20 degrees) 

Who It’s For: Golfers who want an easy-to-hit, distance-oriented alternative to traditional fairway woods and hybrids.

The Skinny: The updated Fy-woods are designed to provide more distance and forgiveness than hybrids but be easier to hit than typical fairway woods, making them an interesting option for moderate and slower-swinging players who want more distance at the top of their bag.

The Deep Dive: In every golfer’s bag, there are a few transitions from one type of club to another, like golfing from your last iron into your first wedge. For many players, the most challenging transition is from your last fairway wood into your longest-hitting iron. You can go with a high-lofted fairway wood like a 7-wood or a 9-wood and then go right into a 5-iron, or go with a hybrid club or even a driving iron. With the release of the updated Halo XL Fy-wood, a group of clubs designed to blend the traits of fairway woods and hybrids, Cleveland is trying to make that transition easier for golfers who typically shoot in the 90s and 100s.

Rails on the sole help the Hy-woods skim over the grass and through the turf. (David Dusek/Golfweek)

The Halo XL Fy-woods are bigger than most hybrids and come standard with shafts that are longer than a corresponding hybrid, to help golfers generate more speed, but shorter than a similarly lofted fairway wood, so players should be able to make higher-quality contact more easily. The head sizes are also made to fit between those clubs, with volumes that are larger than hybrids but smaller than fairway woods.

Cleveland dropped a large portion of the crown behind the topline in the Halo XL Fy-woods. This Hi-Bore design has been used for several years to help lower the center of gravity location and encourage higher-flying shots.

Like the Halo XL fairway woods and hybrids, the Fy-wood has been designed with Rebound Frame, which adds a flexible region in the head behind the hitting area. At impact, it allows the whole face to flex back, enlarging the sweet spot and helping golfers get better performance across a larger area.