Since its inception in 1979, Cleveland’s No. 1 focus as a golf company has been the short game, and since that time it has carved out a reputation as a dominant force in the wedge market.
Whether it was the original 588 (the No. 1 selling wedge of all-time), the popular CG series, or the more recent Rotex line, Cleveland has created wedges year after year that flat out perform for players of all ability levels.
Just how dominant has Cleveland been with wedges?
Since the introduction of the iconic 588 in 1988, Cleveland wedges have been in the bag for 350 PGA Tour wins, including 26 major championships, and they’ve been played by 11 players who ascended to No. 1 in the world rankings at one time or another. In all, during that time frame, the company has sold more than 10 million wedges.
Despite all of its success, Cleveland believed in some ways that it needed to rededicate itself to the ultimate goal when it comes to designing wedges, that being to create products to help players hit full shots and shots played from around the green closer to the hole.
And it was that mindset that proved to be the driving force behind the new RTX-3 line.
“For RTX-3, we went back to the fundamentals of wedge design,” said Brian Schielke, Cleveland/Srixon Golf Senior Product Manager. “We have three key technologies in this wedge, each aimed for more consistency and to help players get the ball closer to the hole.”
Technology #1: Feel Balancing
As Schielke mentioned, three unique innovations highlight the design of the RTX-3 wedges and fuel their performance. The first of those innovations is Feel Balancing Technology, which was accomplished by moving weight away from the hosel and closer to the center of the clubface. Engineers accomplished that task by using a shorter hosel design than is usually seen in wedges, and the hosel also utilizes a microcavity that helps save weight.
“The long hosels typically used in wedges pull weight toward the heel,” Schielke said. “But average players usually miss out toward the toe. We moved nine grams of weight away from the hosel and the CG is now closer to the center of the clubface. It took a lot of design work to keep that Cleveland look and shape, but that really has created a tighter dispersion.” The CG being moved away from the heel has multiple advantages as it relates to feel and performance.
From a feel standpoint, with the CG now being more in line with where players are striking the ball, the result is a softer, more crisp sound and feel at impact. In terms of performance, the new location of the CG has created more stability at impact because there’s less twisting of the face at impact, which results in the tighter shot dispersion that Schielke mentioned, as well as more consistency in terms of trajectory, spin, and distance. In testing, when compared with Rotex 2.0, Cleveland found that the overall dispersion area with RTX-3 decreased by 14 yards, while shots ended up on average more than three feet closer to the hole.
Technology #2: New V Sole Grinds
In an effort to improve consistency and help players get the ball closer to the hole, Cleveland engineers also felt that improved turf interaction would be a key component in RTX-3, which is why a new V Sole was incorporated into the design.
To call this innovation “new,” however, doesn’t tell the whole story.
“The second new thing with RTX-3 is the V-shaped sole grind, which we’ve been testing on Tour for two years,” Schielke said. “We added bounce to the leading edge, where you need it most. And we ground off the trailing edge for more stability.”
Adding bounce to the leading edge and utilizing a narrower sole, even in high-bounce models, makes the RTX-3 wedges more versatile in terms of their use around the green.
Additionally, because of the improved turf interaction created by the new sole design, which Cleveland engineers measured as 23 percent better than Rotex 2.0 in terms of speed retention, clubhead speed remains more constant from shot to shot, leading to more consistent results as it relates to distance and trajectory.
And finally, because the V Sole moves so efficiently through the turf, the improved feel that was created by moving the CG away from the hosel is only enhanced on full and short-game shots.
Technology #3: Rotex Clubface
Also playing a crucial role in the impressive playability and performance of RTX-3 is the new face design. One component of the improved performance being delivered by the New Rotex Clubface is the use of new Tour Zip Grooves.
“The new Tour Zip Grooves are a little bit deeper and a little bit narrower,” Schielke said. “The goal is to maximize consistency from the rough and get more consistent spin from the rough.” What you won’t see in RTX-3 that you will see from some manufacturers is the use of different grooves in different wedges depending on loft. “The grooves are all the same (in all models),” added Schielke.
“The purpose of grooves is to primarily channel dirt and debris away from the face for more consistent contact. We’ve found the optimal groove to do that for all lofts.” What is different, however, is that depending on the loft of the wedge, different micro-milling is utilized in the RTX-3 design.
“The micro-milling pattern in the higher lofts (54-64 degrees) is angled so that players can still get maximum spin around the greens when they’re opening the face,” Schielke said. “On the lower lofts (46-52 degrees) the micro-milling is straight for maximum performance on full shots.” Laser milling is also utilized in the design to provide maximum surface roughness across the face for increased friction and higher spin rates on shots played closer to the green.
Picking the Right Wedges for Your Game
As has long been the case, Cleveland is again utilizing its dot system to help players identify the right wedges for their game. One-dot wedges are low-bounce models, while three-dot wedges are high-bounce models.
Low-bounce wedges typically work best for players with shallow angles of attack (pickers) or from firmer turf and sand conditions, while high-bounce wedges are best suited for players who have steeper angles of attack (diggers) and work well from softer turf and sand conditions.
The two-dot models, meanwhile, are designed for more neutral angles of attack and will work well with a wide variety of turf and sand conditions.
What is new with RTX-3 is that Cleveland is also using an additional stamp to further clarify the grind/bounce of each model. The three options are V-LG, V-MG, and V-FG. More specifically, the “L” means low, the “M” mean mid, and the “F” means full, letters that equate to the bounce angle of each wedge.
As one might surmise given their descriptions, all V-LG wedges are one-dot models, all V-MG wedges are two-dot models, and all V-FG wedges are three-dot models.
All told, RTX-3 wedges are available in lofts ranging in two-degree increments from 46 to 64 degrees. Two-dot models are available in every loft, while the one- and three-dot models are available in sand and lob wedges at lofts of 54, 56, 58, and 60 degrees.
Cavity Back Option and Finish Choices
As has been the case with Cleveland wedges in recent years, the RTX-3 line does feature a Cavity Back model. The CB maintains the classic Cleveland shape, albeit in a slightly larger profile that was designed to deliver more forgiveness for the player who needs it.
“These wedges are not one size fits all,” Schielke said. “I think that’s one thing that separates us from a lot of competitors. We do wedges for different players, and I think the cavity back wedge is a great option for the golfer who’s playing more of a game-improvement iron.” The CB model is available only in a Tour Satin finish and is also offered in a ladies’ version at a lighter swing weight.
As for the standard RTX-3, in addition to Tour Satin, two other finishes are available as well. The first is the Black Satin finish, which has been designed to be significantly more durable than what was typically found in black finishes in years past. The second is the Tour Raw finish, which as the name might suggest is a favorite among touring professionals. Of note when it comes to the Tour Raw finish, which will rust over time, is that recreational golfers will get the exact same finish that Cleveland staffers are playing on Tour.
High Expectations
While Cleveland has enjoyed incredible success with its wedges for decades, there’s a palpable excitement around Cleveland headquarters as it relates to the official release of RTX-3.
That excitement comes not only from what has transpired with the design and the performance that’s been seen in testing, but also from early returns for the new line.
What specifically is Cleveland hearing from players who’ve had the chance to put this wedge into their bags?
“Out on Tour, the guys are really gravitating toward the sole design; they love the way it glides through the turf effortlessly,”Schielke said. “And I think average golfers really like the feel. With the weight in the right place, that’s something they really notice. It’s an exciting product for us and we love the way it turned out.”
