Cleveland re-imagined wedge play from the inside out when they introduced their RTX Zipcore wedges. Now they have innovated the Zipcore design. These are the Cleveland RTX Full Face Zipcore wedges. They took everything that made Zipcore great and added more of it with full-face grooves. TGW’s review team provides you with an in-depth look and exclusive video review.
Cleveland RTX Full Face Zipcore Wedge Review by TGW
Technology
Cleveland RTX Full Face Zipcore wedges utilize a low-density core material placed in the heel and hosel of the club to move the center of gravity to an even more effective location. Cleveland engineers freed up 15 grams of weight to move elsewhere in the clubhead for better all-around performance. The results include a sweet spot 1.4mm closer to the center of the face and 9% more MOI from the top to the bottom of the clubface. When you hit the sweet spot more often on your wedges, that means more spin, better feel, and greater control with unmatched consistency.
Ultizip grooves are sharper, deeper, and closer together to give you even more spin. Sharper grooves cut through grass and debris so you get clean contact on the ball shot after shot. By making them deeper, things like sand, dirt, and water are channeled away from the face. They also extended the grooves all over the club face. Combined with a high toe shape, you can open the face and hit the best flop shots you could imagine.
Cleveland uses a C-shaped sole grind on the RTX Full Face wedges for maximum performance on shots where you need to open the club face. The added relief in the heel and toe allow you to manipulate the face easily for even more versatility around the greens.
RTX Zipcore wedges are finished off with heat treatment of more than 1,000°C to make these golf clubs more durable than ever. Sharper grooves can wear faster so this unique treatment is designed to make that new wedge spin last longer. These wedges are forged from 8620 carbon steel so the extreme heat removes impurities and makes the grain structure more uniform and durable.
Peformance
To test the performance of the Cleveland RTX Full Face Zipcore wedges, we enlisted the help of Rick Hatfield. Rick is TGW’s Master Fitter and resident product expert. We wanted to test the stopping power of these wedges for we measured the spin on a half-wedge shot from around 45 yards. Hitting a 52° wedge, Rick produced an average of 6,700 rpm with the RTX Full Face wedge. With a 58° wedge, his average bumped up to 6,900 rpm. Golfers will have no trouble controlling the golf ball around the green with these clubs.
Who It’s For
Cleveland’s RTX Full Face Zipcore wedges are a Tour-driven wedge made to fit the preferences of skilled golfers. Golfers who need to manipulate the face to create the best flop shot will see improved performance with these wedges. Every golfer can benefit from the increased spin and control in the Zipcore wedges, and better golfers will be able to take advantage of that control and manipulate their shots around the green.
Appearance
Cleveland RTX Full Face Zipcore wedges feature a larger, higher toe profile than their Zipcore brethren. The Tour Satin finish provides a high-performance look at address. You also notice the extra grooves on the face along with the secondary Rotex milling pattern that provides confidence to let you know you are getting the most spin on every shot.
Feel & Sound
The Cleveland RTX Full Face Zipcore wedges feel soft on every shot. The turf interaction feels great as well. These wedges do not dig but they also do not have too much bounce. With the redistributed weight and realigned center of gravity, every shot feels effective. When you make solid contact, the Zipcore wedges both feel and sound like a well-struck wedge shot should, even when you have to open the face and hit the ball off the toe.
Cleveland RTX Full Face Zipcore Wedge
Cleveland RTX Full Face Zipcore Raw Wedge
