2019 Official Forum Member Review-Cleveland RTX 4 Wedges

[Golfspy_CG2 21,154]

In the golf club world, where most companies insist on renaming or launching a new name after one or two iterations of a club, to see a company stick with  a name into the 4th generation....well that must say something about the winning formula they have.   Below is a video from Cleveland Golf on it's RTX4 wedge. 

Then  we have four members of our forum who are in the process of testing these wedges to see how they perform for their games. See their initial thoughts in the Stage 1 posts below, and follow their on course and on range experiences with them in this thread over the next 4 weeks or so.

The Four Member Testers are:

@goaliewales14                              Stage 1                                  Stage 2

@Apes44                                         Stage 1                                  Stage 2

@MDGolfHacker                              Stage 1                                  Stage 2

@Smellis745                                   Stage 1                                 Stage 2  

 

[goaliewales14 1,059]

It’s RTX 4 Review Day!!!

 Introduction:

 First, a huge thank you to MGS and Cleveland for this amazing opportunity to take part in this review!  For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Mike.  This year marks 30 years of age and my 6^th year of golfing.  Over those 6 years, I’ve completely became a huge golf nerd!  I’m blessed to have an amazing wife, and a corporate accounting job that lets me fuel the obsession.

This opportunity couldn’t have come at a better time for me.  This season I’ve really been exploring if my wedges are set up correctly in terms of gapping and the course conditions in Indiana.  One of the biggest things I noticed was that I have a 100-yard problem.  I have to take a lot off of my 50* set gap wedge to hit that distance, and my 56* maxes out at 90ish-yards.  It’s to the point where I’ll take less than driver off the tee to make sure to avoid that 100-yard distance. 

To determine if my wedges are set up for the course conditions, I’ve been exploring my grinds.  I am currently gaming the Ping Glide 2.0 WS wedges.  This grind is made for diggers and soft conditions.  While I can be known for taking a good divot, a lot of the courses I play are hard and fast.  This is extremely true for the bunkers as well!  I’ve been struggling with blading out of bunkers and always thinking it’s my swing rather than the bounce.

 Current Wedges:

 As I mentioned, I’m currently playing the Ping Glide 2.0 WS wedges in a 56* and 60*.  I bought these wedges in 2017 after going through a wedge fitting through a local course.  This was before I reviewed Martin Chuck’s Tour Striker Academy, so my swing needed serious help as you may have read.  The fitter suggested going with a wedge that has a lot of bounce to help me fight the chunk and trying to get out of the bunkers.  He didn’t care on the brand, just as long as I had a lot of bounce.  After hitting the Glide 2.0’s in thick rough, I knew those were the ones!

 Fast forward to a few weeks ago, a local pro shop was kind enough to lend me a demo Glide 2.0 wedge of the TS (low bounce option) grid to compare to my WS.  The bounce difference….6* vs. 14*.  We figured let’s play the extremes to see what I really like/need.  The first few hits with the TS grind and I realized this is what I’ve been missing!  These are all things I took into consideration when selecting the RTX 4 wedges.

 RTX 4 Wedges:

 If you haven’t read the MGS article on these wedges, you definitely need to check it out!

https://mygolfspy.com/first-look-cleveland-rtx-4-wedges/

To recap that article, what’s new about the RTX 4 wedges over RTX 3?  First, as you’d imagine, there’s a focus on getting more spin.  What did they do to give you that spin? 

The other difference between the generations, and I believe more significant difference, is offering grinds with these wedges.  With the RTX 3 wedges, all of the wedges had the v-sole.  You can see below that the bounce just determined the position of the V.

The RTX 4 wedges offer 4 different grinds, full, mid, low, and xlow. 

I think this makes them extremely more versatile in their offerings.  We saw a similar trend with the Bridgestone wedges in an earlier review this year.  They moved from a 1 grind option to 3 in their new wedges.

 I’ll be testing the “Mid” grind in the 54* and the “Xlow” grind in the 58*.  What are each of those grinds meant to do?

 The “Mid” Grind:

 This grind would compare very closely to the RTX 3 wedges by having the V-Shaped sole.  This is Cleveland’s all-around wedge grind.  At 54*, this is the only option in terms of grind.  I would have loved to see the “Low” grind in this wedge to cater more towards firmer conditions.  I’m assuming that Cleveland believes that this degree of wedge will be used for primarily for approach shots into the greens rather than around the green.  When looking at the options provided by Vokey and Ping at this degree, 1 grind seems a bit limiting. 

 The “Xlow” Grind:

 If I had to choose a favorite before we started this review, this would be the grind.  This grind has 3* of bounce.  This grind is designed for extremely tight lies and hard conditions.  My favorite wedge shot is to lay the face wide open and flop it.  This grind should give me the ability to do that off of any lie.

 First Impressions:

 So I may have been watching my home security cameras all day at work until I say these clubs delivered…at last the FedEx guy comes!!

Rushing home from work, I felt like a kid waking up on Christmas morning just waiting to tear into this box to see what’s inside.  It doesn’t matter if you know what’s in there, you still can’t wait to see it.  That anticipation didn’t disappoint by any means!  See for yourself!

These wedges look amazing!  From the shine of the tour satin finish to the grooves laid into the toe of the club.  Just looking at them makes you want to go out and swing them!

 I do have to say that I did a few practice swings and I noticed these feel heavier than Ping Glide 2.0’s.  That is something I actually really love with my clubs.  It allows me to keep track of the club head better during my swing.  I can’t wait to get this review underway!

 What do I really need out of a wedge?

• Ability to open the face
  • Flop it like it's hot!
  • Distance control/trajectory
• Play off hard surfaces
  • Both bunkers and fairways
• Confidence to get out of ROUGH
• Of course, stopping power

 Luckily, I have a great short game area at a nearby course that’ll be doing a lot of initial testing before I take them out on the course.

Let the testing begin!!!

Edited August 14, 2019 by goaliewales14

[goaliewales14 1,059]

Stage Two - The Review 9/23/19

Cleveland RTX 4 – Official MGS Forum Review

Intro

Welcome back!  After several trips to local courses’ short game areas, multiple range sessions, various rounds, a few launch monitor sessions, and one shoulder injury later, the data has been collected for Stage II.

Again, I want to thank MGS and Cleveland for this opportunity to be a part of this review!  I’ve had so much fun getting creative with every shot to fully test the Cleveland RTX 4 wedges.  Let’s get into the scoring, shall we?

Looks (10 out of 10 points) 

The Cleveland RTX 4 wedges are your classic blade shaped wedges.  They look beautiful!  When you look down onto the face and see the Rotex milling on the toe of the wedge, it really inspires confidence that these wedges will put a lot of spin on the ball.  For me, one of the main goals for looks is to inspire confidence and these certainly do that!

I really like that the Tour Satin isn’t a true chrome finish.  It’s more of a matte silver to mitigate glare for those bright sunny days.  There is a touch of the true chrome finish on the back of wedge which just adds some more class to these wedges.  If the Tour Satin aren’t the finish for you, they also offer a Black Satin and a Raw finish. 

Sound & Feel (7 out of 10 points)

 When comparing the sound and feel of RTX 4 wedges, I would say this is the one category where these wedges fall a bit short. Overall for sound and feel, I thought they were good, but not great.  The sound has a bit of a click to it which to me comes from them being a bit harder in feel.  As I mentioned in my 50-yard pitch test, I thought the Vokey SM7 wedges felt softer.  Whether that comes down to the stock shaft being a touch softer, S200 vs S300, or something in the wedges themselves.  I just wished I received the same sound and feel as some of the other wedges in this category.

 

Basic Characteristics (18 out of 20 points)

 The getting acquainted period was the true joy of this test.  The first place I went to was the short game area in my Stage 1.  It’s a spot where I can practice almost any shots around the green, bunker shots, and pitch shots.  I went there multiple times throughout this review.  Each time, there wasn’t a shot I couldn’t pull of with these wedges.  The wedge that truly out performed everything was the 58* Xlow.  You want to talk about limitless options, this is the wedge that will give you that.  I’ve never had a wedge that I can confidently open the face as much as I want even on tight lies. 

 Out of bunkers, this club didn’t disappoint either. 

 

You can see in the updates where these bunker shots ended up.  There hasn’t been a bunker yet that the Xlow hasn’t been able to master.

You’ll notice that I’ve specifically been talking about the 58* a lot.  If the review was just on that wedge, it would be a 25 out of 20.  The 54* Mid grind was just your standard wedge, as I mentioned in Stage 1.  The more I messed around with this wedge, the more I wished there were different grind options to play with shots around the green.  The wedge performed great on your standard shots, but I’m one that likes to open the face to control distances.  The standard grind made it difficult to do that.

 

On-Course Performance (30 out of 30 points)

When I took these wedges out on the course, there wasn’t any part of me that wished I had different wedges.  As I mentioned in Stage 1, I really needed to switch to a 54*/58* combo instead of a 56*/60*.  The 100-yard shot was killing me.  In a 2-man 9-hole tournament I played in, the 8^th hole was a par 5.  I was forced to lay up after finding a fairway bunker.  The yardage I laid up to was 105 yards with a bunker guarding the front of the green.  I felt that confident in this wedge to lay up to a yardage I couldn’t hit before these wedges.  The result was hitting it to 7 feet and making the birdie putt.

Before these wedges, I wasn’t the most confident out of the bunker.  A lot of that being that the bounce of my Ping Glide 2.0’s not fitting the course conditions that I play in around here.  During one of my rounds on a par 3, I pushed the tee shot and was actually begging for the ball to end up in the bunker rather than the rough.  I used to avoid going for par 5’s in 2 if they had a front bunker because of not being able to get out of them.  With the Xlow, I’m now trusting my bunker skills almost more than my chipping.

There are multiple stories that I could list here where I used this wedges on approach shots, or around the green, with similar outcomes.  What it all comes down to is how confident I felt with pressure on to pull these wedges and trust them.

 

Miscellaneous (10 out of 10 points)

The packaging and shipping were great!  There weren’t any issues with the clubs being damaged, and with the FedEx tracking system, it was great to get updates on when they would arrive.

Everyone that I played with on the course loved these wedges.  There wasn’t one negative comment about them.

 

Play it or Trade it? (18 out of 20 points)

With the 58* Xlow, you couldn’t rip that wedge out of my bag.  I couldn’t imagine there being another club that would be able to find that could give me this much confidence.  This is the lowest bounce club on the market and that’s one of the reasons I love it.

The 54* if I were buying this for myself, I would probably go with either Vokey or Ping.  I would want a more playable grind option rather than just the standard V-Sole.  This is a great wedge, don’t get me wrong.  This wedge to me plays exactly like an iron.  However, with the confidence that I’ve gained with this club of the past few weeks, this wedge isn’t leaving my bag anytime soon.

 

Conclusion

I can’t thank MGS and Cleveland enough for allowing me to do this review!  Cleveland continues making top of the line wedges with the RTX 4.  These wedges have given me so much confidence.  Confidence that I’m relying on in pressure situations.  I really believe that these wedges will truly help lower my scores.  The Xlow has allowed me to see so many different options when I’m around the green, the problem is now which option to choose.

The only downside for me is the grind options for the 54* wedges.  All of these are basically standard grinds that you’d find on an iron.

Final Score: 93/100

Edited September 23, 2019 by goaliewales14

[Smellis745 420]

A bit of an informal introduction to myself, my name is Chris and I’m from the upstate of SC.  Most of my golf is also played in this area.  I lurked MGS for a while, reading site news and user reviews, then finally made the plunge to become a member and donor back in January because I believe in the mission this site pushes.  I’ve played golf for most of my life, but never more than 2-3 rounds, most of which were scramble tournaments and never practiced except for visiting the range the week before.  I just relied on athletic ability alone and could manage to keep my game in the bogey golf range.  About 1 1/2 years ago, I decided that I needed a new hobby, stepping out of competitive archery.  Since I could already hit a golf ball fairly strong, figured I’d try golf out.  I watched a lot of YouTube tutorials and would spend many hours on the range, trying to get the right “feels” for what I was after.  That got me pretty consistent mid 80 rounds, occasional breaking 80 but also not being able to break 90 some days.  I knew I had more in the tank and I wanted more.  I found a great coach based on the recommendation of my director at work (Todd Ellison @ TGM Golf Academy in Easley, SC) and started taking lessons over the past winter.  That’s helped get me to where I am now, though I’m still not where I want to be.  But, those of you with young children know, time is a very valuable thing and something more precious that a shot or two off a score card.  This is me and my oldest daughter, my youngest will start the First Tee program this fall and I’ll have both of my minions on the golf course with me.

 

In my game though, wedges and scoring irons are where I place the most emphasis during my range practice sessions.  Depending on the length of the hole, potential trouble, etc…  I’ll pick a target number off the tee and hit the club to get me where I want to be, whether it’s driver, 3w, or an iron.  I’ve spent a lot of time on the range this past year, dialing in distances from <150, but really focusing on <125 as that is my goal for most par 4s in our area.  Working on swings from 9-3, chest to chest, shoulder to shoulder, and ear to ear.  I stumbled on this video on Youtube one day…

 

…and took the thoughts to the range.  It’s not perfect and is still a work in progress, but what a game changer this has been for me in learning to control my distances.  I love the wedge game in golf.  I have always loved to watch Phil Mickelson play and his manipulation of the ball around the green.  When I see a video of Phil offering short game advice, I listen intently. 

 

Mmmmhmmm fresh grooves!!

 

We all know that golf is an incredible challenge, but it’s also a great way to meet other people.  Both of these are my top two reasons why I play this game.  I love the fact that I’ll never beat it and will constantly be striving to get better, but I’ve also made some really good friends.

 

Anyhow, on to the meat of why you’re all here.

In my bag, you’ll find…

Taylormade M3 8.5 with Project X Evenflow White 75 6.5

Callaway Rogue 15* 3w with Project X Evenflow Black 75 6.5

Srixon Z965 3-P irons with Nippon C10 X Prototype shafts

Titleist SM7 50.08 F (bent 1* weak) / 56.08 M / SM6 58.12 K with DG S400 shafts

Odyssey Black Series #3

I broke down this season and purchased new wedges.  I had noticed that I wasn’t getting near the spin on my wedges and knew it was time.  It was a night and day difference with the consistency in flight and holding on the greens.  My Vokeys are only a few months old, so hopefully the testing with the RTX 4 wedges will be able to provide some interesting comparisons.  I don’t have a huge gap difference in the last two wedges, but the main reason for this, for me, varying turf conditions and having versatility around the greens, whether chipping from the fairway, playing out of compacted or fluffy bunkers, tight lies, and early morning water run-off mushy lies.  I have 100% confidence in that 58K grind from a greenside bunker, which is going to be interesting to see how the RTX4 58 Mid grind will compare.  It doesn’t mean I always execute the shot, but I believe I can and that’s over half the battle.

As I mentioned earlier, I’ve worked hard on my game since the beginning of this year.  I’ve worked my handicap down to where my current trend is a 4.4.  Scoring for me really depends on how my driver cooperates and I’m getting off the tee.  If I can get off the tee and keep the ball between the stakes, it’s going to be a pretty good scoring day.  I’ve always been a pretty good scrambler and would say it’s a strength to my game.  I would describe my tempo as moderate to quick with an average swing speed with my driver 113.6 and 7 iron 93.2 mph from my last TrackMan session.  When I reach 100 yards, I’m grabbing my gap wedge and swinging my smooth shoulder to shoulder swing.  I can flight this shot high or low depending on the conditions, but my favorite is a lower trajectory, knock down that hops one time and stops on the green.  It’s a swing feel that I’ve really grooved in since winter.  My typical ball flight is a fade.  I chased trying to change my swing to work a draw, but I found the fade more consistent and easier to control.  My biggest miss with a driver is when I leave the face too open relative to my club path and hit a high, go nowhere, slice.  With my short game, my biggest miss is usually a blocked out, push to the right.  The strength of my game is definitely from 150 yards in to the green.  I have confidence that from that range, I’m going to be able to give myself a decent look at birdie.  My biggest weakness has nothing to do with my swing, but my ability to keep focused for a full 18 holes.

 

***INITITAL IMPRESSIONS***

Now to the dessert…  So with this testing opportunity, I opted to go with 52 and 58 mid grinds.  A good friend of mine, who’s also my club builder, asked what I thought and the best description I can give is they are a match made in heaven with my Srixon irons, especially the 52*.  The mid sole grind fits as if they’re a direct extension from irons.  The turf interaction is amazing.  If I miss slightly fat, I don’t lose much at all as they just don’t dig into the dirt.

I love a black finish on wedges as it helps reduce glare from the sun.  I will say though, I prefer the look of the flat black finish of my Vokeys vs the satin black finish on the RTX4, but the finish on the RTX4 wedges after two 18 hole rounds and three 9 hole rounds show no wear, except for some sand nicks on the face, but that’s going to happen. 

 

The RTX4 wedges frame the ball well and are pleasing to the eye at address. 

 

I haven’t had a chance to hit these wedges on a launch monitor yet to compare them to my Vokeys, but from my on course testing they definitely seem to spin more than my Vokeys did brand new.  With my Vokeys, on controlled swing shots from 50-100 yards, the best I ever got was the one hop stop and even a couple feet worth of roll out on some shorter shots where they weren’t picked as clean.  With the RTX4, that roll out has disappeared and on the longer range shots with each wedge, the ball will pull back to near the initial contact point on the green.  I hope to get on a monitor at some point so I can have some definitive numbers.

 

The biggest difference though that I have noticed thus far is bunker play between the Vokey 56M and 58K grinds vs the RTX4 58 Mid.  The Mid grind plays almost between these two.  In the past, if the bunker was compacted or shallow, I’d grab my 56M.  If it is soft and deeper sand, I’d grab the 58K.  I’ve found that the RTX4 58 Mid is workable in both situations, but it’s not near as consistent in soft/deeper sand.  It does tend to get caught up in those bunkers a bit more, but does fine in a bunker that’s shallow or compacted. 

 

There was one instance I was in a bunker where the sand was moderate, not super soft, but not compacted either.  I opened the face on the RTX4 58 Mid, and tried to launch the ball up high because the green was elevated about 6 foot from the base of the bunker and the pin was short-sided.  I’ve never had this happen before, but the wedge cut a ½” gash in the cover of my Srixon that went down beyond the urethane cover.  I wish I would have taken a picture of it, but I got rather aggravated in the heat of the moment and slung the ball in the woods after the hole because it was on the first hole and a brand new ball.  I’ll try to duplicate it again during my next practice opportunity to see if it was a one off thing or if this may be a problem with the combo.  It hasn’t happened since, but I’ve not had any other shots where I was trying to pull off that type shot.  Maybe it was just the super fresh grooves on the wedge which is where I lean towards being the cause.

 

One last thought, so far there are things that I prefer with each wedge vs the other.  I’ll expand on that more in the stage two portion of my review, but my initial thoughts are that you can’t go wrong with either one.  The versatility in stock grind options from Vokey are what really separates them from the pack in my opinion, but the Cleveland RTX4 lineup is more than able to hold it’s own.  Also, you can’t go wrong with a DG Tour Issue S400 as the stock option!  It is a nit-pick complaint, but I do prefer solid black ferrules rather than the white rings.

 

Please feel free to ask any questions or things you’d like to know!!  Thanks again MGS and Cleveland for this opportunity.

[Smellis745 420]

Stage 2

Intro

Again, I’d like to thank Cleveland and MGS for the opportunity to test the RTX4 wedges.  I did my best to test these wedges and put them through the ringer.  I was never able to get on a monitor for hard data, which was a bummer, but had a few migrations to push through at work and I could never coordinate a time session with my fitter in the evenings as the shop closes before I was able to get out of the office.  I did still get out for a few late evening range sessions, 9 hole walks, and a few weekend rounds. 

 

 

Looks (9 out of 10 points) 

This is where the RTX4 shined for me more than any other area.  These things look great.  I love the overall design and how the shape changes as you increase in loft.  The black satin finish is really nice and seems to hold up well.  It’s not a flat finish and does have some shine to it, but it doesn’t blind me like a high loft chrome wedge.  Outside of a few spots on the face, there are only a few light scuff marks across the bottom of the sole.  The 58 mid I tested does show a little more sole wear, but I used it mostly in bunker tests.  Compared to my Jet Black SM7s, where the black finish was wearing off after the first range session, Cleveland knocked it out of the park.  Another area in the finish I really appreciated is the paint filled loft mark.  The contrast between the wedge finish and white paint made it incredibly easy to differentiate which wedge I was grabbing.  A minor detail but if you’ve ever inadvertently grabbed the wrong wedge, this is something that you’ll appreciate.

 

The ONLY reason I’m not giving the RTX4 a 10 out of 10 in the looks department is because I am not a fan at all of the ferrule from the factory.  The appearance just makes the hosel look incredibly long and I prefer a solid black ferrule without the white lines.  That’s a minor complaint, but it’s just not for me.

 

 

Sound & Feel (10 out of 10 points)

Sound and feel have always been very subjective to me.  I.e. a lot of people complained about the sound of the Epic Flash, but I like the sound of it.  For me, when the shot is hit in the center of the face there is a muted click.  Not much of anything, which for me is a good thing.

 

As with the sound, when struck in the middle of the face you don’t feel much with any swing where you’ll compress the ball.  If you miss towards the toe, you’ll feel it but it’s still a small clicky feel, but not stinging your hands by any means.  On less than 50% shots, or chips around the green, slight click but nothing annoying.

 

When it comes to sound/feel and the affect on my performance, I like my clubs to feel like nothing was there when I hit the middle of the face.  When I miss the middle, I like to be able to feel and have an idea of where the ball is headed before I ever find it.  These wedges offered that feel for me.  Regarding sound affecting my performance, I’ve only had one club in my bag that did that which was the Callaway XR driver.  That thing had such a loud, high pitched, PLANK sound when I hit it.  I never wanted to hit it on the range because I was scared it would affect other people nearby.  So friggin loud.  Off the subject of these wedges I know, but sound typically doesn’t affect me near as much as feel.

 

 

Basic Characteristics (16 out of 20 points)

I’ll get to the details in the next section…

 

Accuracy, distance, and trajectory – I struggled a little early because the ball launches much higher with the test setup than what I’m used to seeing.  A higher shot equals tougher distance dispersion control.  If I lined up properly though, these things never wavered left to right.  If the shot was a little chunky, distance lost was not near as bad as it should have been.  I attribute this to the mid grind which I feel is an incredibly forgiving grind for half to full shots, not so much around the green for chipping though.  A shot hit off center would lose some distance, but again, not as much as it should.  This I attribute to the progressive face balancing technology.  When Cleveland claims something, it’s not just words, they mean it.

 

Control and workability – This is where I struggled with the RTX4.  Could it be the shaft, could it have been the grinds and how I attack the ball, I don’t know.  Control was a bit more difficult because of the distance dispersion.  I eventually got a feel for it, but it took a while because, as I said, the ball just launches higher than what I’m used to. 

 

 

On-Course Performance (25 out of 30 points)

 

With each range session, I made it a point to hit these wedges vs my Vokeys to try and get the best comparison.  We have a pretty nice range and short game practice area at my home course.  On the range, I always try to work on the 40-120 shots for most of my session and hit a few with my 7i, 5i, and driver to close.  What I found on the range is that, while I was able to develop a decent feel for distance control, I was never able to flight the RTX4 wedge the way I like to.  I look to approach greens based on where the flag is located.  If it’s in the back, I like to hit a lower trajectory shot that will hop once and bite.  If the pin is on the front to middle, I like to hit the ball higher and allow the descent to stop the ball more than the spin.  With the RTX4, I could never get that knockdown to work, everything just seemed to launch high.  I could adjust the ball position in my stance slightly, but I could never get the shot I wanted to see.  Same shaft, same grip, 1 degree difference in the gap wedges, but I couldn’t make it work.  As far as hitting a standard shot and not trying to manipulate the face much, these things were excellent.  They produce a consistent shot with consistent height with very little work, just line up and hit the shot.

 

Where my only real complaint with the RTX4 would be, is on greenside chips.  This may just be a me thing, but for me, the RTX4 spun much more than I’m used to.  I had several chips that I would make anticipating rollout to the flag, yet literally stopping in place after the first hop, while others wouldn’t check as hard and the ball would roll well past the hole.  Chipping around the green has always been a stronger part of my game and something I’ve always been confident in, but I could never find it with the RTX4

 

In the bunkers, the 58.9 mid held it’s on compared to my 58.12, in shallow or wet/damp packed bunkers.  I prefer playing out of tight bunkers.  I’m not the greatest soft/deep bunker player, but I’m able to get out and on the green much easier with my 58.12K than I am the 58.9 mid.  The RTX4 would sometimes dig too deep and the ball would come up well short.  I would mostly attribute this to sole width, plus a few degrees more bounce.

 

Overall, these wedges performed where needed.  The miscues, especially with bunker play, are more on me and my short comings in bunker play.  I didn’t notice any difference in scores when gaming these the past month and half over my Vokey’s.  As a matter of fact, my index has remained the same at 4.4.  I’ve never gamed a Cleveland branded product, but I’ve been in love with Srixon irons since the Z745 series released.  The quality of these wedges are on point as I expected them to be.

 

The features of the RTX4 that Cleveland markets; progressive shaping, progressive feel balancing, Tour Zip Grooves all seem to hit on what they claim and I don’t think there’s anything there I would change.  I mentioned in earlier in this review, but even shots hit off center weren’t too punishing yet did provide enough feedback so I knew exactly where I struck the ball.  I would love to see the progressive face balancing technology continue on with these wedges.  I’d also love to see Cleveland continue to evolve in their grind options as I believe this is where Vokey keeps their stranglehold on the market.

 

Miscellaneous (10 out of 10 points)

I didn’t really speak on it previously, but my interactions with the umbrella of Cleveland Golf have always been phenomenal.  Orders have always been processed quickly and packages have always been secured and protected.  These wedges were no different.  The wedges arrived in a triangular box and offered plenty of protection from FedEx handlers tossing them around during the shipping process.  MGS staff placed the order on 7/22 and the wedges went cross country from CA to my door in SC in 6 business days.

 

 

Play it or Trade it? (20 out of 20 points)

Would I purchase these new if I were looking for some new wedges?  If I could find a shaft combo that worked, yes.  The RTX4 is a quality product with a good bit of innovation behind it that works.  The value you get in the RTX4 is definitely worth what you pay.  The finish is excellent, and the factory shaft option is the DG Tour Issue S400.  There are several aftermarket shafts available at zero, to little, upcharge.

 

Do I prefer them over my current wedges?  This is a tossup and the question I had the hardest time answering.  The quality and craftsmanship of these wedges are tip top and on par with any other wedge maker.  Just because the sticker on the shelf for the RTX4 is less, you’re not getting a lesser product.  However, something with the setup I tested is just not for me, the ball seems to launch at a higher angle than I’m used to seeing and for me that did make the distance dispersion a little more difficult to tame, although I finally got it workable.  I mentioned the inability to hit a consistent knockdown which is a shot I love to have in the bag, but it’s also not a shot I hit every round.  Maybe something along the lines of a KBS 610 shaft would help get the flight I prefer to see.  As far as just squaring up and making a stock swing golf shot, the RTX4 delivered.  But to answer the question, for me, I still prefer my Vokeys.

 

If any of my playing partners, or anyone reading this review were in the market for new wedges, I’d give a thumbs up to try the RTX4.  However, as with any golf purchase, it would be best to be properly fit so you get the right loft and grind for your game.  I know Cleveland has the CBX2 in their lineup now and they’re marketed towards golfers needing more forgiveness, but I’m really not sure how they can be that much more forgiving than the RTX4.  When you slack on your swing, they’ll be there to pick you up.  Again, if any golfer was properly fit in to these wedges, I think they could excel with them.

 

 

Conclusion

TL:DR – Cleveland delivers on (most) their promises with the RTX4.  The wedges are an amazing deal and although priced cheaper, are far from a cheaper product.  For a blade style wedge, they are incredibly forgiving and do exactly what a wedge is designed to do, make a ball stop on the green leaving you with birdie putts.  If you want a wedge that just works, go with the RTX4.

Final Score: 90

[Brian A 943]

Intro

 First off, have to say thank you to MGS and Cleveland for trusting me to test and review these new wedges. I have been golfing since I was about 12 years old (I’m 34 now) but up until about 3 years ago never put a lot of time or effort in to it. I would say I’ve been an avid golfer for 3 years.  I live in southwest Pennsylvania and if anyone has played here you know how rarely you get to hit off a flat lie due to the hills! I am excited to test these out because wedges are not only one of my stronger parts to my game but also one of my favorites to hit with. My friends always laugh when we get paired up with people and I get to within 50 yards because they know as bad as I can be off the tee that I will make up many strokes there!

 

Currently my bag is made up of Ping G30 driver, woods, hybrids, Titleist AP1 718’s, Scotty Golo 5 and the Cleveland CBX wedges 52* and 56* wedges. I picked the same lofts to be able to compare directly to what I am used to and good with. I got fitted for everything but the Scotty (I just wanted a Scotty).  My handicap is my ability to get off the tee in to the fairway, well really my handicap is roughly 17, per the Swing U app (used to be Swing x Swing). I have a faster swing tempo, however when it comes to my wedges, it’s a very deliberate slower tempo to focus on impact. Distance isn’t an issue for me as the 52* club is my go-to 100 yd shot. Typical ball flight is left to right, mid trajectory and when I miss it is a bad slice.  I have always been a Cleveland wedge guy, way back to the CG14 that were later deemed illegal.

 

 

First Impressions
The highlights of the upgraded wedges Cleveland promotes are:
Tour Zip Grooves - Sharper, deeper grooves slice through grass, sand and water for more consistent spin on every shot.

More Durable Laser Milling - Longer-lasting laser milling brings face roughness right to the conforming limit for more friction and more spin on all shots.
Centerd Rotex Face Milling - Milling that’s in-line with your strike pattern increases backspin on all full, pitch, and chip shots.
Progressive Feel Balancing Technology - New Muscle shaping on the back of each loft progressively adjusts the center of gravity on both the vertical and horizontal axes, enhancing feel and distance control, even when you don't strike the face center.

What does this mean to me? Well it sounds like the little bit of spin I can currently put on the ball will be increased and the face will last much longer.  I would be interested in the durability over long term because I don’t play enough that the durability will be put to the test in the short time for this review. Usually get new wedges 3 years or so. Hopefully the feel balancing will mean fewer crazy mishits or blading the wedge off the fairway.

The specs I picked most closely match what I have now in the CBX version, same lofts, shafts and grips. I am hoping that this newer upgraded version will allow me to have better control around the greens.

My first impressions when I opened the box is these things are sturdy.  Personally, I like a heavier wedge, feels like I have more control, and these meet my needs!  The balance on them is great, they grooves feel deep and sharp. Really digging the look of the black satin. If you’re someone who needs things to look perfect don’t go with the black satin, it finger prints very easy. (Not a big deal to me but I know there are some people out there like that.)

 

I have played a few rounds so far and am liking what I am seeing. My plan to test is to put them in the bag and see how they score. I also plan on going to the local range that has a green and chipping on to them. I really want to see how these compare to the original CBX that I am lights out with from 50 and in.

[Brian A 943]

Cleveland RTX 4 Wedge– Official MGS Forum Review by APES44

Intro

Lets’s see where the RTX 4 sits atop the leaderboard. Most of my testing was in round play, I did a little here and there around practice greens, in my basement (as that’s where I do most of my short chipping practice with foam balls) and went to my local GolfTec.  My theory that anyone/thing can perform well in staged tests, it’s when you’re out on the course is when performance matters.

Looks (9 out of 10 points) 

I absolutely love the looks of these wedges. The black wedges cut down glare and have a unique look to them. The grooves look nice and deep and the laser milling looks good!

 

Sound & Feel (10 out of 10 points)

The sound on these is nothing out of the ordinary which I love because it doesn’t distract from the focus on a wedge shot. Nice, quiet and smooth, just a soft click at impact. The feel is where the RTX4 gets the points. To me they have a nice soft consistent feel that is really dialed in for performance. Was able to really get closer to pins with these. Even mishits aren’t as penalizing as my old clubs!

Basic Characteristics (18 out of 20 points)

Looking at some of the most important abilities of the club

• Accuracy – These are dart like accuracy, several playing partners commented on how close I was to the pin on chips. I had about 5 chip ins with these.
• Distance Control – These went about the same distances for the same swings.
• Trajectory – I like the ability to hit the ball high and drop hard on the green to stick it.
• Forgiveness – This is a forgiving club but will still penalize you for blades with blistering line drives.
• Control – Very easy to control these wedges both distance and trajectory.

I was also able to get in the bay at my local Golftec to get some numbers, heres what came out of it.

Club	Avg Ball Speed	Side Spin	Back Spin	Total Spin	Distance
56* CBX	64	146 L	5431	5443	73
56* RTX 4	58	88.4 R	4458	4469	64
52* CBX	72	159 R	4889	4902	90
56* RTX	68.4	326 R	5485	5503	82

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On-Course Performance (28 out of 30 points)

This is where the RTX4’s really shine!  They are some of the most accurate wedges I have ever owned, as mentioned several chip-in shots. One of my weaknesses was bunker play, with these I was usually able to get out of the bunkers in one and near the end of testing, happy with where I would end up on those shots. I joked with my friends I’d rather be off the green on my 2^nd shot and chip with these instead of having a GIR and a longer putt. The short game confidence they inspire is a major bonus. Easy to open the club face for flop shots over trees or trouble. Honestly can’t say enough good about theses wedges, my only point deduction is if you blade the shot, the line drive is powerful!

 

 

 

Miscellaneous (10 out of 10 points)

The people at Cleveland were awesome to us with these wedges, they came fast and the packaging on them was near perfect. I’ve had friends try them at the range or around a green and they all loved them.

 

Play it or Trade it? (20 out of 20 points)

PLAY IT! Went so far as to even give my dad my old CBX wedges mid-way though the testing. At $139 currently priced it runs close the same cost as higher end irons. If I could only pick one I’d get the 56* wedge no questions. This is the perfect club for a mid-handicapper to scratch golfer. It might be to much for someone who needs real game improvement irons, however learn on the GI CBX and then a switch to these isn’t a reach.

 

Conclusion

If you want to impress your friends from 50 yards and in and take strokes back, get the Cleveland RTX4. This is a go to gamer wedge for those who love the short game. I had several chip-ins from off the green, and too many to count where playing partners would give me the putt because I was able to stick it so close to the hole.

Final Score: 95/100

[MDGolfHacker 6,768]

SPIN

CONTROL and a

HOLEOUT CHIP SHOT!

Did that get your attention?!

 

Before I start writing about the Cleveland RTX 4 wedges, I first need to acknowledge Cleveland Golf for supplying the RTX 4 wedges and to MyGolfSpy for making the testing opportunity available!

 

My past story can be found here:

from the testing I did for the 2018 Cobra Connect Challenge.  The current wedges in my bag consist of the Cobra One Length wedges in 52* and 58* lofts.  Not much has changed since last year.  My game can be hot one week and colder than ice the next. 

I have never been a strong wedge player since I’ve never been one of those guys that could hop and stop an approach  or control the roll out on a chip, but with the short time I’ve spent with the Cleveland RTX 4’s, I can already tell this will be changing!  I play to an approximate handicap of a 12 or 13 with a medium fast take away and a quick return to impact on the ball.  Lately, I’ve been using a gap wedge for 100 yard approaches but started to use the sand wedge for those shots if needed.  My typical miss for wedges are, well a shank. 

I didn’t want to type that word for fear it might spread – HA HA HA!

Hopefully, the Cleveland RTX 4 wedges will help me in an area where I have never been particularly good at - approach and chip shots.

First impressions are important, whether meeting people or unboxing wedges.  Cleveland packaged the wedges for maximum protection of the heads and the shafts. 

There wasn’t a scratch or imperfection on the wedge heads, shafts or grips!  The wedges look nice and clean with little to distract at address or looking at the back.

 

When I picked up the RTX 4’s, the first thing I noticed was the heavier weight of the wedges.

  I ordered the 52* and 56* lofts and the default weights are D4 and D5 respectively while my previous Cobra F8 One length wedges had D1 swing weights.  I won’t go in depth about the technology Cleveland Golf packs into the RTX 4 wedges.  You can find that information here: https://www.clevelandgolf.com/us/rtx4-wedges.html  I didn’t think that RTX4 would be any different than the myriad of wedges that I’ve played before…from the original Titleist SM wedges to the Nike VR wedges.  Boy, was I wrong about that!  The 4^th generation of the rotex face is incredible!

It generated more spin to the point I could actually see the backspin on the ball on chips!  I was able to generate spin whether from the fairway or deeper rough!  On only my second hole using the wedge, I was able to control the chip from 10 yards out, land it where I was aiming and hole out for a birdie!

More to come in my stage 2 report, but suffice to say, I’m pretty impressed so far with how the RTX 4 wedges are performing.  If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask me!

A few more photos of the Cleveland RTX 4:

 

 

[MDGolfHacker 6,768]

Stage Two - The Review: September 22, 2019

 

Cleveland Golf RTX 4 Tour Satin Wedges – Official MGS Forum Review by MDGolfHacker

Intro

Continuing on from my initial stage 1 review, I have plenty to say about the RTX 4 wedges by Cleveland Golf, and all of it good!  You know the worth of a club when all you can think about is practicing with it and getting out on the course to use it!

Prior to the RTX 4 wedges, my short game wedge play could be described as defensive – hoping and praying that I would get a chip just somewhere on the green close enough to maybe save a par or bogey.  Since the RTX 4’s went into the bag, I expect not only to get the ball close to the hole, but to actually hole the chip for a bird or no worse than par!  The RTX 4 has changed my short game from being defensive in nature to an offensive tool to score with!

 

Looks (10 out of 10 points) 

The Cleveland RTX 4 has a classic blade wedge shape comparable to other leading wedges from Titleist, Callaway or Taylormade. The graphics are understated and tasteful.  No loud colors on the face or back of the RTX 4.  The tour satin took some of the shine off when addressing the club during sunny days.  There still is some sun reflection from the face, but a lot less than a chromed face.

 The feature that visually stands out compared to other wedges is the additional rotex millings on the entire toe portion of the face.  Sadly, I did test out those millings with a few less than perfect chips and saw a little less control which resulted in longer roll outs.  While not ideal, the putt would have been on the farther side of the makeable range.

 After quite a few practice 9 hole rounds and practice sessions hitting chip and full shots, the bottom surface on the 56* wedge looks brand new.  The 56* has been my go to club for every shot within 70 yards of the green so it has been heavily used.  The 52* wedge, was used quite a bit less, but under more questionable surface areas (yeah, small rocky substrate).  I hit into a rock and it dinged the surface.  Pretty sure hardened diamond would of scratched too, LOL.

 

Sound & Feel (9 out of 10 points)

When I first picked the club up, I noticed that it felt heavier than the Cobra F8 one length wedges I had in the bag.  The heavier weight felt better to swing and allowed the club to travel through the grass and rough a bit easier.  The standard golf pride tour velvet grips felt great offering excellent grip on hot days. 

When chipping, the face had excellent feel and the sound was a muted crisp strike – similar to the sound of hitting a garage door opener button that came with the garage door opener.  Compared to my previous wedges, the RTX 4’s face has the right amount of firmness to not be overly harsh. I exclusively use Srixon Z*Star balls this year and the combination of the Z*Stars with the RTX 4 wedges made this a match made in heaven. On those off-center chips I hit (and I still hit a few, LOL), I didn’t notice too much of a loss in control or distance unless it was hit much further out on the toe.  The sound and impact did not take my focus away during chipping but seemed to enhance it as I am able to tell right away if it was a center strike or a bit off-center.

 
Basic Characteristics (19 out of 20 points) 

Due to growing family commitments, the only golfing I’ve been able to squeeze in is a weekly 9 hole men’s league and my short game chipping practice time was almost non-existent, but after my initial practice session with the RTX 4 wedges, I actually have increased my practice sessions to a minimum of 3 times a week between 30 minutes to an hour – just because I really have enjoyed honing my short game with the RTX 4 wedges.

Here is the result of the first 4 balls during an impromptu chipping session I had last week with the RTX 4 56* wedge:

Swinging the RTX 4 wedges felt really good and a natural extension of my arm.  The D5 swing weight allowed me to feel where the head was in the swing.

  During these practice sessions, I usually hit between 80-100 chip shots.  To simulate actual course play, I would vary the distances by tossing out 6 golf balls and playing it where it lied – which at times were in divots, buried in deep rough or hanging on a slightly up-hill/downhill dirt mound.  Each time, the RTX 4 performed very consistently with the wedge able to handle those lies and still have the expected trajectory and distance.

The RTX 4 gave me such confidence, that I started to practice not only distance control, but also trajectory control.  Using previous wedges, trajectory control wasn’t a thought.  It was one trajectory with the objective of getting the ball somewhere on the green.  With the RTX 4, if I wanted to hit low shots into a green that had some check the RTX 4 delivered. If I wanted to hit a high shot that landed soft with no rollout, the RTX 4 delivered.  If I wanted to hit a bladed shot that still managed to stay on the green, yup the RTX 4 delivered, LOL.

I was able to also hit landing areas accurately and consistently with the RTX 4 wedges.  During my practice sessions, it wasn’t uncommon for me to group balls around the hole and to hole out a few as well. You could put a beach towel across all the balls.  My previous wedges, you would of need a large tarp to cover the ball around the hole.

The RTX 4 was like being on cruise control when chipping.  Control of the ball was automatic with little though needed.  All I had to do what think of what I wanted the ball to do and the RTX 4 read my mind…should I be worried about this ?  LOL  ha haha

 

On-Course Performance ( 29 out of 30 points)

As we all know, course performance usually differ from practice.  I can happily say that the course performance was close to how I practiced.  I’m getting the ball closer to the hole and getting better chances to hole out the ball with the RTX 4 wedges.

 

  I don’t have to worry about thinking on how to use the built in technology of the RTX 4 wedge or how to adjust my swing to maximize the bounce of the RTX 4…it just works!  I can be much more aggressive with approaches and chips and really think of par or birdie instead of bogey or double when the RTX 4 is in my hands.  The only thing I need to think about is how far I want to hit it and the type of shot I want to execute!

 

  I didn’t find any glaring negatives about the RTX 4 nor did I think there was anything else Cleveland could of added to improve the RTX 4.  The RTX 4 has been the best wedge I’ve used in a long time.  It has definitely dropped my score a few strokes.  I have used Cleveland irons and wedges in the past, but this has been one of the best experiences with the wedges from Cleveland.



Miscellaneous (10 out of 10 points)

There isn’t much to add that hasn’t been previously addressed.  The RTX 4’s came well wrapped and there wasn’t a flaw on the clubs when they arrived.The surface has held up well as has the bounce area.  Here's a photo of the two RTX 4 wedges I have.  I have practiced with the 56* wedge and hit at least 1500 balls.  It still looks brand new on the sole.

The 52

The 52* wedge has gone through  250-300 balls, but the sole damage was actually caused by a hidden rock while I was trying to hit a punch out shot due to a wayward tee shot    On a good note, hitting the rock wasn't as jarring as I thought it would be, LOL.

Golfspy Rob has commented on how my chipping and approach shot with these wedges has come a long way.
 

 

Play it or Trade it? (20 out of 20 points)

The RTX 4 wedges have earned a permanent spot in my bag.  It feels great during the swing, performs so well that it’s helping me shoot lower scores, and makes my short game practice enjoyable.  While they are not the cheapest wedges in the market, they are competitively priced with other manufacturers.

 

The RTX 4 wedge can be played by a golfers of all skill levels.  There is enough technology built into the club to be forgiving enough to potentially be played by a higher handicap player.  Scratch players can also benefit from RTX 4.  I’m a mid-handicap golfer and with continued use of the RTX 4, hope to get back to single digits.

 

Conclusion

I don’t want to sound like a late nigh infomercial, but buy this club!  Your game will be better for it!  Cleveland got it perfect when they made the RTX 4 wedge.  From the great feel to the performance to control the ball and shoot those lower scores, you can’t go wrong with this club!  There isn’t anything that stands out that I would consider a negative about this club!

Final Score: 97/100    

 

[Smellis745 420]

 

My stage 1 review of the Cleveland RTX 4 wedges is up!!!

[GolfSpy Stroker 9,293]

2 minutes ago, Smellis745 said:

 

My stage 1 review of the Cleveland RTX 4 wedges is up!!!

Great start and even nicer that you already have the Srixons too!

I'll be curious to see how these compare to the Vokeys.  Looks like the wedges have grooves out on the toe too?

[Shankster 21,829]

Closely monitoring this thread...

[goaliewales14 1,059]

My stage 1 is up!! 

 

[Brian A 943]

My stage 1 is up https://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/32907-2019-official-forum-member-review-cleveland-rtx-4-wedges/?do=findComment&comment=565059

[Smellis745 420]

1 hour ago, GolfSpy Stroker said:

Great start and even nicer that you already have the Srixons too!

I'll be curious to see how these compare to the Vokeys.  Looks like the wedges have grooves out on the toe too?

I wouldn't call them grooves, but definitely face milling where you can feel some textural difference.  I guess something I need to add to my list of things to test...how a toe shot affects spin on green side chips with the RTX4 and the milled face vs my Vokeys where it's slick on the toe..  That is definitely something I'd be interested in finding out myself.  I don't look for it to be that substantial but it'll be interesting to see.

[MDGolfHacker 6,768]

My stage 1 is up.  

 

[goaliewales14 1,059]

I went out and did quick session in the the short game area.  Here's a quick video of a ~20 yard pitch shot.  I tried to get it to hit as close to the camera as possible.

 

[yungkory 8,162]

Nice job so far guys. I'm paying close attention as I have been contemplating switching up the lofts to help gap the bottom of my bag better. I love the shaft options that Cleveland offers as well -- especially the Modus 115 wedge shafts. I've seen a lot of LPGA players who game the Modus 105's are playing the 115's in their wedges.

[Brian A 943]

Was also able to play around with the wedges more yesterday, absolutely in love!

I have always been good with my wedges, but these I've able to drop shots in and stick a lot better. The 56* is perfect for that off the green drop it between the pin that's 5 feet in. I am seeing a little loss in distance from the CBX gen 1 wedges I normally use. Its nominal, may 8-15 yds.

The impact picture is from a slowmo video of the club hitting the ball!

The picture with the ball mark on the green was from about 70 out with the 56*, I was actually able to put a lot of backspin on it.  

 

 

 

 

[Shankster 21,829]

No tour raw?

Why not?