2020 Official Member Review: Cleveland RTX Zipcore wedges

[artful_golfer]

40 minutes ago, Lacassem said:

I think it’s interesting because could a “spin club” be your specialty club? I had a Mizuno with a spinner shaft and I was getting 5 digit spin ratings (that’s not a typo) not that anyone needs that kind of spin but nonetheless a little extra zip never hurt and for those that need the control this could be a really good club

I often get lost in the technology "speak" of lofts and spin rates. @Lacassem, your post made me curious what exactly makes a spinner shaft a spinner. The Cleveland site says it's specifically designed for wedge play but doesn't explain what those specifics are. For those of you, like me, who had no idea what the difference is and what it means, I finally found that info on an old 2015 Golf Monthly website: "a small section of the shaft with a thinner diameter is positioned near the grip of the club. And combined with a longer tip section creates extra through impact, increasing spin by up to 500rpm."

The more I'm around MyGolfSpy the more cool stuff I learn. I started out thinking that if this steel shaft doesn't seem to like me, then I can switch it out for a graphite shaft. Now I'm hoping it will like me so much that I'll want to instead switch out my other wedge shafts to these spinners. My brain is already spinning and my new wedge is not even here yet.

[GolfSpy_SHARK]

10 hours ago, artful_golfer said:

I often get lost in the technology "speak" of lofts and spin rates. @Lacassem, your post made me curious what exactly makes a spinner shaft a spinner. The Cleveland site says it's specifically designed for wedge play but doesn't explain what those specifics are. For those of you, like me, who had no idea what the difference is and what it means, I finally found that info on an old 2015 Golf Monthly website: "a small section of the shaft with a thinner diameter is positioned near the grip of the club. And combined with a longer tip section creates extra through impact, increasing spin by up to 500rpm."

The more I'm around MyGolfSpy the more cool stuff I learn. I started out thinking that if this steel shaft doesn't seem to like me, then I can switch it out for a graphite shaft. Now I'm hoping it will like me so much that I'll want to instead switch out my other wedge shafts to these spinners. My brain is already spinning and my new wedge is not even here yet.

So I had just bought that club because I needed a sand wedge I had no clue (still don’t really) about what goes into a lot of the technology like shafts, weight placement etc. all I know is when I was fitted I was getting over 15,000 spin rate with that club Granted has to do with my swing and so many other things but still the shaft had some part with that. 

[fozcycle]

Thanks to MGS for selecting a great group of reviewers and thanks to Cleveland for providing the new Zips for the test.  I have ben using 4 wedges for my game.  Wilson D7: PW43*, GW48*, SW54* followed by a Cobra King F8 LW58*.  I got the D7's in February, then added the GW & SW in July.  That left the LW58* to be replaced next.  I only use the 58* for shots inside 80 yds and all Bunkers.  The PW/GW/SW are all used for full shots 105/95/85 and half shots 50/40/25.  My course does not have a lot of fluffy rough and the Fairways are pretty tight so I do not need a lot of bounce.  My current wedges have a lot of bounce, so I chose the 58* Mid bounce ZipCore wedge.  Hopefully, the Zip will convince me to include more specialty wedges in my bag?

 

here are some pics of my Cobra:  

As you can see, the grooves have not been worn out and the club is very functional. I also use the same shaft as my irons, that being the UST Mamiya Recoil.

[mr.hicksta]

It's been kinda of a crappy day, but my RTX Zipcore got delivered so my day is looking up

[Markelly82]

Good stuff guys.  I'm leaning toward getting me a set of these wedges.  I may wait a bit tho..

[mr.hicksta]

Oh hey there
 

 

[BrownBearGolf]

Good day,

I got my ZipCore Wedge today!!!  It’s a 58* Mid Grind with 10* Bounce.  I’m very excited to test this out.   I use my current 58* for sand shots, for chips from anywhere outside the fringe all the way up to full shots at 75 yards and mid shots inside 75.  Depending on how initial testing goes with the 58* I’m tempted to pre-order a 54* Mid Grind and a 50* Full Grind to fill out the bag.  I’m open to what the blog suggested by getting my Mizuno JPX-850 Forged Gap Wedge at 50* to be swapped out.  But, alas, I’m getting ahead of myself.  As usual.

I plan on practicing with it today before putting in full play this weekend.  I will be practicing with a variety of balls such as the Srixon Z-Star, Taylormade Tp5, and even the Callaway ERC Soft to determine feel and to check spin characteristics.  For the past two years I’ve been gaming Srixon Z-Star or Z-Star XV. I’ve tried Callaway Chrome Soft and Tp5x. 

Despite playing Cleveland Wedges for 18 of the last 20 years and even their old TA3 irons way back when, I’ve been gaming Callaway Mac Daddy 4 Chrome finished wedges for the last two years. They are both “S” grind and I have 54* and 58*. One drawback is the chrome finish which has too much glare.  I don’t love the Callaway for several reasons.  The raised grooves on the Mac Daddy caused the sound and feel to be very “clicky.”  I prefer a muted and softer sound and feel.  However, as I’ve used them those inverted grooves or protrusions have worn down and it isn’t so loud a click anymore and the feel has softened.

So, I’m super excited to get a Cleveland back in my hands.  I plan on using practice sessions, full 18 hole rounds, some 9 hole Par 3 rounds, and even some launch monitor testing to get concrete numbers.  Now, are their marketing claims true?  Will I get the spin I need or will it be too much?.  Will I get the consistency they claim?  Will the feel and look inspire confidence? Let’s find out!  A big thanks to MyGolfSpy for putting this together and for having me aboard. 

[TBT]

Well my Thursday got better really quick, there was an early morning ring of the door bell and I find this sitting on the porch!



I will be testing a 50* RTX ZipCore wedge with mid bounce. It will be compared to my current gamer, a Cobra King PuR wedge.

Here are some comparison photos I took this morning

From the back they look similar in shape

Face view, the shape is similar but the ZipCore has 18 grooves compared to only 17 on the Cobra and the ZipCore has the toe groves where the Cobra doesn’t.

It will be interesting to see if there is a noticeable improvement in toe strikes (not that I EVER do that )


At address the ZipCore has a little less offset but again to my eye the shape looks very similar.


The ZipCore is fitted with new version of the DG spinner wedge shaft. I’ve played the old version of this shaft in my higher lofted wedges before with decent success, but since I use my 50* wedge for a lot of full swing shots my Cobra has the same shaft as my iron set, a UST Mayima Recoil F4.

I’ll be paying particular attention to this during my testing to see the difference between the 2 shafts.

I am hoping to get a practice session on a launch monitor this weekend and a full round in on Sunday.

As always feel free to ask questions!


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[jayjay0808]

1 hour ago, BrownBearGolf said:

Good day,

I got my ZipCore Wedge today!!!  It’s a 58* Mid Grind with 10* Bounce.  I’m very excited to test this out.   I use my current 58* for sand shots, for chips from anywhere outside the fringe all the way up to full shots at 75 yards and mid shots inside 75.  Depending on how initial testing goes with the 58* I’m tempted to pre-order a 54* Mid Grind and a 50* Full Grind to fill out the bag.  I’m open to what the blog suggested by getting my Mizuno JPX-850 Forged Gap Wedge at 50* to be swapped out.  But, alas, I’m getting ahead of myself.  As usual.

I plan on practicing with it today before putting in full play this weekend.  I will be practicing with a variety of balls such as the Srixon Z-Star, Taylormade Tp5, and even the Callaway ERC Soft to determine feel and to check spin characteristics.  For the past two years I’ve been gaming Srixon Z-Star or Z-Star XV. I’ve tried Callaway Chrome Soft and Tp5x. 

Despite playing Cleveland Wedges for 18 of the last 20 years and even their old TA3 irons way back when, I’ve been gaming Callaway Mac Daddy 4 Chrome finished wedges for the last two years. They are both “S” grind and I have 54* and 58*. One drawback is the chrome finish which has too much glare.  I don’t love the Callaway for several reasons.  The raised grooves on the Mac Daddy caused the sound and feel to be very “clicky.”  I prefer a muted and softer sound and feel.  However, as I’ve used them those inverted grooves or protrusions have worn down and it isn’t so loud a click anymore and the feel has softened.

So, I’m super excited to get a Cleveland back in my hands.  I plan on using practice sessions, full 18 hole rounds, some 9 hole Par 3 rounds, and even some launch monitor testing to get concrete numbers.  Now, are their marketing claims true?  Will I get the spin I need or will it be too much?.  Will I get the consistency they claim?  Will the feel and look inspire confidence? Let’s find out!  A big thanks to MyGolfSpy for putting this together and for having me aboard. 

I love how Cleveland for all these years still keep the general look of their irons the same. They always make wedges that flat out perform

[Reesedw]

51 minutes ago, TBT said:

Well my Thursday got better really quick, there was an early morning ring of the door bell and I find this sitting on the porch!



I will be testing a 50* RTX ZipCore wedge with mid bounce. It will be compared to my current gamer, a Cobra King PuR wedge.

Here are some comparison photos I took this morning

From the back they look similar in shape

Face view, the shape is similar but the ZipCore has 18 grooves compared to only 17 on the Cobra and the ZipCore has the toe groves where the Cobra doesn’t.

It will be interesting to see if there is a noticeable improvement in toe strikes (not that I EVER do that )


At address the ZipCore has a little less offset but again to my eye the shape looks very similar.


The ZipCore is fitted with new version of the DG spinner wedge shaft. I’ve played the old version of this shaft in my higher lofted wedges before with decent success, but since I use my 50* wedge for a lot of full swing shots my Cobra has the same shaft as my iron set, a UST Mayima Recoil F4.

I’ll be paying particular attention to this during my testing to see the difference between the 2 shafts.

I am hoping to get a practice session on a launch monitor this weekend and a full round in on Sunday.

As always feel free to ask questions!


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Very nice write up.. This will be fun. 

 

[RyanJohnson_Official]

Dang those look pretty. If y'all keep zipping those back, I might need to unzip the wallet!

 

[mr.hicksta]

Put in a little work at the range with my new wedge. Not quite dime sized, but I was finding the center!

 

[Shankster]

A white truck will be delivering... wait, maybe a yellow truck, FedEx leases some Penske trucks here... anyways, the 46° ZipCore that I have decided to call Dr. Evil will be here today.  Hopefully they have the Delorean today so I can get out on the practice area with it.

[sirchunksalot]

1 hour ago, Shankster said:

A white truck will be delivering... wait, maybe a yellow truck, FedEx leases some Penske trucks here... anyways, the 46° ZipCore that I have decided to call Dr. Evil will be here today.  Hopefully they have the Delorean today so I can get out on the practice area with it.

[StrokerAce]

It's going to be a REALLY good weekend. 

[fozcycle]

I was relaxing after a morning round when I saw a note from FedX. It said a package was delivered today at 4:02 pm. Well, as it was 4:24 pm, I strolled to the front door, maybe 10 steps from where I was in the bedroom, and there it was....


My new Cleveland RTX Zipcore wedge...


Wow what a beauty!

I went to set it up on ShotScope only to find it was not there. I fired a quick email to support and within an hour,I gots reply that it has been added and I could add it tomorrow. Great ShotScope Customer Service!

BTW, it was only a week ago that we stated what wedge we wanted, then “Walla” it magically appeared at my doorstep. Again, great Cleveland customer service!


Using Tour Edge Exotics EXS Driver w/ Mitsubishi Tense ck Blue regular shaft; Cobra King F8 4W & 6W w/Mitsubishi Tense ck Blue regular shaft; Tour Edge CVX 119 4 Hybrid , Irons 5-PW Wilson Staff D-7 w/Recoil 460 regular shafts; Cobra King wedges 50/54/58 & Bellum Winmore 707 putter.

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[Shankster]

7 hours ago, sirchunksalot said:

Obviously, these are Dr. Evil approved.  I had forgotten about that scene!!!  Hahahaha.

[sirchunksalot]

38 minutes ago, Shankster said:

Obviously, these are Dr. Evil approved.  I had forgotten about that scene!!!  Hahahaha.

I was hoping to get to use that at some point during this review, thank you for the perfect opportunity to do so. 

[Shankster]

I am beginning to think that someone knew that this wedge was in the FedEx truck and hijacked it’s almost and no sign of them... still says out for delivery.

[TBT]

I hit a few shots in the short game area today

 

The range was closed because there was nobody to pick up the balls

 

 

Hit several 30 -40 yard low checking pitch shots to a back pin placement using Srixon Z Star.

 

It definitely has a different sound than the Cobra I’ve been playing, I’ll try to get some audio later.

 

I hit 10 shots with the Cobra and gathered up the balls and hit 10 with the ZipCore. The ZipCore definitely produces more spin as the ball was checking on the second bounce then rolling out a few feet.

 

When I hit that shot with the Cobra I would get 2 full bounces, sometimes 3 before it really checks.

 

Once I made the adjustment to carry the ball a few yards further I was hitting them inside 5 feet about 85% of the time and I holed out once!

 

 

 

 

I’m hoping to get on a launch monitor this weekend and get on the course on Sunday.

 

 

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[tchat07]

In the words of jittery Jerge, "Letttsss ggoooo"! My plan is to take it straight to the course this week and I am going to drop an extra ball everytime I need to hit my 54. My current 54 is a brand new Honma TW-W World, which has maybe 200 shots on it mostly off of a mat so very fresh grooves. Itll be a pretty straight up comparison. Anything in particular the good folks out there want to see during this testing?

 

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[Shankster]

Quick Hit 08 August 2020

First glance of the Cleveland RTX Zipcore 46° wedge brought back some memories of days gone by. This wedge is a classic looking, albeit with a smidge of tech with the little protruding weight at the top of the toe. A shiny satin finish adds to that classic look a lot of golfers are looking for. Flipping the wedge over to look at the face, you can tell they have a lot going on in the face roughness and groove department. The face is milled, there are micro looking grooves, and in the right light it looks like sandpaper. 

 

The finish is a little shinier than the Blueprint wedge that this will be in direct competition with, has a tone more grooves, and has a lot more going on as far as milling marks on the face. The shape is a nice rounded shape, familiar to wedges of the past, and first impressions are usually everything for me. First thing that came to mind was, “Why haven’t I been playing a specialty PW/46°?!” Coming in at 10° of bounce, this wedge has the same as my Taylormade Rocketbladez Tour PW, and 3° less than the Blueprint set PW, coming in at 13°. 

The Mugshots:  

I will be comparing a CB, MB, and the Zipcore (a specialty PW). The Blueprint and the Zipcore are both 46°, with the TM coming in at 47°. It is about as close loft wise as you can get. The Zipcore has the new True Temper DG Spinner shaft, the Blueprint has a Project X LZ 6.0, and the TM has a KBS Tour S. I do not have access to a launch monitor, but I have an eye for spin and concerned specifically with this yardage range this test will be heated. My favorite PW shot to hit is the knock down 100 yard shot. So this Cleveland RTX Zipcore wedge has some work cut out for it, but with the grooves and tech claims, I do not see it being an issue.

 

Hopefully, I will be able to get to the practice range tomorrow to test from 120 and in, with a round next weekend. I will have all 3 wedges in the bag, with Arccos sensors attached playing one shot each club, from shots in the go range for this loft of club.

Anything specific you’d like to see?  I have the earlier questions written down, and will test those for sure.  

Edited August 8, 2020 by Shankster
Corrected some spelling errors.

[mr.hicksta]

I’m taking my RTX ZipCore 60 Full out for a spin today in my men’s club event. I’ll be using it at the ranges I typically do, and will definitely report back on the, ahem, zippiness . More pics coming, but here are a couple of the ZipCore 60 and RTX 60.

[revkev]

Nice job guys!


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[josmi15]

I’m taking my RTX ZipCore 60 Full out for a spin today in my men’s club event. I’ll be using it at the ranges I typically do, and will definitely report back on the, ahem, zippiness . More pics coming, but here are a couple of the ZipCore 60 and RTX 60.

How’d it handle?


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[Shankster]

Interesting initial practice session with the 46°.  It was rather windy, around 10-12mph, so what a time to try the knock down.  Oh my gosh can this thing lower the ball flight on command.  75 yard shot that looked like a 2 iron trajectory but stopped on a dime. The was with a left to right wind.

Moved over to the longer approach shot, took it all the way back to 150, and full sent some of them, directly into that wind.  I came up 10 yards short of the 150, but into the wind it didn’t get too hung up. There was a little climb, but overall the ball stayed on a pretty mid trajectory. But a 140 yard into the wind PW?  In my dreams. 
 

Tried some 50 and in shots and my last name showed up.  Glad to get that out of the way early.  That  has been the biggest struggle since switching the to “single-ish” plane swing, the finesse shots are much more difficult. 
 

First big issue is the sound of the shaft, as I reported in other wedge reviews, this spinner shaft is supposedly close to the S400 I had in the Hi-Toe, and a little heavier than the S200’s I had in the King wedges. The feel/sound is not good.  The wedge head itself sounds and feels great, but the shaft makes a hollow sound... don’t like that one bit.

 

[fozcycle]

 

Par 4 #7 at Pebble Creek today from 70 yards out after I put the 58* Zipcore into play. First swing of the Zipcore....

 

 

Up close at the 70 yard shot from the Zipcore......and yes, I made the birdie!

 

Wow was this a great feeling wedge! Was gaming a Q Star with the Tampa Bay Lightning logo.....Go Bolts!

 

 

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Tour Edge Exotics EXS(11.5*)w/ Mitsubishi Tense ck Blue Regular; 3W & 5W Cobra King F8 w/ Mitsubishi Tense ck Blue Regular shafts; Tour Edge CBX119 22* Hybrid w/Project X Evenflo Regular shaft; Wilson Staff D-7 5-PW + GW + SW w/UST Mamiya Recoil 460 Regular graphite shafts; Cobra King F8 LW(58*) w/UST Mamiya Recoil 460 ES regular shafts.Putter: Bellum Winmore 707; Bag: Cobra Ultralight Cart bag, Peaccoat Blue.

 

[goaliewales14]

I looks like the V sole grind is less prominent in the new zipcore vs the RTX 4's that I have from testing last year.  Are you guys seeing the same thing and do you think it's a help or hurt in terms of turf interaction? 

[Shankster]

23 minutes ago, goaliewales14 said:

I looks like the V sole grind is less prominent in the new zipcore vs the RTX 4's that I have from testing last year.  Are you guys seeing the same thing and do you think it's a help or hurt in terms of turf interaction? 

I hadn’t really paid attention to it actually.  But thinking back, it did feel different than the other clubs do through the turf.  I was taking a bigger divot than normal with a PW.  Not sure where the V-Sole fits into that equation.  

[tchat07]

I looks like the V sole grind is less prominent in the new zipcore vs the RTX 4's that I have from testing last year.  Are you guys seeing the same thing and do you think it's a help or hurt in terms of turf interaction? 

it's funny you ask about the grind because that is a big thing I noticed when I first got the club. How it almost seems to have 2 angles on the bottom, in the picture it shows more via the light glare but it is very pronounced. Really hope it doesnt lead to larger divots like@shankster said because if so the greens keepers are going to hate me I already take big divots.

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