2020 Official Member Review: Cleveland RTX Zipcore Tour Rack (RAW) wedges

[StrokerAce]

Let's get RAW, shall we?
The new raw/tour rack finish of the RTX Zipcore wedge is made of unplated 8620 carbon steel that will patina and rust after a few weeks of regular use, giving you that signature tour look.

It includes your choice of:
3 sole grinds
5 tour crafted leading edge grinds
2 custom finishes

https://www.clevelandgolf.com/us/wedges-/rtx-zipcore-tour-rack-(raw)-wedge/MRTXZCTR.html

Follow along with our fine group of testers:
@KurtActual | Review
@rbsiedsc | Review
@Brian A | Review
@yungkory | Review
@Cory O | Review

[KurtActual]

The Review {12/8/2020}

 Cleveland RTX Zipcore Tour Rack Wedges– Official MGS Forum Review by KurtActual

Intro

Hey guys. Kurt here. I am a 35-year-old Texan. I am a self-taught golfer, but considering my handicap was last logged at a 21, I am not sure how much teaching actually took place. The courses I play most often have punishing Bermuda rough (think Houston Open) and the fairways are usually very tight lies with dry hardpacked earth. Scrambling has unfortunately been a strength to my game, and I say unfortunate because it means I am depending on it often. I struggle with long irons, so my short game is important if I hope to drop my handicap.

I had a recent mishap with my 60* Cleveland RTX 588 wedge, which left me with just a Wilson Staff FG Tour 56* and an OLD Taylormade 52*. When this test popped up, I crossed all my fingers and hoped I could find a solid replacement for that old 60*.

The rounds I played without the lob wedge in my bag forced me to be creative with my sand wedge, opening the club face for more loft and taking lines I don’t normally try.

When approaching the green from 100y out, my 52* is normally the club in hand. I have to lay off it a bit, as it’s more 105 to 110, but that’s the gap I deal with.

Enough about me, lets take a look at these clubs.

 

First Impressions

First impressions… these clubs are professional.

 

The milling, the grooves, the hand polished finish.

The RTX Zipcore technology isn’t exactly marketed clearly. To try and explain exactly what Zipcore technology IS isn’t exactly easy. My best understanding in layman’s terms is a less dense inner material so Cleveland could control clubface center-of-gravity.

I’ll be honest. I have no way to test or compare that, but what has amazed me is these grooves.

I’ve always associated Cleveland Golf with being an industry leader in the wedge sector. I know a lot of people will scoff and point at Vokey/Titleist. Titleist has a lot of wedges on Tour, but I think when it comes to amateur golf, Cleveland is the big dog.

When offered these wedges, we the testers could choose loft, sole, and leading edge grind.

I chose a 60* Relief Edge Sole Grind with a Sharpened Leading Edge, and a 56* S-Shaped Sole Grind with a Standard Leading Edge. I chose the Relief Edge on the lob wedge because of the lower leading edge when opening the face. This characteristic combined with the sharpened leading edge was specific to the firm conditions my courses normally have during these 9-month summers we have in Texas. I chose the S-Shaped sole for the sand wedge, as Cleveland described it as giving improved versatility and bunker play. I will gladly accept any assistance getting out of the terrible bunkers I am subjected to, so that was an easy choice for me.

For me, I am hoping for extreme workability from these wedges. The grinds and leading edge options allowed me to build wedges that I hope can be used in any situation, from any lie, while still being able to apply significant spin and control.

 

Grading:
 

Looks (9 out of 10 points) 

These Tour Rack wedges are almost all about looks. They’re raw steel, with only a hand polish. They’re intended to rust.

The shape Cleveland has chosen is traditional, and easy on the eyes. The grooves are so deep they appear to be filled with black paint. After enough playing and rust, they aren’t as dark, but I like the look of the dark grooves on the raw face. The toe of the club has a unique milling design on it, which prevents glare, and gives confidence that even a slightly mis-hit shot would have spin applied.

My only complaint is the odd looking “bubble” where Zipcore is stamped. It doesn’t appear to have a purpose.

The rust is an eye catcher. Not blingy like a gold plated or rainbow torched wedge. You’ll get a lot of side-eye looks out of interest.

 I did find it interesting that the rust and sharp grooves combined would leave marks on a new Z-Star.

Sound & Feel (9 out of 10 points)

I think the sound and feel might be the most unique feature of these wedges.

I find that a typical wedge will emphasize the sound of a ball based on the ball’s construction. A 3+ layer ball with high compression usually has a punchier feel and crisp sound. Two piece balls are either completely dead sounding, or incredibly loud and clicky. These wedges are special though. Perhaps it’s the razor-sharp grooves, or the magic Zipcore material, but there is almost a uniform sound across my repertoire of practice and gamer balls.

My only complaint, if forced to find one, would be the lack of “flushed” shot feedback. My swings felt like they produced a rather muted result with sound and feel regardless of ball, swing, and contact.

Basic Characteristics (18 out of 20 points)

In a house with two younger boys, we like to make games out of our golf practice. One way is to play Wedge-shot Dodgeball. My kids jump in the trampoline and try to catch the wiffleballs I flop into the net.

 

Another practice we do, is just basic chip shots. I have a couple sections of synthetic turf (Synlawn) and practice fringe/first cut/rough shots towards the pin.

 

I find in my super short-game practices, these wedges have excellent control and accuracy. They also have incredible spin.

 

This allows me to really open the clubface and shape shots.

On-Course Performance (28 out of 30 points)

I have to admit I played a little less this season than I anticipated. I spent a lot of my "golf time points" to volunteer at the Houston Open.

I spent 4+ days standing in this same spot working the laser on the ShotLink team. (You can see the Bermuda rough I previously referenced well here)

On course is where these clubs shine. They inspire so much confidence. The grinds that I was able to choose from, and finally select, were perfect for the courses in my area. While I do not have statistics to prove anything, I feel that the sharpened leading edge on the lob wedge has reduced the number of bladed shots. The wedge sweeps tight lies on hardpack much better than clubs I've used in the past.

Wedge to wedge, again I cannot provide hard data to prove it, but the Zipcore just spins so much more than my Wilson Staff. Before you write me off, I clean and sharpen the grooves on my WS regularly. Perhaps the material that Cleveland has chosen for these wedges allows the grooves to be more sharp and hold their edge better.

Overall, these wedges really confirmed that Cleveland is the big dog in the wedge market in my opinion. They are constantly trying to improve and be the best. From grind options to testing new technology, they do not leave any leaf unturned.

Miscellaneous (10 out of 10 points)

Cleveland just seems to get it. From their social media presence, to the level of customer support; they seem like a company invested in us rather than the bottom line. They shipped these custom clubs quickly, and took care of the issues our testing group had. 

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

Play it, 100%.

These clubs inspire confidence in all situations. The natural "patina" or rust, is similar to a custom paint job. No one will ever have a club identical to yours. These wedges will work for literally any handicap golfer, thanks to the custom grinds. 

Conclusion

Quick recap: These Cleveland RTX Zipcore Tour Rack wedges put a Tour level wedge at your fingertips. Custom grinds, custom rust, and performance to match make these a fit for anyone.

Final Score: (94 out of 100 points)

 

[Vegan_Golfer_PNW]

 

Cleveland RTX Zipcore Tour Rack (Raw) Wedges (54* and 58*)– Official MGS Forum Review by rbsiedsc

Intro

 

First I’d like to thank MGS and Cleveland Golf to test out these fine wedges. I hope I represent these well. To be frank, I was scared out of my mind to find out I was selected as a tester. I hope this review does these clubs justice as they are the real deal.

 

 

I am a high handicapper but improving. I play out of the PNW, so this testing will be done on a lot of soupy course conditions. My typical miss is a pull hook and my ball flight would be called mid. Prior to testing I gamed the Ping Tour S 54* and 60* TS which I was not fit for. The 54 was typically used for shots 100 yards and in and the 60 for chips around the green.

 

 

 

For my testing, I went with the 54* Full with relief for bunker play and 58* Mid with toe and heel relief for when my game expands.

 

I am hoping to gain a better understanding of wedge grinds and raw finishes. To earn a spot in my bag this needs to accomplish a few things.

·       Provide feedback to me on mishits

·       Patina to prevent glare reduction

·       Give me flexibility in the shots I can play

·       Help me when I get into trouble

 

 

For the testing, I spent most of my time practicing these on the short game practice and pitching areas, as well as multiple shots during practice rounds. I did get on a launch monitor to check spin and launch numbers.

 

Money Shots with the 58*

 

 

First Impressions

 

 

Fresh out of the box, these looked beautiful. The grinds were obvious compared to my gamers. The hand polished finish on them made me feel like a tour pro. It was not flashy but was just tidy.

 I always knew Cleveland was a great wedge company, but I never knew how it stacked up to the big dogs of Titlest, Taylormade etc. When you think Cleveland, outside of wedges, you think mostly of GI irons, so does that make their tour wedges more user friendly or are they only reserved for the best of the best?

 

 

 

 

Looks (9 out of 10 points) 

 

The grinds are nice and clean. Looking as the face, the groves and the Rotex on the toe really flow and inspire that you can spin it from anywhere. The head frames the ball quite nicely. The raw hand polished finish on these looked very sharp and there was a little bit of patina right away. 6 weeks later, both are coming along. 

 

 

Set up nicely

 

Sound & Feel (10 out of 10 points)

 

Went stuck solid, these wedges have a nice muted tone to them  (like an axe striking a tree) and the ball feels soft yet crisp of the face ( like a potato chip left out for a few hours). Went mishit the club will tell you as it starts to become clicky, which I liked. With soft hands, these flow freely, and the stock swing weight doesn’t feel off.

Basic Characteristics (18 out of 20 points)

 Being fall in the PNW, the courses have been super wet, so this more of a wet sloppy review of these.

Their turf interaction is excellent. On full shots they fly high and land softly. You can hit some shots that fly high but then drop out of the sky like you pulled a string.

The 54 really through me for a loop trying to chip with. The 58* was my go-to around the greens as it cut through any lie nicely. On more pitch-like shots, the 54 seemed to have some fliers, likely due to me hitting the face center better (those did feel mushy good). The 58 was very consistent for me.

Depending on your greenside style of play, these could be very point and shoot. Once I started going back to my old technique, I really started to fall in love with these as green side clubs.

The Full bounce 54* struggled in some of my hardpan bunker practice, but the mid 58* was stellar there. In fluffy sand, the Full 54* came out nice and soft. Face held up nicely after ten shots from a hard practice bunker.

Such a hard working club after 10 shots

 

Post ten bunker shots wiped

 

On half shots and ¾ balls landed nice and soft, one hop and stop. They feel great off the face, kind of like a spring, but mushy in a sense. Mishits were high pitched and the well struck more muted and lower in tone. The turf interaction with the clubs are great and lost only a few yards on slightly fatted shots.

 

The Trackman data showed great spin rates with both wedges. Since these were beat up range balls, add 1-2k RPM to the spin to get what you’d see with a tour ball. What is interesting, most of the shots we a little higher on the face, yet there was only a small drop off in spin. For great ball strikers, these may spin too much for them.

A+ contact

 

 

54* trackman data

Trajectory

 

58* trackman Data

Trajectory

 

The dispersion numbers were money for the 58* (orange) and in an okay range for the 54* (Blue).

 

On-Course Performance (29 out of 30 points)

My latest rounds with them so have started to become money. Many instances, when my ball striking with my irons were not the greatest these wedges saved my butt. For example, I ended up thinning a 6i and got left short sided with a bunker in front of my line and down-hill to the pin. I was able to float the ball above the bunker and land it just on the fridge where it then rolled a bit due to the down-hill but could have been worse.

 

 

Later in this round I had a short par three that needed to carry water to a green. I took a full swing with the 54* and landed it square on the green. As a preface, that hole has been my nemesis whenever I play it and I have hit more skulled SWs from the tee than I can count.

 

Another round my iron play wasn’t great but the Zipcores came through again. I was having the best nine of my life and had about 85 yards uphill on the last hole. Pulled out the 54*  and put it within 9ft for a finishing birdie.

 

 

 

 

 

Arccos Stats

 

With the 54* most of my shots initially were short due to technique and getting used to the slightly heavier feeling head. The grounds have also been wet during testing, but over time, this wedge really started to perform with the wet turf.

 

 

 

The 58* has mainly been used around the green for some soft chips/pitches. I have gotten some ½ to ¾ shots with it and been getting similar one hop and stop on the greens. I am reminded of ~40 yard pitch I had and I was able to land it nicely on the green from the rough. Having the Mid bounce playing in wet conditions really works for this wedge.

 

 

 

Overall, these wedges, once dialed in, have been money and a huge boost to my confidence. I feel I can get through tough situations with these. The biggest thing is to get fit if you can, if not at least talk to a local fitter and get some advice. I have a greater appreciation for Cleveland Golf now. While I was looking forward to having them patina fully for this test, they still have not. I love the feedback these wedges provide, and I hope that stays. As well, I have noticed that shots higher on the face weren’t punished severely, which is a nicer feature for average ball strikers. Overall, my last two 9 hole rounds I had the best scores of my golfing life, partially due to these wedges saying my butt.

 

Miscellaneous (9 out of 10 points)

 

Unlike some of the other testers, my wedges came in on a timely fashion, earlier than expected. The packaging was average, but I am coming from being spoiled by PXG and Sub70. Everything was to spec and very clean. Interestingly, the 58* was already starting to patina when it arrived by the hosel, which is okay since these are supposed to rust. I also got some awesome looks from my playing partners and if it wasn’t for COVID I would have let them try them
 

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

 

I will play these as they are an upgrade over my older pair and preform well for me. The custom grinds make them way more playable, especially the 58*. While the shaft took some getting used to, I may still swap out the 54*, it provides the feel on touch shots I need. I believe the price is a little on the high side, but then you think about what they can customize for you, it is worth the work they put in. If I could have changed anything about the process, I would have gone in to get truly fit for what I needed in these clubs. While the 58* specs are dead on, the 54* could have maybe been tweaked for me. Finally, I think these are good for players that are good to above average ball strikers and for players that want to improve their swing. These will help you understand mishits and provide feedback on what to change.

Conclusion

 

These are tour Raw wedges that really are the whole package. Customization of grinds and leading edges will allow these to be optimized for your game. The provide the feel-good players want and improving players can utilize to get better. They spin enough to hold greens but maybe too much for solid ball strikers and the breed confidence when needed. While these are not for everyone, the proper fitting can make these work for most golfers.

Final Score: (95 out of 100 points)

[Brian A]

Cleveland Zipcore Tour Rack– Official MGS Forum Review by Brian A
Intro
Thank you to My Golf Spy for allowing me to test these wonderful wedges. My golf game is the definition of bomb and recover! I hit the ball far off the tee or second shot and hope it’s somewhere near the green. Then it’s my time to play. My wedge game from 50 yards and in is my strong suit and why I can score in the high 80’s to low 90’s consistently.  My two main clubs are my 52* and 56* Cleveland RTX 4’s. I average 1.8 putts per hole, while I attribute that mostly to being able to chip it close and tap in a lot. The only time I struggle around the green is when I start to blade my chips. Taking full swings with my wedges I can hit them 90 and 75 yards respectively. The 56* is used mostly on short sided chips and the 52* where I have more room for rollout, as backspin is something I can sometimes struggle with. The short game play is why my friend who is a -3 handicap invites me to play in 2-man scrambles with him.

First Impressions
These wedges right out of the box were things of beauty. Cleveland does a great job packaging them up to protect them. I went with the 56*, sole grind: low, tour crafted sole grind: relief edge, tour crafted leading edge: round with a hand polished finish. The other wedge is the 60* with the same grinds and edges. 

The zipcore was new to Cleveland this year, it is a low density core that they claim shifts the center of gravity which should make the wedge a bit more forgiving. They offer they typical 3 standard sole grinds, low, mid and full.  The relief edge will supposedly allow the leading edge to be lower when I open the face, so that should help eliminate my misses of blading the ball. The rounded leading edge is meant more for steep angles of attack, like mine. 

I have to say I have been a Cleveland wedge guy for years going from the old CG14’s with the controversial “zip grooves”, to the CBX, to the RTX4. Admittedly I learned I needed to replace wedges sooner than I used to.  

For me to give up my RTX4, I want the same performance (new grooves). I know numbers matter but there’s more to golf for me than that. Feel and how the ball moves to me are the most important aspects if I am going to game a wedge or drop it. 

For testing my plan is to hit the soft balls in the basement for a general feel and ability to open/close the face and pick it off some short grass, get some spin numbers to compare to what I have now and of course, on course performance.

Now lets get down to the important stuff!

Looks (9 out of 10 points) 
The patina is growing on me, I was never a fan of the rusty wedge until now. Although mine has rusted a ton. The wedges look clean and smooth. There’s no glare at address of the ball. The logos are not too large where it distracts from the beauty and simplicity of the wedge. 

Sound & Feel (10 out of 10 points)
These sounds just like my old wedges, which I loved so it wasn’t a distraction or major change. It was a very crisp click when it makes contact with the ball.  They feel just a bit softer than the previous version. The ability open the face more gave me a bit more feel with the club to control shots that I previously struggled. 

Basic Characteristics (20 out of 20 points)
So before the wedges came, my local GolfTec had a Cleveland event and was nice enough to again let me come up and test wedges.  I was able to compare spin rates from my current wedges and the soon to be my new tour rack wedges. The direct comparison I am able to make was for the 56* to 56*, since I didn’t replace my 52* or have a 60*. I did these on full swings and averaged shot #’s.

56*
RTX Ball Speed: 58MPH, Backspin: 44558 rpm, Side Spin 88.4R, Distance 64
Zipcore Ballspeed 60MPH, Backspin: 5100 rpm, Side spin 80.2R, Distance 60

With the zipcore I did not lose much distance but was able to generate more backspin and less side spin. I was joking around with the instructor I worked with who was watching, I said “don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone I took lessons here”, her reply was “with that shot dispersion I’ll pay you to tell people I taught you that”.  So to me that was good feedback on the wedges. 

The wedges were very forgiving, even on my worst mishits they still travelled reletivly close to the same distance and near the target. 

On-Course Performance (30 out of 30 points)
Once they showed up I had to get out quickly and put them to the real test. I played a few rounds with both sets in my bad and took 2 shots for chips on several holes (I played the first one) alternating which wedge I used first. I can tell you these zipcores have a much more stop and drop on the green, to the point I’d have to aim closer to the pin or they’d be really short. I hit a wedge shot from about 55 out with the 56* that just hit and stopped about 8 inches from the pin.  I could really see an advantage of the low edge as I only bladed the Zipcores once.  I even had a chip in from about 25 yds out! (I wish I could give bonus points for that)

With the edges and grinds I could tell the wedge was more versatile than the previous versions. Opening the face became much easier for a higher Phil type flop shot or closing it to get a little more roll out.  I was able to control distance and dispersion well with the Zipcores. These match my normal high ball flight, which I believe helped me stick greens. 

I could tell the grooves on these wedges are newer and sharper as balls at the range were leaving some marks on them, as if it was pulling the cover away. 

The more I put these in play, the more confident I became and more I went at the pin vs trying to miss small. 

Final Performance Comments:
These performed better than what I had and I am happy to say that these are the real deal in wedges. Cleveland again proves why I’ve always been a customer of theirs. The round I tracked my score I scored in my range but had 1.4 putts per hole, because I could get the ball closer on chip shots. 

Miscellaneous (10 out of 10 points)
Confidence, I had it in my wedges before, now I really have it. Friends who used them to test all had great things to say. The drop and stop on the green was a key improvement for me. Even my dad who struggles with getting the ball in the air on chips, could put the ball off the ground and actually make it look like a chip. The customization to my style, preferences like the pro’s get was a nice feeling!

Play it or Trade it? (18 out of 20 points)
These are definite gamers for sure. The only reason I took points off was the cost. $169.99 for a wedge is getting to be a bit pricy to me. They are $20 more than the standard Zipcore wedges if you don’t need the special grind sole/leading edge. Is it worth the extra money, as someone who had the standard grinds before, if you’re spending $149, $20 isn’t that much more to feel like a tour pro. This wedge is for the golfer who wants to seek pins and lower their scores. 

Conclusion
BUY THIS WEDGE. Seriously if you need a new wedge and are going to spend the money on a current gen wedge this is it. The ability to customize the grinds for your playing style is a major benefit. Better spin, more forgiving and accurate! I know I must sound like a Cleveland rep but I am in no way affiliated with them, other than just a major fan of these wedges. They are almost a perfect club to me. 

Final Score: (97 out of 100 points)
 

Seriously this wedge is legit! I am hoping the PA weather breaks and I can get out more witht hem this. year. 

 

The pictures show the patina on the wedge for now. I am hoping for more rust!

[yungkory]

The Review 12/6/20

Cleveland Zipcore Tour Rack Wedges – Official MGS Forum Review by Kory

Intro

Hey Everyone! Blessed to have the opportunity to give my thoughts on another MGS product review. For those who don’t already know me, my name is Kory and I’m fortunate to call Hawaii my home. I play at least 9 holes a week, year round, and try to get in a full round as often as I can, usually at least twice a month. Needless to say, I play a decent amount of golf every year in our boring, perfect weather.

I’m currently a 7.7 hdcp which is the lowest ever since I started keeping one via the HSGA e-club. To describe it in a few words, let’s say “flashes of brilliance mixed with some hot trash.”

I’m a smooth tempo swinger, and typically hover in the 105-108mph range with driver. My swing path can get pretty far to the right, I’ve seen as high as 8* on Trackman and GC4, so I fight the lefts. When driver is working, it’s a weapon for me. Approach play, on the other hand, is not my strong suit. 

I’m currently gaming Cleveland RTX 4 wedges, in standard lofts and lie angles, with Nippon Modus 115 Wedge shafts. I self-fit myself into these shafts since I was fit into the 105 Stiff shafts in my irons. I got some guidance from Ian at TXG via YouTube, as well as paying attention to some LPGA players who were playing the 105s and 115s in their wedges (Brooke Henderson).

My priority with my wedges is distance control. I’m not accurate enough to take dead aim at pins, but if I can get pin-high then I’ll have a good chance at par — middle of the green is fine with me! Since distance control is an important part of me being able to score, I try to have “stock” distances with full swings, but also like to be able to play different shots should the need arise. Full 54* is 100y for me, and one at waist-parallel will go 50y. My 58* is usually reserved for around-the-green shots that require some height, and rarely gets used — the majority of my chipping is done with my 54*.

First Impressions

My first impressions of the wedges was “how could they possibly make the RTX 4, better?” Since I started gaming the RTX 4s I have had some of the best wedge play of my career. Not sure if it was the switch to the Modus Shafts, or the fact that I love the look of the heads, or both?

The story of Zipcore is that Cleveland Golf tore the wedge down and built it back up, starting from the inside and working their way out. This allowed them to reposition the mass, and change the center of gravity (CG). They don’t specifically say on the website WHERE they moved it to, but I have a feeling that it means it went out towards the toe. My understanding is that clubs typically have the CG a little closer to the heel, because there is a lot of mass there, and this picture from the website kind of shows the story:

 

 

They also changed the grooves, and added more of them. The grooves are deeper and sharper than they ever have been, so it will be interesting to see if I just have an absurd amount of spin to the point that I might not be able to control it (I’m not good enough to do that) vs. the RTX4.

What I was most interested in, were the grind options, and that was what made me apply for the test. I’d never thought much about the conditions or shots that I play, and this felt like the perfect opportunity to test it out, if I were lucky enough to be selected for the review. Since I use my 54* for nearly everything, I wanted it to be as versatile as possible, while also being a weapon in the bunkers. I like to lay the 54* open and keep low hands when I’m trying to nip one out of the bunker, so I went with a full bounce s-grind because I felt it would accomplish everything I want it to. For my 58*, since I only pull it out when I am mostly getting creative, I went for their “most versatile” option and went with a low-bounce relief edge grind. I stuck with the regular leading edge because I don’t play in overly firm or soft conditions, I think Hawaii is somewhere in the middle most times.

For these to make it in my bag permanently, they need to hit my numbers. The distance control with the RTX4’s has exceeded expectations and they’re not going anywhere if these are somehow jumpy or inconsistent in any way. For testing, these are going straight into the bag and onto the course. I’m going to sprinkle in some practice green work, and hit the Toptracer range as well, so I can gather at least a little bit of data.

Grading

Looks (10 out of 10 points) 

Don’t think they could honestly look any better. I love love love the hand-polished finish they put on it with the grind/edge customization. They’re simple and elegant, not flashy but not boring like your old aunt Becky, and void of any random color scheme that some OEMs like to needlessly slap on every club. Excited for them to get some rust, which seems to only be happening on the toe of my 54*. Here are some comparison pictures next to my old RTX4 of the same loft:

Zipcore on the right looks a fraction "taller" and the leading edge appears to be more of a straight line than a "spoon" which is 100% my preference.

I tried to capture the subtleties of the mid-bounce stock grind to that of the full S-grind on the Zipcore. Hopefully you can see that the heel looks to be grounded down more, and that saucy little "T" 

Sound & Feel (9 out of 10 points)

The sound is a little different from the RTX4, which for me equates to a little more of a firm feel. Nothing grossly clicky or hard/cheap feeling, but enough to notice. It’s like a louder volume, but the tone is still deep if that makes sense.

Basic Characteristics (20 out of 20 points)

I’m happy to report that after a little practice, my distance control is everything I expect with me at the wheel. It took a little getting used to because they actually feel different in the hands from the RTX4. I’m not sure if this is the new stripped down build at play, but going between the RTX4 54* and the Zipcore, the head end of the club just feels… different. At first I thought it was because I shad the shafts swapped rather than built from factory, but I (spoiler alert) ordered a matching 50* to complete the set and when it came (direct from Cleveland Golf) it also feels different from my previous 50* with the exact same shaft.

I took some video at the Toptracer range and I’ll spare you video of my entire practice session and just give you all 2 clips. Both at the same target, one using the 54* so having to take a little bit off and knock it down a touch, and the other with my 58* which is basically a stock shot. To preface this a little, this place must use whatever balls they find on the par-54 course that is attached. I don’t think I had 2 balls that were the same, and most of them looked like they could have been props from an Indiana Jones movie. So, keep that in mind when reading the data, some of these balls were sketchy.

Control group:

Since I figured the accuracy might be an issue, I thought if you’re going to read everything with the same tool, there should at least be a little consistency? Like if you know your scale is 5lbs off, everyone you weigh will all be 5lbs heavier/lighter than they actually are, but at least it’s consistent? This is with my current RTX4 54* hitting like a 3/4 knock down to 74y:

I labelled my Zipcore 54* as a Lob wedge. Consistency on a 74y shot for distance control, not bad! Not sure what happened on that 40y one with max height 12ft that is somehow 110 ft offline, maybe it caught the little kid next to me? He was dribbling some down the range, couldn’t have been more than like 6 years old:

The 58* was labelled as “ultra lob” and this is more of a full shot. Again, not too shabby IMO:

I’m not upset at this dataset at all. I should’ve taken the laser rangefinder out to see how far the flag actually was, but I didn’t want to be “that guy” haha. Again, it’s hard for me to be too critical because of the ball scenario over there, and the fact that I don't think Toptracer range is amazingly accurate.

Unfortunately, I forgot to get the averages, but you're welcome to do the math yourself and find std. deviation and all of that. Decent left-to-right dispersion, the distance is all me (or maybe the balls). Pretty much point and shoot on a 74y and that's all I could ask for from the wedges.

On-Course Performance (27 out of 30 points)

After 7 rounds (5 9-hole and 2 18-hole) these wedges have been very solid for me. I wish that I could just report that these are a thousand times better than my RTX4 were, but it’s honestly not the case. They look amazing, and they’re just starting to patina which I’m excited for, but the performance differences, even with the custom grinds, haven’t really been noticeable. More time needed, especially in hard packed sand bunkers, but the S-grind hasn’t been the weapon I thought it was going to be. I was expecting some Konami code cheater type of stuff, so maybe I should’ve managed my expectations better?

Outside of the bunkers, they’ve been every bit as good as the RTX4 though, so no points off for that. I’ve hit some shots that have gotten me really good looks at birdies, and now from 50y I just feel like the half-shot 54* is automatically going to put me pin-high. These things spin the ball like hell too. I’ve found quite a bit of ball cover stuck in the grooves, and not even necessarily on full shots. Definitely easy to get these to check up and stop.

Miscellaneous (8 out of 10 points)

So I had to knock a point off because of the shipping/ordering mishap that some of my fellow testers experienced. I’m only going to take 1 point off though because these somehow got to Hawaii faster than some of the other guys got theirs? That NEVER happens. I’m glad that they got the other testers sorted out though! I sympathize with everyone when they’re waiting for clubs to arrive, and these poor fellas had to wait EXTRA long.

I also knocked one more point off due to not being able to order these with any shaft or grip customizations as part of the test. I know, it seems like I’m being fastidious since I got these free of charge and all, but that just seemed a little weak that we could get them to grind and polish, but not stick a different shaft in there, or regrip for us?

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

As I spoiled earlier, these have cemented their place in my bag, and I already received my matching 50* to complete my swap from RTX4 to Zipcore Tour Rack. 

Conclusion

In summary, these are very solid and should be on everyone’s testing list if in the market for new wedges. Coming from their previous RTX4 offering, I wasn’t expecting any huge leaps, and there weren’t any surprises. Obvious difference in looks aside, they feel/sound/perform every bit as good as I would expect a Cleveland wedge to at this point. If there’s a specific grind or leading edge option that you think would help you play the shots you need to, with more success, then SWIPE THAT CARD. Otherwise, if there are other equipment slots that could use upgrading, your dollars might be better-employed elsewhere. For me, the distance control is every bit as good as my RTX4 were, and I love the look (I’m shallow) and thus have earned a spot in my bag.

 

Final Score: (94 out of 100 points)

 

 

[Cory O]

2020 Official Member Review: Cleveland RTX Zipcore Tour Rack (RAW) wedges

Intro

My golf experience has had a lot of ups and downs over the almost 20 years since I first picked up the game seriously in high school. This includes time as a PGA apprentice, giving up the game entirely, playing competitive tournament Screen Golf in South Korea, and recommitting fully to the sport in recent years. Throughout all of that time, wedge play has never been a particular strength and I’ve never been all the picky about the wedges I played.

Back around 2002 or so, I certainly rusted out my wedges as was the fad at the time, in particular a set of Nike Forged ones that wound up looking like they were salvaged from the wreck of the Titanic. After that, though, I switched back and forth on finishes and just played whatever wedges I happened to get my hands on. Most recently, that was a 50/55/60* set from GigaGolf. While not the same design as my GigaGolf irons, they were matched to the loft progression and hit for me fine.

I was excited to be part of the Cleveland RTX Zipcore Tour Rack test for a number of reasons, first being that it would give me the chance to see if a “premium” name-brand wedge really could outperform my current budget options and also to see how they would wind up looking in my bag. Fortunately, there’s no off-season here in SoCal, so as soon as they arrived I was able to put them in play.

First Impressions

Out of the box, these Zipcores were a gorgeous looking wedge. I appreciated the subtle design elements that SHOULD provide forgiveness even with the classic wedge shape. I also really liked the raw finish look out of the box. I never really liked shiny chrome clubs all that much, so I felt the dulled, muted look on these suited my eye. Part of me really hoped they could stay that way instead of rusting out. I wasn’t fitted for these wedges at all, but instead chose the sole and grind based on how I like to play them, more full shots in the 56* and low bounce on the 60* for versatility. I’ve never had strong opinions about wedge shafts, so the standard DG Spinner shafts that came with these were fine by me.

Grading

Basic Characteristics

18/20

I’m not a good enough ball striker to play pure blade wedges, but I am good enough (or at least vain enough) that I want a more traditional look rather than a full-out game improvement wedge. I think these Cleveland really hit the sweet spot of having enough tech built in to give some forgiveness to the average mid-handicapper, but still with a look and feel that all players can appreciate.

Since this review is more focused on the raw “Tour Rack” finish than anything, I’m going to flip the order a bit and cover the looks more at the end. While everyone can definitely dig into the standard RTX Zipcore reviews for more about performance, I’ll share my experience with them as well. 

On Course Performance

23/25

While I didn’t suddenly become the world’s greatest wedge player with these in the bag, there were some noticeable performance pieces to note. On the 56*, my distance stayed more or less the same as when I was playing the game improvement wedge that was a degree stronger. While my Arccos numbers didn’t strike me as all that great, I was still keeping pace in SG with others at my handicap level on these wedge shots. Additionally, I noticed that these still produced good distance and spin even when struck far off the sweet spot, something that definitely wasn’t the case with player’s wedges I played in the past.

 

The 60* is where I really found some improved performance and it’s become my go-to utility club around the greens in recent weeks. What I’ve found most surprising is what I can do with it on full swings. Here’s a great example. 

I put my drive into a fairway bunker and had 80 yards to the front of the green. The bunker was wet and packed like cement, so I didn’t want to play the high bounce sand wedge. Instead, I pulled the lob wedge, trusting that I could take a full swing with just picking the ball without getting too much under it. Did just that, barely disturbing the sand, and the shot flew pin-high with enough spin to check and pull back to around 5 feet below. I honestly don’t think this shot would have been possible with my old lob wedge which always seemed to get under and catch the ball too high on the face on full swings.

Feel

18/20

I’m not a wedge connoisseur and haven’t ever hit any of the super premium forged wedges out there. That said, I have played Vokey’s in the past and these RTX Zipcores exceed those in the feel department, at least in my memory. I can definitely feel and see where I caught the ball on the face after the shot even if the mishit isn’t too badly punished.

Looks

24/25

Well this is the big moment for these wedges. After a few weeks and plenty of golf, how are they looking with the raw finish? While I didn’t soak them in coca cola or anything, I also wasn’t meticulously cleaning them after every shot, so I think this is a fair gauge for what people playing in dry places like SoCal can expect from this finish.

 

Here’s what they looked like out of the box:

 

Here’s after the first week of golf:

 

And here’s what they look like today:

 

As you can see, they are definitely looking broken in, but nothing that I would really call “rust”, just a few slightly darkened patina marks, but otherwise the looks have stayed the same which is a major plus for me. I’m confident that any noticeable marks and scuffs on the clubs would have been just as bad or worse with chrome or satin finishes and were mostly caused by the rough and rocky bunker conditions currently at my course. We’ll see if testers playing in more humid conditions have a different result, but for me the look has stayed better than I had expected.

The big question for me is whether or not getting the “Tour Rack” finish is worth the extra $20 Cleveland is currently charging above the standard finishes. I somewhat doubt that it actually costs them more to produce these wedges, so the premium is most likely because they think they can get it. If it was my own money, I probably would have just gone with the standard satin, but given the choice between the three for the same price, I would definitely stick with the raw.

Play it or Trade it

10/10

These are definitely in the bag, in fact the old wedges were sold off a week ago. My only question now is if I need to get another one to get the gapping right at the bottom of my bag or if I can handle it with different shot types. Right now I’m leaning towards the latter as I’m enjoying keeping the bag light.

Conclusion

93/100

The RTX Zipcore is a great performing wedge for me. While I can’t compare it to other big brand wedges of the same level, for mid-handicap players looking to replace game improvement or set wedges certainly wouldn’t go wrong by upgrading to the Zipcores. They have a great look and perform well. I have to imagine that how the Tour Rack finish turns out will be unique to every player that has them and in a way that’s pretty cool, really making it your wedge. Everyone will have to decide for themselves if the raw finish is worth the extra cost, but I’m definitely happy that I wound up with them to test.

[Shankster]

I’ll be following this one.  Can’t wait to see how they hold up.

[Lacassem]

Both of these finishes look so good. What did everyone go with for loft and grinds?

[Vegan_Golfer_PNW]

49 minutes ago, Lacassem said:

Both of these finishes look so good. What did everyone go with for loft and grinds?

I went 54 full with the s shaped rounded edge and 58 mid with heel and toe relief and rounded edge. I play in the PNW and having some bounce and versatility will hopefully be helpful. 

[Vegan_Golfer_PNW]

Hey everyone and thank you to MGS and Cleveland golf for selecting me to test these clubs out.  I figured I’d introduce myself while waiting for the clubs to come in.  

My name is Randy and I hail from the great PNW. I am a vegan and a PhD chemist so this Raw testing is up my alley. I am not new to golf but more so new to searching for consistency in my game. Up until the last year, everything I had was used and never fit to me. Now my wedges are the last thing that aren’t new and weren’t full fit to me ( lie angle is fit, that’s about it). 
 

I currently game Ping Tour S 54/12 and 60/TS wedges. My 54 is my go to pitcher to anything under 70 yards and full shots around 115 or so. My 60 is a club I go back and forth on as I never could full trust it for full shots due to the thin sole ( I would dig a lot). I recently started working on more short game with it and will try to utilize It more for those purposes. I am also working on “using the bounce” to get more consistency from my short game.
 

Here is some work I put in with the 60 yesterday. 
 

And from uphill with the 54

Safe to say I’m getting there.

I alternate between the 54 and 60 from the sand depending on lie and loft needed to clear the edge. I don’t hit a lot of GIRs so my short game has to carry me. Having the chance to test these new wedges out now gives me more reason to really focus. 
 

 

For this test, I went with the 54/full with an s-shaped grind and rounded edge to help with bunker play but still allow me full shot versatility. I also went with a 58/mid with heel and toe relief and a rounded edge to help with touch shots on the green and give me a full shot option. I am curious how the stock spinner shaft will work for me  I am a simple kbs tour guy through and through, so this will be a nice experiment. I know other reviewers on the original zip cores were not impressed with it. All in all, it will come down to feel as these are touch clubs.

I also don’t full feel comfortable with 60* so dropping to 58 and giving me 4* gaps in my wedges will hopefully give me better distance control. I am excited for this test so see how the Cleveland’s stack up to my 9 yr old wedges and to see how the raw finish helps on sunny days. My Ping’s glare so much I’m surprised my eyes haven’t been dun burned. 
 

I find it interesting how the raw trend came to be with wedges as we always wanted clean grooves to improve friction on spin. The idea of Fe2O3 (rust) adding to the coefficient of friction makes some sense since it should increase the surface area to grab the ball. 
 

If it all merely flakes off and does not adhere to the surface of the club face, I could see that actually poorly affecting the friction. As some MGS testing prior has shown, raw wedges really don’t add more spin. We will see if the Zipcore design can get past that. For certain, if the patina cuts down on glare and these perform the same as my old wedges, that will be huge for me as strike quality will go up since I can actually focus on fitting the ball on not being blinded.

  

I hope my preference for wedges now is how I used to like my meat, RAW.

 

 

Edited October 15, 2020 by rbsiedsc

[Cory O]

Really excited to be part of the test! A bit about me, my name is Cory (if you didn't guess) and I'm living in Southern California (yay for no off-season). I'm playing golf 4-5 times a week these days, recently joining a country club so I can squeeze in hour-ish nine holes during early morning and lunch. I'd describe my style of play as "scrappy" as my swing is usually worse than my handicap would suggest, but I rarely make major mistakes and blow up holes/rounds. My wedge play is a part of that, never spectacular, but never cover-your-eyes horrible.

My current wedges are essentially the "set wedge" for my irons from GigaGolf, although they have a different head design:

They are "game improvement" with a cavity behind the sole. They get the job done though and have good gapping from my PW (45*) through the wedges (50*/55*/60*).

Prior to these, I had some Cleveland CG11's that were good, but getting a bit worn. I've always had good experiences with Cleveland and hope that the RTX Zipcores will give me the balance I want between forgiveness and versatility.

On to the raw finish, I'm approaching it with an open mind. Back when I was 20, I had Nike forged wedges that I allowed to rust, that being the "cool" style at the time. Perhaps this will let me recapture a bit of my youth, but I'm certainly not expecting any performance differences between the new finish and once it gets the patina.

Here's what I selected for my wedges:

	Loft: 56	Loft: 60
	Sole Grind: FULL	Sole Grind: LOW
	Tour Crafted Sole Grind: S-SHAPED	Tour Crafted Sole Grind: RELIEF EDGE
	Tour Crafted Leading Edge: STANDARD	Tour Crafted Leading Edge: SHARPENED
	Finish: HAND POLISHED	Finish: HAND POLISHED

 

The opposite grinds and edges on the two wedges is intentional as I see both as specialty tools. I like a bigger bounce on my sand wedge for fluffy lies or when things are a little wet in my early morning rounds. For the lobber, I want that to be lower bounce/sharper so I can lay it open when needed (something I'm not really able to do well with my current one).

Looking forward to reporting back as the test gets started!

[Brian A]

3 hours ago, Lacassem said:

Both of these finishes look so good. What did everyone go with for loft and grinds?

super excited to be picked, I was honestly at my local big box store looking at these the day before I was announced as a tester, glad I didn’t have my current wedges to trade in! 

I picked 56* and 60* low bounce, relief edge, rounded and hand polished. 

My current set is the RTX4 52*/56* mid bounce. My major miss is always blading it. I already have some sim time scheduled to compare spin rates and distances. Have a couple weekly rounds I plan on putting these in play 

I went with the 60* instead of the 52* on this as i needed something shorter and to be able to stick a short sided green. 

 

[cjeffs12]

Excited to follow this one, my golf pro shop just got them in not too long ago and they look great. I am looking to add the 60 and Cleveland Zipcore could fill that spot nicely. 

[JScott]

excited to see some reviews.  These wedges look incredible.  

Edited October 15, 2020 by JScott

[golfish!]

Congrats to all the testers! Will definitely be following along as I may be looking at some new wedges to replace my *gasp* bombtech wedges lol

[yungkory]

Two K/C orys enter, only one can make it out alive.....

 

 

 

Just kidding! Stoked to be testing alongside some new MGS fam! Just got married yesterday, and since we're not going anywhere due to C-19 I'll have plenty of time to grind out some practice. LFG!!!!

[sirchunksalot]

8 minutes ago, yungkory said:

Two K/C orys enter, only one can make it out alive.....

 

 

 

Just kidding! Stoked to be testing alongside some new MGS fam! Just got married yesterday, and since we're not going anywhere due to C-19 I'll have plenty of time to grind out some practice. LFG!!!!

I know this ain't part of the thread, but congratulations on getting married! I wish the two of you many years of happiness.

As far as the testing goes, I'll be curious what you guys think of the spinner shaft. I had it in the Bridgestone and loved it on partial shots, full shots tended to launch high and go shorter than expected. 

[golfish!]

14 hours ago, yungkory said:

Two K/C orys enter, only one can make it out alive.....

 

 

 

Just kidding! Stoked to be testing alongside some new MGS fam! Just got married yesterday, and since we're not going anywhere due to C-19 I'll have plenty of time to grind out some practice. LFG!!!!

[mr.hicksta]

Enjoy, y'all! I have these in the bag and they are EXCELLENT! Looking forward to reading your reviews!

[Vegan_Golfer_PNW]

Had another round with my current wedges and had a couple holes again where my eyes nearly got burned from the glare. Really hopeful these raw wedges take care of that problem and retain performance with the patina. Getting more pumped for these to come in.