About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the wedge, which I purchased with my own money in June of 2022.

My take

The Cleveland CBX Full-Face Wedge is great for a wide range of skill levels and shot types. I have found that the Full-Face grooves offer more forgiveness for the higher-handicap player but also higher spin rates and predictable launch for the mid to low handicapper looking for more finesse. I experience consistent trajectory on full-swing shots as well as good distance control.

About the club I own

• Model: 2022 Cleveland CBX Full-Face Wedge
• Loft: 56°
• Bounce: 10°
• Grind: C
• Finish: Black Satin

About me

• Average Score: 78–80
• Handicap: 6–8
• Experience: 19 years of golf
• Right/Left-Handed: Left-Handed
• Golf Ball Used: Titleist ProV1-X
• Angle of Attack: Steep

Test conditions

• When I bought the wedge: June 2022
• Days tested: 35
• Where I’ve used it: Courses and ranges around Northern Utah (Salt Lake City area)
• Weather Conditions: Clear/hot, clear/cold, warm rain, cold rain, light snow, simulator
• Green Conditions: Mostly Kentucky Bluegrass, 5–9 stimp

How it performs

What I was looking for

I wanted a wedge that offered the control of a low-handicappers club but also some forgiveness across different lies, conditions, and shot types. I was looking for a wedge that was easy to flight down or hit high, and had consistent launch characteristics.

Why I chose this club

I chose the CBX because the feel and spin were to my liking, as were the full-face grooves. I tested a couple of Titleist Vokey wedges and a Taylormade MG2, and I chose the Cleveland because I enjoyed how the full face looked at address. For me, it adds confidence that I won’t shank it. It also gives me the feel I was looking for and consistent distance and strikes on full-swing shots, as well as around the greens.

What I love about it

• Launch: This wedge offers great launch characteristics across different lies and shot types. The CBX shows predictable launch from tight lies. It is easy to dial in a stock trajectory and manipulate it higher and lower from there. In thicker grass, it’s easy to execute that stock shot and have confidence in the trajectory. These wedges also interact well with the surface of bunkers, and make it easier to hit the shot where needed.
• Forgiveness: The Cleveland CBX’s Full-Face grooves and sole grind offer players great forgiveness. Standing over the ball and seeing the massive usable face on these wedges boosts confidence, and in practice, they show more consistent shot characteristics on off-center strikes compared to other wedges I've used. The shape of the head and sole grind on the CBX Full-Face series allows the club to skirt off the ground more consistently, and helps to reduce face rotation through thicker grass. These things together give me a higher level of forgiveness in bad lies.
• Feel: Incredible, soft feel offers greater control, confidence, versatility, and finesse. The feel of these wedges makes hitting high arcing shots that land softly on the green easier and more consistent. The soft touch to the CBX makes it easy to control distance, as I can feel the difference in strikes between softer and harder shots.
• Spin: These wedges make it easy to add or take spin off on a shot and give players more consistent spin rates on off-center strikes. These wedges helped me gain more spin from thicker lies and bunkers where it is normally harder to do so.
• Bounce: The bounce on the CBS Full-Face really helps the leading edge skirt along the ground and not dig too much on short shots, and also helps with taking consistent divots on full-swing shots. Plus, the bounce allows the club to slide through thicker grass without too much face rotation.
• Around the Green: This wedge is great in different lies and grasses. As a result, it’s easy to hit different types of shots with different amounts of spin. The wedges are easy to deloft, and hit lower-spinning shots that check-up nicely. This helps me be more precise with my chips and pitches. Also, it is easy to flip that and hit high, soft shots around the green to tight pins. These wedges are easy to develop a stock chip with and show great consistency and versatility around the greens.
• Full Shots: Very consistent yardages and launch characteristics. I am able to dial in the yardage of a full swing quickly, and the forgiveness and consistency of the full-face grooves allow consistent launches. This adds a high, soft, spinning shot to my bag that I can hit consistently.
• Aesthetic Appeal: Great, streamlined aesthetic for a wider-soled wedge. The full-face grooves look great and offer more confidence at address. Though the black-satin finish does wear more quicker than other club finishes.
• Innovation: The Full-Face grooves are an innovative feature. Cleveland did not develop the concept because they are not unique to the CBX. They are simply putting their spin on a newer innovation in the wedge world. However, the Full-Face design is new to me, and allowed me to adapt and upgrade my wedge play.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Other: I’ve noticed it’s more difficult to shape shots and control side spin (i.e., draw, fade spin). To me, this is due to the fact that this wedge has a wider sole and other design features aimed at offering a great product to a wider range of handicap players. The wedge was designed to be more consistent and less shapeable, so higher handicap players could improve their wedge game. A low-handicap player who has a more consistent strike pattern and wants to shape their wedge shots more may benefit from a different style of club.

Best Shot with this Wedge

I have a clear winner in mind when it comes to the best shot I’ve hit with this wedge. I was playing a long straightaway par 5. I hit a big high fade off the tee into the other fairway. I had to hit a low slinger draw through some trees for my second shot, which left me about 70 yards away in deep rough. The pin was in the back middle with a bunker long, and I had a lot of green to work with. My ball was sitting down deep in the rough, so I decided to play about a 90-yard shot and hope I didn't catch a flyer. This is where this wedge was the hero. Looking over it and seeing the full-face grooves and knowing how the bounce of the wedge would react made me ready to hit the shot with confidence. I took my 90-yard swing and hit it perfectly. The ball came out on a laser line with the pin. It landed 10 feet short of the pin and even out of the deep rough, the ball checked up nicely, bounced a couple of times, and rolled out six feet to the bottom of the cup for eagle. I will remember this shot for a long time, made possible by the Cleveland CBX Full-Face Wedge.

Value for the money vs. other options

The performance and quality I receive from Cleveland and the competitive price offer great value for the money. The playability and forgiveness of these wedges are great for somebody looking in this price range compared to a more expensive wedge like a Titleist Vokey. Overall, the Cleveland CBX Full-Face wedges are an amazing value.

Final verdict

The Cleveland CBX Full-Face Wedges offers a combination of value with playability, forgiveness, versatility, and performance. Overall, these are some of my favorite wedges I've ever swung. Great for full shots and also precise around the greens. They spin fantastically, and are versatile among different lies and conditions. This one is staying in the golf bag.

This club is featured in the Best Cleveland Wedges. Check it out for more recommendations and reviews.