Wedges are your primary scoring clubs out on the golf course, so being able to use them effectively will significantly help lower your score. However, with the myriad options available on the market, how do you know which wedges are the right ones for you? In this buying guide, I’ll take you through the wedges offered by Cleveland Golf and provide some clarity on determining which wedges you need for your game.

Over the past 20 years that I’ve been in the golf world, I’ve seen changes in wedge technology from Nike’s X3X Grooves that countered the new groove rule, to the revolutionary release of Callaway’s PM2 wedges that introduced Full Face Grooves. As such, my goal is to use the wisdom I’ve gleaned over the years to help you choose the best wedge for your game.

Why Cleveland?

Cleveland Golf, founded in 1979 in Huntington Beach, California, is a prominent golf brand recognized for its innovation in golf equipment. Known especially for their wedges, Cleveland pioneered advanced groove technology, significantly enhancing players' spin control. Their wedges provide excellent performance, feel, and durability—sought after by golfers of all skill levels. Choosing Cleveland wedges gives golfers improved short game precision and versatility, contributing to their game's overall improvement. Cleveland’s commitment to quality, game-enhancing design, and its rich history make it a compelling choice for golfers worldwide.

What’s a Wedge?

A pitching wedge is the lowest-lofted of the named wedges, used to hit a variety of short-range shots. The modern pitching wedge has a loft of around 48° (exact lofts vary by clubmaker and player preference) and little to no "bounce" (angle of the sole to the ground). These days, this particular wedge is typically packaged together with an iron set—e.g., sold as 4Iron to Pitching Wedge (4I-PW)—so there’s no particular need to seek out an individual 48° PW, although it’s possible.

Gap/Approach Wedge

For our purposes, we can think of a wedge as a specialized Iron, typically used from 125 yards and in, but almost exclusively from 50 yards and in. A wedge can be easily identified by its short length, heavy shaft, and high loft on the clubhead. These characteristics make for shots that will fly short distances but have high trajectories. This means that shots hit with these clubs can be hit with a high amount of precision and in a variety of lies and situations.

What Are the Different Types of Wedges?

Pitching Wedge

A gap wedge is the next highest-lofted wedge after the pitching wedge, and it is usually used in a similar manner. This is a newer wedge, so it’s one of the least standardized in purpose and design. Lofts for gap wedges are generally centered on 52°, and they have a moderate amount of bounce. Much like the pitching wedge, the gap wedge will come included in iron sets aimed at players who prefer game improvement or super game improvement irons (5I-GW/AW). This wedge can similarly be purchased on its own if desired.

Sand Wedge

A sand wedge has a specialized design intended to help play the ball from soft lies such as sand bunkers. It typically has a loft of about 56°, and about 10° of bounce. Debuted and possibly created in the 1930s by golfer Gene Sarazen, this is the club responsible for creating this wedge class of golf club. By extending the trailing edge of the sole, Sarazen was able to create a club that could perform as normal from the fairway, but also hit through sand and rough without digging or getting stuck. This was revolutionary at the time, and helped propel Sarazen to a British Open and U.S. Open win. After showing off his new club, its popularity took off.

Lob Wedge

The lob wedge is a club with a loft of around 60°, which is typically the highest in a player's bag. It is used for specialized shots requiring either an extreme launch angle, short carry distance, and/or no rolling distance after impact.

What to Consider When Buying a Wedge

1. Skill Level

Your skill level influences your wedge choice. Cleveland produces a range of wedges suitable for beginners to professionals. For instance, higher-handicap players might benefit from wedges with more forgiveness, while lower-handicap players may prefer wedges with greater control and feel.

2. Wedge Set Configuration

Generally speaking, wedges will have the aforementioned 48°, 52°, 56° and 60° lofts. However, this can change depending on set make-up, carry distances, and the conditions of the course. For instance, you could replace the 52° and 56° wedges with a 54°, leaving space to put a longer club in the bag. A course with soft conditions may render your lob wedge redundant, and firm conditions may even require you to put in a 64° wedge.

3. Bounce, Sole Grind and Grooves

What is bounce? In golf, this is the angle created between the leading edge of the clubhead and the lowest point of the trailing edge. The more bounce there is, the less the club will dig through the ground as the clubhead moves through the ground during impact.

The sole grind of the club refers to how the sole of the clubhead, including the bounce, is curved or shaped to further fine-tune turf interaction. Course conditions again play a huge role in determining your bounce and sole grind requirements. Very firm courses may need less bounce in your wedges than usual, while soft conditions merit a more traditional sole grind, like what you see on Irons.

In recent years, manufacturers have also included the option to extend the grooves on the clubface itself from more traditional configurations to across the entire face. This is useful when your shot requires an open clubface, inspiring confidence to execute the shot properly knowing that, no matter where on the face you make contact, you’ll be able to impart spin on the golf ball.

4. Finish

Choosing the finish of your wedge is something more personal, as there are several options depending on the manufacturer. For Cleveland wedges, there’s the Tour Satin, Tour Rack, and Black Satin. Tour Satin has a matte finish on the clubhead, which reduces glare, especially when playing in sunlight. The Black Satin finish cuts glare to an absolute minimum, and has a very cool looking aesthetic. The Tour Rack finish is intentionally designed to rust over time, which helps increase grip on the ball during impact, increasing spin imparted on the ball.

5. Cost

Cleveland wedges typically range from $120 to $180. At the lower end, expect solid, entry-level wedges suitable for beginner to intermediate players. The higher price range includes wedges with advanced technologies often preferred by skilled golfers, offering greater control and precision.

Wedge Lines from Cleveland Golf

RTX

The RTX Wedge line from Cleveland is their top of the line offering, packed with the most technology, and meant for the more experienced player. Club designs for these models are meant to provide the most flexibility and workability for shots.

RTX 6 ZipCore

This is the latest and greatest offering from Cleveland Golf. The sixth generation of the RTX wedge incorporates several technologies, including ZipCore weighting, HydraZip and UltiZip groove technologies, and four sole grinds and three finishes to choose from.

Cleveland’s ZipCore technology uses low-density material in the hosel section of the clubhead to move the center of gravity (CG) closer to the impact area. This improves consistency and forgiveness, as well as increases the clubhead’s moment of inertia (MOI) for even more forgiveness and better performance.

UltiZip groove technology gives the RTX 6 line its tightest grooves yet, with a specialized sequence of deep grooves and a sharp groove radius. This makes for a marked increase in spin off the clubface from all lies. HydraZip adds to the spin production with a special series of laser-milled lines on the face to draw dirt and moisture away from the hitting area during impact, making for more consistent spin and results from any lie.

Being the top-of-the-line wedge series, the RTX 6 ZipCore has four sole grinds on offer. The LOW grind essentially removes material from the heel and toe area of the sole, creating a c-shaped sole to open up the clubface when you need it, or play from tight or firm lies. The LOW+ grind adds 2° of bounce to the sand wedge for more performance out of sand. The MID grind is a v-shaped sole and good all-around option for all conditions. The FULL grind is a traditional sole shape which excels in soft conditions, with added bounce when the face is open for more forgiveness out of the sand or rough. RTX wedges also come in the three distinct finishes (Tour Satin, Satin Black, Tour Rack) mentioned above.

RTX Full Face

The RTX Full Face has all the great technology of the RTX 6, but adds to it by extending the grooves across the entire clubface. Also present is a new High-Toe profile for the clubhead, which extends the face, and therefore the hitting area, allowing for more margin for error in the impact zone. Both the full face grooves and High Toe inspire confidence when down by the ball, allowing you to execute to the best of your ability. Additionally, this product comes with ZipCore, UltiZip and HydraZip technologies, the c-shaped LOW sole grind, and all three finish options.

CBX

CBX is an offering aimed more toward those who may need a bit of help from their equipment to pull off the shots they want to hit. These products include designs that are more forgiving and demand less precision from those who use the club.

CBX ZipCore

The CBX line is aimed at golfers who need a bit more help from their equipment to extract max performance out of their game. The main hallmark of this line is the Hollow Cavity Design, which increases forgiveness on off-center hits. A weight in the toe of the clubhead, coupled with a hollow chamber in the heel, gives a more balanced wedge which will perform no matter where you strike it on the face. GelBack, a soft, vibration-absorbing thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) insert, absorbs impact vibrations to give a soft feel during impact. CBX also comes with ZipCore, UltiZip, and HydraZip technologies, and LOW, MID and FULL sole grinds.

CBX Full Face 2

Much like the RTX Full Face, the CBX Full Face 2 improves upon the CBX by extending the grooves across the entire face, creating a large impact area to give you more confidence when opening the face. The CBX Full Face 2 comes with ZipCore, UltiZip, HydraZip, and FULL and LOW soles.

Smart Sole 4

The Smart Sole 4 is for the golfer who needs assistance getting out of bunkers or the rough. Its Enhanced Three-Tier, extra wide sole has added leading edge bounce to help prevent digging from any lie, be it the fairway, rough, or sand. Aggressive Milled Grooves also help with spin production.

Choosing Your Wedge

Having gone over the various products offered by Cleveland Golf, next comes determining which of these wedges would be right for your game. Keep in mind that while these recommendations below are here to guide your decision process, you’re free to mix and match to create your unique wedge set.

Doug: Beginner/Casual Player

Needs

Doug just picked up the game after a boozy driving range company outing. He’s only been at it for a month, but he already feels the need to upgrade from his grandfather’s old set of clubs he’s been testing out. Because he’s just starting out, and doesn't get to play too often, his swing and game lacks consistency, which means he has greater reliance on his golf clubs and will need some more assistance.

Features to look for

Wedges with wide soles and/or high degrees of bounce to help prevent digging in sand or rough lies; perimeter weighting or other cavity-back designs to increase forgiveness on less-than-ideal hits.

Products to consider

• Smart Sole 4: The extra-wide sole is forgiving and prevents digging, improving contact especially for beginners or those working on their short game. It also simplifies bunker shots and chip shots, making it a good specialty wedge.
• CBX: The cavity back design and perimeter weighting improve forgiveness, which can be beneficial for less experienced golfers or those with inconsistent swings. The sole grinds available makes it versatile for various course conditions and shot types.

Alex: Intermediate/Weekend Warrior

Needs

Alex loves to play golf, but Alex’s life often gets in the way of that, so he can only play on weekends or when his schedule otherwise allows. Alex may need some help from his club, but he generally knows what he’s doing with his shots and is able to do it consistently.

Features to look for

Designs that offer a bit less forgiveness in exchange for more control and workability; sole designs that allow for more turf/ground interaction to increase the variety of shots he can play.

Products to consider

• CBX: Less control and feel compared to blade-style wedges, which might not be ideal for all lower handicap golfers, but good for most weekend warriors. The cavity back design provides the perfect balance between forgiveness and control which suits the intermediate golfer’s needs.
• CBX Full Face 2: Full Face Grooves enhance control and spin on open-face shots. The CBX Full Face also keeps the forgiveness of the CBX while adding these other benefits, providing confidence to mid-to-high handicappers.

Trevor: Advanced/Avid Competitor

Needs

Trevor can hit the ball far and straight any day of the week. He even fancies a trip to Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying School every now and then. Accordingly, Trevor needs the best of the best equipment. Any and all technology should be present on his wedges—it will work to his advantage since he has the skills to maximize it.

Features to look for

Groove technology that will provide maximum spin for any and all lies and conditions; classic blade designs which will allow for maximum precision and control.

Products to consider

• RTX 6: The RTX 6 offers a high degree of control and precision, suitable for skilled golfers. Multiple customization options including loft, grind, and finish also allows players to tailor the wedge to their game.
• RTX Full Face: This wedge has all the features of the RTX 6, with the addition of Full Face Grooves, which helps inspire confidence on open-faced shots. Along with the Full Face grooves, the High Toe profile found on this model helps increase effective hitting area, which helps inspire confidence and performance.

Next Steps for Choosing Your Cleveland Wedge

Cleveland Golf has always been a top-of-the-line choice for golf equipment, and its wedge selection is no exception. With a solid amount of options to choose from, there will definitely be a fit out there for you. If you’re having trouble deciding which wedges are right for your game, please do not hesitate to chat with me or any of the Golf Experts here at Curated. All of us are here to help you and your game. Happy Golfing!