Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore Wedge Review

Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore Wedge Review

The Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore wedge is the latest in a long line of blade wedges from the brand that stretches back to 1979. The numbering has come back and before any of you ask where RTX 5 went, it was actually the previous Cleveland RTX ZipCore wedge that skipped the nomenclature.

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Most of the innovations in the RTX6 are not visible to the naked eye. In the hosel, the ZipCore insert is made of up to 95 percent more aluminium and silicon material than before. This is lighter than the 8620 carbon steel and therefore saves weight in the hosel that can be moved elsewhere in the head to make the RTX 6 more forgiving by increasing the MOI by up to 20 percent. Consequently, it is one of the most forgiving wedges money can buy.

The UltiZip grooves on the face are sharper, deeper and closer together than before and vary in dimensions according to the loft on the face. The space between the grooves also includes laser milled lines and the whole face is treated with HydraZip blasting and a more matte finish than before to maximise friction.

In dry conditions, the RTX 6 maintains the same high levels of spin as the best golf wedges, but in the wet Cleveland claims all these improvements increase spin by 43 percent. As I was testing this in sunny Spain, I could not verify this claim, but suffice to say the spin was excellent.

The Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore wedge features a relatively heavy 126g True Temper Dynamic Gold steel shaft. Whilst this makes the club feel slightly heavier in your hand, during the swing the extra weight gives you more control and I preferred being able to relax my hands and let the weight of the club do the work. A graphite shaft option is also available for a lighter feel.

There are a wide variety of lofts from 46° to 60° in a good range of bounces including a new 8° Low+ option in the 54° and 56° heads. These are some of the best sand wedges and best lob wedges, as they have a more pronounced C grind and, like all the RTX 6 heads, the tri-bounce sole features different types of leading edge to match the type of shot you wish to play.

There is very little to fault in this comprehensive range of performance RTX 6 ZipCore wedges from Cleveland. It has every option covered and the balance, bounce and grip from the RTX 6 means it is one of the best Cleveland wedges and you should definitely consider it for your bag.