50 replies to this topic

[HipCheck]

Some GolfWRXers are being provided new Cleveland 588 RTX CB Wedges to put through their paces.  They'll post on-course experience and feedback in this thread.

Let's keep this open until the members start posting.  Thanks!



About the 588® RTX™ CB Wedge from Cleveland Golf
588®  RTX™ CB wedges combine the legendary performance of the original 588® wedge with added forgiveness and breakthrough ROTEX™ technology – Cleveland® Golf's most advanced spin technology ever. Features include:

• 16% Larger Grooves. Through more precise manufacturing, these U-Grooves are 16% larger than previous Tour Zip Grooves® to promote cleaner contact and maximize spin on critical scoring shots.
  
• Rougher, More Durable Laser Milling. Advanced surface roughness technology is now more durable and dimensionally optimized for even more friction at impact.
  
• ROTEX™ Face Pattern. Directionally milled face pattern adds roughness and imparts maximum spin, especially on open-face wedge shots where impact tends to be closer to the toe.
  
• Wedge Cavity Back. An undercut cavity promotes perimeter weighting for more forgiveness on off-center hits.
  
• Reverse C Sole. Inspired by Cleveland® Golf's popular CG14™ and CG16™ wedges, this wide, constant-width sole combines heel and toe grinds to improve performance from bunkers and deep rough.

588® RTX™ CB wedges come in eight different lofts (46°-60°) with standard bounce in both Satin Chrome and Black Pearl finishes. Minimum advertised price (MAP) is $119.99. Women’s version is available.

[GolfMonster09]

Just got back from the course and had the chance to put the 588 RTX CB through 18 holes of real world testing. I will preface my review by saying that I had my backup clubs in my bag, and as a result the RTX got a little bit more use than it would on a normal day. That being said, here we go.

Looks

The 588 RTX CB is definitely a great looking wedge. The "Black Pearl" finish is fantastic. No glare at address, and it definitely stood out in my chrome plated bag of irons. The face with all the laser milled lines is not distracting at all, and overall frames the ball extremely well. Love the overall look of the club, and got a couple compliments from my playing partners on how nice it looked. The top line is not the thinnest, but also not chunky. Overall, a 9/10 in the looks department

Full Shots

On full swings, the wedge performed admirably. I had at least 5 shots with a full wedge in my hand on the course, and every one was right on target. The sound on a well struck shot was muted but still offered a click when hit. The ball flight was very high for what I am used to, but not sure if that is the design of the head or the "wedge flex" shaft that came in it, but either way I was able to flight shots low, medium and high as needed. The spin this club put on the ball was amazing. Could not believe I had Nike One Vapor Blacks backing up on the greens (not my normal ball, but I'm not going to lose 20XIs in the leaves). Full shots were between 90 and 120 yards, and the spin generated from each distance was consistent and predictable. Loved it from the fairway and the rough, but the full shots were not where this wedge shined brightest for me. 9/10 on full swings

Around the Green

Around the green again, this wedge showed amazing versatility. I found it easy to play flop shots and really throw the ball up in the air and stop quickly. Over bunkers, from the rough, from the collection areas, just an overall easy wedge to throw up high and stop it quick. For the shots that required low to medium height shots, the face/grooves put a ton of spin on the ball with short, crisp swings. I purposely mis-hit shots from the same location off the green - toward the sole, toward the toe - and the face was consistent all the way across. Obviously not as much spin as when struck in the center of the face, but not enough of a difference that I was displeased with the performance. Didn't have a single shot where the leading edge dug into the turf causing the shot to come out dead. The turf interaction all around was fantastic. Nicely weighted as well. 10/10 around the greens


Bunkers

Best part about this wedge for me BY FAR. This club has got to be the easiest club I have ever hit from a greenside bunker, hands down. As stated in my little preface, I was playing my backup sticks. Unfortunately they are weaker in the shaft department than my gamers, causing me to hit way more greenside bunkers than I normally would (5 bunkers to be exact). Each time I was in the bunker, I was able to blast out to within 5 feet or so, and made 5/5 sand saves. The ease with which this wedge cut through the sand was mind blowing. Didn't dig, didn"t skip over the top, just popped the ball out with a ton of spin and stopped the ball on a dime. I had one ball back up on a 10 yard bunker shot, and not one shot was outside of 5 feet. Best bunker performance of my season, and it's hard to say that wedge didn't make that possible. Whatever Cleveland Golf has done with this wedge, they need to keep doing it. 10/10 from the beach, would go so far as to say "This one goes to 11...

Overall Thoughts

This wedge has it all. Great looks, and the versatility to be played from anywhere on the course. From full swings to saving me when I do make a poor swing and miss the green, there is nothing this wedge can't do or won't do well. There's no way this doesn't make it into my bag, along with the 60* to match. Cleveland has hit this one out of the park, and I am grateful Cleveland Golf gave me the opportunity to test this out.

Cheers and I'm anxious to know what others think about the wedge. Hopefully they found it as amazing as I did.

[longbal30]

Cleveland 588 RTX Cb Wedge

I finally had a chance to get out on the course today with the new Cleveland 588 RTX Cb wedge. Cleveland and Golfwrx were nice enough to send me a new black 56* wedge with 14* bounce. Here are some of the things I found to be of interest about this wedge.

Looks
So I took it out of the box, unrapped it, and was really quite impressed with what I saw. I have had previous experiences with various other model Cleveland wedges. This model in particular had a very classy, traditional, elegant style to it. Not too busy, not too many colors going on, and the black gave it a very stealthy look. Set up was fantastic as well. Very nice profile behind the ball. After the round, the wedge still had its black appearance. I found the finish to wear very well, even though I had a field day in the bunkers, wet areas, and even hard pan on the course. 4.5 out of 5 stars





Feel
This is where it gets interesting to me. I have found in the past that Cleveland wedges had a very light, hollow like feel to them. This wedge on the other hand had a significant heft to it. I dont have exact specs, but it feels like it would come in at a D5 or even heavier. Impact sensation also had a very dense, solid feel to it. Felt like a top quality forging to me, similar to some JDM wedges I have used in the past. Very high marks in this catagory for me. 5 out of 5 stars

Accuracy
This is one area where I feel this wedge really shines. I am just starting on a swing revamp, so there were some toe shots as well as some push/pull shots. I found these mishits very forgiving. Some shots I thought would come up short, or miss to the side of the green, still found the putting surface. Partial wedge shots, like knockdowns and pitches, came off as expected, more often than not, finding the target. I had quite a few par save opportunities and even a couple birdie chances with these wedges today. 4.5 out of 5 stars

Turf Interaction
These wedges performed excellent off a variety of lies. I played these off upslopes, downslopes, hard pan, soggy, and even out of divots. These wedges cut though the turf very well. A nice flat, dollar size divot was the norm. If I had any gripe, it would be the lack of a C grind. I think that if these wedges incorporated some sort of heel relief, they would be perfect. I love to be able to open the face up a bit off soft lies, or to take a little off of a full shot. While these performed very well, I think a grind would make them stellar.



Distance
Now distance is not something I usually look for in a wedge. I am far more concerned about consistency, than trying to bomb a wedge. That being said, these wedges are pretty long. I do not usually use a 56* wedge, but I found this model going as far as my 52* gamer. I even had a friend hit a shot with it today. He was 115 yards to the center of the green, with nothing but water between himself and the putting surface. I told him, go ahead, take a whack at it. He assured me that he could not hit a 56* wedge 115 yards. I told him, just to trust me, he would be surprised. He went ahead and hit the shot, looked up, and found himself within feet of his target. He was impressed. Now thats not to say that these wedges are distance hungry. I found them to very consistent off the face. No real hot spots. The Cb was a welcomed change for me. 5 out of 5 stars

Spin
After the groove rule went into effect, I was one of the first to make the change to conforming wedges. After spending 2 seasons now with new groove wedges, I found myself having to relearn the spin rates with these beast. I found these wedges to spin as much as previous non legal wedges. I was hitting pitch shots waiting for the one hop and roll out, and instead getting, one hop and stop shots. If spin is what you are after, look no further, these have plenty. 5 out of 5 stars.

Bunker Play
Now this was a little more difficult for me. I normally play wedges with more of a mid bounce option. 14* to me was pretty high, and the course I played had sand that was on the firmer side. Setting up in a bunker with a open face was pretty easy. There is a nice contrast in the scoring area for alignment. Now some of the full shots I had in the bunker, between 100-120 yard shots, came out as expected. The cavity came in pretty handy at this point, as my normal mis from this ranc=ge would be a bit thin. Green side explosion shots is where things got a bit tricky. With the firm conditions, I just wasnt able to get the ball up quick and soft enough to get myself out of the short side situations I put myself in. I really do think if I had a better bounce set up, this would take care of the problem though. 4 out of 5 stars.


Conclusion
I came out really impressed with these wedges. I am very particular about my wedge set up, since my on course performance relies heavily on my short game performance. I would even consider putting a 52/60 set up in the bag for the upcoming season. These wedges have a very nice heft to them, and a extremely solid feel at impact. Match that with the forgivness a Cb style wedge gives you and include being able to hit knockdowns on command, and you have a very deadly short game weapon. Way to go Cleveland.

Edited by longbal30, 10 November 2012 - 10:03 PM.

[nova6868]

Great post, thanks. I'm in for updates.

[driverwedge3putt]

I heard these suckers spin like non CC wedges if not more.  Is that true? They look kinda good.

[Doc Mcstuffins]

I hit an in store demo and they felt very firm...almost too hard. Definitely not forged like. To be fair though they are gorgeous to look at, and I would like an opportunity to put them through there paces outdoors at some point.

[Splitter]

I like to play a wedge 3-4 times before reviewing it, but with work I've only been able to take mine out once.  That said, I need to post something before GolfWRX fires me so I'd like to put a little out there.  I'll keep adding to this thread and do a formal review over the next few weeks when i have more time.

I received a black 56/14 like the other reviewers.  I usually play 50/54/58 so using the 56* RTX would add a little variety to my game.  For reviewing purposes, I'm just going to play my wedges at 50/56 and take my 54/58 out of play.  Before taking it out, I had it bent and checked the specs.  It came in at 55* which is a variance I'm pretty used to with most golf gear.  5* seemed like a good gap, so technically I'm really playing 50/55 now.

A few quick thoughts from the day;

I played Yesterday in 50* weather and tried to drop a lot of balls to get a feel for the wedge.

Accuracy:  A lot of people worry about accuracy with cast CB style wedges.  I felt like the wedge went where I wanted it to go.  Maybe better than my current wedges.  This *may* be a function of the black finish.  I seem to line things up better with black irons, but never realized it may affect wedge play before.  I didn't sink any, but buzzed the hole more than normal from the fringe.

Distance:  The RTX is like a spring on the end of a stick.  It was flying at least 10% further than my 54*.  There didn't seem to be any hot spots on it though.  No matter what shot I was using it for, it seemed to fly further than what I'm used to.

Spin:  The face of the wedge almost feels like one of those illegal over milled wedges.  It's rougher than any other wedge I've used.  That said, I'm more of a "loft it up" kind of guy and just tried to play my game so I didn't notice a ton of extra spin.  The ball did check up a few times when I wasn't expecting it to so I suspect it was spinning a touch more than I'm used to.

Trajectory:  This thing launched the ball high for me.  I don't know if it was my swing or the club, but it was going at least as high as my 58* wedge normally goes..

Finish:  The black looks good and held up great after its first round.  I can usually scratch up a finish really well on black clubs within one round.  I think I only got one ball mark on it yesterday.  If it's important to you, the face looks really cool with the extra white lines and milling.

Turf interaction:  The fall course has plenty of tight and muddy lies on the fairways.  I was really worried about the high bounce the wedge had, but it didn't negatively affect one shot.  That said, most of my approach shots from the fairway were with longer clubs, so the RTX saw more rough than fairway.

Bunker shots:  I'm not a good bunker player.  Bunker play is the reason I have my current set of wedges so I was also worried about bunker shots with the RTX.  I ended up in the bunker 3 times yesterday and only had trouble with one of them.  I was facing a 6' wall of sand so I may have been over swinging though.  From the other two bunkers the ball popped out really easy.  The kind of easy that makes me think I got lucky..  twice.  I need to play some more and drop some in the sand to test.

Summary:  It's a good wedge that's worth checking out.  It's easy to use and played well from all the lies I had.  It hits the ball high and long but was accurate up close.  I'm a little concerned about getting control of my distance.  Not because it varied, but because it's so much further than my 54* I had trouble dialing it in.  I'm sure I'll get it figured out with some more time and probably isn't a bad problem to have.

[Doc Mcstuffins]

cavity looks strikingly similar to the Ping S56.

[Splitter]

joeclothing, on 12 November 2012 - 08:30 PM, said:

cavity looks strikingly similar to the Ping S56.

I think it's just the pictures.  They don't look anything alike in person.  The RTX looks like what I suspect it is, a follow on model to the CG16.  If you compare the two, from the back, it looks like they took a CG16, reduced the cavity a little and put damper in it.

I had the CG16s and liked them but these feel better.  I'm not sure if it's the new face, the new cavity or a combination of both.  Either way it doesn't look or feel like an S56.

[jjl]

curious about this wedge, but wondering why Cleveland went with 14* as the only bounce offering on the 56*, seems like a lot of bounce.  will still be checking out the wedge regardless.

[longbal30]

joeclothing, on 12 November 2012 - 05:00 PM, said:

I hit an in store demo and they felt very firm...almost too hard. Definitely not forged like. To be fair though they are gorgeous to look at, and I would like an opportunity to put them through there paces outdoors at some point.

Wedges feel fantastic on center strikes. I play forges blades primarily, and I would say that these feel equally as good as anything out there. Try using the wedge outside in the grass, I am thinking you may be catching it a bit thin due to the mats.

[longbal30]

driverwedge3putt, on 12 November 2012 - 04:32 PM, said:

I heard these suckers spin like non CC wedges if not more.  Is that true? They look kinda good.

Definately spin more than anything I have used since old grooves. These remind me of Mack Daddy grooves.

[Splitter]

jjl, on 12 November 2012 - 09:34 PM, said:

curious about this wedge, but wondering why Cleveland went with 14* as the only bounce offering on the 56*, seems like a lot of bounce.  will still be checking out the wedge regardless.

I agree.  When it showed up I went and looked at the specs.  Was surprised to see that's all they offered and I really thought it was going to give me trouble.

The sole looks pretty "normal" to me (i.e., not extended, no weird bumps or cavity's, etc..) and from their literature, it appears that the sole design is the same or very similar to the CG16.  That said, they did fine for me from lies where I expected the bounce to be an issue so I'm not sure if they tweaked it a little to make it friendlier or if my wedge play has just gotten better.

[minhjn]

It's been really cold lately, but I'm planning to go out and play 18 tomorrow. should have something up shortly!

[minhjn]

Just got done with 18 holes today and was super impressed with this wedge.  Like everyone else, I received the 588 CB RTX wedge in 56/14.  My wedge setup is currently 46/51/56/60, and the 56 for me is usually reserved for bump and runs, pitches and full shots.  My 60 does most of the heavy lifting around the greens, though. Thanks to GolfWRX and Cleveland Golf for allowing me to test this wedge. They put my name on the hosel, what a nice surprise!  What a great website this is.

Quickly about me: 25 years old grad school student, 5 handicap, pride myself on the strength of my short game, specially wedge play and chipping. solid iron player, and an extremely mediocre driver of the ball. Basically, short game is where I score.

Looks: This is great looking wedge.  My entire playing group commented on how they liked the look of it.  The black pearl finish is fantastic, and no glare is a huge bonus.  Even though this is a cavity back wedge, I didn't feel like the wedge head was large or clunky looking.  It framed the ball perfectly.  I grew up playing 588 wedges and I really like the classic head shape of these.

Feel: As longbal said, I really liked how substantial and the heft of this wedge, as I prefer a heavier wedge.  Contact also felt very solid and never hollow.

Chips: I was able to hit 2 chips with it today and I'll just say I got up and down both times, despite almost no practice time with it prior to the round.  It was great off tight lies as well.  14* of bounce might scare some people off, but I didn't mind it at all.

Full Shots: I think this is where this wedge might possibly shine, with the cavity weighting and such.  By design, this wedge is gonna be more forgiving than your typical wedge.  I only had a chance to hit one full shot with this wedge but man was it a beauty.  Third shot on a par 5, 96 yards with a 10mph breeze in my face.  The ball (Penta) one hopped, stopped, and spun back a couple feet back to 8 feet left of the hole pin high.  Unfortunately I missed the putt cause I suck.  But the point is, these wedges seem to spin like the old nonconforming wedges from the fairway.

In conclusion, I think Cleveland has a winner on there hands.  I was extremely impressed after my round today.  I look forward to playing around with it on the course and the practice area next time.  Once I reshaft it with KBS Tour Wedge shaft, it most likely will go into the bag.  My 60* is also about ready to be replaced and I am strongly considering getting a matching 60* RTX CB when they become available.

If anyone has any questions, feel free to PM me or you can ask it here. Thanks!

[hef63303]

jjl, on 12 November 2012 - 09:34 PM, said:

curious about this wedge, but wondering why Cleveland went with 14* as the only bounce offering on the 56*, seems like a lot of bounce.  will still be checking out the wedge regardless.

The blade version will have more bounce options.

[Jamboy72]

Like the others, I'm posting thoughts on the 56* 588 RTX with 14* of bounce - I typically play a 50/55/60 set up in my wedge game, so using a 56* wedge fit right in...

I hit a bunch of balls at the range to targets at 50/75/100 yards to get a feel for the wedge before taking it out on the course - More than anything, I noticed the weight of the club.  I really don't like when my wedges get too light as I love to hit partial shots with wedges and I really rely on being to tell where the head is at during my swing - This wedge felt solid without being too heavy - No Peter Gabriel "Sledgehammer" here.


Accuracy:  I was very interested to see how this would play out as I've always played "blade" style wedges and this was my first attempt with a CB style wedge.  Long story short, I didn't notice any difference at any distance. If I started it at my target, it stayed on target. If I started it too far right or left, it stayed there as well. It wasn't any more accurate than my current set up, but it certainly wasn't any less accurate.

Distance:  I'd like to think I've been lifting weights or my swing mechanics have vastly improved, but that simply isn't true. However, this 56* went a good 1/2 club or so longer than my current 56*. I didn't check specs to make sure they were both at exactly 56*, but I was consistently carrying it 8-10 yards longer, without any additional effort. Again, this could be due to a variety of factors, but it is what it is. In general, this is a good thing and would take me some time to adjust to this, but the distance increase was consistent from shot to shot, so I wouldn't be concerned about hitting the occasional rocket shot.

Spin:  This is proof that when the USGA changed the groove rule they also allowed OEM's to get creative in their desire to create as much spin as possible within the confines of the current rules. Sometimes the result of building a more complex mousetrap is that you end up creating smarter mice!  Did this spin more than my current wedge. YES!  I haven't seen balls check up on chip shots, partial pitch shots or full shots since I played the "illegal" grooves from several years ago. In addition, I didn't notice any increased wear and tear on my golf balls (2012 Pro V1x). I like to hit low running shots around the green and generally don't like the ball to check up a bunch on these types of shots...this club did check up more than I was used to, but not so much that I couldn't easily adjust to it.

Trajectory:  I could vary the trajectory fairly well and perhaps it was operator error, but I couldn't knock it down as well as I can with my current wedge. I could certainly hit it high when needed, but I don't generally need help hitting it high. This might be my only major concern.

Finish:  I love the black gloss with the white paint fill. I think it looks both classy and classic. I'd love a set of irons like this, but they clearly don't look like that forever. After hitting a bunch of balls on the range, practice green and the course, the finish held up really, really well. What it would look like after a month or two of serious play and practice, I'm not sure...but then again, I'm not sure any black finish holds up extremely well over time on a club which is hit so often and in a variety of conditions.

Feel:  Not noticeably firmer or softer than comparable wedges.  Impact did not have a marshmallow like squish to it, nor was it clanky or harsh - It was pleasantly solid and smooth - I do play S300 in my wedges typically and I believe this shaft was a bit softer than that.


Turf interaction:  With so much bounce, I have to say I was pretty nervous...but it was all for naught....I'm not sure what exactly they did with the grind and toe/heel relief but even tight lies didn't present much of a problem...It was actually a bit more versatile than I was expecting...shots from typical fairway lies, rough lies and cuppy lies all came out quite well....I don't believe I've ever played a SW with this much bounce, but I'd certainly consider it, especially if I had more time to work with it on full/partial shots off firm fairways.

Sand shots:  Wonderful...the bounce really helped in the sand and I found it to be quite consistent and easy to square up and hit a lower, running shot. I also opened it up and hit some nice high lofting blast shots - Really, I don't think there is a shot I need to play out of a standard bunker which I couldn't do with this club. Although it wasn't a sunny day, the dark finish would only help in sand when glare could present a problem.

Overall:  You don't expect Cleveland to ever put out a bad wedge. They certainly didn't this time. I'm very intrigued to see how the CB version plays over time as there are certainly times when I catch a wedge a bit thin or chunky and I can't help but think that this might be helpful. However, the initial trouble I had being able to knock it down is something I'd have to dial before I'd put this in my bag as I rely on that shot quite often.  I'm not as concerned about how far it hits the ball, but I'd likely want to grab a 60 and/or 51/52 to make sure I had all my distances consistently covered. It is a bit of a unique beast and I don't know that people would just pick up one of these wedges as it might be hard to fit it in with the rest of the set, with perhaps the CG16 wedges being an exception.  Overall, really, really a solid product and if the goal was to create a clean looking CB wedge, with the typical 588 look from address and massive spin, then job well done!

I do just love the way a black finish frames the ball at address:


The back is a bit busy for my taste, but other than in the bag, when do you really look at it?



And this is the face of RTX!

[Mmozza]

The RTX CB looks really cheap and nasty in the steel head. The lack finish looks a bit better

[Splitter]

topekareal, on 15 November 2012 - 10:49 PM, said:

Spin:  This is proof that when the USGA changed the groove rule they also allowed OEM's to get creative in their desire to create as much spin as possible within the confines of the current rules. Sometimes the result of building a more complex mousetrap is that you end up creating smarter mice!  Did this spin more than my current wedge. YES!  I haven't seen balls check up on chip shots, partial pitch shots or full shots since I played the "illegal" grooves from several years ago. In addition, I didn't notice any increased wear and tear on my golf balls (2012 Pro V1x). I like to hit low running shots around the green and generally don't like the ball to check up a bunch on these types of shots...this club did check up more than I was used to, but not so much that I couldn't easily adjust to it.

I had an interesting conversation with a wedge engineer after the groove rule was applied.  He said something to the effect of "what it's really done is make us focus on groove technology even more..  And build better wedges".

I got my RTX out for a second time really tried to compare it.  As I said in my first post, I'm no spin machine, but there does seem to be a difference.  Balls are checking up more for me than I realized.  The wedge is feeling really good too...

Hoping it doesn't rain this weekend!

[xabia]

Anyone who doesn't like theirs PM me and I will gladly take it off your hands!

[dunn]

It's a cg14/16 with different face....... Really how does it differ..... It is almost an exact copy, little bars on back are the only difference..... And the 14/16 is a great wedge... Lil big but good wedge...

The one and only bounce option is killer for me

Got the 588 rtg forged now and I stik with them....i redid my grooves and I know nothing out there has mine beat when it comes to bite........

[Sakman]

Really want a RAW set of these!

[Zunes]

longbal30, on 12 November 2012 - 09:55 PM, said:

driverwedge3putt, on 12 November 2012 - 04:32 PM, said:

I heard these suckers spin like non CC wedges if not more.  Is that true? They look kinda good.

Definately spin more than anything I have used since old grooves. These remind me of Mack Daddy grooves.

+1. I am shredding golfballs again!

[driverwedge3putt]

J.W., on 21 November 2012 - 08:46 PM, said:

The new F-d is hot... honestly it might be RBZ hot.  I got a 13.5 in my bag right now.  I'll get a review up when I get some time to compare it on TrackMan and on course.  Hopefully I make it to the PGA show this year so its in decent weather.

dunn, on 21 November 2012 - 12:25 AM, said:

It's a cg14/16 with different face....... Really how does it differ..... It is almost an exact copy, little bars on back are the only difference..... And the 14/16 is a great wedge... Lil big but good wedge...

The one and only bounce option is killer for me

Got the 588 rtg forged now and I stik with them....i redid my grooves and I know nothing out there has mine beat when it comes to bite........

Dunn

haha Dunn how are the new RTG Wedges? Looked amazing at the store - RAW too so you wont fudge them up if u rip the grooves.

[minhjn]

I've had a chance to play a little more with these, and on full shots, I am ripping balls back with ease, similar to old grooves. The rtx faces work

[driverwedge3putt]

minhjn, on 21 November 2012 - 09:52 PM, said:

I've had a chance to play a little more with these, and on full shots, I am ripping balls back with ease, similar to old grooves. The rtx faces work

you think the non cb RTX faces will be as good?  I like the Blade 588 rotex clubs

[tbowles411]

First, thanks to Cleveland Golf and to (of course) GolfWRX for allowing me to review the new 588 RTX wedge.  I actually got to play 27 holes with this wedge and put off writing a review on it until now.  So I guess I’m last to do it.  I’m very familiar with Cleveland wedges.  Up until 2 years ago, I only played Cleveland wedges exclusively.  That said, I really didn’t know anything about this wedge at all.  And I prefer high bounce wedges so this was perfect.  And Thank You for the complimentary engraving.  That was a nice touch, and I didn’t even ask for it!

I tried to put myself into situations where I had to play various shots with it.  I got to play it in wet and dry conditions and with packed and fluffier sand.  In fact I took my lob wedge out and forced myself to play shorter and more finesse shots with it, just to see what I could do with it.  So here goes!

LOOK

It’s a pretty nice looking wedge.  I really like the black pearl finish of it, and since I use bright yellow golf balls, it made the ball really stand out.  I thought the extra lines on the wedge would kind of distracting, but I didn’t see them at all.  Of course, you shouldn’t be looking at the wedge face at address.  If you do, you need a lesson! There is nothing bad about the look of the wedge.  After a couple rounds, the finish is holding up well so far.  5/5 Stars

FEEL

I use forged wedges now, so I expect a soft feel, with a muted sound.  Well, I didn’t get it.  But that’s not a bad thing, just a preference.  That said, the sound that I hear is a “click” sound and it’s a touch firm, but not overly so.  But what’s satisfying is that it feels heavy.  For me this is a must.  That way I can keep track of the wedge going back and coming through the shot.  It makes it easier to gauge what type of shot I’m playing.  This was a little unexpected for me because I stopped playing Cleveland wedges after the CG16.  Something changed and they weren’t quite as solid as I was used to getting from them.  I’m glad they got back to it.  Well done.  I just wish it was just a “little” softer.  4.5/5 Stars

SPIN

I’m not a guy who can put a lot of spin on the ball on command.  It’s just not how I play golf because, frankly, I can’t.  However, this changed with this wedge.  I was able to put a good amount of spin on the wedge due to the extra grooves and the “x” patterns on the face of this wedge, and I even backed up a few on approach shots into some greens.  My neighbor even commented, “Where did that come from?”  I was able to get spin from almost everywhere.  Yes, noticeably less from fluffy lies in the rough, but I was still able to get some.  Once I learned what the wedge could do from the rough, it became more of a weapon than anything.  I began to see where I needed to put the ball in order to get the ball to finish within my desired location.  If it sounds like I’m gushing, well, I am.  I was excited!  “WOO, I’m in a bunker!”  I knew I was going to get the ball not only out, but make it stop.  On shorter shots, I got the ball to check up and roll out very nicely.  Even when my contact wasn’t as crisp as I liked, I still got spin and got the ball to slow down. One of the things that really shocked me about this wedge was literally when I opened up the wedge to play a shot that HAD to stop, I got MORE spin.  I’m gushing again.  Sorry.   5/5 Stars

ACCURACY

Spin is important, but accuracy is paramount.  This is where the cavity comes in.  The cavity does harken back to the CG16.  For as much as I disliked that wedge, the cavity did its job.  It let you get away with all but the worst swings.  The cavity on the 588 RTX was almost too forgiving, if there is such a thing.  The cavity literally stretches across the face, nice and low.  Your contact has to be BAD in order to not get a half decent result from hitting this wedge.  In fact, the cavity coupled with the spin I was getting turned this into a little weapon.  It sounds cliché, but where I looked is where the ball ended up to an acceptable result.  Which included a couple of nice hole outs from off the green.  Around the green, this thing is amazing.  And not just because I had two hole outs.  Accuracy and the aforementioned spin, made this a treat to use.  I didn’t fear being off the green or in bunkers.  I felt like Luke Donald.  Just older and heavier.  And darker.    5/5 Stars

DISTANCE

Admittedly, it took a little while to adjust to the wedge here.  The ball was flying a bit farther than I was used to.  From my eye, about 5-10 yards farther, which made for more than a few frustrating full sand wedge shots from the fairway.  It was flying father than my 55 degree wedge would fly and not quite as high as my 58 degree wedge; but it was close.  I can see how this could be a tough adjustment for a lot of golfers, especially for those with a better short game than I have.  It almost makes you buy the corresponding wedges in the series.  This is a minor complaint, but it made me think a little, “Am I going to hit this 100 yards or 110, or somewhere in between before I get spin on it?”  I don’t like surprises on approach shots from 100 yards in.  Again, this is minor, but it was a bit tough to adjust.  That being said, I had no trouble getting the ball to fly.  I could pick the ball cleanly off the fairway or dig the ball out of the cabbage with no trouble at all.  4.5/5 stars

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS

To be honest, I’m shocked.  I’d play it.  In a heartbeat.  This is the first Cleveland wedge I’d put back in my bag since the CG16, the last Cleveland wedge I played regularly.  The spin was absolutely impressive and the accuracy around the greens was amazing.  It will take a little work for someone to get their distances right, but like I said earlier, it’s a minor complaint.  There is so much they got right with this wedge, it’s really difficult to complain about anything significant.  My quibbles were personal, but that wouldn’t stop me from playing it.  Especially since it’s so darn forgiving, you can get away with all but the most egregious shots.  It’s going to bail you out of bad contact.  It’s not magic, but your result will be better than it normally would be with a bladed wedge, that I can tell you.  Well done Cleveland.  You might have won me back.  5/5 Stars

[tbowles411]

bump

[floyd]

_{Great reviews.}

[BallPincher]

I don't understand how a wedge could be longer and have more spin unless the loft was wrong.
Anyone able to enlighten me?