Next time you’re at a golf course, take a look in the bag of a fellow golfer. Chances are you’ll see a set of lightweight, cavity-back irons. These are called game-improvement irons in the industry, and according to Cleveland 84 percent of golfers use them. Then look at that same golfer’s wedges. Undoubtedly, you’ll find blade wedges that are heavy and unforgiving. Why do average golfers give up forgiveness on their wedges when they deem forgiveness necessary in their irons?

Solving this conundrum is the crux of Cleveland’s new CBX wedges, which are designed to mesh better with a set of cavity-back irons than other wedges on the market, or at least better than Cleveland wedges in the past.

To accomplish this, Cleveland’s CBX wedges have a cavity-back design that utilizes perimeter weighting. Seventy-six grams of mass was removed middle of the wedges and spread to their outer edges, according to Cleveland. For golfers, that leads to greater forgiveness on shots impacted off-center, thus reducing the effect of mishits.

Cleveland also touts “feel-balanced technology” with its CBX wedges, which pushes center of gravity (CG) toward the toe in order to balance in the club heads versus their predecessors. In order to do this, Cleveland has a wider sole and topline on the toe section of the club, as well as a redesigned hosel that removes weight from the heel. Overall, CG has shifted 3 grams more toeward — or more toward the center — than its previous wedge.

In recent years, wedge makers have emphasized the importance of sole grinds in relation to turf interaction and shotmaking alike. In the CBX wedges, there is front-to-back V-Grind, as well as a heel-to-toe V-Grind (the heel portion of the sole is thinner than toe portion of the sole). The “dual” V-Grind is said to help the club glide better through the turf and prevent digging, as well as provide more versatility. In other words, it allows golfers to adjust the face and lie angle more easily to play different shots.

As the wedges flow from gap wedge to sand wedge to lob wedge, the shapes and weights also change (see in the graphic above, provided by Cleveland). You’ll notice the lower-lofted CBX wedges have a smaller shape (they also weigh a bit less), mimicking the look and feel of short irons. The higher-lofted wedges are bigger in size and weigh slightly more, which makes them feel more like a traditional wedge. Cleveland says this progressive design will better mesh with the cavity-back or game-improvement irons that most golfers use.

As you’d expect from a Cleveland wedge, the CBX wedges also have the company’s Rotex (RTX) groove technology. That means the faces have deep, U-shaped grooves with sharp radii, “micro-milled” grooves between each bigger groove, and laser-milling. Collectively, these features help “grab” the golf ball at impact and create additional spin.

Stock shafts in the CBX wedges are designed to be lighter than traditional after-market wedge shafts like you’d see on Tour. They include True Temper’s Dynamic Gold 115 (steel), as well as a Rotex Precision graphite wedge shaft that weighs just 90 grams.

Specs and Pricing

Cleveland CBX wedges will hit stores on September 15, and they will sell for $129.99 apiece with steel shafts, and $139.99 each for graphite.

Discussion: See what GolfWRX Members are saying about Cleveland’s CBX wedges.