Cleveland RTX Full Face 2 Wedge Review
GolfMagic tests out the Cleveland Full Face 2 wedges.
Cleveland RTX Full Face 2 Wedges Key Features:
- HydraZip: dynamic blast and laser-milled line system creates roughness to enhance friction on the face for increased spin
- ZipCore: low-density core technology that contributes to MOI gains of up to 13%
- UltiZip: full-face network of sharp, deep, and tightly-spaced grooves maximises performance at contact
When it comes to wedges, few brands have the pedigree that Cleveland possesses.
Packed full of tech, the new RTX Full Face 2 wedges are designed to provide outstanding versatility around the greens thanks to their full face design, and high toe profile.
To find out if these wedges could find a spot in our best golf wedges guide, we took them out for testing at Mannings Heath Golf Club.
Let's get into it.
Player Level
These wedges could easily fit into the bag of a golfer of any handicap. Due to their full face grooves design and larger profile, though, they would particularly benefit golfers looking for more forgiveness from their wedges.
Cleveland RTX Full Face 2 Wedges Looks and Feel
The first thing you will notice with an RTX Full Face 2 in hand is the large head profile and full face design.
The grooves cover the entire surface of the face, which may take some getting used to if you're not familiar with the look.
Personally we find it to be very confidence inspiring, and the added surface areea provided by the high toe also looks great when you lay the club open to hit high lofted chips around the green.
We've tested a few high toe models in our time, but these wedge have one of the most rounded profiles. Typically high toe wedges can be quite pointed at the corner, but Cleveland has opted for a more refined design, which we're big fans of.
The overall design of the sole is quite simple. The branding is kept modest and apart from some small lines near the hosel, Cleveland have kept things pretty low key, which will undoubtedly appeal to golfers who prefer a more traditional look in hand.
Flip the club over and the face has a matte finish, which is a subtle change from the previous iteration.
We're fans of this decision as it prevents any glare of the face that could be distracting when hitting pressure chips.
In terms of feel, these wedges really grip the ball hard. Thanks to the UltiZip grooves, you can get a great sense of how the ball interacts on the face, which is ideal for both full shots and more precise chips and flop shots around the green.
The head also feels solid behind the ball, and contact is crisp, a trait which is paramount for a good wedge.
Cleveland RTX Full Face 2 Wedges Performance and Forgiveness
When assessing the performance of a wedge, spin rates are right at the top of the checklist.
Thankfully we had a Foresight GC Three on hand to measure that exact metric during testing.
We put these wedges through their paces from 100 yards, 50 yards and then hit a number of chip shots from the rough and the fairway.
From 100 yards we achieved spin rates that hovered around the 10,000rpm mark, which is absolutely optimal for our swing speed.
When hitting these shots we were also intrigued to see how the ball would react on the green, and thankfully thanks to the ideal spin rates, we were able to get the ball to stop and rip back by a couple of feet on good connections.
What we found most interesting when testing these wedges though, was how well they retained spin from off centre strikes, especially the toe.
Thanks to the full face grooves, we found that even from some of our poorer strikes, the added MOI and surface area did a fantastic job of keeping the ball from falling out of the air and losing significant yardage.
While everything about these wedges is premium, the level of forgiveness is where they truly excel.
Closer to the green from roughly 50 yards, we found these wedges were also easy to manipulate through the air.
Whether we were de-lofting the face to bring our flight down, or opening it up and moving the ball forward to get the ball up quickly, they were up to the task.
The same can be said with greenside chips. Thanks to the versatile profile, we found these wedges were excellent for hitting a variety of different shots, and the added friction on the face introduced by the HydraZip finish also prevented performance from dropping in wet conditions.
All in all these wedges performed admirably during testing. The one standout performance factor, though was definitely forgiveness and versatility.
Should you buy a set of Cleveland RTX Full Face 2 wedges?
If you're a golfer who desires forgiveness from your wedges, then the RTX Full Face 2s from Cleveland are a great place to start.
The premium design, versatile profile and performance enhancing tech delivered excellent results for us out on the course, and they also helped us play a wide variety of shots with confidence.
Now available for under £130, they also offer excellent value for money.
