CLEVELAND RTX-3 WEDGE £99
Golfers can often save precious shots around the greens, so do these RTX-3 wedges deliver?
KEY TECHNOLOGY 1New
Feel Balancing technology shifts the centre of gravity (CG) closer to the middle of the clubface by shortening the hosel and inserting a micro cavity to save weight. This reduces vibration to improve feel, while head stability at impact increases for better forgiveness and distance control. A new V-shape sole improves turf interaction, while new Tour Zip Grooves have a deeper, narrower U-shape with a sharp edge radius to enhance control and help prevent fliers. LOOKS 2 RTX-3 wedges, with their clean muscleback design, come in a tour satin finish plus a new, highly durable black satin finish. Compared to the 588 RTX 2.0, the new RTX-3 is a little more rounded and has a narrower hitting area from heel to toe. It also has two more grooves because they are more tightly spaced. HEAD DESIGN 3 Cleveland’s aforementioned Feel Balancing technology means there is a shorter hosel section in this new design. A more centred CG location within the head means that the wedge should feel more stable with improved performance on mishits, resulting in more consistent distance and accuracy. Improved face milling also helps increase control.
NEED TO KNOW
The RTX-3 wedges come in lofts from 46° to 64° in either a tour satin or highly durable black satin finish FEEL 4 There’s no question that the feel off the face is excellent; soft, with plenty of feedback as to where you’ve made contact. Perhaps more impressive is the feel through the turf. From tight lies, the V-shape sole, with more leading edge bounce, almost glides through the turf even when you catch the ground slightly before the ball, creating shallow divots. This should help nervier chippers feel a little more relaxed over the ball. FORGIVENESS 5 RTX-3 wedges help you retain more control and accuracy on mishits – another big improvement over their predecessors and an underrated performance benefit. They feel more stable at impact; the strike feels crisper with carry distances more consistent as a result. The improvement in lateral dispersion was also pleasing with the RTX-3, enhancing accuracy on full shots. CONTROL 6 Spin levels were very high, even on partial pitch shots and shots from the rough. From tight lies, the laser face-milling and surface roughness provide ample check on the second bounce, meaning you can accelerate the clubhead more aggressively through impact with more commitment and trust that the ball will still stop where you want it to. VERSATILITY 7 The sole grind and shaping isn’t as aggressive as in other wedge designs, but there is still enough heel and toe relief in the different bounce options to play most shots around the green. The mid-bounce grind is especially versatile, ideal for your most frequently used wedge. BALL FLIGHT 8 The different technologies on the face work together to grip the ball extremely well and as a result the initial launch angle and ball flight are lower than you might expect. With that lower flight comes extra control of the trajectory and a longer first bounce – something to bear in mind. DISTANCE 9 Cleveland’s wedge upgrade isn’t about hitting it further. You’ll find distances are more consistent in the wind and the amount of roll-out more predictable from different lies, helping you judge the ball’s journey better on short-game shots. VERDICT 10 The RTX-3 takes spin control to new heights. Chip and pitch shots have become more predictable from the rough, which should help golfers improve their scores. The lower ball flight and added forgiveness on full shots should generate greater distance control.