Cleveland · Wedge · 2020
RTX ZipCore
CaddyIndex™ breakdown: what our research found across each of the six performance dimensions, with cited sources.
You play off 15 or better, strike your wedges cleanly, and want a soft, classic tour blade with high spin - now keenly priced at around £100-120.
You need forgiveness on mishits or want the latest spin - a cavity-back CBX or the newer RTX 6 ZipCore suits better.
Pros
- Widely called the best-feeling wedge of 2020 - buttery-soft, pure contact
- One of the highest-spinning wedges of its era - just 553 rpm spin drop between high and low strikes
- Three grinds (Low, Mid, Full) across 46-62 degrees make it a versatile shotmaker's blade
- A classic teardrop shape that inspires confidence at address
Cons
- Blade-level forgiveness - mishits feel less than ideal and give honest feedback
- Now several generations old - the RTX 6 ZipCore spins more and feels softer still
- Better suited to lower handicaps who strike it cleanly
By dimension
Forgiveness
Blade-level - feedback over forgiveness. Less-than-ideal strikes feel less than ideal, framed as valuable feedback rather than playability, though ZipCore raises MOI and adds stability high and low on the face within a traditional blade shape. A user-friendly muscleback, but still a players' blade rather than a forgiving cavity back.
Distance
High, consistent spin - one of the highest-spinning wedges around, dropping just 553 rpm between high and low face strikes for impressively tight consistency, the UltiZip grooves (11% sharper, 7.3% deeper, 7.4% closer together) grabbing the cover from any lie. Among the best 2020 wedges for spin control.
Workability
A versatile tour blade - three sole grinds (Low, Mid, Full) across the loft range let players open the face and shape shots, the Low grind adding shot versatility and the traditional shape putting control at the heart of performance. A genuine shotmaker's wedge.
Feel
Best-in-class - widely called the best-feeling wedge of 2020. Centre strikes are very soft, almost buttery, with a smooth feel from chips to full swings via the heat-treated face and low-density core, and when struck well the feel is as pure as it gets. The standout dimension - among the softest, purest wedge feels of its era.
Sound
A smooth, matched click - a smooth, pleasant click that is neither loud nor muted and matches the feel well, a mid-range click between higher-pitched forged and lower-pitched cast wedges. A clean, understated note in tune with the soft feel.
Looks at address
Classic and confidence-inspiring - the shape sits in the Goldilocks zone (blade length and toe height just right) with a clean, modern satin chrome finish that inspires confidence, the traditional teardrop shape and narrow neck made to pop in the sun by the Tour Satin finish. A sleek, traditional tour look.
Sources
Some of the reviews, lab tests and head-to-head comparisons we read while grading this club.