Cleveland Golf drastically changed their wedge design when they released the RTX ZipCore wedges in 2020, and the results were very positive. After making their debut on the PGA Tour in the fall, the time has finally come for all the details on their new RTX 6 ZipCore wedges. As golf nerds, many of us can’t wait to see the follow-up product to something that offers a great story and performance, so let’s dive in and find out what RTX 6 ZipCore wedges are all about.
“The RTX 6 ZipCore Wedge may have the classic look on the outside, but inside it’s packed with three technological breakthroughs that give the advantage to the golfer and not the conditions,” says Pat Ripp, Tour Engineering Manager of Research and Development.
We tend to hear about increased spin with nearly every wedge release as if it’s taught in wedge marketing 101. For the RTX 6 ZipCore, Cleveland focuses on how these wedges can produce increased spin in all situations, emphasizing improvements attained while playing in wet conditions.
As expected, our spin numbers decrease when water gets added to the equation. It becomes more challenging to control the golf ball during those moments because that extra variable hurts the consistency achieved in dry conditions. To combat that, Cleveland has added what they refer to as HydraZip. HydraZip maximizes face friction by utilizing dynamic face blasts and laser-milled lines, which ups the spin consistency. Those angled laser patterns between the grooves and their design get more aggressive as the lofts increase. The result is 43% more spin when comparing the RTX 6 ZipCore wedge to the previous generation when testing in wet conditions. In dry conditions, spin was also increased, but not nearly at that same 43% clip; that would be crazy talk.
Working in conjunction with the new HyrdaZip face is the UltiZip grooves, which we experienced on the previous ZipCore wedge. Upon making this change, Cleveland added two additional grooves that were sharper and deeper than the Tour Zip grooves found on previous Cleveland wedges. UltiZip grooves have more space to clear debris such as grass, sand, and water from the impact zone, helping to generate that consistent spin profile.
“All the work put into this wedge, we really focused on finding the perfect balance of versatility and consistency,” Ripp said. “UltiZip is a notable example. Without grooves, you don’t have a wedge, so we equipped the RTX 6 ZipCore with our sharpest groove radii ever, imparting more spin and control, and now golfers won’t have to worry how their wedge is going to react in certain conditions, they’ll know.”
Not to be forgotten is the revolutionary change that occurred when Cleveland introduced the world to ZipCore. Most wedges out there have a center of gravity located on the heel side of the center due to the extra mass found in the hosel. With ZipCore, Cleveland could replace a portion of excess weight with a low-density, lightweight, and vibration-dampening material. By making this switch, RTX 6 ZipCore wedges have a center of gravity closer to the center of the face, providing improved feel, higher MOI properties, and helping give that more predictable ball speed and spin. All of that equates to a wedge that tested out to offer 20% tighter dispersion compared to the previous version.
RTX 6 ZipCore comes in four different sole grinds, and one thing Cleveland does right is they make the distinction between grinds relatively easy to understand. There is Low, which is available in the 58° and 60° lofts. Low grind provides 6° of bounce in a C-Shape design allowing for plenty of face manipulation for those who want to get creative around the green. Mid is your jack-of-all-trades V-shape sole that comes in 10° of bounce and is available in every loft option from 46° to 60°. A Full grind fits the bill as a bunker specialty option thanks to the widest sole and highest bounce at 12°. New for the RTX 6 is a Low+ grind, which adds 2° of bounce to the Low design and is found exclusively in 54° and 56° wedges. This new Low+ grind came to life based on the feedback of their tour staff.
Not only do each of these grinds differ from the others in bounce and amount of relief, but they also each have their specific style of leading edges. With the philosophy that the Full grind wedge best suits players with a steeper swing, the leading edge is the most rounded to help give extra assistance to prevent golfers from chunking the ball. Conversely, the low and low+ wedges have the sharpest leading edge, which matches up with golfers with a more shallow attack angle. As expected, the mid sole employs a leading edge that casts the widest net for the type of strikes.
When RTX 6 ZipCore wedges hit the shelves on January 20, they will do so with only the Tour Satin finish. Not to worry, Tour Rack(raw) and Black Satin finishes are expected to launch later in the Spring, a similar playbook we experienced with the previous RTZ ZipCore release.
The Details
Available: January 20, 2023
Price: $169
Finish: Tour Satin
Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold Spinner Tour Issue
Grinds: Low, Low+, Mid, Full
Lofts: 46°, 48°, 50°, 52°, 54°, 56°, 58°, 60°
