- Staff
- #551
Here is my review of the RTX-4 Wedges, since there are a lot of lurkers out there, let me give you some background.
About me:
Handicap- GHIN 1.2
Swing Speed- 108-110 MPH (Driver Average)
Normal Ball Flight- Mid-High
Wedges that I've Gamed in the Past- Cleveland 588 (original), then all Volkey wedges for years, most recently the Volkey SM7 wedges
Looks: This wedge is very good in the looks department, the way a wedge looks at address is very important for me to have the confidence that I will be able to hit the different types of shots that I attempt to hit during the course of a round. I have never been a fan of the raw finish on wedges, preferring a more tradition chrome finish on my wedges. The RTX-4 raw finish has totally changed my mind, the more rusted out these wedges get the more I like the look. If you are looking to try a raw finish, I would highly recommend trying the raw finish on these wedges.
Distance/Forgiveness: Like any blade style wedges, mishits can be punitive, that is no different than any other wedge. Well struck shots feel really good, and shots not stuck as well give feedback so you know where you missed. Full swing distances have more “pop” than what I have come to expect from my previous SM7 wedges. Partial swing distances are also showing a little more “pop” too. The one area that I would rate these wedges better than my previous wedges is in the area of turf interaction. That is not saying the SM7 doesn’t do a good job at turf interaction, I just think that the V-sole on the RTX-4 wedges make them a little stronger in this area. The turf interaction of the RTX-4 is crisp, and they rip through lies in the rough. My set of wedges are bent 1 degree strong to further dial in the full swing distances that I am looking for, and there were no issues with bending them and the wedges holding that desired loft.
Feel/Spin: Feel is relative, but the feel of these is great. The leading edge of these wedges sits a little lower than I was accustom to, and that took some getting used to. Because of the before mentioned extra “pop”, dialing in distances has also taken an adjustment period. The spin that these wedges produce has been a welcomed surprise. You can get aggressive with these wedges on pitches and chips and not have to worry about the ball not biting or too much run out (this could also be related to the SERM Spin Skin). You can open the face and thrown it close to the hole if needed, or hit a low runner. The key thing that I have seen in this area is the feel is perfect for shots around the green, not too soft. You can put a nice smooth swing or pitch on it and have the confidence that ball is going to do exactly what you expected it to do. Even if I can’t prove it, I believe that rusted finish adds to the spin that I have been experiencing. As stated in my Z-Star XV review, that ball performs extremely well related to green side spin, so the ball/wedge combo also could be a factor in what I have been seeing too. The RTX-4 and the Z-Star XV is a great ball/wedge combo for my game.
Versatility: In the RTX-4 wedges, I have a 52 2 dot, 56 1 dot, and a 60 1 dot. They are all very versatile. The 1 Dot grind makes it easier to open the face and hit open faced chips and pitches. The 2 Dot has the right amount of bounce for standard types of shots.
Bunker Play: These wedges perform very well out of bunkers and out of sandy waste areas that we played out of at the TPC Vegas during the Srixon Event. I hit some very good shots during that event out of all sorts of different sandy lies.
Conclusion: As evident in this thread these wedges are very popular with the THP community, as they should be, they are great wedges. The fact that you can get real aggressive with chips from around the green, takes a lot of guess work out of wedge play, and that is what makes these wedges a winner in my opinion. I haven’t played a Cleveland wedge since the original 588 line of wedges, and these wedges have brought me back to Cleveland wedges. These wedges check all of the boxes that I look for in a wedge, and the most important thing for me is the confidence that I have standing over the ball with these wedges in my hand. I have the confidence that the ball is going react exactly how I expect the ball to react, no matter what type of shot that I’m attempting to hit. That really all you can ask for in a wedge.
Really good info here...
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