New Equipment

Cleveland’s new CBX ZipCore wedges bring the company’s core technology to the masses

December 09, 2021
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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: For the past several years Cleveland Golf not only has made wedges that suit the needs of those who play at a high level—it also has produced designs such as the CBX and CBX2 that are geared toward a specific player type that perhaps does not require a large matrix of sole grind and bounce options. The company continues down that path with its third generation of the CBX family, the CBX ZipCore.

SPECS/PRICE: Offered in nine lofts (44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58 and 60 degrees) in steel ($150) and graphite ($160) shaft options. The new wedges will be available starting Dec. 17.

THE DEEP DIVE: Cleveland Golf’s CBX 2 wedges were designed for golfers who use cavity-back irons and likely could benefit from wedges of a similar design. Cleveland, however, has taken this wedge for the masses to another level, bringing the same ZipCore technology into this club that is used in its more player-ish RTX ZipCore line.

Instead of a traditional one-piece construction, the CBX ZipCore employs a low-density material inside the lower hosel, neck and sole area that is far lighter—about a quarter the weight of the steel it replaces. That not only moves the center of gravity more in line with the sweet spot but it also boosts the moment of inertia (which assists off center strikes) by 26 percent in the high-low direction and 10 percent in the heel-toe path. Why is that important? It allows shots to come off with more consistent distance and spin over a wider portion of the face.

The CBX ZipCore has many of the same technologies of the CBX2. Among them a precise center of gravity location achieved by multiple features that determine the CG location. Those include a slight cutout in the heel and a hidden cavity on the heel side of the back of the wedge. The saved weight is redistributed, shifting the CG slightly toward the toe, creating a center of percussion that lines up better with the typical toe-ward miss from average golfers. A thermoplastic polyurethane gel insert between the undercut cavity and the back of the face provides extra cushion.

“If you play cavity-back irons, you should be playing a CBX wedge, plain and simple,” said Jeff Brunski, V.P. of R&D for Cleveland Golf. “The sole is more forgiving, the face is more forgiving, and it’s easier to swing.”

The CBX ZipCore utilizes the same UltiZip grooves as the RTX ZipCore. Compared to previous iterations, the grooves are 11-percent sharper and 7-percent deeper, while also being moved closer together. Doing so allowed for the addition of two additional grooves to grab the ball at impact and deliver more spin.

“We’ve included all the same technology and spin performance that we offer to our tour staff and put it into the CBX ZipCore,” Brunski said.

The sole design smartly changes through the lofts, which takes the agonizing task of knowing what grind to use out of the equation. A V-shape sole is offered in 44 through 52 degrees. On the 54- and 56-degree models, an S-shaped sole with more heel relief and a wider toe is employed to help those around-the-green shots where players may open the face somewhat. Finally, the highest lofts feature a C-shaped sole with the most heel-and-toe relief for the most versatility, while still keeping the leading edge closer to the ground.

The CBX ZipCore will be offered in nine lofts (44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58 and 60 degrees) in both steel ($150) and graphite ($160) shaft options. The new wedges will be available starting Dec. 17.