50 Words or Less
The new Cleveland Golf CBX Zipcore wedge delivers forgiveness and a wide sole for more consistent contact and plenty of spin to those that struggle around the green.
Check out the new CBX Full-Face 2 wedge HERE
Introduction
Cavity back wedges are becoming a standard offering from most OEMs, but just a few years ago, this was a brand new idea. Cleveland was at the forefront then with their CBX wedge, and they continue to push the cavity back wedge with their latest, the CBX Zipcore wedge.
Low handicap players looking for premium spin should check out the Cleveland Full-Faced wedge HERE and the RTX Zipcore wedge HERE.
Looks
At address, the new CBX Zipcore appears slightly larger in size to its counterpart, the RTX Zipcore. The top line is thin and not cumbersome as is typically seen with cavity back irons. The edges are soft and rounded which is different than sharper edges of the RTX Zipcores. However, the offset is closer to what I have seen in a blade wedge, which I think most players will prefer.
The sole has some width to it and is shaped based on the loft. While there isn’t a visible cavity in the back of the wedge, the beefiness tells me its gonna be a more forgiving club and I will have no issue moving through turf.
Feel
The developers at Cleveland Golf did a great job of creating the feel of a blade inside the cavity-back CBX Zipcore. Good contact yielded a low pitched “snap” even on strikes outside of the sweet spot. Cleveland attributes this new feel to a TPU insert that helps with vibration dampening. This also explains why feedback on mishits was not harsh at all. In fact, the CBX Zipcore seemed to mute the vibration you get in your hands when you get away from the center. It felt almost automatic on every shot.
Performance
The idea behind Cleveland’s CBX Zipcore lineup is to give golfers more help in their wedge game similar to a cavity back or game improvement iron. Although this isn’t a new concept for Cleveland Golf, a few changes came into play for 2022. The MOI (moment of inertia) is higher from heel to toe and further up the face, causing less rotation and twisting no matter where you strike the ball. This translates to more consistent spin and distance, which we all could use.
As I took the CBX Zipcore through its paces, I consistently found the wide sole to be helpful. Having a wide sole can certainly help avoid folding sod over your ball. Cleveland offers multiple soles in the CBX Zipcore wedge. The traditional V-sole is in the 44 to 52 degree wedges. The C-Shaped sole in the 58-60 lob wedges makes it easier to open the face. The S-shaped sole is for the 54-56 degree wedges for a mix of full shots and chipping around the green.
The real surprise for me was that the spin numbers were comparable to a blade wedge. This can be attributed to what Cleveland named “Utilizip Grooves” which are sharper, deeper, and closer together. By packing the grooves together more tightly, Cleveland was able to put two more grooves on each club face.
I could see a wide variety of players inserting these wedges into play for 2022, in particular mid-high handicap players who struggle from 125 yards and in. Better players may gravitate towards using a CBX Zipcore in a gap or sand wedge for full swings while a higher handicapper may incorporate a full lineup of CBX Zipcores for forgiveness from any lie.
Conclusion
The Cleveland Golf CBX Zipcore wedge appears sleek at address with a thin top line and sharp grooves for lots of spin and control. However, the wedge’s wide sole and forgiveness are what separates it from the rest and gives average players more opportunities to score well.
Visit Cleveland Golf HERE
Cleveland CBX Zipcore Wedge Price & Specs
Zack Buechner
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interesting article – I play three CBX2 wedges which have really helped my game from about 100 yards in and especially around the green. Used to duff so many chips but the wider sole really makes a difference to me. I also quite like the sole designs, its great that you can have 100 options for grind and bounce etc. but for a weekend golfer like me I found it was almost too many options and i just felt like i had an excuse every time it went wrong as i didn’t have the correct set up.
That’s fantastic James. Glad you found something that works so well!
I have a previous version of the Cleveland CBX in my 54 degree and its absolutely fantastic. I struggle hitting a full SW so it might be time to bench the Vokey 56 in favor of this wedge.
I can support this decision.
I switched from my traditional bladed wedges to the cbx2 a little over a year ago and I will never go back. The forgiveness is real and you need especially on 60-110 yard shots. I’m a pretty decent player (6.0 handicap) so I know when I’ve made a good swing/contact and my mishits with the Clevelands do extremely well whereas the same swing with my blades means I’d be using that club again on my next shot. I did go with the all black version of the CBX2s because the chrome version just looked a little bit too busy with all the graphics and logo and branding on the back. Put your ego aside and start playing these wedges, you won’t be disappointed.
Great insight Michael. I agree and think these can certainly be beneficial to better players.
The lies seem a bit high. Can these clubs withstand a 1 degree or slightly more flattening?
I just bought the CBX Zipcore 54* to replace a Callaway CB 54*
Now I am contemplating changing my CBX 2 Full face 58* to a Zipcore also, it is that good
The word I would use to describe this club is solid
It feels heavier in the head than the CBX 2
If they come out with a full face Zipcore CBX or a Black or Satin finish, I am all in
Great club
I have rtx zipcore in 56 and 60 which I love. Been thinking about getting the 52 to complete the set, but I’ve also been thinking about getting the CBX in 52. Exclusively hit gap wedge for full shots about 120 yards. Thoughts?
What do you play for irons? And do you find success with them?
I play the tour edge exotics cbx forged iron set. Players cavity backs with a decent amount of offset. Best irons I’ve ever hit. The amt X100 shaft combined with those heads have been a game changer for me. I’d get the matching gap wedge if I could find it. These irons weren’t exactly a big seller, so finding a single club 4 or so years after they were released is proving difficult.
Ihave mg2 54 degree sand wedge. I have a 60° lob wedge. I struggle from 100 yards in. I have Sim max os irons….my gap wedge is 49°…I am looking foe more forgiving wedges..what do you rec
The CBX wedges are top notch clubs …. especially for those of us that have a day job. When you look down at the wedge in the playing position you see the help you will get in a good way. I am 55+ golfer and a single digit handicap looking to make the game easier and more fun.
How does it compare to the Edison wedges? I have been thinking about those or this based on prior articles on the site.
I can’t find any info on the amount of offset. I have a new set of Hot Metal Pro that I love, but was suckered into buying a “matching” GW by the Mizuno rep who did my fitting. It’s not even close to matching. The offset is 30% greater than the PW. Club is completely useless to me now. I’m wondering if this wedge will blend better. Awfully disappointed in Mizuno. Feel ripped off.
Greetings Zach. Seriously considering the CBX Zip Core wedges. 52, 56 and 60 degrees. Currently using older Ping Glides with standard length shafts. I’m 6’ 3”. Should I stay with standard length shafts?
Hey Doug. I am also 6’3″ and there’s not set rule on length of clubs. However I do play older Glides as well, and just got fitted for a CBX Zipcore 52 degree wedge and an RTX Zipcore 56 degree/mid bounce. My irons are 1/2 inch longer, so I have had the club guy match the PW and Gap wedge (1/2 inch over standard) and my Glide 56 is 1/4 inch longer. The RTX will match my existing Glide.
I would say give it a try, and worse case you can shorten the clubs if they don’t work out for you.
I also have a set of the Mizuno JPX 923 Hot Metal irons. I have the PW and AW. I am looking for 54and 58 degree wedges. Would the CBX wedges feel roughly the same? I don’t want to experience drastic feel between my irons and my wedges.
John,
Feel is subjective, so it’s impossible for me to say if these would feel the same to you. I don’t think either is a dramatic outlier in terms of feel, but, again, you may have an entirely different sense of that.
Best,
Matt
I bought the CBX zipcore 50 + 56 mid 2022 to match my cavity back irons (Srixon z565). I really enjoyed playing in these wedges. Similar swing weight gives me the confidence on full swings. They work beautifully around the green as well. Will be sticking to cavity back wedges for as long as I can now!
I honestly think more people should be playing these wedges!
Nice review. Considering a cbx zipcore 58 degree. I am a sweeper that plays on firm ground 80% of the time. Is the 10 degrees of bounce on the cbx 58 too much bounce for me? Should I consider getting a 56 degree and bending it to 58 to decrease bounce?
Joshua,
Unfortunately there’s no way for me to give you an educated answer over the internet. I’m shallow, but I deloft the club a ton, so I can get away with a lot of bounce. If you don’t, you won’t need as much bounce. What are your current wedges and how are they working for you?
-Matt
Matt,
I’ve got a 58 degree vokey sm6 L grind with a bounce of 4. I have had some great shots with it. I can see why vokey’s are so popular. I use it for chipping and 3/4 to full shots. I can’t help but wonder if I am missing out on a noticeable amount of forgiveness and if my left and right dispersion on 3/4 and full shots might be a little tighter if I updated to an sm9 L grind 58, a cbx zipcore 58, or a 58 ping glide 4.0 t grind with a bounce of 6. In my searching the ping glide 4.0 t grind 58 seems like the closest thing to a high spinning low bounce cavity back wedge I can find. I also have a callaway sure out 64 degree which is working out great for me. Not sure what the bounce is but somehow, despite the loft, I can hit it very consistently and on target. My sand wedge and gap wedge are part of my ping g710 iron set. No complaints there. I use them both for 3/4 to full shots and I do really well with bump and runs and low pitch shots with the gap wedge. I hit all of my wedges with a square face. When I have tried to deloft wedges it gets ugly out there. I had tried the original cbx and I recall how the medium to high bounce on tight lies was not the right combo for me. The club would bounce off the ground. And I would catch the ball with the bottom edge of the club. I can’t recall what bounce and loft it was. That actually started my decent into the low bounce rabbit hole. Not sure how my g710 wedges don’t cause more of a problem considering the high bounce they have. I think I just answered your question with forty questions.
Joshua,
If the original CBX didn’t work for you, I would probably try something different. The PING Glide with the Thin Sole is a very fine option.
-Matt