Beyond the focus on the selection of a driver and putter the need to have the correct fitting and matching of wedges is of paramount importance to all players.
Among the foremost category leaders is Cleveland Golf. Senior Product Manager Casey Shultz outlines detailed answers on why and how all golfers should pay heed when deciding such crucial club choices.
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What specifically elevates the RTZ Tour Rack Wedge line above others in the same category?
For starters, thanks to our proprietary Z-Alloy material, RTZ Tour Rack Wedges are one of the only raw wedges in the market that won’t rust. Rust is nothing but bad news when it comes to wedge durability and consistent performance.
Research shows rust wears grooves down 87% faster, but our design retains spin, longevity, and tour-validated feel with reduced glare.
The Tour Rack finish also offers exclusive sole and leading-edge grind customization through our Tour Crafted menu, providing a tour truck-like experience. Players can fine-tune their wedges to match their short game and course conditions—an opportunity typically reserved for tour professionals.
How has technology impacted the performance of wedges now versus 20-25 years ago?
Wedge technology has evolved significantly with every aspect of our wedges being refined over that timeframe. We’ve maximized spin, performance consistency, and aligned weighting in ways to help golfers, while maintaining a traditional player-preferred profile.
We’ve been able to create a number of new technologies like UltiZip grooves and HydraZip, that work in concert with Rotex Face Milling to ensure maximum spin and spin consistency from any lie, shot type, and conditions.
And most recently, Z-Alloy to improve feel and also allows us to shift more mass to increase performance with ideal Center of Gravity (CG) and Moment of Inertia (MOI) properties so strikes on the face will have more consistent performance in distance, launch, and spin.
Biggest mistake most golfers make when choosing wedges?
For higher handicappers, I would say it’s playing a blade wedge instead of something that fits their game better. Cleveland Golf has great options in our CBX and Smart Sole families, with wedges specifically designed to cater to the needs of higher handicap players, with the proper blend of forgiveness and versatility of their respective games.
Simply buying a blade wedge with a high bounce isn’t going to give players the best tools to lower their scores.
On the other end of it, shaft weight isn’t something that’s taken into consideration as often as it should be for better players.
Depending on the type of player, we recommend playing shafts that match your iron weight in wedges used for full swings, and shafts 5-15g heavier than your irons in wedges you use for partial swings or around the greens.
How many wedges should an average golfer have in their golf bag?
Wedge selection depends on the players’ iron set strength, as modern lofts have gotten stronger which has led to gapping challenges.
We generally recommend a 4–6-degree gap between wedges and choosing SW and LW lofts that suit a player’s shot preferences.
Traditional iron players typically need three wedges with a set-matching PW, while those with stronger lofted irons may require three or four. As irons get stronger, 54-degree SW and 58-degree LW options are increasingly popular for proper gapping.
What’s the percentage of golfers who are accurately fitted for wedges?
Wedge fittings are far less common than for irons or drivers, as most players buy stock options. The figure is likely well under 25%, significantly lower than other categories in today’s market.
Tools like Cleveland Golf’s Wedge Selector quiz and grind fitting stickers help players make better choices, but far too many still skip proper fittings for model, grind, shaft, and lie.
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