When it comes to bold proclamations, Cleveland Golf sure doesn’t hold back.
In this case, it may actually have a point.
For the past seven years, Cleveland Golf has boldly proclaimed that 87 percent of us who play golf are making the short game way more difficult than it needs to be.
Where, you may ask, does that math come from?
Back in 2017, Cleveland launched its cavity-backed game-improvement line of wedges, the CBX. At the time, Cleveland said, since 84 percent of us play cavity-back game-improvement irons, then 84 percent of us should be playing cavity-back game-improvement wedges instead of more traditional blade-type wedges.
Cavity-back game-improvement wedges, Cleveland told us, are more forgiving for those of us who are less than elite ball-strikers. They also make bunker play a little easier, and limited sole grinds make choosing the right wedge a heck of a lot simpler.
(For the record, now Cleveland is saying it’s 87 percent. Somewhere along the way, we golfers lost a little ground.)
The argument was compelling but the dangling question was equally compelling: Could Cleveland make a cavity-back game-improvement wedge that was wedgie enough to get the job done?
Over the years, MyGolfSpy testing has shown that it could.
So, if you’re Cleveland Golf, you’d want to keep a good thing going, right?
Maybe the old Cleveland would have thought that way but that Cleveland is gone. The new Cleveland is taking an entirely different approach.
Meet the new Cleveland CBZ wedges.
Cleveland CBZ wedges: Same but different?
Yes, the new Cleveland CBZ wedges look like the now-replaced CBX wedges. And, yes, the concept of a more forgiving cavity-back game-improvement wedge remains in place.
The difference, dear readers, is in materials. Cleveland is using its new, proprietary, and genuinely brand-spanking new Z-Alloy material to create the CBZ line.
We’ve given you a deep dive into Z-Alloy before, but the story deserves a short retelling. Z-Alloy is a completely new and unique material, invented by Cleveland’s crack metallurgy team to serve as a superior wedge material compared to the classic 8620 steel commonly used in cast blade wedges and the 431 stainless steel typically used in cavity-back wedges. The team, headed by Cleveland’s young PhD Boeing Smith, worked for three years to invent (yes, we said invent) Z-Alloy.
“While 431 is durable, its hardness and lower density come at the cost of feel,” says Smith. “(Z-Alloy) is significantly softer and less dense than 431, delivering Tour-level feedback traditionally reserved for blade wedges.”
Cleveland says the new CBZ wedges, made with Z-Alloy, are 25 percent softer, as measured using the Vickers Hardness Scale, than the previous CBX 4 ZipCore models. Despite the relative softness, Cleveland says Z-Alloy makes the CBZ just as durable and responsive.
Z-Alloy also has an additional benefit: it doesn’t rust. Cleveland isn’t offering a raw version of the CBZ at launch but, hey, it could happen.
Low density has its rewards
As Smith points out, Z-Alloy has a lower density than 8620 or 431 stainless, which has several benefits. The biggest benefit is that it gives wedge designers what amounts to “free” discretionary weight. Discretionary weight is pure gold to designers. It gives them the ability to move mass more towards the perimeter which boosts forgiveness through the roof.
When you combine that additional perimeter weighting with Cleveland’s signature ZipCore technology (an even lower-density internal core at the hosel transition), things start to get really interesting. That allows designers to move the center of gravity even closer to the impact zone, improving MOI, control and spin.
Additionally, all the freed-up mass allows Cleveland to nearly double the CBZ’s Gelback TPU insert size. That insert is designed to dampen vibrations and create a smoother, more responsive feel.
As mentioned, Cleveland CBX wedges have been consistent performers in MyGolfSpy testing since they debuted in 2017. Even though Cleveland and others had been making cavity-back wedges before that, those wedges were, for the most part, extrapolated from their blade wedge brothers. While they were designed to be more forgiving, they weren’t what you’d call game-improvement. Cleveland flipped the script with the CBX and most other OEMs have followed suit and now offer similar GI wedges, with larger head profiles and wider soles.
Skipping the alphabet soup
Even for the accomplished golfer, deciphering wedge grind codes often requires an Alan Turing-led team of Bletchley Park-level codebreakers. In other words, picking the right grinds for the right wedges for your game ain’t easy.
Cleveland does a good job of simplifying the process for the game-improvement golfer. For a 48- to 52-degree gap wedge with a standard face, you can get any grind you want as long as it’s V-shaped. It features 12 degrees of bounce and is designed for full shots. The 54- and 56-degree sand wedges feature an S-shaped sole and 14 degrees of bounce. The S-shaped sole provides a little relief on the toe, heel and trailing edge to help with finesse shots from the rough or fairway and help you get through the sand without losing speed.
The 58- and 60-degree lob wedge models have a C-shaped sole with 12 degrees of bounce. The C-shaped sole offers even more heel and toe relief, allowing the golfer to open the face more easily to get creative around the green.
Cleveland also continues offering full-face groove versions. The 50- and 52-degree gap wedges have V-shaped soles. The 54- through 60-degree models feature C-shaped soles.
As with the last several CBX models, Cleveland is including all of its latest face technology in the new CBZ lineup. There’s the aggressive (and loft-specific) UltiZip grooves for enhanced spin, there’s HydraZip to improve performance in wet conditions, and there’s Cleveland’s signature Rotex face milling. They all combine to give CBZ more groove than mid-’60s Motown.
Cleveland CBZ wedges: Specs, price and availability
The Cleveland CBZ men’s offering includes traditional-faced wedges in 44- through 60-degree lofts, in two-degree increments. The CBZ Full-Face models are available in 50- through 60-degree models, also in two-degree increments.
The entire men’s line is available for righties. The 50- through 60-degree traditional-faced models are available for lefties as are the full-faced 56- and 60-degree models.
The women’s offering is a little slimmer. Traditional-faced models are available in 48- through 60-degree lofts with only the 52, 56 and 60 available for lefties. Full-faced is available in 56 and 60, in right-handed only.
The KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 115 is the stock men’s shaft. This model of the Hi-Rev has an active tip section for higher trajectories and increased spin. The stock men’s graphite is the KBS Hi-Rev G 80, a lighter-weight version of the Hi-Rev 2.0. The women’s model comes stock with the graphite Hi-Rev G 60, an even lighter-weight version.
The Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 is the stock men’s grip. The Lamkin ST Soft is stock for women.
The new Cleveland CBZ wedges will retail for $179.99.
Additionally, Cleveland is offering its best-deal-in-golf personalization program for the new CBZ wedges. For nominal charges, you can get custom paintfill, custom stamping, custom ferrules and new custom skin designs.
The new Cleveland CBZ wedges will hit the stores Sept. 5.
For more information, hit up the Cleveland Golf website.
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