Cleveland Black Satin RTX Full-Face Wedges – Key Takeaways

New black satin PVD finish for Cleveland’s full-face RTX wedges $159.99 in steel Available starting today

The story of the new Cleveland Black Satin RTX full-face wedges is right there in the headline. Read it carefully because there will be a quiz later.

Ready? Here we go.

It’s a new finish option for Cleveland’s RTX ZipCore full-face wedges. That finish is black satin. It’s on the wedge. The ZipCores. With the full-face grooves.

OK, OK. There’s a little more to tell but you’ve got the gist of it. If you want to skip to the bottom, it won’t hurt my feelings.

Cleveland Black Satin RTX Full-Face Wedges: Why Now?

All kidding aside, the RTX ZipCore family is likely in the final six to nine months of its life’s journey. Cleveland introduced ZipCore in July of 2020. And its two-year cadence says we should be seeing new models this summer.

The original summertime release included only a Tour Satin finish. That fall, Cleveland added Black Satin and a raw version called Tour Rack. Cleveland added full-face ZipCores in Tour Satin and Tour Rack. Today’s full-face Black Satin release not only rounds out the lineup but it also breathes new life into the current ZipCore lineup as it hits the home stretch.

OEMs have gotten good at this. It’s not uncommon to see new finishes on irons and wedges in their second years. It gives OEMs something new and fresh to talk about, especially if their main competition’s cadence cycle (cough-Vokey-cough) isn’t synched with their own.

And not for nothing, Cleveland did just introduce its third generation of game-improvement CBX ZipCore wedges in December. I’ll bet my entire collection of Corey Pavin mustache brushes we’ll be seeing new finishes and full-face versions over the next 12 to 18 months.

Physical Vapor Deposition

That, friends, is what the PVD in Cleveland’s (and everyone else’s) Black Satin PVD stands for. In the world of black finishes, PVD takes some unwarranted grief. No, it’s not the ultra-premier Diamond Black Metal (DBM) used by Hogan, COBRA and others. Nor is it on the level of the unique Quench-Polish-Quench finish that Sub 70 uses.

But that doesn’t mean it’s crap.

Physical Vapor Deposition is a coating process in which the material goes from a condensed phase to a vapor phase and then back to a condensed phase as it coats. It all occurs in a vacuum at temperatures ranging from 300 to 930 degrees Fahrenheit.

PVD is used to coat cutting tools and other highly stressed materials used in metalworking. It’s not in the same class as DBM or QPQ but it’s pretty durable. If you think it’s going to wear off after your first range session, you’re most likely thinking of Black Oxide or Black Nickel. I’ve been gaming two Black Satin RTX ZipCores for a full season and both are showing virtually no wear on either the sole or the face.

Why Full-Face?

Full faces and high toes go hand-in-hand. Full-face wedges are pretty much always also high-toe wedges. But to Cleveland’s credit, the high toes on the full-face RTX ZipCores aren’t obnoxiously high. When combined with Cleveland’s ZipCore technology, let’s just say they’re high enough.

We’ve given you the deep dive into ZipCore before but here’s the Reader’s Digest version. Cleveland developed a new low-density core for the ZipCore line that reduced internal weight by 16 grams. Blade-style wedge designers jump with the glee of a preschooler when given that kind of discretionary weight. That frees up a ton of mass, allowing the CG to move more toward the center of the clubface as well as a tad higher. That provides higher MOI, better feel and enhanced spin.

Full-face grooves are designed for the golfer who has more than a few greenside tricks up his or her sleeve. A low-bounce C-grind makes flop shots easier to pull off and it gives you some extra groove area if you miss toward the toe when hitting out of the rough, something that happens even to the best of players.

Full-face, high-toe wedges tend to be most beneficial in the higher lofts, generally 56 degrees and up. However, Cleveland is joining a growing trend by offering a full line of full-face wedges, from 50 degrees all the way up to 64.

 

If you want a full set of full-face, I fully understand. More than a few golfers get their full-face fix fulfilled with fewer full-face wedges.

It’s all up to what you fancy.

All right, I’ll stop.

Cleveland Black Satin RTX Full-Face Wedges: Price and Availability

The new Cleveland Black Satin RTX full-face wedges feature the same stock shaft as the rest of the RTX ZipCore line. It’s the 128-gram Dynamic Gold Spinner Tour Issue while the stock grip is the Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360.

The new black satin finish will be available in the full range of lofts. The full-face line runs in two-degree increments from 50 up to 60 degrees, plus there’s a spatula-like 64-degree model available. The 50- and 52-degree models are in right-handed only. The rest of the line is available for both righties and lefties.

Since it’s a full-face, high-toe wedge, you can have any bounce you want as long as it’s nine degrees and any grind you want as long as it’s a C-grind.

The Black Satin RTX full-face wedges will retail for $159.99. They go on sale today.

For more information, visit the Cleveland Golf website.

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