When it comes to wedges in the golf industry, few brands carry as much weight as Cleveland. They have a rich history of crafting timeless designs that are widely recognized. One aspect that sets Cleveland apart is that they design wedges for golfers of all skill levels, perhaps more than any other major golf company. They offer an extensive range suitable for everyone, from professional golfers on the PGA Tour to those who play only a few times a year. The RTX 6 and the new RTX Full Face 2 are excellent choices for the advanced player, while the mid-handicap player might gravitate toward the newly introduced CBX 4. Cleveland’s Smart Sole lineup targets the casual golfer who gets to practice or play sparingly. Today, we focus on the latter as the Smart Sole lineup receives an update, including a new model in the Smart Sole Full-Face collection.
These new Smart Sole Full-Face wedges are said to be Cleveland’s largest and most forgiving wedges ever introduced to the market. With some improved shaping and the inclusion of a full-face design, the hitting areas on these wedges are 46% larger than the Smart Sole 4 wedges. Cleveland also incorporated several top-shelf technologies into this new Smart Sole line so that Smart Sole players can see the same benefits as an RTX 6 player.
It’s undeniable that the best technology that has been introduced in Cleveland wedges in the past year is the HydraZip face technology. HydraZip is a unique combination of laser-milled lines and a dynamic face blast, proven to help retain spin regardless of whether one is playing in wet or dry conditions. With the help of UltiZip grooves, each club gains deeper, sharper, and tighter grooves for more control and consistency. During Cleveland’s testing, Smart Sole Full-Face with HydraZip produced 17% more spin during dry toe contact and 484% more spin-on-toe contact in wet conditions versus the previous generation.
Wedges are designed to offer versatility, allowing golfers to play shots with the face slightly open or shut. However, with the Smart Sole line, most shots are intended to be taken with a neutral or square face. Cleveland has added white paint fill to the bottom two grooves of each club to aid in this regard. The bottom groove is slightly wider than a golf ball, making it easier to line up with the ball centered. Meanwhile, the top groove has a more extended reach and serves as a visual cue to determine if the face is square behind the ball or altered in any direction.
Every club has been upgraded with a three-tiered sole design, offering more bounce at the leading edge. This additional bounce helps prevent the clubs from digging, making the strike more stable and increasing forgiveness. Nobody wants to fear that dreaded chunked shot around the green; with this sole design, you won’t have to.
There are four models in the Smart Sole Full-Face club series by Cleveland, each designed to suit a specific short-game shot encountered by golfers during their rounds. Below is a brief description of each model and its intended use.
Chipper
A signature club in the Smart Sole lineup, this club comes in 42° of loft and is made for those chips and longer bump and run shots. In the past, some golfers have even tackled long pitch shots with Cleveland’s chipper model.
Gap Wedge
The gap wedge was a new update in the previous generation and again found its way into the lineup. With a wide sole and 50° of loft, it’s an excellent option for full and partial swings.
Sand Wedge
Bunker shots often give players fits, but with this 58° wedge, they got a bit easier. Once again, the wide three-tiered sole sets this wedge up to play with a straighter face, helping to create sand shots that come out high and land soft.
Lob Wedge
Introducing the latest addition to the Smart Sole family, designed to tackle the challenging lob shots that golfers often encounter. The L model combines 64° of loft with full-face grooves and a wide tri-level sole, making it easier for golfers to execute this tricky shot.
Cleveland Smart Sole Full-Face wedges launch today with a price tag of $139.99. Every club in the lineup is available for both right and left-handed golfers. More information on all of Cleveland’s new wedges is available at www.us.dunlopsports.com/cleveland-golf.
The range in the wedge lineups is nice to see as well as the focus to each range. These are priced well in the market as well.
Great information @ddec The soles on these are a little wider than I gravitate to but understand the benefits. Where I see these being a hit is with the full face grinds. I am gaming a full face and the benefits are huge.
Love seeing the new Cleveland Wedge releases. The range of wedge options they offer are fantastic and the Smart Sole wedges should not be ignored as they do help a lot if wedge game is a problem area for you.
Look forward to the feedback on the Gap wedge and Chipper. It could be a game changer for those high caps who are lost near the green.
I bet the lob wedge would be like cheating around the greens for a high handicap.
Dude. I’ve never really been a big user of this line, but I have to try that 64.
Great writeup! Not the wedge for me, but definitely cool to see the full face!
Thank you @ddec, for those of us that tend to suffer from wedge-alepsie these deserve a look
Great write up [USER=782]@ddec[/USER] ! I really hope this line up gets plenty of attention from amateur golfers. Not everybody should play a blade wedge. These look like they will have great benefits at an amazing price point!
Nice write up [USER=782]@ddec[/USER].
I’ve gamed a Smartsole sand wedge in the past and it was absolute money out of a bunker.
The lob wedge has me intrigued.
Thanks for the write up. These clubs can definitely help. I have recommended the Smart Sole to a couple of people to help with sand play.
All about making the short game easier and more straightforward…definitely nothing wrong with that. And I LOVE that they pushed hydrazip here and didn’t leave that on the cutting room floor.
Man, I love the idea of the combination of the full face and Smart Sole.
Absolute maximum forgiveness packed into one. So good.
Love to see the chipper being in the lineup too. So many options for the player!
I am a huge proponent of the Smart Sole wedge. I’ve been using one since 2019 and it unmistakably makes golf easier. A 64° lob wedge?!?! I bet that’s gonna be fun!
Man those look clean. It’s making me ponder trading in my current chipper for the new line.
Pretty neat infographic explaining the different use cases around the green to help golfers score. Sure for us here it’s pretty common knowledge, but props for walking folks through it, especially for newer golfers who are part of the target market for these. Part of me is really curious to see how my short game may work out to simply bag a full set for an extended run.
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[QUOTE=”Scooby45, post: 12096752, member: 62865″]
Man those look clean. It’s making me ponder trading in my current chipper for the new line.
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I just ordered a new one.
Every time I see a new Cleveland lineup I want to pull out my original Niblick and head for the practice green, just to see if I’m still better with that than with my traditional wedges.
Ahhhh…those were simpler times. ??
[QUOTE=”Danimal, post: 12096778, member: 46311″]
I just ordered a new one.
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Do you use the outside of the grooves to help with alignment? I do so I’m a touch gun-shy until I can see them in person.
Love that hydrazip found its way to these. These look fantastic.
I know a lot will cast these off as clubs for higher handicaps, but having had a smart sole in and out of the bag for nearly 10 years, I can honestly say it just simplifies the short game.
I’ve carried a high loft SS for so long, and it really is like cheating on those days you are struggling with the wedges.
Really love that Cleveland keeps this line going, it makes a ton of sense, and just really adds a ton of versatility to the wedge game.
These look a lot more versatile than previous iterations. I’ve had Smart Sole C and S wedges in the past, and found them to be a bit too much of a one trick pony to keep in the bag. The way the line is progressing though is great to see, as they look like they’ll be much more user-friendly for different shots once you get used to them.
That 64* could be a heck a lot of fun.
Would probably hit myself in the face.
[QUOTE=”Scooby45, post: 12096820, member: 62865″]
Do you use the outside of the grooves to help with alignment? I do so I’m a touch gun-shy until I can see them in person.
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No, I don’t use the outside grooves. I’m keeping my old one just in case.
I have a Smart Sole C that makes its way in and out of the bag. Due to the loft profile of club, it’s useful on a course-by-course basis where green square footage is larger and areas around them are roomier and/or free of obstacles (e.g., sand, water). The likelihood I give the 64° a shot this season is extremely high – if I don’t like it I’ll stick to traditional wedges.
Cleveland is just on it this year. Tons of release. Love it
[QUOTE=”pumbaa, post: 12097152, member: 24169″]
Cleveland is just on it this year. Tons of release. Love it
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they’ve been crazy busy. Plenty of options.
[QUOTE=”ddec, post: 12097162, member: 782″]
they’ve been crazy busy. Plenty of options.
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Seems like they have been reenergized as of late. I am really liking everything they are putting out.
[QUOTE=”Hawk, post: 12096678, member: 1193″]
Dude. I’ve never really been a big user of this line, but I have to try that 64.
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I tend to struggle with getting height on my “touch” shots around the green. I am wondering if this is not the answer. I rarely ever take a full swing with this lofted of a club.
[QUOTE=”outlawx, post: 12097231, member: 74252″]
I tend to struggle with getting height on my “touch” shots around the green. I am wondering if this is not the answer. I rarely ever take a full swing with this lofted of a club.
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Think about something like a 40 yard shot to an elevated green that normally doesn’t want to stop. That could be really useful.
[USER=782]@ddec[/USER] did you get one of the 64’s? If so, we gotta see that thing on the SkyTrak+.
[QUOTE=”Hawk, post: 12097245, member: 1193″]
Think about something like a 40 yard shot to an elevated green that normally doesn’t want to stop. That could be really useful.
[USER=782]@ddec[/USER] did you get one of the 64’s? If so, we gotta see that thing on the SkyTrak+.
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Yes [USER=782]@ddec[/USER] please?
[QUOTE=”outlawx, post: 12097231, member: 74252″]
I tend to struggle with getting height on my “touch” shots around the green. I am wondering if this is not the answer. I rarely ever take a full swing with this lofted of a club.
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I keep a smart sole 58* around for this exact purpose. Full swings, partial swings, it just flies the ball so high and spins it like crazy. Add in the hydrazip grooves, and I bet these wedges are just a whole hell of a lotta fun to play.
[QUOTE=”War Eagle, post: 12097213, member: 6727″]
Seems like they have been reenergized as of late. I am really liking everything they are putting out.
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its really cool to see TBH.
[QUOTE=”outlawx, post: 12097252, member: 74252″]
Yes [USER=782]@ddec[/USER] please?
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sadly I did not. Currently only have the the Chipper and SW.
[QUOTE=”Hawk, post: 12097245, member: 1193″]
Think about something like a 40 yard shot to an elevated green that normally doesn’t want to stop. That could be really useful.
[USER=782]@ddec[/USER] did you get one of the 64’s? If so, we gotta see that thing on the SkyTrak+.
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hits garage ceiling.
I am super curious though now that my indoor build is coming together to see what kind of fun I can have with the SWFF and FF2.
[QUOTE=”ddec, post: 12097272, member: 782″]
hits garage ceiling.
I am super curious though now that my indoor build is coming together to see what kind of fun I can have with the SWFF and FF2.
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I bet partial swings won’t, but I get what you are saying. Nice thing about the ST+ is that you can set up 4 feet from the net if you need to ?
[QUOTE=”Hawk, post: 12097278, member: 1193″]
I bet partial swings won’t, but I get what you are saying. Nice thing about the ST+ is that you can set up 4 feet from the net if you need to ?
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Will have to see if we can bring one to Briggs.
[QUOTE=”ddec, post: 12097295, member: 782″]
Will have to see if we can bring one to Briggs.
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Yes.
[QUOTE=”ddec, post: 12097162, member: 782″]
they’ve been crazy busy. Plenty of options.
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I want to try out a lot of their gear this year
I’m really glad they’ve continued with this lineup. Full face chipper looks a little strange at first but makes sense given the overall line. Makes me wonder if there’s some fun shots you can hit purposely off the toe. Interesting they’ve gone to 35″ as standard length on the chipper. I kind of like that as I feel it would blend into the lineup better. I kinda wish they had another loft on the chipper but get from a lineup standpoint why they wouldn’t. Really like that they’ve added a high lofted option to the lineup. Even though I’m not the target market, I feel like I could actually game this setup. I have a Smart Sole 4 C and I’ve flirted with having it in the bag. Not sure that I’ll actually do it, but I think I could go 44*, 50*, 56* in traditional wedges plus the C and L and have a pretty fun setup.
One of my all time favorite clubs was the Callaway Sure Out 64*. I’m headed to the Cleveland site right now to order a 64*. It’s a game changer around the green for those that don’t like opening the face
I’m a HUGE fan of the previous version, the Smart Sole 4 and own the 58 S and 50 G versions, as they have helped my game tremendously, especially the 58 in the sand…. I was REALLY hoping they were going to fill in the middle with a 54, where at the moment I’m using the CBX2. I feel like the 64 is insanely lofted and I can’t imagine using it. I’ll definitely look at the S and G when I get the itch again. 🙂
[QUOTE=”sabig27, post: 12097699, member: 16375″]
One of my all time favorite clubs was the Callaway Sure Out 64*. I’m headed to the Cleveland site right now to order a 64*. It’s a game changer around the green for those that don’t like opening the face
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My SO doesn’t make it to the course very often, but it is super fun taking it to the range and hitting giant full swing 40y flops and getting that sideways glance from fellow range rats. (BTW, that shot does translate to the course with an open 58 on those rare occasions that it’s needed.)
Another fantastic write up [USER=782]@ddec[/USER] , I really like the way these flow with the Halo XL irons.
The only slight weakness of the previous versions was not as much spin as the CBX and RTX wedges. But they did launch higher which negated some of the lower spin. Now adding HydraZip and UltiZip to these like their big brothers will make these darn near perfect.
Awesome. Only one question….
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Can you use your normal putting stroke and setup with the chipper? Thats what I’ve been looking for. I watched a Utube video and the guy was using it from 50 feet off the green and getting it airborne. I dont see that as a chip. I’ve used fairway woods to chip from just off the green but there is so much mass in the head distance control is tricky
[QUOTE=”rlb4, post: 12098318, member: 44947″]
The only slight weakness of the previous versions was not as much spin as the CBX and RTX wedges. But they did launch higher which negated some of the lower spin. Now adding HydraZip and UltiZip to these like their big brothers will make these darn near perfect.
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It should help. One thing to keep in mind is all that weight down low will play a big part in the launch conditions. I see a difference between CBX and RTX as well. Like you said though, launch angle does help keep things in a playable window though.
These look like something I want to look at
[QUOTE=”pinger_72, post: 12098893, member: 76242″]
Can you use your normal putting stroke and setup with the chipper? Thats what I’ve been looking for. I watched a Utube video and the guy was using it from 50 feet off the green and getting it airborne. I dont see that as a chip. I’ve used fairway woods to chip from just off the green but there is so much mass in the head distance control is tricky
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that’s what I do
[QUOTE=”pinger_72, post: 12098893, member: 76242″]
Can you use your normal putting stroke and setup with the chipper? Thats what I’ve been looking for. I watched a Utube video and the guy was using it from 50 feet off the green and getting it airborne. I dont see that as a chip. I’ve used fairway woods to chip from just off the green but there is so much mass in the head distance control is tricky
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absolutely you can.