Cleveland 588 RTX 2.0 Wedge

Cleveland has gone the extra mile with the club that put them on the map - the 588 wedge. The latest edition is Cleveland's 588 RTX 2.0, a club that Cleveland guarantees will give you more spin.

It's been a few years since the R&A and USGA put into effect the changes in groove rules for club manufacturers. Four years is a lot of time in the golf technology world. Remember when drivers hit the 460 cc max for head sizes? One would have thought that's it, what else can they possibly do? Yet manufacturers come out with new drivers every year, some twice a year. Why shouldn't wedges be treated the same way? Give club designers enough time, and they'll figure some sort of workaround. Cleveland's did!

With the introduction of the 588 RTX 2.0 wedge, Cleveland has taken spin to a whole new level. Players can enjoy the most consistency you will find in a wedge as well as being able to spin the ball from various lies. The secret is in the new fourth generation Tour Zip Grooves which are 15% sharper than before and are milled 8% deeper to create more spin on each shot. According to Cleveland, the sidewalls of the grooves are slightly steeper, which makes the edges a little sharper.

The new micro-milled face pattern on these wedges has the most surface roughness the USGA will allow. Cleveland enhanced the process from previous models; a curved pattern is micro-milled over the face of each club, not once but twice. This helps grab the ball and create more spin. Finally, Cleveland's Laser Milling is applied and lasers are used to create more surface roughness between each grove, just shy of the USGA's legal limit.

Three different sole options enable each player to personally customize his wedge using Cleveland's 3-Dot system. A Low Bounce Grind (1 Dot) give players the opportunity to be aggressive from anywhere around the green and keeps the leading edge low to the ground which is important if you rely on a lob shot. The Standard Bounce Grind (2 Dots) offers versatility for wedge play n most playing conditions and the Full Sole (3 Dots) provides consistent sole width allowing the club to glide smoothly through just about any surface.

The 588 RTX 2.0 wedge is available in lofts ranging from 46 degrees - 64 degrees with either a True Temper Dynamic Gold shaft or the Cleveland 588 Rotex Graphite Wedge shaft. You can also choose from the original muscleback wedge design or a cavity back version which offers a little more forgiveness in either Tour Satin or a Satin Black finish. Both are made from carbon steel giving them a soft feel. A women's cavity back design is also available with shorter shaft lengths and lighter swing weights. Retail is around $129.99 for either the cavity back or blade model.

I was amazed at the spin these wedges create. I was messing around with them one day on the range, hitting to a pin about 40 - 50 yards away. The grass around the pin can in no way be construed as a green. I was hitting lob shots that would hit softly and just die. Then, I started taking some loft off the shots and the spin started to increase almost to the point of creating back spin on the pseudo-putting surface. Cleveland claims that these wedges will increase spin by 15% but I see it as a lot more than that. I'm now spinning every shot, not just accidently on purpose.

When I played with them for the first time, I couldn't believe how well they held the green. So much so that I have to rethink my short game strategy. It's nice to land the ball up near the hole and watch it just dance around and not release. These wedges will definitely stay in my bag!

More information about these wedges can be gleaned on any of the major golf retailer websites or at www.clevelandgolf.com.