50 Words or Less
The Cleveland CBX Full-Face 2 wedge is measurably more consistent than a blade-style wedge. Forgiving sole prevents digging. Loads of face tech for high spin, regardless of the conditions.
Introduction
Cleveland’s early 2023 launches included a new Tour-style wedge in the RTX 6 ZipCore. They also released the CBX Full-Face 2 wedge aimed at the player who wants more forgiveness in the short game. Cleveland has become a leading advocate for cavity back wedges as well as one of the best makers of such clubs. If you want to be closer to the flag more consistently, read on.
Looks
At address, the Cleveland CBX Full-Face 2 wedge gives you a lot of hitting surface. The namesake grooves and larger face make you feel like you can’t miss. Cleveland used a matte finish to reduce glare and a substantially rounded leading edge to invite players to open the face.
In the bag, the Full-Face 2 looks good, if a lot busier than your average Tour-style wedge. “Cleveland” and “ZipCore” are centered between black elastomer pads. “CBX” and “Full-Face 2” adorn the toe, leaving the majority of the cavity blank. Sticking to a silver and black color scheme will keep these wedges from looking dated.
Comparing the CBX Full-Face 2 to the new RTX 6 ZipCore [review HERE], the CBX is obviously larger. It’s not night-and-day different, but it’s noticeable. Per Cleveland, the CBX Full-Face 2 has “13% more contact area” than the RTX Full-Face [review HERE]. I also found a meaningful difference in the shape. The CBX Full-Face 2 is very round throughout, where the RTX 6 has a straighter leading edge and toe.
Sound & Feel
On center, the Cleveland CBX Full-Face 2 wedge feels very solid. I wouldn’t classify it as being soft or hard; the feel is right down the middle. This pairs with a mid-volume, mid-pitch “thump” at impact.
In terms of feedback, it all comes through the hands. Outside of using the very bottom groove, all shots sounded the same. The tactile feedback is dialed down compared to a blade wedge, but you can easily feel the bigger misses.
Performance
Having just reviewed Cleveland’s new RTX 6 ZipCore wedges, I got the chance to test the CBX Full-Face 2 head-to-head against its brother. I hit multiples series of ten shots with each wedge, trying different lofts and shot types, and recording everything on my launch monitor.
What jumped out to me is the consistency of the ball speed from the CBX Full-Face 2. On a string of good shots, the ball speed would be plus or minus 1 MPH, and that would be reflected in very tight dispersion. When I was hitting the RTX 6, the results were very good but the mishits were just a bit worse. On big mishits, the CBX will help, too. It won’t turn a terrible swing into a brilliant result, but it will get you a few yards closer than you deserve.
This testing made me appreciate having a launch monitor, because the advantage of the cavity back wedge is clear but not obvious. If you were on the course, you could easily convince yourself that the CBX isn’t helping that much (or, conversely, that the blade isn’t that bad on mishits). However, when you see the result of numerous shots, it’s clear that the CBX gives you an advantage.
When we turn to the technical side of the CBX Full-Face 2, we see that it shares a lot of its face tech with the RTX 6. Both wedges use a suite of technologies to create high, consistent spin. Cleveland’s HydraZip face treatment ensures that you don’t lose much spin in wet conditions. ZipCore boosts MOI to make the CBX even more stable. Finally, UtiliZip packs more, sharper, deeper grooves onto the face to promote higher spin rates.
Lastly, the CBX Full-Face 2 wedges come with higher bounces sole to prevent digging. At 50 and 52 degrees, these wedges have full soles for more forgiveness on full swings. The higher lofts have a C-shaped sole that offers more versatility while still having twelve degrees of bounce. Even on a mat, it’s easy to feel how resistant these soles are to the dreaded chunked shot.
Conclusion
Golf is a game of inches, and the Cleveland CBX Full-Face 2 wedge can help you to have fewer of them between your ball and the hole. If you’re interested in a more consistent, predictable short game, give these wedges a serious look.
Visit Cleveland Golf HERE
Cleveland CBX Full-Face 2 Wedge Price & Specs
He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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6 Comments
Thanks for the review, Matt. I was debating between this wedge or the RTX6 when updating my 60 degree a couple weeks ago, but went with the new CBX2 full face since I have been using the CBX line for a while. While I love the look of the RTX6, the CBX is not bad looking and I love how the previous versions have performed.
My previous CBX Zipcore 60 degree had 10 bounce, but these new ones all have 12 degrees. Will that make a large difference on chipping from tight lies around the green? Also, it sounds like the stopping ability was very similar to RTX6, is that what you noticed?
Steve,
The spin is similar between the two wedges. For me, the RTX was slightly higher, but the difference was proably not only that would be noticeable on course.
With regard to two degrees of bounce, it’s hard to say whether or not you’ll notice. If two clubs had identical soles but one had more bounce, I think a skilled player would notice. However, there’s more than just the bounce number to consider – sole width, grind, etc. I don’t know if all those other factors are constant between the two wedges you’re comparing.
Best,
Matt
How did the 60° full face CBX perform in the bunker?
Thanks!
Mitchell,
It performed well. It has a fairly wide sole with plenty of bounce, so it’s not inclined to dig.
-Matt
Really like the look of these, with the full face and rounded sole for versatility. Recently switched to CBX2 wedges so these will be on watch list for now. One thing that surprised me when I took a look at these yesterday was that the lob wedge (58, 60) has a noticeably larger head than the sand (54, 56) wedge, which is unlike prior generations. Am curious if there’s an explanation.
Great review! I don’t know if you guys ever “revisit” previously reviewed clubs, but I would love to get your thoughts on how differently this club performs with the graphite shaft (Project X Catalyst Spinner Wedge). #DoubleSecret