Cleveland has long been a powerhouse in the wedge category, but the new RTZ 2 wedge brings 40 years of short-game knowhow to the market. I absolutely loved the original RTZ wedges, and so when the RTZ 2 wedges landed on my doorstep, I was eager to see if this second iteration could genuinely elevate my short game and be considered some of the best golf wedges on the market.
To find out, I ripped off the wrappers of some RTZ 2 wedges and took them out for rigorous on-course testing in a variety of conditions, followed by a session on my Foresight Sports GC3 launch monitor to capture the data.
At first glance, you’d be forgiven for thinking nothing has changed with these wedges compared to the previous model, but the RTZ 2 wedges have seen a significant structural change from the original RTZ model.
This is highlighted by the introduction of ZipCore iQ, compared with the standard ZipCore technology in the RTZ. This new iteration features a fully optimized, lightweight hosel tailored specifically for each loft and grind combination.
On the course, this redistribution of mass meant my strikes felt incredibly stable because the center of gravity is dialed in for the specific impact location of each loft, and therefore the clubhead wants to resist twisting on off-center strikes.
On delicate, open-faced bunker shots where I occasionally caught the ball slightly out of the toe, the RTZ 2 delivered remarkably reliable distance control rather than frequently coming up short.
Cleveland continues to use their proprietary Z-Alloy material in its wedges, offering a noticeably soft feel. Whether I was hitting a full gap wedge from the fairway or a delicate 60° chip from the fringe, the ball seemed to melt into the face, providing the exact feedback tour players demand and I love.
Taking these wedges onto the course was where I saw the HydraZip and UltiZip technology really shine. The sharper grooves of the UltiZip design acted almost like tyre treads to disperse any morning dew or sand in the soil, gliding through the wet grass and channeling dirt and moisture away from the grooves.
Traditional wedge face designs often suffer a big drop-off in spin when there is debris in the way, resulting in a loss of control and seeing a ball shoot off like a flier or fall out of the sky short of your target.
Complementing the grooves is the HydraZip face blasting that we saw on the RTZ wedges. This blasting technique makes the faces far more durable, and laser-milled lines between the deep grooves also add some friction for additional spin. I noticed this helped with stopping power on shorter pitch shots where I wasn’t putting so much speed through the club.
What’s really cool is the face textures are configured by loft groupings, meaning it’s roughest on the sand and lob wedges to maximize spin on partial shots. On just the first few shots, I started taking the cover off the ball!
I love how Roger Cleveland's signature touch is all over the sole of these clubs. The legendary 588 grind provides an absolute masterclass in trailing-edge relief. I found it incredibly easy to roll the face open without the leading edge sitting too high off the turf and the heel digging in.
If you’re someone who likes to do this and nip the ball off bare, tight lies around the greens, then you should definitely be looking at this wedge and grind.
The RTZ 2 offers a traditional shape across the MID, FULL, LOW, and 588 grinds to suit any swing type and turf condition. However, the ADAPT grind offers something different with a high-toe design and full-face grooves.
When I was short sided in a deep bunker and needed to accelerate hard under the ball, having those grooves extend all the way out to the toe helped a lot when sliding the club from right-to-left through impact.
I put the RTZ 2 to the test against arguably the best wedge on the market - the Titleist Vokey SM11 - on a 50-yard pitch to see how the results compared. While both wedges delivered precisely 50 yards of carry, they achieved it in slightly different ways. The RTZ 2 generated a notable 465rpm more spin than the Vokey SM11 on an identical half-swing shot. It also launched a fraction of a degree higher and reached an apex that was two feet higher.
This combination of a slightly higher trajectory and significantly superior spin means the Cleveland wedge will stop noticeably quickly upon landing. If you are a player who struggles to get the ball to bite quickly on firm summer greens, this data proves the RTZ 2 has the stopping power to attack those hidden, short-sided pins if you dare.
The Cleveland RTZ 2 wedge (£159 or £169 in the Tour Rack finish) is a really good option if you’re looking to upgrade your wedges this year. By pairing the buttery feel of Z-Alloy with the hyper-optimized ZipCore iQ and aggressively milled HydraZip face, Cleveland has crafted a wedge that seamlessly blends Tour-level control with modern consistency.
Whether you lean toward the classic versatility of the 588 grind or the modern, high-toe profile of the ADAPT, the RTZ 2 certainly challenges the Vokey SM11 and others for the throne of the wedge market.
