Cleveland/Srixon turns back the clock on Masters wedges

Roger Cleveland’s influence is once again making an impact at the Masters.

Cleveland returned to the company he founded last year and his designs have begun to find their way not only into the wallets of Srixon/Cleveland employees, but also non-employees.

Take JJ Spaun, who earned his third PGA Tour victory last week at the Valero Texas Open and first since winning the US Open. While Spaun still uses the previous stage RTX 6 Zipcore lob wedge, his lobber includes a unique grind for both the leading edge and the leading edge.

The wide sole starts with the original shape from Cleveland’s 588 Wide wedge design from the late 1990s, one of the most popular in clubmaking.

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“We were doing a lot of grinding to get to what he wanted,” Srixon Tour Representative Michael Jolly told GOLF. “That’s a lot of trial and error of him hitting different shots and trying to find the right combination for the open face, the bunker. [versatility]and all those things.”

But Spaun’s wedge is not the only Cleveland wedge prototype inspired by the original 588 shape.

Several pros this year, including Gary Woodland who won two weeks ago in Houston, are using a prototype offset lob wedge built around Cleveland’s updated RTZ with a 588 Wide sole.

“It started with the sole,” said Jolly. “More and more players are seeing the benefits of a wide sole. The 588 Wide goes back to 1998; it’s something we’ve always had. We wanted to re-introduce it with the new RTZ material. That went really well.

“Since Roger has come back, Roger has talked a lot about offset and the benefits of offset. It’s not something that young players usually see, but there are a lot of benefits available.”

Offset, when the club edge is placed behind the pipe, often scares good players because it makes the face easier and gives the club a left bias.

But for wedges, the offset can help give the feeling of trapping the ball. Although it naturally adds a little more loft, many players will automatically add shaft lean, which reduces flight and adds spin.

In addition to Woodland, Rickie Fowler is using an offset RSZ wedge this season, and Justin Rose recently added an RTZ with a 588 Wide sole to the Masters bag specifically.

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ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA Tour Superstore, Srixon

Jolly added that players like Spaun prefer to grind with the ease of the leading or trailing edge because they like to manipulate the face, while players who like the end of the ball usually keep things square.

Srixon irons had a great year last season, winning eight titles, including Spaun’s US Open and have collected two more this season from their 15 players.

Eight of Srixon’s 10 players at the Masters this week used the company’s latest platform, the ZXi, with all eight using some sort of combo between the ZXi5 and ZXi7.

Jolly also noted that the staff had incredible numbers throughout last season.

“After the first event of the year, we had zero metal changes for all employees,” said Jolly. “That speaks to the consistency the guys see with the iron week after week. It just does what they want and there’s really no reason to go fishing in that stream.”

What Cleveland/Srixon employees use at the Masters

Keegan Bradley
Irons: Srixon ZXi5 (4-5), ZXi7 (6-9), Z-Forged II (PW)
Loafs: 25/27/31/36/39/43/47
False: 62/62/62.5/63/64/65/65
Shafts: True Temper Dyanmic Gold X100
Length: 37.25″ 7-iron

Wedges: Cleveland RTZ
Lofts/Grinds: 52 Mid, 56 Mid, 58 Low (C)
Shafts: True Temper Dyanmic Gold S400

Golf ball: Srixon Z-Star Diamond

Nico Echavarria
Irons: Srixon ZXi5 (4-5), ZXi7 (6-PW)
Loafs: 24/26/31/35/39/43/47
False: 62/62.25/62/61.5/62.25/62.5/63.5
Shafts: Nippon Modus3 Tour 120 X (4-5), Nippon Modus3 Tour 125 X (6-PW)
Length: 37″ 7-iron

Wedges: Cleveland RTZ
Lofts/Grinds: 50 Mid, 54 Mid, 60 Low
Shafts: Nippon Modus3 Tour 125 X (50), True Temper Dyanmic Gold S400 (54, 60)

Golf ball: Srixon Z-Star Diamond

Ryan Fox
Irons: Srixon ZXi (2), ZXi5 (4), ZXi7 (5-PW)
Loafs: 19/24/26/31/35/39/43/47
False: 60/60.5/61/61.5/62/62.5/63/63.5
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Blue+ HB 10-X (2), True Temper Dyanmic Gold X100
Length: 36.75″ 7-iron

Wedges: Cleveland RTX 6
Lofts/Grind: 50 Mid, 56 Mid, 60 Full LB
Shafts: True Temper Dyanmic Gold X100 (50, 56), True Temper Dyanmic Gold S400 (60)

Golf ball: Srixon Z-Star XV

Naoyuki Kataoka
Irons: Srixon ZXi5 (4-5), ZXi7 (6-7), Z-Forged II (8-9)

Wedges: Cleveland RTZ
Lofts/Grinds: 52 Mid, 58 Mid

Golf ball: Srixon Z-Star XV

Brooks Koepka
Irons: ZX7 Mk II (4-PW)
Lofts: 23.5/26.5/31/45/38.5/42/46
False: 60.5/61/61.5/62/62.5/63/63.5/64
Shafts: True Temper Dyanmic Gold X100
Length: 36.75″ 7-iron

Wedges: Cleveland RTZ
Lofts/Grinds: 50 Mid, 56 Mid, 60 Full C
Shafts: True Temper Dyanmic Gold S400

Shane Lowry
Irons: Srixon ZXi (3), ZXi5 (4-5), ZXi7 (6-PW)
Loafs: 21/24/27/30/34/38/43/47
False: 61.5/63/64/64.5/65/65.5/66.5/66.5
Shafts: Fujikura Ventus Blue HB 9-X (3), Nippon Modus3 Tour 120 X (4), KBS Tour X (5-PW)
Length: 37″ 7-iron

Wedges: Cleveland RTZ
Lofts/Grinds: 50 Mid, 56 Mid, 60 Low C
Shafts: KBS Tour X

Golf ball: Srixon Z-Star XV

Hideki Matsuyama
Irons: Srixon Z-Forged II (4-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400

Wedges: Cleveland RTX4
Floors/Mills: 48, 52, 56, 60
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold S400

Golf ball: Srixon Z-Star XV

Andrew Novak
Irons: ZXi5 (4), ZXi7 (5-PW)
Loafs: 23/26/30/34/38/42/46
False: 61.5/62/62.5/63/64/65/65
Shafts: True Temper Dyanmic Gold X100
Length: 37″ 7-iron

Wedges: Cleveland RTZ
Lofts/Grinds: 50 Mid, 54 High, 60 Full LB
Shafts: True Temper Dyanmic Gold S400

Golf ball: Srixon Z-Star Diamond

JJ Spaun
Instruments: Sirxon ZXi5 (4), ZXi7 (5-PW)
Loafs: 23/26/30/34/38/42/46
False: 60/60.5/61/62/63/63.5/64
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Length: 37″ 7-iron

Wedges: Cleveland RTX Zipcore Tour Rack (50), RTZ Tour Rack (54), RTX 6 Tour Rack (60)
Lofts/Grinds: 50 Mid, 54 Full, 60 Low C
Shafts: True Temper Dyanmic Gold S400

Golf ball: Srixon Z-Star Diamond

Sepp Straka
Instruments: Sirxon ZXi5 (4-5), ZXi7 (6-PW)
Loafs: 24/27/30/34/38/42/47
False: 61/61.5/62/63/64/65/65
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Length: 37″ 7-iron

Wedges: Cleveland RTZ
Lofts/Grinds: 52 Mid, 56 Full, 60 Full HB
Shafts: True Temper Dyanmic Gold S400

Golf ball: Srixon Z-Star XV

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