This is Golfer Geeks’ Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore Tour Rack Wedge review.
I’m a teaching pro & scratch golfer who has played golf for 30 years. I’m always looking to
improve my game, even if it’s just a shot or two here and there. I love testing new strategies both on and off the course and studying golf swings to see what actually works.
I’ve got 5 rounds, 4 hours on the range, and one session on a Foresight GC3 launch monitor with the Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore Tour Rack Raw wedge.
Summary: The RTX 6 ZipCore Tour Rack is a great wedge for players in the 15 and under handicap range seeking more spin. It’s the same one the Cleveland tour players use. It has some of the highest spin rates I’ve seen (over 10,000 rpm), incredible spin out of the rough, and a raw finish designed to maintain those spin rates over time.
In this review of the Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore Tour Rack Raw wedge, I discuss my experience with the club, its unique features and benefits, launch monitor data, customer reviews, and potential alternatives.
- Highest & Best Spin from Any Lie
- Superior Control & Accuracy
- Tight & sharp grooves offer better grab out of the sand
- Head felt a little light
Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore Tour Rack Raw
The Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore Tour Rack Raw is a tour-proven wedge with a TON of spin.
If you know anything about Cleveland, you know that the wedges have always been the strong point of their product line (okay, maybe hybrid irons, too).
Cleveland looks to do three things with their wedges: increase spin, improve forgiveness, and create consistency in their golf shots.
- The Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore Tour Rack Raw does all three.
Tech used:
- HydraZIp – helps provide a little more grab in the wet rough (it works).
- UltiZip – creates a pattern of deeper and tight grooves for optimized control and spin.
Finally, with the low, low+, mid, and full grind options, the RTX comes in a model that will suit any golf course condition.
Translation – The Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore Tour Rack is for players who take short game seriously and need a wedge they can rely on for spin and a consistent feel.
Why Consider the Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore Tour Rack?
If you want spin around the greens, the Cleveland RTX 6 Zip Core Tour Rack is for you. Many golfers call it a forgiving wedge. Though I don’t consider it unforgiving, I recommend it for 15 and under handicap players.
The raw finish is a nice touch that will help you feel like you will have grooves that grab your golf ball for years to come.
The main benefits of the Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore Tour wedge are:
- High spin rates on the full swing shots
- Only a slight decrease in spin on the half-swing shots
- Impressive feedback regardless of where on the face the wedge is hit
- Clean looking style; looks like you can clip it with ease
- Raw finish that will help preserve spin rates over time
- Firm but pleasing feel at impact
Specs for Wedge Tested
- Loft – 56 degrees
- Bounce – 10 degrees
- Grind – Mid
- Shaft – Dynamic Gold Spinner Tour Issue
Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore Tour Rack Specs and Loft Options
The overall spec and loft options from Cleveland have expanded a bit over the last few years; the addition of the Low+ grind has made it easier to fine tune which wedges are best suited for your swing.
- Loft options: Ranging from 46 to 60 degrees
- Grind options: Low, Low+, Mid, Full
- Bounce Options 6 – 12 degrees depending on the grind
My Experience with the Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore Tour Rack
I got my husband a Cleveland RTX wedge as a gift last year, and I’ve wanted to try it since then.
Of course, he’s a lefty, so this has been my first chance to try the RTX, and I went with the newest model, the RTX 6 ZipCore Tour Rack.
I started with the Foresight GC3 launch monitor to see how spin rates were out of perfect lies.
The Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore Tour Rack has some really impressive numbers. In fact, most of my spin rates on a full swing 56 degree wedge shot were over 10,000 rpm with about 75 mph in swing speed.
Those numbers are even slightly higher than the Callaway Jaws or Titleist Vokey.
When I switched to half-swing shots, the rates dropped into the 7500 range, exactly where I would expect and want them to be.
On the course, Cleveland was not kidding about these wedges’ ability to stop out of any lie.
- Sand, rough, short, and long grass: if you pair the RTX 6 with a good golf ball (3 or 4 pieces with Urethane cover), you will get plenty of spin.
My only complaint about the RTX 6 ZipCore is the weighting of the club head. The club just feels lighter than it should or than I expected. Eventually, I learned to ease up a bit and let the wedge itself do the work, which worked well for me.
Review of the Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore Tour Rack Raw Wedge
Looks: (A+) I love the look of the Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore; it’s clean, the club head is a perfect size, and the Raw finish looks good.
Sound/ Feel: (A) Feel is not as soft as I thought, but you will feel in control of your golf shots.
Distance and Distance Control: (A+) The distance control here is great; I was surprised how quickly I could find those 50-75-yard shots just a few minutes after testing the wedge.
Forgiveness:(B+) Cleveland optimized the center of gravity in these wedges, but I still don’t consider them the most forgiving.
Spin:(A+) Very high spin rates around the golf course, full swing and greenside.
Consistency:(A) Spin rates are consistent on the full swing shots; with the mid-length shots, I saw a little drop in consistency, but nothing to steer me away from the Cleveland RTX 6 Zip Core Tour Rack.
Value:(A) You get what you pay for in golf, so if you want spin, this will be worth your money.
Customer Reviews
Golfers liked the RTX ZipCore Tour Rack in almost all the reviews I read. The only real negative I found was that the wedge felt too heavy; this was not what I experienced; in fact, I felt the clubhead was a little light.
- “This is the best iron they have made, and I am on my third set.”
- “It’s a Cleveland Wedge, enough said. They make great wedges, and this one is great around the greens and for wedge shots from the rough or fairway to the green.”
- “Have had the tour rack wedge for roughly 2 months. Love it. I bought it mostly due to groove technology, which has not disappointed me. Great in early morning dew. Great in bunkers. Great wedge!”
Who is the Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore Tour Rack wedge for?
Low handicap: (Yes) The Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore Tour Rack is a great solution for the lowest handicappers; it provides a ton of spin, flexibility in shot-making, and, most importantly, control.
Mid handicap: (Yes) Mid handicappers often end up in poor lies; the Cleveland RTX improves spin rates regardless of the lie.
High handicap: (Maybe) I think there are more forgiving options; even Cleveland has the CBX ZipCore, which is a better choice.
Potential Alternatives
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Description:
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- Exceptional spin rates
- Superb feel & distance control
- Available in several finishes & grinds
- Nada
- Impressive distance control
- Great feel on both long and short shots
- Not too soft coming off the face of the club
- Spin, regardless of the lie
- Zilch
- Similar technology and feel to Jaws Raw Chrome
- Anti-glare black finish
- Stays looking new for a longer time
- Not as consistent as Chrome version
Our Verdict on the Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore Tour Rack Wedge Review
The RTX 6 ZipCore is one of the top three wedges we’ve tested this year and is the highest spining wedge from any lie.
- Low and mid handicappers can do a lot around the greens with this club.
We recommend you take a look at the Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore if you want consistently high spin numbers from anywhere on the course.
Our #1 suggestion is to get your hands on it before you buy. Either at your local golf store or use Global Golf’s Utry trial program. I use it and recommend it.
Thanks for checking out our Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore Tour Rack wedge review, and let us know how they work for you.
- Highest & Best Spin from Any Lie
- Superior Control & Accuracy
- Tight & sharp grooves offer better grab out of the sand
- Head felt a little light
