Cleveland Golf CBX 2 Wedge Review: PGAPappas 12 Days of Christmas Golf Giveaway

It wasn't that long ago that choosing a new wedge presented golfers with a conundrum of sorts.  Pick an easy to hit forgiving wedge but sacrifice feel and precision.  Or go the traditional blade route for consistency and Tour level performance, but take your bumps and bruises on mishits. 

 

Cleveland Golf however has figured out how to give you the best of both worlds, and their second generation CBX 2 wedge is both the easiest to hit wedge I've ever played from Cleveland, and also pretty darn close in overall performance to their RTX blade model wedges (and that's saying A LOT). 

If you follow me on twitter and Instagram, you've already read my on course reviews over multiple weeks playing the CBX2 at various courses, as I thoroughly tested them for various full and half shots from rough, sand, and fairway.  I've hit these from pretty much every lie imaginable.  And can tell you the CBX 2 wedges are going to produce a lot of magical shots for golfers of all abilities. 

 

Compared to the previous generation CBX wedges, the new CBX 2 are definitely more forgiving across a wider portion of the face.  More so towards the toe, but still significantly near the heel and low on the face.  CBX 2 sweet-spot feels like the size of a grapefruit.  And that kind of forgiveness gives anyone a peace of mind no matter where you're hitting from on the course. 

 

There's also a definite CG bias towards the toe, making it incredibly easy to come into square impact consistently.  In fact, I think CBX 2 is somewhat anti-pull, which is a common wedge miss for most amateurs.  CBX 2 rotates less because of the CG bias and is more stable through impact than a blade wedge and even the previous CBX gen. 

 

In terms of feel at impact, you get a soft, firm, click with CBX 2, which is crisper than the original.  Swing feel is also more balanced.  If there's a trade-off with the impact feel, it's that you don't get the same level of feedback as say with the RTX wedges.  But that's expected given the CBX 2 forgiveness. 

 

 

Spin is a big story and I'm happy to report it's as exceptional in the CBX 2 as it is in Cleveland's RTX models.  In fact, CBX 2 uses identical groove technology as the RTX-4, which means you'll never be hitting from the fairway or rough and wishing you just had a bit more spin.  

 

Cleveland's always been top-grade in the spin department, and that hasn't changed with the CBX 2.  Even on the rainy days and from the thickest rough, I got about as much spin as a wedge can possibly deliver in these conditions.  Launch is a tad higher than traditional blades, but the spin is still very consistent and easy to control. 

 

The CBX 2 sole design has also changed this year from the original model, and this isn't just new to be new.  This is different to produce better results from everywhere on the course. 

 

CBX 2 soles are wider than last gen, but look and play narrower with more camber.  And you're also getting three unique grinds (V, S, and C) with the CBX2 52, 56, and 60 degree lofts compared to one same V grind for all lofts in the previous gen. 

 

The 52 degree V sole is going to cut through the turf without digging and the leading edge still remains low.  It's the ideal sole for most shots you're going to hit with a gap wedge, so there was no reason to change this grind. 

 

The 56 degree S sole is incredibly versatile and picks the ball clean from the fairway, yet still blasts through sand and rough if you open it up.  And forget about digging this wedge into the ground.  The only way sticking a CBX2 56 degree into the turf is if you come at the ball like an axe.  The new grind cuts through the grass if you wanna clip it, and adds bounce when you lay it open.  Simple set up, easy up, easy hit.  

 

 

And finally, the CBX 2 60 degree C Sole is your  finesse wedge of the three.  One round I flopped a shot over a bunker to a downhill green and the bite was astounding.  Some roll-out for sure, but still enough spin to easily hold the green.  The 60 degree opens more and keeps the lead edge even lower than the 56 degree S Sole. 

 

 

PROS: 

One of, if not the easiest to hit wedges you'll ever hit 
Forgiveness across a huge area of the face 
Three unique sole grinds give you shots for any type of lie in any type of condition 

CONS: 
Less feedback on poorly struck shots than traditional blades 
Slightly higher launch than traditional blades might not be preferred by all 

 

 

 

 

Remember you have three different ways to win the daily gifts in my giveaway this year.  On twitter just retweet my giveaway announcement and follow all; on Instagram like the post, follow all, and Repost or tag some friends; and here on my blog leave a comment in the section below in the daily review/giveaway articles.