Equipment
Cleveland’s new Smart Sole 3 wedges add a tier for performance
At one point or another, we’ve all dealt with the frustration of hitting chunks and skulls all day around the greens. Cleveland’s line of Smart Sole wedges, with their ultra-rounded soles, are designed to help these struggling golfers get the ball up and down more often… or at least onto the putting surface.
On July 24, Cleveland is launching its new Smart Sole 3 wedges, a line that includes a lofted sand wedge and a lower-lofted “chipper” meant to produce running shots. Each of the wedges use a new three-tiered design — thus the “3” in Smart Sole 3 — to be more versatile than their predecessors. The extra-wide sole adds forgiveness, according to Cleveland, and the different tiers will better prevent digging or other unwanted turf interaction from a variety of lies — the rough, fairway, fringe, bunker, dirt, etc.
Cleveland has also removed weight from the hosels and added it to the toe portions of the Smart Sole 3 wedges in order to shift center of gravity (CG) more toward the center of the club heads. This will provide a more balanced feel, according to Cleveland, than the previously released Smart Sole wedges.
The Smart Sole 3 sand wedge has 58 degrees of loft, while the chipper has 42 degrees of loft. They are each offered with both steel ($119.99) and graphite shaft ($129.99) options, and they come stock with a Lamkin Blue Cap grip.
Neal Shipley was the first to admit that he enjoyed his food while in college. But since his days at Ohio State, he’s slimmed down and earned a PGA Tour Card.
That hasn’t stopped him from having fun with his wedge stampings, though it’s led to some misunderstandings.
On the 54 (degree), we have ‘Big Fudge,'” Shipley told GolfWRX. “It was supposed to be ‘Big Fridge,’ so this happened a little while ago. ‘Big Fridge’ was a nickname between my college teammates and I, with ‘fridge’ meaning stomach, a big stomach.
“We told the Ping guys to put … ‘Big Fridge’ on it, and I think maybe some bad cell service or something, and they thought I said ‘fudge,’ so they put fudge on it.”
On Shipley’s 50-degree he also continues the food theme, this time with his go-to order at the “Golden Arches,” and his stamping “DONS 7.”
“The number 7 meal, the two cheeseburger meal, that was my McDonald’s order, back when I would have McDonald’s frequently,” Shipley shared.
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @raw10628 has a L.A.B. DF3 putter and Masters putter cover up for grabs.
From the listing: “Some great items here today, time to thin out and make room for next set of gear. All prices include shipping.
LAB DF3 Purple 33.5” 68° lie with TPT – $725. LAB Masters release DF3 cover – $150.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4
3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
5-wood: Ping G440 Max (19 degrees @18)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
Hybrid: Ping G440 (23 degrees)
Shaft: Oban Isawa Red Hybrid Shaft 04 Flex 70 Gms
Irons: Srixon ZXi7 (5-P)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i80
Wedges: Cleveland RTZ (50-MID, 54-FULL, 58-MID)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i105
Putter: L.A.B. Golf OZ.1i
Shaft: ACCRA Putter Shaft
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
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Dave R
Jul 10, 2017 at 11:48 pm
Presently use old old hogan sure out works great and looks the same. Hum!
Kenny
Jul 10, 2017 at 11:06 pm
Tiger would be deadly with the chip and run model
Philip
Jul 10, 2017 at 6:23 pm
Nothing new here, but the fact that this is a new release, maybe a lot of the casual golfers who just do not understand sand and around the green will try them out. I play with someone who has an old Callaway version of this and his is quite consistent with a basic chip out of the sand.
Norm
Jul 10, 2017 at 5:19 pm
The Cleveland Smart Sole wedges are an important breakthrough in wedge sole design. I hope they have some kind of patent protection for this ingenious invention. They will be in my bag.
steve s
Jul 10, 2017 at 7:20 pm
Patent protection? For something that was done 30 years ago by someone else? And repeated every 5 years since and called “new, innovative” every time? I don’t think so…..see, Maltby, Alien, XE1, CEi, etc….
steve s
Jul 10, 2017 at 8:01 pm
And the Ram Recovery Sand Wedge…….there is one on ebay right now for $17….
dave
Jul 10, 2017 at 4:35 pm
i dont get these…..these help with sand shots if you are swinging incorrectly out of the sand. yet they are worse much worse for every other shot including correct swings out of the sand and any sand that is harder or thinner…..i do have a buddy that is horrible out of the sand. maybe maybe this would help him as long as he doesnt use it other than in the sand.
Norm
Jul 10, 2017 at 5:20 pm
They are multi-purpose wedges for all wedge shots because of the Smart Sole design.
ComeyforPresident
Jul 10, 2017 at 12:26 pm
Very original.
Norm
Jul 10, 2017 at 5:19 pm
Very ingenious too.