Cleveland built the CBZ for golfers who miss the center of a wedge face more than they would like. It has a cavity back, a soft insert, and enough spin to stop the ball, and it gives up some shotmaking in return.
What's new
The CBZ arrived in September 2025 as Cleveland's forgiving wedge, aimed at mid and high handicappers. Its Z-alloy head carries a gelback TPU insert behind the face, and a ZipCore balance system sits inside a cavity back.
Lofts run from 44 to 60 degrees. Grinds change with loft, V, S or C, and a full-face option is available for players who hit from all over the face. UltiZip grooves are cut into a HydraZip face, and stock builds come with a 115 g KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 shaft and a Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 grip.
How it plays
Feel comes first. One review group put six wedges side by side and rated the CBZ the softest of them, and it scores 8.2 for feel here. Spin holds up on full and partial swings, and testers kept shots stopping close on tight lies.
The launch data backs that up. A 56 degree CBZ produced 9033 rpm, a 30.8 degree launch and an 85.6 yard carry, with 84.6 percent of shots finishing straight and an average proximity of 10.3 ft. Accuracy scores 8.2, and forgiveness leads the card at 8.6.
Where it lacks
In a 15-model wedge test the CBZ finished 11th, so it does not beat the class head to head. Those numbers look good on their own, but most of the field did better.
Workability and distance tie for last at 7.6. A cavity back built for stability will not suit a low handicapper who opens the face and plays every greenside shot differently.
“It feels soft and stops the ball, and it forgives the contact most amateurs actually make.”- The Club Stand gear team
Reasons to buy
- Its 8.6 for forgiveness leads every category, and the cavity back keeps mishits playable
- Testers rated its feel the softest in a six-wedge group, thanks to a gelback TPU insert
- High spin on full and partial shots, with 9033 rpm measured on a 56 degree model
Reasons to think twice
- Finished 11th of 15 in a large independent wedge test, behind most of the field
- Workability scores 7.6, so creative players who invent shots with a laid-open face get less to work with
- A 30.8 degree launch on the 56 degree model sends full shots high rather than far, which holds distance to the same 7.6
Specs
| Head | Z-alloy with gelback TPU insert |
|---|---|
| Lofts | 44-60 deg |
| Grinds | V / S / C (by loft) + full face |
| Grooves | UltiZip |
| Face | HydraZip |
| Balance | ZipCore |
| Back | Cavity back |
| Shaft | KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 (115 g) |
| Grip | Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 |
More wedges we've scored
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- New Level SPN V3 2026 - 8.7/10. A raw forged blade wedge that out-aims nearly everything in its class, sold direct at a value price.
- Maxfli XCW 2026 - 8.6/10. A fully forged wedge with a ceramic insert, tested most consistent around greens, at value-tier money.
- Vice VGW02 2026 - 8.4/10. A forged carbon steel wedge with a traditional milled face, sold well below what most forged wedges cost.
- TaylorMade Milled Grind 5 2025 - 8.4/10. TaylorMade finally forges a Milled Grind, pairing real feedback with spin that holds up in the rain.
- MacGregor Tour Grind 2025 - 8.4/10. A milled, tour-shaped carbon steel wedge priced at a fraction of what the big brands charge.