Cleveland Launches Junior Spec Wedges in Time for Christmas

Isn’t about time someone made wedges especially for aspiring young golfers?

By Tony Dear

Freaking out because you still don’t have a gift for the youngest golfer in the family?

Cleveland Golf just came to your rescue.

On Monday, the maker of the most popular wedge in the history of the game—the 588 —launched a range of scoring clubs aimed specifically at golfers aged eight to 13 who no longer need rely on a cut-down that’s too heavy for them to swing effectively.

Cleveland's RTX-3 Junior Spec wedge
Cleveland’s RTX-3 Junior Spec wedge

 

“We do a lot of wedge clinics and wedge fittings during the year,” says Brian Schielke, Marketing Director at Cleveland Golf. “And we realized there isn’t a good option out there for serious junior golfers who need the best wedge technology, but in a size and weight that’s appropriate for their game. We pride ourselves on making great wedges for all golfer types, and juniors are no exception.”

Three models are available – the RTX-3, CBX, and Smart Sole 3. Each comes in three lofts (52˚, 56˚, and 60˚) and is targeted at three age ranges or heights—eight- and nine-year-olds (or 50″-53″) with the 60˚ club measuring 28.5″; ten- and 11-year-olds (54″-60″) with the 60˚ club measuring 31.5″; and 12- and 13-year-olds (61″-63″) with the 60˚ club measuring 34.5″.

Junior Spec Cleveland CBX Wedge
Cleveland Junior Spec CBX Wedge

You’d assume that, as well as featuring shorter shafts, the heads on these junior-only clubs would be lighter than standard clubheads. But you (like me) would be wrong.

“The heads are actually the same weight as those on our standard wedges,” says Schielke. “After studying different head weights, we found that if you make them too light, you lose momentum into the golf ball and the clubhead becomes less stable. An extreme example would be hitting a real ball with a plastic club—the ball wouldn’t go anywhere. The lightweight shafts, grips, and shorter lengths make these easy to swing for Junior golfers, but keeping weight in the head provides the right dynamics at impact.”

The Junior Spec wedges are built from quality components including the KBS 560 shaft, which KBS Director of R&D and Tour Operations Kim Braly says is the first shaft designed expressly for developing junior players, and a Golf Pride grip that Schielke says has a slightly smaller diameter than the standard Tour Velvet, and is a little lighter.

Cleveland's Junior Spec Smart Sole 3S wedge.
Cleveland’s Junior Spec Smart Sole 3S wedge.

 

“There are many avid juniors who want top quality wedges,” Schielke adds, “but when they order a cut-down version of a standard wedge, it’s still too heavy and not built for their game. Plus, these shorter versions aren’t available in stores for kids to try. Our Junior Spec Wedges provide the perfect blend of technology and playability for junior golfers, and are available in store for them to test.”

So there you go. Junior’s getting wedges this year.

You’re welcome.

$100 each
clevelandgolf.com

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