There is no doubt that the wedge options for women are minimal. Most companies just don’t even offer a great female golf wedge because they extend their iron sets down through the sand wedge. For the lady golfers that really want to work on improving their golf game, it can be hard to do with a thick-soled iron with a wedge loft on it. Instead, a cleaner, crisper wedge with extra spin for stopping the ball on the green is indeed a necessary club in the golf bag. Cleveland is a star when it comes to golf wedges, and they produce some of the best golf wedges for women. In this review, we will compare the Smart Sole 3.0 vs. the CBX wedge. Both wedges will have their positives and negatives.
Cleveland Smart Sole 3.0 Women’s Wedge
The Smart sole wedges have an extra-wide three-tiered sole. This sole was explicitly designed with the lady golfer in mind. Women do not have as much clubhead speed coming into the impact position as men do. This can cause unwanted wedge shots like a chunk or hitting it thin and over the back of the green. These wedges make the turf interaction easier and more attainable for the female golfer. This is truly one of the most forgiving wedges every made for the lady golfer.
The Smart Sole wedges are made in both S (sand wedge) and C (chipper). Chippers can be great alternatives for women that struggle with fat & thin chip shots. With a stroke more similar to a putting motion, a chipper will allow the ball to hop in the air for a small distance and roll to the hole easier.
Cleveland used what they call feel balancing technology on these Smart Sole wedges. They removed weight from the hosel of the club and moved it towards the toe. The center of gravity is now in a perfect place for you to get the launch and forgiveness you need. The Smart sole feels excellent at impact, and it will quickly help you if you have struggled with feel around the greens.
There are several loft options when you choose the Smart Sole 3 wedge, and this will come with a ladies graphite shaft in it. The technology is new, the clubs are built for maximum forgiveness, and this is a useful wedge to keep in your golf bag. If you have been afraid to add a lob wedge to your bag, you don’t need to be with the Smart Sole.
Cleveland has recently released their latest line, the Smart Sole 4 wedges. They added a gap wedge in Smart Sole 4, so there are now chippers, sand wedges, and gap wedges. They are more expensive, but have practically the same design as the Smart Sole 3 wedges.
Cleveland CBX Women’s Wedge
The CBX wedge for women is a bit older than the Smart Sole 3, but the technology is still great. You may have to find this wedge as a used option, but wedges hold up for quite some time. What we love best about the CBX is the forgiving cavity back design and the Rotex face that helps provide some extra spin.
If you play with cavity back irons and were concerned about going to a less forgiving blade type wedge, the CBX is the perfect option for you. Just like the Smart sole, this will come with a ladies graphite shaft in it. The bottom on the CBX is called a dual V Sole; it is not as advanced as the three-tier sole offered in the Smart Sole wedge, but it will do the job to help turf interaction be a bit better.
Which Option Is Better?
It’s tough to say which one of these wedges is genuinely going to be a better piece of equipment. Each of them have their features that stand out as being superior. Here is our overall recap of which wedge you should choose.
- If you are a mid handicap lady golfer, the CBX will likely help you more when it comes to both full swing shots and shots around the green. Choosing the CBX will open up some more options for you and potentially help you with scoring.
- If you tend to blade or chunk your wedge shots, the Smart Sole is going to be the better option regardless of your handicap. This wedge is exceptionally forgiving, and it does everything it can to help you get the clubface on the center of the ball each and every time.
- If you like the idea of the Smart Sole wedge, but you want some extra spin and the ability to hit high lofted shots around the green, you may look into the Smart Sole 4. The Smart Sole 4 is a brand new release, so it will be slightly more expensive, but it does have some really great added spin features to it.
- If you are a budget shopper, the CBX is likely going to be cheaper if you can find it new, if not, you will have to look for used options which will undoubtedly be less expensive than the latest version of the Smart Sole wedges.
Cleveland makes some of the best wedges in golf, and you won’t be hurting your golf game by choosing either of these wedges. Hopefully we helped you to understand which one will be a better fit for your game.
