The value standout against the tour benchmark. Both are elite-spinning, premium wedges — the real question is whether the Vokey's grind library and tour pedigree are worth roughly $20 more per club than the RTZ.
Quick verdict
The Titleist Vokey SM10 is the better wedge on the numbers— it scores 9.4 to the RTZ's 9.2 and wins five of seven categories, edging it on spin, feel, workability, versatility, and distance gapping. Forged 8620 carbon steel, Spin Milled grooves, and six grinds across 23 combinations make it the most-validated wedge in golf and the precision benchmark.
But the Cleveland RTZ is the smart-money buy— it wins value and forgiveness, and reviewers placed its spin and looks right alongside the Vokey for ~$20 less per wedge (a Gold Medal Hot List club at $179.99 vs $189). If you don't need the deepest fitting matrix, the RTZ gets you most of the way for less.
Cleveland
New Z-Alloy steel (~10% softer than the RTX 6), UltiZip/HydraZip grooves for wet-weather spin, four grinds including the tour-built Adapt. The premium value play.
Titleist
Forged 8620 carbon steel, Spin Milled grooves with a new durability heat treatment, six grinds across 23 combinations. The most-played wedge on every major tour.
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Short answer
Buy the Vokey SM10 if you want the most precise, most-fitted wedge in golf and the softest forged feel — it wins five of seven categories and the higher 9.4 consensus. Buy the Cleveland RTZif value matters: it's a Gold Medal wedge with comparable spin and looks, a small forgiveness edge, and a real price saving — especially across a multi-wedge set.
SM10 wins 5 of 7 · RTZ wins 2 of 7 · 0 tied
RTZ
Vokey SM10
UltiZip grooves, Rotex milling, and the new HydraZip face blasting deliver fast-grabbing spin and class-leading wet-weather grip — the most-praised trait in the RTZ's coverage.
Spin Milled grooves cut individually per loft, now with a durability heat treatment. MyGolfSpy's robot testing measured spin among the highest of any wedge, with tighter shot-to-shot variance than competitors.
RTZ
Vokey SM10
The new Z-Alloy steel — roughly 10% softer than the RTX 6's 8620 — feels premium, but it's still a cast head and reviewers split: Golf Monthly called it among the softest, Golfalot found it firmer than the top forged rivals.
Forged 8620 carbon steel delivers the soft, buttery impact and precise feedback skilled wedge players prize — a clear tactile step up from cast or stainless, and the Vokey benchmark for greenside touch.
RTZ
Vokey SM10
A compact, player-preferred blade that shapes shots well, with the tour-built Adapt grind opening up open-faced finesse and flops.
The shot-shaper's benchmark — Bob Vokey's grind library and forged head answer every input, the most workable wedge in this matchup.
RTZ
Vokey SM10
Four grinds (Full, Mid, Low, and the new full-face Adapt) across a 46–64° loft range cover most lies, with bunker play a recurring highlight.
Six grinds (F, S, M, K, D, L) across 23 loft/bounce combinations — the widest fitting matrix in the wedge market, with a measurably correct sole for every condition.
RTZ
Vokey SM10
ZipCore removes weight from the heel and hosel to raise MOI, giving the RTZ a touch more stability on mishits than a pure blade — its narrow edge here.
A pure player's wedge that rewards solid contact and punishes poor strikes; the higher-bounce K and F grinds help, but forgiveness isn't its job.
RTZ
Vokey SM10
Consistent, repeatable wedge distances across the loft range, helped by the low-launch Dynamic Gold Spinner Tour Issue stock shaft.
Individually milled grooves and tight spin tolerances make carry distances predictable — you can trust the number you see on the launch monitor.
RTZ
Vokey SM10
At $179.99 (often ~$169.99 on the street) the RTZ undercuts the Vokey by a meaningful margin while reviewers placed performance right alongside it — the clearest value play near the top of the category.
At $189 per wedge it sits at the top of the market; the grind library, tour validation, and groove longevity justify the premium, but three wedges run $567 and cheaper rivals match the spin.
Buy the RTZ if you...
Buy the Vokey SM10 if you...
This is a “benchmark vs value” matchup, not a performance blowout. On pure category scores the Vokey SM10 wins five of seven and carries the higher 9.4 consensus, but the gaps are narrow: spin (9.8 vs 9.5), feel (9.5 vs 9.0), workability (9.6 vs 9.1), versatility (9.5 vs 9.0), and distance gapping (9.2 vs 9.0). The Vokey's edges are real — forged carbon steel feels softer than the RTZ's cast Z-Alloy, and six grinds across 23 combinations is the deepest fitting matrix in the category — but most golfers won't leave strokes on the table choosing either one.
The RTZ wins the two categories that decide it for a lot of buyers: value (9.2 vs 8.0) and forgiveness (8.0 vs 7.5). At $179.99 — often closer to $169.99 on the street — it undercuts the $189 Vokey by a meaningful margin, and ZipCore's heel-and-hosel weight removal gives it slightly more stability on off-center strikes. Reviewers from Golf Monthly to Golfalot placed its spin and premium looks right alongside the tour benchmarks, and it earned the same Gold Medal Hot List honor.
So the honest call: the Vokey SM10 is the better wedge, and if you want the absolute best fit, the softest feel, and tour pedigree, it's worth the premium. But the RTZ is the smarter buy for most golfers — you get roughly 95% of the performance, a small forgiveness edge, and a real saving that compounds across a three- or four-wedge set. The deciding question is simple: do you need the deepest fitting matrix and forged feel badly enough to pay up for them?
“This is one of the cleanest and most premium-looking wedges on the market — a complete short game package that's genuinely hard to resist.”
Plugged In Golf·On the RTZFavors RTZ
“It competes on performance despite the lower price — a great blend of control and workability for the money.”
Golfalot·On the RTZ's valueFavors RTZ
“Spin rates were among the highest we measured, and the shot-to-shot variance was tighter than nearly every competitor.”
MyGolfSpy·Most Wanted robot testing, SM10Favors SM10
“More players on the PGA Tour trust Vokey wedges than any other brand — it's not even close.”
Golf Digest·On the SM10's tour adoptionFavors SM10
RTZ — our take
The value champion. A Gold Medal Hot List wedge with class-leading wet-weather spin, premium looks, and a small forgiveness edge — for ~$20 less per club than the Vokey. It gives up some fitting depth and the softest forged feel, but reviewers rated its on-course performance right alongside the benchmark.
✦ Best for: value-focused buyers and multi-wedge sets
Vokey SM10 — our take
The tour benchmark. The highest consensus at 9.4, winner of five of seven categories, with forged 8620 feel, elite Spin Milled grooves, and the deepest fitting matrix in golf (6 grinds, 23 combinations). The right call if you want the most precise, most-validated wedge and will pay up for it.
✦ Best for: players who want the best fit, feel, and tour pedigree
It's close. The Vokey SM10 carries the higher consensus score (9.4 vs the RTZ's 9.2) and wins five of seven categories — spin, feel, workability, versatility, and distance gapping — thanks to forged 8620 carbon steel and the deepest grind matrix in golf. But the RTZ wins value and forgiveness, and reviewers placed its spin and looks right alongside the Vokey for roughly $20 less per wedge, so for many golfers it's the smarter buy rather than the worse wedge.
The Vokey SM10 edges it, scoring 9.8 in spin control to the RTZ's 9.5 — both elite. The SM10's Spin Milled grooves measured among the highest of any wedge in MyGolfSpy's robot testing with tighter shot-to-shot variance, while the RTZ's UltiZip and new HydraZip grooves are built specifically for fast-grabbing spin and class-leading grip in wet conditions.
Yes. The RTZ lists at $179.99 (often around $169.99 on the street) versus $189 per wedge for the Vokey SM10, and the RTZ wins the value category 9.2 to 8.0. Across a three-wedge set the gap adds up to roughly $30–60, which is why the RTZ is considered one of the best value plays near the top of the wedge category.
The Vokey SM10 — it offers six grinds (F, S, M, K, D, L) across 23 loft/bounce/grind combinations, the widest fitting matrix in the wedge market, plus broader left-handed availability. The RTZ offers four grinds (Full, Mid, Low, and the new full-face Adapt). The SM10 scores 9.5 in versatility to the RTZ's 9.0, though four well-chosen grinds cover most golfers.
Compare these head-to-head, or see how they rank across the field.